Van't Kruijs Opening

Van't Kruijs Opening

Definition

The Van't Kruijs Opening is the chess opening defined by the single move

1. e3

It is catalogued in ECO code A00 as an “irregular” or “uncommon” first move. Named after Dutch master Maarten van 't Kruijs (1820-1885), it is a flexible, system-oriented opening that keeps White’s options open while refraining from the immediate central occupation typical of 1. e4 or 1. d4.

Moves and Basic Position

After 1. e3, White supports a later d2–d4 advance and opens a flight square for the f1-bishop. However, the move also blocks the c1-bishop and concedes some central space.

• Main branching points
  1. 1…d5 — likely transposes to the French Defense after 2.d4 or to Queen’s Pawn openings after 2.Nf3.
  2. 1…e5 — Black grabs space; play can enter reversed French setups after 2.d4 exd4 3.exd4.
  3. 1…Nf6 — leads to double-fianchetto or Catalan-style systems after 2.Nf3 g6 3.b3.
• Typical White set-ups
  • “Dutch Stonewall reversed”: e3, d4, f4, Nf3, Bd3, O-O.
  • “English-style”: e3, c4, Nc3, g3, Bg2, Nge2.
  • “Colle-Zukertort reversed”: e3, d4, Nf3, b3, Bb2, Be2.

Historical Background

Maarten van 't Kruijs was Dutch champion in the 1850s and a contemporary of Adolf Anderssen. While few of his games survive, he was admired for original play. 1. e3 appeared sporadically in the 19th century but never caught on at master level. The opening’s modern renaissance comes largely from rapid and online chess, where surprise value is significant.

Strategic Ideas

The core concept is flexibility:

• White keeps the d-pawn free, allowing either d2-d4 or c2-c4.
• Development can mirror many familiar setups (French, English, Catalan) but with colors reversed or move orders tweaked to avoid mainline theory.
• Because the move neither claims the center nor creates direct threats, White must be ready for an equal but unbalanced middlegame rather than a concrete opening advantage.

Typical Plans and Themes

• Delayed Center: Play d2-d4 only after completing kingside development, provoking Black to commit first.
• Queenside Fianchetto: With c1-bishop blocked, White often plays b3 and Bb2, exerting long-diagonal pressure.
• Reversed Defenses: Ideas from the French, Queen’s Indian, or Dutch (Stonewall) can be applied with an extra tempo.
• Surprise Factor: Especially effective in blitz or rapid where opponents may spend early clock time finding an independent plan.

Illustrative Games

Below is a short model game showing typical development. Use the PGN viewer in your interface to step through the moves.

[[Pgn| 1.e3 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.c4 e6 4.b3 Be7 5.Bb2 O-O 6.Nc3 c5 7.cxd5 exd5 8.d4 Nc6 9.Be2 Bg4 10.O-O Rc8 11.dxc5 Bxc5 12.Rc1 Re8 13.Nb5 Ne4 14.Nfd4 Bxe2 15.Qxe2 a6 16.Nxc6 Rxc6 17.Nd4 Bxd4 18.Bxd4 Qg5 19.Rxc6 bxc6 20.Qxa6 * |fen||arrows|e3e4,d1d4|squares|d4,c6]]

White’s flexible move order sidestepped mainstream theory and eventually converted a queenside majority into a tangible material edge.

Notable practical examples include:

• Hikaru Nakamura vs Fabiano Caruana, Chess.com Blitz 2020 – Nakamura used 1.e3 en route to victory.
• Magnus Carlsen vs Vladimir Fedoseev, Titled Tuesday 2022 – Carlsen employed 1.e3 to steer play into a French-type structure.

Interesting Facts

• Because it begins with a pawn move but avoids major central tension, 1.e3 has earned the tongue-in-cheek nickname “The Masonry Opening” among online blitz players—solid but unassuming.
• When used against computers in the early 2000s, grandmasters found that less-theoretical openings like Van't Kruijs sometimes produced better practical chances than sharp mainlines the engines had “booked up” on.
• Maarten van 't Kruijs was also a noted violinist; contemporaries claimed his over-the-board improvisations echoed his musical talent.
• The opening’s ECO code, A00, groups it with other rare first moves such as 1.a3 or 1.g4, but statistical databases show that 1.e3 scores slightly better for White than most other A00 choices.

Summary

The Van't Kruijs Opening (1.e3) is a low-theory, high-flexibility system that can transpose into numerous well-known structures while keeping opponents guessing. Though unlikely to promise an objective advantage, its strategic richness and surprise potential make it a valuable addition to any versatile player’s repertoire, especially in rapid or blitz formats.