English Opening: Beating The Popular 4

Bc5 System
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WGM Raluca Sgrcea, IM Renier Castellanos

08.07.2015
Category: Openings
Tags: chess, English opening

The English Opening is one of whites most solid start choices. It usually leads to closed
positions with very few exchanges on the board. The battle is tense from the very beginning and
there arent much forced lines for any side. In his prime, Garry Kasparov used the English
Opening quite often, achieving remarkable wins and doing a great contribution to the theory of
this opening.

The fact that this was the main choice of Kasparov reveals that the move 1.c4 is also full of
dynamism and opportunities of developing an aggressive game against black. If we look into the
obscure, secondary lines of this opening, away from the main recommendations, we can find
very interesting plans with excellent chances to set up difficult problems for our opponents. This
is the subject of the present article, as we are going to discuss one non standard way to deal with
the popular system in which black plays 4Bc5.
This development has become very popular in recent years. The idea for black is easy, to develop
all his pieces in a logical way, then aim for ruptures on b5 or d5, depending on how the game
goes. However, there are some drawbacks to this, the main one being the position of blacks dark
squares bishop that often ends up burried on a7. In fact, the main idea that has been suggested
for white is to build a strong pawn chain with a3-b4-e3-d4, gaining space and restricting the
bishop to the maximum.This is one way to play it.

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Another interesting idea for white is the rupture f2-f4. This plan is less known, however we rate
it very highly. Even if, objectively, it is not the best in terms of safety and control of the game,
the practical problems that it presents for black makes it worth playing. White opens the F file
against all forecast in order to start an attack on the kingside.

There are couple of points to keep in consideration when executing this idea:

White leaves the pawn on d2 (This one is obvious. After playing f2-f4, the e3 pawn is
supported best by another pawn rather than a piece.)

If black captures on f4, always recapture with a piece, it can be either knight or
rook. (In chess, the word always should never be taken literally, but you get the point)

The hidden assassin. Or, in other words, whites bishop on b2. Its one of the key pieces
on the position and we can say that freeing the a1-h8 diagonal is another main goal that
white wants to achieve with the f2-f4 pawn break.

The theory of this system is not too well developed yet. However, there have been already quite a
few interesting games and we are sure many more will follow.

White develops his knight via e2:

In Granda,J-Castellanos,R Benasque 2006, white applied this idea quite fast and without much
preparation, achieving a very interesting position. See all the details in the game below.

Granda, Julio vs Castellanos, RenierVilla de BenasqueSort ESP13 Jul 20061-0

1.
2. 1. c4
3. Nf6
4. 2. Nc3
5. e5
6. 3. g3
7. Bc5
8. 4. Bg2
9. Nc6
10. 5. a3 !? A normal move, preparing b4. The timing does not matter too much, white will
play this move anyway.
11.
1. However if
2. 5. e3 black has the extra option of playing
3. d5
4. 6. Nxd5
5. Nxd5
6. 7. cxd5
7. Nb4 which leads to a totally different game.
12. 5...a6
13. 6. e3
14. d6
15. 7. Nge2
16. O-O
17. 8. O-O
18. Ba7
19. 9. f4 !?
20. Rb8 Black tries to prepare counterplay on the opposite wing.
21.
1. 9...exf4
2. 10. Nxf4
3. Ne5
 4. 11. b3
5. c6 makes more sense but the game remains tense. White should continue with
6. 12. Qc2
22. 10. b3
23. Bd7
24. 11. Bb2
25. Ne7
26. 12. h3
27. exf4 ? At the worst possible time
28.
1. 12...Re8
2. 12...Bc6
29. 13. Nxf4
30. Ng6
31. 14. Kh2
32.
1. 14. Nxg6
2. hxg6
3. 15. Qc2 was already much better for white. The plan Rf2-Raf1 is simply too
strong.
4. Bf5 ?!
5. 16. Rxf5
6. gxf5
7. 17. Qxf5 looks great for white.
33. 14...b5
34. 15. cxb5
35. axb5
36. 16. Qc2
37. Ne5
38. 17. Rf2
39.
1. 17. Ne4 !
2. 16
40. 17...c6
41. 18. Nfe2
42. Re8 ?
43.
1. 18...Qe7 142
44. 19. Raf1
45.
1. 19. Ne4 !
2. Nxe4
3. 20. Bxe4
4. Ng6
5. 21. Raf1
46. 19...d5
47. 20. Rxf6 !?
48. gxf6
49. 21. Nf4 White has an obvious compensation for the sacrificed exchange.
50. f5 Only move.
51. 22. Nce2
52. Qg5
53.
1. 22...Qe7 would have been better and possibly enough to keep the balance.
54. 23. h4 ?!
55.
1. 23. Nxd5
2. cxd5
3. 24. Bxe5
4. Rxe5
5. 25. Qc7 !
56. 23...Qh6
57. 24. Nd4
58. Ng4+
59. 25. Kh1
60. Re4 ? Black collapses
61.
1. 25...Bxd4
2. 26. Bxd4
3. Rbc8 =
62. 26. Bxe4
63. fxe4
64. 27. Nxd5
65. Re8
66. 28. Nf5
67. Qe6
68. 29. Nc7
69. Qg6
70. 30. Nxe8
71. Bxf5
72. 31. Qc3
73. Kf8
 74. 32. Qh8+
75. Ke7
76. 33. Nf6

White develops his knight via f3:

This is the standard development for white and perhaps the most dangerous for black. White
plays with maximum flexibility, keeping all his options open.

We can see whites idea in action in the game between Movsesian and Soors. He played Nd5
first, then f4, achieving advantage on both flanks.

Movsesian, S. vs Soors, S.Reykjavik Open 2015Reykjavik ISL13 Mar 20151-0

1.
2. 1. c4
3. e5
4. 2. Nc3
5. Nc6
6. 3. g3
7. Bc5
8. 4. Bg2
9. d6
10. 5. Nf3
11. a6
12. 6. O-O
13. Nf6
14. 7. e3 !? A flexible move. At this point black must also consider wether white is planning
to play d2-d4 or not.
15. O-O
16. 8. b3
17. Ba7
18. 9. Qc2 The start of a nice plan for white. The queen controls the important f5 square as
well is set on the C file. We can see later how useful it becomes on this square.
19. h6 Typical play for black. Other moves don't change the character of the position.
20.
1. 9...Re8
2. 10. Bb2
3. Bd7
4. 11. Nh4
5. g5 ?!
6. 12. Nf5
7. Qc8
8. 13. Ne4
9. Nxe4
10. 14. Bxe4
11. Ne7
12. 15. Nxe7+
13. Rxe7
14. 16. f4
15. gxf4
16. 17. gxf4
17. f6
18. 18. Rf3
19. Kh8
20. 19. Kh1
21. Rg7
22. 20. fxe5
23. fxe5
24. 21. d4
25. Qe8
 26. 22. dxe5
27. dxe5
28. 23. Raf1
29. Bc5
30. 24. Qc3
31. Rg5
32. 25. b4
33. Bc6
34. 26. Bxc6
35. Qxc6
36. 27. Qxe5+
37. Rxe5
38. 28. Bxe5+
39. Kg8
40. 29. Rg1+ 1-0 (29) Nepomniachtchi,I (2732)-Najer,E (2646) Moscow RUS 2014
21. 10. Nh4
22. Bd7
23. 11. Bb2
24.
1. 11. a3 Followed by Bb2 would limit black's option of Nb4 and Bc6
25. 11...Re8
26.
1. 11...Nb4
2. 12. Qb1
3. Bc6 !?
27. 12. a3
28. Rb8 Black's play has been very logical so far, however, in a couple of moves his position
becomes very difficult to defend.
29. 13. Nd5 !
30. 14 White is already better
31. 14. cxd5
32. Ne7
33. 15. f4
34. f6 The only move
35.
1. 15...exf4
2. 16. Rxf4 is just horrible for black
36. 16. Rf2
37.
1. 16. fxe5
2. dxe5
3.
1. 16...fxe5
2. 17. Be4
4. 17. a4
38. 16...a5
39. 17. a4
40. b5
41. 18. Bc3
42. b4
43. 19. Bb2
44. Bc8
45. 20. Qc4 Prevents Ba6 at the same time puts the threat on black's e5 pawn.
46. Kh8
47. 21. Raf1
 48. Rb6
49. 22. Rc1
50. Bb7 Black surrenders
51.
1. 22...Bb8 was the only defense but that's not a pretty move to make.
52. 23. Qxc7
53. Qa8
54. 24. Qd7
55. Qd8
56. 25. Rc7
57. Qxd7
58. 26. Rxd7
59. Kg8
60. 27. fxe5
61. dxe5
62. 28. d6
63. Bxg2
64. 29. Kxg2

Our next game simply shows the amazing attack that can emerge if black is not careful. Here,
GM Potkin finishes the game in style with a beautiful rook sacrifice.

Potkin, V. vs Tabatabaei, M.Aeroflot Open A 2015Moscow RUS27 Mar 20151-0

1.
2. 1. c4
3. Nf6
4. 2. Nc3
5. e5
6. 3. Nf3
7. Nc6
8. 4. g3
9. Bc5
10. 5. Bg2
11. d6
12. 6. O-O
13. a6
14. 7. e3
15. O-O
16. 8. b3
17. Ba7
18. 9. Qc2
19. Re8
20. 10. Bb2
21. h6
22. 11. Nh4
23. Bd7
24. 12. a3
25. Qc8 Threatening to trade the light squares bishops in order to ease the pressure. As we
shall see, this strategy is not enough to equalize.
26. 13. f4 ! Not fearing any ghost.
27.
1. 13. Nd5 ! is also very strong
2. Nxd5
3. 14. cxd5
4. Nd8 and now white can either put pressure with Rac1 or play f4 with a large
advantage in either case.
28. 13...Nd4 This is what black was hoping for, however he soon finds himself in a complete
lost position.
29. 14. Qd3
30.
1. 14. exd4
2. exd4 would be black's dream
3. 15. Kh1
4. dxc3
5. 16. Qxc3
6. c6 =
31. 14...Nxb3
32. 15. fxe5
33. Ng4
34.
1. 15...dxe5 is well met with
2. 16. Nd5
3.
1. 16. Rxf6
2. Nxa1
3. 17. Ne4 36
4. 16...Nxa1
5. 17. Nxf6+
6. gxf6
7. 18. Rxf6 with a winning attack
8. 15...Nc5
9. 16. Qc2
10. dxe5
11. 17. Rxf6
12. gxf6
 13. 18. Nd5
14. Qd8
15. 19. Rf1 looks very bad for black as well.
16. Re6
17. 20. Qf5
18. Rd6
19. 21. Qh5
35. 16. Nd5 !
36. 18
37. 17. Qc2
38. dxe5
39.
1. 17...Ba4
2. 18. Qb1
40. 18. Rxf7 !! Brutal
41. Kxf7
42. 19. Qh7
43. Ke6
44.
1. 19...Nd3
2. 20. Rf1
3. Ndf2
4. 21. Bf3 would win. (Many other ways too)
45. 20. Nf5
46.
1. 20. Qg6+
2. Nf6
 3. 21. Qxg7
4. Qd8
5. 22. Rf1
47. 20...Na4
48. 21. Nxc7 With mate in 3 moves, although he could have saved one move by playing:
49.
1. 21. Nf4
2. exf4
3. 22. Bd5

We hope you have enjoyed reading this article and the ideas presented here will serve you in
your practice. Good luck!

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