List of chess openings named after animals

This article uses algebraic notation to describe chess moves.

The Oxford Companion to Chess lists 1,327 named openings and variants.[1] Some openings have been given fanciful names, often names of animals. The Dragon Variation of the Sicilian Defence was named in 1901 after its resemblance of Black's kingside pawn structure to the constellation Draco,[2][3] It is one of the sharpest of all chess openings,[4] with ten named sub-variations analysed in Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings.[5]

The Orang-Utan Opening was an occasional novelty named by the witty Polish master Savielly Tartakower in 1924.[6] Nevertheless the Orang-Utan's wide range of options have attracted from analysts.[7] Some animal variations have development from novelties into serious competition weapons, for example the Hippopotamus Defence looks passive but offers opportunities for well-timed counter-attacks.[8] The similar Hedgehog Opening may leave the White pieces with an impressive position but little prospect of making progress,[9] and Black may threaten a breakthrough at the right time.[10]

Analysts continued to devise new variations, some named after animals. For example Stefan Bücker introduced the Vulture and Hawk variations,[11] which chess journalist and correspondence chess expert Tim Harding included in his collection of unorthodox openings, "Dynamic Black Defenses". In 2007 Anthea Carson and Brian Wall published "How to Play Chess Like an Animal",[12] to bring fun and creativity to chess lessons for young players.[13]

Below is a list of chess openings named after animals.

See also

References

  1. ^ Hooper, David; Whyld, Kenneth (1992), The Oxford Companion to Chess (2 ed.), Oxford University Press, pp. 461–480, ISBN 0-19-280049-3 
  2. ^ Gufeld, Eduard (June 1998). Secrets of the Sicilian Dragon. Cardoza Publishing. ISBN 0940685922. 
  3. ^ Martin, Andrew (2005). "Intro". Starting Out: The Sicilian Dragon. Everyman Chess. pp. 5. ISBN 1857443985. 
  4. ^ Wolff, Patrick (1997). "9". The Complete Idiot's Guide to Chess. Patrick Wolff. pp. 147. ISBN 0028617363. 
  5. ^ "Sicilian, Dragon Variation (B70)". Chess openings. Chessgames.com. http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessopening?eco=B70. Retrieved 2007-04-25. 
  6. ^ Tamburro, P.J. (2000). "The Orangutan". Learn Chess from the Greats. Courier Dover Publications. p. 100. ISBN 048641373X. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=r_ME0AR2BXEC&dq=Tartakower+orang+utan+Orangutan&source=gbs_navlinks_s. Retrieved 27 Oct 2009. 
  7. ^ Martin, Andrew (2004), How To Meet The Polish & Grob, www.jeremysilman.com, http://www.jeremysilman.com/chess_bits_pieces/041001_h_t_,mt_plsh_grb.html 
  8. ^ Persson, T.H. (2005). Tigers' Modern. Quality Chessbooks. pp. 93. ISBN 9197524360. 
  9. ^ Suba, Mihai (1991). Dynamic Chess Strategy. Pergamon Chess. p. 20. ISBN 0-08-037141-8. 
  10. ^ "Lev Polugaevsky vs Ľubomír Ftáčnik (1982)". ChessGames.com. http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1045547. Retrieved 2008-06-28. 
  11. ^ a b Bucker, Stefan (2005). "Over the Horizons". ChessCafe.com. http://www.chesscafe.com/text/kaiss01.pdf. Retrieved 2009-10-26. 
  12. ^ Carson, A.; Wall, B. (2007). How to Play Chess Like an Animal. Mother’s House Publishing. ISBN 0979714478. http://www.chesslikeananimal.com/category/animals/. Retrieved 27 Oct 2009. 
  13. ^ Kennedy, R.. "Chessville Reviews - How to Play Chess Like an Animal". http://www.chessville.com/reviews/HowtoPlayChessLikeanAnimal.htm. Retrieved 2009-10-27. 
  14. ^ The Black Lion review Chessville. Retrieved 2011-12-13.
  15. ^ "Zukertort Opening: Black Mustang Defense (A04)". Chess.com. http://www.chess.com/opening/eco/A04_Zukertort_Opening_Black_Mustang_Defense. Retrieved 2009-10-26. 
  16. ^ "Chess Opening Links". Kenilworth Chess Club. http://www.kenilworthchessclub.org/links/openings.html. Retrieved 2009-10-26. 
  17. ^ "A45: Canard opening". 365Chess.com. http://www.365chess.com/opening.php?m=4&n=144&ms=d4.Nf6.f4. Retrieved 2009-10-26. 
  18. ^ Saba, Marco. "Scacchi: Enciclopedia pratica dei Gambetti". Studimonetari.org. http://studimonetari.org/edg/. Retrieved 2009-10-26. 
  19. ^ "ECO A00-A49 (anglais)". Fédération québécoise des échecs. http://www.fqechecs.qc.ca/index.php?typ=actu&id=252&categorie=1. Retrieved 2009-10-26. 
  20. ^ http://www.expert-chess-strategies.com/dragon-variation.html
  21. ^ "The Elephant Gambit for Black – 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d5!?". ChessVille.com. http://www.chessville.com/reviews/ElephantKrazyKat.htm. Retrieved 2009-10-26. 
  22. ^ "English Orang Utan - Chess Opening Database". ChessVideos.tv. http://www.chessvideos.tv/chess-opening-database/search/English-orang-utan. Retrieved 2009-10-26. 
  23. ^ a b "Rat Defense: English Rat (A41)". Chess.com. http://www.chess.com/opening/eco/A41_Rat_Defense_English_Rat. Retrieved 2009-10-26. 
  24. ^ "ECO B00-B49 (anglais)". Fédération québécoise des échecs. http://www.fqechecs.qc.ca/index.php?typ=actu&categorie=1&id=254. Retrieved 2009-10-26. 
  25. ^ "Vienna Game: Giraffe Attack (C25)". Chess.com. http://www.chess.com/opening/eco/C25_Vienna_Game_Giraffe_Attack. Retrieved 2009-10-26. 
  26. ^ "English Opening: Great Snake Variation (A10)". Chess.com. http://www.chess.com/opening/eco/A10_English_Opening_Great_Snake_Variation. Retrieved 2009-10-26. 
  27. ^ "English Opening: Halibut Gambit". Chess.com. http://www.chess.com/opening/eco/A10_English_Opening_Halibut_Gambit. Retrieved 2009-10-26. 
  28. ^ "A43 - Chess Opening Database". ChessVideos.tv. http://www.chessvideos.tv/chess-opening-database/A43. Retrieved 2009-10-26. 
  29. ^ Kasparov, Garry (2004). My Great Predecessors, part IV. Everyman Chess. ISBN 1857443950.
  30. ^ Andrew Martin, The Hippopotamus Rises: The Re-emergence of a Chess Opening, Batsford, 2006, p. 9. ISBN 978-0-7134-8989-7.
  31. ^ "Kangaroo Defense". Chess.com. http://www.chess.com/opening/eco/E00_Kangaroo_Defense_Keres_Defense_Transpositional_Variation. Retrieved 2009-10-26. 
  32. ^ "Dutch Defense: Kingfisher Gambit (A80)". Chess.com. http://www.chess.com/opening/eco/A80_Dutch_Defense_Kingfisher_Gambit. Retrieved 2009-10-26. 
  33. ^ Keilhack, Harald (2005). Knight on the Left: 1.Nc3. Russell Enterprises. ISBN 1-888690-19-4. 
  34. ^ "C40, Latvian Gambit, Lobster Gambit, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 f5 3.g4". Chessworld.org. http://www.chessworld.org/C.htm. Retrieved 2009-10-26. 
  35. ^ http://www.chessville.com/UCO/BDGZealot/BDGZealot%20Vol%201%20No%201.pdf
  36. ^ Nakamura, Clyde. "Psychology of Gambit Chess Openings". Chessville.com. http://www.chessville.com/UCO/CN/PsychologyofGambitChessOpenings.htm. Retrieved 2009-10-26. 
  37. ^ Povah, Nigel (August 1977). "Monkey Business with 2 ♗c4 against the Modern Defence". British Chess Magazine 97 (8): 350–353. 
  38. ^ "Englund Gambit Complex: Mosquito Gambit (A40)". Chess.com. http://www.chess.com/opening/eco/A40_Englund_Gambit_Complex_Mosquito_Gambit. Retrieved 2009-10-26. 
  39. ^ "1.b4 Theory & Practice of the Sokolsky Opening - Products - New In Chess". New in Chess. http://www.newinchess.com/1_b4__Theory___Practice_of_the_Sokolsky_Opening-p-2740.html. Retrieved 2009-10-26. 
  40. ^ "Magazine Articles". New In Chess. http://www.newinchess.com/Archives/SOSList.aspx?AuthorID=1369. Retrieved 2009-10-26. 
  41. ^ "Bill Wall's list of opening variations". http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http://www.geocities.com/siliconvalley/lab/7378/eco.htm&date=2010-02-20+10:14:24. 
  42. ^ "Igor Miladinovic vs Michael Adams, Moscow olm 62/53 1994, Trompowsky Attack: Raptor Variation (A45)". ChessGames.com. http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1014524. Retrieved 2009-10-26. 
  43. ^ "Scacchi: Enciclopedia pratica dei Gambetti". Studimonetari.org. http://studimonetari.org/edg/. Retrieved 2009-10-26. 
  44. ^ "B20-B59". Chess Archaeology. http://www.chessarch.com/library/0000_eco/b20_b59.shtml. Retrieved 2009-10-26. 
  45. ^ "Benoni Defense: Snail Variation (A43)". Chess.com. http://www.chess.com/opening/eco/A43_Benoni_Defense_Snail_Variation. Retrieved 2009-10-26. 
  46. ^ "Stuart Conquest vs John Fedorowicz, Benoni Defense: Modern. Snake Variation (E00)". ChessGames.com. http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1043236. Retrieved 2009-10-26. 
  47. ^ Watson, John (2006), Mastering the Chess Openings, Vol. 1, Gambit, ISBN 978-1-904600-60-2
  48. ^ "NN vs David Bronstein, Moskva-Kislovodsk 1954, Elephant Gambit: Wasp Variation (C40)". ChessGames.com. http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1284227. Retrieved 2009-10-26. 
  49. ^ "Pecci vs Fritz 5 Match 2001 · English Opening: The Whale". ChessGames.com. http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1426346. Retrieved 2009-10-25. 
  50. ^ "Classifications of Chess Openings". Chess.com. http://www.chess.com/article/view/classifcations-of-chess-openings2. Retrieved 2009-10-25. 
  51. ^ http://www.chessvideos.tv/chess-opening-database/search/Closed-Berlin-defense,-Wolf-variation
  52. ^ http://www.chessvideos.tv/chess-opening-database/search/Orthodox-defense,-Rubinstein-attack,-Wolf-variation

External links