Opening guide
Best chess openings for White
16 complete repertoires for White, grouped by first move. Each shows the main moves, the kind of game it leads to and who it suits, with a course where you learn the lines on the board.
How to choose
- You like sharp games and quick attacks
- Play 1.e4 with a gambit or an open game: the Danish Gambit, the Evans Gambit, the Vienna or the aggressive 1.e4 repertoire. Your opponents have to defend accurately from the first moves.
- You want one setup and less theory
- Systems such as the London, the Jobava London, the Colle-Zukertort and the King's Indian Attack reach familiar positions against almost anything, so you can spend your time on middlegame plans.
- You prefer classical, structural play
- The Queen's Gambit, the Scotch Game, the Four Knights and the English give you sound central play where the pawn structure tells you the plan.
- You want to surprise prepared opponents
- The Trompowsky, the Réti and the Alapin against the Sicilian move the game away from the most studied main lines early.
1.e4 openings
1.e4 opens lines for the bishops and queen at once. Expect open games, early tactics and fast development.
Aggressive 1.e4 Repertoire
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5
Gambits and direct attacks after 1.e4, for players who want the game decided by tactics before move 20.
Scotch Game
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4
An open game from move three, with less theory than the Ruy Lopez and clear central plans.
Danish Gambit
1.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.c3 dxc3 4.Bc4 cxb2 5.Bxb2
Two pawns for two raking bishops and a big lead in development: a gambit for attacking players.
Alapin Sicilian
1.e4 c5 2.c3
An anti-Sicilian with 2.c3 that builds a d4 centre and skips Open Sicilian theory.
Evans Gambit and 1.e4 Repertoire
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4
A beginner-friendly 1.e4 repertoire with the Evans Gambit, quick development and supported centres.
Four Knights Game
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bb5
A sound, easy-to-learn answer to 1...e5 with Bb5 and central play.
1.d4 openings
1.d4 is harder to attack directly. The games build up more slowly, and pawn structures decide the plans.
London System
1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Bf4 e6 4.e3
One setup with d4, Bf4 and e3 against nearly everything, plus the concrete answers that stop it from becoming passive.
1.d4 Repertoire for White
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.cxd5 exd5
A complete 1.d4 repertoire built on pawn structures you can understand rather than memorise.
Colle-Zukertort
1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.e3 e6 4.Bd3 c5 5.b3
A 1.d4 system with b3 and two bishops aimed at the black king.
Queen's Gambit Repertoire
1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.c4
The Queen's Gambit with early Nf3: classical central play against every main defence.
Trompowsky Attack
1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5
2.Bg5 against 1...Nf6: an early fight that avoids Indian Defense theory.
Jobava London
1.d4 Nf6 2.Nc3 d5 3.Bf4
The London with Nc3 instead of c3: sharper, with Nb5 and e4 ideas.
1.Nf3 and 1.c4
1.Nf3 and 1.c4 control the centre from the side and keep the choice of structure for later.
King's Indian Attack
1.Nf3 d5 2.g3 Nf6 3.Bg2 e6 4.O-O Be7 5.d3 c5 6.Nbd2 Nc6 7.e4
A flexible kingside fianchetto system with a clear attacking plan against Black's ...d5 setups.
Réti Opening
1.Nf3 d5 2.g3 Nf6 3.Bg2 e6 4.O-O Be7 5.c4
A flexible 1.Nf3 system that keeps central choices open and puts the bishops on long diagonals.
English Opening
1.c4 e6 2.g3 d5 3.Bg2 Nf6 4.Nf3
1.c4 with a kingside fianchetto: flexible play against Black's ...e6 and ...d5 setups.
How the courses work
Each course is a ready-made repertoire with a comment on every one of your moves. The board plays your opponent, you play your moves, and spaced repetition brings each line back just before you would forget it. The first line of every course is free. New to openings? Start with chess openings for beginners, or compare these with the chess openings for Black.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best chess opening for White?
There is no single best one: 1.e4 and 1.d4 both lead to rich positions, and the right choice depends on whether you prefer open tactical games or slower structural play. For club players, an opening you understand and have practised beats a theoretically stronger one you do not.
Should I play 1.e4 or 1.d4?
Play 1.e4 if you enjoy open positions, quick development and tactics. Play 1.d4 if you prefer building pressure slowly and playing around pawn structures. Both are equally sound.
What is the easiest opening to learn with White?
A system such as the London System, because the same development works against most replies. The Italian Game and the Scotch Game are good choices if you want to learn open games.
How many openings should I learn with White?
One. Pick one first move and one repertoire that answers every main defence, and learn it well before adding a second.
Learn your first line today
The first line of every course is free, with or without an account.