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
![](//photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6574/2071/320/SENG305.png)
What's the game plan for White?
![](//photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6574/2071/320/SENG4.png)
(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?
![](//photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6574/2071/320/SENG4.png)
(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
![](//photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6574/2071/320/SENG1.png)
2 Nf3 Nf6
![](//photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6574/2071/320/SENG2.png)
3 Nc3 d5
![](//photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6574/2071/320/SENG3.png)
4 cxd5 Nxd5
![](//photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6574/2071/320/SENG4.png)
5 e4
![](//photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6574/2071/320/SENG305ADD.png)
Promptly displacing the knight from its central
location.
5 g3
5 ... Nb4
![](//photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6574/2071/320/SENG305.png)
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+
![](//photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6574/2071/320/SENG306ADD.png)
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
![](//photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6574/2071/320/SENG306.png)
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
![](//photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6574/2071/320/SENG307ADD.png)
(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
![](//photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6574/2071/320/SENG307.png)
All other options are futile.
8 a3
![](//photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6574/2071/320/SENG308ADD.png)
Not 8 Nxd4?? Qxd4 9 Qxd4 Nc2+, and Black is A-OK.
8 ... dxc3
![](//photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6574/2071/320/SENG308.png)
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
![](//photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6574/2071/320/SENG309.png)
10 axb4 c2
![](//photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6574/2071/320/SENG310.png)
So that White remains with double pawns on b2 and b4.
11 Bxc6 bxc6
![](//photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6574/2071/320/SENG311.png)
Eliminating the threat of ... Nxb4 and compromising
Black's pawn structure.
12 Ne5 Ke8
![](//photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6574/2071/320/SENG312.png)
13 Nxf7+ was in the works.
13 Kd2 e6
![](//photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6574/2071/320/SENG313.png)
As White goes for the c2 pawn, Black takes aim at the
one on b4.
14 Kxc2
![](//photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6574/2071/320/SENG314.png)
By ChessCoach@care2.com
Line
![](http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6574/2071/320/SENG305.png)
What's the game plan for White?
![](http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6574/2071/320/SENG4.png)
(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?
![](http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6574/2071/320/SENG4.png)
(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
![](http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6574/2071/320/SENG1.png)
2 Nf3 Nf6
![](http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6574/2071/320/SENG2.png)
3 Nc3 d5
![](http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6574/2071/320/SENG3.png)
4 cxd5 Nxd5
![](http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6574/2071/320/SENG4.png)
5 e4
![](http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6574/2071/320/SENG305ADD.png)
Promptly displacing the knight from its central
location.
5 g3
5 ... Nb4
![](http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6574/2071/320/SENG305.png)
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+
![](http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6574/2071/320/SENG306ADD.png)
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
![](http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6574/2071/320/SENG306.png)
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
![](http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6574/2071/320/SENG307ADD.png)
(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
![](http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6574/2071/320/SENG307.png)
All other options are futile.
8 a3
![](http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6574/2071/320/SENG308ADD.png)
Not 8 Nxd4?? Qxd4 9 Qxd4 Nc2+, and Black is A-OK.
8 ... dxc3
![](http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6574/2071/320/SENG308.png)
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
![](http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6574/2071/320/SENG309.png)
10 axb4 c2
![](http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6574/2071/320/SENG310.png)
So that White remains with double pawns on b2 and b4.
11 Bxc6 bxc6
![](http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6574/2071/320/SENG311.png)
Eliminating the threat of ... Nxb4 and compromising
Black's pawn structure.
12 Ne5 Ke8
![](http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6574/2071/320/SENG312.png)
13 Nxf7+ was in the works.
13 Kd2 e6
![](http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6574/2071/320/SENG313.png)
As White goes for the c2 pawn, Black takes aim at the
one on b4.
14 Kxc2
![](http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6574/2071/320/SENG314.png)
By ChessCoach@care2.com
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