Flank Openings in Chess: English, Réti and more

Flank openings represent around 10% of games overall. Beginner-level players are far more likely to play the more direct and logical 1.e4 and 1.d4, which we call open openings and closed openings respectively.

After 1.d4 and 1.e4, I’d guess the next two most logical and popular moves are 1.c4 and 1.Nf3, the English and Réti openings, both considered flank openings. However, we’ll also look at some of the more fun lines, some reasonably popular, others less so and different from the English and Réti.

Most played flank openings

We start with flank openings considered solid and respectable, the two strongest: the Réti Opening and the English Opening. For fun, we’ll round it out with two more: the Bird’s Opening and the Larsen.

English Opening

White establishes, with the move c4, a grip on d5 from the first move, which they’ll try to increase with later moves like Nc3, g3 and Bg2. This brings us to an important strategic element: the pressure of that white bishop on g2 along the h1-a8 diagonal, all the way to b7 and beyond.

With the English Opening the game can often transpose into main queen’s pawn lines, provided White plays an early d4.

If you want to know more about this opening, here’s an article dedicated entirely to how to play the English Opening.

Réti Opening

The Réti Opening starts with 1.Nf3 and is the hypermodern opening par excellence. Instead of occupying the center with pawns from the first move, White presses it from a distance combining Nf3, c4 and the g3-Bg2 fianchetto. It’s enormously flexible: depending on the opponent’s reply it can transpose into the English, into queen’s pawn structures, or keep its own character.

It owes its fame to Richard Réti, who used it to defeat Capablanca in 1924 when the Cuban had gone years unbeaten. It’s a completely valid opening at grandmaster level and very recommendable for anyone who enjoys positional, maneuvering chess. I cover it all in the full guide to the Réti Opening.

Bird’s Opening

Bird’s Opening is 1.f4. White controls the central e5 square and prepares either a solid “Stonewall”-type setup (with d4, e3 and Bd3) or a kingside fianchetto development. In exchange, they slightly weaken their own king’s position, so it must be played carefully.

Its biggest drawback is 1…e5!?, the From Gambit, with which Black gives up a pawn in exchange for a very fast attack against the white king. If you don’t feel like studying that line, you can transpose with 2.e4 into a King’s Gambit. Learn to play it in the Bird’s Opening guide.

Larsen’s Opening

Larsen’s Opening (or Nimzowitsch-Larsen Attack) starts with 1.b3, preparing the immediate fianchetto of the queen’s bishop on b2. From there the bishop aims at the long a1-h8 diagonal and presses e5 and Black’s kingside. It’s named after Bent Larsen and Aron Nimzowitsch, pioneers of hypermodern play.

It has little theory and is very suitable for players who prefer understanding plans over memorizing variations. Black equalizes by occupying the center with e5 and d5 and developing naturally. You have the full guide in Larsen’s Opening.

Less usual irregular openings

And we finish by mentioning lesser-known openings, rarely played to reach original positions, but rather to take the opponent out of their theoretical knowledge. Transposition tricks abound, perfect for catching the unwary opponent. Many players have used these moves occasionally, perhaps more often at fast time controls, but few stick to them.

Desprez Opening

It’s actually not that rare to see beginner-level players make this move. It seems to allow White to bring out a powerful piece, the rook, while keeping White’s pawn structure flexible in the center. But in reality, the Desprez is a fairly bad opening for several reasons:

1. White hasn’t developed any piece except the king’s rook, which is actually better developed via castling on the kingside.
2. White isn’t fighting for the center.
3. White has given up the initiative to Black.
4. White has weakened their kingside castling position by moving a kingside pawn.

No serious chess player, if playing seriously, plays the Desprez, except perhaps as a joke in a blitz game. If you’re a player who still doesn’t know how to start a game, I recommend two things: first, subscribe to our free chess course for beginners, and second, read this article on how to improve at chess.

Sokolsky, Polish or Orangutan Opening

The Sokolsky Opening is 1.b4, also known as the Polish Opening or Orangutan. White gains queenside space and prepares Bb2 to press the long diagonal. The curious “Orangutan” nickname comes from an anecdote about Tartakower, who decided to play it after visiting an orangutan at the New York Zoo in 1924.

It’s a surprise opening: uncommon and with little theory. Black gets a good position by developing naturally and hitting the b4 pawn at the right moment. You have the full guide in the Sokolsky Opening.

Grob Attack

The Grob Attack is 1.g4, the most extreme of the flank openings. It immediately opens the diagonal for the bishop on g2 and seeks a very fast attack, but in exchange it seriously weakens kingside castling. Theory considers it dubious.

It works mainly as a psychological weapon in fast games or against unprepared opponents; in serious games at a good level, Black gets the advantage with solid central play. Learn to play it and to refute it in the Grob Attack guide.

Transpositional Openings

To add something more to this article, these flank openings are sometimes preceded by other moves like 1.g3 and 1.d3, which after Black’s reply turn into a Réti, an English… this type of opening is also often called transpositional openings, in which White sometimes transposes into other similar positions. Positions like these tend to arise:

• Reversed Pirc
• King’s Indian
• Modern Defense
• Dunst Opening

If you want to know what this concept means, here’s the article on the definition of transposition in chess.

When should you play a flank opening?

Aside from the more solid flank openings, only truly original players are tempted to enter these variations; most players manage to spend their whole chess life happily without having to worry about them. However, you never know when someone will try something unusual against you, so it’s worth knowing a good defense against each of them.

If you’re interested in learning about other aspects of chess, here’s a list:

Click here to learn How to move chess pieces?

Want to know more about the pieces? Here’s a short list:

1- How does each piece move in chess?

2- Basic chess rules

3- How to set up the chessboard

If you’ve got these aspects down, you can move on to learning openings, the middlegame, chess endgames and learn a bit of algebraic notation.

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