Chess opening · ECO B00
King's Pawn Game
1.e4 puts a pawn in the center in one step and opens lines for two pieces at once, the queen and the light-squared bishop. Nearly every Black reply falls into one of two groups: meet the pawn with a central pawn of your own, or let it stand and prepare to hit it later. White can also steer the game on move two, as the King's Gambit and Bishop's Opening do.
- Rank by weighted share
- #1 of 159
Key moves
1. e4
- 1. e4The pawn on e4 controls d5 and f5. It opens the d1-h5 diagonal for the queen and the f1-a6 diagonal for the bishop, so White can castle short in a few moves. The pawn is unprotected, though, which gives Black a clear target.
Meeting e4 with ...e5 or ...c5
1...e5 mirrors White, claims d4 and f4, and leads to the open games such as the Italian, the Ruy Lopez and the King's Gambit. The center tends to open early, so quick development and king safety count for a lot.
1...c5, the Sicilian, also fights for d4 but from the side. The board stays unbalanced: after a later d4 and cxd4, Black often gets a half-open c-file and White gets more central space.
Defenses that prepare ...d5
1...e6 (the French) and 1...c6 (the Caro-Kann) get ready to play ...d5 with pawn support. If White answers ...d5 with e5, the center locks and the game turns on pawn breaks against the chain, such as ...c5 and ...f6.
1...d5, the Scandinavian, challenges e4 at once. After 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 the queen is hit and has to move again, a tempo Black gives up to open the game quickly.
Letting White build a center
Some replies allow White a big center on purpose. 1...d6 and 1...g6 (the Pirc and Modern) aim to undermine it with pieces and later pawn breaks. 1...Nf6 (the Alekhine) attacks e4 and invites the pawn forward, so it can be chased and become overextended.
Top replies by rating
The e5 reply leads every band below 2000, but its share shrinks as the ratings climb. From 1200 up, c5 holds second place and rises steadily, topping the 2000 and up band.
Questions
Is 1.e4 more aggressive than 1.d4?
It tends to lead to more open positions, because the e-pawn is not protected by the queen and Black can strike at it quickly. Many quiet systems exist after 1.e4 too, so the style depends more on the follow-up than on the first move.
What should White play on move two?
It depends on Black's reply. Against ...e5, Nf3 attacks the pawn and develops. Against ...c5, Nf3 prepares d4. Against ...e6 or ...c6, d4 builds the two-pawn center that Black is about to challenge.
Related openings
Try it on the board. The first coached game and three analyses are free.