A closed off English

This is a recent game I just played. My opponent opened a version of the English that led to a very tight game. After a few inaccuracies I was able to make a pawn push that cramped my opponent and forced him to chose between several unfavorable outcomes. As a shock to me, he chose to let me win the exchange twice, to line up a queen invasion. However, I found an unanswerable rook sac.

Hello,

Against 1.c4 would be tempted to  play g6, aiming for a more aggressive formation with e5,f5.   Afer, 7d3 it is maybe more accurate to  play ...h6. After 7....Nc6 8.Bg5

h6 9.Bxn QXB 10.Nd5 is supposed to be a resonable plan for white. If not 8.Bg5 then Rb1 planning immediate b4-b5.  What white played showed he didn't have much clue, what he was doing.

Instead of 12...a6 dont see whats wrong with immediate bh3. Maybe just a matter of taste.  Instead of 25...h5 can win exchange immediately with Ne2, but white's position looks awful anyway.

Bye John S 

"Instead of 12...a6 dont see whats wrong with immediate bh3. Maybe just a matter of taste.  Instead of 25...h5 can win exchange immediately with Ne2, but white's position looks awful anyway."

I considered 12 Bh3 for a while, but his white bishop wasn't going anywhere and it was a move I would have on the table for a while. Also I wanted to be able to post my queen at h3, if his ignored the bishop and let me take it, and recap with his king. It would have improved the position of his king.

" Instead of 25...h5 can win exchange immediately with Ne2, but white's position looks awful anyway."

With the loss of the advanced pawn as well. White had no way to take the attack off the table, and I could only improve it's effectiveness by delay.

Thanks for the comments.

Very nice game mate :)

That reads like the sort of thanks the Carthaginian's got from the Romans before they obliterated their city.  Anyway fair enough black's position is completely dominating after 25Qc3, and for some moves earlier, and 25...h5 is probably the strongest move. Didn't think 12..Bh3 was such a bad move though...

Trying to find ways white can but up more resistance. Don't think the huddle on the c-file with Rc1, and Qc2 was ever going anywhere. Don't really like the Nf3 in these sort of positions, but is recommend in umm Roman's easy  guide to english dvd. (To be fair he recommends Bg5xf6, to get more control of d5, but don't find anything very easy about white's position all the same.)

Instead of 14c5 white can try 14Ne1 with idea of answering later f5 with f4, but black can just play 14..c6 preparing d5 then maybe 15e4. Still doesn't look very promising for white. So even by this stage of game, black's advantage looks pretty big.

Bye John S