Chess Openings That Need New Names

The Chess.com Computer Chess Championship (CCC) just played every opening in the ECO, which is a fun event. It allows viewers to see some lesser-known lines, and the opening explorer gives the opening names.

But let's just say that some of those names were... antiquated? And tasteless. And kind of embarrassing to still have in use. I don't blame chess.com for this; other databases have them too.

But maybe it's time to give some of these names a second look. I give three here; I suspect there are others worth thinking about. Mention any others in the comments, or give us a database link if you don't feel like typing them.

Indian Game: Paleface Attack- "Paleface" apparently was first used in the 18th century to mean "frightened". However, it was popularized in the 19th century by writers such as James Fenimore Cooper (Last of The Mohicans, The Deerslayer) who used it to mean a white person. 

But as my American readers might remember from their history classes, Cooper was writing about Native Americans, not Indians. So there are several things wrong with this name. Native Americans are not from India, and Cooper or his contemporaries probably just made up that they had ever said "paleface".  Cooper said a lot of ridiculous stuff, which is why schools now only mention him in passing.

Why is this a name for a chess opening? I have no idea. 

Caro-Kann Defense: Hilbilly Attack- If you look up "Hillbilly", you'll find a definition such as "an unsophisticated country person, associated originally with the remote regions of the Appalachias." That's the sort of definition that (usually) would make you cringe.

It gets complicated though, because "Hillbilly" is a label of pride for some people. It can be used to imply hospitality, self-reliance, or about a million other things. But of course the opening wasn't named because it's hospitable.

Being from the Southwest, I can't say I know anyone that "Hillbilly" would apply to. So maybe I should stay out of this one.

The KP: Neo-Mongoloid Defense: The first time I saw this, I assumed it meant the same thing as "Mongolian", and actually used it in one of my previous posts. But that's not what it means. At all. There are two real usages of "Mongoloid," both of them awful.

The first (not intended) meaning is an antiquated reference to people with Down Syndrome. There are old medical uses of "Mongoloid" in this context, and Google won't even give you results for those phrases. They're that offensive.

The second (intended, I think) meaning comes from an old racial theory from the 1780s. It held that humanity had three races- the Caucasoid, the Mongoloid, and the Negroid. Which is to say, YIKES.

We can change this name; I don't think the chess world will lose anything by not referencing a nonsense racial theory from the 1780s. 

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Well, that was awful to write. And probably to read. But thanks for making it through, and leave a comment with your thoughts!