Portuguese Opening: Definition & Plans
Portuguese Opening
Definition
The Portuguese Opening is a rare King’s Pawn Game that arises after the moves 1. e4 e5 2. Bb5. By bringing the bishop out on move 2 to pin nothing in particular, White deliberately departs from the heavily analyzed Ruy López (2.Bb5 after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6) and avoids the main lines of the Italian Game (2.Bc4). The idea is to reach an off-beat position that can catch an unprepared opponent off guard while retaining solid development prospects.
Move Order & Basic Position
After 1.e4 e5 2.Bb5 the starting diagram would look like this:
White’s dark-squared bishop eyeing e8 looks menacing but is not yet creating a direct threat. The main branching points occur on move 2 or 3:
- 2…Nf6 (most flexible, inviting 3.d3 or 3.Nc3).
- 2…c6 immediately questions the bishop.
- 2…Bc5 develops with tempo on the e4-pawn.
- 2…a6 3.Ba4 b5 produces a Ruy-López–like structure but without knights developed.
Strategic Ideas
Because White skips 2.Nf3, the e-pawn remains unprotected; at the same time the bishop’s placement creates latent kingside pressure and encourages an early d2–d4 break. Typical goals for each side:
- White
- Castle quickly (usually kingside via Nf3, 0-0).
- Push d2–d4 in one move, leveraging the pin on e8 to justify the pawn sacrifice if Black captures on e4.
- Preserve the bishop or willingly exchange it on c6 to inflict structural damage.
- Black
- Exploit the temporarily undefended e4-pawn by …Nf6 or …Bc5.
- Gain tempi by harassing the bishop with …c6 and …d5 or …a6 followed by …b5.
- Adopt solid development (…Nc6, …Nf6, …Be7) and transpose back into favorite open-game setups once the surprise effect wears off.
Usage in Practical Play
The Portuguese Opening scores respectably in club databases because of its rarity: many opponents burn time on the clock searching for an unfamiliar refutation that does not exist. It is therefore favored by:
- Rapid & Blitz specialists looking for quick imbalances.
- Classical players who enjoy steering the game away from densely analyzed Ruy López theory without sacrificing soundness.
Historical Notes
The line was analyzed in the 19th century by Portuguese masters such as Pedro Damiano (yes—the same Damiano who gave his name to the very dubious 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 f6?!) and later explored by the Portuguese grandmaster Joaquim Durão. ECO classifies it under C20 (King’s Pawn Game: Portuguese Opening). Although never a mainstream weapon at elite level, it has appeared sporadically in top events:
- Van Wely – Short, Wijk aan Zee 1998: Short used 2.Bb5 to dodge Loek van Wely’s Petroff preparation, scoring a quick draw.
- Nakamura – Shirov, Internet Blitz 2020: a sharp fight in which both players burned significant time in the opening.
Example Line
[[Pgn|1.e4|e5|2.Bb5|Nf6|3.d4|exd4|4.Qxd4|Nc6|5.Bxc6|dxc6|6.Qxd8+|Kxd8|7.Nc3|Bd6|8.Nge2|Re8|fen|r2k3r/ppp2ppp/2pb4/8/8/2N5/PP2NPPP/R3K2R w KQ - 1 9|arrows|d1d8,c6d8] ]White voluntarily gives up the bishop pair but liquidates the center and steers into an endgame with a structural edge (Black’s doubled c-pawns).
Typical Plans & Motifs
- d2–d4 Break: If Black neglects the center, White can play d4 in one stroke, sometimes sacrificing the e-pawn to accelerate development.
- Bishop for Knight Trade: After …a6 …b5, White often chooses Bxc6 to spoil Black’s queenside structure, echoing Ruy López themes.
- Kingside Attack: With the dark-squared bishop already pointing toward the enemy king, maneuvers like Qh5, Ng5, or f4 may lead to a swift attack, especially if Black castles early.
Interesting Facts & Anecdotes
- The opening sometimes transposes to the Scotch Game after 2…Nc6 3.Nf3 or to a funky version of the Philidor after 2…d6 3.d4.
- Because ECO lumps many miscellaneous 2nd-move bishop sorties under C20, several amateurs have accidentally “reinvented” the Portuguese Opening without realizing it had a name.
- Grandmaster Nigel Short once joked during commentary, “It’s called the Portuguese Opening because you’ll need the navigational skills of Vasco da Gama to find theory on it.”
- The move 2.Bb5 actually violates the classical principle of developing knights before bishops—yet that very heresy makes it effective as a surprise weapon.