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English Opening

1.c4 controls d5 from the side. Here White plays a Sicilian with an extra move, using the g2-bishop against the centre.

Intermediate · Flank openings · 13 steps. On Chess Castles, Chess Guru reads each step aloud in English, Hindi or Marathi while the moves play on the board, and you can practise any position against the engine.

Step 1

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position

English Opening (A29). You play White. 1.c4 controls d5 from the side. Here White plays a Sicilian with an extra move, using the g2-bishop against the centre.

Step 2

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 1.c4

White plays pawn to c4. It controls the centre (d5). It opens a line for the queen on d1. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 7% of 3.9 million games.

Step 3

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 1...e5

Black plays pawn to e5. It takes a centre square (e5). It opens a line for the queen on d8. It opens a line for the bishop on f8. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 23% of 260k games.

Step 4

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 2.Nc3

White plays knight to c3. It develops the knight into the game. It controls the centre (e4, d5). Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 61% of 59k games.

Step 5

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 2...Nf6

Black plays knight to f6. It develops the knight into the game. It controls the centre (e4, d5). Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 47% of 37k games.

Step 6

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 3.Nf3

White plays knight to f3. It develops the knight into the game. It controls the centre (d4, e5). It attacks the pawn on e5. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 60% of 25k games.

Step 7

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 3...Nc6

Black plays knight to c6. It develops the knight into the game. It controls the centre (d4, e5). Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 93% of 15k games.

Step 8

♜︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 4.g3

White plays pawn to g3. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 38% of 16k games.

Step 9

♜︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 4...d5

Black plays pawn to d5. It takes a centre square (d5). It opens a line for the bishop on c8. It opens a line for the queen on d8. It challenges the opponent's pawns. It attacks the pawn on c4. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 39% of 5988 games.

Step 10

♜︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 5.cxd5

White plays pawn takes d5. It captures the pawn on d5. It takes a centre square (d5). It gains space. It attacks the knight on c6. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 100% of 2320 games.

Step 11

♜︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 5...Nxd5

Black plays knight takes d5. It captures the pawn on d5. It takes a centre square (d5). Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 100% of 2339 games.

Step 12

♜︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♞︎♟︎♞︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 6.Bg2

White plays bishop to g2. It develops the bishop into the game. Fianchetto: the bishop aims along the long diagonal. Now castling is possible. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 92% of 2372 games.

Step 13

♜︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♞︎♟︎♞︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♜︎
The position

This is the main position of the English Opening. Now practise it against the engine: choose a strength and play on from here.

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More lessons in Flank openings

Next lesson: Réti Opening