During this article, we will show you eight chess openings for Black that most of the elite players use constantly. These first moves are known to be objectively playable and contain deep theories. By showing these best chess openings for Black, we aim to guide the readers to try and see different sorts of games, plans, and pawn structures.
1. French Defense
The French Defense starts after 1.e4, and Black replies with 1…e6. It has been used by famous grandmasters such as Magnus Carlsen, Nigel Short, Teimour Radjabov, and Gata Kamsky. Giving the center to White allows Black to strike back with the crucial c5-pawn break. This opening creates unbalanced scenes where Black can expand on the Queenside. Even though it was not popular in the old days, it is considered a strong opening nowadays.
The most popular move after 1…e6 is 2.d4. White wants to control the center, and Black allows them to initiate an attack with 2…c5. The idea is to undermine the established White pawns in the middle.
Example Game
This position is from a game played between two of the top players in the World, Magnus Carlsen (as Black) vs. Anish Giri (as White). Black played c5 to assault the d4-pawn. Then, they maneuvered the g8-Knight to f5 to put extra pressure on d4. Since the c-file is open, the Rook is placed in that file. Usually, White aims to expand on the Kingside while Black tries to attack the base of White’s pawn chain (d4-pawn). Qb6 is often preferred to increase the pressure as well. Both sides castle in the Kingside since it’s safe for both sides. Here is a full game:
2. Queen’s Gambit Declined
The Queen’s Gambit Declined starts with 1.d4 d5, and after White plays 2.c4, Black responds with 2…e6. Other moves can also be played as Black to stay in QGD theory. The idea is not to take on c4. It has been used by the best players in the World, such as Magnus Carlsen, Hikaru Nakamura, and Fabiano Caruana. By playing e6, Black anchors the d5-pawn and opens up the dark square Bishop (f8-Bishop). However, this move blocks the c8-Bishop. Finding a good square for the light square Bishop is challenging in this opening.
In these variations, Black often develops the g8-Knight to f6, f8-Knight to e7, and castles in the short side. Then, the light square Bishop can be fianchettoed in b7-square. This opening can lead to positional and strategic positions.
Example Game
The diagram above shows a game played between Magnus Carlsen (as Black) and Viswanathan Anand. Please note that Black started with 1…Nf6 and 1…e6, but the position transposes to the Queen’s Gambit Declined once 3…d5 occurs. Then, Black develops the f8-Bishop to e7 (4…Be7) and castles. After that, c8-Bishop fianchettos in b7-square. The main idea in this position is to have a pawn break with c5 after Nbd7 (preparing c5) is played. Here is the following moves:
3. Caro-Kann Defense
The Caro-Kann Defense begins with 1.e4, and Black plays 1…c6. This opening is regarded as a very solid approach by Black. It has been utilized by elite players such as Magnus Carlsen, Wesley So, and Alireza Firouzja. The idea of c6 is to reinforce the d5-move. Black almost always plays d5 in the next move. This allows them to equalize quickly and have an unbalanced pawn structure. Games often require calculations and positional understanding.
Black typically brings the c8-Bishop to f5 and fixes the pawn structure by playing e6. This allows Black to maintain the light square Bishop outside the pawn chain and activate the f8-Bishop.
Example Game
The position above is from a game between two elite grandmasters, Mamedyarov (As Black) vs. Caruana. White chose to enter the Advanced Caro-Kann (e4-d4-e5), and this created a pawn structure similar to the French Defense for Black. They went for an early c5-pawn break, and the light square Bishop was placed outside the pawn chain. Later, Black played a8-Rook to c8 and aimed to strike to the d4-pawn. Next moves are:
4. Pirc Defense
The Pirc Defense starts with 1.e4, and Black plays 1…d6. This opening is characterized by Black fianchettoing the dark square bishop in g7 (by playing Nf6, g6, and Bg7). It has been used by top chess masters such as Magnus Carlsen, Hikaru Nakamura, and Alexander Grischuk. Black gives up the center with this opening, aiming to strike back with c5 or e5 later. One thing to be mentioned is that White is likely to castle Queenside in these openings, unlike others.
These games can transition to very sharp lines if the center is completely closed. They may also be quite positional if the d-file is opened.
Example Game
The diagram above illustrates a game that White castles in the Queenside. The d4-e4-f4 pawn formation (Austrian Attack of Pirc Defense) of White often indicates these kinds of positions. After Black finished the development in the Kingside, they directly castled. Then, they aimed to launch a pawn storm in the Queenside with c6-b5 pawn advancements. If these pawns were not marched, White would not be able to match the h3-g4 pawn assault on the Kingside. These lines can be like races. Pirc can also be positional in various cases.
Check out the full game:
5. Sicilian Defense
Sicilian takes place with 1.e4, and Black replies with 1…c5. This opening is regarded as very double-edged due to its decisive nature. It allows both parties to fight until one falls, even at the highest level. French grandmaster Maxime-Vachier Legrave is one of the pioneer theoreticians of this opening. Black typically wants to capture the d4-pawn with the c5-pawn.
Black typically aims to put pressure on the semi-open c-file once the pawns are exchanged on d4-square. They often place the a8-Rook to c8 and Queen to c7 to oppress the c-file. Queenside minority attack with a6-b5 is quite common.
Example Game
The game seen above is played between Ding Liren and Magnus Carlsen (As Black). The Scheveningen Variation allowed Black to expand in the Queenside with a6-b5 pawn pushes. White was almost ready to castle in the Queenside after Qd2. Black finished their development and placed their a8-Rook to c8. Then, they launched an attack on the enemy in the Queenside. Take a look at the game’s continuation below:
6. Scandinavian Defense
The Scandinavian begins with 1.e4, and black assaults the White’s e4-pawn by going 1…d5. Former World Champion Magnus Carlsen has played it on many occasions. This opening aims to stop White’s central supremacy and equalize quickly. After White takes the pawn, Black can return to d8 or place the Queen in a more ambitious square (such as Qa5).
Black can castle short or long side. They usually choose to play c6 and e6-pawn pushes to create key squares for their pieces (such as Qc7). This pawn formation is also considered solid because it blocks the ‘a8-h1’ diagonal. The long-term idea is often to have a c5-pawn break.
Example Game
The game above shows the Scandinavian Defense at an elite level. Ivanchuck (As Black) played Qa5 in the third move after the pawns were exchanged on d5-square. Then, Black played c6 to create the typical pawn formation in the Queenside. This move disabled the opponent from pushing the e-pawn further and also created a safe return square for the Queen (c7-square). Once Black placed the f8-Bishop outside the pawn chain, they moved the e6-pawn to activate the dark square Bishop to prepare the castle. The game’s following moves are below:
7. Slav Defense
It occurs with 1.d4 d5, and after White offers the Queen’s Gambit Accepted, Black enters the Slav defense territory with 2…c6. It is regarded as a solid and active opening and is used by many top grandmasters, including Viswanathan Anand. Unlike the Queen’s Gambit Declined, the c8-Bishop is more active and can be placed outside the pawn chain later.
These positions are highly positional. The plans often depend on the pawn structure, and Black can put pressure on a backward pawn in some scenarios on the Queenside.
Example Game
The diagram above shows a Semi-Slav defense (Slav Defense variation) played between Magnus Carlsen and Viswanathan Anand (as Black). It is the exchange variation where the c-pawns are exchanged on d5. Both Sides developed their Knights and put the c1-c8 Bishops outside the pawn chain. This game is quite famous because Carlsen Blundered in a slightly better endgame and lost the game. Below are the next moves:
8. King’s Indian Defense
King’s Indian Defense starts with White pushing the d4 and c4 pawns, and Black goes into the g6-Nf6-Bg6 and d6 setups. Black’s first couple of opening moves are pretty similar to Pirc Defense. Famous blitz legend Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura has a pretty high score with this opening. The main difference with Pirc is that White played the c-pawn instead of the e-pawn. This makes it hard for White to castle on the long side unless the position locks up. Black can launch a vigorous assault on the Kingside by stacking pieces there.
Black typically aims to have a pawn break with either e5- or c5- pawns. These games can be very tactical or positional, similar to Pirc.
Example Game
The game above has been played between Epishing and Judit Polgar (with Black pieces). After Black finished the usual setup, they castled and played e5. Once the center was locked, Polgar played Nd7 to prepare the f5-pawn push. Creating a Kingside attack in these positions is expected. Another positional approach would be a5 (preventing b4 and securing the c5-square) and Nc5 for Black. Check out the full game between Epishing and Judit Polgar:
Conclusion
The eight black openings we covered are respected among all high-level players. Beginners need to analyze different kinds of games in these openings and understand the various types of set-ups that can be reached. Playing aggressive openings such as King’s Indian Defense is recommended to enhance tactical abilities and pattern recognition.
