Chess Openings, Explained Line by Line
Each guide pairs an interactive board with the main line in plain PGN, the idea behind every move, the traps to watch for and how the other side should defend.
Browse openingsStart Here: Pick an Opening
OpenVary covers fewer openings than a giant database, on purpose. Every guide is written to be read from top to bottom: a short definition, the main line move by move, the critical alternatives, the mistakes that decide club games and a section on defending. Start with the opening you will actually meet next time you play.
Fried Liver Attack
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 — White sacrifices a knight for a raging attack on the black king.
Open guide →Scandinavian Defense
1.e4 d5 — Black challenges White's centre on move one and recaptures with the queen or a knight.
Open guide →
What You Get on Every OpenVary Page
All guides follow the same structure, so once you have read one you know exactly where to find the main line, the traps or the defence in any other. The text is written for people, not engines: short sentences, standard notation and no unexplained jargon.
The ideas behind the moves
Every guide starts with a short definition and then explains what each side is trying to achieve. You learn why White aims at a weak square, why Black strikes at the centre, and which pieces matter most. Memorised moves are forgotten the moment an opponent deviates, but a plan you understand still works when the position looks unfamiliar.
Every line written out in PGN
The main line and the key alternatives are printed as plain PGN text, for example 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6, followed by one plain-English sentence per move. You can read the line without a board, copy it into your own database or engine, and step through the same moves on the interactive board at the top of the page.
The traps and common mistakes
Openings are won and lost on a handful of recurring errors. Each page lists the mistakes that actually happen in club games: the natural-looking recapture that walks into an attack, the queen that stays in the centre too long, the attacker who forgets to bring the rest of the army. Knowing them in advance is worth more than any long variation.
How the other side should defend
Most opening guides are written for one side only. OpenVary always covers the other side too: how to defend against an attack, which move is the most respected answer, and how to steer the game into positions you are comfortable with. Whether you play the opening or face it, the same page prepares you.
The best way to use a guide: read the definition and the main line first, then step through the moves on the board until you can play them without looking. Next, read the traps and the defensive plan, because those are the positions you will actually meet over the board. Finally, play a few practice games with the opening and come back to the page whenever a game leaves the main line. Each guide takes about ten minutes to read and is specific enough to use in your very next game.
New to Chess Openings?
An opening is the first phase of a chess game, usually the first ten to fifteen moves, in which both players develop their pieces, fight for the centre and bring their king to safety. Named openings are simply sequences of moves that have been played and tested so often that their plans and pitfalls are well understood. The most efficient way to start is to learn one opening you play as White and one defence you play as Black, because every game you play will then begin in territory you know. Once those feel familiar, you can add a second defence or a sharper weapon without rebuilding your whole repertoire.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many chess openings do I need to learn?
Far fewer than most players think. Below roughly 1800, one opening as White and one defence against each of 1.e4 and 1.d4 is enough. Learn the main ideas and the first eight to ten moves of the main line well, and you will reach a playable middlegame in almost every game.
What should I learn as White and as Black?
As White, choose an opening that matches your style: open, attacking play with 1.e4 and lines such as the Italian Game, or a slower positional approach with 1.d4. As Black, pick one reliable answer to 1.e4, such as 1...e5 or the Scandinavian Defense, and one answer to 1.d4, and stay with them long enough to understand the typical middlegames.
What is the difference between an opening book and engine analysis?
An engine tells you which move scores best by calculation, usually as a number, but not why. An opening guide explains the plans, the typical mistakes and the practical choices that suit human players. Use a guide to understand an opening and an engine afterwards to check specific positions from your own games.
What is OpenVary?
OpenVary is a free library of chess opening guides. Each page explains one opening or variation line by line, with an interactive board, the moves written out in PGN, the common traps and a clear plan for both sides. New openings are added over time using the same format.