Why play 1. c4?

As one of my favorite things to do is to create groups on the chess.com pages that people can come together and enjoy, I have had it on my heart for quite a while to create a group that catered to 1. c4. 

This opening is very flexible and deserves a lot of credit.  If you have never taken a second look at it, you may want to consider a bit of study - it's subtle nature can become quite addictive to the creative chess mind.  If you are a seasoned English player, then you already know what I am speaking of.  I have definetely had some interesting games with my few adventures in 1. c4 territory.

I invite you to come see the new group for the English Opening at the following link:

http://www.chess.com/groups/home/the-english-opening-eagles

This is a brand new group, but I look forward to help promote 1. c4 on chess.com. 

If you want, feel free to show off some of your ideas with either color over the board. 

One of my original ideas for defending against 1. c4 is as follows...1. c4 b6 (to stifle 2. g3) 2. d4 f5 with the obvious idea of going into queenside fianchetto Dutch territory (although 1. c4 f5 has become my regular staple now).

Sicilian a tempo up can't be bad, can it. 

the English opening/Accelerated Fianchetto Variation is my fav opening.

Yes it can't be bad ;)

That's one of my favorite openings, especially now that I don't remember most of the Ruy Lopez/Sicilian lines. I haven't played much in a number of years and my openings are a bit rusty. It can transpose into other opening positions and is a fairly good base for attack.

It destroys people who aren't familiar with it (as can be evidenced by my ranking   ).

I wanted to post a game on here for discussion.  I notice not many people are biting into this forum, and I wonder if it is because people don't respect the flexibility of 1. c4?  Here is a fabulous game for you to view...

I've been playing the English for about a year now, I'm addicted.

1.c4

1-0

I've played the English for about 10 years now. It's subtle, traspositional, and flexible. The English gets the opponent thinking right away. More times than not, people end up shaking their heads or letting out a long sigh when I open w/1.c4 OTB. (Generally speaking) you play chess, and you don't get caught up in book moves, because your opponent has probably faced the English only rarely, so you'll be out of book early. That's good for you (White) because you just need to know the *general ideas* and long-term strategies behind the English. Of course there are tactical shots/traps, and it's not to say the English can be played w/o some memorization (which I feel isn't as important or necessary until you get ~2000 Elo when opening study is done by all at that level), it's just that a knowledge of the ideas behind the English is enough to win you some games. The fact that your King is safe behind a fianchetto and a solid pawn structure will help you survive longer and get you to the point where you'll know which idea to proceed with. Try it for a good while.

Here's one of my more recent wins w/1.C4. It's annotated to help people unfamiliar w/the English. http://www.chess.com/forum/view/game-showcase/slowly-but-surely-english-a25

I certainly respect the English, though I don't actually play it myself.  My favorite setup against it is a Grand Prix reversed.

I am relatively new to the world of openings, and so far, I love the English, mainly because it annoys most people and gets them off book quicker, which helps me, as I generally don't have as much book knowledge as they do to start with.

I am currently trying to study the English as much as possible to use as my white opening, and figure that I can use the knowledge I gain to play the Sicilian and the Dutch as black (vs. e4 and d4 respectively) as the concepts and strategies are so similar.

I do have one concern, and perhaps some of the more seasoned English players can help me out. I know that one of the major pluses to playing the English is that it can transpose to so many different things.

How much, if any, do I need to worry about learning these other openings the English transposes to? What would be the best way of going about that?

Hi guys,

I have never given this opening a second thought.  I will take a look at it.

Watch your backrank.

the english is good for queen side play i do 2 a3 or g3 as black i try to play against it the kramnic and shirov systems i have been successful with and against it.

c4 sucks. Not really I just don't play it and after 1 ...e5 fritz says black has the advantage, although strong players who like the english tend to disagree with that but fritz is rated about 3000.

That's a real opening? I thought it was supposed to be unsound but if it is sound I would love to play it as I don't have the guts to play it as white (because sometimes it's uncomfortable to be in a slight disadvantage with white when normally you should have the initiative, but it certainly gives some attacking chances). But other than you I never heard anyone mention it. If it's playable, I may add that to my anti english repertoire. I'm a  classical player, and love central pawn strategy and like to have a big center against someone trying to attack it. c4 cedes space and doesn't have a direct initiative in most lines. You really have to outplay your opponent positionally in that opening although most people who play c4 have some kind of resource to make them well prepared with the ideas.

Elubas> after 1 ...e5 fritz says black has the advantage, although strong players who like the english tend to disagree with that

The makers of Fritz know its opening assessments are sub-par... they sell human-created opening books that you can feed to it that measurably increase its strength; indeed, so do the makers of Rybka and Hiarcs.

I would also take an IM's strategic assessment of a position over Rybka's anyday, although their horizons are increasing and of course engines win hands-down tactically.

I go for a reversed sicilian setup when I face c4. I'm sure it is probably a good thing for white, but I think most club players don't know how to handle the extra tempo and usually squander it away. In that case I've usually got a super-solid position and general equality, which is about as much as you can ask out of any black opening.

Eniamar> I go for a reversed sicilian setup... In that case I've usually got a super-solid position and general equality...

Then both players are happy... White, to avoid long theoretical lines and obtain a complex position with familiar imbalances = winning chances that's not unfavorable. Black, to have equality. Now the middlegame will decide the victor; all is as it should be.

What sort of reversed sicilian setup?

Open? Closed? Grand-Prix? Four-Knights?

Looks like some form of closed Sicilian system. Here's the game where I figured out that I liked the opening. http://www.chess.com/echess/game.html?id=16205349

First!

(second page)