The Chess Openings Encyclopedia

An open reference of every opening in the Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings, with interactive boards and live statistics from Lichess.

3,690 openings indexed · 5 ECO groups · A–E

Browse all openings A–Z → Search by moves or name →

Opening of the day May 26, 2026

A10 English Opening ### Origin The English Opening (1.c4) takes its name from Howard Staunton, who used it in his 1843 match against Pierre Saint-Amant [1]. Although played sporadically in the 19th century, it gained ser… Study this opening →

A Flank Openings 791 openings B Semi-Open Games 758 openings C Open Games 1,238 openings D Closed & Semi-Closed Games 550 openings E Indian Defenses 353 openings

Most popular openings

The lines you have probably heard of — start here if you do not know where to look.

Famous gambits

Sharp, sacrificial openings where one side gives up material for initiative.

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