Chess-Openings

Legend has it that this opening was conceived by a Sicilian Grand Prix player in the restroom: hence its crappy name. It doesn't help that the Toilet Variation quickly flushes away any advantage White could hope for out of the opening.

This aggressive opening grew out of a desire to crack open the Modern Defense. The British IM Nigel Povah invented the opening in the early 1970s. He showed the moves to his friend Ken Coates, who proclaimed "if this works, then I'm a monkey's bum." The name stuck and the opening is still highly playable!

This sharp variation of the Vienna Game is not for the faint of heart. Though it's not the most ambitious positional line, it is playable at high levels of chess, and was used by Alexei Shirov in exhibition games. The chess author Tim Harding considered this opening so violent that "a game between Dracula and the Frankenstein monster would not seem out of place."

The Italian Game is one of the oldest openings in chess and has been around for centuries. This classical 1.e4 opening can lead to slower and positional games as well as open, tactical battles. Although very common among beginners, the Italian Game is a part of the repertoire of players of every level.

The Ruy Lopez (also known as the Spanish Opening or Spanish Game) is one of the oldest and most analyzed openings in chess history. Most of the world's top players have adopted this rich opening as part of their repertoire, and many of them play it with both colors. Despite having a large amount of theory, it is an opening that players of all levels can enjoy.

The Sicilian Defense is the most popular response to White's 1.e4. Employed by masters and beginners alike, the Sicilian Defense is a reputable and positionally sound opening. Still, the Sicilian is a combative opening that tends to lead to dynamic and sharp positions.

The Bongcloud Attack is considered a joke opening and is associated with internet chess humor. Twitch streamers such as grandmaster (GM) Hikaru Nakamura have used it in online blitz chess, including in games against high-level opponents, as has former world champion Magnus Carlsen.

The Toilet Variation

The Monkey's Bum

The Frankenstein-Dracula Variation

The Italian Game

Ruy López Opening

The Sicilian Defense

The Bongcloud Attack