1.c4 can simply lead to too many transpositions so if your a beginner you shouldnt be aiming for this kind of opening play. Stick with 1.e4 and explore 1.d4 using some easier to handle systems like the Colle and London System family.
ENGLISH OPENING???
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study some of petrosian games heres a cool one i found
this is a line of the english I like as black but both sides have winning chances.
If i recommend any book on the English i would say Karpovs ;How to play the English defence' is a good pick. Covers games played by him and Kasparov. I dont think a beginner will learn a great deal from it however.
I can only say that there are so many Black options against 1.c4 that any opening study you do will more or less go to the way-side. I would put learning 1.c4 until later stage of chess career.
rich> After c4 e6 I would proberly play Qa4.
After 1.c4 e6 2.Qa4 the queen is not too vulnerable... it's playable, especially if followed-up by a kingside fianchetto. But why choose a 'playable' line when there are strong lines like 2.Nc3, 2.Nf3, 2.g3, and 2.d4 which actually do something about controlling the center, mobilizing your minor pieces, and maitaining an advantage?
Aug 25, 2008
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#27
Beating Unusual Chess Openings by Richard Palliser is a good book with a large section on the English. It recommends just playing the symmetrical, and using a Botvinnik formation of pawns like below. It also specifically responds to Kosten's suggestions as it goes on. While I'm sure I'd end up in a pickle at higher levels, I tend to find that the extra space that Black gets with this reply makes white's position pretty difficult, and leads to situations where it's easy to make positional mistakes.
this is the keres - parma variation of the english opening.....see kosten THE DYNAMIC ENGLISH
this is the keres - parma variation of the english opening.....see kosten THE DYNAMIC ENGLISH .....THIS FROM BLACK SIDE.....but as white i believe the pure english must fianchetto his kings bishop so 5Be2 is the only deviation from the main line of english but if u played 5 g3 then 6 Bg2 so u r in the right track
u should also have to skip 3 e3 ofcourse the main spirit of english is to keep this pawn home for a while or play e4 at the right moment if ur opponent allowed u the botvinik system
the english anglo-indian defence queens knight variation
Hi! I'm new to these forums.
The English Opening is one of my favourite openings and I've been quite successful with it too. However, though I've utilised it successfully against various defenses like the Sicilian Dragon, and the King's Indian Defense for instance, the English Opening doesn't seem to be effective on Alekhine's Defense.
So, I was wondering if any of you could give me some advice? I'd love to hear what your take is on using the English Opening against Alekhine's Defense.
Here's my move order:
1. c4 2. Nc3 3. g3 4. Bg2 5. Nf3 6. O-O 7. d3 8. b2
Thw Wanderer, why don't you also provide Black's moves? It's hard to say whether White's chosen his moves wisely without seeing Black's moves. :)
I also have no idea what you mean about "The English vs Alekhine's Defense" because if you haven't played e4 Black really can't play an Alekhine. ...Nf6 would lead to a KID, or Nimzo-Indian (foolish), or Pseudo-Gruenfeld, or a mainline English. So providing Black's move would really clarify your question as a whole... then I could respond.
Here's what I recall of Black's opening moves.
1. c4 Nf6 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. g3 e5 4. Bg2 Bc5 5. d3 d6 6. Nf3 O-O 7. O-O d5 8. a4 a5
Thanks for the response.
Nf3 is more flexible than 1 c4 as it prevents he 1 e5 systems and gives the option of reti which many players hate as the problem with
1)c4 d5 is twofold 2)d4 gives QG which favours the prepared player in my games that is usually me
second there is no compensation for the pawn if accepted!
draco_alpine> Nf3 is more flexible than 1 c4
Yes, but...
draco_alpine> as it prevents he 1 e5 systems
There's nothing wrong with 1.c4 e5 (a reverse sicilian where White has an extra tempo). The games are sharp and fun. A 1.c4 player is more flexible in that he's and open to both sharp games and positional games. A Nf3 player wants a positional game. Both approaches are fine, of course, they just lead to different sorts of games.
> 1. c4 Nf6 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. g3
Logical. Black hasn't commited to a particular pawn structure (except, no Dutch Defense) so you don't know whether your knight belongs on f3 or e2 quite yet.
> e5 4. Bg2
And of course, once you've started a fianchetto, you must finish it. With ...e5 Black's finally commited to a pawn structure.
> Bc5 5. d3
In what way do you feel 5.d3 address 4...Bc5? The more obvious plan to me is 5.e3 which has two purposes: (a) it blunts the enemy bishop and (b) it prepares a d4 advance, and due to the bishop's position Black would have to waste time retreating it. And after that we have an open and interesting game where White is a bit better.
> d6 6. Nf3 O-O 7. O-O d5
You've played solidly... but unambitiously (you haven't attempted to make any pawn breaks or gain more space)... so Black goes for it.
> 8. a4 a5
What the heck does a4 have to do with the battle for the center??
8.cxd4 Nxd4 is typical. Your have more central pawns and both your fianchetto and open c-file converge on c6. Interesting possibilities. Black has his trumps, too.
But after 8.a4? Black has 8...d4 and... well... you're losing.
Thanks for the comments. It has certainly improved my games.
i usually play a similar variation, but as black: 1.c4 Nf6 2.d4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4. Qc2 c5. Now, if white plays dxc5 Bxc5 followed by ...0-0, ...b6 and ...Bb7. If white plays a3, i play Bxc3, and now: 1) bxc3, and white plays to attack white's doubled pawns, or 2) Qxc3 or Bxc3 (after Bd2), and black play to destroy white's centre by ...d5, creating a superb home for a knight. The control of d5 can be increased by ...b6, ...Bb7, ...Nd7, and ...N7f6. I like playing it as black!
promotedpawn, not sure you will see this anytime soon, but I wanted to throw my two cents in. I've played 1.c4 for several years now almost exclusively and although I am no expert I have felt like I have settled my white repertoire for life for serious games. I don't have as much time for chess that I used to and relying on this system has saved oodles of time compared to when I played 1.e4 - oftentimes White may use similar plans against any Black reply. I have found it to be extremely flexible, suitable for when I am feeling aggressive or prefer a slow game.
Evegeny Sveshnikov has a great little article (sorry can't recall the title, but it is in Kasparov's book on Modern Chess Vol1) in which he argues against 1.c4 in mathematical terms, i.e. after 1.c4 White controls the least number of squares than either 1.e4 (best in his mind) or 1.d4. I think that's why many people prefer the latter two whether they realize it or not. But one need only look at the games of Botvinnik or Alexander Chernin to see how a specialist in the English might be able to make Sveshnikov reconsider his opinion. From move one chess is a balancing act of give-and-take, and I suppose 1.c4 players take less in the opening to get more later on...
Tony Kosten's Dynamic English is a great book to start with in my opinion. He recommends a move order of 1.c4 followed by 2.g3 (against all but one or two Black replies) as most flexible and involving less theory than say 2.Nc3, which admittedly is more popular but it requires a lot more work. If you can find this book and study the games of Botvinnik and Chernin, you will get acquainted with the basic plans.
Kosten warns the prospective English player to remain flexible him/herself: know when to transpose to 1.d4 lines and don't be pig-headed about using an "English Plan" all the time. It's taken me more than a few lost games to see why, and it's quite a recent lesson for me, but I feel like this relationship between 1.c4/1.d4 has broadened my understanding of closed openings. Not to mention that this may come in handy when a few people become regular opponents, so these will have something to think about.
Good luck