Van-t-Kruijs Opening

Van-'t Kruijs Opening (1. e3)

Definition

The Van-'t Kruijs Opening is a chess opening that begins with the quiet and flexible first move

1. e3

It is named after the 19th-century Dutch master Maarten van 't Kruijs, one of the strongest players in the Netherlands of his day and a pioneer of original opening ideas.

How the Move Is Used

Because 1. e3 does not stake an immediate claim in the center, it is rarely seen in top-level classical play. Instead, it serves several practical purposes:

• Transpositional Tool. White can steer the game into many different systems—including reversed French, Colle, Queen’s Indian-type setups, and various English-style structures—depending on how Black replies.
• Surprise Weapon. Players who want to sidestep heavy opening theory use 1. e3 to take opponents out of booked lines early.
• Flexible Development. By postponing the commitment of both center pawns, White keeps options open for d2-d4, c2-c4, or even f2-f4 in Dutch-like structures.

Strategic & Historical Significance

While never mainstream, the opening has attracted a small but loyal following because:

1. Historical Curiosity. Maarten van 't Kruijs used the move in Dutch tournaments during the 1850s, well before hyper-modern ideas became fashionable.
2. Early-Move Flexibility. The move embodies the hyper-modern principle of first controlling the center from afar and attacking it later, rather than occupying it immediately.
3. Influence on Other Openings. Many modern systems (e.g., the Colle-Zukertort or English defenses) can be reached through 1. e3 move-orders, proving its transpositional value.

Illustrative Examples

Below are three common branches showing how 1. e3 can morph into better-known openings.

• a) Reversed French Structure
  
  
  White eventually plays e3-e4, achieving a French Defense structure where he enjoys an extra tempo.
• b) Colle-Zukertort Transposition
  
  
  After 4.b3 and 5.Bb2, White reaches a classic Colle-Zukertort setup with the dark-squared bishop fianchettoed.
• c) English-Style Kingside Fianchetto
  
  
  The game resembles a Botvinnik-English, but White has preserved the option of d2-d3 or d2-d4 at his leisure.

Notable Games

• Nimzowitsch – Alapin, St. Petersburg 1914: Nimzowitsch employed 1. e3 to reach a French-reversed structure and outplayed his opponent in the middlegame.
• Carlsen – Nakamura, Chess.com Speed Chess Championship 2020 (blitz): World Champion Magnus Carlsen used 1. e3 as a surprise weapon, eventually transposing to a favorable Catalan-type ending.
• Van 't Kruijs – NN, Amsterdam 1861: The namesake master showcased the opening’s latent attacking potential by quickly mobilizing f- and g-pawns for a kingside assault.

Interesting Facts & Anecdotes

• Because Dutch names often include the particle “van’t,” the opening is sometimes spelled “Van’t Kruijs,” “Van ’t Kruijs,” or even “Van der Kruijs,” leading to confusion in older literature.
• Modern opening encyclopedias classify 1. e3 under ECO code A00, a catch-all section for unusual first moves by White.
• Grandmaster Simon Williams once dubbed 1. e3 “the marmite opening”—players either love its offbeat spirit or cannot stand its lack of immediate central presence.
• In bullet and blitz chess, the move often scores well because the opponent must think independently from move one, burning precious seconds on the clock.
• A quip attributed to GM Bent Larsen: “Why put your king’s pawn on e4 where it can be attacked when you can play e3 and attack later—after your opponent forgets the theory?”

Takeaways

The Van-'t Kruijs Opening is best viewed as a system rather than a fixed set of variations. Its chief advantages lie in flexibility, transpositional power, and surprise value, making it a practical choice for players who enjoy steering the game into less-explored channels while still retaining sound strategic foundations.