I play 1...e5 and then if 2.Nc3 I instigate the Kramnik-Shirov Counterattack with 2...Bb4. It's a pleasure to immediately threaten the English player (many of whom consider their styles positional) with doubled pawns. White's only way to get an advantage is 3.Nd5 after which Black has three choices at their disposal so Black determines the shape of the game. This is extra annoying to the English players many of whom play 1.c4 because they're obsessed with being the one in control.
Good Response to 1.c4
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Dolphin27 wrote:
I play 1...e5 and then if 2.Nc3 I instigate the Kramnik-Shirov Counterattack with 2...Bb4. It's a pleasure to immediately threaten the English player (many of whom consider their styles positional) with doubled pawns. White's only way to get an advantage is 3.Nd5 after which Black has three choices at their disposal so Black determines the shape of the game. This is extra annoying to the English players many of whom play 1.c4 because they're obsessed with being the one in control.
Heh, heh. I like a player who likes to irritate his opponent.
Dec 9, 2017
0
#4
It depends on your goal.
To draw: 1...c5.
To fight for a win: 1...e5.
To be hypermodern and noncommittal: 1...Nf6.
if you want to draw and know the carokann you can also play 1..c6
If you happen to know the Closed Sicilian (not too hard -- it's more of an idea-driven opening), you can play it reversed against the English. Particularly if you like a slow burn kingside attack.
Since the opening is closed, White's extra tempo is less important. Odds are you will be as familiar, or more so, with the resulting positions as your English opponent.
Then there's the Reversed Grand Prix (Black plays early f5) which leads to more open, tactical positions. I'm skeptical of playing a tactical opening reversed, but it is played at the GM level, even by Carlsen.
The English Defense 1...b6 is good for players who are really attackers and aggressors. You can play this if you want to defeat the English Opening as it will go beyond the main lines of the English Opening. It also leads to interesting and exciting middlegame wars that makes white under pressure so he or she should find accurate moves. Draw is the result if both sides play accurately.
Dolphin27 wrote:
I play 1...e5 and then if 2.Nc3 I instigate the Kramnik-Shirov Counterattack with 2...Bb4. It's a pleasure to immediately threaten the English player (many of whom consider their styles positional) with doubled pawns. White's only way to get an advantage is 3.Nd5 after which Black has three choices at their disposal so Black determines the shape of the game. This is extra annoying to the English players many of whom play 1.c4 because they're obsessed with being the one in control.
This loses to 3.Nd5.
TheMouth888 wrote:
1. c4 b6 2.d4 Bb7 3.Nc3 e6 4.e4 Bb4! 5.f3 f5! 6.exf5 Nh6! 7.fxe6 (7.Bxh6 Qh4+) 7...Nf5. It is like Larsen's Opening (b3) with f4, but on Black's side. Black's plan is to provoke white to move his center pawns then attack it with Bb7, e6, Bb4(to pin White's knight on c3), f5, and sometimes Qh4.
robertjames_perez wrote:
The English Defense 1...b6 is good for players who are really attackers and aggressors. You can play this if you want to defeat the English Opening as it will go beyond the main lines of the English Opening. It also leads to interesting and exciting middlegame wars that makes white under pressure so he or she should find accurate moves. Draw is the result if both sides play accurately.
i like to play b3 first move for white sometimes. i will try! thx you.
Stauntonmaster wrote:
Best response to c4 is the symmetrical.
Agreed.
You don't need to go any longer than checking Fischer games; if Fischer answered The English with 1...c5, then this must be an optimal move.
1...e5 is significantly weaker.
1...e5 was played by Fischer against Saidy.
Myself I just play 1...c6 and go into the Slav.
Dec 9, 2017
0
#14
Personally, I'm a fan of the Slav and Caro-Kann Defenses so against 1 c4 I usually respond 1...c6. The usual reply is 2 d4 and 2...c5 transposes to the Slav Defense. White can also place 2 e4, which transposes to the Caro-Kann Defense, Accelerated Panov Attack, but Black can usually get decent Q-side action. The only other frequent White 2nd move is 2 Nf3 which can transpose into the main line of the Slav Defense or become the English Opening, Caro-Kann Defense Variation.
If you've played the Caro or Slav often enough, you tend to see positions you know how to handle as Black.
Yes, that was also my first reaction, to go into a slav-caroformation but maybe one wants to get a more dynamic position, since english opening players often feel at home at rather quiet positions.
robertjames_perez wrote:
1...e5 was played by Fischer against Saidy.
Against Saidy, one can play everything.
On 1...c6, white has 2.e4 d5 3.e5!, with quite some advantage:
Of course, current opening theory will still have to get there.
this position is named toikkanen gambit, stockfish says -0,1 and black is more than fine here, in fact pushing 3...d4 is played with 61% won games for black
I guess your database is rather small and involves mostly weak players.
I have analysed that sufficiently deep and SF gets to around 50cps white advantage in most lines.
Wanna try it?
f4
There is a difference between what SF will say here and 10 moves later.
In distinction to you, I don't rely just on SF score, but investigate deeper each and every line.
My positional evaluation also says white is much better.
Possibly helpful:
Beating Unusual Openings by Richard Palliser (2006)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140627072813/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen107.pdf
Grandmaster Repertoire 19 - Beating Minor Openings by Victor Mikhalevski
http://www.qualitychess.co.uk/ebooks/BeatingMinorOpenings-excerpt.pdf
http://www.davidsmerdon.com/?p=1888
Attacking the English/Reti
https://www.newinchess.com/media/wysiwyg/product_pdf/7608.pdf