Since you play an unusual defence to 1.d4 it makes sense to meet 1.c4 with 1...e5 or 1...c5. Either way you have a lot of different options so you should be able to find something suiting your style, for example:

a) One approach is to go Bb4 as soon as they play Nc3, so if 2.Nc3 Bb4, 2.g3 Nf6 3.Bg2 h6!? waiting for 4.Nc3 and then 4...Bb4 (yes this is a major line, and fine for Black). The only price you pay is that White obtains a very tiny edge if they find all the right moves in the 2.Nc3 Bb4 line.

b) Get a Reversed Open Sicilian as soon as you can, e.g. 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.g3 d5, 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.g3 d5 and 2.g3 Nf6 3.Bg2 d5. Of course you need to show a bit of flexibility if they don't fianchetto, but then you can often fianchetto yourself, e.g. 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.a3 g6 or 4.e3 g6 5.d4 d6.

c) Try to develop the bishop to c5, e.g. 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.g3 Bc5, 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.g3 Bc5, and if 2.g3 Nf6 3.Bg2 Nc6 4.Nc3 or 4.Nf3 then 4...Bc5. Again you need some flexibility for when they don't go g3. 

There are other options as well, for instance you may like 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.g3 Nd4, and if you like the Grand Prix Attack then 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.Nf3/g3 f5 is a logical enough suggestion. Or if you play the King's Indian, you may be happy to play 2...Nc6/3...g6, even if the 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.Nf3 g6 4.d4 line arguably gives White the easier position to play in general. 

A similar breakdown can be done with 1...c5 lines, starting with whether you want to play ...Nc6 or ...Nf6 on move 2, but I guess you already settled on 1...e5.

Against 1.Nf3 I would use the 1...d5 move order to limit White's options somewhat, if 2.d4 Nc6 you get your Chigorin (though you may like to investigate 2...Bf5 for some variety), 2.c4 is well met by 2...d4 and against most moves you'll play ...Nc6, and if 2.g3 you can always play 2...Nc6 if you are insistent on a Chigorin position (as happens after 3.d4). 

I do play 1. ...e5 vs e4, so 1. Nc6 would be OK I guess vs. 1. c4. But then I wonder about 1. c4 Nc6 2. g3 e5 3. Bg2 Nf6 4. Nc3. Anyway like I said I'm fine with 1. c4 e5, forcing black to stay English. If 1. Nf3 I'd probably go 1. ...d5 and 2. ...Nc6.

Laramonet wrote on 12/18/15 at 09:05:32:


There is a reason why 1. Nf3 players might resort to 2. d4 or 2. e4 against 1. .. Nc6. That would be to avoid the reverse Pirc which could arise after 1. Nf3 Nc6 2. g3 d5 3.Bg2 e5. Give away a tempo or two and you are fending off one of the many attacking systems against the Pirc. Even a slowish version of a reverse 150 Attack gives Black a decent game. Black would play ..  Nf6, .. Be6, .. Qd7, .. Bd6 in some order followed by O-O-O if feeling brave or O-O if feeling solid. 

> How do you defend against 1. d4?

I play the Chigorin. I'm not sure that 1. ...d5 or 1. ...Nc6 works out so well. And I'm fine with going in for pure English lines if white starts 1. c4.

A few remarks:  it could be noted that 1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. g3 Bb4 is one of the most respected replies, comparable to 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. g3 Bb4, though it won't necessarily lead to similar positions.  (Recently Giri has allegedly been getting a slight edge as White with some new stuff in the venerable line 4. Bg2 0-0 5. e4 Bxc3.)

But there is also 2. g3, which poses a problem for someone wanting to play ...Bb4 (1. c4 e5 2. g3 Nf6 3. Bg2 Nc6 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Nd5 is supposed to be better for White).  Possibilities there include (assuming you don't want to play 2...Nf6 3. Bg2 d5, which like 1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. g3 d5 can transpose to 1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. g3 d5) 2...Nf6 3. Bg2 c6 and 2...c6.  3...c6 is also a major possibility after 1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. g3, where it is named for Keres.

This seems like the kind of thing for which a book like Fundamental Chess Openings might be handy.

Hi, 
I've always sort of ignored the English because I rarely face it. But then when I do, it's always a disaster. 

So I'm trying to come up with something coherent against it. I've settled on the english four knights where black plays Bb4 without an early d5. The book I've got (Starting Out: English) suggests white's main options are 4. g3, 4. e3, 4. d4 (and maybe 4. d3 or 4. e4). It suggests decent lines vs those things.

I'm just wondering what other major tries I need to be aware of/prepare against. In online blitz, I've seen some 1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. g3. Here I'm not sure what black's main options are (suggestions)?

Also I'm guessing White has other major systems that I should be prepared against (can someone point out what those might be)?