Your 4 choices for opening and defenses

Here is a sorted list of common opening systems, from which you can make your four choices.

* Playing White with 1. e4
o Playing aggressively as White with 1. e4
+ After 1...e5: Danish Gambit, Giuoco Piano with d2-d4/Max Lange, King's Gambit, Vienna Gambit, Bishop's Opening (Urusoff Gambit), Ruy Lopez with an early d4
+ Against semi-open defences: early d2-d4, advance variations, transposition to Blackmar-Diemer Gambit or other Gambits (e.g. Morra).

o Playing solidly as White with 1. e4
+ After 1...e5: Centre Game, Bishop's Opening/Giuoco Piano with d2-d3, Ruy Lopez with d2-d4 late or never, Vienna Game,
+ Against semi-open defences: advance variations, King's Indian Attack.

* Playing White with 1. d4
o Playing aggressively as White with 1. d4
+ After 1...d5: Blackmar-Diemer Gambit, Queen's Gambit with Queen's-side castling,
+ Against Indian defences: King's-side Pawn storms e.g. Samisch vs. King's Indian.

o Playing solidly as White with 1. d4
+ After 1...d5: Queen's Gambit Declined with O-O, Queen's Pawn games without c2-c4.
+ Against Indian defences: Queen's-side Pawn storms e.g. Classical King's Indian.

* Playing White with the Reti/English
o Playing (relatively) aggressively as White with the Reti/English
+ King's Indian Attack, Botvinnik system of English.
o Playing solidly as White with the Reti/English
+ Queen's-side Pawn storms, systems with b2-b3.


* Playing Black
o Playing Black against 1. e4
+ Playing aggressively as Black against 1. e4
# Sicilian, Alekhine's, Pirc/Modern
+ Playing solidly as Black against 1. e4
# Petroff or other lines with 1...e5, French, Caro-Kann, Modern with ...c6

* Playing Black against 1. d4
o Playing aggressively as Black against 1. d4
+ Tarrasch Defence, Budapest Gambit, Benko/Benoni, King's Indian, Grunfeld

o Playing solidly as Black against 1. d4
+ Slav Defence, Queen's Gambit Declined e.g. Tartakower, Nimzo/Queen's Indian

* Playing Black against the Reti/English
o Playing aggressively as Black against the Reti/English
+ Reversed Sicilian, Dutch systems, King's Indian
o Playing solidly as Black against the Reti/English
+ Slav, London System

I want to know if the two bolded items above are the same thing?


The full article is here: http://www.exeterchessclub.org.uk/Openings/4choices.html

Yes,slav is just short for slav defense.
I've never seen black play london system though 😕

Originally posted by ouwe belg
Yes,slav is just short for slav defense.
I've never seen black play london system though 😕

I think magnublm is actually thinking of the New York system which is black's most solid formation against the Reti.

Originally posted by Kepler
I think magnublm is actually thinking of the New York system which is black's most solid formation against the Reti.

That's a new one to me.What is the new york system?

Originally posted by ouwe belg
That's a new one to me.What is the new york system?

Bf5 ... c6 ... e6 ... d5

Originally posted by Mephisto2
Bf5 ... c6 ... e6 ... d5

A reversed London then.Okay,thanks 🙂

Originally posted by Kepler
I think magnublm is actually thinking of the New York system which is black's most solid formation against the Reti.

Yes, thank you.