List of chess openings named after places

Many of the 1,327 named chess openings and variants listed by The Oxford Companion to Chess are named for geographic places.[1]

This article uses algebraic notation to describe chess moves.
This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.

A

B

  • Baguio Variation of the Ruy Lopez -1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Nxe4 6.d4 b5 7.Bb3 d5 8.dxe5 Be6 9.c3 Bc5 10.Nbd2 0-0 11.Bc2 Bf5
  • Balkan Gambit – 1.e4 e6 2.Nf3 d5 3.d3 dxe4 4.Ng5
  • Baltic Defence of the Queen's Gambit Declined – 1.d4 d5 2.c4 Bf5
  • Baltic Defense of the Polish Opening – 1.b4 d5 2.Bb2 Bf5
  • Baltic Opening (or Dunst Opening) – 1.Nc3
  • Basque Gambit of the Ruy Lopez – 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.d4 exd4 7.e5 Ne4 8.c3
  • Basque Opening – 1.d4 Nf6 2.b3
  • Battambang Opening – 1.Nc3 e5 2.a3
  • Bavarian Gambit – 1.e4 e5 2.c4 d5
  • Bayreuth Variation of the Ruy Lopez – 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.Bxc6
  • Belgrade Gambit of the Four Knights – 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.d4 exd4 5.Nd5
  • Benelux Variation of the Ruy Lopez – 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.0-0 0-0 6.d4 Bb6 (named for the Benelux countries)
  • Berlin Defense of the Ruy Lopez – 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6
  • Beverwijk Variation of the Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defense – 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.0-0 Bc5
  • Birmingham Defence (more commonly as the St. George Defence): – 1.e4 a6
  • Birmingham Gambit of the Polish Opening – 1.b4 c5
  • Bled Variation of the English Opening – 1.c4 c6 2.Nf3 d5 3.b3 Nf6 4.Bb2 g6
  • Bohemian Attack of the Caro–Kann Defence – 1.e4 c6 2.Ne2
  • Brazilian Defence – 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Qe7
  • Bremen Variation of the English Opening – 1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.g3
  • Breslau Variation of the Ruy Lopez – 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Nxe4 6.d4 b5 7.Bb3 d5 8.dxe5 Be6 9.c3 Be7 10.Re1 0-0 11.Nd4 Nxe5
  • Brooklyn Defence of the Alekhine's Defence – 1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Ng8
  • Brussels Gambit of the Sicilian Defence – 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 f5
  • Budapest Gambit – 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e5
  • Bulgarian Variation of the Ruy Lopez – 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a5

C

D

  • Danish Gambit – 1.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.c3
  • Danube Gambit – 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.d5 b5 4.cxb5 a6 5.bxa6 c6
  • Dresden Opening – 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.c4
  • Duisburg Gambit of the QGD – 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c5 4.cxd5 cxd4
  • Düsseldorf Gambit of the Van Geet Opening - 1. Nc3 c5 2. b4
  • Dutch Defence – 1.d4 f5
  • Dutch Variation of the Slav Defence – 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nf3 dxc4 5.a4 Bf5 6.e3

E

F

G

  • Genoa Opening (known as the Grob Attack) – 1.g4
  • Gent Gambit of the Amar Opening (Paris) – 1.Nh3 d5 2.g3 e5 3.f4 Bxh3 4.Bxh3 exf4 5.0-0 fxg3 6.hxg3
  • German Defence of the Polish Opening (Orangutan or Sokolsky Opening) – 1.b4 d5 2.Bb2 Qd6
  • Glasgow Kiss Variation of the Slav Defence – 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e3 Bf5 5.cxd5 cxd5 6.Qb3 Nc6
  • Gothenburg Variation of the Sicilian Defence, Najdorf Variation – 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 e6 7.f4 Be7 8.Qf3 h6 9.Bh4 g5
  • Granada Gambit of the Italian Game, Two Knights Defense, Blackburne Variation – 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 d5 5. exd5 Na5 6.Bb5+ c6 7.dxc6 bxc6 8.Qf3 cxb5 9.Qxa8
  • Graz Variation of the Ruy Lopez – 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 b5 5. Bb3 Bc5
  • Graz Attack of the Nimzowitsch-Larsen Attack – 1.b3 d5 2.Ba3
  • Greek Defence (or Owen's Defence) – 1.e4 b6
  • Guatemalan Defence of the Greek Defence or Owen's Defence – 1.e4 b6 2.d4 Ba6

H

I

J

  • Jalalabad Defence – 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 c5 or 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e5

K

  • Kahiko-Hula Gambit of the English Opening – 1.c4 e5 2.e3 Nf6 3.f4 exf4 4.Nf3
  • Kazakh Variation of the King's Indian – 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 0-0 6.Be2 Na6
  • Kecskemet Variation of the Ruy Lopez –1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 d6 7.c3 0-0 8.d4 Bd7 9.Nbd2 Be8
  • Kentucky Opening – 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+? Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5
  • Keoni-Hiva Gambit of the Van't Kruijs Opening – 1.e3 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.f4 exf4 4.Nf3 (Akahi Variation), 1.e3 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.f4 exf4 4.Nf3 (Alua Variation), 1.e3 e5 2.Nc3 d5 3.f4 exf4 4.Nf3 (Ekolu Variation)
  • Kiel Variation of the Scandinavian Defence – 1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Nf6 3.d4 Nxd5 4.c4 Nb4

L

  • Latvian Gambit – 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 f5
  • Leipzig Gambit (or Müller-Schulze Gambit) – 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nxe5?!
  • Lemberg Gambit (Lviv Gambit) – 1.Nf3 Nf6 2.e4 or 1.Nf3 d5 2.e4
  • Lemberg Countergambit - 1.d4 d5 2.e4 dxe4 3.Nc3 e5
  • Leningrad Variation of the Dutch Defence – 1.d4 f5 2.g3 g6
  • Lisbon Gambit of the Dutch Defense – 1.d4 f5 2.g4 fxg4 3.h3
  • Lisbon Gambit of the Queen's Pawn Opening, English Rat – 1.d4 d6 2.c4 e5 3.dxe5 Nc6
  • Lithuanian Variation of the Mikėnas Defence – 1.d4 Nc6 2.c4 e5 3.d5 Nce7
  • Lodz Variation of the Tarrasch Defence – 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c5 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Nf3 Nc6 6.g3
  • London System, a set of related chess openings characterised by 1.d4 followed by an early Bf4, e.g. 1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Bf4; 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.Bf4; and 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.Bf4

M

  • Macedonian Variation of the English Opening – 1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.f4
  • Maltese Falcon Attack (or Gibbins-Wiedehagen Gambit) – 1.d4 Nf6 2.g4 Nxg4 3.f3 Nf6 4.e4
  • Manhattan Gambit of the Dutch Defence – 1.d4 f5 2.Qd3 Nf6 3.g4
  • Manhattan Variation of the QGD (also called the Westphalia Defence) – 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Nbd7 5.Nf3 Bb4 or 5.e3 Bb4
  • Mannheim Variation of the QGA – 1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Qa4+
  • Mar del Plata Variation of the King's Indian Defence – 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 0–0 6.Be2 e5 7.0–0 Nc6 8.d5 Ne7
  • Margate Variation of the Sicilian Defence – 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.Bg5 e6 7.Bb5
  • Marienbad Variation of the Sicilian Defence, Wing Gambit – 1.e4 c5 2.b4 cxb4 3.a3 d5 4.exd5 Qxd5 5.Bb2
  • Massachusetts Defence of the Caro–Kann Defence – 1.e4 c6 2.d4 f5
  • Mediterranean Defence – 1.e4 e6 2.d4 Nf6
  • Meran Variation of the Semi-Slav Defence – 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 e6 5.e3 Nbd7 6.Bd3 dxc4 7.Bxc4
  • Mexican Defence – 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 Nc6
  • Miami Variation of the Italian Gambit – 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.d4 Bxd4 5.Nxd4 Nxd4 6.Be3
  • Modern Archangel Defence of the Ruy Lopez – 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 b5 6.Bb3 Bc5
  • Monte Carlo Variation of the French Defense – 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 exd5 4.c4
  • Montevideo Defence – 1.d4 Nc6 2.d5 Nb8
  • Moscow Variation of the Semi-Slav Defence – 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nf3 e6 5.Bg5 h6
  • Moscow Variation of the Sicilian Defence – 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bb5+

N

O

  • Odessa Variation of the King's Indian – 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 0-0 6.Be2 e5 7.0-0 Nc6 8.d5 Ne7 9.Bg5
  • Omaha Gambit of the Vienna Game – 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 d6 3.f4
  • Oxford Variation of the Vienna Game – 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.f4 d5 4.fxe5 Nxe4 5.d3
  • Oxford Gambit of the Four Knights Game – 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.d4 Bb4 5.d5 Nd4

P

R

  • Riga Variation of the Ruy Lopez – 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Nxe4 6.d4 exd4
  • Rio de Janeiro Variation of the Ruy Lopez – 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.0-0 Nxe4 5.d4 Be7
  • Romanian Opening (or Dunst Opening) – 1.Nc3
  • Romanian Defense of the Wing Gambit – 1.e4 c5 2.b4 cxb4 3.a3 d5 4.exd5 Qxd5 5.Nf3 e5 6.Bb2 Nc6 7.c4 Qe6
  • Russian Defence of the Ruy Lopez – 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 d6
  • Russian Game (or Petrov's Defence) – 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6

S

T

U

V

  • Valencia Opening (or Mieses Opening) – 1.d3 e5 2.Nd2
  • Venezolana Variation of the Mieses Opening – 1.d3 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g3
  • Venice Attack of the Sicilian Defence – 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.f3 e5 6.Bb5+ or 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e5 6.Bb5+
  • Venice Variation of the Queen's Gambit Declined – 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 c5 5.cxd5 Qb6
  • Vienna Game – 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3
  • Vienna Gambit - 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.f4
  • Vienna Variation of the Queen's Gambit Declined – 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nf3 Bb4 5.Bg5 dxc4 6.e4
  • Vietnamese Gambit – 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 b5
  • Vinohrady Variation of the Sicilian Defence – 1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g4 named after a district in Prague[6]
  • Volga Gambit – 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5 (named for the Volga River, the national river of Russia)
  • Voronezh Variation of the Alekhine's Defence – 1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 4.c4 Nb6 5.exd6 cxd6 6.Nc3 g6 7.Be3 Bg7 8.Rc1 0-0 9.b3

W

  • Warsaw Variation of the Dutch Defence – 1.d4 f5 2.c4 Nf6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.Nf3 0-0 6.0-0 d6 7.Nc3 c6
  • Westphalia Defence in the Queen's Gambit Declined: An alternative name for the Manhattan Variation – 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Nbd7 5.Nf3 Bb4 or 5.e3 c5
  • Wiesbaden Variation of the Slav Defence – 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 dxc4 5.a4 Bf5 6.Ne5 e6
  • Wilkes-Barre Variation of the Italian Game, Two Knights Defence – 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 Bc5!?

Y

Z

A number of less well-accepted ethnic chess opening names (including such gems as the "Anglo-Polish Dutch" – 1.c4 f5 2.b4) can be found in this list of chess opening names.

See also

References

  1. ^ Hooper, David; Whyld, Kenneth (1996) [First pub. 1992], The Oxford Companion to Chess (2nd ed.), Oxford University Press, pp. 461–480, ISBN 0-19-280049-3
  2. ^ Abbazia DefenceArchived 2014-10-18 at the Wayback Machine from chess.com. The name 'Abbazia' comes from the Abbazia 1912 tournament in which the variation was played six times. Abbazia is now the city of Opatija in Croatia.
  3. ^ Hannes Langrock, The Modern Morra Gambit: A Dynamic Weapon Against the Sicilian, Russell Enterprises, 2006, pp. 219–20. ISBN 1-888690-32-1.
  4. ^ Siegbert Tarrasch, The Game of Chess, David McKay, 1938, p. 341.
  5. ^ Hannes Langrock, The Modern Morra Gambit: A Dynamic Weapon Against the Sicilian, Russell Enterprises, 2006, p. 201. ISBN 1-888690-32-1.
  6. ^ Kavalek, Lubomir (2006-08-07). "Lubomir Kavalek: The Vinohrady Variation". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2009-10-29.