Zukertort Opening
ECO A04, A05, A06 · 1. Nf3
The Zukertort Opening, 1.Nf3, is the most flexible first move in chess. White develops a knight, controls e5 and d4, and waits to see Black's setup before choosing an opening.
Plans for White
Depending on Black's reply, White can transpose to the Réti (c4), the King's Indian Attack (g3, d3, e4), the London (d4, Bf4) or the English and Queen's Gambit.
Plans for Black
Black can mirror with ...Nf6 or ...d5, or play ...c5 to steer toward Sicilian or English structures. The key is to choose a setup Black knows well.
Typical pawn structures
Not fixed: everything depends on the transposition White and Black choose.
Who it suits
Players who like to avoid early commitments and play a wide range of structures.
Common traps
An early ...e5 gambit by Black against 1.Nf3 can lead to sharp play, but Black must calculate carefully not to fall behind in development. White, in turn, should not drift: playing only flank moves can hand Black a comfortable center. Knowing which transposition you are aiming for is the real secret of 1.Nf3.
Variations
- Zukertort Opening: Arctic Defense — 1. Nf3 f6
- Zukertort Opening: Tennison Gambit — 1. e4 d5 2. Nf3
- Zukertort Opening: Wade Defense — 1. Nf3 d6 2. e4 Bg4
- Zukertort Opening: Basman Defense — 1. Nf3 h6
- Zukertort Opening: Black Mustang Defense — 1. Nf3 Nc6
- Zukertort Opening: Dutch Variation — 1. Nf3 f5
- Zukertort Opening: Herrstrom Gambit — 1. Nf3 g5
- Zukertort Opening: Kingside Fianchetto — 1. Nf3 g6
- Zukertort Opening: Pirc Invitation — 1. Nf3 d6
- Zukertort Opening: Polish Defense — 1. Nf3 b5
- Zukertort Opening: Queen's Gambit Invitation — 1. Nf3 e6
- Zukertort Opening: Queenside Fianchetto Variation — 1. Nf3 b6
- Zukertort Opening: Ross Gambit — 1. Nf3 e5
- Zukertort Opening: Sicilian Invitation — 1. Nf3 c5
- Zukertort Opening: Slav Invitation — 1. Nf3 c6
- Zukertort Opening: St. George Defense — 1. Nf3 a6
- Zukertort Opening: Ware Defense — 1. Nf3 a5
- Zukertort Opening: Ampel Variation — 1. Nf3 d5 2. Rg1
- Zukertort Opening: Lemberger Gambit — 1. Nf3 Nf6 2. e4
- Zukertort Opening: Lisitsyn Gambit — 1. Nf3 f5 2. e4
- Zukertort Opening: Nimzo-Larsen Variation — 1. Nf3 Nf6 2. b3
- Zukertort Opening: Old Indian Attack — 1. Nf3 d5 2. d3
- Zukertort Opening: Quiet System — 1. Nf3 Nf6 2. e3
- Zukertort Opening: Reversed Mexican Defense — 1. Nf3 d5 2. Nc3
- Zukertort Opening: Santasiere's Folly — 1. b4 d5 2. Nf3
- Zukertort Opening: The Potato — 1. Nf3 d5 2. a4
- Zukertort Opening: Drunken Cavalry Variation — 1. Nf3 Na6 2. e4 Nh6
- Zukertort Opening: Vos Gambit — 1. Nf3 d6 2. d4 e5
- Zukertort Opening: Lisitsyn Gambit Deferred — 1. Nf3 f5 2. d3 Nf6 3. e4
- Zukertort Opening: Myers Polish Attack — 1. Nf3 Nf6 2. a4 g6 3. b4
- Zukertort Opening: Speelsmet Gambit — 1. Nf3 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. e3
- Zukertort Opening: The Walrus — 1. Nf3 e5 2. Nxe5 Nc6 3. Nxc6 dxc6
- Zukertort Opening: Pachman Gambit — 1. Nf3 d5 2. e3 c5 3. c4 dxc4 4. b3
- Zukertort Opening: Regina-Nu Gambit — 1. Nf3 d5 2. b3 c5 3. c4 dxc4 4. Nc3
- Zukertort Opening: Reversed Grünfeld — 1. Nf3 d5 2. g3 c5 3. Bg2 Nc6 4. d4
- Zukertort Opening: Shabalov Gambit — 1. Nf3 e6 2. c4 a6 3. Nc3 c5 4. g3 b5
- Zukertort Opening: Double Fianchetto Attack — 1. Nf3 Nf6 2. g3 g6 3. b3 Bg7 4. Bb2 O-O 5. Bg2 d6 6. O-O