Van't Kruijs Opening

The Van’t Kruijs Opening, named after the Dutch player Maarten van’t Kruijs, begins with the move 1. e3.

It is an uncommon and somewhat offbeat opening choice for White.

The move prepares to fianchetto the king’s bishop to g2 and can lead to a variety of pawn structures.

The Van’t Kruijs Opening is not as popular or mainstream as some other openings, but it can be used for a flexible and quiet setup. It is a hypermodern opening, as it doesn’t immediately occupy the center with pawns but rather controls it from a distance with pieces.

Features

• The Van’t Kruijs Opening is an irregular opening, meaning it does not fit the typical patterns of the main openings.
• The opening move 1.e3 is uncommon, as most players prefer to play 1.e4 or 1.d4 to control the center of the board.
• The Van’t Kruijs Opening is flexible, as it can transpose into a variety of different lines, including the Sicilian Defense, the Caro-Kann Defense, and the French Defense.
• The Van’t Kruijs Opening is known for its potential for positional and tactical play.

Variations

• Main: 1.e3 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.c3 dxc3 4.Bxc3
• Sicilian Variation: 1.e3 c5
• Caro-Kann Variation: 1.e3 Nc6
• French Variation: 1.e3 e6

Popularity

The Van’t Kruijs Opening is not a very popular opening in the modern era and is not a common choice for grandmasters. However, its ability to transpose into many different openings explains its appeal to some players, such as Pavel Blatny, Aron Nimzowitsch, and Bent Larsen.