Exeter Chess Club: The ideas behind the English Opening

I don't like doing so many sessions on Openings, because we all play different ones, but while Rex was asking me about the English it occurred to me that I have played more English Opening games than any other over the last 15-20 years, but I have never tried to teach anybody about it. So I sat down and tried to put together this session.

I immediately realised why it wasn't such a natural thing to do, because the damn thing is so diffuse and complex. [I wouldn't dream of doing a session which I had narrowed down to "1.d4", even less so if there were vast transpositional possibilities.] Anyhow, here's tuppence-worth:

A. The English Opening for White

A1. Fools rush in...

The fundamental hypermodern insight is that White can afford to delay occupation of the centre, since if Black tries to take advantage of the delay by trying to sieze the centre then White's counterattack will be swift and effective. This is most convincingly seen perhaps in the Grunfeld Reversed: not an English variation I know, but shows what White can allow with confidence. So, after 1. Nf3 d5 2. g3 c5 3. Bg2 Nc6:

Korchnoi - Mecking, Augusta (Match), 1974: 4. d4 e6 5. O-O cxd4 6. Nxd4 Bc5 7. Nb3 Bb68. c4 Nf6 9. cxd5 Nxd5 (...) 63. Be5 1-0
Korchnoi - Pomar, Stockholm, 1962: 4. d4 Nf6 5. O-O Bf5 6. c4 e6 7. Nc3 Be7 8. cxd5 Nxd5(...) 41. Ke3 Ra3+ 1-0

The English is a more balanced strategy combining early restraint (of ...d5) with later ambitions for expansion.

A2. An early break in the centre

The hypermodern movement has been most associated with the fianchetto, but Reti's interpretation of the English was a little different. After 1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 he would play not 3. g3 but 3. Nf3, and after 3...Nc6, 4. d4!

EG: Reti,R - Rabinovich,I [A28] Moscow-Wch, 1925

This may seem out of keeping with the hypermodern idea, but let's listen to Reti's own account:

"Now I will propose a thesis, the proof of which the reader and I can seek together. It is known that the significance of a single tempo, and thus the significance of development, is greatest in open positions. In closed positions it plays almost no role. Consequently, it would seem to be in White's interest to open the game (without loss of tempo, of course). How can this be achieved? Most likely by exposing and attacking the opponent's strong points. One would expect Black's strongest point in the center to be d5 since, unlike e5, it has natural protection by the queen. Therefore, the ideal initial move is 1. c4, immediately taking aim at d5. Should Black support d5 by l...Nf6, then White reinforces the attack by 2. Nc3. Let's assume that Black answers 2...e5. This weakens d5 and reveals his intention of building his position around e5 by such moves as ...Nc6 and ...d6. (Even with 2...e6 he could not control d5 in the long run.) Now White need not continue attacking d5, which Black abandoned without a fight, by 3. g3 and 4. Bg2. Rather, following the logic given above, White should strike the new bastion e5 by 3. Nf3 and (in reply to 3...d6 or ...Nc6) 4. d4, and he thereby achieves an advantage."

[reprinted in Virginia Chess, Sept/Oct 1993][Jerry Lawson].

It's not much played any more (but may be worth a punt now and then); we are more likely to see the same idea (of playing for a central break and development advantage) in a different setting in the English:

EG: Kasparov,Gary - Beliavsky,A (9) Linares, 1991
EG: Kasparov,Gary - Korchnoi, Viktor, Skelleftea, 1989

You will remember Chris showing a dozen miniatures from the English Opening in a coaching session last month, when we saw how racy attacks can be obtained even with this apparently slow opening.

A3. Delayed occupation of the centre

This is more how we play the English these days.

My first experiments with the English opening had a distinguished English pedigree: Howard Staunton often practiced the English with the system 1. c4 2. Nc3 3. g3 4. Bg2 and 5. e3, with a break using d2-d4 in mind. I enjoyed the following game where Black seems to be playing 100% according to the guidelines for opening play:

Korchnoi-Szabo, 1963

1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.g3 Bc5 4.Bg2 O-O 5.e3 Re8 6.Nge2 Nc6 7.O-O d6

Black has apparently posted his pieces and Pawns with classical purity, but gets rapidly squashed.

8.d4 Bb6 9.h3 Bf5 {?} 10.d5 Nb8 11.g4 Bd7 12.Ng3 h6 13.Kh2 a5 14.f4 exf4 15.exf4 Nh7

Nothing is left of Black's early central occupation, and White seems to have at least nine Pawns harrassing Black's pieces...

16.g5 Na6 17.gxh6 Qh4 18.hxg7 Nf6 19.f5 Be3 20.Nce4 {!} 20...Nxe4 21.Nxe4 Bxc1 22.Rxc1 Nc5 23.Qg4 Rxe4 24.Bxe4 Qxg4 25.hxg4 Nxe4 26.Rce1 Nc5 27.f6 Re8 28.Rxe8+ Bxe8 29.Re1 Ba4 30.Re3 (threat Rh3) 1-0

The light squares like d3 in the Staunton system are not so very weak because Black cannot occupy or fix the Pawns. The most obvious way to try is to get a Pawn to e4, but this cannot be sustained:

Shatskes gives:

Botvinnik M - Simagin Vladimir (RUS) [A25] Ch URS, Moscow (Russia), 1952

1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. g3 f5 4. Bg2 Nf6 5. e3 Be7 6. d4 e4 7. f3 O-O! 8. Nge2

[8. fxe4 fxe4 9. Nxe4 Nxe4 10. Bxe4 Bb4+ 11. Bd2 Qe7]

8... Bb4 9. O-O Bxc3 10. Nxc3 exf3 11. Qxf3 d6 12. Bd2 Bd7 13. Rae1 Qe8

14. Qd1! Qg6 15. Nd5 Nxd5 16. cxd5 Ne7 17. Qb3 b6 18. Rc1 Rac8 19. Rc3!+/- (...) 43. Kd1 1/2-1/2

I was able to implement these ideas many years ago against Bob Richmond, when after 1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 d6 3. g3 f5 4. d4 e4 5. Nh3 Nf6 6. Bg2 Be7 7. O-O O-O 8. Bg5 c6 9. f3 White had good prospects: Black's centre is under pressure. See also the Keres system, B5a below.

This Staunton approach can lead to some interesting and finely balanced positions. I once got into a real mess against Richard Nash of Barnstable playing this approach...

1. c4 e5 2. g3 g6 3. Bg2 Bg7 4. Nc3 Ne7 5. e3 Nbc6 6. Nge2 d6 7. d4

I immediately looked it up to see what I had done wrong. I have an old book by Shatskes which quotes an analysis from Botvinnik, and a new book by Ribli and Kallai. Are two heads better than one? They both identified my mistake but then gave completely opposite advice!

7... exd4 8. Nxd4?! An error. 8... O-O 9. O-O Re8

[9... Bd7 10. Nde2 Qc8 11.Nf4 Ne5 12. Qe2 Re8 13. Bd2 c6 14. Ne4 Qc7 15. Bc3 Rad8 16. h3 d5 += smyslov-radulovic 1964]

10. b3 ? 10... Nxd4 11. exd4 Nf5 =+ (...) 40. 1/2-1/2

[Better is

8. exd4! O-O 9. O-O

But what now?

9... Nf5 "?" botvinnik "!" ribli

(9 ... Bg4"!" = botvinnik "?" ribli - although there are probably still finesses to be found:

Now if 10. h3 Bxe2 11. Nxe2 Nf5 12. d5 Ne5 13. Qc2 Re8 ( "!" shatskes ) 14. Bd2 a5 15. Rad1 ( "!" ribli ) 15... Qb8 16. Bc1 Qa7 17. Be4 Ne7 18. Be3 Qa6 19. b3 a4 20. Nc3 axb3 21. axb3 b6 22. Nb5 Qc8 23. Kh2 Nd7 24. Rfe1 Nc5 25. Bf3 Nf5 26. Bg4 ! += uhlmann-taimanov 1984]

10. d5 Ne5 11. b3 a5 ?

(11 ... a6; 12 Bb2, b5; 13 cxb5, axb5; 14 Qc2, b4; 15 Ne4, Ba6 botvinnik ; 11 ...b5!? seirawan)

12. Bb2 Nd7 13. a3 Nc5 14. b4 Nd7 15. Qb3 botvinnik-reshevsky 1938]

This is why the English is such a fine opening: there is great flexibility and scope for creativity for each side, which is why old foxes like Viktor Kortchnoi can win from either side.

One last example of a delayed occupation proving effective

EG: Speelman Jonathan - Xu Jun [A35] Luzern 48/50, 1989

A4. The Queen's-side attack

The White set-up with g3 can also be seen in Black's main system in the Closed Sicilian, where a Queen's-side attack can be pursued, based on the fianchettoed Bishop.

EG: Miles-Belyavsky.

A5. Botvinnik system for White

This is an interesting system pioneered by Nimzovitch and Botvinnik, conceding an apparently permanent weak point at d4 but gaining a firm grip on the centre and hoping to keep Black's activity to a minimum while seeking a break with b2-b4 or f2-f4. I have played this on many occasions and have often won by direct attack on the King's-side. Perhaps the best advertisement for this system at club level is the fact I always find it difficult to play against, even if I know what's coming!

EG: Botvinnik,Mikhail - Scherbakov,Vitaly [A16] , Moscow ch-SU Round: 3 Year: 1955
EG: Benko,Pal - Botvinnik,Mikhail [A10] , Monte Carlo Year: 1968
EG: Williams,SK (1990) - Regis,D. (1935) [A36] 1994

A6. The Maroczy bind

One common positional theme against the symmetrical English is the Maroczy Bind: Black found this difficult to play against for years because of lack of prospects for active play, although recently the 'hedgehog' formation has proved its resilience.

EG: Fischer,R - Spassky,B (8) [A39] Reykjavik-Wch, 1972
EG: Regis,D. - Richard Dixon (Corr_92/93) [B36] Devon Vs. Glos.(Ward-Higgs I), 1993
EG: Vukic Milan - Suba Mihai [A30]Vinkovci, 1977

There is an interesting formation where White immediately threatens the Maroczy even when Black has not fianchettoed the Bf8:

EG: Korchnoi V - Spassky B [A33] Beograd m/3, 1977

[...]

[Part 2: Playing against the English Opening]

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This document (engidea1.html) was last modified on 1 Aug 97 by [cool blue cat]

Dr. Dave