How to play against 1. c4?

2 years ago · Quote · #41
apostolis1

I like e6 and d5 because here you can change the openint into queen's gambit declined
2 years ago · Quote · #42
blasterdragon

if your opponet plays the english most likely they are an extremely good positional player and know what they are doing probabley the best way to play is 1.nf6 so that white gets tempted into playing d4 where it would be normal queens pawn games
2 years ago · Quote · #43
Fear_ItseIf

all these transpositions are fine an dandy, except for the fact almost no english players I face play 2.d4, they play it to avoid d4 theory and just go for g3, nc3 etc.

Ive taken a liking to the dubious 1..b5 just to mess with them, since i hate the english so much.
2 years ago · Quote · #44
beardogjones

Just play c5 and get f5 in before their f4, it will annoy them...

Also annoying is e6 followed by d5 moving into a QG
2 years ago · Quote · #45
SmyslovFan

jempty_method wrote:

Why not stick with 1...e5 and throw in 3...f5 after 2...d6. I have great results with this. If White doesn't break in the center with d4, I just keep developing with ...Nf6, ...c6 (to prevent Nd5), ...Be7 and ...0-0, then I maneuver my QN to the kingside via ...Na6, ...Nc7 and ...Ne6

What's the highest rated victim you've felled with this, and at what time control?

This is indeed a reasonable system, but if White plays 1.c4 e5 2.g3 d6 3.d4! is very good, but so is transposing via 3.Bg2 f5 4.Nc3 Nf6 5.d3 c6 6.e4, when your plan lacks bite.
2 years ago · Quote · #46
waffllemaster

pellik wrote:

waffllemaster wrote:

CorfitzUlfeldt wrote:

offtherook wrote:

Attempt to transpose into whatever you play against 1. d4 (in my case, Nimzo/Queen's Indian). If white refuses to play d4 to transpose at some point, then black will have a fine position.

What do you play when white plays the move-order 1.c4, 2.g3, 3.Bg2 ?

c6 Nf6 d5 is comfortable IMO.

Committing to a Slav early against 1.c4 can be quite dangerous. There are quite a few ways for white to try exploit the absence of a pawn on d4 to punish the common slav set-ups, and if black takes a less then great slav set-up then there will be d4.

Belated thanks for the example games.
2 years ago · Quote · #47
SmyslovFan

How's this: 1.c4 c6 2.Nf3 d5 3.e3 Nf6 4.Nc3 a6! 5.b3 Bg4. This line is reminiscent of the London/New York/Lasker system that gives Black equality in old ECO. Black can also choose 5...Bf5 with equality.

Here's one game that illustrates Black's basic plan.
2 years ago · Quote · #48
Fear_ItseIf

A video on here recommends an interesting system:

Its like a reverse alapin sicilian, theres a range of moves but things seem to often get pretty sharp, nice way to spice things up.
2 years ago · Quote · #49
ClemsonTiger

I suggest 1...c5 and go for a hedgehog formation with pawns on a6, b6, d6 and e6. Try and trade off the c pawn for white's d pawn to get an open file for the rook on a8. Sergey Shipov has an excellent 2 volume book series called "The Complete Hedgehog". Volume one deals primarily with how to play against 1.c4.
2 years ago · Quote · #50
SpeakMyLanguage

blasterdragon wrote:

if your opponet plays the english most likely they are an extremely good positional player and know what they are doing probabley the best way to play is 1.nf6 so that white gets tempted into playing d4 where it would be normal queens pawn games

good idea!
2 years ago · Quote · #51
shepi13

IF your opponent plays the english more than likely they are a 1200 who has been told by there chess club coach at school that it is a good positional opening that avoids theory.
2 years ago · Quote · #52
sanan22

the centre pawn triangle of c6, d5, e6 was suggested by mihail marin in his grandmaster repertoire series on the english.

black can achieve that by playing various move orders involving Nf6 and the pawn moves mentioned above
18 months ago · Quote · #53
VS2003

1.e6!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It is boss!!!!!!!!!!!!

You will win every game!!!!!!!!!!!