All chess openings

Chess openings that head for the endgame

Lines where the queens come off early or a structural edge is banked for later. There is no attack to calculate: the plan is to reach a slightly better ending and grind it out, which suits players whose technique is ahead of their tactics.

4 openings

• Ruy López — Berlin (C67) — Solid and endgame-focused — the drawing weapon of champions
• Ruy López — Exchange Variation (C69) — Wreck Black's pawns, trade everything, win the endgame
• Petrov Defence (C42) — Counter in the centre instead of defending — the great grandmaster equaliser
• Caro-Kann Defence (B10) — Solid and structural — a good pawn structure from move one