If Magnus plays c4, why do most beginers not?

1. It’s more strategically difficult for White because they must know how to play several different ways. All Black needs is one system (which can often be similar to something they play against d4). That is one structure. As white you would have to be able to respond to e5, c5, Nf6, d6, b6, g6, f5, e6, c6 all of which are going to lead you to different structures with their own strategical demands.

2. It’s not a great idea to play something you Do Not Understand because you think your opponent won’t either. It makes no sense and you will not learn anything productive. It’s like if you had a Kindergarten math competition and they get to choose the category and the kid chooses calculus over addition because he knows the other kid won’t understand it either. They’ll both be wrong and time and energy would have been wasted.

3. Conclusion: Low rated players should not play the English unless they surprisingly understand the English and all the different strategical structures that arise from it.

White is still safe if it knows what it is doing. It can play Nf3 followed by g2-g3 and the pressure on the a8-h1 diagonal dissappears. Thanks to the move a3, white will rapidly be able to play b4, Bb2 (that way it will be harder for Black to play the agressive move Rf6), and will be able to attack on the Queen's side.

In the classical Dutch (I read free chapters of S.Williams' Killer Dutch), Black's LSB stays on c8, and during the middlegame, Black will try to play the move Bh3. If white doesn't fianchetto its LSB, then black plays b6 and Bb7. But in this position, thanks to the move Nf3, white can still fianchetto his LSB (Bxf3 exf3 doesn't seem to be a problem for me). 

1. Pretty much all of those can be met with g3 followed by a fianchetto except d5 but that is not a very good choice by black, nevertheless, you will fall for the same pitfall by playing e4 or d4. Hell, even the sicilian by itself already demands a lot of knowledge yet I see nobody saying you shouldn't play e4 because of that.

2. Really, you will always play "something you don't understand" as a beginner unless you invest time in opening study which is one of the least productive things to do at that point and your analogy is extremely hyperbolic.

3. Conclusion, play whatever you want.

Yes, my point exactly!

Why won't it. Also, i feel honored to be chatting with an IM.

awww noooo!!

this is the news nobody wanted to hear

Plus for some players English is their second language, so it does not make sense to start with it.

I play c4

If you play 1. c4, how could you mate your opponent in less 20 moves?

Because you're going to kill yourself. But in chess what can happen to you?

I've been playing the english (Botvinnik) for a about a week. I absolutely enjoy it. I had wins and severe losses including one with the manager of the club I attend (who is much much stronger than I am btw). But I will continue as long as I don't lose more than with "classical openings" (about 50% of the time). If you're at move 15# with your position devastated, you'll simply lose a lot and this still  happens to me in e4/e5 against patzers around my skill who know their school book better than I do.

I don't care the advice of the "IF YOU'RE UNDER 2200 THOU SHALT PLAY E4/E5 AND D4/D5 EXCLUSIVELY" crowd.

Plus this is not even consensual, I know some titled player who've already told us patzers to try many different openings. The goal is to get a playable middle game. After 15 years of e4 as white exclusively I've decided I don't belong to any jail and have fun playing the big boys openings; these aren't your private property so f*** off if you think they are.

I'd like to see some statistics to back up those claims that c4 is worse than d4 or e4, seriously, if you are a patzer like me you'll mess up any opening.

i play c4, its how i win most games, and i usually fianchatto instead of putting my bishop out

C4 is rly good tho, trust me

my rating is 1200

The English opening is a complicated opening! I myself didn't start playing it until I was 1900. The opening did help me cross 2000, though, so I can't complain. Lots of English lines revolve around allowing Black to take control of the center right out of the gate, but utilizing the light squares (particularly with the light-squared bishop sitting on g2) to swing the direction of the game in White's favor. I do believe that it is tough for Black to attack the White kingside, as it is so solid. Additionally, the English is very effective at all levels, and particuarly fun against the Nimzo-Indian! Here's a sample line:

Of course, you won't win your opponent's queen every time  but this line is pretty powerful from the White side.

For more useful chess tips + educational content:

 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpRYz_ElTJC-FUq4unehOfg/

c4 is the best

No nf3 is

Ask Capablanca:

https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1329251 

(black has to give his queen to avoid checkmate) 

Okay, it's not only about Carlsen. I know that when i pick up my c pawn and put it on c4, i wont be a better player. It's just that, it's not a trash opening, like g4, that's a trash opening. c4 isnt a trash opening, so why cant we play it?