Semi-Open Game

A Semi-Open Game is a chess opening in which White plays 1.e4 and Black breaks symmetry immediately by replying with a move other than 1...e5.[1] The Semi-Open Games are also called Single King Pawn, Asymmetrical King Pawn, or Half-Open Games (or Openings), and are the complement of the Open Games or Double King Pawn Games which begin 1.e4 e5.

The most popular Black defense to 1.e4 is the Sicilian, but the French and the Caro–Kann are also very popular. The Pirc and the Modern are also commonly seen, while the Alekhine and the Scandinavian have made occasional appearances in World Chess Championship games. The Nimzowitsch is playable but rare, as is Owen's Defense. The Borg Defense and the St. George Defense are oddities, although Tony Miles once used St. George's Defense to defeat then World Champion Anatoly Karpov.

The Sicilian and French Defenses lead to unbalanced positions that can offer exciting play with both sides having chances to win. The Caro-Kann Defense is solid as Black intends to use his c-pawn to support his center (1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5). Alekhine's, the Pirc and the Modern are hypermodern openings in which Black tempts White to build a large center with the goal of attacking it.

abcdefgh
8a8 black rookb8 black knightc8 black bishopd8 black queene8 black kingf8 black bishopg8 black knighth8 black rook8
7a7 black pawnb7 black pawnc7d7 black pawne7 black pawnf7 black pawng7 black pawnh7 black pawn7
6a6b6c6d6e6f6g6h66
5a5b5c5 black pawnd5e5f5g5h55
4a4b4c4d4e4 white pawnf4g4h44
3a3b3c3d3e3f3g3h33
2a2 white pawnb2 white pawnc2 white pawnd2 white pawne2f2 white pawng2 white pawnh2 white pawn2
1a1 white rookb1 white knightc1 white bishopd1 white queene1 white kingf1 white bishopg1 white knighth1 white rook1
abcdefgh
Sicilian Defense
abcdefgh
8a8 black rookb8 black knightc8 black bishopd8 black queene8 black kingf8 black bishopg8 black knighth8 black rook8
7a7 black pawnb7 black pawnc7 black pawnd7e7f7 black pawng7 black pawnh7 black pawn7
6a6b6c6d6e6 black pawnf6g6h66
5a5b5c5d5 black pawne5f5g5h55
4a4b4c4d4 white pawne4 white pawnf4g4h44
3a3b3c3d3e3f3g3h33
2a2 white pawnb2 white pawnc2 white pawnd2e2f2 white pawng2 white pawnh2 white pawn2
1a1 white rookb1 white knightc1 white bishopd1 white queene1 white kingf1 white bishopg1 white knighth1 white rook1
abcdefgh
French Defense
abcdefgh
8a8 black rookb8 black knightc8 black bishopd8 black queene8 black kingf8 black bishopg8 black knighth8 black rook8
7a7 black pawnb7 black pawnc7d7e7 black pawnf7 black pawng7 black pawnh7 black pawn7
6a6b6c6 black pawnd6e6f6g6h66
5a5b5c5d5 black pawne5f5g5h55
4a4b4c4d4 white pawne4 white pawnf4g4h44
3a3b3c3d3e3f3g3h33
2a2 white pawnb2 white pawnc2 white pawnd2e2f2 white pawng2 white pawnh2 white pawn2
1a1 white rookb1 white knightc1 white bishopd1 white queene1 white kingf1 white bishopg1 white knighth1 white rook1
abcdefgh
Caro–Kann Defense
abcdefgh
8a8 black rookb8c8 black bishopd8 black queene8 black kingf8 black bishopg8 black knighth8 black rook8
7a7 black pawnb7 black pawnc7 black pawnd7 black pawne7 black pawnf7 black pawng7 black pawnh7 black pawn7
6a6b6c6 black knightd6e6f6g6h66
5a5b5c5d5e5f5g5h55
4a4b4c4d4e4 white pawnf4g4h44
3a3b3c3d3e3f3g3h33
2a2 white pawnb2 white pawnc2 white pawnd2 white pawne2f2 white pawng2 white pawnh2 white pawn2
1a1 white rookb1 white knightc1 white bishopd1 white queene1 white kingf1 white bishopg1 white knighth1 white rook1
abcdefgh
Nimzowitsch Defense
abcdefgh
8a8 black rookb8 black knightc8 black bishopd8 black queene8 black kingf8 black bishopg8h8 black rook8
7a7 black pawnb7 black pawnc7 black pawnd7 black pawne7 black pawnf7 black pawng7 black pawnh7 black pawn7
6a6b6c6d6e6f6 black knightg6h66
5a5b5c5d5e5f5g5h55
4a4b4c4d4e4 white pawnf4g4h44
3a3b3c3d3e3f3g3h33
2a2 white pawnb2 white pawnc2 white pawnd2 white pawne2f2 white pawng2 white pawnh2 white pawn2
1a1 white rookb1 white knightc1 white bishopd1 white queene1 white kingf1 white bishopg1 white knighth1 white rook1
abcdefgh
Alekhine's Defense
abcdefgh
8a8 black rookb8 black knightc8 black bishopd8 black queene8 black kingf8 black bishopg8h8 black rook8
7a7 black pawnb7 black pawnc7 black pawnd7e7 black pawnf7 black pawng7h7 black pawn7
6a6b6c6d6 black pawne6f6 black knightg6 black pawnh66
5a5b5c5d5e5f5g5h55
4a4b4c4d4 white pawne4 white pawnf4g4h44
3a3b3c3 white knightd3e3f3g3h33
2a2 white pawnb2 white pawnc2 white pawnd2e2f2 white pawng2 white pawnh2 white pawn2
1a1 white rookb1c1 white bishopd1 white queene1 white kingf1 white bishopg1 white knighth1 white rook1
abcdefgh
Pirc Defense
abcdefgh
8a8 black rookb8 black knightc8 black bishopd8 black queene8 black kingf8 black bishopg8 black knighth8 black rook8
7a7 black pawnb7 black pawnc7 black pawnd7 black pawne7 black pawnf7 black pawng7h7 black pawn7
6a6b6c6d6e6f6g6 black pawnh66
5a5b5c5d5e5f5g5h55
4a4b4c4d4e4 white pawnf4g4h44
3a3b3c3d3e3f3g3h33
2a2 white pawnb2 white pawnc2 white pawnd2 white pawne2f2 white pawng2 white pawnh2 white pawn2
1a1 white rookb1 white knightc1 white bishopd1 white queene1 white kingf1 white bishopg1 white knighth1 white rook1
abcdefgh
Modern Defense
abcdefgh
8a8 black rookb8 black knightc8 black bishopd8 black queene8 black kingf8 black bishopg8 black knighth8 black rook8
7a7 black pawnb7 black pawnc7 black pawnd7e7 black pawnf7 black pawng7 black pawnh7 black pawn7
6a6b6c6d6e6f6g6h66
5a5b5c5d5 black pawne5f5g5h55
4a4b4c4d4e4 white pawnf4g4h44
3a3b3c3d3e3f3g3h33
2a2 white pawnb2 white pawnc2 white pawnd2 white pawne2f2 white pawng2 white pawnh2 white pawn2
1a1 white rookb1 white knightc1 white bishopd1 white queene1 white kingf1 white bishopg1 white knighth1 white rook1
abcdefgh
Scandinavian Defense
abcdefgh
8a8 black rookb8 black knightc8 black bishopd8 black queene8 black kingf8 black bishopg8 black knighth8 black rook8
7a7 black pawnb7c7 black pawnd7 black pawne7 black pawnf7 black pawng7 black pawnh7 black pawn7
6a6b6 black pawnc6d6e6f6g6h66
5a5b5c5d5e5f5g5h55
4a4b4c4d4e4 white pawnf4g4h44
3a3b3c3d3e3f3g3h33
2a2 white pawnb2 white pawnc2 white pawnd2 white pawne2f2 white pawng2 white pawnh2 white pawn2
1a1 white rookb1 white knightc1 white bishopd1 white queene1 white kingf1 white bishopg1 white knighth1 white rook1
abcdefgh
Owen's Defense

List

See also

References

  1. ^ Hooper & Whyld (1996), p. 365. semi-open game.

Bibliography

  • De Firmian, Nick (1999). Modern Chess Openings: MCO-14. Random House Puzzles & Games. ISBN 0-8129-3084-3.
  • Hooper, David; Whyld, Kenneth (1996) [First pub. 1992]. The Oxford Companion to Chess (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-280049-3.
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