Chess opening · ECO A00
Hungarian Opening
1.g3, the Hungarian Opening, prepares to put the light-squared bishop on g2. From there it looks down the long diagonal toward d5 and the queenside. The central pawns stay home for now, so White can later choose between d4 setups, a King's Indian Attack with d3 and e4, or an English with c4.
- Rank by weighted share
- #42 of 159
Key moves
1. g3
- 1. g3The pawn steps aside so the f1 bishop can come to g2 next move. It also builds a shelter for a king that will usually castle short behind f2, g3 and h2. The move leaves the c-, d- and e-pawns at home, so Black has to commit first.
The g2 bishop versus a black center
Black often grabs the middle with pawns on d5 and e5. White does not challenge them at once. Instead the g2 bishop presses on d5, and pawn moves like c4 or e4 later try to pry the center open.
This is the Pirc idea with colors reversed: let the opponent build a center, then attack it from the sides once pieces are ready.
Keeping the long diagonal open
The bishop on g2 is White's main asset, so Black can blunt it with ...c6, or aim to trade it with ...Be6, ...Qd7 and ...Bh3 after White castles. White can answer ...Bh3 by trading or by stepping the bishop to h1, and a later e4 or d4 decides how much of the diagonal stays open.
A reversed Pirc shape
1... e5 2. Bg2 d5 3. d3 Nf6 4. Nf3 Nc6 5. O-O
Black has two central pawns, and the c6 knight guards e5 against the f3 knight. White has castled behind the fianchetto and keeps c4 and e4 in reserve as ways to hit Black's center.
Top replies by rating
e5 leads below 1600, then d5 takes over and grows with rating. In the 2000 and up band, d5 holds more than three times the share of e5.
| Rating | Top | Second | Third |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 1200 | e5 44% | d5 28% | e6 7% |
| 1200–1399 | e5 43% | d5 25% | e6 8% |
| 1400–1599 | e5 37% | d5 31% | e6 8% |
| 1600–1799 | d5 35% | e5 29% | e6 6% |
| 1800–1999 | d5 41% | e5 20% | Nf6 9% |
| 2000 and up | d5 49% | e5 14% | Nf6 10% |
Try it on the board. The first coached game and three analyses are free.