Best Openings for White
Explore 185 named opening lines for White across 52 opening families. Compare theory depth, sharpness, and style fit to find the right weapon for your repertoire.
Featured Guides
In-depth opening guides with move trees, plans, and common traps.
A07-A08
King's Indian Attack
White mirrors the King's Indian Defense setup as White — a system-based approach that works against nearly every Black response and is famous for attacking play on the kingside.
A04-A09
Réti Opening
White develops the knight and delays committing pawns, keeping maximum flexibility to transpose into any system — the archetypal hypermodern opening.
A10-A39
English Opening
The English is a flexible flank opening that can transpose into many structures while keeping White's plans adaptable.
D02-D05
London System
The London is a setup-driven d4 opening where White aims for reliable development, simple plans, and flexible middlegames.
B22
Alapin Sicilian
White prepares d4 with c3 to build a full pawn center without the heavy theory of the Open Sicilian — a solid anti-Sicilian that leads to IQP or hanging-pawn structures.
C25-C29
Vienna Game
The Vienna sidesteps the heaviest 1...e5 theory and lets White choose between positional pressure and direct kingside aggression.
C30-C39
King's Gambit
White sacrifices a pawn on move two for rapid development and a direct attack — the most aggressive romantic-era opening, still fully playable today.
C44-C45
Scotch Game
The Scotch opens the center early and gives White immediate piece activity, direct lines, and less slow maneuvering than the Ruy Lopez.
C50-C54
Italian Game
The Italian gives White fast development and direct kingside pressure while keeping the structure intuitive and flexible.
C60-C99
Ruy Lopez
The Ruy Lopez is a classical pressure system where White leans on piece quality, central control, and long-term structural targets.
E00-E09
Catalan Opening
The Catalan mixes d4 central pressure with kingside fianchetto ideas, giving White long-term control and positional pull.
All White Openings
Browse by first move — 185 named lines across all ECO volumes.
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A00Amar OpeningAmar OpeningA00Anderssen's OpeningAnderssen's OpeningA00Anderssen's Opening: Polish GambitAnderssen's OpeningA00Barnes OpeningBarnes OpeningA00Barnes Opening: Fool's MateBarnes OpeningA00Barnes Opening: HammerschlagBarnes OpeningA00Clemenz OpeningClemenz OpeningA00Clemenz Opening: Spike Lee GambitClemenz OpeningA00Global OpeningGlobal OpeningA00Grob OpeningGrob OpeningA00Grob Opening: Alessi GambitGrob OpeningA00Grob Opening: Double GrobGrob OpeningA00Grob Opening: Double Grob, Coca-Cola GambitGrob OpeningA00Grob Opening: Grob GambitGrob OpeningA00Hungarian OpeningHungarian OpeningA00Hungarian Opening: Catalan FormationHungarian OpeningA00Hungarian Opening: Reversed AlekhineHungarian OpeningA00Hungarian Opening: Sicilian InvitationHungarian OpeningA00Hungarian Opening: Slav FormationHungarian OpeningA00Hungarian Opening: Symmetrical VariationHungarian OpeningA00Hungarian Opening: Van Kuijk GambitHungarian OpeningA00Kádas OpeningKádas OpeningA00Kádas Opening: Beginner's TrapKádas OpeningA00Kádas Opening: Kádas GambitKádas OpeningA00Kádas Opening: Koola-Koola VariationKádas OpeningA00Kádas Opening: Schneider GambitKádas OpeningA00Mieses OpeningMieses OpeningA00Mieses Opening: Myers Spike AttackMieses OpeningA00Mieses Opening: Reversed RatMieses OpeningA00Polish OpeningPolish OpeningA00Polish Opening, with d5Polish Opening, with d5A00Polish Opening: Birmingham GambitPolish OpeningA00Polish Opening: Bugayev AttackPolish OpeningA00Polish Opening: Grigorian VariationPolish OpeningA00Polish Opening: Karniewski VariationPolish OpeningA00Polish Opening: Outflank VariationPolish OpeningA00Polish Opening: Symmetrical VariationPolish OpeningA00Polish Opening: Wolferts GambitPolish OpeningA00Saragossa OpeningSaragossa OpeningA00Sodium AttackSodium AttackA00Sodium Attack: Chenoboskion VariationSodium AttackA00Valencia OpeningValencia OpeningA00Van Geet OpeningVan Geet OpeningA00Van Geet Opening: Battambang VariationVan Geet OpeningA00Van Geet Opening: Billockus-Johansen GambitVan Geet OpeningA00Van Geet Opening: Damhaug GambitVan Geet OpeningA00Van Geet Opening: Düsseldorf GambitVan Geet OpeningA00Van Geet Opening: Laroche GambitVan Geet OpeningA00Van Geet Opening: Myers AttackVan Geet OpeningA00Van Geet Opening: Reversed NimzowitschVan Geet OpeningA00Van Geet Opening: Tübingen GambitVan Geet OpeningA00Van Geet Opening: Twyble AttackVan Geet OpeningA00Van Geet Opening: Warsteiner GambitVan Geet OpeningA00Van't Kruijs OpeningVan't Kruijs OpeningA00Ware OpeningWare OpeningA00Ware Opening: Crab VariationWare OpeningA00Ware Opening: Meadow Hay TrapWare OpeningA00Ware Opening: Symmetric VariationWare OpeningA00Ware Opening: Wing GambitWare OpeningA01Nimzo-Larsen AttackNimzo-Larsen AttackA01Nimzo-Larsen Attack: Classical VariationNimzo-Larsen AttackA01Nimzo-Larsen Attack: Dutch VariationNimzo-Larsen AttackA01Nimzo-Larsen Attack: English VariationNimzo-Larsen AttackA01Nimzo-Larsen Attack: Graz AttackNimzo-Larsen AttackA01Nimzo-Larsen Attack: Modern VariationNimzo-Larsen AttackA01Nimzo-Larsen Attack: Modern VariationNimzo-Larsen AttackA01Nimzo-Larsen Attack: Polish VariationNimzo-Larsen AttackA01Nimzo-Larsen Attack: Symmetrical VariationNimzo-Larsen AttackA06Zukertort Opening: Santasiere's FollyZukertort OpeningA07Hungarian Opening: Wiedenhagen-Beta GambitHungarian Opening
1.f4
A02Bird OpeningBird OpeningA02Bird Opening: Double Duck FormationBird OpeningA02Bird Opening: From's GambitBird OpeningA02Bird Opening: From's Gambit, Bahr GambitBird OpeningA02Bird Opening: Hobbs GambitBird OpeningA02Bird Opening: Hobbs-Zilbermints GambitBird OpeningA02Bird Opening: Lasker GambitBird OpeningA02Bird Opening: MujannahBird OpeningA02Bird Opening: Platz GambitBird OpeningA02Bird Opening: Schlechter GambitBird OpeningA02Bird Opening: Wagner-Zwitersch GambitBird OpeningA03Bird Opening: Dutch VariationBird OpeningA03Bird Opening: Dutch Variation, Dudweiler GambitBird OpeningA03Bird Opening: Sturm GambitBird OpeningA03Bird Opening: Williams GambitBird Opening
1.Nf3
A04Zukertort OpeningZukertort OpeningA04Zukertort Opening: Drunken Cavalry VariationZukertort OpeningA04Zukertort Opening: Dutch VariationZukertort OpeningA04Zukertort Opening: Herrstrom GambitZukertort OpeningA04Zukertort Opening: Kingside FianchettoZukertort OpeningA04Zukertort Opening: Lisitsyn GambitZukertort OpeningA04Zukertort Opening: Pirc InvitationZukertort OpeningA04Zukertort Opening: Queen's Gambit InvitationZukertort OpeningA04Zukertort Opening: Queenside Fianchetto VariationZukertort OpeningA04Zukertort Opening: Ross GambitZukertort OpeningA04Zukertort Opening: Sicilian InvitationZukertort OpeningA04Zukertort Opening: Slav InvitationZukertort OpeningA04Zukertort Opening: Vos GambitZukertort OpeningA07-A08King's Indian Attack1.Nf3 d5 2.g3A05Zukertort OpeningZukertort OpeningA05Zukertort OpeningZukertort OpeningA05Zukertort Opening: Lemberger GambitZukertort OpeningA05Zukertort Opening: Nimzo-Larsen VariationZukertort OpeningA05Zukertort Opening: Quiet SystemZukertort OpeningA06Nimzo-Larsen Attack: Classical VariationNimzo-Larsen AttackA06Zukertort OpeningZukertort OpeningA06Zukertort Opening: Ampel VariationZukertort OpeningA06Zukertort Opening: The PotatoZukertort OpeningA04-A09Réti Opening1.Nf3A09Réti Opening: Advance VariationRéti OpeningA09Réti Opening: Réti AcceptedRéti OpeningA09Réti Opening: Zilbermints GambitRéti Opening
1.e4
A06Zukertort Opening: Tennison GambitZukertort OpeningB00Duras GambitDuras GambitB22Alapin Sicilian1.e4 c5 2.c3C20Bongcloud AttackBongcloud AttackC20English Opening: The WhaleEnglish OpeningC20King's Pawn Game: Alapin OpeningKing's Pawn GameC20King's Pawn Game: Bavarian GambitKing's Pawn GameC20King's Pawn Game: Beyer GambitKing's Pawn GameC20King's Pawn Game: Clam Variation, King's Gambit ReversedKing's Pawn GameC20King's Pawn Game: King's Head OpeningKing's Pawn GameC20King's Pawn Game: MacLeod AttackKing's Pawn GameC20King's Pawn Game: MacLeod Attack, Lasa GambitKing's Pawn GameC20King's Pawn Game: Mengarini's OpeningKing's Pawn GameC20King's Pawn Game: Napoleon AttackKing's Pawn GameC20King's Pawn Game: Tortoise OpeningKing's Pawn GameC20King's Pawn Game: Wayward Queen AttackKing's Pawn GameC20King's Pawn Game: Wayward Queen Attack, Kiddie CountergambitKing's Pawn GameC20King's Pawn OpeningKing's Pawn OpeningC20Portuguese OpeningPortuguese OpeningC21Danish GambitDanish GambitC23Bishop's OpeningBishop's OpeningC23Bishop's Opening: Boi VariationBishop's OpeningC23Bishop's Opening: Calabrese CountergambitBishop's OpeningC23Bishop's Opening: Khan GambitBishop's OpeningC23Bishop's Opening: Philidor CounterattackBishop's OpeningC25-C29Vienna Game1.e4 e5 2.Nc3C30-C39King's Gambit1.e4 e5 2.f4C40Elephant GambitElephant GambitC40King's Knight OpeningKing's Knight OpeningC40King's Pawn Game: Busch-Gass GambitKing's Pawn GameC40King's Pawn Game: Gunderam GambitKing's Pawn GameC40Latvian GambitLatvian GambitC44Irish GambitIrish GambitC44King's Knight Opening: Normal VariationKing's Knight OpeningC44Ponziani OpeningPonziani OpeningC44-C45Scotch Game1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4C46Three Knights OpeningThree Knights OpeningC50-C54Italian Game1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4C60-C99Ruy Lopez1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5
1.c4
A10-A39English Opening1.c4A10English Opening: Achilles-Omega GambitEnglish OpeningA10English Opening: Anglo-Lithuanian VariationEnglish OpeningA10English Opening: Great Snake VariationEnglish OpeningA10English Opening: Jaenisch GambitEnglish OpeningA10English Opening: Myers GambitEnglish OpeningA10English Opening: Wade GambitEnglish OpeningA10English Opening: Zilbermints GambitEnglish OpeningA11English Opening: Caro-Kann Defensive SystemEnglish OpeningA20English Opening: Drill VariationEnglish OpeningA20English Opening: King's English VariationEnglish OpeningA20English Opening: King's English Variation, Nimzowitsch VariationEnglish OpeningA20English Opening: King's English Variation, Nimzowitsch-Flohr VariationEnglish OpeningA21English Opening: King's English Variation, Kramnik-Shirov CounterattackEnglish OpeningA21English Opening: King's English Variation, Reversed SicilianEnglish OpeningA22English Opening: King's English Variation, Two Knights VariationEnglish OpeningA25English Opening: King's English Variation, Reversed Closed SicilianEnglish OpeningA30English Opening: Symmetrical VariationEnglish OpeningA30English Opening: Symmetrical VariationEnglish OpeningA30English Opening: Wing GambitEnglish OpeningA34English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Normal VariationEnglish OpeningA35English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Two Knights VariationEnglish Opening
1.d4
A40Englund GambitEnglund GambitA40Englund Gambit: Hartlaub-Charlick GambitEnglund GambitA40Englund Gambit: Mosquito GambitEnglund GambitA40Englund Gambit: Soller GambitEnglund GambitA40Queen's Pawn Game: Anglo-Slav OpeningQueen's Pawn GameA45Canard OpeningCanard OpeningA45Paleface AttackPaleface AttackA45Trompowsky AttackTrompowsky AttackD02-D05London System1.d4 and 2.Bf4 setupsA80Queen's Pawn Game: Veresov Attack, Dutch SystemQueen's Pawn GameD01Richter-Veresov AttackRichter-Veresov AttackE00-E09Catalan Opening1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3