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King’s Fianchetto Opening: 4 quick facts

  • The King’s Fianchetto Opening derives its name from the fact that it aims for an early fianchetto on White’s kingside, but is also sometimes known as the Hungarian Opening.
  • It’s an uncommon hypermodern flank opening, meaning it starts with a flank (side) pawn move, and often leads to closed positions.
  • It usually transposes into similar openings where White plays g3 early on, such as the King’s Indian Attack or the English Opening.
  • This opening may avoid lines with heavy opening theory. However, as a hypermodern opening, it’s usually advised for intermediate to advanced players, rather than beginners.

King’s Fianchetto Opening: The move

Here is the move for the King’s Fianchetto Opening:

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1. g3

A gif showing the opening move for the King’s Fianchetto Opening: 1. White’s g-pawn moves to g3.

Get your opponent into unfamiliar territory

If you’re an intermediate to advanced player who wants a flexible opening and lighter theory, try the King’s Fianchetto Opening!

If you’re looking for more openings, check out our guide featuring over 30 options for every skill level!