Chess Club: Openings

Terms used to describe openings
Defense : An opening used by Black. Does not necessarily mean Black is going to defend or play passive. Some "defenses" are very aggressive.

Gambit : An opening that puts one of your own pieces at risk. You may sacrifice material to gain an advantage, like developing the back line.
Countergambit : When Black responds to a gambit with a 6 Popular Openings gambit of their own.

Attack : Refers to an aggressive opening.
Reverse : When White plays a Black opening, or vice-versa. November 16, 2015

Three Openings for White Ruy Lopez 1. Pawn to e4 1. Ruy Lopez 2. Knight to f3 3. Bishop to b5 2. English Opening
Named after the Spanish priest who analyzed this 3. Queen's Gambit opening in 1561.
Develops the bishop and prepares for Kingside Castle.

English Opening Queen's Gambit
White pawn to c4.
White pawn to d4.
Black responds d5.
If Black responds with
White pawn to c4, in pawn to e5, we may danger from the black enter a Reversed pawn. Sicilian Defense.
White sacrifices a pawn for rapid development.

1 Chess Club: Openings

Three Openings for Black Sicilian Defense
White pawn to e4. 1. Sicilian Defense
Black pawn to c5.

White to e4 is a very 2. King's Indian Defense common first move.
Black responds with a fight for the center but avoids 3. Alekhine Defense the symmetry of e5.
White will have to sacrifice a center pawn to develop pieces.

King's Indian Defense Alekhine Defense 1. Black Knight to f6.
White Pawn to e4. 2. Black Pawn to g6.
Black Knight to f6.

Black is challenging White
Black can then bring the to move pawns into the Bishop to g7 and center. Kingside Castle.
It removes symmetry from
Black allows White to the game, which can unbalance White. control the center with
Recommended for pawns, but develops one aggressive players. side of the board.

Activity: Scholar's Mate
The Scholar's Mate opening can achieve checkmate in 4 moves.
It sometimes works against novice players.

1. Pawn to e4. 2. Bishop to c4. 3. Queen to f3 (or h5).

Discussion Questions
How can White get checkmate in 1 more move?
How can Black block this?
Can Black perform the Scholar's Mate?

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