Konstantinopolsky Opening

Konstantinopolsky Opening

a b c d e f g h 8 8 7 7 6 6 5 5 4 4 3 3 2 2 1 1 a b c d e f g h
Moves	1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.g3
ECO	C44
Origin	Konstantinopolsky vs. Ragozin (Moscow, 1956)
Named after	Alexander Konstantinopolsky
Parent	King's Knight Opening

The Konstantinopolsky Opening is a rarely played chess opening that begins with the following moves:

1. e4 e5

2. Nf3 Nc6

3. g3

Description

According to The Oxford Companion to Chess, the Konstantinopolsky Opening was introduced to master play in a game between Alexander Konstantinopolsky and Viacheslav Ragozin in a team championship in Moscow in 1956.^[1]

The name дебют Константинопольского (lit. 'Konstantinopolsky's opening') was used by David Bronstein in his book 200 Open Games (published in Russian in 1970). Bronstein employed the opening against Levente Lengyel in the 1964 Interzonal in Amsterdam.^[2][3][4]

The opening has been described as a form of "anti-preparation" that takes the game "out of book".^[5]

See also

• List of chess openings
• List of chess openings named after people

References

1. Hooper, David; Whyld, Kenneth (1984). The Oxford Companion to Chess. Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 170. ISBN 0-19-217540-8.
2. Bronstein, David (1970). 200 открытых партий [200 Open Games] (in Russian). Moscow: Физкультура и спорт.
3. Bronstein, David (1973). 200 Open Games. Translated by Philip J. Booth. London: B. T. Batsford. p. 81. ISBN 0-7134-0410-8.
4. "David Bronstein vs. Levente Lengyel". Chessgames.com. Chessgames Services LLC.
5. Bryant, Todd (May 2024). "Konstantinopolsky Opening (C44)" (PDF). Chess Life. pp. 29–31. Archived (PDF) from the original on 31 August 2025.