Openings Named After Animals

By Bill Wall

Black Mustang Defense 1.Nf3 Nc6;
Bullfrog Gambit 1.d4 Nf6 2.g4;

Canard Opening 1.d4 Nf6 2.f4;

Chameleon Variation of the Sicilian 1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.Nge2

Clam Variation 1.e4 e5 2.d3;
Crab Opening 1.a4 e5 2.h4;

Creepy Crawly Variation 1.a3 and 2.h3, or 1.h3 and 2.a3

Dragon, Sicilian 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6;
Elephant Gambit 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d5;
English Orangutan 1.c4 Nf6 2.b4;
English Rat 1.d4 d6 2.c4 e5;
Fried Fox Variation 1.e4 f6 2.d4 Kf7;

Gibbins Gambit 1.d4 Nf6 2.g4;
Giraffe Attack of the Vienna Game 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Bc5 3.Qg4;
Great Snake 1.c4 g6;
Halibut Gambit of the English Opening 1.c4 b5;
Hawk Defense 1.d4 c5 2.d5 Nf6 3.Nf3 c4;
Hedgehog a pawn formation adopted usually by Black;
Hippopotamus Defense  a name for various chess opening systems in which  Black moves a number of his pawns to the third rank    (a6, b6, d6, e6, g6, h6);
Kangaroo Defense 1.d4 e6 2.c4 Bb4+;
Kingfisher Gambit of the Dutch Defense 1.d4 f5 2.Nc3 d5 3.e4;
Lizard Attack of the Dunst Opening 1.Nc3 d5 2.e4 d4 3.Nce2;
Lobster Gambit of the Latvian Gambit 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 f5 3.g4;

Mad Dog Attack 1.d4 d5 2.e4 dxe4 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.f3 exf3 5.Nxf3 g6 6.Bg5 Bg7
Monkey's Bum of the Modern Defense 1.e4 g6 2.Bc4 Bg7 3.Qf3 e6 4.d4 Bxd4 5.Ne2 Bg7 6.Nbc3;
Mosquito Gambit of the Englund Gambit 1.d4 e5 2.dxe5 Qh4;
Orangutan Opening 1.b4;
Porcupine Variation 1.c4 f5 2.e4 fxe4 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.g4;

Pterodactyl 1.d4 g6 2.c4 Bg7 3.Nc3 d6 4.e4 c5 5.Nf3 Qa5;
Raptor Attack of the Trompowsky Attack 1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5 Ne4 3.h4;
Rat Defence 1.d4 d6;
Scorpion-Horus Gambit of the Caro-Kann  1.e4 c6 2.Nc3 d5 3.d3 dxe4 4.Bg5;
Sicilian Pterodactyl 1.e4 g6 2.Nf3 Bg7 3.d4 c5;
Snail Variation of the Old Benoni Defense  1.d4 c5 2.d5 Na6;
Snake Variation of the Benoni Defense 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 Bd6;
Tortoise Opening 1.e4 e5 2.Bd3;
Vulture Defense 1.d4 c5 2.d5 Nf6 3.c4 Ne4;
Wasp Variation of the Elephant Gambit  1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d5 3.Nxe5 dxe4 4.Bc4 Qg5;
Whale Opening 1.e4 e5 2.c4;
Wild Bull Defense 1.e4 Nh6;

Wolf Variation of the Spanish 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.O-O d6 5.d4 Bd7 6.Nc3 exd4;

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