The King's Pawn Game is the most common opening in chess. It is characterised by the move:
- e4
In contrast to the Queen's Pawn Game, games beginning with e4 are typically open games, broken into two categories: the Open Game (1... e5) and all other responses, collectively known as semi-open games. As the most common opening move in chess, it compromises B00-B99 and C00-C99.
| a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h | ||
| 8 |  |  |  |  |  | | | | 8 |
| 7 |  | | | | | | | | 7 |
| 6 |  | | | | | | | | 6 |
| 5 | | | | | | | | | 5 |
| 4 | | | | |  | | | | 4 |
| 3 | | | | | | | | | 3 |
| 2 | | | | | | | | | 2 |
| 1 |  |  |  |  |  | | | | 1 |
| a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h |
1. e4
Similar to Queen's Pawn, there are a staggering number of potential openings ideas. Black's 20 legal responses are listed here, in order of popularity in master games according to ChessGames, although the most popular openings have huge numbers of studied variations.
- Sicilian Defense (1... c5)
- Open Game (1... e5)
- French Defense (1... e6)
- Caro-Kann Defense (1... c6)
- Pirc Defense (1... d6)
- Robatsch Defense/Modern Defense (1... g6)
- Scandinavian Defense (1... d5)
- Alekhine's Defence (1... Nf6)
Uncommon responses:[]
- Nimzowitsch Defense (1... Nc6)
- Owen's Defense (1... b6)
- St. George Defense (1... a6)
- Borg Defense (1... g5)
- Düras Gambit (1... f5)
- Carr Defense (1... h6)
- Corn Stalk Defense (1... a5)
- Barnes Defense (1... f6)
- Lemming Defense (1... Na6)
- Wild Bull Defense (1... Nh6)
- Goldsmith Defense (1... h5)
- 1... b5. The only unnamed response, this move immediately hangs the b-pawn. It has absolutely no merit.