English Opening
Move Sequence
c4— Flank attack on d5 — the quiet, flexible English.
The English Opening begins with 1.c4 and is a hypermodern opening: White does not claim the centre with a pawn move to e4 or d4 but controls it with pieces — in particular the knight on c3 and the fianchettoed bishop on g2. The English was popularised in the 19th century by the English world-class player Howard Staunton.
A typical continuation is 1.c4 e5 2.♞c3 ♞f6 3.♞f3 ♞c6 4.g3 ♝b4 5.♝g2 O-O 6.O-O.
Strategy
The central theme of the English is flexibility. White makes few early commitments and can transpose into various structures depending on Black's response: a Queen's Gambit-like position, the King's Indian, the Nimzo-Indian or purely English systems. The fianchettoed bishop on g2 permanently controls the long diagonal. Because the English allows so many transpositions, it is also very hard to refute at a high level.
Typical Continuation
After 4.g3 ♝b4 5.♝g2 O-O 6.O-O a quiet, positional setup arises. White plays for piece activity and waits for a good moment for d2-d4. If Black responds with 1...c5 (Symmetrical English), a fight for d4 and d5 ensues. For beginners the English is rather advanced because it requires an understanding of hypermodern principles.
Suitable for: Positional / strategic — for players who want to exploit flexibility and transpositions.