The easiest solution is to use an extension. Otherwise, you may create a keyboard shortcut for a new tab to the right, but it has to typed into the address bar.

Do this :

• Open Chrome Settings > Search engine
• Click "Manage search engines and site search"
• Next to "Site search" click "Add"
• Enter the following:
  • Search engine : Anything you like, for example "New tab to right"
  • Shortcut : The characters to type into the address field, example xx
  • URL : Enter javascript:window.open()
• Now entering xx in the address field will open a new tab to the right.

For further improvement, you may use a macro utility such as AutoHotKey to create a keyboard shortcut that will position to the address bar and type these characters for you.

There doesn't appear to be a user-friendly option to change this inside Chrome (presumably because most people prefer the new tab).

However, you can change this manually by editing the command specified in your Windows registry used to open an http url.

To do this, open regedit and:

1. Go to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\http\shell\open\command
2. You should see one key, named (Default). Double click this to get an editing popup.
3. At the end of the Value data: field you should see the text -- "%1". Change this to --new-window "%1".

That will instruct Windows to open all http links in a new window of Chrome instead of a new tab.

Presumably, the same general idea is true for Mac and Linux, but I don't know offhand where they store the command to open urls.

There are many extensions that can open new links in an active tab (i.e., open links in a new foreground tab) with "one click."

Mouse Gesture Extensions

• crxMouse Chrome Gestures

  By default, click on any link and drag to the right (→) to open it in a foreground tab. You can configure this gesture on the "Super Drag" tab of the extension's Options page.

• Gestures for Google Chrome

  Enable the "Super Drag(Drag&Drop Action)" option on the "Basics" tab of the extension's Options page. You can then open new foreground tabs by clicking on links and dragging downward. To change or configure this gesture, go to the "Drag Actions" tab on the Options page (only visible after enabling the "Super Drag(Drag&Drop Action)" option).

• smartUp Gestures

  By default, click on any link and drag to the right (→) to open it in a foreground tab. To show visual feedback when dragging the link, enable the "Super Drag" feature by going to General → Features ON on the extension's Options page. You can configure the gesture by going to Simple Drag → Link Actions, or Super Drag → Link Actions (if you enabled Super Drag), on the Options page.

• Smooth Gestures Plus

  Paid app with free trial period. By default, right-click on any link and drag upward (↑) to open it in a foreground tab. To make this a left-click drag instead, go to Settings → Mouse Button to Start Gesture on the extension's Options page.

Other Extensions

• Long Press New Tab

  Allows opening new foreground tabs via "long-clicking", i.e., by clicking and holding down the mouse button on a link for a small amount of time. On the extension's Options page, you can enable long-clicking for the middle and right mouse buttons. You can even enable "Super Drag" to open links in the foreground by dragging them, making this extension a potential substitute for the mouse gesture ones.

• Right Click Opens Link in New Tab

  Allows right- or middle-clicking to open links in foreground tabs. By default, right click opens a link in a foreground tab, and middle-click opens a link in a background tab. You can configure this on the extension's Options page.

• Click to Tab

  Can open all links in new foreground tabs without gestures. To enable this behavior, uncheck the "Open in background" box on the extension's Options page.