Chess Opening Name Generator

Real and invented gambits, defenses and traps

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Browse 1,000 chess opening names, real and invented: Fried Liver Attack, Hippopotamus Defense, Noah's Ark Trap, The Drunken Bishop Gambit and Lighthouse Defense, Fog Variation. Made for stories, streams, club jokes and homebrew variants.

About chess opening names

Chess openings are named in a handful of ways, and the oddest names are often the real ones. Many carry a player's name (Ruy Lopez, Caro-Kann Defense), many a place (Sicilian Defense, Vienna Game, Budapest Gambit), and a good few an animal or something odder (Orangutan Opening, Hippopotamus Defense, Fried Liver Attack). The last word tells you what kind of thing it is: a gambit offers material, usually a pawn, for quick development; a defense is a setup for Black; an attack or a system is a plan built around a fixed formation; a variation is one branch inside a larger opening.

This list mixes real names with invented ones written in the same grammar. The real part covers openings, variations, opening traps, checkmate patterns such as Anastasia's Mate and Smothered Mate, and tactic terms such as Zwischenzug and Greek Gift Sacrifice. The invented part is there for stories, streams, club jokes and homebrew variants: animal openings, place names, fictional surnames, two-part names like Lighthouse Defense, Fog Variation, and joke openings such as Burnt Toast Gambit.

Nothing here comes with moves, and an invented name is not chess theory. If a name catches your eye and you want to play it, look it up first to see whether it is a real line.

How to choose chess opening names

  • Match the last word to the idea: call it a gambit only if something is given up, a defense if it is Black's setup, and a system if the same formation works against almost anything.
  • For a homebrew line inside a known opening, use the two-part form, opening first and branch second, as in Lighthouse Defense, Fog Variation.
  • A possessive reads as tradition. Clockmaker's Attack or Lamplighter's Gambit sounds like a line with a history behind it, which suits fiction.
  • Name a club joke after the thing that went wrong. Spilled Coffee Gambit and Wrong Rook Variation are remembered because everyone was there.
  • Before you tell an opponent a name is real, look it up. This page lists names only and does not say which ones have theory behind them.

Frequently asked questions

Which chess openings with funny names are real?

A dozen real ones from this list: Fried Liver Attack, Hippopotamus Defense, Orangutan Opening, Halloween Gambit, Frankenstein-Dracula Variation, Bongcloud Attack, Noah's Ark Trap, Monkey's Bum, Toilet Variation, Elephant Gambit, Hedgehog Defense and Fishing Pole Trap. The list also holds invented names in the same style, such as Burnt Toast Gambit and Sleepy Walrus Defense, so look a name up before you treat it as a real line.

What is the difference between a gambit, a defense and a variation?

A gambit gives up material, usually a pawn, to gain time or open lines, as in the King's Gambit. A defense is named from Black's side of the board, as in the French Defense. A variation is a branch inside an opening, which is why the Najdorf Variation belongs to the Sicilian Defense.

Are checkmates and tactics on the list too?

Yes. Besides openings you will find named checkmate patterns such as Boden's Mate, Arabian Mate and Epaulette Mate, opening traps such as the Lasker Trap, and tactic terms such as Windmill, Desperado and Zwischenzug. Invented traps and mates, like Flypaper Trap and Bell Tower Mate, sit beside them.

Can I use these names in a story, a stream or a club variant?

Yes. Real opening names are ordinary chess vocabulary, and the invented ones are there for a character's pet line, a stream segment or a house variant. Just do not present an invented name as established theory.

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All 1,000 chess opening names

This is the complete list the generator above draws its random batches from, sorted A to Z and grouped by first letter.

Plain text, one name per line.

A: 42 names

  • Aardvark Defense
  • Abbazia Defense
  • Abbot's Defense
  • Abernathy's Folly
  • Absolute Pin
  • Accelerated Dragon
  • Accidental Stalemate Variation
  • Achterberg Gambit
  • Adriatic Gambit
  • Advance Variation
  • Alapin Variation
  • Alapin's Opening
  • Albatross Gambit Declined
  • Albin Countergambit
  • Alekhine's Defense
  • Alekhine's Gun
  • Allgaier Gambit
  • Almanac Opening, Leap Year Variation
  • Alpine Pass Defense
  • Amar Opening
  • Anastasia's Mate

A, continued

  • Andalusian Gambit
  • Anderssen's Mate
  • Anderssen's Opening
  • Anglo-Indian Defense
  • Anteater Opening
  • Anti-Marshall
  • Anti-Meran Gambit
  • Anti-Moscow Gambit
  • Antwerp Gambit
  • Apothecary Opening, Bitter Pill Variation
  • Appalachian Defense
  • Applethwaite System
  • Aqueduct Defense, Overflow Variation
  • Arabian Mate
  • Arkhangelsk Variation
  • Armadillo Defense
  • Ashgrove-Wetherby Attack
  • Assembly Line System
  • Austrian Attack
  • Avalanche Gambit
  • Averbakh Variation

B: 90 names

  • Back Rank Mate
  • Badger Sett Defense
  • Baited Hook Trap
  • Bakery Opening, Sourdough Variation
  • Balestra Mate
  • Baltic Defense
  • Baltic Shore Variation
  • Banana Peel Gambit
  • Bandstand Gambit, Flat Note Line
  • Bank Vault Defense
  • Barcza System
  • Barn Owl Variation
  • Barnes Opening
  • Barometer Defense
  • Barracuda Attack
  • Barricade Defense Declined
  • Barry Attack
  • Battering Ram Attack
  • Bavarian Wall
  • Bayonet Attack
  • Bayou Defense
  • Bear Pit Trap
  • Beaver Dam Defense
  • Beekeeper's Gambit
  • Belfry Attack, Startled Bats Line
  • Belgrade Gambit
  • Bell Foundry Attack, Cracked Bell Variation
  • Bell Ringer's Gambit
  • Bell Tower Mate
  • Bellweather Countergambit

B, continued

  • Benko Gambit
  • Benoni Defense
  • Berlin Defense
  • Bird's Defense
  • Bird's Opening
  • Birdlime Trap
  • Bishop Stuck Behind Its Own Pawns Defense
  • Bishop's Gambit
  • Bishop's Opening
  • Bjornholt Attack
  • Black Forest Variation
  • Black Knights' Tango
  • Blackburne Shilling Gambit
  • Blackburne's Mate
  • Blackmar-Diemer Gambit
  • Blacksmith's Gambit Declined
  • Blanket Fort Defense
  • Blast Furnace System
  • Blatherwick Opening
  • Blind Swine Mate
  • Blumenfeld Gambit
  • Blunder First, Think Later Opening
  • Boathouse Opening, Slow Leak Variation
  • Boden's Mate
  • Boden-Kieseritzky Gambit
  • Bogo-Indian Defense
  • Bongcloud Attack
  • Bookbinder's Opening, Dog-Eared Variation
  • Boomerang Attack
  • Borg Defense

B, continued

  • Borrowed Rook Sacrifice
  • Borrowed Umbrella Gambit
  • Bottleneck Mate
  • Bottomless Bucket Trap
  • Botvinnik System
  • Botvinnik Variation
  • Bramblecote Gambit
  • Brannigan's Attack
  • Breakwater Defense
  • Bremen System
  • Breyer Variation
  • Broken Compass Gambit
  • Bronstein-Larsen Variation
  • Brooklyn Bridge Gambit
  • Broom Closet Mate
  • Bruges Canal Variation
  • Brushfire Attack
  • Bucharest Counterattack
  • Budapest Gambit
  • Bulldozer Attack
  • Bullet Chess Scramble
  • Bullfrog Leap Gambit
  • Bunker Hill Defense
  • Burn Variation
  • Burnt Offering Sacrifice
  • Burnt Toast Gambit
  • Bus Ride Prep Opening
  • Butterfly Net Trap
  • Buzzsaw Attack
  • Byrne Variation

C: 91 names

  • Cairo Counterattack
  • Calabrese Countergambit
  • Calloway's Countergambit
  • Cambridge Springs Defense
  • Canal Attack
  • Candle Snuffer Mate
  • Candlemaker's Defense, Short Wick Variation
  • Candy Shop Trap
  • Cannon Sacrifice
  • Cannonball Attack
  • Cape Cod Opening
  • Capybara System
  • Carnival Opening, Hall of Mirrors Line
  • Caro-Kann Defense
  • Carousel Trap
  • Carpathian Attack
  • Carr Defense
  • Carraway Variation
  • Cartographer's Gambit
  • Castellane Defense
  • Castillejo-Byrd Attack
  • Castle Too Late Opening
  • Catalan Opening
  • Catapult Attack
  • Cathedral Attack, Gargoyle Variation
  • Cathedral Defense
  • Cautious Aunt Defense
  • Cavalry Charge System
  • Cellar Door Defense, Creaking Variation
  • Cellar Stairs Trap

C, continued

  • Center Game
  • Chainmail Defense
  • Chameleon Defense, Green Variation
  • Chandelier Mate
  • Chandlery Gambit, Dripping Wax Variation
  • Cheese Wheel Trap
  • Chesapeake Gambit
  • Chicago Gambit
  • Chigorin Defense
  • Chigorin Variation
  • Chimney Mate
  • Chimney Sweep Gambit
  • Circus Gambit, Ringmaster Variation
  • Citadel Defense
  • Classical Dutch
  • Classical Sicilian
  • Clearance Sacrifice
  • Clemenz Opening
  • Cloakroom Defense, Wrong Coat Variation
  • Clock Slap Gambit
  • Clockmaker's Attack
  • Clocktower Attack, Thirteenth Chime Line
  • Clockwork Mate
  • Cloister Defense
  • Closed Sicilian
  • Closed Variation
  • Closing Door Mate
  • Clothespin Mate
  • Clown Car Gambit
  • Club Night Chaos Attack

C, continued

  • Coal Cellar Defense, Soot Variation
  • Coat Rack Mate
  • Cobbler's Opening, Worn Heel Variation
  • Cobblestone Defense
  • Cochrane Gambit
  • Coffeehouse Special
  • Colle System
  • Colle-Zukertort System
  • Conveyor Belt System
  • Corkscrew Attack
  • Cormorant Gambit
  • Corn Stalk Defense
  • Corner Mate
  • Cornish Defense
  • Corridor Mate
  • Corvelli Defense
  • Coyote Howl Attack
  • Cozio Defense
  • Crab Basket Trap
  • Crab Opening
  • Crab Walk Maneuver
  • Cradle Mate
  • Creepy Crawly Opening
  • Crooked Ladder Gambit
  • Crossbow Attack
  • Crowbar Attack
  • Cuckoo Clock System
  • Cuckoo's Egg Variation
  • Cunningham Defense
  • Czech Benoni
  • Czech Defense

D: 43 names

  • Dam Builder's Defense
  • Damiano Defense
  • Damiano's Bishop Mate
  • Damiano's Mate
  • Danish Gambit
  • Danvers Opening
  • David and Goliath Mate
  • Death Valley Defense
  • Decoy Sacrifice
  • Deflection
  • Delacroix-Ng Gambit
  • Desperado
  • Desprez Opening
  • Dilworth Variation
  • Discovered Attack
  • Discovered Check
  • Do Not Disturb Defense
  • Dockside Gambit, Loose Mooring Line
  • Dormouse Defense
  • Double Bishop Mate
  • Double Check

D, continued

  • Double Dare Gambit
  • Double Muzio Gambit
  • Dovecote Attack, Homing Variation
  • Dovetail Mate
  • Dragon Variation
  • Dragondorf Variation
  • Draw Offer Declined Variation
  • Drawbridge Defense
  • Drawn Curtain Mate
  • Dresden Opening
  • Driftwood Defense, High Water Line
  • Drill Sergeant System
  • Dropped Wallet Trap
  • Drunken Knight Opening
  • Dubrovnik Defense
  • Dung Beetle Push
  • Dunmorrow Attack
  • Dunst Opening
  • Durkin Opening
  • Dutch Defense
  • Dvorzhek System
  • Dzindzi-Indian Defense

E: 16 names

  • Edinburgh Rain Defense
  • Elephant Gambit
  • Elephant Trap
  • Elevator Maneuver
  • Ellingsworth System
  • Empty Throne Mate
  • En Passant
  • English Attack
  • English Defense
  • English Opening
  • Englund Gambit
  • Englund Gambit Trap
  • Epaulette Mate
  • Evans Gambit
  • Everything Is Hanging Variation
  • Exchange Variation

F: 44 names

  • Fairground Opening, Rigged Game Line
  • Fairweather Defense
  • Fajarowicz Gambit
  • Falkbeer Countergambit
  • Falling Piano Gambit
  • False Bottom Trap
  • Family Fork
  • Fantasy Variation
  • Faroe Islands Defense
  • Fegatello Attack
  • Feldspar Defense
  • Ferryman's Defense, Low Tide Variation
  • Fianchetto
  • Fianchetto Variation
  • Firebrand Attack
  • Firefly Gambit
  • Fireworks Gambit
  • Fischer Defense
  • Fishhook Mate
  • Fishing Pole Trap
  • Flagged in a Won Position Variation
  • Flamingo Stance Opening

F, continued

  • Flash Flood Attack
  • Flying Trapeze Gambit
  • Flying Wedge Attack
  • Flypaper Trap
  • Folding Chair Mate
  • Fool's Mate
  • Forgot About En Passant Line
  • Fortress of Pillows Defense
  • Fortune Teller's Gambit
  • Foundry Attack, Molten Variation
  • Four Knights Game
  • Four Pawns Attack
  • Franco-Benoni Defense
  • Frankenstein-Dracula Variation
  • Fred Defense
  • Free Lunch Trap
  • French Defense
  • Fried Liver Attack
  • Friendly Wave Trap
  • Fritz Variation
  • From's Gambit
  • Funicular Opening, Steep Grade Line

G: 47 names

  • Gallowglass Attack
  • Galway Bay Opening
  • Gambit of Seven Bells
  • Gambit of the Empty Chair
  • Gambit of the Long Shadow
  • Gambit of the Missing Glove
  • Gambit of the Open Window
  • Gambit of the Third Cup
  • Gambit of the Unpaid Bill
  • Gambit of the Wrong Train
  • Ganges Opening
  • Garden Gate Trap
  • Garden Shears Mate
  • Garden Wall Defense
  • Gatehouse Defense, Lost Key Variation
  • Gatekeeper's Defense
  • Gdansk Shipyard Opening
  • Gecko Wall Defense
  • Geyser Attack
  • Gila Monster Variation
  • Giuoco Pianissimo
  • Giuoco Piano
  • Glacier Defense

G, continued

  • Glassblower's Gambit
  • Glassworks Opening, Cracked Pane Variation
  • Glue Pot Trap
  • Golden Goose Trap
  • Goldsmith Defense
  • Göring Gambit
  • Gothenburg Variation
  • Granary Attack, Mouse Variation
  • Grand Prix Attack
  • Grandpa's Kitchen Table Defense
  • Grappling Hook Attack
  • Grasshopper Opening
  • Gravedigger's Gambit Accepted
  • Greased Stair Trap
  • Great Plains System
  • Greco Defense
  • Greco's Mate
  • Greek Gift Sacrifice
  • Greenhouse Opening, Wilted Variation
  • Grob Gambit
  • Grob's Attack
  • Grünfeld Defense
  • Guatemala Defense
  • Gunderam Defense

H: 44 names

  • Hailstorm Attack
  • Halberd Attack
  • Halibut Gambit
  • Hall Closet Trap
  • Halloween Gambit
  • Halosar Trap
  • Halvorsen-Pike Attack
  • Hammer and Anvil System
  • Hammerschlag
  • Hamppe-Allgaier Gambit
  • Hanging Queen Variation
  • Hanstein Gambit
  • Harpoon Attack
  • Harvest Opening, Late Frost Line
  • Hatbox Mate
  • Hathersage Defense
  • Havana Counterattack
  • Hayloft Defense
  • Haystack Defense, Needle Variation
  • Hedgehog Defense
  • Hedgerow Defense
  • Helsinki Harbor System

H, continued

  • Hermit Crab System
  • Heron's Patience Opening
  • Hibernation Defense
  • Hinterlund Opening
  • Hippopotamus Defense
  • Hokkaido Snow Defense
  • Hollow Log Trap
  • Hollowell Countergambit
  • Honey Badger Gambit
  • Honey Jar Trap
  • Hook Mate
  • Hope Chess Attack
  • Hopton Attack
  • Hornet's Nest Variation
  • Horseshoe Mate
  • Hot Potato Gambit
  • Hourglass System
  • Hübner Variation
  • Hungarian Defense
  • Hunkered Down Defense
  • Hurdy-Gurdy System
  • Hyper-Accelerated Dragon

I: 13 names

  • I Forgot My Prep Opening
  • I Saw It in a Video Gambit
  • Ibex Climb Attack
  • Icebreaker Attack
  • Icehouse Defense, Thin Ice Variation
  • Icelandic Gambit
  • Imamura Defense
  • Interference
  • Inverted Hungarian Opening
  • Irish Gambit
  • Isle of Skye Opening
  • Istanbul Bazaar Attack
  • Italian Game

J: 8 names

  • Jackdaw Variation
  • Jackhammer Attack
  • Jackrabbit Gambit
  • Javelin Attack
  • Jerome Gambit
  • Jessop-Arkwright Gambit
  • Juggler's Gambit
  • Just Push Pawns System

K: 28 names

  • Kádas Opening
  • Kalahari Attack
  • Kalashnikov Variation
  • Kan Variation
  • Kangaroo Defense
  • Kathmandu Gambit
  • Kentucky Opening
  • Keres Attack
  • Keres Defense
  • Kestrelmoor Defense
  • Kiddie Countergambit
  • Kieninger Trap
  • Kieseritzky Gambit
  • Kill Box Mate
  • King's Fianchetto Opening
  • King's Gambit
  • King's Gambit Declined
  • King's Indian Attack
  • King's Indian Defense
  • Kingfisher Gambit
  • Kitchen Sink Gambit
  • Knight Fork
  • Knight on the Rim System
  • Knights Before Bishops, Probably
  • Konstantinopolsky Opening
  • Kraków Attack
  • Krejcik Gambit
  • Kyoto Garden Variation

L: 49 names

  • Ladder Mate
  • Lame Duck Opening
  • Lamplighter's Gambit
  • Lamplighter's Mate
  • Landslide Attack
  • Lantern Opening, Flicker Variation
  • Lantern Sacrifice
  • Lapland Defense
  • Larsen's Opening
  • Lasker Defense
  • Lasker Trap
  • Last Candle Gambit
  • Last Round Fatigue Defense
  • Latvian Gambit
  • Laughing Hyena Attack
  • Lawnmower Mate
  • Leaky Rowboat Gambit
  • Left Shoelace Trap
  • Légal Trap
  • Légal's Mate
  • Lemming Defense
  • Leningrad Dutch
  • Leningrad Variation
  • Levitsky Attack

L, continued

  • Lewis Countergambit
  • Librarian's Defense
  • Lighthouse Defense, Fog Variation
  • Lighthouse Keeper's Mate
  • Lightning Rod Gambit
  • Limping Gazelle Opening
  • Lindqvist's Defense
  • Lion Defense
  • Lisbon Tram Opening
  • Lisitsin Gambit
  • Lobster Pot Trap
  • Locksmith's Defense
  • Lolli Attack
  • Lolli's Mate
  • Lombardelli Variation
  • London System
  • Loom Weaver's System
  • Loose Floorboard Trap
  • Loose Rug Trap
  • Loose Thread Gambit
  • Low on Time Defense
  • Lucena Position
  • Lumberjack System
  • Lunch Break Blitz Opening
  • Lynx Pounce Variation

M: 62 names

  • MacCutcheon Variation
  • MacLeod Attack
  • Magnus Smith Trap
  • Magpie Gambit
  • Manatee Drift Defense
  • Manhattan Variation
  • Mantis Opening
  • Mapmaker's Regret Gambit
  • Mar del Plata Variation
  • Marchetti-Oakhurst Variation
  • Marked Card Trap
  • Marketplace Opening, Haggler's Variation
  • Marmot Whistle Opening
  • Maróczy Bind
  • Marrakesh Gambit
  • Marshall Attack
  • Marshall Defense
  • Marshall Gambit
  • Marshall Trap
  • Max Lange Attack
  • Max Lange's Mate
  • Mayet's Mate
  • Menagerie Gambit, Open Cage Variation
  • Meran Variation
  • Meteor Shower Attack
  • Metronome Attack
  • Mexican Defense
  • Midnight Ferry Gambit
  • Mieses Opening
  • Mikenas Defense
  • Mikenas-Carls Variation

M, continued

  • Millpond Defense, Still Water Variation
  • Milner-Barry Gambit
  • Minority Attack
  • Mirandola Gambit
  • Missing Piece Replaced by a Button Opening
  • Mississippi Delta Opening
  • Moat and Bailey Defense
  • Modern Benoni
  • Modern Defense
  • Modern Steinitz Defense
  • Mole Tunnel Defense
  • Monastery Defense
  • Mongoose Counterattack
  • Monkey's Bum
  • Monsoon System
  • Montclair-Abe Variation
  • Montevideo Opening
  • Monticelli Trap
  • Moonshiner's Gambit
  • Moose Antler Attack
  • Morphy Defense
  • Morphy's Mate
  • Mortimer Trap
  • Moscow Variation
  • Mouse Slip Variation
  • Mousehole Mate
  • Mousetrap Cheese Trap
  • Musk Ox Wall
  • Muzio Gambit
  • Mwangi-Stroud Attack
  • My Dog Chose This Opening

N: 20 names

  • Najdorf Variation
  • Nakhmanson Gambit
  • Nantucket Defense
  • Napoleon Attack
  • Narwhal Thrust
  • Neo-Grünfeld Defense
  • Net and Trident Trap
  • Nettlefold Gambit
  • Newt Opening
  • Night Watchman's Defense
  • Nightingale-Voss Defense
  • Nimzo-Indian Defense
  • Nimzo-Larsen Attack
  • Nimzowitsch Defense
  • Noah's Ark Trap
  • Norwegian Defense
  • Noteboom Variation
  • Nothing to Lose Gambit
  • Nova Scotia Defense
  • Nutcracker System

O: 29 names

  • Observatory Defense, Eclipse Variation
  • Octopus Grip
  • Oduya Defense
  • Okafor-Hale Variation
  • Okpara-Lindholm Variation
  • Old Benoni Defense
  • Old Goat Defense
  • Old Indian Defense
  • One-Move Threat Attack
  • Oops, Wrong Piece Gambit
  • Open Door Sacrifice
  • Open Manhole Trap
  • Open Variation
  • Opera House Attack, Final Curtain Variation
  • Opera Mate
  • Orangutan Opening
  • Orchard Defense, Windfall Variation
  • Organ Grinder's Gambit
  • Orthodox Defense
  • Oslo Winter System
  • Ossington Defense
  • Ostrich Defense
  • Otter Slide Variation
  • Outer Hebrides Defense
  • Overloading
  • Overnight Express Attack
  • Owen's Defense
  • Oyelaran Opening
  • Ozark Opening

P: 57 names

  • Palisade Defense
  • Pangolin Curl Defense
  • Panic Castle Defense
  • Panov-Botvinnik Attack
  • Pantry Gambit, Empty Shelf Line
  • Paper Airplane Attack
  • Paper Lantern Gambit
  • Pargeter's Opening
  • Parham Attack
  • Paris Opening
  • Park Bench Hustler's Attack
  • Patagonian Opening
  • Patient Gardener Defense
  • Pawnbroker's Attack, Ticket Stub Line
  • Pelican Dive Gambit
  • Pemberwick Gambit
  • Pendulum Maneuver
  • Penhallow Defense
  • Perpetual Check
  • Peruvian Gambit
  • Petrosian System
  • Petrov's Defense
  • Philidor Defense
  • Philidor Gambit
  • Philidor Position
  • Pickaxe Attack
  • Picket Fence Mate
  • Pickpocket's Gambit

P, continued

  • Pie on the Windowsill Trap
  • Pillsbury's Mate
  • Pincer System
  • Pincushion Mate
  • Pirc Defense
  • Pitchfork Attack
  • Pitchfork Pin
  • Pitfall of the Greedy Pawn
  • Planetarium Defense, Retrograde Variation
  • Platypus Opening
  • Poacher's Gambit
  • Poisoned Pawn Variation
  • Polish Defense
  • Polish Opening
  • Ponziani Opening
  • Porcupine Formation
  • Pork Chop Opening
  • Portcullis Defense
  • Portuguese Gambit
  • Portuguese Opening
  • Possum Defense, Played Dead
  • Postmaster's Opening, Returned Letter Line
  • Powder Keg Gambit
  • Pre-Tournament Nerves Opening
  • Printing Press Opening, Typo Variation
  • Pruitt-Hanover Attack
  • Pterodactyl Defense
  • Puffin Gambit
  • Puppeteer's Gambit, Tangled Strings Variation

Q: 14 names

  • Quaade Gambit
  • Quarry Defense, Loose Gravel Variation
  • Quebec Winter Defense
  • Queen's Gambit
  • Queen's Gambit Accepted
  • Queen's Gambit Declined
  • Queen's Indian Defense
  • Queen? What Queen? Gambit
  • Quennell-Idowu Variation
  • Quicksand Gambit
  • Quiet Library Whisper Attack
  • Quiet Move of the Year
  • Quillfeather Gambit
  • Quokka Smile Gambit

R: 43 names

  • Rabbit Hole Trap
  • Ragozin Defense
  • Railway Timetable System
  • Rainy Day Skittles System
  • Rake in the Grass Trap
  • Rampart Defense
  • Rasmundsen Opening
  • Rat Defense
  • Rattling Saber Attack
  • Raven's Perch Defense
  • Ravenscroft System
  • Reckless Uncle Gambit
  • Relative Pin
  • Removing the Defender
  • Réti Opening
  • Réti's Mate
  • Reversed Sicilian
  • Revolving Door Maneuver
  • Reykjavik Fog Defense
  • Rice Gambit
  • Richter-Rauzer Attack

R, continued

  • Richter-Veresov Attack
  • Riga Variation
  • Riptide Attack
  • Riverboat Gambit, Paddlewheel Line
  • Robatsch Defense
  • Rocky Mountain Wall
  • Rolling Boulder Attack
  • Rook Pawn Enthusiast Opening
  • Rookery Defense, Empty Nest Variation
  • Rookhope Gambit
  • Root Cellar Defense
  • Root Vegetable Defense, Turnip Variation
  • Ropewalk Opening, Frayed End Line
  • Rossolimo Variation
  • Rousseau Gambit
  • Royal Fork
  • Rubinstein Trap
  • Rubinstein Variation
  • Runaway Carriage Gambit
  • Runaway Train Attack
  • Russian System
  • Ruy Lopez

S: 114 names

  • Saddlery Gambit, Loose Stirrup Line
  • Sahara Crossing Gambit
  • Salamander Variation
  • Salt Flat Defense, Mirage Variation
  • Saltmarshe Defense
  • Salvio Gambit
  • Samarkand Attack
  • Sämisch Variation
  • Sandbag Defense
  • Sandglass Mate
  • Santasiere's Folly
  • Santorini Gambit
  • Saragossa Opening
  • Sardinian Defense
  • Saskatoon Opening
  • Sawdust Opening, Splinter Variation
  • Sawmill System
  • Scandinavian Defense
  • Scarecrow Gambit
  • Schara-Hennig Gambit
  • Scheveningen Variation
  • Schliemann Defense
  • Scholar's Mate
  • Scholar's Mate, Hopeful Variation
  • Schoolhouse Opening, Recess Variation
  • Scissors Mate
  • Scorpion Tail Counterattack
  • Scotch Gambit
  • Scotch Game
  • Scriptorium Defense, Smudged Ink Variation
  • Sea Urchin Defense
  • Sea Wall Defense
  • Second Breakfast Gambit
  • Seesaw Maneuver
  • Semi-Slav Defense
  • Semi-Tarrasch Defense
  • Seville Variation
  • Shepherd's Crook Mate

S, continued

  • Shepherd's Defense, Lost Lamb Variation
  • Shield Wall Defense
  • Shiny Coin Trap
  • Siberian Trap
  • Sibling Rivalry Gambit
  • Sicilian Defense
  • Sidewinder Opening
  • Siege Tower Attack
  • Signal Box Opening, Red Lamp Variation
  • Siren Song Trap
  • Skewer
  • Skipping Stone Attack
  • Slav Defense
  • Sledgehammer Attack
  • Sleeping Giant Defense
  • Sleeping Sentry Mate
  • Sleepwalker's Gambit
  • Sleepy Walrus Defense
  • Slingshot Attack
  • Slingshot Fork
  • Sloth Defense, Slow Variation
  • Slow Thaw Defense
  • Smith-Morra Gambit
  • Smokehouse Attack, Slow Cure Variation
  • Smothered Mate
  • Smuggler's Cove Gambit
  • Snack Table Opening
  • Snake Benoni
  • Snapping Turtle Defense
  • Snare Drum Trap
  • Snowball Gambit
  • Snowed-In Defense
  • Sodium Attack
  • Sokolsky Opening
  • Sorrowby Variation
  • Sour Grapes Gambit
  • Sozin Attack
  • Spider's Parlor Trap

S, continued

  • Spike Opening
  • Spilled Coffee Gambit
  • Spinning Top Attack
  • St. George Defense
  • Stafford Gambit
  • Stagecoach Attack, Broken Axle Variation
  • Staircase Maneuver
  • Staircase Mate
  • Stampede System
  • Stare at the Ceiling Defense
  • Starling Murmuration System
  • Staunton Gambit
  • Steam Whistle Attack
  • Steinitz Defense
  • Steinitz Gambit
  • Steinitz Variation
  • Stellenbrand Opening
  • Sticky Bun Trap
  • Stoat's Dance Gambit
  • Stockade Defense
  • Stolen Bicycle Gambit
  • Stone Bridge Defense
  • Stonewall Attack
  • Stonewall Dutch
  • Stork Leg Gambit
  • Storm Shutter Defense
  • Stowaway Gambit
  • Stubborn Mule Defense
  • Suffocation Mate
  • Sugar Bowl Trap
  • Sunday Roast Gambit
  • Sundial Opening, Cloudy Day Variation
  • Sveshnikov Variation
  • Swallow's Tail Mate
  • Swiss Gambit
  • Switchback Opening, Hairpin Variation
  • Swordfish Attack
  • Symmetrical English

T: 74 names

  • Tailor's Gambit, Short Sleeve Line
  • Tailor's Opening, Loose Button Variation
  • Taimanov Variation
  • Takahara-Fenwick Defense
  • Take Everything Variation
  • Tapir Opening
  • Tar Pit Trap
  • Tarantula Crawl Opening
  • Tarrasch Defense
  • Tarrasch Trap
  • Tarrasch Variation
  • Tartakower Defense
  • Tasmanian Gambit
  • Tavern Gambit, Last Call Variation
  • Tbilisi Gambit
  • Teahouse Attack, Second Steep Variation
  • Telegraph Gambit, Wrong Number Line
  • Tennebrook Defense
  • Tennison Gambit
  • The Drunken Bishop Gambit
  • The Early Queen Adventure
  • The Free Pawn That Was Not Free
  • The Long Think
  • The Premove Disaster
  • The Shrug Defense
  • The Wandering King Walk
  • Thin Ice Trap
  • Third Cup of Tea Defense
  • Thistlewood Opening
  • Thornbush Defense
  • Three Knights Game
  • Three-Legged Tortoise Opening
  • Threshing Machine System
  • Thunderclap Gambit
  • Thundering Bison Attack
  • Thunderstorm System
  • Tidal Wave Attack

T, continued

  • Tierra del Fuego Defense
  • Tiger Pit Trap
  • Tightrope Gambit
  • Timbuktu Gambit
  • Tin Soldier Mate
  • Tinker's Opening, Copper Variation
  • Toilet Variation
  • Tollbooth Opening, Exact Change Variation
  • Tollgate Mate
  • Tollkeeper's Gambit
  • Too Good to Be True Trap
  • Torchlight Attack
  • Torre Attack
  • Touch-Move Regret Defense
  • Trade Everything Defense
  • Trapdoor Gambit
  • Traxler Counterattack
  • Trebuchet Attack
  • Trelawney Attack
  • Trellis Mate
  • Tremaine's Gambit
  • Triangle Mate
  • Tripwire Trap
  • Trojan Horse Sacrifice
  • Trolley Opening, Missed Stop Variation
  • Trompowsky Attack
  • Trondheim Opening
  • Tug-of-War System
  • Tumbleweed Gambit
  • Turnkey's Mate
  • Turnstile Defense, Stuck Variation
  • Turtle Shell Defense
  • Tuscan Hillside Defense
  • Two Knights Defense
  • Two Knights Variation
  • Two Lanterns Mate
  • Two Queens, Still Stalemate Variation

U: 9 names

  • Ulaanbaatar Attack
  • Ulvestad Variation
  • Umbrella Defense
  • Umbrella Stand Mate
  • Unattended Picnic Trap
  • Underhill-Marek Gambit
  • Underpromotion for Style Variation
  • Unlocked Gate Trap
  • Urusov Gambit

V: 15 names

  • Vaganian Gambit
  • Valparaíso Opening
  • Van 't Kruijs Opening
  • Van Geet Opening
  • Vandermolen Defense
  • Velimirović Attack
  • Velvet Glove Gambit
  • Venus Flytrap Line
  • Veresov Attack
  • Vienna Gambit
  • Vienna Game
  • Vienna Variation
  • Vineyard Defense, Early Harvest Variation
  • Vuković Mate
  • Vulture Defense

W: 35 names

  • Wade Defense
  • Ware Opening
  • Watchmaker's System
  • Waterwheel Gambit, Dry Season Variation
  • Wayward Queen Attack
  • Weasel in the Henhouse Gambit
  • Weathervane Opening, North Wind Variation
  • Weighted Dice Trap
  • Wellington Attack
  • Westphalia Defense
  • Wet Blanket Defense
  • Wet Paint Trap
  • Whirlpool System
  • Wickersham Defense
  • Wild Goose Gambit
  • Wildfire System
  • Wilkes-Barre Variation
  • Winawer Countergambit
  • Winawer Variation
  • Windmill
  • Windmill Opening, Becalmed Variation
  • Windmill Sails System
  • Wing Gambit
  • Winter Quarters Defense
  • Winterbourne-Sato Variation
  • Wishbone Gambit
  • Wishing Well Mate
  • Wolverine Attack
  • Wombat Burrow System
  • Woodpecker Attack
  • Worrall Attack
  • Wrecking Ball Attack
  • Wrenfield Opening
  • Wrong Rook Variation
  • Würzburger Trap

X: 1 name

  • X-Ray Attack

Y: 5 names

  • Yak Stampede Attack
  • Yarborough-Chen Opening
  • Yorkshire Moor Defense
  • Yugoslav Attack
  • Yukon Attack

Z: 7 names

  • Zaitsev Variation
  • Zanzibar Gambit
  • Zielonka Gambit
  • Zugzwang
  • Zukertort Opening
  • Zurich Clockwork System
  • Zwischenzug