Chess opening

The opening is the first phase of a chess game. You about covers the first 10 to 15 moves of a game and ends after the development of the characters, it connects to the middle game. Depending on which stones are first drawn, it is called an open, semi-open or closed game.

Opening strategy

Aim of the game in the opening is to develop the characters to dominate the central squares and the king - bringing in a safe position - preferably by castling.

The great chess teacher Ruy López, Gioachino Greco, François -André Philidor, but also great chess players like Paul Morphy, foremost among them the world chess champion, started with Wilhelm Steinitz to Magnus Carlsen, the development of opening theory have driven so that today the following general principles in the chess opening shall apply:

• Draw initially a center pawns in order to develop the rotor can
• Then develop the minor pieces knight and bishop
• Avoid bringing the lady too early into the game, the Shepherd Matt fall for beginners only
• Each figure should be given to the opening as possible only once
• Each train should the control of the center, securing the own characters or the attack on the enemy king serve
• The reliable positioning of the king by castling should be done as early as possible in the opening phase

These rules are not absolute, there are numerous exceptions.

A special case gambits dar. So openings are referred to, where a farmer (or several farmers or in some cases a minor piece ) is sacrificed in order to obtain as compensation for a lead in development or a positional advantage.

Essential for the development of opening theory in the 19th century, the Berlin School, was that of the Pleiades (the " Seven Sisters " with Ludwig Bledow, Tassilo von Heydebrand and Lasa, Paul Rudolf von Bilguer, Wilhelm Hanstein, Bernhard Horwitz, Carl Mayet and Karl Schorn ) was founded. These were members of the Berlin Chess Club.

For further development of opening theory mainly contributed the following members of the Berlin Chess Club at: Adolf Anderssen ( regarded as the unofficial world championship of 1851-1858 and 1862-1866 ), Johannes Hermann Zukertort, Emanuel Lasker ( Member from 1891, world champion 1894-1921 ), Jean Dufresne ( textbook of chess ), Emil Schallopp ( Schallopp - defense ), Szymon Winawer (French Winawer Variation ), Jacques Lousy (wrote over 40 books on the game of chess ), Horatio Caro ( analysis of the Caro- Kann Defence ), Simon Alapin ( Alapin opening ), Friedrich Sämisch (many opening variations ) and Ludwig Rellstab (several chess books).

The history of chess opening

The history of chess openings begins with the " grandfather " of chess, the Indian game Chaturanga. The possible moves of the characters were restricted, so that up to 20 trains were usually necessary until the opponent's pieces collided.

Chaturanga developed in Persia continued to Shatranj. In this game developed master player so-called " Tabijen ", that is, it was created figure lineups that made a meeting of the parties already with the first train possible, but the Tabijen were so sophisticated that no party from the beginning owned at an advantage. In these Tabijen the basic idea for the opening today of teaching is to look for.

Chess, in the form as it is played today, there are so only since 300 years. The movement of some pieces is new, the lady moves on the runners as well. Last came even more special trains such as the reshuffles, the double step of the farmers and the en passant added.

Until the early 20th century it was thought that one should strive necessarily in the opening then, the center - these are the fields d4, d5, e4 and e5 - to be filled with farmers in order to fight for control of the center. Consequently, most chess games with the trains 1 e2- e4 e7 - e5 or d2 -d4 d7 -d5 began. With this view one particular connects the name of the chess master Tarrasch.

The representatives of Hyper Modern School (among Réti, Nimzowitsch, Tartakower or Breyer ) argued that it actually comes to controlling the center without it mandatory to be filled with farmers. It acquired, among others, the Indian openings in importance. For example, try black in the King's Indian opening, with the trains Nf6 to win g6, Bg7 and d6 impact on the center and blow it up later.

Opening literature

The first comprehensive account of the Chess Openings, Paul Rudolph of Bilguer, co-founder of the Berlin School, 1843, in his manual of chess before. In the 20th century, inter alia, Max Euwe, Paul Keres, Luděk Pachman, Alexei Suetin and Rolf Schwarz have emerged as authors of opening books. Most often it is attempted to present the basic ideas of an opening on the basis of master games. There are also works that are limited to the identification and assessment of variants ( eg Encyclopedia of Chess Openings ).

In this context, the conventional term theory or state of theory is misleading. It involves experience from master games and to published opening analysis.

In general, opening books in the main variants of an opening - these are the most played variants usually also recognized as the best trains variants - discussed in detail. Apart from versions - rarely played trains, usually weaker traits - are listed, but less discussed in detail.

Today, the opening books have lost some of its significance. The openings are presented in extensive chess databases.

Chess programs have a so-called opening book is stored in the common opening lines to give the computer in the opening phase of an advantage or save at least think about it.

Opening innovation

As an innovation, or theoretical innovation is defined as the application of a previously played not train in a chess opening. These mostly on big tournaments kept secret in preparation variants attract a great deal in the chess press. In the Chess Informant they are specially marked. Even the Tarrasch case revealed the extent necessary preparation for a successful innovation. Major innovations often lead to independent opening systems, for example Polugajewski variant or Sveshnikov Variation. The long-term value of an innovation is found only in continuous practical testing.

Example Gothenburg variant

A well-known example of an unsuccessful innovation is the Gothenburg variant. In Gothenburg Interzonal 1955, the Argentine player Miguel Najdorf, Oscar Panno and Herman Pilnik prepared a novelty in the 9th train in the Najdorf Variation of the Sicilian Defence for Black. After 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 e6 4.Nxd4 7.f4 Be7 8.Df3 h6 9.Lh4 happened 9 ... g5. This new train came almost simultaneously in three games on the board. However, the Soviet player Geller, Keres and Spassky won their games by 10.fxg5 Sfd7 11.Sxe6. Then the Gothenburg variant appeared no longer playable for Black. 1958 but rehabilitated Bobby Fischer style: in Portorož, he brought in his game against Gligorić turn an innovation in the 13th train and held draw this game.

The choice of opening system

In centuries of match practice several opening systems have been tried. Many of them have been refuted by analysis or game practice. Others have proven to be robust and are constantly played in the tournament halls, the Internet or in private meetings of players of all levels.

About these openings, there is a literature that counts hundreds of thousands of pages. Some often played variations in current systems are partially analyzed by 30 train.

The best cope, the player selects a system that meets their specific strengths particularly. For this purpose, you should ask yourself the following questions:

• If the player is more of a tactician who can count accurately in complicated situations, or he is a strategist, who forges long-term plans and a quiet game preferred?
• Its strength lies rather in the art of peasant leadership, or he knows the particular idiosyncrasies of the characters to good use?
• Is it more likely the attacker or defender?
• He would rather play willing to take risks for profit or minimize the risk of loss?
• If he wants to play on the enemy with a well-prepared, precisely analyzed variant already in the opening, or he seeks the advantage is more in the middle or final?

In addition to these considerations also modes play a role in the choice of opening. Some players have certain chess models, track their games and depend on the choice of game systems afterwards.

In principle openings are divided into three different systems:

• Open games are openings that begin with 1 e2- e4 e7 - e5 (eg Spanish game ).
• Semi- Open Games begin at 1 e2- e4, Black does not answer e7 - e5 (eg French).
• In closed-end games is not 1 e2- e4 played ( for example, the Queen's Gambit ).

The terms are to be understood only in a very general sense. In the "open" games there are actually in almost every opening in a quiet, positional Abspiele closed pawn structure. On the other hand, there are also in the " closed " playing sharp continuations with moving figures in open slugfest. In all three groups, there are Gambit openings; particularly numerous among these are open-ended games.

The most common Anfangszug

Most commonly begins with White e2 -e4. This train was often viewed until the 20th century as the only reasonable Anfangszug. Rauser formulated " 1 e4 and White wins. " Cautious expressed the fisherman: "I do not know what God would say to me on 1 e4. " Since the train e2- e4 development principle emphasizes the most, it is recommended for learners.

Much played openings

1 A00 covers irregular openings.

Detailed system

Detailed classifications of Chess Openings with branches to the individual systems can be found at:

• ECO codes
• Open Games, Semi- Open Games and Closed Games

Rarely played openings are discussed in the articles Irregular Openings with e4 and Irregular Openings without d4 and e4.

• Chess opening