Flank openings

Australian Defense

1.d4 Na6

The Australian Defense starts with 1.d4 Na6 and is catalogued under ECO A40, in the flank openings half of the book. The catalog indexes 1 line inside it, grouped into 1 named variation.

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Current setup

Move ideas

  1. 1.d4

    Takes central space with a protected pawn and frees the queen’s bishop.

    Idea: Build a stable center that supports a broad positional setup.

  2. 1…Na6

    Develops the knight to a6, bringing it into the game.

    Idea: Improve piece coordination and clear the back rank for castling and the rooks.

Book continuations

Waiting for Lichess game popularity.

0 moves
This is the end of the indexed line.

Named variations

Each line below is an indexed entry under Australian Defense. Open one to load it on the board and keep exploring from that position.

Openings from the same volume

ECO groups openings by the structures they lead to, so these families tend to share plans with the Australian Defense.