The Bongcloud is a meme opening where White or Black move their king on the first few moves of the game. Among the worst openings in chess, the Bongcloud makes rare appearances on high-level games. However, high-profile players like GMs Hikaru Nakamura and Wesley So sometimes play it to lighten the mood of a match.

Starting Position Of The Bongcloud
The Bongcloud is a series of meme openings where either of the players moves their king on the first few moves of the game. The most famous version of the Bongcloud starts after the moves 1.e4 e5 2.Ke2.

The idea behind the Bongcloud is to play for style points and memes. The opening violates several chess principles by forfeiting castling rights, wasting time, and failing to control the center. The Bongcloud also delays the development of other pieces.

Pros
You'll be a part of a chess meme movement
Winning with the Bongcloud can be more satisfying than winning with sound openings

Cons
Puts the king in danger
Fails to control the center
Does not help to develop pieces
Loses castling rights
Wastes time
Blocks the light-squared bishop and queen's development

Main Variations Of The Bongcloud
As the Bonglcoud is an umbrella of meme openings, there is no actual theory behind it. Below you can see a few of the most popular ways to get to the Bongcloud.

White Bongcloud With 1.e4
One of the most popular variations of the Bongclouds happens after the moves 1.e4 e5 2.Ke2. White immediately reveals their intention of playing for laughs. After White's second move, they can no longer castle. White will also have to waste significant time developing their light-squared bishop and queen and keeping their king safe.

Black Bongcloud With 1...e5 Or 1...e6
Black can also play the Bongcloud by moving their e-pawn first. However, things are even more dangerous for the black player since they are playing down a tempo. The 1...e5 variation is particularly bad for Black, as White can immediately attack the black king, strike in the center, or both.