Van't Kruijs Opening (1.e3) - Irregular Opening

Van't Kruijs Opening (1. e3)

Definition

The Van't Kruijs Opening is defined by the single move 1. e3 from White. It is catalogued in the Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings as A00, placing it among the so-called “irregular” openings because it does not immediately stake classical central space with 1. e4 or 1. d4, nor does it fianchetto a bishop like 1. g3 or 1. b3. Instead, 1. e3 quietly prepares to develop the queen’s bishop and keeps a flexible, transpositional character.

Move-Order & Typical Transpositions

Because 1. e3 says little about White’s ultimate structure, the opening often transposes:

• To Queen’s Pawn Games: 1. e3 d5 2. d4 gives a Colle-Zukertort or French-Exchange flavour.
• To the French Defence (reversed): 1. e3 e6 2. d4 d5 3. c4 can mimic a Tarrasch French with colors flipped.
• To the English/Bird complex: 1. e3 c5 2. c4 or 1. e3 f5 2. f4.
• To Catalan-like setups: 1. e3 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. b3 Bg7 4. Bb2 0-0 5. c4.

Strategic Ideas

Although modest, 1. e3 contains several strategic threads:

1. Universal System: White can delay central commitment, choose between d4, f4, or c4 pushes, and adapt to Black’s scheme.
2. Solid Structure: The e3-pawn supports d4 and limits back-rank weaknesses—useful in rapid & bullet chess where simplicity saves clock time.
3. Early Bishop Development: White’s dark-squared bishop can emerge to b5, c4, d3, or e2 without being blocked by the e-pawn as in 1. e4 e5 lines.
4. Psychological Weapon: Against well-prepared opponents expecting mainstream theory, 1. e3 may drive them into unfamiliar terrain as early as move one.

Historical Background

The opening is named after the Dutch master Maarten Van’t Kruijs (1820–1885), one of the strongest European amateurs of his era. Van’t Kruijs impressed contemporaries like Adolf Anderssen and Louis Paulsen with his positional understanding, pioneering several off-beat first moves—1. e3 among them.

Throughout the 19^th and early 20^th centuries the line remained a curiosity, sporadically appearing in casual games. It resurfaced in the computer-chess boom of the 1990s and, more recently, in online blitz where flexibility outweighs objective opening advantage.

Illustrative Mini-Game

Below is a crisp, instructive example showing typical plans. The PGN contains comments you can step through in a viewer:

[[Pgn| e3|d5|Nf3|Nf6|b3|e6|Bb2|Be7|c4|0-0|Nc3|c5|cxd5|exd5|d4|cxd4|Nxd4 |fen|| |arrows|e2e3,d2d4,d1d4|squares|d4,e3]]

Highlights:

• White adopts a Réti-Catalan hybrid after 1. e3.
• Black’s symmetrical response leaves a healthy isolated queen’s pawn (IQP) on d5; White plans to pressure it.
• The dark-squared bishop on b2 proves unusually active—an asset often underestimated by opponents of the Van’t Kruijs.

Contemporary Usage

Grandmasters seldom wheel out 1. e3 in classical events, yet it appears:

• Online blitz specialists (e.g., Hikaru Nakamura, Magnus Carlsen under blitz pseudonyms) experiment with it to dodge preparation.
• Engine tournaments: Stockfish & friends have scored surprisingly well from 1. e3 when given a “diversity” opening book.

Typical Plans & Pitfalls

• Early d4: Grabbing space turns the opening into familiar queen’s-pawn structures; failure to do so may leave White passive.
• King Safety: Because 1. e3 slows kingside development, be mindful of delaying castling too long—especially against …e5 setups producing quick queen-side attacks.
• Bishop vs. Pawn Chain: Black can strive for …c5 & …d5, erecting a “French” wall that neutralizes Bb2; White must react with c4 or f4 breaks.

Interesting Facts & Anecdotes

• The opening’s ECO code A00 lumps it with extreme rarities like 1. a3 (Anderssen) and 1. h3, yet statistically 1. e3 scores better than many mainstream gambits at club level.
• In 2016 the move 1. e3 popped up in several Titled Tuesday events on Chess.com; post-event engine analysis showed an equal-to-slightly-better evaluation for White in a majority of games reaching move 15.
• Maarten Van’t Kruijs became Dutch champion in 1878 largely through his innovative opening play; legend claims he once prepared 1. e3 exclusively for a match to avoid Anderssen’s opening homework.

When to Add the Van't Kruijs to Your Repertoire

Choose 1. e3 if you:

1. Enjoy steering opponents away from memorized theory.
2. Prefer solid yet flexible structures that can morph into Queen’s Pawn, English, or Catalan setups.
3. Play rapid or blitz and value simple move-orders that preserve time on the clock.

Conversely, avoid it if you seek an objective opening advantage from move one; engines give Black full equality with sensible replies such as 1…d5 or 1…Nf6.

Further Study

• Replay games in databases with the ECO tag A00/03.
• Experiment with the structure via training games or engine sparring, starting from the PGN diagram above.
• Compare reversed French and Queen’s Indian ideas to master typical pawn breaks.