[2][3] Nikolai Bugaev defeated former world champion Wilhelm Steinitz with it in a simul exhibition game, and later published an analysis of the opening in 1903 in a Russian magazine article.

[10] The final term, and the one used in contemporary books and chess websites such as Chess.com and Lichess, is the Polish Opening.

[12] In May 2021, world champion Magnus Carlsen essayed the opening against GMs Hikaru Nakamura and Wesley So in the online FTX Crypto Cup rapid tournament.

Black can respond in a variety of ways: For example, a common response is for Black to make a claim on the centre, which White's first move ignores, with 1...e5 (it is normal for White to ignore the attack on the b-pawn and play 2.Bb2, where 2...d6, 2...f6, and 2...Bxb4 are all playable), 1...d5 (possibly followed by 2.Bb2 Qd6, attacking b4 and supporting ...e7–e5),[14] or 1...f5.

After the capture Black will generally place pressure on the c5-square and will develop an attack against White's weak queenside structure at the cost of an inferior central position.

1.Na3: Durkin 1.a3: Anderssen 1.b3: Nimzowitsch-Larsen 1.Nc3: Dunst 1.c3: Saragossa 1.d3: Mieses 1.e3: Van 't Kruijs 1.Nf3: Zukertort 1.f3: Barnes 1.g3: Benko 1.Nh3: Amar 1.h3: Clemenz