Flank openings

Barnes Opening

1.f3

The Barnes Opening starts with 1.f3 and is catalogued under ECO A00, in the flank openings half of the book. The catalog indexes 6 lines inside it, grouped into 5 named variations, and the position after those moves has 1 playable continuation to walk from here.

Opening repertoire map

Root edges show how often each move is played around your Elo. Use the arrow on a position to reveal the next replies.

Current position
Barnes Opening
5 plies
Gedult Gambit
Popularity by Elo
Share of Lichess blitz, rapid, and classical games that continued with each move.
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h

Current setup

Move ideas

  1. 1.f3

    Advances the f-pawn to gain kingside space and control new squares.

    Idea: Create useful wing space while keeping the central structure flexible.

  2. 1…f5

    Advances the f-pawn to gain kingside space and control new squares.

    Idea: Create useful wing space while keeping the central structure flexible.

  3. 2.e4

    Advances to e4 to claim central space and control nearby key squares.

    Idea: Give the pieces room to develop behind a durable central foothold.

  4. 2…fxe4

    Captures the pawn on e4 and changes the local pawn or piece balance.

    Idea: Open lines in the center and reshape the center for the next phase.

Book continuations

Waiting for Lichess game popularity.

1 move
Nc3Barnes Opening: Gedult Gambit1 named lineDevelops the knight to c3, bringing it into the game.Idea: Improve piece coordination and clear the back rank for castling and the rooks.

Named variations

Each line below is an indexed entry under Barnes Opening. 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 Barnes Opening.