Chess Opening Theory/1. e3

Van 't Kruijs opening A00 Starting position 1. e3 · Van 't Kruijs Opening An irregular opening, considered somewhat passive, as although White opens lines for their bishop and queen to enter the game, Black is given the opportunity to take over the centre with ...e5 and ...d5. Black may play any number of moves to stake a claim in the centre: 1...Nf6, 1...e5, 1...d5, 1...c5 are all reasonable. 1...g6, intending ...Bg7, or 1...Nf6 followed by 2...g6, is a typical approach to meet lots of transpositions equally. Many openings for White feature e3 at some point, so play can transpose into lines of the English Opening if White plays c4, Queen's Pawn Opening with d4, Larsen's Opening with b3 and Bb2, and so on. A consideration is that the pawn on e3 prevents development of White's queenside bishop: White must concede a tempo with e4, passively develop it to d2, or fianchetto it to b2. Uniquely, play can proceed with 1...e5 2. e4!?, which arrives at an Open Game (1. e4 e5) but with colours reversed, where it is Black's turn to move. After 1...Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. b4 Bg7 4. Bb2 O-O 5. c4 d6 6. d4, the most common continuation, play reaches a King's Indian-type position. Theory table 1. e3 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 ...d5 = 2 ...e5 = 2 ...e5 Bc4d5 Bb3Nf6 d3Nc6 c4dxc4 Bxc4Bb4+ Bd2Qe7 Nf3Na5 b3Nxc4 =+ 2 ...f5 = 2 ...Nf6 = References See also Eric Schiller 2002 Second Unorthodox Chess Openings Cardoza 1-58042-072-9 Van 't Kruijs Opening fi:Shakkiaapinen/Peli/1. e3