Types of Openings

Open, semi-open, closed, and flank openings — how openings are classified.

Openings are grouped by their first moves and by the pawn structure those moves produce. The opening directory catalogues individual variations. What follows is the broad classification.

Open Games

Open Games begin with 1.e4 e5. Both sides contest the center with pawns and the position tends to open early, favouring tactical play. The Italian Game, the Ruy López (Spanish Game), and the King's Gambit are classical examples.

Open Game — 1.e4 e5

Board is interactive - move a piece

Semi-Open Games

Semi-Open Games begin with 1.e4 followed by any Black reply other than 1...e5. Black declines symmetry and aims for an unbalanced position. The Sicilian Defence (1...c5), the French Defence (1...e6), and the Caro-Kann Defence (1...c6) are the most played examples.

Sicilian Defence — 1.e4 c5, the most popular reply to 1.e4

Board is interactive - move a piece

Closed Games

Closed Games begin with 1.d4 d5. The central pawns commonly lock, producing slower, more strategic play. The Queen's Gambit (2.c4) and the Slav Defence are the principal examples.

Semi-Closed Games

Semi-Closed Games begin with 1.d4 followed by any Black reply other than 1...d5. They include the Indian Defences (King's Indian, Nimzo-Indian, Queen's Indian), the Dutch Defence (1...f5), and the Benoni.

Flank Openings

Flank Openings are those in which White's first move is neither 1.e4 nor 1.d4. The English Opening (1.c4), the Réti Opening (1.Nf3), and Bird's Opening (1.f4) are the best-known examples. The center is usually contested with pieces rather than occupied with pawns, and transpositions into other opening types are frequent.