Why the Hungarian Opening is worth training
1.g3 d5 2.Bg2.The Hungarian Opening starts with 1.g3. White prepares Bg2 and puts the bishop on the long diagonal before committing either central pawn. The usual plan is d3 and e4, so White builds the center one step at a time while the bishop on g2 presses on the center and the queenside.
Chessmate has a Hungarian Opening course for White with six lines and a Hungarian Opening course for Black with four lines. Both courses start from 1.g3, so you can learn the opening from either side of the board.
The Slav center sample line
12.Ng4, White's knight attacks the knight on f6 and the pawn on h6.In White's sample line, Black builds a Slav-style center with 1...d5 2.Bg2 c6 and develops the bishop with 3...Bf5. White answers with 3.d3 and 4.Nd2, and after 4...h6 White strikes with 5.e4. Following 5...dxe4 6.dxe4 Bh7, White has a pawn on e4, and Black's bishop on h7 presses on it.
White defends e4 with 7.Qe2, which also clears d1. After 7...e5 8.Nc4, the knight attacks e5 and a5. White develops with 9.Bd2 and castles long with 10.O-O-O, so the rook lands on the open d-file. Black expands with 10...b5, and White reroutes with 11.Ne3 before jumping to 12.Ng4.
The full center and the knight on d5
12.Qb3, White's queen defends the knight on d5 and attacks the knight on b4.Black can take more of the center with 2...e5. After 3.d3 c6 4.Nf3 Bd6 5.O-O Ne7, White challenges the pawn chain with 6.c4. Following 6...O-O 7.cxd5 cxd5 8.Nc3 Nbc6, White reroutes with 9.Nd2 to support e4, and after 9...Be6 10.e4 d4 the knight jumps to 11.Nd5.
Black attacks the knight with 11...Nb4, and 12.Qb3 defends it while hitting b4. The Black course plays this same line from the other side and adds 12...a5, so both courses meet in the same structure.
Black's Slav chain sample line
12...Nh5, Black's knight attacks g3 and eyes f4.In the Black course sample line, Black meets 1.g3 with 1...d5 2.Bg2 c6 and develops with 3.d3 Nf6. When White chooses a double fianchetto with 4.b3, Black fianchettoes too: 4...g6 5.Bb2 Bg7 6.Nd2 O-O.
After 7.Ngf3, Black gains queenside space with 7...a5, and White stops it with 8.a4. Black develops with 8...Bg4, and when White asks with 9.h3, Black trades with 9...Bxf3. Following 10.Nxf3 Nbd7 11.O-O Re8, the rook supports a later ...e5. After 12.Ne5, Black plays 12...Nh5, attacking g3 and giving the knight access to f4.
Other first moves for Black
12.b3, White's pawns on c4, d3, and e4 form a closed center.Not every Black player answers 1.g3 with ...d5. Against the symmetrical 1...g6, White plays 3.e4 and 6.c4, builds a pawn wall on c4, d3, and e4, and slows Black's queenside play with 10.a4 and 12.b3.
The White course also covers 1...e5, where White plays d3 and e4 with the rook on e1, 1...Nf6, where White takes the center with 5.d4, and 1...c5, where White adds 4.f4 before 9.e4. In the Black course, the other lines cover a setup with ...d5, ...g6, and ...e5 that presses on e4, and a flexible setup where Black finishes with ...Bb7.
What to train first
Pick the course for the color you play.
- If you play the Hungarian Opening as White, start with the Hungarian Opening course for White. Learn the Slav center sample line first, then the full center line where the knight reaches
11.Nd5. - If you face
1.g3as Black, start with the Hungarian Opening course for Black. Learn the Slav chain sample line first, then the classical center line with...e5and...d4. - Whichever side you play, watch the long diagonal from g2. Many plans in this opening are about whether White's bishop presses on the center or Black blunts it with
...c6and...d5.
The Hungarian Opening starts quietly but leads to clear plans. Train the lines until you know which central setup to aim for against each reply.