Openings Flank openings
Hungarian Opening (1.g3): Setups, Transpositions and Stats
1.g3 prepares Bg2 and commits to nothing else. White can turn it into an English with c4, a King’s Indian Attack with Nf3, d3 and e4, or a Modern Defense with colors reversed. It is a move-order tool more than an opening of its own.
A00Hungarian Opening
Games from this position (1600–1999): 72k
- 1.
| Move | Played | Games | White · Draw · Black |
|---|---|---|---|
| 35% | 25k | ||
| 22% | 16k | ||
| 7% | 5,117 | ||
| 7% | 5,054 | ||
| 7% | 5,005 | ||
| 6% | 4,667 | ||
| 5% | 3,955 | ||
| 3% | 2,136 | ||
| 2% | 1,585 | ||
| 2% | 1,430 | ||
| 1% | 828 | ||
| 0.9% | 674 |
Plans for both sides
White
- Bg2 first; then choose between c4 (English), Nf3 and d3 (King’s Indian Attack) or d4.
- Against 1...e5 and 2...d5, d3 with Nf3, or c4, hits the center Black has built.
- Against 1...d5 with ...c6 and ...Bf5 or ...Bg4, play d3 and e4, or c4, to open the g2 bishop’s diagonal.
Black
- Take the center: 1...e5 with ...d5, or 1...d5 with ...e5, is the most direct reply.
- ...c6 with ...Bf5 or ...Bg4 blunts the g2 bishop.
- Copying with ...g6 and ...Bg7 gives a slow, symmetrical game.
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Hungarian Opening (1.g3) at each rating
How often the position after 1.g3 comes up in rated Lichess games, how it scores and what players answer next.
| Rating | Games (Share of games) | White · Draw · Black | Top next move |
|---|---|---|---|
| <1200 | 31k1.0% | 1...e544% | |
| 1200–1599 | 69k1.2% | 1...e535% | |
| 1600–1999 | 72k1.1% | 1...d535% | |
| 2000+ | 19k0.9% | 1...d536% | |
| All | 192k1.1% | 1...d531% |
What usually comes next
The most played moves from here, all ratings together. Thicker line = played more often.
Main variations
Black builds a big center; White plays d3, Nf3, O-O and c4 to undermine it, like a Pirc with colors reversed.
Too rare in our data for numbers.
Show on the board: 1.g3 e5 2.Bg2 d5 3.d3 Nf6 4.Nf3 Nc6 5.O-O Be7 6.c4White adds Bb2 to hit e5 from the other side; it is the second most common third move.
6,938 games from this position (all ratings, any move order). White won 48%, 4% were drawn, Black won 48%.
Show on the board: 1.g3 e5 2.Bg2 d5 3.b3This becomes a King’s Indian Attack, which has its own guide.
166 games from this position (all ratings, any move order). White won 48%, 7% were drawn, Black won 45%.
Show on the board: 1.g3 d5 2.Bg2 Nf6 3.Nf3 c6 4.O-O Bg4 5.d3Both sides fianchetto; with c4 it becomes a Symmetrical English.
4,025 games from this position (all ratings, any move order). White won 50%, 6% were drawn, Black won 44%.
Show on the board: 1.g3 g6 2.Bg2 Bg7 3.c4 c5 4.Nc3 Nc6
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At club level
Below 1200, 1...e5 is the most common answer (44%); at 2000+ 1...d5 leads at 36%, with 1...Nf6 next. After 1...e5 2.Bg2 d5, players at 2000+ choose 3.d3 or 3.c4 in about half the games. White scores about 51% after 1.g3.
Practice it
The trainer answers with the replies people at your rating choose, in the same proportions, and brings back your mistakes on a schedule.
Related openings
- Réti Opening (1.Nf3)
1.Nf3
- English Opening
1.c4
- Bird Opening
1.f4
- Nimzo-Larsen Attack
1.b3
- Polish Opening (1.b4)
1.b4
- King’s Indian Attack
1.Nf3 d5 2.g3