A Classical Defence to the ENGLISH OPENING

A Classical Defence to the

ENGLISH OPENING

Adamski J. - Beliavsky A.

0:1, 2003.

1. c4 e6

This is a Classical defence that prepares d5. The problem with playing more hypermodern defences such as g6 defences is that they often transpose into King's Indians, Grunfields, Modern Benonis, Sicilian Accelerated Dragons etc. and so are difficult for players who are not fully familiar with these defences. The player playing e6 must be familiar with the normal Queen's Gambit lines i.e Meran, QGEx, Cambridge Springs, Catalan as it is quite likely that White will transpose back into normal Queen's Gambit.

It is interesting that there is NOT an independent ENGLISH variation in this defence - Reti Catalan, Nimzowitsch Larsen attack - yes, but not English. Another point is that there are NOT many lines to learn. There are only five independent lines.

2. Nf3

a) 2. Nc3 This is not as strong as Nf3 if White is going to play an English type setup. Nf3 enables an early d4 break "Open English". Nc3 is generally used by players who are willing to transpose back into Queen's Gambit lines.

Since Black now has the unpleasant threat of d4 White has to make a decision.

3. d4 is QGD

(3. Nf3 (unwisely) allows d4 –3... d4 4. Nb5 c5³ or Nc6 see Flear's game below.

LINE ONE TWO KNIGHTS LINE see below;

3. cxd5 exd5 4. d4 is QG Exchange variation ;

3. e3 prevents d4 with this pawn move. c6!? This is effective with the White Knight on c3 but not so good in other e3+b3 lines (see below) where dxc4 is best. Here White is not yet committed to b3 so dxc4 is in fact a QGA by Black.

(3... Nf6 4. Nf3 Nbd7 5. b3 c6 6. Bb2 amounts to same thing.;

3... dxc4 would lead to a normal QGA. 4. Bxc4 c5 5. Nf3 Nf6 6. d4 a6 52% Black in 501 games so it is playable.)

4. Nf3 Nf6 5. b3

LINE TWO Nc3 + e3 + b3

(5. d4 Nbd7 is Meran)

5... Nbd7 6. Bb2 Bd6 7. d4 is an anti-Meran line O-O 8. Bd3 This is actually 69% White in 76 games, but Black's reply b6 {Karpov} has done well. b6 9. O-O Bb7 10. cxd5 exd5 11. Re1 Re8 12. Qc2 has scored 3-0 for Black. Rc8 13. e4 dxe4 14. Nxe4 Nxe4 15. Bxe4 Nf6 16. Bf5 Rc7 17. Rxe8 Qxe8 18. Ne5 c5 19. Qd3 Re7 20. Re1 g6 21. Bh3 Nd5 22. Rf1 Nf4 23. Qd2 Nxh3 24. gxh3 h5 25. Nc4 Qd7 26. d5 f6 27. Nxd6 Qxd6 28. Rd1 g5 29. Qd3 Kf7 30. Qf3 Kg6 31. Qd3 f5 32. Qc3 Bxd5 33. Qd2 Rd7 34. h4 gxh4 35. Qe3 Qe6 36. Qc3 f4 37. Qd3 Kh6 38. h3 f3 39. Qd2 Kh7 40. Qd3 Qg6 41. Kh2 Qxd3 42. Rxd3 Kg6 43. Rd2 Kf5 44. Rd3 a5 45. a3 Kf4 46. Bc1 Ke4 47. Re3 Kf5 48. Rd3 Ke5 49. Bb2 Kf4 50. Re3 Be4 51. Bc1 Kf5 52. b4 Rd1 53. Rc3 axb4 54. axb4 cxb4 55. Rc8 b3 56. Rc3 Rxc1 57. Rxc1 b2 58. Re1 b1=Q 0-1, Polugaevsky Lev A 2640 - Karpov Anatoly 2715 , Monte Carlo 1992 It (active) );

b) 2. d4 d5 is QG;

c) 2. g3 d5 3. d4 Nf6 4. Bg2 is Catalan - Have you got a defence to that ?;

d) 2. e4 This position has occurred 1185 times ! d5 (2... c5 is playable as a Sicilian 1. e4 c5 2. c4 e6.) 3. exd5 exd5 4. d4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Be7 6. Nf3 O-O 7. cxd5 Nxd5 8. Bd3 Nc6 9. O-O Be6 55% Black in 10 games.;

2. Nf3 d5

3. g3 Probably the strongest move, and the one that I play (along with e3 +b3 set-up which you can get from Van't Kruijs opening which is also good for White). It has scored 59% for White in 3276 games.

[3. d4 is a transposition into normal QG lines.

3... c6 see Semi Slav (3... Nf6 see QG);

3. b3 LINE THREE Nimzowitsch-Larsen attack with 3. b3 - e3 first may be better as White enables the capture on c4 with his KBishop. He also prevents a possible d4 by Black with e3.

3... Nf6 (3... dxc4 !? is an interesting move, and the one I would recommend. It does seem effective with the White pawn on b3. 4. bxc4 c5 (4... Nf6 5. Bb2) 5. Bb2 Nf6 6. e3 Nc6 see Averbakh - Spassky below.) 4. Bb2 Be7 5. e3 (5. g3 b6 6. cxd5 exd5 7. Bg2 O-O 8. O-O Bb7 9. d4 Ne4 has scored 59% for Black 11 games) 5... O-O 6. d4 dxc4 7. bxc4 c5 8. Bd3 cxd4 9. exd4 Nc6 10. O-O b6 11. Nc3 Bb7³;

3. e3 LINE FOUR Nimzowitsch-Larsen attack with 3. e3

3... Nf6 4. b3 (4. Nc3 c6 5. d4 (5. b3 Nbd7 6. Bb2 Bd6 7. d4 O-O 8. Bd3 is Polugaevski - Karpov above.) 5... Nbd7 is a Meran.) 4... dxc4!? Again this seems best - The alternatives have not done so well.

a) 4... c6 5. Bb2 Nbd7 6. d4 Bd6 7. Bd3 O-O 8. Nbd2 (8. Nc3 see Polugaevsky Lev A 2640 - Karpov Anatoly 2715 above.) 8... Re8 9. Ne5 75% for White in 16 games.;

b) 4... Be7 5. Bb2 O-O 6. d4 b6 7. Bd3 Bb7 8. O-O Nbd7 9. Nc3 c6 10. Qe2 has scored 77% for White in 183 games.;

c) 4... g6 5. Bb2 Bg7 6. Be2 O-O 7. O-O c6 8. Qc2 Nbd7 9. Nc3 Qe7 10. d4 b6 11. cxd5 exd5 12. a4 Bb7 13. a5 c5+= is unexplored.;

d) 4... c5 5. cxd5 Nxd5 (5... exd5 6. Bb2 Nc6 7. Be2 Bd6 8. d4 I prefer White.) 6. Bb2 Nc6 7. Nc3 Nc7 67% for White in 3 games.;

5. bxc4 (5. Bxc4 may be better. c5 ! 6. Bb2 Nc6 7. O-O Be7 8. d4 cxd4 9. Nxd4 Bd7 10. Nc3 a6 11. Nf3 O-O approximately equal.) 5... c5 ! 6. Be2 (6. Bb2 Be7 7. Nc3 O-O 8. Be2 Nc6 9. O-O b6 10. d3 Bb7 11. Ne1 Qc7 12. f4 Rfd8 13. Bf3 Rd7 14. Qe2² Rad8 15. a3 a6 16. Rb1 Ne8 17. Ba1 Ba8 18. Ne4 (¹18. g4) 18... Qa7 19. g4 b5! 20. g5 (20. cxb5 axb5 21. Rxb5 Qxa3 … 22... ¤b4 Sokolsky) 20... bxc4 21. dxc4 Nd6 22. Nxd6 Rxd6 23. Qb2? (23. Bc3) 23... Bf8 24. Ng2 Na5 25. Qc3 Bxf3 26. Rxf3 Qa8 27. Rbf1 Rd1 28. R3f2 Nc6µ 29. f5! R8d3? (29... Rxf1 ! 30. Rxf1 exf5 31. Rxf5 Ne7 32. Rf1 Qe4µ) 30. Qc2 Qd8 31. fxe6 Rxf1 32. Rxf1 fxe6 33. Qf2 Qe8 34. Nf4! Rxa3 35. Bb2! Rb3 36. Nxe6 Bd6 37. Nxg7 Bxh2 38. Kxh2? (38. Kh1!) 38... Qb8 39. Kg1 Rxb2 40. Qf7 Kh8 41. Rf2?? (41. Qe8) 41... Qg3 0-1, Averbakh Yuri L 2550 - Spassky Boris V 2690 , Leningrad 1956 Ch URS ) 6... Nc6 7. Bb2 Be7 8. O-O O-O 9. Nc3 (9. d4 b6 10. Nc3 cxd4 11. exd4 Bb7 has scored 78% for Black in 9 games.) 9... b6 10. a3 Bb7 11. Qc2 Rc8 12. Rfd1 Qc7 13. Ng5 h6 14. Nb5 Qb8 15. Bxf6 hxg5 16. Bb2 Rcd8 17. d3 Ba8 18. Rd2 Ne5 19. Nxa7 f5 20. Bxe5 Qxe5 21. d4 cxd4 22. exd4 Rxd4 23. Rxd4 Qxd4 24. Rd1 Qe5 25. Nb5 Rc8 26. a4 g4 27. Bf1 Bc5 28. Qe2 Qxe2 29. Bxe2 Kf8 30. Kf1 Ke7 31. Ra1 Rh8 32. Kg1 Bb7 33. Ra2 Rd8 34. Kf1 g5 35. f3 Rh8 36. h3 gxh3 37. gxh3 Rxh3 38. Kg2 g4 39. a5 bxa5 40. Rxa5 gxf3 41. Kxh3 fxe2 42. Ra1 Bf2 0-1, Taimanov Mark E 2455 - Popov Valerij 2520 , St. Petersburg 1998 Ch St. Petersburg ;

3. cxd5

3... exd5 is a poor exchange variation for White : 58% for Black, 131 games.;

3. Nc3 allows d4 ! push LINE ONE Two Knights Line

3... d4 4. Nb5 Nc6 (4... c5µ) 5. g3 a6 6. Na3 e5 7. d3 Nf6 8. Bg2 Bc5 9. O-O O-O 10. Bg5 h6 11. Bxf6 Qxf6 12. Nd2 Qe7 13. Nc2 f5 14. Rb1 a5 15. Nb3 Bd6 16. e3 a4 17. Nd2 Bc5 18. e4 f4 19. b3 axb3 20. axb3 Nb4 21. Nxb4 Bxb4 22. Nf3 g5 23. Ne1 g4 24. f3 fxg3 25. hxg3 Qg5 26. Nc2 Bc3 27. Rf2 Ra2 28. Qf1 gxf3 29. Bxf3 Rxc2 30. Rxc2 Qe3 31. Kg2 Rxf3 0-1, Frank Albert 2045 - Flear Glenn C 2475 , Asti 1997 It (open) ]

3... dxc4 !? LINE FIVE MAIN LINE Nf3 + g3 Reti Catalan . dxc4!? is known to be effective in the Catalan - It produces a more open position and White has to lose time recapturing the pawn. It is a hard nut to crack if you are White.

4. Bg2

4. Qa4 - Main Line with Qa4+

4... Nd7 5. Qxc4 (5. Bg2 a6 6. Nc3 Ngf6 7. Qxc4 (7. O-O c5 has scored 67% for Black) 7... b5 8. Qb3 Bb7) 5... a6 6. Bg2 (6. a4 b5 7. Qc2 Bb7 8. Bg2 c5 9. O-O Ngf6 10. axb5 axb5 11. Rxa8 Qxa8 12. Na3 Bc6 13. d4 c4 14. d5 Nxd5 15. Nd4 Bxa3 16. bxa3 O-O 17. Nxc6 Qxc6 18. Bb2 Rc8 19. Rd1 h6 20. e4 N5b6 21. Bc3 Nc5 22. Qe2 Nd3 23. Qg4 e5 24. Bf1 Na4 25. Rxd3 h5 26. Qxh5 cxd3 27. Bxe5 f6 28. Bf4 Rd8 29. Bh3 d2 30. Bxd2 Rxd2 31. Bf5 Nc5 32. h4 Ne6 33. Qh7 Kf8 34. Qh8 Kf7 35. g4 Qc1 0-1, Nureev G 2345 - Karpeshov Oleg 2420 , Perm 1998 Cup Russia ) 6... b5 7. Qc2 Bb7 has scored 60% for Black;

4. Na3 Main Line with Na3

4... Bxa3! 5. bxa3 (5. Qa4 b5 ! Ouch ! 6. Qxa3 Bb7 7. Bg2 Nd7³) 5... b5 6. Bg2 (6. a4 a6 7. Bg2 (7. axb5 axb5 8. a4 b4 9. Bb2 Nf6 10. Qc1 Ba6 11. Bg2 Nc6 12. Nd4 Nxd4 13. Bxd4 Qxd4 14. Bxa8 O-O 15. Bg2 Rd8µ›) 7... Bb7 8. Rb1 Be4 9. d3 cxd3 10. Rb4 Nf6 11. Bg5 d2 12. Kf1 Bd5 13. Nxd2 Nc6 14. Rf4 Bxg2 15. Kxg2 Qd5 16. Nf3 Qxd1 17. Rxd1 Nd5 18. Rh4 h6 19. e4 Nb6 20. axb5 axb5 21. Bf4 Nc4 22. Rh5 e5 23. Nxe5 N6xe5 24. Bxe5 O-O 25. Bxc7 Rxa2 26. Rb1 Rc8 27. Bf4 g5 28. Bc1 Kg7 29. Bxg5 Kg6 30. g4 hxg5 31. h4 gxh4 32. Rbxb5 f6 33. Rbc5 Ne3 34. Kh3 Rxc5 35. Rxc5 Rxf2 36. Kxh4 Nf1 37. g5 Rf4 0-1, Tate Emory 2339 - Novikov Igor A 2611 , Portsmouth 2000 It (open) ) 6... Bb7 7. Bb2 Nf6³]

4... a6 Main Line with Bg2 a6 ! has scored 58% for Black 26 games. 5. O-O Nf6 6. a4 Nc6 7. Qc2 Na5 8. Na3 Qd5 9. Rd1 Bd6 10. d3 cxd3 11. Rxd3 Qc5 12. Qd1 O-O 13. b4 Qxb4 14. Bd2 Qc5 15. Rc1 Qh5 16. h3 e5 17. g4 Bxg4 18. hxg4 Nxg4 19. Bxa5 e4 20. Rd5 f5 21. Bxc7 Bxc7 22. Rxc7 exf3 23. exf3 Qh2 24. Kf1 Qxc7 25. fxg4 fxg4 26. Rd3 g3 27. Qb3 Kh8 28. Rxg3 Qc1 29. Ke2 Rad8 30. Nc4 b5 31. axb5 axb5 32. Rxg7 Rfe8 33. Kf3 bxc4 34. Rxh7 Kxh7 35. Qb7 Kh8

White resigns