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White Opening Moves involving Knights

White Opening Moves involving Knights

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I was wondering if anyone would tell me the names of some of White's opening moves involving knights.

Like: The first move of white is moving a knight at B3/C3 or F3/H3.

Educating my ignorance would be very appreciated!

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1. Na3 is unnamed.
1. Nc3 is the Sleipner.
1. Nf3 is the Reti.
and
1. Nh3 is Tartakower's Flank Opening.

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Chessgames.com
http://www.chessgames.com/perl/explorer

1.e4 -- 185,539 games
1.d4 -- 131,477 games

1.Nf3 -- 33,695 games
1.Nc3 -- 515 games
1.Nh3 -- 7 games
1.Na3 -- 4 games

As you can see, (with the execption of Nf3) moving the knight is a somewhat uncommon first move........

as for openings involving knights all of them do, as every opening will seek to develop all its minor pieces at somepoint....


None the less a few ideas for the knights....

Kings Indian attack

1 Nf3 d5 2 g3 c5 3 Bg2

Alekhine's Defense

1 e4 Nf6


Grunfeld Defense/ Nimzo-Indian

1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 g6 3 f3 d5
1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 e6 3 Nc3 Bb4 4 e3 c5

Two Knights Defense

1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bc4 Nf6

Three Knights/Four Knights

1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Nc3
1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Nc3 Nf6

......the list goes on

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I believe that both the Scotch and the Guico Piano (italian game) have 4 knight variants with knights on c3, f3, c6, f6.


Edit: Come to think of it, the english has such a variant as well, though I am not sure it is callend the English 4 knights game...

Edit 2: for opening names and some sample games, check out
http://chess-ref.org/openings.php?letter=P

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Barcza's Opening goes 1.Nf3 2.g3 3.Bg2 4.0-0