Main Line against the English Opening

Does anybody know what in theory the best response to 1.c4 is? I noticed 1...f5 has some advantages to 1...f5 after 1.d4. (Bg5 is not possible) I'd like to give that a try. 

However I can't imagine it's the best. 

Thanks for your reply. However main line theory says 1...e5 is the best. Only then it fails to prove why. To me it seems you often get an inverted Sicilian, especially if black plays d5 some time. This does not look good for black.

"main line theory says 1...e5 is the best".

Where did u see this?

on move 1, black has many reliable responses :

b6, c6, c5, Nc6, d6, e6, e5, Nf6, f5, g6...

There is not "best" move. The best is the one u play better, and u have to chose according what u play against 1.d4 : because transpositions often happen and from a practical point of view, u just want to play some type of position.

Yes there is...

Attacking the English with the Keres attack, 1...e5 followed by 2...c6 against 2.g3 and 2...Nf6 3...c6  against 2.Nc3.

Black gambits the d5 pawn and takes back strong initiative for the rest of the game. If White doesn't accept the pawn he's position becomes passive comparing to other English opening lines.

The line is fresh and half unexplored, so you may find original ideas on the way.

For more information look for the book of GM Delchev : Attacking the English/Reti

Thanks for your answer! I'm going to check it out.

Possibly helpful:
Beating Unusual Openings by Richard Palliser (2006)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140627072813/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen107.pdf
Grandmaster Repertoire 19 - Beating Minor Openings by Victor Mikhalevski
http://www.qualitychess.co.uk/ebooks/BeatingMinorOpenings-excerpt.pdf
http://www.davidsmerdon.com/?p=1888

Thanks!

The October 2017 issue of Chess lists the top twenty openings compiled from a list of 4192 August games where both players were rated over 2400 Elo. One can not take position on this list too seriously because it is greatly influenced by how the openings are grouped. For example, all the Retis are grouped together, while English is separated into 1...c5, 1...e5, etc. Nevertheless, for what it is worth, some of the list entries are: 271 Retis, 232 King's Indians, 172 Caro-Kanns, 165 Nimzo-Indians, 126 Najdorf Sicilians, 126 Slavs, 118 declined Queen's Gambits, 100 Queen's Indians, 98 1...e5 Englishes, 94 1...c5 Englishes, 93 Kan Sicilians, 81 Tarrasch Frenches, 77 1...Nf6 Englishes, 73 Guioco Pianos, 67 1...e6 Englishes, and 66 Moderns

I have played the English opening for 20 odd years at semi-pro level. Be wary of playing 1 c4 f5 2 Nc3 e5 3 e4 fxe4?? or 3...f4 as 4 Qh5 is actually resign able.

the reversed dragon is something to aim for in the 4 knights English

the reversed dragon goes 1 c4 e5 2 Nc3 Nf6 3 Nf3 Nc6 4 g3 d5 5 cxd5 Nxd5 6 Bg2 Nb6(or Be6) deffinetely not 6...Be7?? runs into 7 Nxe5!!

white players don't tend to play 2 Nc3 but instead opt for 2 g3 but you can transpose easily enough this is because they wrongly fear lines such as 1 c4 e5 2 Nc3 Nf6 3 Nf3 e4?! the three knights English which rapidly goes downhill for black after 4 Ng5

systems for white include the botvinnik system of the English Opening which you may need to prepare against and my own particular system i invented which is an anti-Kings Indian Defence opening which goes 1 c4 nf6 2 Nc3 g6 3 e4 d6 4 d3 Bg7 5 f4

you can try to avoid the English just don't try to avoid it by using a nimzo-indian as 1 c4 Nf6 2 Nc3 e6 allows 3 e4 threatening to play e5, no avoid it using a slav or queens gambit line ie 1 c4 e6 2 Nc3 d5

Turko!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 2805 we are not worthy

silent swords wher ein wales? I am born in bridgend living in cumbria England

north or south will do

you must be joking with me

we are long lost alter egos

Turko its a reverse nimzo-larsen ie 1 b3 Nf6 2 Bb2 g6 3 Bxf6 etc.