Introduction

Why Opening names used and not ECO Codes Names are often about People!

What is a Chess Opening and why are they important

Why a fun lovers perspective

Hikaru Nakamura and Magnus Carlsen are fun lovers playing outrageous openings

Tradeoff theory - how it relates to Gambits and Dynamic pawn structures

Beginners steer towards Systems and Gambits and focus on tactics as priority

Spicy bits as part of this framework - traps and immortals )

Time flies when you are having goal focused fun! Gambit coverage games

PHILOSOPHY intro - Put yourself beyond defeat before going onto the attack

RULE #1 DON'T break the rules unless justified - Paul Morphy vs Hart

RULE#2 DO The most important rule DEVELOP your pieces! - Paul Morphy Opera Game

RULE#4 DO Central square battle - Short vs Speelman

RULE #3 Maximise Flexibility - Options Open for yourself - Closed for opponent

#5 DON'T Don't bring queen out early - Bird vs Lasker example

#6 DON'T start attacks until development finished - Meek vs Morphy

#8 DON'T deprive pieces of key development squares - Paulsen vs Morphy 1857

#7 DON'T do too many pawn moves - Summerscale vs Basman

#9 DON'T move same piece or pawn twice in general - Bobby Fischer vs Reuben Fine

#11 - DONT have pieces unprotected in general - Karpov disaster

#10 DO Castle early to avoid horrid tactics - e.g. Reti vs Tartakower

Dunst aka Reverse Tango System , Baltic, Van Geet, Romanian, Q Knight Attack

English Opening Botvinnik System (aka Pawn formation) - Botvinnik vs Sherbakov

Dunst aka Reverse Tango Illustrated game Van Geet vs Guyt

English Opening - Wet lettuce system - Vasily Smyslov vs Mikhailovich Liberzon

Hedgehog Defence (Pawn formation System)

London System

Barry Attack (System) aka London System with Nc3 - Illustrative Game

London System - Illustrative game - Magnus Carlsen vs Wesley So

Benko's Opening (System) aka King's Fianchetto, Hungarian Opening, Barca, Bilek

Benko's Opening (System) - Illustrative game vs Bobby Fischer

Colle System

Hodgson System aka Trompowsky Attack or Levitsky Attack or Queen's Bishop attack

Colle System - Illustrative game - Edgar Colle vs Victor Berger

King's Indian Attack (System)

Torre Attack (a kind of System)

King's Indian Attack (System) - Bobby Fischer vs Borislav Ivkov

Bird's Opening (System)

Bird's Opening - illustrative game - Just vs Ushakova

Four Knight's Game - Glek System - Glek vs Kroeze

Stonewall Attack System

Stonewall Attack System - Frank Parr vs Mar Baxter - 1962

Brazilian Defence (System) AKA Camara Defence Defense or Gunderam Defense

Hippopotamus Defence (Pawn formation System)

Hippopotamus Defence (Pawn formation System) - John Emms vs Simon Williams

Bishop's Opening

Bogo-Indian Defence

BIshop's Opening - White win example

Bogo-Indian Defence - Illustrative game - Walter Browne vs Vasily Smyslov - 1982

Caro-Kann Defence

Caro-Kann Defence - Classical variation Example game

Caro-Kann Defence Caveman variation - Illustrative Game

Catalan Opening

Caro-Kann defence - Bronstein Larsen Variation

Caro-Kann Defence - Korchnoi Variation

Dutch Defence

Catalan Illustrative game - Leela Neural Network vs Stockfish

Dutch Defence Stonewall Illustrative game

English Defence

Dutch Leningrad Illustrative game - Maxime Vachier-Lagrave Immortal game

English Opening

Four Knight's Game

French Defence

French Defence Winawer variation - Downsides for White Emphasised

French Defence Tarrasch variation - Downsides of White emphasised

French Defence Winawer Fingerslip variation (Gambit) - Argument for White

Horwitz Defence

Grünfeld Defence aka Gruenfeld defence

Two Knights Defence Fried Liver Attack

Italian Game

Grünfeld defence - Alexander Alekhine vs Ernst Grünfeld

Italian Game Giuoco Piano

Italian Game Giuoco Piano - c3 - Steinitz vs Curt von Bardeleben

Keres Defence aka Kangaroo Defence or Franco-Indian Defence

Italian Game Hungarian Defence - Lipnitsky vs Petrosian illustrative game

King's Indian Defence

King's Knight Opening

King's Pawn Game

King's Indian Defence - Classical Main Line - Korchnoi vs Kasparov

Konstantinopolsky Opening

Larsen's Opening aka Nimzo-Larsen Attack aka Queen's Fianchetto Opening

Larsen's Opening on a good day Larsen vs Pappa

Larsen's Opening on a bad day - Spassky vs Larsen disaster game

Modern Defence

Modern Defence North Sea Variation

Modern Defence Monkey's Bum

Nimzowitsch Defence aka Tango

Neo-Indian Attack aka Yasser Seirawan Attack

Nimzowitsch Defence - Classic light square play - Spielmann vs Nimzovich

Old Indian Defence

Owen's Defence

Owens Defence - Paul Morphy vs John Owen

Nimzo-Indian Defence - Doubled pawns and restraint - Mattison vs Nimzovich

Nimzo-Indian Defence

Petrov's Defence

Petrov's Defence - Peter Leko vs Vladimir Kramnik

Philidor defence

Philidor defence - NN vs Philidor - 1749

Philidor defence - a crushing Paul Morphy example

Pirc Defence

Pirc Defence Austrian Attack - Bobby Fischer vs Pal Benko - 1963

Pirc Defence - on a good day for Black - Povah vs Nunn

Ponziani Opening - Chigorin vs Gossip - 1889

Queen's Indian Defence

Réti Opening

Queen's Indian Defence - Saemisch vs Nimzovich - 1923

Queen's Pawn Game

Reti Opening - Famous Game - Reti vs Capablanca

Richter-Veresov Attack

Richter-Veresov Attack - Richter vs Baratz illustrative game example

Ruy Lopez

Ruy Lopez Closed variation - Mikhail Tal vs Hjartarson - 1987

Ruy Lopez Exchange variation - Lasker vs Capablanca - 1914

Ruy Lopez Morphy defence

Ruy Lopez Berlin Defence

Scandinavian Defence Eric Lobron (AKA Yardbird!) vs Ian Rogers

Scandinavian Defence aka Center Counter

Scotch Game

Scotch Game - Garry Kasparov vs Wesley So

Sicilian Defence Najdorf Variation 6.Bg5 classic line Poisoned Pawn Variation

Sicilian Defence Najdorf Variation 5...a6

Sicilian Defence Named Variation Overview

Sicilian Defence Dragon Variation 5...g6

Sicilian Defence Classical Variation 5...Nc6 - Richter Rauzer Attack - Anand

Sicilian Defence Scheveningen Variation 5...e6 - Keres Attack

Sicilian Defence Kalashnikov Variation 4...e5 5.Nb5 d6

Sicilian Defence Accelerated Dragon 4...g6

Sicilian Defence Sveshnikov Variation 4...Nf6 5.Nc3 e5

Sicilian Defence Kan (Paulsen) (Taimanov transposable) Variation 4...a6

Sicilian Defence Pin Variation 4...Nf6 5.Nc3 Bb4

Slav Defence

Slav Defence Alapin variation Czech variation Bf5 Bled Attack

Slav Defence Alapin variation Czech variation Bf5 Krause Attack

Slav Defence Semi-Slav 5.Bg5 - Anti-Moscow Gambit after - Carlsen vs Groenn

Three Knights Game ( Has a natural trap) - Louis Paulsen vs Adolf Anderssen

Slav Defence Semi-Slav Meran variation - Gruenfeld vs Rubinstein 1924

Slav Defence Semi-Slav Botvinnik Variation

Two Knight's defence

Vienna game - Black falls into a trap - Mackenzie vs Loverin - 1879

Vienna Game Frankenstein-Dracula Variation

Vienna Game

Wade Defence

Wade Defence - Veselin Topalov vs Michael Adams

Alekhine's Defence

Anderssen's Opening

Alekhine's Defence - Boris Spassky vs Bobby Fischer

Alekhine's Defence - Nigel short chess immortal vs Jan Timman

Anderssen's Opening - Adolf Anderssen vs Paul Morphy - 1858

Baltic Defence aka Grau Defense aka Sahovic Defense

Benoni Defence

Baltic Defence - Vladimir Kramnik vs Alexei Shirov

Benoni Modern Benoni - Boris Spassky vs Bobby Fischer

Benoni Modern Benoni Taimanov Attack aka Flick-Knife Attack - Kasparov vs Nunn

Center Game

Center Game - Illustrative game - Alexander Morozevich vs Mark Hebden

Grob Attack - 1.g4

Mieses Opening

Grob Attack - Michael John Basman vs John Nunn example game

Lopez Opening aka MacLeod Attack

Polish Defence - on a good day - Wells vs Hodgson

Saragossa Opening

Sodium Attack aka Durkin Opening

Sokolsky Opening aka Orangutan

St George Defence

Zukertort Opening

St George Defence - Example game - Karpov vs Miles

Van't Kruijs Opening - 1.e3

Alapin's Opening

Alapin's Opening - a trap to avoid - NN vs Esteban Canal

Amar Opening aka Ammonia Opening

Balogh Defence

Amar Opening - fun example - Magnus Carlsen vs Alexey Dreev

Balogh defence on a bad day - Max Euwe ve Henri Weenink

Barnes Opening

Barnes Defence - Paul Morphy v s Thomas Wilson Barnes

Barnes Opening with 2.Kf2 AKA Fried Fox Attack - Magnus Carlsen vs Wesley So

Bongcloud aka Bongcloud Attack on a good day - Vlad Dobrov vs Hikaru Nakamura

Bongloud example - Hikaru Nakamura vs Jefferey Xiong

Clemenz Opening - 1.h3

Damiano Defence (contains a naughty trap!)

Clemenz Opening - Michael Basman vs Jonathon Rogers -1991

Danvers Opening aka Kentucky Opening, Patzer Opening, Parham attack

Desperez Opening - 1.h4 aka Kadas Opening, Anti-Borg, Samurai, Harry's Opening

Danvers Opening - Boris Becker (Yes Tennis Legend!) vs Garry Kasparov

Desperez aka Kadas Opening on a good day - Gabor Kadas vs Leon Pliester - 1985

Ware Opening aka Meadow Hay aka Corn Stalk Defence

Napoleon Opening - Napoleon vs The Turk Automation (Johann Allgaier)

Ware Opening - Magnus Carlsen vs Teimor Radjabov - 2012 World Blitz

Albin Counter Gambit

Albin Counter Gambit - Cecotka vs Spal - Correspondence 1993

Albin Counter Gambit - Ivan Sokolov vs Alexander Morozevich - Corus A 2005

Blackmar-Diemer Gambit (System as well!)

Blackmar-Diemer Gambit - Emil Joseph Diemer vs Markwardt

Blackmar-Diemer Gambit - Emil Joseph Diemer vs Heinz Gerhart Gunderam

Benko Gambit

Benoni Defence Blumenfeld Counter Gambit

BullFrog Gambit aka Gibbins-Weidenhagen Gambit aka Bronstein Gambit

Danish Gambit

Benko Gambit - Vlastimil Hort vs Lev Alburt

Benko Gambit - Andrew Jonathon Whitely vs Michael Wilder

Danish Gambit - Henry Edward Bird vs Emanuel Lasker (blitz!)

Danish Gambit - Rudolf Rezso Charousek vs Jakob Wollner

Giuoco Piano Evans Gambit

Giuoco Piano Evans Gambit - Bobby Fischer vs Reuben Fine

French Defence Milner Barry Gambit - Hector example

King's Gambit

Kings Gambit Falkbeer Countergambit

King's Gambit Kieseritzky Gambit - Spassky vs Fischer - 1960

King's Gambit Fischer Defence - Alexander Morozevich vs Garry Kasparov

King's Gambit McDonnell Gambit

King's Gambit Muzio Gambit aka Polerio Gambit

Lisitsin Gambit (Deferred - like version 2.0!)

Queen's Gambit Declined (good day for White) Alekhine vs Lasker - 1934

Queen's Gambit

Queen's Gambit Declined Tarrasch Defence

Sicilian Defence Smith-Morra Gambit - Mikhail Tal vs Neibult

Sicilian Defence Smith-Morra Gambit - Esserman vs Martirosov

Ruy Lopez Marshall Gambit - Judit Polgar vs Michael Adams

Sicilian Defence Smith-Morra Gambit - Esserman vs Loek van Wely

Sicilian Defence Wing Gambit - Frank James Marshall vs Stodie

Sicilian Defence Wing Gambit - Rudolf Spielmann vs Hans Gebhardt

Sicilian Defence Wing Gambit - Frank James Marshall vs Sussman

Sicilian Defence Wing Gambit - Frank James Marshall vs Heinemann

French Defence Wing Gambit - Kabanov vs Ivanov - 2007

Dutch Defence Staunton Gambit - Richard Reti vs Max Euwe

Slav Defence Geller's Gambit

Dutch Defence Staunton Gambit - Frank James Marshall vs Mikhail Chigorin

Slav Defence Semi-Slav Marshall Gambit

Tennison Gambit

Tennison Gambit - Paul Keres vs Leo Luck

Two Knight's defence - d5 countergambit - Knorre - Nezhmetdinov example

Trompowsky (or London System) Vaganian Gambit

Alapin Gambit vs French Defence

Budapest Gambit

Budapest Gambit - Toldsepp vs Paul Keres

Budapest Gambit - Akiba Rubinstein vs Milan Vidmar

Elephant Gambit

Caro Kann Hillbilly Attack (Gambit)

Elephant Gambit - David Tebb vs Jonathon Rogers

Italian Game Blackburne Shilling Gambit - on a very good day - Trap employed

French Defence Reti Gambit

Four Knights Opening Halloween Gambit

Italian Game Blackburne Shilling Gambit - on a bad day - Davidson vs Doehren

Petrov Defence Stafford Gambit (Very trap rich!)

English Opening Reversed Smith-Morra Gambit

Petrov defence Cochrane Gambit

Duras Gambit AKA Fred Defence

Englund Gambit

Latvian Gambit

Latvian Gambit - on a bad day - Garry Lane vs Maciej Wojnar

Jerome Gambit

Italian Game Rousseau Gambit

Bonus Lecture

Conclusions and Philosophical points