Against the English (1.c4)

• At a glance

  Against the English (1.c4)

  Your worst family: 392 games, 39.8%, almost ten points below your overall score. No faulty opening move: everything revolves around your f5 bishop.

  20 cards, one idea each. Swipe to move on.

• The big idea

  Against 1.c4, and against 1.Nf3 d5 followed by c4, you play a Slav: …c6, …d5, …Nf6, and the bishop comes out to f5 before …e6.

• The big idea

  It's a sound contract: no pawn weaknesses, an active bishop outside the chain. The price: b7 loses its only defender, and that f5 bishop becomes the target of White's whole plan.

• The big idea

  The numbers: 392 games, 39.8%, against 49.6% across all your games and 48% with Black. And yet the file flags no recurring suboptimal move.

• The big idea

  Your opening moves are clean; it's what comes after that costs you.

• The big idea

  Where it costs you: against the fianchetto. 1.Nf3 d5 2.g3 Nf6: 84 games, 35%, your most frequent losing position. Against 2.c4, you score 49% (76 games).

• The big idea

  Every losing position in the file is a Bg2 or b3 line: Qb3 against b7, Be3 against your queen, e4 against your bishop.

• The big idea

  This course follows your f5 bishop: what it leaves behind, the moves that target it, and the few moves that change everything: …Qb6, the …exd5 recapture, …a5, …e5 and …h6 before e4.

• Principle

  1…c6 first, …d5 next

  Your games: 205× · 46% of points

  Against 1.c4, the c6 pawn prepares …d5 with a pawn ready to recapture. 1…c6: 102 games, 45%. 1…d5 right away: 18 games, 33%.

• Principle

  The bishop comes out before …e6

  Your games: 105× · 38% of points

  Bf5 before …e6, otherwise the bishop stays locked in. But as soon as it leaves c8, b7 has no defender left: Qb3 will be White's first question.

• Principle

  Against Qb3: …Qb6

  Your games: 53× · 37% of points

  Qb3 attacks b7. …Qb6 covers it and offers the trade; everything else costs a pawn or a weakness on c6.

• Principle

  On cxd5, recapture with the e6 pawn

  …exd5 keeps the c6 pawn, which closes the c-file. Recapturing with the c-pawn opens that file to Rc1 and Bf4.

• Principle

  …h6 before e4

  Your games: 12× · 67% of points

  When White prepares e4 (Qc2, Nbd2), …h6 gives your bishop the h7 square. It retreats without leaving its diagonal.

• Imbalance

  Your f5 bishop against the g2 bishop

  Your games: 105× · 38% of points

  Your bishop is outside, active on b1-h7; the g2 bishop bears down the long diagonal and eyes b7 and c6. Every White plan tries to chase yours away.

• Imbalance

  The a-file after …Qxb3 axb3

  Your games: 21× · 38% of points

  The queen trade opens the a-file: Ra1 and Be3 aim at a7 together. …e5 makes that pawn poisoned.

• Imbalance

  The e4 push

  Your games: 37× · 49% of points

  White's only real lever in the center: e4 attacks d5 and your f5 bishop at the same time. Black's whole game is about being ready when it comes.

• Imbalance

  The c5 knight and the b4 square

  Your games: 8× · 38% of points

  After 8.Be3 Bc5 9.Bxc5 Nxc5, your knight is your best piece. b4 chases it away: …a5 holds the square.

• The trade-off

  What you gain

  • A structure with no weakness: c6-d5-e6, nothing to defend.
  • The light-squared bishop gets out of the chain, something the French never achieves.
  • The same moves against 1.c4, 1.Nf3 and 1.g3: little theory to remember.
  • The engine doesn't blame you for any recurring opening move.
• The trade-off

  What you give up

  • b7 has no defender as soon as the bishop comes out: Qb3 arrives quickly.
  • The f5 bishop is a target: Nh4, e4 and Be3 gain tempi on it or on your queen.
  • Quiet positions where you need a plan: that's where you lose your points.
  • Against the fianchetto (2.g3), your score drops: 34% over 82 games after 1.Nf3 d5.
• That's all

  Your turn

  These ideas only stick once you play the moves. The chapters make you find the right ones.

  Start chapter 1

Card 1 of 20: Against the English (1.c4)

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