Answers.Body: <p>White can transpose to the Stonewall or the Colle systems after 1...d5 or if 1...e5 attempt a reverse French.</p>
  
  <p>Otherwise 1. e3 is a move which needs no attention or search for ideas, because there can be none.</p>
  
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Answers.CreationDate: 2015-09-21T19:58:51.873Z
Answers.Text: Well, as one, you could also use it to get your opponent out of book... I do not give up yet in finding other ideas. Thanks.
Answers.UserDisplayName: lodebari
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Answers.CreationDate: 2015-09-21T18:02:34.560Z
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Answers.UserDisplayName: Aravind
Answers.Body: <p>I'm surprised no one has yet mentioned, <a href="http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1830402" rel="noreferrer">none other than Magnus Carlsen recently played 1. e3 in the Olympiad</a>. His teammates said that when he told them his intentions, they suddenly realized what a "punchable face" he had, but he ended up winning a very nice game. As for the opening, it transposed into a well-known variation of the Queen's Indian Defense.</p>
  
  <p>If you see a strong player open with 1. e3, their intentions are probably like Magnus's: to transpose to another opening, perhaps after confusing their opponent a bit.</p>
  
  <p>Take the variations given on Wikipedia and the like with a grain of salt. For example, the so-called Keoni-Hiva Gambit, 1.e3 d5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.a3 e5 4.f4 exf4 5.Nf3, is nothing more than a series of mistakes by white, leaving black a pawn up with a better position. My computer already gives -1.3.</p>
  
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Answers.CreationDate: 2017-03-07T14:29:23.620Z
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Answers.UserDisplayName: Nate
Answers.Body: <p>I post this answer for completeness and in response to @Dag Oskar Madsen's comment. According to the ICCF games database, after 1. e3 d5 2. Nc3 e5 3. Qh5!? the main line is the following one:</p>
  
  <pre><code>[FEN ""]
  1.e3 d5 2.Nc3 e5 3.Qh5 Nc6 4.Bb5 Qd6 5.d4 exd4 6.exd4 Nf6 ( 6...a6 )
  </code></pre>
  
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Answers.CreationDate: 2015-09-23T17:48:26.640Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2015-09-23T17:48:26.640Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: lodebari
Answers.Body: <p>In my view a chess opening is characterized by a typical pawn structure and plans associated with it. As such a single move like 1. e3 should not deserve to be called an "opening' because there are no ideas behind it besides that it allows you to develop queen and bishop. True it can transpose to somewhat decent openings like the Colle system, reversed Stonewall, reversed French and the English, but it is impossible to give you a single "idea" that is behind all these openings. Similarly you would not get a good answer asking for the "ideas" in 1.e4 openings, because it can turn into so many different openings each with its own ideas. Call it "too broad" if you prefer.</p>
  
  <p>OK, 1. e3 is not the worst first move you can make, but it is unambitious, basically giving black free choice in the final pawn structure in the center. </p>
  
  <p>In my opinion the only "ideas" behind 1. e3 are not found on the board, but rather in  </p>
  
  <ol>
  <li>getting the opponent out of book, and</li>
  <li>surprise. </li>
  </ol>
  
  <p>It is nothing that black should fear and does not require any preparation for black either, as you can just play whatever setup you want against it.</p>
  
  <p>As for the Keoni-Hiva Gambit and similar suspicious lines, I don't see how playing f4 helps white's development. Perhaps if black gets greedy and starts eating pawns (fxe3, exd2) white can get a lead in development but black is not forced to do so and just playing normally I'd be happy to face the Keoni-Hiva Gambit with black.</p>
  
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Answers.CreationDate: 2017-03-06T12:33:11.247Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2019-11-02T23:37:45.427Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2019-11-02T23:37:45.427Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: user1583209
Answers.Body: <p>I play 3 minutes games on a smartphone and am usually around 1500-1600. In my personal experience it works well for me for the following reasons:</p>
  
  <p>I open with the second bishop also (sometimes called ultramodern opening) and against weaker players I sometimes get the knights pawn on the opposing end and then a rook too because sometimes people just don't see a long diagonal.</p>
  
  <p>If the opponent opens with a knight on the third row I can pin that knight to the king and get that pawn in the center. </p>
  
  <p>In some worst case scenarios I double the opponents pawns and develop a little better.</p>
  
  <p>One of the main ideas of these openings is giving up the center at first and then gaining it a bit later.</p>
  
  <p>Also, I feel my game is stronger in the mid and tactical part when I still have knights so exchanging bishops early makes this possible and also makes it easier for me to think about castling sides and combinations if my opponent misses the black or white bishop...</p>
  
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Answers.CreationDate: 2017-03-06T11:39:55.583Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2017-03-06T11:39:55.583Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Nikica
Answers.Body: <p>Black wins. This is the first 7 moves:</p>
  <pre><code>[fen &quot;&quot;]
  
  1. e3 c5 2. Qh5 d5 3. f3 Nc6 4. e4 Nf6 5. Qh4 h6 6. exd5 Qxd5 7. Bc4    Qf5 {-0.85}
  </code></pre>
  
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Answers.CreationDate: 2023-07-02T09:49:54.727Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2023-07-03T22:35:15.083Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2023-07-03T22:35:15.083Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: 65senshi
Body: <p>In a game with a friend, he made a really unexpected move, e3:</p>
  
  <pre><code>[FEN "rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/4P3/PPPP1PPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - 0 1"]
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>Afterwards, when analysing the game I found its name is Van't Kruijs Opening and I was wondering which are the ideas to play it.</p>
  
  <p>For white, this seems a passive move, giving advantage in the centre to black. But on the other side, like e4, it opens the way to the King's Bishop and Queen. It can also lead to aggressive variations like the Keoni-Hiva Gambit, where white sacrifices a pawn for development, which seems dangerous.</p>
  
  <pre><code>[FEN ""]
  1. e3 d5 2. Nc3 e5 3. f4
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>Could you confirm/refute this analysis? Could you discuss other ideas?</p>
  
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2015-09-21T17:39:23.530Z
Comments.Text: 1. e3 d5 2. Nc3 e5 3. Qh5!? is also interesting. It's not obvious how black should defend his centre.
Comments.UserDisplayName: Dag Oskar Madsen
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2015-09-23T16:41:57.543Z
Comments.Text: @Dag Oskar Madsen: Indeed, that seems to be the most frequent move after 1. e3 d5 2. Nc3 e5.
Comments.UserDisplayName: lodebari
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2015-09-23T17:32:12.493Z
Comments.Text: What is the main line after `3.Qh5`?
Comments.UserDisplayName: Dag Oskar Madsen
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2015-09-23T17:49:41.083Z
Comments.Text: @DagOskarMadsen: I have added an answer to below with the main line after 3.Qh5.
Comments.UserDisplayName: lodebari
Tags: <opening><strategy><theory>
Title: Which are the ideas in the Van't Kruijs Opening?
ThreadText: # Which are the ideas in the Van't Kruijs Opening?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2015-09-21)
  
  In a game with a friend, he made a really unexpected move, e3:
  
  ```
  [FEN "rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/4P3/PPPP1PPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - 0 1"]
  
  ```
  
  Afterwards, when analysing the game I found its name is Van't Kruijs Opening and I was wondering which are the ideas to play it.
  
  For white, this seems a passive move, giving advantage in the centre to black. But on the other side, like e4, it opens the way to the King's Bishop and Queen. It can also lead to aggressive variations like the Keoni-Hiva Gambit, where white sacrifices a pawn for development, which seems dangerous.
  
  ```
  [FEN ""]
  1. e3 d5 2. Nc3 e5 3. f4
  
  ```
  
  Could you confirm/refute this analysis? Could you discuss other ideas?
  
  **Tags:** opening, strategy, theory
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_1**: 1. e3 d5 2. Nc3 e5 3. Qh5!? is also interesting. It's not obvious how black should defend his centre.  
  > **username_0**: @username_1: Indeed, that seems to be the most frequent move after 1. e3 d5 2. Nc3 e5.  
  > **username_1**: What is the main line after `3.Qh5`?  
  > **username_0**: @username_1: I have added an answer to below with the main line after 3.Qh5.  
  
  ---
  
  ## 6 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_2 on 2015-09-21. Score: 8
  
  White can transpose to the Stonewall or the Colle systems after 1...d5 or if 1...e5 attempt a reverse French.
  
  Otherwise 1. e3 is a move which needs no attention or search for ideas, because there can be none.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_0**: Well, as one, you could also use it to get your opponent out of book... I do not give up yet in finding other ideas. Thanks.  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_3 on 2017-03-07. Score: 8
  
  I'm surprised no one has yet mentioned, [none other than Magnus Carlsen recently played 1. e3 in the Olympiad](http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1830402). His teammates said that when he told them his intentions, they suddenly realized what a "punchable face" he had, but he ended up winning a very nice game. As for the opening, it transposed into a well-known variation of the Queen's Indian Defense.
  
  If you see a strong player open with 1. e3, their intentions are probably like Magnus's: to transpose to another opening, perhaps after confusing their opponent a bit.
  
  Take the variations given on Wikipedia and the like with a grain of salt. For example, the so-called Keoni-Hiva Gambit, 1.e3 d5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.a3 e5 4.f4 exf4 5.Nf3, is nothing more than a series of mistakes by white, leaving black a pawn up with a better position. My computer already gives -1.3.
  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_0 on 2015-09-23. Score: 3
  
  I post this answer for completeness and in response to @username_1's comment. According to the ICCF games database, after 1. e3 d5 2. Nc3 e5 3. Qh5!? the main line is the following one:
  
  ```
  [FEN ""]
  1.e3 d5 2.Nc3 e5 3.Qh5 Nc6 4.Bb5 Qd6 5.d4 exd4 6.exd4 Nf6 ( 6...a6 )
  
  ```
  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_4 on 2017-03-06. Score: 1
  
  In my view a chess opening is characterized by a typical pawn structure and plans associated with it. As such a single move like 1. e3 should not deserve to be called an "opening' because there are no ideas behind it besides that it allows you to develop queen and bishop. True it can transpose to somewhat decent openings like the Colle system, reversed Stonewall, reversed French and the English, but it is impossible to give you a single "idea" that is behind all these openings. Similarly you would not get a good answer asking for the "ideas" in 1.e4 openings, because it can turn into so many different openings each with its own ideas. Call it "too broad" if you prefer.
  
  OK, 1. e3 is not the worst first move you can make, but it is unambitious, basically giving black free choice in the final pawn structure in the center.
  
  In my opinion the only "ideas" behind 1. e3 are not found on the board, but rather in
  
  1. getting the opponent out of book, and
  2. surprise.
  
  It is nothing that black should fear and does not require any preparation for black either, as you can just play whatever setup you want against it.
  
  As for the Keoni-Hiva Gambit and similar suspicious lines, I don't see how playing f4 helps white's development. Perhaps if black gets greedy and starts eating pawns (fxe3, exd2) white can get a lead in development but black is not forced to do so and just playing normally I'd be happy to face the Keoni-Hiva Gambit with black.
  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_5 on 2017-03-06. Score: 1
  
  I play 3 minutes games on a smartphone and am usually around 1500-1600. In my personal experience it works well for me for the following reasons:
  
  I open with the second bishop also (sometimes called ultramodern opening) and against weaker players I sometimes get the knights pawn on the opposing end and then a rook too because sometimes people just don't see a long diagonal.
  
  If the opponent opens with a knight on the third row I can pin that knight to the king and get that pawn in the center.
  
  In some worst case scenarios I double the opponents pawns and develop a little better.
  
  One of the main ideas of these openings is giving up the center at first and then gaining it a bit later.
  
  Also, I feel my game is stronger in the mid and tactical part when I still have knights so exchanging bishops early makes this possible and also makes it easier for me to think about castling sides and combinations if my opponent misses the black or white bishop...
  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_6 on 2023-07-02. Score: -3
  
  Black wins. This is the first 7 moves:
  
  ```
  [fen ""]
  
  1. e3 c5 2. Qh5 d5 3. f3 Nc6 4. e4 Nf6 5. Qh4 h6 6. exd5 Qxd5 7. Bc4    Qf5 {-0.85}
  
  ```
  
  
  ---
  
  