Zukertort Opening

ECO A04-A06beginner

The Zukertort Opening is simply 1.Nf3 — the most flexible first move in chess. White develops a piece, controls e5, commits no pawns, and keeps almost every d4 and c4 opening available, plus genuinely independent systems like the Réti and the King's Indian Attack. The line here runs 1...Nf6 2.g3 g6 3.Bg2 Bg7 4.O-O O-O 5.d3 d6 6.Nbd2 c5, a double fianchetto in which White finishes development before deciding where the game will be fought.

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Main line

1.Nf3 Nf6 2.g3 g6 3.Bg2 Bg7 4.O-O O-O 5.d3 d6 6.Nbd2 c5 7.e4 Nc6

Diagram shows the position after 6 half-moves of the main line. On SpeakChess you can drill this line move by move — the trainer plays the other side and corrects you instantly, then spaced repetition schedules each variation so you review it right before you would forget it.

Move by move

The first 12 moves of the main line, explained one at a time. Every move of every variation is annotated like this inside the trainer — this page shows the opening moves so you can judge the explanations before signing up.

1.Nf3 White opens with the knight to f3, a flexible and strong first move. The knight lands on a great central square, ready to control e5 and d4 without locking in any pawns yet.
1...Nf6 Black mirrors with the knight to f6, jumping right into the action. The knight on f6 keeps an eye on d5 and e4, helping Black fight for control of the center.
2.g3 White pushes the pawn to g3, preparing to place the bishop on g2. This fianchetto setup will give the bishop a powerful diagonal pointing right through the center of the board.
2...g6 Black also advances the pawn to g6, getting ready to fianchetto the bishop on g7. Both sides are building up their bishops behind the pawn chains for a solid position.
3.Bg2 The bishop moves to g2, completing the fianchetto. Sitting on g2, the bishop has a sweeping view along the long diagonal and works perfectly alongside the knight on f3.
3...Bg7 Black places the bishop on g7, finishing the fianchetto. The bishop on g7 is a real powerhouse, covering the long diagonal and keeping a close eye on the center squares.
4.O-O White castles kingside, tucking the king safely behind the pawns on f2, g3, and h2. The rook on f1 moves to g1 and is now ready to become active later in the game.
4...O-O Black also castles kingside, keeping the king safe behind the pawns. Both kings are now tucked away and both rooks on f8 can become active in the middle game.
5.d3 White advances the pawn to d3, opening a path for the dark-squared bishop on c1 to develop. This solid pawn move also supports the e4 square for future play.
5...d6 Black pushes the pawn to d6, giving more support to the center and preparing to bring out pieces. The pawn on d6 also keeps the knight on f6 well supported.
6.Nbd2 The knight hops from b1 to d2, developing without blocking the bishop on g2. From d2 the knight can later jump to f1, e4, or c4, making it a very flexible piece.
6...c5 Black advances the pawn to c5, staking out space on the queenside and challenging White's center. The c5 pawn makes it harder for White to push pawns forward on that side.

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Win rates by rating

Results from real online games, measured after the line shown in each row. Most opening sites show one aggregate number — how an opening scores depends heavily on who is playing it.

Rating	Games	White wins	Draws	Black wins	Position after
400-600	63	49.2%	12.7%	38.1%	1.Nf3 Nf6 2.g3
600-800	106	39.6%	3.8%	56.6%	1.Nf3 Nf6 2.g3 g6 3.Bg2 Bg7 4.O-O O-O 5.d3 d6 6.Nbd2
800-1000	66	50%	6.1%	43.9%	1.Nf3 Nf6 2.g3 g6 3.Bg2 Bg7 4.O-O O-O 5.d3 d6 6.Nbd2 c5
1000-1200	169	52.7%	4.1%	43.2%	1.Nf3 Nf6 2.g3 g6 3.Bg2 Bg7 4.O-O O-O 5.d3 d6 6.Nbd2
1200-1400	615	50.9%	4.1%	45%	1.Nf3 Nf6 2.g3 g6 3.Bg2 Bg7 4.O-O O-O 5.d3 d6 6.Nbd2 c5
1400-1600	1,222	49.1%	4.7%	46.2%	1.Nf3 Nf6 2.g3 g6 3.Bg2 Bg7 4.O-O O-O 5.d3 d6 6.Nbd2 c5
1600-1800	198	47%	6.1%	47%	1.Nf3 Nf6 2.g3 g6 3.Bg2 Bg7 4.O-O O-O 5.d3 d6 6.Nbd2 c5
1800-2000	354	52%	3.4%	44.6%	1.Nf3 Nf6 2.g3 g6 3.Bg2 Bg7 4.O-O O-O 5.d3 d6 6.Nbd2 c5
2000-2200	554	50.4%	4%	45.7%	1.Nf3 Nf6 2.g3 g6 3.Bg2 Bg7 4.O-O O-O 5.d3 d6 6.Nbd2 c5
2200-2400	757	50.3%	4.8%	44.9%	1.Nf3 Nf6 2.g3 g6 3.Bg2 Bg7 4.O-O O-O 5.d3 d6 6.Nbd2 c5

Most played continuations (1400-1600 rating)

After 1.Nf3 Nf6 2.g3 g6 3.Bg2 Bg7 4.O-O O-O 5.d3 d6 6.Nbd2 c5:

Re1 — played 28.1% of the time (White wins 47.8%, draws 7.3%, Black wins 44.9%)
e4 — played 26.5% of the time (White wins 46.9%, draws 3.4%, Black wins 49.7%)
c4 — played 11.8% of the time (White wins 44.4%, draws 3.5%, Black wins 52.1%)

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between the Zukertort and the Réti?

The Réti is 1.Nf3 followed by c4 against Black's ...d5, attacking the centre from the flank. The Zukertort is the broader label for 1.Nf3 systems generally, including King's Indian Attack setups with d3 and e4 and plain transpositions into d4 openings. In practice the names blur, and databases classify by the position rather than the intention.

Why start with 1.Nf3 instead of 1.d4 or 1.e4?

To dodge preparation. Black cannot play a prepared Grünfeld, Nimzo-Indian or Benoni against 1.Nf3, because the position that defines those openings has not appeared. White can then transpose into whichever d4 structure suits, having seen Black's first two or three moves. It also avoids committing to a pawn structure before knowing what to aim at.

Is 1.Nf3 a good practical choice?

Very, especially for players who prefer understanding to memorisation. A King's Indian Attack setup — Nf3, g3, Bg2, O-O, d3, Nbd2, e4 — can be played against almost anything and takes an afternoon to learn. The ceiling is real: at high level Black equalises comfortably, but that is far above where most games are decided.