Is The King’s Fianchetto Opening Good?

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How To Learn The King’s Fianchetto Opening?

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Surprise Them With The King's Fianchetto Opening

You have a choice when you sit down to play a game of chess. Either you can play the same first few moves that everyone else plays… or, you can go for something a little more offbeat. The King’s Fianchetto Opening (1. g3) is the sort of opening that can get your opponent out of their comfort zone right from move one.

If Black is not careful, they can easily find themselves wrong-footed into playing a middlegame that is totally foreign to them.

In this article, you will learn:

Why you should consider playing the King’s Fianchetto Opening.
The kinds of middlegames that the King’s Fianchetto Opening may lead to.
How to continue your education in this flexible opening for White.

King's Fianchetto Opening Title Image — Images from chess.com and iconsdb.com

Introduction

The King’s Fianchetto Opening begins with 1. g3. It is sometimes known as the “Hungarian Opening” or “Benko’s Opening”. As the name suggests, the idea behind this opening is to quickly fianchetto the kingside bishop with Bg2 - potentially as early as on move two.

King's Fianchetto Opening Starting Position — Starting position of the King’s Fianchetto Opening.

The King’s Fianchetto Opening is White’s 5th most popular first move at master level. Despite its relative rarity, White scores very well with 1. g3. In fact, out of the top 5 first moves, 1. g3 has the highest winning percentage for White!

Opening Statistics For White — Source: chess.com opening explorer, accessed December 2024.

Why, then, is the King’s Fianchetto Opening not played more often?

The main downside of 1. g3 is that Black can reply with almost anything. This means that White cannot define the contours of the middlegame to the same extent they can when they start with 1. e4 or 1. d4.

The King’s Fianchetto Opening tends to result in both players “playing chess” right away, rather than reciting rote-learned opening knowledge. If you like to play the first dozen or so moves mostly from memory, then 1. g3 is not for you. However, if you prefer the battle of wits to commence as early in the game as possible, the King’s Fianchetto Opening might be the perfect choice.

The goal for White in the King’s Fianchetto Opening should be to reach one of several different setups, some of which are explored in greater detail in the next section. Thanks to the unusual move order inherent in 1. g3, it can be possible to draw Black into a middlegame they do not know very well.

For example, by starting with 1. g3, the game may eventually evolve into a middlegame resembling a Closed Sicilian. Black will be very uncomfortable in such a situation if they do not normally play the Sicilian at all.

If you can get your opponent into territory you know better than them, the King’s Fianchetto Opening will have done its job!

Middlegames From The King’s Fianchetto Opening

By fianchettoing the bishop, White gains the potential to transpose into one of several middlegame setups where this is a feature. Some of the main ones are given below.

Catalan Opening

The Catalan is one of the most solid opening setups available to White. The main features are:

White pawns on d4 and c4.
Kingside castling.
The fianchetto’d bishop exerts pressure against Black’s d5 pawn.

A typical middlegame position from the Catalan Opening.

The Catalan is employed by players at all levels. It even featured in the 2024 World Chess Championship between Ding Liren and Gukesh Dommaraju.

White generally plays on the queenside in the Catalan. King safety is rarely a problem. It is an excellent choice if you are looking for a long strategic battle with minimal danger.

Click here to read more about the Catalan Opening.

Closed Sicilian

The Closed Sicilian is more commonly seen in the traditional Sicilian Defense move order (1. e4 c5). The main features are:

White pawns on d3 and e4.
The kingside knight on e2, while the queenside knight occupies c3.
Kingside castling.

The Closed Sicilian is a favorite choice of 1. e4 players who do not want to learn the voluminous amount of opening theory necessary to play the Open Sicilian. (1. e4 c5, 2. Nf3 and 3. d4). The Closed Sicilian is far less theoretically demanding.

However, the Closed Sicilian can still get razor sharp! White’s most dangerous plan is to push f4 and eventually f5, attacking Black on the kingside. A trade of dark-squared bishops can further weaken Black’s king safety - for example, with Be3, Qd2, and Bh6.

If Black is unfamiliar with this setup, they can get wiped off the board in a brutal fashion.

Click here to read more about the Closed Sicilian.

English Opening

This is another opening system where long-term strategic maneuvering tends to be the order of the day. The main features are:

White pawns on c4 and d3.
Kingside castling.
The fianchettoed bishop points at the queenside naturally.

White’s play should generally be on the queenside in the English Opening. Moves like a3, Rb1, and b4 set this plan in motion. If White is able to open lines on that area of the board, then Black will find it hard to keep the game under control.

In a position such as that shown above, White may also choose to play Bg5 with the idea of Bxf6, in order to weaken Black’s control of the naturally vulnerable d5 square. A White knight on d5 can be very annoying for Black to deal with.

Click here to read more about the English Opening.

Getting Started With The King’s Fianchetto Opening

Beyond this article, we have a couple more recommendations to take your understanding of the King’s Fianchetto Opening to the next level.

Video Course Recommendation

GM Nigel Davies has put together an excellent learning resource for the King’s Fianchetto Opening: Bamboozle Your Opponents With 1. g3!

King's Fianchetto Opening - Video Training Course

This course features 4 hours of video instruction from an acknowledged King’s Fianchetto Opening expert. You will learn how to meet all of Black’s major attempts against 1. g3. You will also learn how to direct the game into a position of your own choosing, including rare ideas such as a “reversed Leningrad Dutch” or a “reversed Alekhine’s Defense”.

Once you have been through this course, you will have ample ways to trip up your unsuspecting opponents with the King’s Fianchetto Opening.

Click here to check it out!

How To Gain Experience In The King’s Fianchetto Opening

Since the King’s Fianchetto Opening begins on move one, you can quickly get plenty of experience by playing online blitz chess. Just play 1. g3 when you have the White pieces, and take note of how your opponents choose to play against it. You will soon notice Black's most common (and therefore most important) approaches. This can then be the focus of your further study.

Review your games once you have finished playing them. Return to the video course to refresh yourself on ideas you may have missed the first time.

By employing this method of blending theory and practice, you will soon solidify the main ideas of the King’s Fianchetto Opening in your mind. Then, you will be ready to play 1. g3 in your serious competitive chess games.

Summary: Is The King’s Fianchetto Opening Right For You?

The King’s Fianchetto Opening can be a great addition to your White opening repertoire if you:

Enjoy playing a wide variety of middlegames. Because Black has many responses to 1. g3, each game is likely to be different from the last. This challenge should excite you!
Like to think for yourself rather than memorize openings. It is challenging to commit opening lines to memory in the King’s Fianchetto Opening. Instead, both you and your opponent will be on your own from the very start of the game.
Can spot opportunities to transpose into different setups. A strong King’s Fianchetto Opening player should always be on the lookout for subtle move order nuances to direct the game into the kind of middlegames they are most comfortable with.

If that sounds like a chess opening that you would enjoy, then get started with the King’s Fianchetto Opening today!

Frequently Asked Questions

The King’s Fianchetto Opening sees White begin the game with 1. g3 - a move which prepares to place the light-squared bishop on the g2 square, thus fianchettoing the bishop on the long diagonal. It is also known as the “Hungarian Opening” and “Benko’s Opening”. 1. g3 has strong transposition potential into other opening systems, such as the Catalan Opening, King’s Indian Attack, Closed Sicilian, and some variations of the English Opening.

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