List of chess openings named after places


Many of the 1,327 named chess openings and variants listed by The Oxford Companion to Chess are named for geographic places.

A

B

  • Baguio Variation of the Ruy Lopez -1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Nxe4 6.d4 b5 7.Bb3 d5 8.dxe5 Be6 9.c3 Bc5 10.Nbd2 0-0 11.Bc2 Bf5
  • Balkan Gambit – 1.e4 e6 2.Nf3 d5 3.d3 dxe4 4.Ng5
  • Baltic Defence of the Queen's Gambit Declined – 1.d4 d5 2.c4 Bf5
  • Baltic Defense of the Polish Opening – 1.b4 d5 2.Bb2 Bf5
  • Baltic Opening – 1.Nc3
  • Basque Gambit of the Ruy Lopez – 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.d4 exd4 7.e5 Ne4 8.c3
  • Basque Opening – 1.d4 Nf6 2.b3
  • Batavo Gambit of the Bird's Opening - 1.f4 d5 2.Nf3 c5 3.e4 dxe4
  • Battambang Opening – 1.Nc3 e5 2.a3
  • Bavarian Gambit – 1.e4 e5 2.c4 d5
  • Bayreuth Variation of the Ruy Lopez – 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.Bxc6
  • Belgrade Gambit of the Four Knights – 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.d4 exd4 5.Nd5
  • Benelux Variation of the Ruy Lopez – 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.0-0 0-0 6.d4 Bb6
  • Berlin Defense of the Ruy Lopez – 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6
  • Beverwijk Variation of the Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defense – 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.0-0 Bc5
  • Birmingham Defence : – 1.e4 a6
  • Birmingham Gambit of the Polish Opening – 1.b4 c5
  • Bled Variation of the English Opening – 1.c4 c6 2.Nf3 d5 3.b3 Nf6 4.Bb2 g6
  • Bohemian Attack of the Caro–Kann Defence – 1.e4 c6 2.Ne2
  • Brazilian Defence – 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Qe7
  • Bremen Variation of the English Opening – 1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.g3
  • Breslau Variation of the Ruy Lopez – 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Nxe4 6.d4 b5 7.Bb3 d5 8.dxe5 Be6 9.c3 Be7 10.Re1 0-0 11.Nd4 Nxe5
  • Brooklyn Defence of the Alekhine's Defence – 1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Ng8
  • Brussels Gambit of the Sicilian Defence – 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 f5
  • Budapest Gambit – 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e5
  • Bulgarian Variation of the Ruy Lopez – 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a5

C

D

  • Danish Gambit – 1.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.c3
  • Danube Gambit – 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.d5 b5 4.cxb5 a6 5.bxa6 c6
  • Dresden Opening – 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.c4
  • Duisburg Gambit of the QGD – 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c5 4.cxd5 cxd4
  • Düsseldorf Gambit of the Van Geet Opening – 1. Nc3 c5 2. b4
  • Dutch Defence – 1.d4 f5
  • Dutch Variation of the Slav Defence – 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nf3 dxc4 5.a4 Bf5 6.e3

E

F

  • Finnish Variation of the Caro–Kann Defence – 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 h6
  • Florentine Gambit of the King's Indian Defence – 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.f4 0-0 6.Be2 c5 7.d5 e6 8.Nf3 exd5 9.e5
  • Folkestone Variation of the QGD – 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c5 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Nf3 Nc6 6.g3 c4
  • Fort Knox Variation of the French Defence – 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Bd7 5.Nf3 Bc6
  • Frankfurt Variation of the French Defence – 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Be7 5.e5 Ng8 6.Be3 b6
  • French Defence – 1.e4 e6

G

  • Genoa Opening – 1.g4
  • Gent Gambit of the Amar Opening – 1.Nh3 d5 2.g3 e5 3.f4 Bxh3 4.Bxh3 exf4 5.0-0 fxg3 6.hxg3
  • German Defence of the Polish Opening – 1.b4 d5 2.Bb2 Qd6
  • Glasgow Kiss Variation of the Slav Defence – 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e3 Bf5 5.cxd5 cxd5 6.Qb3 Nc6
  • Goteborg System of the Scandinavian Defence – 1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qa5 4.d4 e5 5.Nf3
  • Gothenburg Variation of the Sicilian Defence, Najdorf Variation – 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 e6 7.f4 Be7 8.Qf3 h6 9.Bh4 g5
  • Granada Gambit of the Italian Game, Two Knights Defense, Blackburne Variation – 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 d5 5. exd5 Na5 6.Bb5+ c6 7.dxc6 bxc6 8.Qf3 cxb5 9.Qxa8
  • Graz Variation of the Ruy Lopez – 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 b5 5. Bb3 Bc5
  • Graz Attack of the Nimzowitsch-Larsen Attack – 1.b3 d5 2.Ba3
  • Greek Defence – 1.e4 b6
  • Guatemalan Defence of the Greek Defence or Owen's Defence – 1.e4 b6 2.d4 Ba6

H

  • Hastings Variation of the Queen's Gambit Declined – 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Bg5 h6 5.Bxf6 Qxf6 8.Nc3 c6 7.Qb3
  • Hollywood Variation of the King's Indian Defence – 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.c4 Bg7 4.Nc3 0-0 5.e3 d6 6.Be2 Nc6
  • Hungarian Attack of the English Opening – 1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.Rb1
  • Hungarian Defence – 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Be7
  • Hungarian Gambit of the KGA – 1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Qf3
  • Hungarian Gambit of the Catalan Opening – 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 e5
  • Hungarian Opening – 1.g3
  • Hungarian Variation of the Sicilian Defence – 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Qxd4

I

J

  • Jalalabad Defence – 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 c5 or 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e5

K

  • Kahiko-Hula Gambit of the English Opening – 1.c4 e5 2.e3 Nf6 3.f4 exf4 4.Nf3
  • Karlsruhe Variation of the Blackmar-Diemer Gambit – 1.d4 d5 2.e4 dxe4 3.f3 g6
  • Kazakh Variation of the King's Indian – 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 0-0 6.Be2 Na6
  • Kecskemet Variation of the Ruy Lopez –1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 d6 7.c3 0-0 8.d4 Bd7 9.Nbd2 Be8
  • Kemeri Variation of the King's Indian Defence – 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.g3 d5
  • Kentucky Opening – 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+? Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5
  • Keoni-Hiva Gambit of the Van't Kruijs Opening – 1.e3 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.f4 exf4 4.Nf3, 1.e3 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.f4 exf4 4.Nf3, 1.e3 e5 2.Nc3 d5 3.f4 exf4 4.Nf3
  • Kiel Variation of the Scandinavian Defence – 1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Nf6 3.d4 Nxd5 4.c4 Nb4

L

  • Latvian Gambit – 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 f5
  • Leipzig Gambit – 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nxe5?!
  • Lemberg Gambit – 1.Nf3 Nf6 2.e4 or 1.Nf3 d5 2.e4
  • Lemberg Countergambit – 1.d4 d5 2.e4 dxe4 3.Nc3 e5
  • Leningrad Variation of the Dutch Defence – 1.d4 f5 2.g3 g6
  • Lisbon Gambit of the Dutch Defense – 1.d4 f5 2.g4 fxg4 3.h3
  • Lisbon Gambit of the Queen's Pawn Opening, English Rat – 1.d4 d6 2.c4 e5 3.dxe5 Nc6
  • Lithuanian Variation of the Mikėnas Defence – 1.d4 Nc6 2.c4 e5 3.d5 Nce7
  • Lodz Variation of the Tarrasch Defence – 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c5 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Nf3 Nc6 6.g3
  • London System, a set of related chess openings characterised by 1.d4 followed by an early Bf4, e.g. 1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Bf4; 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.Bf4; and 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.Bf4

M

  • Macedonian Variation of the English Opening – 1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.f4
  • Maltese Falcon Attack – 1.d4 Nf6 2.g4 Nxg4 3.f3 Nf6 4.e4
  • Manhattan Gambit of the Dutch Defence – 1.d4 f5 2.Qd3 Nf6 3.g4
  • Manhattan Variation of the QGD – 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Nbd7 5.Nf3 Bb4 or 5.e3 Bb4
  • Mannheim Variation of the QGA – 1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Qa4+
  • Mar del Plata Variation of the King's Indian Defence – 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 0–0 6.Be2 e5 7.0–0 Nc6 8.d5 Ne7
  • Margate Variation of the Sicilian Defence – 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.Bg5 e6 7.Bb5
  • Marienbad Variation of the Sicilian Defence, Wing Gambit – 1.e4 c5 2.b4 cxb4 3.a3 d5 4.exd5 Qxd5 5.Bb2
  • Massachusetts Defence of the Caro–Kann Defence – 1.e4 c6 2.d4 f5
  • Mediterranean Defence – 1.e4 e6 2.d4 Nf6
  • Meran Variation of the Semi-Slav Defence – 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 e6 5.e3 Nbd7 6.Bd3 dxc4 7.Bxc4
  • Mexican Defence – 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 Nc6
  • Miami Variation of the Italian Gambit – 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.d4 Bxd4 5.Nxd4 Nxd4 6.Be3
  • Modern Archangel Defence of the Ruy Lopez – 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 b5 6.Bb3 Bc5
  • Mongolian Attack – 1.Nf3 Nf6 2.Nd4
  • Monte Carlo Variation of the French Defense – 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 exd5 4.c4
  • Montevideo Defence – 1.d4 Nc6 2.d5 Nb8
  • Moscow Variation of the Semi-Slav Defence – 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nf3 e6 5.Bg5 h6
  • Moscow Variation of the Sicilian Defence – 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bb5+
  • Mujannah Formation of the Old Benoni Defence – 1. d4 c5 2. d5 f5
  • Mujannah Opening of the Bird's Opening – 1.f4 d5 2.c4

N

  • New Castle Gambit of the French Defence, Tarrasch Variation – 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 e5
  • New York Variation of the Benoni Defense – 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.e4 g6 7.Nf3 Bg7 8.h3
  • Nordic Gambit – 1.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.c3
  • Nordwalde Variation of the King's Gambit Declined – 1.e4 e5 2.f4 Qf6
  • Norfolk Gambit of the Zukertort Opening – 1.Nf3 d5 2.b3 c5 3.e4 or 1.Nf3 d5 2.b3 Nf6 3.Bb2 c5 4.e4
  • North Sea Variation of the Modern Defence – 1.e4 g6 2.d4 Nf6 3.e5 Nh5
  • Norwegian Gambit of the Modern Defence – 1.e4 g6 2.d4 Nf6 3.e5 Nh5 4.Be2 d6
  • Norwegian Defense of the Modern Defense – 1.e4 g6 2.d4 Nf6
  • Norwegian Defence of the Ruy Lopez – 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 b5 5.Bb3 Na5
  • Nottingham Variation of the Sicilian Defence, Dragon Variation – 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 6.Be3 Bg7 7.Be2 Nc6 8.Nb3
  • Novosibirsk Variation of the Dunst Opening – 1.Nc3 c5 2.d4 cxd4 3.Qxd4 Nc6 4.Qh4
  • Novosibirsk Variation of the Sicilian Defence – 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e5 6.Ndb5 d6 7.Bg5 a6 8.Na3 b5 9.Bxf6 gxf6 10.Nd5 Bg7
  • Nuremberg Variation of the Ruy Lopez – 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 f6

O

  • Odessa Variation of the King's Indian – 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 0-0 6.Be2 e5 7.0-0 Nc6 8.d5 Ne7 9.Bg5
  • Omaha Gambit of the Vienna Game – 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 d6 3.f4
  • Oxford Variation of the Vienna Game – 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.f4 d5 4.fxe5 Nxe4 5.d3
  • Oxford Gambit of the Four Knights Game – 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.d4 Bb4 5.d5 Nd4

P

  • Paris Defence – 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 d6
  • Paris Gambit – 1.Nh3 d5 2.g3 e5 3.f4
  • Paris Opening – 1.Nh3
  • Persian Opening – 1.c3 c5 2.Qa4 Nf6 3.g4
  • Peruvian Variation of the Queen's Gambit Declined – 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 c5
  • Philippine Attack of the Pirc Defense – 1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.Bg5 Bg7 5.f4
  • Pittsburgh Variation of the QGD – 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Be7 5.e3 Nbd7 6.Nf3 b6 7.cxd5 exd5 8.Bb5
  • Podebrady Variation of the Sicilian Defence – 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.Bg5 e6 7.Nb3
  • Polish Opening – 1.b4
  • Polish Defence – 1.d4 b5 or 1.Nf3 Nf6 2.g3 b5
  • Polish Attack – 1.Nf3 Nf6 2.b4
  • Polish Gambit – 1.e4 b5 2.Bxb5 c6
  • Polish Gambit of the Anderssen Opening – 1.a3 a5 2.b4
  • Polish Spike – 1.b4 Nf6 2.Bb2 g6 3.g4
  • Polish Variation of the Indian Game – 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 b5
  • Portsmouth Gambit of the Sicilian Defence – 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.b4
  • Portuguese Gambit of the Scandinavian Defence – 1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Nf6 3.d4 Bg4 4.f3 Bf5 5.Bb5+ Nbd7
  • Portuguese Opening – 1.e4 e5 2.Bb5
  • Portuguese Variation of the KGA – 1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 g5 4.Bc4 g4 5.Ne5 Qh4+ 6.Kf1 Nc6
  • Prague Variation of the Tarrasch Defence – 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c5 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Nf3 Nc6 6.g3 Nf6
  • Prussian Game – 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6
  • Pyrenees Gambit – 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 b5

R

  • Riga Variation of the Ruy Lopez – 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Nxe4 6.d4 exd4
  • Rio de Janeiro Variation of the Ruy Lopez – 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.0-0 Nxe4 5.d4 Be7
  • Romanian Opening – 1.Nc3
  • Romanian Defense of the Wing Gambit – 1.e4 c5 2.b4 cxb4 3.a3 d5 4.exd5 Qxd5 5.Nf3 e5 6.Bb2 Nc6 7.c4 Qe6
  • Rotterdam Variation of the Slav Defence – 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3 Bf5 5.cxd5 cxd5 6.Qb3
  • Russian Defence of the Ruy Lopez – 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 d6
  • Russian Game – 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6

S

T

  • Tashkent Attack of the King's Gambit – 1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e5 Nh5 5.g4
  • Transylvania Variation of the Vienna Game – 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Bc4 Nxe4 4.Qh5 Nd6 5.Bb3 Nc6 6.Nb5
  • Trencianske-Teplice Gambit of the Italian Game, Two Knights Defense – 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 Bc5 5.Bxf7+ Ke7 6.d4
  • Tuebingen Variation of the Polish Opening – 1.b4 Nh6
  • Tuebingen Gambit of the Dunst Opening – 1.Nc3 Nf6 2.g4
  • Turkish Gambit – 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d5

U

V

  • Valencia Opening – 1.d3 e5 2.Nd2
  • Venezolana Variation of the Mieses Opening – 1.d3 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g3
  • Venice Attack of the Sicilian Defence – 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.f3 e5 6.Bb5+ or 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e5 6.Bb5+
  • Venice Variation of the Queen's Gambit Declined – 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 c5 5.cxd5 Qb6
  • Vienna Game – 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3
  • Vienna Gambit – 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.f4
  • Vienna Variation of the Queen's Gambit Declined – 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nf3 Bb4 5.Bg5 dxc4 6.e4
  • Vietnamese Gambit – 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 b5
  • Vinohrady Variation of the Sicilian Defence – 1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g4 named after a district in Prague
  • Volga Gambit – 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5
  • Voronezh Variation of the Alekhine's Defence – 1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 4.c4 Nb6 5.exd6 cxd6 6.Nc3 g6 7.Be3 Bg7 8.Rc1 0-0 9.b3

W

  • Warsaw Variation of the Dutch Defence – 1.d4 f5 2.c4 Nf6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.Nf3 0-0 6.0-0 d6 7.Nc3 c6
  • Westphalia Defence in the Queen's Gambit Declined: An alternative name for the Manhattan Variation – 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Nbd7 5.Nf3 Bb4 or 5.e3 c5
  • Wiesbaden Variation of the Slav Defence – 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 dxc4 5.a4 Bf5 6.Ne5 e6
  • Wilkes-Barre Variation of the Italian Game, Two Knights Defence – 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 Bc5!?

Y

Z

A number of less well-accepted ethnic chess opening names can be found in .