Hi.

Confused_by_Theory wrote on 12/30/25 at 11:36:04:

kylemeister wrote on 12/30/25 at 14:30:05:

It's been recommended by Svidler (1.c4 g6 2.e4 Bg7 3.Nf3 e5) (in 2014) and is liked by the computer, so if one weighs in theoretical status this one might indeed be hard to call a sideline.

Have a nice day.

Hi.

I could also make the observation that:
1.c4 g6 2.Nc3 Bg7 3.Nf3 e5!?
Appears like a line to have something against.

4.e3 Ne7 Becomes a position where it is not obvious 5.d4 is so threatening
4.d4 exd4 (or 4...d6 which requires some knowledge from white) 5.Nxd4 Nc6 or 5...Nf6 both look playable for black.
4.g3 Nc6 By waiting like this black will have induced g3 and thus avoided 1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.Nf3 g6 4.e3!?

If instead we try to move order into lines covered in the book:

1.c4 g6 2.d4 Nf6 A regular Grünfeld (black plays 3...d5) would be on the menu. Not something allowed in the book.
1.c4 g6 2.Nc3 Bg7 3.d4 Is possible and could reasonably transpose to a KID, but there are quite a lot of sidelines (3...e5, 3...c5, 3...Nc6, 3...d6 4.e4 Bg4, 3...d6 4.Nf3 e5/c5/a6/Bg4/Nc6)
1.c4 g6 2.Nc3 Bg7 3.e4 c5 Is asfaik known to not really be a good version of the early bind for white.
1.c4 g6 2.Nf3 Bg7 3.d4 Nf6 It would be hard to avoid a three knights Grünfeld
1.c4 g6 2.Nf3 Bg7 3.e4 and again a KID is possible but there are quite many sidelines. (3...e5, 3...Nc6 4.d4 e5, 3...c5 4.d4 Qa5/Qb6/Nc6/d6/Nf6, 4...cxd4 5.Nxd4 Qb6, 3...d6 4.d4 e5/c5/Bg4)

Also. To add a little context. 1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 g6 3.d4 (this is in the book). So it is actually quite important that black has the bishop on g7 when e7-e5 is played. 

Have a nice day.

Nernstian59 wrote on 12/19/25 at 21:01:29:

The Wayback Machine has it.
https://web.archive.org/web/20240715123721/https://www.qualitychess.co.uk/ebooks/PlayingtheEnglish-Appendix.pdf

Confused_by_Theory wrote on 12/19/25 at 08:48:18:

I didn't mention it in my last post, but I tried without success to find that free pdf. According to Reply #1, it was located in the Quality Chess blog, but that part of the QC site doesn't seem to have survived the transition to being part of the New in Chess website. For this reason, it's even more important for the second edition to include the missing QID chapter.

Speaking of QID, it's odd what happened to that acronym when quoted. I don't recall that happening before, but I see that my quote generated an even longer string of gibberish.

I see that the "Coming Soon" page on the New in Chess site shows a second edition of Playing the English is on its way under the new title Win with the English!. An excerpt doesn't appear to be available yet, but the new book's description states it builds on Playing the English "by tweaking move orders, plugging gaps and steering the play in even more practically potent directions than before." I hope that the omission of the QID will be among the gaps that are plugged.

Hi.

I looked a bit at how to avoid:
1.c4 c5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.d4 d5 6.0-0 cxd4 7.Nxd4 0-0 8.cxd5 Nxd5 (D)
I don't know if this has been discussed before in other threads. In this book see page 115.
Will share some thoughts. The book does give a ninth move for white, not a continuation but a move, which one can play from here so that is something to begin with. I'm still not sold though.


In the book the alternative continuation 6.Nc3!? is given as well, but also with limited continuations.

I actually wonder if not
1.c4 c5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.d4 d5 6.Nc3 O-O 7.cxd5 Nxd5 8.Nxd5 Qxd5 9.O-O Rd8!?
With the idea:
10.Be3 Qf5!?
Maybe a novelty. Only checked Megabase though.
11.Qa4 cxd4 12.Nxd4 Bxd4 13.Bxd4 Bd7 14.Qb3 Bc6
Is not just solid enough for black.

Some continuations not in the book I would consider:
1.c4 c5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.d4 d5 6.Nc3 cxd4 7.Nxd4 e5!? And after 8.Qa4+ Bd7 9.Ndb5! With hopefully some chances to press for white seems best.
1.c4 c5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.d4 d5 6.Nc3 Nc6 White should probably play for dxc5 at some point.

Also it seems black can move move order in to:
1.c4 c5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.d4 0-0!? 6.Nc3
6.0-0 cxd4 7.Nxd4 d5 8.cxd5 Nxd5 transposes to the diagram line.
6...cxd4 7.Nxd4 Qc7!?
Which looks a bit annoying.

Have a nice day.
/ CbT

Hi.

Speaking of missing lines. This is a minor one but I would have been interested to see something on:
1.c4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.Nc3 d6 6.O-O Be6!?
Have played it a couple of times and it has some clear points compared to 6...Bf5. Mainly it's harder to prevent Qc8 (or even Qd7) plus later Bh3, since white should probably spend one move on defending the c4 pawn.

Regards CbT.