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English Opening
English Opening
The English Opening is a chess opening that begins with There are several types of positions that can arise from
the move:
the Symmetrical Defense. Among the ideas are:[6]
The Hedgehog system[7] involves a solid but exible
defence where Black develops by b6, e6, Bb7, and
Be7, before controlling the fth rank with moves
such as a6 and d6. The game typically involves extended maneuvering, but both players need to be on
the lookout for favorable pawn advances and pawn
breaks.
1. c4
A ank opening, it is the fourth most popular[1][2] and, according to various databases, anywhere from one of the
two most successful[1] to the fourth most successful[3] of
Whites twenty possible rst moves. White begins the
ght for the centre by staking a claim to the d5 square
from the wing, in hypermodern style. Although many
lines of the English have a distinct character, the opening
is often used as a transpositional device in much the same
way as 1.Nf3 to avoid such highly regarded responses
to 1.d4 as the NimzoIndian and Grnfeld defences, and
is considered reliable and exible.[4]
The double anchetto defence involves Black developing both bishops by anchetto to g7 and b7. The
line is fairly solid and dicult to defeat at the grandmaster level. Some lines are considered highly drawish, for instance if Whites bishops are also anchettoed to g2 and b2 there may be many simplications
leading to a simplied and equal position.
The English derives its name from the English (unocial) world champion, Howard Staunton, who played it
during his 1843 match with Saint-Amant and at London Either player may make an early break in the centre with
1851, the rst international tournament.[5] It did not in- the d-pawn.
spire Stauntons contemporaries, and only caught on in the
An early d2d4 for White can arise in 1.c4 c5 2.Nf3
twentieth century.[5] It is now recognised as a solid openNf6 3.d4. Since this position is often reached afing that may be used to reach both classical and hyperter the transposition 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.Nf3, where
modern positions. Mikhail Botvinnik, Tigran Petrosian,
White avoided the Benoni Defense that would arise
Anatoly Karpov, Garry Kasparov and Magnus Carlsen
after 3.d5, this line is often called the Anti-Benoni.
employed it during their world championship matches.
The games can give a large variety of positional and
Bobby Fischer created a stir when he switched to it from
tactical ideas. Games usually continue with 3...cxd4
his customary 1.e4 late in his career, employing it against
4.Nxd4 when Black can choose between the sharp
Lev Polugaevsky and Oscar Panno at the Palma de Mal4...e5 or more sedate moves like the Hedgehog-like
lorca Interzonal in 1970 and in his 1972 world champi4...b6 or the more common 4...e6.
onship match against Boris Spassky.
Taxonomy
1.1
The Reversed Sicilian (classied A2029 in ECO) is another broad category of defence, introduced by the response 1...e5. Note again, that Black can delay playing
...e5, for example 1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.Nf3 e5 whereupon even though ...e5 has been delayed, once it is played
the defence is classied as a Reversed Sicilian.
1
2 TRANSPOSITION POTENTIAL
1...e5 White has Blacks position in the Sicilian
but with a tempo up. This is often called the Reversed Sicilian,[8] though others call it the Kings
English.[9] Bruce Leverett, writing the English chapter in MCO14, stated, It is natural to treat the English as a Sicilian reversed, but the results are often
surprisingmain lines in the Sicilian Defense correspond to obscure side variations in the English, and
vice versa.
1.3
Other variations
1...b6
The English Defence. This setup involves
the anchetto of the queenside bishop and
2...e6. Often Black will defer the move ....Nf6,
choosing to attack the centre with ...f5 and/or
...Qh4. The English grandmasters Tony Miles
and Jonathan Speelman have successfully used
this opening.
1...g5
An eccentric response known as Myers Defense after Hugh Myers' advocacy of it in print
and actual play.[10][11][12] It is intended as an
improved Grobs Attack; after 2.d4, Black will
put pressure on the d4 square with moves such
as ...Bg7, ...c5, and ...Qb6.[11][13] According to
Nunns Chess Openings, White obtains a small
advantage after 2.d4 Bg7 (oering a Grob-like
gambit: 3.Bxg5 c5) 3.Nc3 h6 4.e4.[14] Myers
recommended 3...c5 (instead of 3...h6); in response, Joel Benjamin advocates 4.dxc5![11]
1...b5
Called the Jaenisch gambit after Carl
Jaenisch,[15] and dubbed the Halibut Gambit by Eric Schiller because it belongs at
the bottom of the sea. Black obtains no
compensation for the sacriced pawn.[16]
2 Transposition potential
If White plays an early d4, the game will usually transpose
into either the Queens Gambit or an Indian Defence. For
example, after 1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 g6 3.d4 d5 the game has
transposed into the Grnfeld Defence, usually reached by
the move order 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5.
Note, however, that White can also play 1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3
g6 3.e4, making it impossible for Black to reach a Grnfeld, instead more or less forcing him into lines of the
Kings Indian Defence with 3...d6. Black also cannot
force a Grnfeld with 1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 d5, since White
can deviate with 3.cxd5 Nxd5 4.g3, a line played several
times by Mikhail Botvinnik in 1958, in his nal match for
the world championship with Vasily Smyslov.
Instead of playing an early d4, White can also play Nf3
and anchetto the kings bishop (g3 and Bg2), transposing
into a Rti Opening.
Also, after 1.c4 c6, White can transpose into the Polish
Opening, Outank Variation, by playing 2.b4!?, which
can be used as a surprise weapon if Black does not know
very much about the Polish Opening.[17]
2.4
1...c5
2.1
1...Nf6
2.2
1...e5
2.3
1...e6
3
Declined (D31, see 1.c4 e6 2.Nc3 d5). This can lead to
Queens Gambit Declined (D35) or Queens Gambit Declined (D31).
2.4 1...c5
White can play 2.Nf3. Then Black may play 2...Nf6 for
Symmetrical Variation (A30, see 1.Nf3 c5 2.c4 Nf6).
This can lead to Symmetrical Variation (A30), Symmetrical Variation (A35), Queens Pawn Game (E10), or
Symmetrical Variation, Benoni Formation (A31). Or
Black may play 2...Nc6 for Rti Opening (A04, see 1.Nf3
c5 2.c4 Nc6). This can lead to Symmetrical Variation
(A35), Reti Opening (A04), or Symmetrical Variation
(A33). Also White can play 2.Nc3. Then Black may
play 2...Nf6 for Symmetrical Variation (A34, see 1.c4
c5 2.Nc3 Nf6). This can lead to Symmetrical Variation (A30), Symmetrical Variation (A35), or Symmetrical Variation (A34). Or Black may play 2...Nc6 for English (A36, see 1.c4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6). This can lead to
Symmetrical Variation (A35), Reti Opening (A04), English (A36), or English (A34).
2.5 1...g6
White can play 2.d4, which is usually reached by 1.d4 g6
2.c4 so see Queens Pawn Game. Then Black may play
2...Nf6 (see 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6), or Black may play 2...Bg7
(see 1.d4 g6 2.c4 Bg7). Also White can play 2.Nc3. Then
Black may play 2...Nf6 for English (A16, see 1.c4 Nf6
2.Nc3 g6). This can lead to Kings Indian Defense (E97),
Grnfeld Defense (D85), Kings Indian (E95), or English
(A15). Or Black may play 2...Bg7 for English (A10, see
1.c4 g6 2.Nc3 Bg7). This can lead to Kings Indian Defense (E97), Modern Defense, Averbakh System (A42),
English (A16), or English (A36). Also White can play
2.Nf3. Then Black may play 2...Nf6 (given above). Or
Black may play 2...c5 for Rti Opening (A04, see 1.c4
c5 2.Nf3 g6). This can lead to Reti Opening (A04) or
Sicilian, Accelerated Fianchetto (B36).
2.6 1...c6
White can play 2.e4, which is usually reached by 1.e4 c6
2.c4 so see CaroKann Defense. Then Black may play
2...d5 (see 1.e4 c6 2.c4 d5), or Black may play 2...e5
(see 1.e4 c6 2.c4 e5). Also White can play 2.d4. Then
Black may play 2...d5 for Slav Defense (D10, see 1.d4 d5
2.c4 c6). This can lead to Slav Defense (D15), Queens
Gambit Declined (D30), Slav Defense (D10), or Queens
Gambit Declined (D31). Or Black may play 2...Nf6 for
Slav Defense (D15, see 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c6). This can lead
to Slav Defense (D15) or Slav Defense (D10).
ECO
REFERENCES
A10 1.c4
A11 1.c4 c6
A12 1.c4 c6 2.Nf3 d5 3.b3
A13 1.c4 e6
A14 1.c4 e6 2.Nf3 d5 3.g3 Nf6 4.Bg2 Be7 5.0-0
A15 1.c4 Nf6
A16 1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3
A17 1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 e6
A18 1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 e6 3.e4 (Mikenas-Carls Variation)
A19 1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 e6 3.e4 c5
A20 1.c4 e5
A21 1.c4 e5 2.Nc3
A22 1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6
A23 1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.g3 c6 (Bremen System,
Keres Variation)
A24 1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.g3 g6 (Bremen System
with ...g6)
A25 1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6
4 Depiction in cinema
The English Opening is used by Professor Moriarty in
the lm Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows as he
and Holmes discuss their competing plans over a game
of chess. Both Holmes and Moriarty eventually play the
nal moves blindfolded by citing out the last moves in
descriptive notation (rather than algebraic, as the former
was contemporary in the late 19th century), ending in
Holmes checkmating Moriarty, just as Watson foils Moriartys plans.
5 See also
List of chess openings
List of chess openings named after places
6 References
[1] Meyer-Kahlen, Stefan. Shredder opening database
statistics. Retrieved 2008-01-19.
[2] Chess Opening Explorer. Chessgames.com. Retrieved
2008-01-19.
[5] De Firmian, Nick (2008). Modern Chess Openings: MCO15. New York: David McKay Co. p. 675. ISBN 978-08129-3682-7.
[6] Cummings, David (October 1, 2001). Symmetrical English. Everyman Chess. ISBN 978-1-85744-292-2.
ISBN 1-85744-292-X.
[7] De Firmian, Nick (1999). Modern Chess Openings: MCO14. New York: David McKay Co. pp. 661665. ISBN
0-8129-3084-3.
[8] Weeks, Mark. Chess Opening Tutorial : English
1...e5. About, Inc. Retrieved 2008-01-19.
[9] Kasparov, Gary; Keene, Raymond (1982). Batsford Chess
Openings. B.T.Batsford Ltd. ISBN 0-7134-2114-2.
[10] ChessBase.com, Hugh Myers (19302008), opening theoretician (2008-12-25). Retrieved on 2008-12-25.
[11] Stefan Bcker, The Impoliteness of Ice Age Openings.
Retrieved on 2005-12-27.
Further reading
Kallai, Gabor; Ribli, Zoltn (1993). Winning With
the English. Henry Holt. ISBN 978-0-8050-2642-9.
Kosten, Tony (1999). The Dynamic English. Gambit Publications. ISBN 978-1-901983-14-2.
Hansen, Carsten (2001). The Symmetrical English.
Gambit. ISBN 978-1-901983-40-1.
Pritchett, Craig (2008). Play the English. Everyman
Chess. ISBN 978-1-85744-545-9.
External links
Database Of English Opening Variations
9.1
Text
9.2
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9.3
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