As a player of the English Opening, I always reply with 2. cxd5 against the Anglo-Scandinavian Defense. Most usual move after that is 2... Qxd5, then I play 3. Nc3. Black then does either 3... Qa5 or 3... Qd8. Honestly, I find either position advantageous. Once you have castled, it is usually a good idea to keep that fianchettoed Bishop safe, so blocking it with the knight is pretty okay. Besides, you can create double attacks with those two pieces. I don't like the Botvinnik System, and I don't play it with the English, so I can't help you with that one. Sorry.
Some Questions About the English Opening
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After 1 c4 d5, I like 2 Nf3, inviting dxc4. Assuming that is the black reply, then Qa4+, get the pawn back and be happy black contributed his center pawn to your cause.
3) Can someone give me some tips on how to not make my bishop on g2 essentially useless when I try to play the Botvinnik system? I understand the point of the Botvinnik but I feel like my pawns in the center get locked up and my bishop's diagonal ends up terribly clogged.
What is the point of the Botvinnik?
The bishop on g2 will eventually become a good piece. If you can find a plan to play d4 and start opening the center then it's a monster. If the center gets locked and you look to an f4 break then the bishop is important to protect your light squares similarly to a kings indian.
Nov 6, 2016
0
#7
In response to the OP, part of playing the English Opening successfully is flexibility. If you are trying to pre-meditate a pawn structure from move 1, YOU WILL FAIL!
To answer the first diagram, 1...d5 should not get two exclams, and should AT BEST get labelled as dubious, ?!, as it drags the queen out early in return for trading off a central pawn for a non-central pawn, meaning it's even worse than the problems with the Scandinavian Defense.
As for your question about Nf3 vs Ne2, all I can say is it depends on what Black does.
For example, many players make the mistake in thinking that the Botvinnik Formation (c4, d3, Nc3, e4, g3, Bg2, Nge2) is playable against anything, and it really isn't. "Legally" playable, sure! But in many lines, even Black has a SLIGHT advantage, but even a slight advantage for your opponent should be completely inacceptable when you are White. When you are Black, sure, a slight advantage for your opponent is fine.
The Botvinnik formation only works when Black's Bishop is blocked, namely the 1...e5 lines where Black fianchettos his Bishop, like the reversed closed sicilian lines, such as 1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.d3 d6 6.e4!
Symmetrical lines, where the Bishop is still open and can not only eye d4, but also physically occupy it or capture on c3, the e4 ideas are bad. White should be playing for d4 in those lines.
For example:
BAD: 1.c4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.d3 d6 6.e4?!
GOOD: 1.c4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.Nf3! Nf6 6.O-O O-O 7.d4!
Another thing to realize is that players of the English need to understand the Reti (or else transpose to QP openings) and players of the Reti need to understand the English (or transpose to other openings like the Sicilian).
After 1.Nf3, you can't force 1...d5, so Reti players against say, 1...Nf6 or 1...c5, must be willing to play an English with 2.c4, or else transpose to something else, like maybe a Sicilian with 2.e4 after 1...c5, or a QP opening with 2.d4 after 1...Nf6.
After 1.c4, 1...d5 is a non-factor, but after 1...c6 or 1...e6 and 2...d5, If White played 2.Nc3, there is nothing better than to transpose in a QP Opening. If White plays 2.Nf3 instead of 2.Nc3, you can again transpose to a QP opening, or you can try to play 3.b3 or 3.g3, but then you have to learn Reti theory.
The English Opening is NOT an opening that you can play successfully by trying to use it as a repetitive case of playing the same moves no matter what your opponent does. The English is not the London System, which even that fails against the Modern Defense with correct play. If you want to play the English Opening with success, you are going to have to put in some serious work, and also understand when d4 needs to be played versus when e4 needs to be played.
One more case, there are even times when Bg2 is BAD!
After 1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g3 f5, here, 4.Bg2 is a bad move because it gives the Knight nowhere active to go when attacked. Black can play 4...Nf6!, and if 5.d4, then 5...e4! and Black has no problems what-so-ever! NONE! ZILCH!
Instead, after 1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g3 f5, White should play 4.Nf3!, answering 4...Nf6 with 5.d4!, and now after 5...e4, White can play 6.Nh4!, something he can't do with a Bishop occupying g2 as otherwise the Knight gets trapped. Now you are threatening to attack Black's Kingside, and with correct play, you will virtually force ...g5 out of Black eventually, which you will then put the KNIGHT on g2 instead of the Bishop. The Bishop, in this line, should be developed classically on d3 or e2, and after Ng2, White will aim to play h4, enticing Black to take or advance, and then the f4 square because a BEAUTIFUL AND PERMANENT outpost for your Knight!
You've got a lot of learning to do if you plan to make the English Opening your main weapon as White.
I have recently been playing the English a lot and enjoy it. However, there are a few problems I run into while playing it. 1) What do I do when black responds 1... d5? Do I not take and just give up that pawn temporarily and in the process lose some of the hold on the d5 square (which is one of the two crucial light squares that the English typically strives to lock down)? Should I just play the typical 2. Nc3 or 2. g3? 2. Nc3 doesn't appeal to me though because I would be afraid of 2... d4, forcing me to move my knight out of that perfect c3 spot. If black plays 2... dxc4, do I try to change my gameplan or would I continue as normal? Would playing 2. cxd5 be at all viable? I don't have too much experience against this line so whenever it comes up I am never sure what I'm supposed to do. Could I do something like just ignoring the pawn and playing Qa4+, maybe use the queen in the center to lock down d5/e4?
2) Is there any other ways to develop the king's knight aside from blocking the fianchettoed bishop on g2? This isn't particularly bad by any means but I sometimes wish I could do it some other way.
3) Can someone give me some tips on how to not make my bishop on g2 essentially useless when I try to play the Botvinnik system? I understand the point of the Botvinnik but I feel like my pawns in the center get locked up and my bishop's diagonal ends up terribly clogged.