Chess openings
The first moves of a game set up everything that follows. Knowing your openings means you start every game on familiar ground.
Why learn openings
A good opening gets your pieces out, your king safe, and a fair share of the center. Each opening is a tried-and-tested way to do that.
Many openings hide traps in the first dozen moves. When you know a line, you know where they are, both the ones to avoid and the ones to set.
The moves matter less than the plans behind them. An opening you understand tells you what to do once the moves run out: which pawn break to aim for and where your pieces belong.
How to learn them here
Reading moves is not the same as knowing them. Here you play each line yourself on a real board, with a hint when you need one.
Practice every line from both sides. Playing it as White shows you the attack, and playing it as Black shows you the defense. Challenge Mode then tests you from memory until the line sticks.
Each opening's page explains the idea, the plans for both sides, and the traps to watch for, so you learn why the moves are played.
Openings on Still in Book
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Queen's Gambit
1.d4 d5 2.c4 · 5 lines
A popular opening where White offers a pawn to control the center.
Practice -
Sicilian Defense
1.e4 c5 · 8 lines
An aggressive response by Black to counter White's e4 and avoid symmetrical play.
Practice -
Ruy López
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 · 5 lines
The Ruy López is one of the oldest and most respected chess openings, played for control of the center and development of key pieces.
Practice -
Italian Game
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 · 6 lines
One of the oldest recorded openings: White develops the bishop to c4, eyeing the f7 weak point, leading to rich tactical and positional battles.
Practice -
French Defense
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 · 5 lines
A solid, resilient defense where Black allows White a bigger center in exchange for a sturdy pawn chain and counterplay.
Practice -
Caro-Kann Defense
1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 · 6 lines
A solid defense to 1.e4 where Black prepares ...d5 without blocking in the light-squared bishop, trading some activity for a resilient structure.
Practice -
King's Indian Defense
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 · 4 lines
A hypermodern defense where Black lets White build a big center, then strikes back at it with pieces and pawn breaks.
Practice
One opening is open to everyone. A free account opens the rest and saves your progress.