Learn the plans behind chess openings.

The Albin Countergambit is one of Black's most aggressive replies to the QG. Black gambits their e-pawn, in exchange for central space and a lead in development. If White accepts the gambit, which they usually will, Black will obtain a strong pawn wedge by advancing ...d4.

The Alekhine's Defense epitomizes the style of hypermodern chess: Black will allow White to establish a formidable center by chasing the f6 knight around, hoping to later prove that White has overextended their pawns.

The Baltic Defense is a naturally tactical variation of the QG where Black develops their light-square bishop immediately. Black's idea is to get the bishop outside of the pawn chain—much like the London System—so that it will not be hemmed in by ...e6 such as in the QGD.

The Benoni Defense is an aggressive and ambitious opening where Black contests the center earlier than most other Queen's Pawn defenses. The Benoni leads to exciting and dynamic positions, and the variation that Black chooses to enter will usually dictate the pace of the middlegame.

The Bird's Opening is double-edged: the move 1.f4 doesn't help develop any pieces and it weakens White's king. However, it controls the center without committing any center pawns. It is also a clear indication of White's long-term plan: to launch an attack on the kingside. Though the Bird sports a relatively low win-rate for White, it can be a powerful weapon against unprepared opponents.

The Bishop's Opening is a line in the Open Game where White commits their light-square bishop relatively early, taking aim at f7. Since Bc4 is a common move in several openings, it is fairly common for the Bishop's Opening to transpose.

The Blackmar-Diemer Gambit (BDG) is a perhaps the most aggressive option available to White in the Closed Game. Like most gambits, White's plan is to sacrifice one or more pawns in order to secure a lead in development and mount an early attack against Black's king.

The Bogo-Indian Defense (BID) attempts to disrupt the coordination of White's queenside development, and also gives Black another chance of entering Nimzo-Indian theory. In practice, the Bogo-Indian shares many of the same positional ideas as the Nimzo-Indian and Queen's Indian defenses.

The Budapest Gambit is an ambitious response by Black in the Indian Defense. Black gambits their e-pawn in exchange for an open position and superior piece activity, culminating in an all-out kingside assault.

The Caro-Kann Defense is one of the most positionally sound replies to 1.e4, in which Black prepares to contest White's center with 2...d5. The Caro-Kann is known for its defensive nature and solid pawn structure, making it difficult for White to find a target in Black's position to attack.

The Catalan Opening is a solid opening where White chooses to fianchetto their light-square bishop in a Queen's Gambit–esque position. The Catalan can be used to reach a sensible position against nearly all setups by Black.

The Center Game resembles a reversed Scandinavian Defense where White immediately contests Black's e-pawn. The opening is not used often at the master level, because it gives Black good chances of equalizing. However, it is generally considered a safe and active way for White to play.

The Chigorin Defense is an offbeat but dynamic variation of the QG which violates the classical opening principle: "Don't block your c-pawn in double d-pawn openings". Black may also have to concede the bishop pair. In exchange, Black claims a lead in development and piece activity.

The Colle System is a slow, solid opening system for White. It differs from London System in that the dark-square bishop remains inside the pawn chain, to be developed at a later time. The Colle has a passive reputation since it puts very little pressure on Black in the opening. However, the system plays consistently with ideas that are easy to understand, and is perhaps even more "systematic" than the London.

The Colle-Zukertort System is a derivative of the Colle System. Instead of leaving the dark-square bishop on c2, White chooses to fianchetto it with b3 and Bb2.

The Danish Gambit is an aggressive opening where White sacrifices up to two pawns in order to gain a significant lead in development and dangerous open diagonals toward Black's kingside. The Danish scores poorly among masters, but sees great success for amateurs and below.

The Dutch Defense is an aggressive response to the Queen's Pawn Opening. With 1...f5, Black accepts a weakened kingside in exchange for central pawn flexibility and attacking potential against White's king.

The Elephant Gambit is an offbeat opening where Black quickly breaks in the center with ...d5, ignoring the threat of White's previous move. Despite its dubious reputation, the gambit scores surprisingly well against unprepared opponents at all levels.

The English Opening is one of the most popular flank openings. While 1.c4 doesn't facilitate development of any minor pieces, it gives White control of the center without committing any central pawns. The English often transposes into other openings, though there also exist many lines unique to the English.

The Englund Gambit is a tricky gambit for Black, which leads to wild positions straight out of the opening. Although the gambit is objectively unsound, there is considerable tactical opportunity for Black, and there are several traps that White may fall victim to with natural play.

The Four Knights Game is a symmetrical opening where both sides prioritize developing their knights to their most natural squares. Black usually has good chances of equalizing, which is why 3.Nc3 (the Three Knights Game) is considered unambitious for White.

The French Defense is a solid opening for Black in the King's Pawn Opening. Like the Caro-Kann, Black prepares 2...d5 to contest White's center, though in comparison, the French tends to offer Black more counterattacking chances (especially in the Winawer Variation).

The Grünfeld Defense is an aggressive Indian setup which plays like a "positional gambit": Black allows White to establish a huge center with a 2-to-1 central pawn majority. In exchange, Black aims for active play to target White's pawns and potentially win material. The Grünfeld requires deep theory preparation against White's multitude of responses, making it a difficult opening to learn for beginners.

The Hippopotamus Defense describes an opening system that can be played against virtually any setup by White, due to its lack of early confrontation. In some respects, the Hippo is hypermodernism taken to an extreme: for nearly ten moves, Black completely neglects central occupation, instead aiming for an overly defensive yet flexible setup.

The Italian Game is one of the oldest classical openings for White. With Bc4, White takes aim at Black's weak f7 pawn. In most variations, White has options to dictate the pace of the game, making the Italian a flexible weapon.

The Jobava-London System is a relatively recent derivative of the traditional London System; the queenside knight develops to c3 instead of the usual d2. Conventional wisdom states that the knight should not block the c-pawn in d4 openings. Yet, the Jobava-London is filled with ideas and opening traps which offer great practical chances for White.

The King's Gambit is one of the oldest and heavily-theorized gambits available for White. If Black accepts the gambit, White will usually develop their kingside with an Italian-like setup and target Black's weak f7 pawn. The King's Gambit enjoys the most popularity among amateur-level players, where Black is less likely to know the theory.

The King's Indian Attack (KIA, sometimes called the Barcza System), is a hypermodern opening system. Although it seems to be the mirror image of the King's Indian Defense for Black, White's extra tempo alters the nature of play. Like other system-based openings, White does not put immediate pressure on Black's position, allowing Black to develop flexibly.

The King's Indian Defense (KID) is a popular Indian system where Black chooses to prioritize their kingside development. Although the KID setup is flexible and system-like, Black must know several concrete ideas in the middlegame to be prepared against White's many replies.

The Latvian Gambit is a highly aggressive reply to 2.Nf3. The gambit is considered unsound; Black already has two pawns hanging and White can capture either with a slight advantage. Even so, the opening sees quick wins and impressive scores at the amateur-level.

The London System is an opening system that has gained enormous popularity in recent years for its simplicity and consistency. The London piece setup is naturally well-suited for a kingside attack, with the light-squared bishop aimed at h7 and both knights ready to hop into action on the kingside.

The Modern Defense (or Robatsch Defense) is a hypermodern setup that can be employed against most setups by White, including 1.d4 and 1.c4. Strategic ideas in the Modern tend to be complex, with little margin for error, making it a relatively difficult opening for beginners.

The Nimzo-Indian Defense (NID) is by far the most popular way for Black to meet 3.Nc3. With 3...Bb4, Black pins White's knight and prevents White from occupying the entire center with e4. The Nimzo-Indian is a highly theoretical opening, so much so that White often delays Nc3 just to sidestep NID theory.

The Nimzo-Larsen Attack is a hypermodern opening where White immediately announces their intent to fianchetto their dark-square bishop. Like other flank openings, the Nimzo-Larsen delays commitment of center pawns, keeping White's setup flexible.

The Nimzowitsch Defense is a rare but sound opening for Black. The most significant independent line for White is 2.d4, grabbing the entire center and compelling Black to play in hypermodern style.

The Owen's Defense is a hypermodern setup where Black immediately prepares to fianchetto their light-square bishop. The Owen has a dubious reputation, but is considered playable as a pet opening.

The Petrov's Defense (or Russian Game) is a opening where Black counter-attacks White's e-pawn. Players will often use the Petrov to avoid entering the more theoretical openings that occur after 2...Nc6.

The Philidor Defense is a solid but somewhat passive opening for Black. With 2...d6, Black secures their e5 pawn and opens a diagonal for their light-square bishop, at the cost of blocking in the other bishop. The Philidor is popular at lower ratings, but rarely played among masters.

The Pirc Defense is a complicated hypermodern reply to the King's Pawn Opening. Black's idea with 1...d6 is to follow 2...Nf6, without giving White the option to kick the knight by advancing with e5.

The Ponziani Opening occurs when White plays c3 instead of developing a piece. White is hoping to follow with the pawn break d4 and establish a formidable center. Most masters consider 3.c3 too slow, giving Black the opportunity to seize the initiative; therefore, the Ponziani is only used rarely as a surprise weapon at the top level.

The Queen's Gambit Accepted (QGA) is a variation of the QG where Black chooses to capture White's gambited pawn. While this opening usually leads Black to more open positions, it comes at the price of diverting Black's central presence.

The Queen's Gambit Declined (QGD) is one of the most common ways for Black to decline the QG, reinforcing their d-pawn in the process. Within the QGD, there are a large variety of solid and deeply-analyzed variations that Black can choose from.

The Queen's Gambit (QG) is a common d4 opening for White, further popularized by the Netflix series to its name. Despite its name, the QG is not a "true" gambit: if Black captures the gambited pawn, White can easily regain the pawn with accurate play—or secure an advantage if Black stubbornly tries to hold on. To play the QG well, White must be prepared against a myriad of common responses by Black.

The Queen's Indian Defense (QID) is a positionally solid opening where Black prepares to develop their light-square bishop to the queenside flank and pressure the central light squares. The QID shares many positional ideas with the Nimzo-Indian Defense, and commonly transposes into it.

The Ruy Lopez (or Spanish Game) is an opening where White continues to pressure Black's e5 pawn by undermining its only defender: the knight on c6. Theory in the Ruy Lopez is incredibly extensive, and it remains one of the most popular openings among players of all levels.

The Réti Opening is a hypermodern opening that is a close relative of the English Opening and King's Indian Attack. White is essentially gambiting their c-pawn in the spirit of the Queen's Gambit, while preserving the flexibility of their center pawns.

The Scandinavian Defense is an opening where Black immediately challenges White's center with a pawn. Because of its urgently confrontational nature, the volume of theory in the Scandinavian is relatively small, and Black's ideas largely remain the same across all variations.

The Scotch Game occurs when White breaks in the center with 3.d4, immediately opening the center. Black is able to equalize with highly accurate play, but the Scotch offers plenty of opportunity for White to tactically outplay their opponent under practical conditions.

The Sicilian Defense gives Black great counter-attacking chances in order to play for a win. The Sicilian is an intensely theoretical opening, as there are countless sub-variations to choose from for both White and Black.

The Slav Defense is another way for Black to decline the QG while defending their d-pawn. The Slav holds volumes of theory, rivalling that of the Queen's Gambit Declined.

The Stonewall Attack is a solid opening system for White. The Stonewall resembles the Colle System, but the f-pawn is advanced to f4 before playing Nf3. It is usually weakening to push pawns in front of the king, but White plans on keeping the center closed for long enough to mate Black's castled king, before this weakness can fully be exploited.

The Torre Attack is a reliable opening system for White. It plays similarly to the London and Colle, except the dark-square bishop develops to g5. White's intention with Bg5 is to subdue Black's knight, indirectly gaining influence over light squares in the center.

The Trompowsky Attack is a variation in the Indian Defense where White immediately questions the fate of Black's knight on f6. The Trompowsky is a good way for White to circumvent the more popular and theoretical Indian variations.

The Vienna Game is an uncommon yet perfectly sound opening where White first develops their queenside knight. By delaying the move Nf3, White is able to stay flexible with their kingside development.