@Brabo
That’s a pity if you have stopped. I guess people doing blogs might not get much love, and maybe don’t get many comments there. 

But I’ll just say here that I visited your blog a good few times after you posted about it and was impressed by the content you posted. Interesting, useful and enjoyable stuff. Thank you for sharing your ideas.

TopNotch wrote on 09/08/21 at 00:32:45:


If disrespect is the reason, yes.

But: We don't know it. And the topic is very probably interesting for others too.

The Modernized Dutch Defense prefers 7...c6 lines.

Darthmambo wrote on 05/30/21 at 00:23:45:


I highly recommend this course. 

Darthmambo wrote on 05/31/21 at 06:14:22:


Good question, and I look forward to the answers you may get.

There are several books on the English from white's perspective. They cover everything and may not give a lot of attention to this line. Also, some Opening Repertoire books for white narrow their focus in some other direction.

ChessPublishing has a playable eBook (CBV, May 2021) on the "King's English" that certainly deserves a look if you have access to it.

From black's perspective, what is the best move order? I suggest 1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6, and if 3Nf3 f5. Apparently a reversed Grand Prix attack. Now the game can go it's own way with 4d4 e4. This does not appear to be too fashionable these days. Is white ducking these lines?

I think play is more likely to proceed 1c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3g3 g6, when it is quite likely that you will get your reversed Closed Sicilian. According to my venerable ECO, these lines can be found in A25 and A26. I think black is O.K.. Both players can find something interesting.

The lines are out of fashion now, with the reversed classical Dragon taking the limelight instead. I think a reversed closed Sicilian, like the closed Sicilian itself, somewhat shifts the emphasis from the opening to the middle game.

Stigma wrote on 09/16/20 at 23:50:48:


I actually been looking for something vs the english and saw the short and sweet on this course. I was impressed, im still looking but I might actually go with his reconmendstion if I do not find anything else I like.

It's free, check it out.

As I recall, Mikhalevski’s repertoire with 1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 e6 allows White to transpose into a QID where Black is committed to ...Bb7 rather than ...Ba6. That’s fine if you prefer ...Bb7, but annoying if you don’t.

If you have patience, Chessable have a "Lifetime Repertoire: Symmetrical English" by David Vigorito in the pipeline.

All I have seen is a call for beta testers, so I have no information on the contents. Nor on the quality obviously, but off the top of my head I can't recall any opening works by Vigorito that weren't well received.

Modern-chess.com has a three-part, Hedgehog-based repertoire against 1.Nf3 by Marin. He doesn't cover 1.c4.

If you find Mikhalevski's book heavy going (it's a QC GM Rep book), then Attacking the English/Reti (Delchev & Semkov, Chess Stars, 2016) might be more digestible.

If you want to play 1. c4 e5, the obvious answer is Beating Minor Openings by Victor Mikhalevski (Quality Chess, 2016). This book also provides three separate responses to 1. Nf3 based on 1...d5, 1...Nf6 2. c4 e6 and 1...Nf6 2. c4 g6, and covers all of the minor first moves. The main 1. c4 e5 coverage is based on an early ...Bb4; if you want to play a reversed Dragon, you are probably better off with Avrukh's two-part database from Modern Chess.

If you want to play a hedgehog set-up, then definitely The Hedgehog vs The English / Reti by Lysyj and Ovetchkin (Chess Stars, 2017). This book only covers 1. c4 and 1. Nf3. It assumes the move order 1. Nf3 c5, which doesn't help if you would be caught out after 2.e4; however the repertoire also works with 1. Nf3 Nf6 in my experience.

If you like a standard symmetrical English with 1. c4 c5, the older book Beating Unusual Chess Openings by Richard Palliser (Everyman, 2006) should still be good enough almost everywhere. It covers all of the minor first moves in addition to 1. c4 and 1. Nf3, and is very good on early move orders. However you would need to update for recent discoveries in the sharpest lines, e.g. after 1. c4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Qb6 5. Nb3 e6 6. Nc3 Nf6 7. g3.

I dare say Sam Shankland's database Black vs The English, Reti and Sidelines (Chessable) is very good, but I haven't seen it myself.