Chess openings named after animals

Hello, and welcome back! There are more than 50 chess openings named after animals. But today, I've picked 10 of the best chess openings that are named after animals, and you can get away with playing with them.

10. Double-Duck Formation 🦆🦆

This opening, I'd say, is not the best, but it's also not that bad. This opening comes out of the bird's opening. The move sequences are down below. 

(Another word to describe this opening is  "Copycat")

9. Kangaroo Defense 🦘

The Kangaroo Defense is a chess opening that begins with the move 1. d4 e6  2. c4 Bb4+ It is also known as the Keres Defense or Franco-Indian Defense. The opening is named after Estonian granmaster Paul Keres.

This opening is very simallar to the Bogo-Indian Defense.

8. Caro-Kann Defense: Scorpion-Horus Gambit 🦂

As the name suggests, this gambit comes out of the Caro-Kann defense. The idea behind this opening is to develop the pieces as fast as possible. This opening hasn't been played a lot, but it's still a very interesting one.

7. Vulture Defense 🦅

This opening comes out of the Benoni Defense where black plays 3....Ne4 immediatly to invade white's position. Most common responses after 3....Ne4 are f3, Qc2 and Nc3

(If white trade queens black's position is much better)

6. Modern Defense: Bishop attack, Monkey's Bum. 🐒

This is actually a real opening. It comes out of Modern Defense. The idea of this opening is similar to the Scorpion-Horus Gambit, which is to sacrifice a pawn to gain faster development of the pieces.

 5. Giraffe Attack 🦒

This opening comes out of the Vienna Game, where you can set a very nasty trap if Black is not careful.

4. English opening: Porcupine Variation 🦔

This is a very offbeat opening that hasn't been played very often. It comes out of the English opening where black responed with f5 instead of e5 or e6. And then white white strikes back at the center immediately with 2.e4.(The Hickmann Gambit)

3. Elephant gambit: Wasp variation 🐘🐝

The Elephant Gambit or Englund Counterattack. Black ignores the attack on his e-pawn and immediately tries to gain time and space. The resulting position can be sharp for White, and thus may be a good surprise opening for Black. It is generally considered unsound, because if White plays accurately Black does not get sufficient compensation for the sacrificed pawn. Still if White doesn't play accurately Black position can soon become overwhelming.

2. Modern Defense: Standard, Pterodactyl Defense 🦇

This opening comes out of the modern defense, in which Black immediately moves the Queen to pressure the knight on c3. If White is not careful, White would go into a terrible position.

1. KIngfisher Gambit 👑🐟

This opening comes out of the Dutch defense, where you sacrifice a pawn on e4 even if Black prevents it. And can lead to some very tricky traps.

0. Sicilian Defense: Closed, Chameleon Variation

I almost forgot to put this opening in. This comes out of the Sicilian Defense and is the most popular response to e4 according to the chess.com database. This is also the best response to the traditional line of the Closed Sicilian Defense, according to stockfish.

These opening traps are generally most effective for beginners and intermediate players, but some advanced players can even fall for the trap, so I hope this helps you!

End