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13 Types of Chess Openings

The first few moves in a game of chess can lead to very different scenarios. Will the
game be a wild, tactical and dynamic battle? Will it be a quiet, slow, positional game?
Or something in between? Your choice of opening moves has a large impact on how
the rest of the game will develop.

There are many known chess openings (here’s a list of 42 well-known chess
openings). Openings can be broadly categorized based on their shared characteristics.
This page is an introduction to the types of chess openings and their typical impact on
how the middle game will unfold.

Studying the different types of openings will help to improve your overall
understanding of chess opening theory and is a useful addition to your knowledge of
chess openings.

Types of Chess Openings

On this page you will find a summary and a few examples of 13 different types of chess
openings. They are:

• Open Games
 • Semi-Open Games
• Closed Games
• Semi-Closed Games
• Symmetrical Openings
• Opening Systems
• Gambit Openings
• Hypermodern Openings
• Classical Openings
• Flank Openings
• Tactical Openings
• Positional Openings
• Reversed Openings

Open Games
Open Games refer to all openings that start with the moves 1.e4 e5. It is called “open
games” because the centre will typically open up quite easily, increasing the tactical
possibilities for both sides.

Open Games typically lead to positions where:

• Both sides prioritize rapid development of the pieces.

• Early clashes happen in the centre as both sides aims to occupy central
squares.
 • Early pawn-exchanges in the centre can quickly lead to very open positions.
• Tactical combinations are lurking since the pieces can move around more
freely–due to the open nature of the centre.
• Both sides should get their king out of the centre as soon as possible, or risk
sudden onslaught if the centre opens.

Example of an Open Game Opening

Diagram above: The Scotch Game is an example of an Open Game Opening. White
wants to control the centre by exchanging his d-pawn for Black’s e-pawn.

Semi-Open Games
If black responds to 1.e4 with anything else other than 1… e5, thus breaking the
symmetry, the resulting opening type is known as a Semi-Open Game. It is called
“semi-open games” because the centre will be partly open since only one player will
initially have a pawn in the centre.
Diagram above: The Sicilian Defense is the most common occurrence of a Semi-
Open Game.

Semi-Open Games imply that the symmetry has been broken and therefore the
position is unbalanced. This disruption of the equilibrium offers unique and different
opportunities to both sides. The objective is often to try prove that your approach is
more effective than that of your opponent.

Example of a Semi-Open Game Opening

Diagram above: In the Yugoslav Attack (a variation in the Sicilian Defense), white
will attack on the king-side (where the black king has castled), whilst black will try to
counter as quickly as possible of the queen-side (where the white king has castled).

Closed Games
Closed Games refer to all openings that start with the moves 1.d4 d5. It is called
“closed games” because the centre will typically be closed, partly sue to the fact both
sides have a pawn in the centre that is already defended by the queen–which implies
these pawns are less likely to be attacked or exchanged easily, resulting in a closed
centre.

An immediate consequence of the initial moves 1.d4 d5 is that both sides will delay
castling with at least one move because it will take at least one move extra to develop
the bishop on the f-file (should white want to castle king-side).

Also note that the d-pawns are already defended by their respective queens–which
means neither side can make immediate threats against the pawn in the centre (as is
the case in 1.e4 e5 openings). For these reasons, in part, Closed Games are usually less
tactical in nature than Open Games.

Example of a Closed Game Opening

Diagram above: The Slav Defense is an example of a popular Closed Game Opening.
Black’s development typically won’t be as rapid as in Open Games, but the resulting
position is still solid and there are a number of ways that black can transpose, at the
right moment, to a Semi-closed Game.

Semi-Closed Games
If black responds to 1.d4 with anything else other than 1… d5, breaking the symmetry,
the resulting opening type is known as a Semi-Closed Game. It is called “semi-close-
games” because one player, but not both, will have a fixed pawn in the centre–which
implies the centre will be somewhat, but not completely, closed.
In contrast to Semi-Open Games (where the imbalances are more tactical in nature),
the Semi-Closed Games typically leads to positions where both sides rely more on
strategic maneuvers and incremental improvements in the position, rather than on
immediate attacks.

Example of a Semi-Closed Game Opening

Diagram above: The Queen’s Indian Defense is an example of a Semi-Closed Game.

Semi-closed games often rely on hypermodern strategies. (Allowing the other side to
occupy the centre whilst planning to undermine it later).
Symmetrical Openings
In symmetrical openings black aims to keep the balance for as long as possible by
adopting the same setup as white. This is often an easy way for black to equalize in the
opening, however, white will always keep the advantage of “having the move” in
symmetrical openings.

Example of a Symmetrical Opening

Diagram above: The Symmetrical Variation of the English Opening. White can
choose to break the symmetry first by playing 4.d2-d4. Now if black plays 4… d7-d5?
then 5.dxc5 dxc4 6.Qxd8+ gives white an edge and proves black cannot maintain the
symmetry indefinitely.

Opening Systems
An opening system is a specific piece & pawn formation. This formation can usually
be achieved through different move orders.

Example of a System Opening

Diagram above: The Torre Attack is an example of an Opening System. With minimal
memorization you get a solid opening to add to your repertoire. White will adopt this
piece & pawn setup against almost anything that black does, within reason of course.

Advantages of Opening Systems

A chess opening system is easy to learn and can help you get a decent position against
many different responses.

Disadvantages of Opening Systems

The downside of an opening system is that it isn’t tailored against black’s unique
responses. And since white isn’t fighting hard to obtain an advantage, it is relatively
easy for black to equalize the position.

Gambit Openings
A gambit opening is an opening where you sacrifice one (or sometimes even more)
pawns in exchange for certain positional advantages.

Example of a Gambit Opening

Diagram above: The Queen’s Gambit is the most common Gambit Opening in chess.
Most of the time though, black declines.

Gambit openings are typically designed to speed up your development and/or slow
down your opponent’s development. The side who sacrificed the pawn must play
aggressively before the other side manages to solidify their position. The player who
has the extra pawn will either try to hang on to material advantage or plan to return
the pawn in exchange for regaining some initiative.

Counter Gambits
A counter gambit is an opening where a player responds aggressively to their
opponent’s gambit–by offering a gambit themselves.

Example of a Counter Gambit Opening

Diagram above: The Albin Counter Gambit is an example of a Counter Gambit
Opening.

Counter Gambit openings typically lead to complicated, high-risk positions where you
rely heavily on strong calculation skills and/or a superior knowledge of the variations
that can result from the counter gambit.

Hypermodern Openings
In contrast to classical openings, hypermodern openings dare the opponent to grab
more territory in the centre than they can defend.

Example of a Hypermodern Opening

Diagram above: Alekhine’s Defense is an example of a Hypermodern Opening. Black
invites white to play e4-e5 and grab space in the centre. Black then wants to prove
that white over-extended their reach in the centre and black will undermine it.

Hypermodern Openings typically lead to positions where the player with more control
in the centre tries to hold on to and expand their advantage in the centre, whilst the
other player’s main priority is to undermine their opponent in the centre–by attacking
it from the flanks.

Indian Openings

The family of Indian Openings, Ie. King’s Indian Defense, Nimzo-Indian Defense etc.
are named after the opening ideas used by Moheschunder Bannerjee, a strong Indian
chess player in the late 19th century. In what would later become the hypermodern
style, he often tried to control the centre with long-distance pieces rather than
occupying it with pawns.

Classical Openings
Classical openings are based on a very direct approach toward achieving the opening
objectives, particularly with regard to placing and supporting pawns in the centre.

Example of a Classical Opening

Diagram above: The Ruy Lopez is an example of a Classical Opening. White
immediately increases the pressure on the central e5-pawn by attacking it’s defender,
the black knight on c6.

Classical Openings typically lead to positions where both sides use every move to fight
for control of the centre. The classical approach to the opening is that it is best to fight
for the centre right away, particularly by placing your pawns in the centre as soon as
possible. In Hypermodern Openings, on the other hand, the strategy is to attack and
undermine your opponent’s central pawns from a distance, mainly with pieces and
flank-pawns.

Flank Openings
A flank opening is any opening where the initial move for white is anything but 1.e4 or
1.d4 (or anything but 1… e5 or 1… d5 by black.) The strategy is similar to that pursued
in hypermodern openings.

Example of a Flank Opening

Diagram above: The Bird’s Opening is an example of a Flank Opening.

In a flank opening you typically delay your attempts to control the centre by first
developing on one or both of the flanks. A typical objective in a flank opening is to
exchange a flank-pawn for a central pawn. By doing this you can indirectly increase
your potential control in the centre–since you have an extra central pawn.

Tactical Openings
Tactical openings refer to any opening that is well-known for leading to positions
where tactical opportunities abound.

Example of a Tactical Opening

Diagram above: The King’s Gambit Accepted, and in this case the Cunningham
Defense Variation, is an example of an opening that leads to many tactical
complications.

Positional Openings
Amateur chess players sometimes prefer positional openings because they don’t trust
their visualization skill in complex situations. They’d rather avoid complications, if at
all possible. Strong players,chessfox.com
on the other hand, may also favor positional openings but
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for a very different reason–it gives them an opportunity to demonstrate their superior
position understanding in a low-risk environment.

Example of a Positional Opening

Diagram above: The Semi-Slav variation of the Queen’s Gambit Declined is an
example of a solid, positional opening.

Reversed Openings
Reversed Openings mostly refer to openings where white plays an opening usually
played by black, but now with an extra tempo on hand.

Example of a Reversed Opening

Diagram above: The Reversed Sicilian Opening is an example of a reversed opening,

with an extra tempo on hand.

Interestingly, this extra tempo often means that the strategies employed by white is
very different than it would’ve been for black in the same position.

Closing Comments
There is often an overlap between the different types of chess openings. For example,
a flank opening can also be a hypermodern opening and a positional opening. It is
also quite common for a certain type of opening to suddenly transpose to another
type, which is why it is helpful to understand the typical characteristics and unique
requirements of each opening type.

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