Chess opening · ECO A00
Van't Kruijs Opening
1.e3, the Van't Kruijs Opening, moves the king's pawn one square instead of two. The modest push opens two diagonals at once, one for the f1 bishop and one for the queen, and it backs up a later d2-d4. White does not take central space right away, and the game can still drift into many familiar setups depending on what comes next.
- Rank by weighted share
- #23 of 159
Key moves
1. e3
- 1. e3The e3 pawn frees the f1 bishop along the f1-a6 diagonal and the queen along d1-h5. It covers d4 and f4, so a d4 push later has pawn support. What it does not do is guard e4, so Black can claim that square with ...d5 or ...e5 without a pawn contest.
Meeting 1...e5 with d4
When Black takes the center with 1...e5, White can hit it with 2.d4. After 2...exd4 3.exd4 d5, both sides have a single d-pawn and the e-file is open, a symmetrical structure where White has the move.
Positions like this turn on piece play, not pawn storms. Rooks go to the open e-file, bishops to d3 and d6, and each side watches the e4 and e5 squares.
Setups behind the e3 pawn
Many players treat 1.e3 as a gateway. With d4, Bd3 and Nf3 they reach a Colle-style formation, and with b3 and Bb2 they get a queenside fianchetto behind the same pawn.
One cost of 1.e3 is that the pawn shuts the c1 bishop's c1-h6 diagonal. That bishop often comes out through b2 after b3, or waits until the center opens.
A symmetrical open e-file
1... e5 2. d4 exd4 3. exd4 d5
Each side keeps one central pawn on its fourth rank and the e-file is clear. White can develop with Bd3, Nf3 and castling, while Black mirrors with ...Bd6 and ...Nf6.
Top replies by rating
e5 tops every band, but its lead narrows as ratings rise. From 1600 up, c5 joins the top three.
| Rating | Top | Second | Third |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 1200 | e5 55% | d5 20% | e6 8% |
| 1200–1399 | e5 52% | d5 18% | e6 10% |
| 1400–1599 | e5 50% | d5 19% | e6 8% |
| 1600–1799 | e5 44% | d5 21% | c5 10% |
| 1800–1999 | e5 34% | d5 26% | c5 14% |
| 2000 and up | e5 30% | d5 25% | c5 13% |
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