Chess: Understanding the English Opening (Symmetrical Variation) Part IV

1 c4 c5 2 Nf3 Nf6 3 Nc3 d5 4 cxd5 Nxd5 5 e4 Nb4
Line



What's the game plan for White?



(i) Promptly displace the centralized d5 knight
through e2-e4.
(ii) Eliminate the threat of ... Nd3+ via Bb5+,
d2-d4, a2-a3 and axb4.

What's the game plan for Black?



(i) Play ... Nb4 to threaten ... Nd3+.
(ii) Respond to White's d2-d4 strike with
... cxd4, followed by ... dxc3 and ... c2.

Sample Variation Below

Also available:
Understanding the English Opening
(1 c4 e5 Line)
http://chesscoach1950.blogspot.com/2006/01/chess-understanding-english-opening.html
Chess: Understanding the English Opening
(Symmetrical Variation) Part I
http://chesscoach1950.blogspot.com/2006/07/chess-understanding-english-opening.html
Chess: Understanding the English Opening
(Symmetrical Variation) Part II
http://chesscoach1950.blogspot.com/2006/07/chess-understanding-englis_115360840095778197.html
Chess: Understanding the English Opening
(Symmetrical Variation) Part III
http://chesscoach1950.blogspot.com/2006/07/chess-understanding-english-opening_22.html

Sample Variation


For explanations of moves 1 through 4
please refer to: Understanding
the English Opening (Symmetrical
Variation) Part I

1 c4 c5



2 Nf3 Nf6



3 Nc3 d5



4 cxd5 Nxd5



5 e4



Promptly displacing the knight from its central
location.

5 g3

5 ... Nb4



Threatening the smothery 6 ... Nd3+ 7 Bxd3 Qxd3.
5 ... Nc7? 6 d4 cxd4 7 Qxd4 Qxd4 8 Nxd4 e5 9 Ndb5
9 ... Nxb5 10 Bxb5+ Bd7 11 O-O.

5 ... Nxc3

Understanding the English Opening
(Symmetrical Variation) Part III

6 Bb5+



Developing the bishop with check in order to detract
Black from 6 ... Nd3+.

6 Bc4 Nd3+ 7 Ke2 Nf4+ 8 Kf1 Ne6 9 b4 cxb4 10 Nd5 g6
11 Bb2 Bg7 12 Bxg7 Nxg7 13 Nxb4 O-O 14 d4 Bg4 15 Qd2
15 ... Bxf3 16 gxf3 Nc6 17 Nxc6 bxc6 18 f4.
6 Bc4 Nd3+ 7 Ke2 Nxc1+ 8 Rxc1 Nc6 9 Bb5 Bg4 10 h3
10 ... Bd7 11 Re1.
6 d4 transposes to the main line after 6 ... cxd4 7 Bb5+
8 ... N8c6 8 a3.

6 ... N8c6



6 ... Bd7!? 7 a3 Bxb5 8 axb4 Bd3 9 Qa4+ Nc6
10 b5 Nb4 11 b6+ Qd7 12 Qxd7+ Kxd7 13 Rxa7.
6 ... N4c6 7 d4 cxd4 8 Qxd4 Qxd4 9 Nxd4 Bd7
10 Nb3 e6 11 O-O Bb4 12 Rd1.

7 d4



(i) Shielding d3 from Black's Queen and consequently
eliminating the threat of 7 ... Nd3+.
(ii) Menacing to attack the pinned c6 knight via d4-d5.

7 ... cxd4



All other options are futile.

8 a3



Not 8 Nxd4?? Qxd4 9 Qxd4 Nc2+, and Black is A-OK.

8 ... dxc3



8 ... Bd7 9 Nxd4 Nxd4 10 Bxd7+ Qxd7 11 axb4 e6
12 Be3 Rd8 13 O-O Bxb4 14 Bxd4 Qxd4 15 Qa4+.
8 ... Bd7 9 axb4 dxc3 10 bxc3 g6 11 O-O Bg7 12 Qb3.
8 ... Qb6 9 Bxc6+ bxc6 10 axb4 dxc3 11 bxc3.

9 Qxd8+ Kxd8



10 axb4 c2



So that White remains with double pawns on b2 and b4.

11 Bxc6 bxc6



Eliminating the threat of ... Nxb4 and compromising
Black's pawn structure.

12 Ne5 Ke8



13 Nxf7+ was in the works.

13 Kd2 e6



As White goes for the c2 pawn, Black takes aim at the
one on b4.

14 Kxc2



By ChessCoach@care2.com

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Chess: Understanding the English Opening (Symmetrical Variation) Part III

1 c4 c5 2 Nf3 Nf6 3 Nc3 d5 4 cxd5 Nxd5 5 e4 Nxc3
6 bxc3 g6 Line



What's the game plan for White?



(i) Decentralize the d5 knight through e2-e4.
(ii) Take advantage of Black's light-squared
vulnerability (Bf1-b5+-c4-d5/Qd1-b3/a2-a4) .

What's the game plan for Black?



(i) Pressurize the a1-h8 diagonal, particularly
d4, by means of .... g6 and ... Bg7.
(ii) Use the half open d-file to further the above
objective.
(iii) Respond accordingly to White's light-squared
play (... Bd7, ... b5, ... Nc6, ... b4, ... e6).

Sample Variation Below

Also available:
Understanding the English Opening (1 c4 e5 Line)
http://chesscoach1950.blogspot.com/2006/01/chess-understanding-english-opening.html
Chess: Understanding the English Opening
(Symmetrical Variation) Part I
http://chesscoach1950.blogspot.com/2006/07/chess-understanding-english-opening.html
Chess: Understanding the English Opening
(Symmetrical Variation) Part II
http://chesscoach1950.blogspot.com/2006/07/chess-understanding-englis_115360840095778197.html
Chess: Understanding the English Opening
(Symmetrical Variation) Part IV
http://chesscoach1950.blogspot.com/2006/07/chess-understanding-englis_115362587088403691.html

Sample Variation

For explanations of moves 1 through 4
please refer to:Chess: Understanding
the English Opening (Symmetrical
Variation) Part I

1 c4 c5



2 Nf3 Nf6



3 Nc3 d5



4 cxd5 Nxd5



5 e4 Nxc3



6 bxc3 g6



Preparing for ... Bg7.

7 Bb5+



Developing the bishop at the Black monarch's expense.
Always mobilize with attack, if possible. It speeds
up development and harasses the enemy.

7 d4 Bg7
7 Ba3 b6 [7 ... Qc7] 8 d4 Bg7 9 Bb5+ Bd7 10 Be2 O-O
11 O-O Nc6 12 Rc1 Qc7 13 Qd3 Na5.

7 ... Bd7



7 ... Nc6 8 Ba3 Qb6 9 Rb1 a6 10 Ba4 Qa5 11 Ne5 b5
12 Nxc6 Qc7 13 Bb3 Bb7.

8 Bc4



Awaiting active duty along the a2-g8 diagonal.

8 a4 Bg7 9 O-O O-O 10 Ba3 a6 11 Bxd7 Nxd7
12 d4 Qa5 13 Qb3 b5.
8 Qb3 Bg7 9 Bc4 O-O 10 Qxb7 Bc6 11 Qb1 Nd7
12 O-O Rb8 13 Qc2.

8 ... b5



But Black decides not to give the bishop a comfortable
waiting period.

9 Bd5 Nc6



Prevention against 10 Bxa8.

10 a4 b4



Evading attack and gaining space in the process.

11 Qb3 e6



Because 12 Bxf7+ is not an option.

12 Bxc6 Bxc6



13 cxb4 Bg7



And the ball is now in White's court.

By ChessCoach@care2.com

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Chess: Understanding the English Opening (Symmetrical Variation) Part II

1 c4 c5 2 Nf3 Nf6 3 Nc3 d5 4 cxd5 Nxd5 5 e4 Nxc3
6 dxc3 Qxd1+ 7 Kxd1 Nc6 Line



What's the game plan for Black?



(i) Answer e2-e4 with ... Nxc3.
(ii) Vie for the open d-file by enabling Ra8-d8
(... Nc6/... Bb7).

What's the game plan for White?



(i) Eliminate the d5 knight from the center by
pushing e2-e4.
(ii) Respond to ... Nxc3 with dxc3. The idea is to
open up and control the d-file (Ke1-d1-c2/Rd1).

Sample Variation Below

Also available:
Understanding the English Opening
(1 c4 e5 Line)
http://chesscoach1950.blogspot.com/2006/01/chess-understanding-english-opening.html
Chess: Understanding the English Opening
(Symmetrical Variation) Part I
http://chesscoach1950.blogspot.com/2006/07/chess-understanding-english-opening.html
Chess: Understanding the English Opening
(Symmetrical Variation) Part III
http://chesscoach1950.blogspot.com/2006/07/chess-understanding-english-opening_22.html
Chess: Understanding the English Opening
(Symmetrical Variation) Part IV
http://chesscoach1950.blogspot.com/2006/07/chess-understanding-englis_115362587088403691.html


Sample Variation

For explanations of moves 1 through 4
please refer to: Chess: Understanding
the English Opening (Symmetrical
Variation) Part I

1 c4 c5



2 Nf3 Nf6



3 Nc3 d5



4 cxd5 Nxd5



5 e4 Nxc3



6 dxc3 Qxd1+



Depriving White of the right to castle. Nonetheless,
after the next move, his King will be centralized
for subsequent action.

7 Kxd1 Nc6



(i) Initiates queenside mobilization.
(ii) Counterattacks e5.

Or,
7 ... Bg4 8 Kc2 Nc6 9 Be3 e6 10 Bb5 f6 11 Nd2 Rc8
12 f3 Bh5 13 Rhd1 a6 14 Bc4 Bf7 15 Bf1.
7 ... f6 8 Be3 e5 9 Nd2 Be6 10 Bc4 Bxc4 11 Nxc4 Nc6
12 a4 Kf7 13 Ke2 Be7 14 Rhd1 Rhd8 15 Rd5 Ke6 16 Rad1.
7 ... a6 8 Be3 e6 9 Kc1 b5 10 a4 b4
7 ... a6 8 Bg5 b5 9 Kc1 Bb7 10 Bd3 c4
7 ... a6 8 Bg5 Nd7 9 e5 Nb6 10 Bd3 Bg4
7 ... a6 8 Bf4 Nc6 9 Be3 e6 10 Kc2 b5
7 ... a6 8 Bf4 b6 9 Kc1 Bb7 10 Bd3 Nd7

8 Be3 b6



Protecting c5 from 9 Bxc5 and facilitating the
c8 bishop's development to b7.

9 Kc2 Bb7



10 Rd1



And it's anyone's game.

By ChessCoach@care2.com

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