Chess openings

The opening is the first stage of the game, while both sides bring their pieces out. You do not need to memorise long lines to play it well — four habits cover most of it.

Take the centre

The four middle squares — d4, e4, d5 and e5 — are where pieces have the most moves. A knight on e4 reaches eight squares; in the a1 corner it reaches two.

White to move.After 1.e4 e5 each side has a pawn in the centre, and each pawn move has opened lines for the queen and a bishop.

Develop your pieces

Move knights and bishops off the back rank early and point them at the centre. Moving the same piece twice without a reason, such as a capture, hands your opponent a free move.

Castle early

Castling puts the king behind a wall of pawns and brings a rook towards the middle, where it can join the game.

Once the knights, bishops and queen have left the back rank, the two rooks see each other and protect one another. That is a good sign the opening is over.

Black to move.A healthy start: both sides have pawns in the centre and a knight and bishop out. White has castled, and Black can castle right now.

Bring the queen out later

A queen that comes out early gets chased. Every knight or bishop move that attacks it is a developing move for your opponent and a wasted move for you.

Openings by their first moves

Names follow the open lichess opening list. Pick one for White and one reply for Black, and play them until the first moves come without thinking.

Opening	Moves
Italian Game	1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4
Ruy Lopez	1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5
Sicilian Defense	1.e4 c5
French Defense	1.e4 e6
Caro-Kann Defense	1.e4 c6
Queen's Gambit	1.d4 d5 2.c4
Slav Defense	1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6
King's Indian Defense	1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3
English Opening	1.c4
Zukertort Opening	1.Nf3

Italian Game

Black to move.The bishop on c4 aims at f7, the square only Black's king defends.

Ruy Lopez

Black to move.The bishop attacks the knight that defends Black's e5 pawn.

Sicilian Defense

White to move.Shown from Black's side. 1…c5 fights for d4 without copying White's move.

French Defense

White to move.Black prepares …d5 with …e6 and then strikes at the e4 pawn.

Caro-Kann Defense

White to move.Black also hits e4 with …d5, but prepares it with …c6, so the bishop on c8 is not shut in.

Queen's Gambit

Black to move.White offers the c4 pawn to draw Black's d5 pawn away from the centre.

King's Indian Defense

White to move.Shown from Black's side. Black lets White build a centre, puts the bishop on the long diagonal and is ready to castle.

Traps to avoid

The quickest losses happen in the opening. Scholar's mate and Fool's mate are on Checkmate patterns.

Next: Tactics · Play a game