Are you a master of the Sicilian Defense as black? What can you do if playing white? 1. c4 is the English Opening and has quite a different feel from playing the Sicilian Defense as black. But if you’re in a wily mood, you might try 1. c3 and if black responds with 1. … e5 then you have the surprising 2. c4! You’ve now tricked your opponent into playing the Sicilian Defense with colors reversed.
Of course that relies on your opponent’s cooperation. It may not be a reliable approach in general. But the notion of playing Totally Reversed Openings is an intriguing one.
Perhaps 1. d3 provides even greater flexibility in this regard. For example…
- 1. d3 e5 2. d4 { reversed Scandinavian Defense }
- 1. d3 e5 2. c3 d5 3. d4 { reversed Caro-Kann Defense }
- 1. d3 d5 2. d4 { reversed Queen’s Pawn Game }
- 1. d3 d5 2. c3 c5 3. d4 { reversed Slav Defense }
- 1. d3 Nf6 2. d4 { reversed version of 1. Nf3 d5, which can lead to a variety of reversed openings }
This may not lead to openings that you are used to playing as black, but it is an interesting surprise option. Certainly for the lowest 98% of chess players at least.
The following examples are based on moving a bishop twice rather than a pawn…
- 1. e4 e5 2. Be2 Nf6 3. Nc3 Bc5 4. Bc4 { reversed Giuoco Piano }
- 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Be2 Bb4 5. Bb5 { reversed Four Knights Game }
- 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Be2 d5 5. Bb5 { reversed Four Knights Game }
There are some examples where a reversed opening can arise via normal play. For example, 1. e4 e5 2. Bb5 is the Portuguese Opening. And now 2. … c6 3. Bc4?! Nf6 4. Nc3 Bc5 is a reversed Giuoco Piano.
We finish with an interesting example in the Russian Defense. The main line is 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. d4 d5. We now look at the line starting 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4, which is the same as the above, but now white plays the nonstandard 5. d3!? which might lead to the line 5. … Nf6 6. d4 d5 allowing for 7. Ne5!? This is a fully reversed version of the above!
The above could also arise from the Exchange Variation of the French Defense after 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 exd5 4. Nf3 Nf6 and now 5. Ne5!?