https://www.chesspub.com/cgi-bin/chess/YaBB.pl?board=engdef English Defence - ChessPub Forum en-us ChessPub Forum Tue, 18 Aug 2026 20:10:50 GMT http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss 30 https://www.chesspub.com/cgi-bin/chess/YaBB.pl?num=1303731019 ChessPub Forum/English Defence https://www.chesspub.com/cgi-bin/chess/YaBB.pl?num=1303731019 Tue, 9 Feb 2016 10:09:11 GMT <a href="https://www.chesspub.com/cgi-bin/chess/YaBB.pl?num=1303731019/0#0">slughouse wrote</a> on 04/25/11 at 11:30:18:<br /><div id="2B342D3F30372D2B3D5800">1.d4 e6 2.c4 b6 3.e4 Bb7 4.Bd3<br /><br />4...Nc6 5.Ne2 Nb4 6.Nbc3 Nxd3+ 7.Qxd3 is +=<br />4...Bb4+ 5.Bd2 is also +=<br /><br />So, does 4...f5 work? In the main line, 5.exf5 Bxg2 6.Qh5+ g6 7.fxg6 Bg7 etc, is black surviving? It would be great if the tactics worked for black, otherwise it would appear 4.Bd3 takes all the fun out of black's opening.. Also, what is an up-to-date source on this line? Thanks. </div><!--2B342D3F30372D2B3D5800--><br /><br />4...Nc6 is promising enough for Black. Long term the b7 bishop can be a monster. https://www.chesspub.com/cgi-bin/chess/YaBB.pl?num=1435352923 ChessPub Forum/English Defence https://www.chesspub.com/cgi-bin/chess/YaBB.pl?num=1435352923 Tue, 9 Feb 2016 10:06:17 GMT Against 1.e4 I agree it might be a bit <i><b>too </b></i>original. Not outright bad though. https://www.chesspub.com/cgi-bin/chess/YaBB.pl?num=1404428673 ChessPub Forum/English Defence https://www.chesspub.com/cgi-bin/chess/YaBB.pl?num=1404428673 Wed, 16 Jul 2014 16:38:04 GMT The more adventurous souls might try the "mousetrap gambit" 1.e4 b6 2.d4 Bb7 3.Bg5!?.<br /><br />Forum member buecker wrote an article about it at chesscafe: <a href="http://www.chesscafe.com/text/kaiss04.pdf" target="_blank">http://www.chesscafe.com/text/kaiss04.pdf</a><br /><br />So far I´ve only tried it in blitz matches, but it is surely fun to play. The white plan is straightforward, and black may go astray early in the game. Objectively speaking I know there must be better variations for white. https://www.chesspub.com/cgi-bin/chess/YaBB.pl?num=1294279955 ChessPub Forum/English Defence https://www.chesspub.com/cgi-bin/chess/YaBB.pl?num=1294279955 Sat, 8 Jan 2011 21:06:13 GMT Nice suggestions, thanks Hehmer. To add another one:<br />Some time ago we had a discussion in the Flank Openings forum about the colours-reversed line 1.b3 e5 2.Bb2 Nc6 3.e3 d5 4.Bb5 Bd6 5.f4 f6. Here Stefan Buecker proposed the new idea 6.Nc3!?. By analogy, it is perhaps interesting to have a look at 1.d4 e6 2.c4 b6 3.e4 Bb7 4.Nc3 Bb4 5.Bd3 f5 6.f3 Nc6!?. I think it looks OK, eg <br />7.Ne2 fxe4 (7...e5!? Seiler-Hirt 2004) 8.fxe4 Qh4+ 9.g3 Qh5 10.O-O Nf6<br />7.Be3 Nh6!?<br />7.a3 Bxc3+ 8.bxc3 Qh4+ 9.g3 Qh5 10.exf5 exf5 11.Kf2 Nf6 (this version must be better than 6...Qh4+ 7.g3 Qh5 8.exf5 exf5 9.Kf2) https://www.chesspub.com/cgi-bin/chess/YaBB.pl?num=1282555743 ChessPub Forum/English Defence https://www.chesspub.com/cgi-bin/chess/YaBB.pl?num=1282555743 Sat, 16 Oct 2010 20:06:25 GMT <br />"7...c5 with the idea 8. f3 c4 fails to 8.Bb5+ Bc6 9.Bxc6+ Nxc6 10.f3 Qh4+ 11.g3 Nxg3 12.Nxg3 cxd4 13.f4 and Black has some compensation but probably not enough."<br /><br />According to both Firebird and Rybka 3, Black has enough comp after 13...Bb4+ so this needs more investigation.  Of course White can also try answering 7...c5 with 8.c3 after which I (or my puter) haven't found a way for Black to equalize but the positions are still a little murky. <br /> https://www.chesspub.com/cgi-bin/chess/YaBB.pl?num=1263552079 ChessPub Forum/English Defence https://www.chesspub.com/cgi-bin/chess/YaBB.pl?num=1263552079 Tue, 19 Jan 2010 14:38:12 GMT Odessky is the best book on the English Defence by far - good historical perspective, funny, and most importantly very honest about the up-sides and down-sides of the opening. https://www.chesspub.com/cgi-bin/chess/YaBB.pl?num=1240537841 ChessPub Forum/English Defence https://www.chesspub.com/cgi-bin/chess/YaBB.pl?num=1240537841 Mon, 8 Jun 2009 21:34:24 GMT Oh and on another note: I started playing 1...b6 not only because I like a lot of the positions that arise for black but also because I like its flexibility. The only thing I have never played it against is 1.g3. https://www.chesspub.com/cgi-bin/chess/YaBB.pl?num=1231351038 ChessPub Forum/English Defence https://www.chesspub.com/cgi-bin/chess/YaBB.pl?num=1231351038 Tue, 26 May 2009 07:31:04 GMT As to whether anyone still plays it, I've had IM Branko Filipovic play it against me (and last I checked he still seems to just play b6 stuff as black all the time). Looking at the game the computer doesn't seem to like his position after 9...Nc6 that much, but 10.Nb5 is not the right reply and neither is 10...Qe8 that great in return, neither 11.Nxd6 such a great idea in return and he was then probably better after move 13 or so. So the game's hardly of theoretical value.<br /><br />1. d4 b6 2. e4 Bb7 3. Bd3 e6 4. c4 f5 5. exf5 Bb4+ 6. Kf1 Nf6 7. Nf3 O-O 8. a3 Bd6 9. Nc3 Nc6 10. Nb5 Qe8 11. Nxd6 cxd6 12. fxe6 dxe6 13. Be3 e5 14. d5 e4 15. dxc6 Bxc6 16. Nd4 exd3 17. Nxc6 Qxc6 18. Qxd3 Rae8 19. h3 Kh8 20. Kg1 Ne4 21. Rf1 Rf5 22. Kh2 d5 23. cxd5 Rxd5 24. Qe2 Qd6+ 25. g3 Rf5 26. Rd1 Qf8 27. Rhf1 Qf7 28. Rc1 h6 29. Qc4 Qf8 30. Kg2 Kh7 31. Qc2 Kh8 32. Bd4 Qd6 33. Qc6 Qxd4 34.Qxe8+ Kh7 35. Rc2 Qd3 36. Qc6 Nxg3 37. Re1 Rg5 38. Rc3 Ne4+ 39. Kh2 Nxc3 40. Qxc3 Qd6+ 41. Kh1 Qd5+ 42. f3 Qf5 43. Kh2 Qf4+ 44. Kh1 Qg3 45. Qd3+ Rg6 46. Qf1 h5 47. Rd1 Rf6 48. Rd3 Re6 49. f4 Re1 50. Rxg3 Rxf1+ 51. Kg2 Rxf4 52. Rd3 a5 53. Rd5 Kh6 54. Kg3 Rf6 55. a4 g6 56. Rd4 Rc6 57. b4 Rc3+ 58. Kg2 Ra3 59. bxa5 bxa5 60. h4 Kg7 61. Rc4 Rb3 62. Rc5 Rb4 63. Rxa5 Rxh4 64. Ra8 Rb4 65. a5 Ra4 66. Ra6 Kh6 67. Ra8 Kg5 68. a6 Kg4 69. a7 Ra2+ 70. Kf1 g5 71. Kg1 h4 72. Kf1 h3 73. Kg1 Kg3 74. Rf8 Ra1+ 75. Rf1 h2+ 0-1<br /><br />Mmmh, I cannot say I'm exactly proud of my play here. The game flipped about a few times, what I thought was fascinating was how much play he got for the exchange sacrifice he made with 33...Qxd4. After failing to finish it off on move 43, he just eventually won an ending that I should have managed to draw. However what I think it shows is that as a stronger player you are probably only mariginally worse and can outplay 2200 patzers like me in the ensuing mess. I guess I would not want to try it as black against a stronger player and perhaps that new analysis by Wind (which I have not seem) makes the case even clearer?.<br /><br /> https://www.chesspub.com/cgi-bin/chess/YaBB.pl?num=1237278464 ChessPub Forum/English Defence https://www.chesspub.com/cgi-bin/chess/YaBB.pl?num=1237278464 Thu, 26 Mar 2009 13:06:05 GMT <br />Would you tell me please why you gave Nd2 an exclamation mark? So far I've always thought Qe2 was more dangerous. I'm thinking about Grischuk - Minasian 1999. According to Grischuk's analysis, White is cleary better. Balck can improve, but White is still a bit ahead. I didn't found any games that contradict this assesment. Did I missed something?<br />Thanks a lot and kind regards [/quote]<br /><br /><br />Well, 4.Nd2 is at least more annoying for Black than 4.Qe2 because after 3…Nf6!? Black is hoping for 4.Qe2 Nc6!? 5.c3 e5! etc. (more or less unorthodox and unclear line) while after 4.Nd2 e6 5.Nf3 c5 6.c3! etc. Black is ‘tricked’ into a worsened, bored and highly orthodox French defence. Why to play Owen just to get into that French … So, after 4.Nd2! Black could consider 4…Nc6!? (not considered from the ‘theory’ according to my knowledge). <br />Best regards,<br />Nick      <br /><br /><br /> https://www.chesspub.com/cgi-bin/chess/YaBB.pl?num=1236155998 ChessPub Forum/English Defence https://www.chesspub.com/cgi-bin/chess/YaBB.pl?num=1236155998 Mon, 9 Mar 2009 11:15:26 GMT OK, I grubbed up Odessky, and this is what he has to say:<br />(he considers mainly the main line with ...Bd6)<br /> <br /><ul><li>If you play the English Defence against a strong player, this is what they will play</li></ul><br /><ul><li>All lines are between +/= and +/-</li></ul><br /><ul><li>It is pretty difficult for Black to unravel once he has his minor pieces on the optimal squares (Bs on b7 and e5, Ns on c5 and f6, with one of them hopping into e4). Major pieces have little scope, so it's a matter of tinkering, reacting to White's plan, and not dozing off and dropping the Bb7!</li></ul><br /><ul><li>Theory advances at a glacial pace if at all, so easy to keep up.</li></ul><br /><ul><li>Lempert is his exemplar for the Black side</li></ul>