Learn the English Opening

A10-A39 · a repertoire for white · 7 chapters · 47 annotated lines

"Control the center from the wing"

The English Opening (1.c4) is the thinking player's first move: instead of planting a pawn in the center and letting Black attack it, White grips the d5 square from the flank and fianchettoes the king's bishop onto the longest diagonal on the board. This course teaches one coherent g3 system against everything — a reversed Sicilian Dragon with an extra tempo against 1...e5, the space-grabbing d4 break against the Symmetrical, reversed King's Indian structures against ...g6 setups, and a pure Réti squeeze against ...e6 and ...c6. The plans repeat from chapter to chapter: castle fast, roll the queenside pawns with Rb1 and b4, and strike in the center only when it wins something. You'll finish with a repertoire where you know the middlegame plan on move five while your opponent is still guessing.

What's inside

• Chapter 1: Meeting 1...e5 — The Reversed Sicilian
  Lines: The Reversed Dragon Main Line, The Closed Center: 2...Nc6 and ...g6, The ...a5 Clamp: 10.b5!, The ...Nxc3 Trade: Own the b-file, Keeping the Knight: 5...Be6, The Early Clamp: 8...a5
• Chapter 2: The Symmetrical — 1...c5
  Lines: Pure Symmetry: 7.d4!, The ...e6 System: Rb1 and b4, Declining the Trade: 7...d6, The Closed Symmetrical: 5...e5
• Chapter 3: 1...Nf6 and the Réti Web
  Lines: The Reversed King's Indian, The Réti vs ...e6: b3 and the Central Break, The Slav Setup: ...c6 and ...Bf5, The King's Indian with ...c6, The Slav ...Bg4 Sortie: Qb3!, The Réti Pawn Grab: 3...dxc4
• Chapter 4: 1...e5 Sidelines — ...Bb4 and the Keres
  Lines: The Pin: 3...Bb4, The Keres System: 3...c6, The Early Pin: 2...Bb4, The Aggressive 3...f5, The Active Bishop: 3...Bc5
• Chapter 5: The Symmetrical Breaks Ranks
  Lines: The Rubinstein: 2...Nf6 and ...d5, The Tarrasch Structure: 2...e6 and ...d5, The Hedgehog: ...b6 and ...d6
• Chapter 6: Anglo-Grünfeld and Nimzo-English
  Lines: The Anglo-Grünfeld: 5...Nxc3 and Rb1, The Anglo-Grünfeld: 5...Nb6 and the Bishop Trade, The Nimzo-English: 3...Bb4, The QGD Setup: Carlsbad and the Minority Attack, The Semi-Tarrasch Trade: 4...Nxd5
• Chapter 7: The Rest — 1...d5, 1...f5 and 1...b6
  Lines: 1...d5: Take and Punish, The Anglo-Dutch: 1...f5, The English Defense: 1...b6, The Stonewall Dutch via 1...e6, The Wing Gambit: 1...b5

Free sample: the main line, move by move

• 1. c4 — The English! Instead of occupying the center immediately, White controls it from the wing: the c4 pawn grips d5, the g2 bishop will grip it again, and Black gets nothing to attack. You choose when the center opens — that flexibility is the whole opening in one move.
• 1... e5 — Black grabs the center — the most principled reply.
• 2. Nc3 — Develop toward the key square. Notice what's happened: this is a Sicilian with colors reversed — Black has played 1.e4 and you've answered ...c5, except you get an extra move. Every Sicilian idea you've ever faced now works FOR you, a tempo faster.
• 2... Nf6 — Black develops and prepares ...d5.
• 3. g3 — The system move. The bishop is heading to g2, where it will stare through d5 at Black's queenside for the whole game. Don't fear ...d5 — you want Black to play it, because the trade opens that diagonal.
• 3... d5 — Black stakes everything on the center break.
• 4. cxd5 — Trade immediately. This is the reversed Dragon: Black's knight must recapture and will then be kicked around, while your fianchetto hits it. You've swapped a wing pawn for a central pawn — a small structural win baked into the opening.
• 4... Nxd5 — The knight recaptures and stands proudly — for now.
• 5. Bg2 — Develop with a threat: the bishop hits the d5 knight through the long diagonal. Black almost always retreats to b6, spending a tempo — your reversed-Sicilian tempo lead just grew.
• 5... Nb6 — The standard retreat, avoiding Nxd5 tricks and covering c4.
• 6. Nf3 — Develop and poke at e5. In the normal Dragon, White's e4 pawn is a target; here your 'e4 pawn' doesn't exist yet, so Black's pieces have nothing to bite on while you finish developing.
• 6... Nc6 — Black defends e5 and develops.
• 7. O-O — Castle without a second thought. King safety first — then the queenside operation begins. Your setup is complete after five natural moves; that's the practical beauty of the English.
• 7... Be7 — Black develops quietly.
• 8. a3 — The signature plan begins. a3 prepares b4-b5, hitting the c6 knight and gaining queenside space — exactly what Black does in a real Dragon, except you're doing it a move sooner. Every tempo counts in a pawn race.
• 8... O-O — Black castles.
• 9. b4 — Roll the pawns. Don't worry about Nxb4 — after axb4 Bxb4 Black has traded a healthy knight for two wing pawns and handed you the open a-file. The real threat is b5, evicting the c6 knight that holds Black's center together.
• 9... Be6 — Black develops the bishop toward your queenside.
• 10. Rb1 — The rook steps behind the runner. Rb1 supports b5, keeps the rook off the long-diagonal x-ray, and quietly prepares to own the b-file when lines open. Slow moves like this win English games.
• 10... f6 — Black shores up e5 and gives the e6 bishop a retreat on f7.
• 11. d3 — Complete the structure. d3 frees the c1 bishop, controls e4, and keeps the center closed while your queenside attack plays itself: b5 next, then Nd2-c4 or Be3 hitting b6. You have the easier game and the clearer plan — the reversed Dragon in full flow.

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