opening choice for 1900 Fide

Sort:
InDetention
Optimissed wrote:

7... Na6Equalizes immediately.>>>

That's as may be and the system IS about level but you seem to be claiming that black gets the advantage..

Personally speaking, I didn't play 3.d4 in the English because there were too many players who knew book lines, and it wasn't worth trying to compete in the sharp lines, especially the very sharp lines in the Symmetrical English. Eventually I switched to 1. d4, because my wins as white in the English were taking 60 + moves and I was playing a lot of tournaments, so it was tiring. By the last round of a Swiss I'd played more moves than anybody else.

Against sub-par play (which seems common in this line, even amongst grandmasters...) it does give an advantage. Against perfect play it still manages to come out as solid. In my opinion it's a good choice for someone playing the Benko. Theory is little and many opponents will be unprepared.