Chess Patterns ❯ Types of Opening ❯ Flank Opening

Flank Opening

In the opening, apart from 1.e4 and 1.d4, White has other ways to immediately exert control on the center of the board, even without directly occupying it: White can begin with one of the so-called Flank Openings.

The most common options here are the Zukertort Opening (1.Nf3, also known as the Réti Opening) and the English Opening (1.c4). Sometimes White goes for less popular routes and opens with the Hungarian Opening (1.g3, preparing to fianchetto the King's Bishop), the Larsen's Opening (1.b3, preparing to fianchetto the Queen's Bishop), the Bird's Opening (1.f4, eyeing the central e5 square) and the Dunst Opening (1.Nc3, developing the Queen's Knight right away).

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Master the Flank Openings

When we started adding a playful touch to chess learning, we looked through thousands of videos and hundreds of books to find the best resources out there. Here's our curated selection of the best content we encountered on Flank Openings. We also included some smaller creators who are growing fast and we believe deserve your attention. Check out these resources if you want to master this type of openings.

Intro to Flank Openings Series
Have a look at this intro for beginners by Chess Machina. The audio quality of this single video is not the best, but the series' content is great.

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Beginners Chess Opening TIER LIST with Hikaru and Levy | Part 1
A must-see series of videos by GM Hikaru Nakamura in collaboration with GothamChess where they evaluate every Chess Opening, including flank ones. Fun and instructive. Don’t miss it.

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Play The English Opening! Chess Lesson
A deep dive into this popular Flank Opening by NM Robert Ramirez. A great intro for intermediates by a fun and fast-growing channel.

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Complete Book of Chess Strategy*
Another excellent chess book from a truly passionate master. Jeremy Silman breaks down complex concepts with incredible clarity, including some important Flank Openings. Whether you're a novice or an intermediate, this book is a must-have.

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Discovering Chess Openings*
This work by John Emms is a superb primer for beginners, as it goes deep into each of the 5 most important chess Opening Principles.

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