English Opening: the complete guide
1. c4
1.c4, Howard Staunton's move from the 1843 London match, became the strategists' weapon: Botvinnik, Petrosian and then Karpov carried it into world championships. Flexible and rich in transpositions, it is the opening of those who want to play chess rather than recite it.
How it starts, move by move
- 1. c4c4 controls d5.
Both sides plans
White's plan
Occupy the center, develop quickly, castle, then pick a wing.
Black's plan
Contest the center before White occupies all of it.
What is actually played
Real shares of the continuations after 1. c4, Lichess games by Elo band.
| Continuation | Elo 1400 | Elo 1600 | Elo 1800 | Elo 2000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1... Nf6 | 11 % | 15 % | 21 % | 27 % |
| 1... e5 | 42 % | 35 % | 28 % | 22 % |
| 1... c5 | 10 % | 12 % | 12 % | 12 % |
| 1... e6 | 9 % | 10 % | 11 % | 12 % |
| 1... g6 | 5 % | 6 % | 6 % | 6 % |
The main variations
- English OpeningA101. c4
- King's English VariationA201. c4 e5
- King's English Variation, Reversed SicilianA211. c4 e5 2. Nc3
- Agincourt DefenseA131. c4 e6
- King's English Variation, Two Knights VariationA221. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6
- Agincourt DefenseA131. c4 e6 2. Nf3
- Anglo-Indian DefenseA151. c4 Nf6
- Symmetrical VariationA301. c4 c5
- King's English Variation, Four Knights VariationA281. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Nf3 Nc6
- Agincourt DefenseA131. c4 e6 2. Nf3 d5
- Anglo-Indian Defense, King's Knight VariationA151. c4 Nf6 2. Nf3
- Anglo-Indian Defense, Queen's Knight VariationA161. c4 Nf6 2. Nc3
Frequently asked questions
- What moves start the English Opening?
- The English Opening starts with 1. c4. Every move is explained in the interactive explorer.
- How many named variations does the English Opening have?
- 174 named variations, from the Lichess ECO database. The main ones are listed on this page; the full tree lives in the branch map.
- What is the most played continuation?
- Around 2000 Elo, the most frequent continuation is 1... Nf6, played in 27% of games (Lichess data).
- How can I learn the English Opening for free?
- The explorer, free play, review cards and the essential ★1 course of the English Opening are free on OpeningMate. The ★2 to ★5 levels and per-variation courses are part of Premium.
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