Kaissa wrote on 03/15/07 at 17:09:04:


No, I meant ...Be7, ...Ne4, ...Bf6, except this one:

"1.d4 b6 2.Nf3 Bb7 3.Bf4 e6 4.e3 f5 and 5...Bf6" is a typo and should be 5...Nf6.

The English Defence 1. d4 e6 ; 2. c4 b6 is objectively stronger than the Owen 1. d4 b6 ; 2. e4 (or 1. e4 b6) since Black is effectively a tempo up in undermining White's centre and putting pressure on the e-pawn (in case of 3. e4). You must be willing to play the French of course, if White transposes with 2. e4. 

In the lines I mentioned, the Queen would be misplaced on -c2 due to the opposing Rook on -c8 and the battery is in any case nothing to be worried about. I think MNb only mentionned it because in his variation, it over-protects -e4 and -f5 thus preventing the thematic plans with ...Kte4 and ...e5. 

MNb's suggestion of transposing to the Dutch is fine (but when does he ever suggest anything else!?).
If you have Daniel King's Everyman book on the English Defence, you will find some material on 1. d4 e6 ; 2. c4 b6 ; 3. a3 f5 which will give you some idea how the Dutch can be played with a Queen's fianchetto, though the replacement of a3 for Bf4 does make rather a big difference.

It's all a matter of personnal preference in the end. The London set-up is not a very testing one and Black has many reasonable options, particularly if you haven't yet decided on the order of your first 2 or 3 moves.

The English Defence is 1. d4 e6 ; 2. c4 b6. If you use this move order (which is better than 1. d4 b6 ; 2. e4 : the Owen) and you don't mind playing 1. d4 e6 ; 2. Ktf3 Ktf6 (intending 3. c4 b6 with a transposition to the Queen's Indian), you have several options against 3. Bf4 the London System, but most of them start with 3. ...c5 ; 4. c3 and now for example :
- 4. ...Qb6 ; 5. Qc1 Ktc6 ; 6. e3 d6 (or 6. ...d5) ; 7. Bd3 Bd7 ; 8. 0-0 Rc8
- 4. ...b6 (your thematic Queen's Fianchetto) ; 4. e3 Bb7 ; 5. Bd3 d6 ; 6. 0-0 Ktd7 ; 7. Ktd2 Rc8 intending ...Be7, ...0-0 and in some cases ...Rc7, ...Qa8 and ...Rfc8 [i]à la Larsen[/i].

Thanks MNb .   

Knowing the names of White's system will allow me to look it up.  I'll try out your suggestions.  The themes are consistent with those of the English Defense; so that's comforting.  Should I look this up under the London System.  Did I play into it?

The guy I played did in fact play c3.  I played Nh5 and got in trouble, but in the end he made the last mistake and I won.   

Should I post this in Daring Defences or D-pawn specials?  Did you suggest those forums because I'm likely to get even more specialized comments there?

Hi,

I hope I'm in the right forum.  Here is the line I need help with:

1. d4   b6
2. Nf3  Bb7
3. Bf4  Nf6
4. e3

What is white's plan here?  What is the name of this line?  I can't seem to find this line in any of my books on the English Defense, which is what I think I am playing.   

I'm just a class D player looking for a simple explanation of both white and black's stategic plans.

Hope to hear from someone soon,

Kaissa.