English Opening: Symmetrical Variation

The Symmetrical Variation of the English Opening (1.c4 c5) answers White's c-pawn with Black's own, keeping the position symmetrical. Black can also reach it by many move orders, for example 1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 c5.

Origins

The English takes its name from Howard Staunton, who played 1.c4 in his 1843 match against Saint-Amant, but it only caught on in the 20th century. It is now recognised as a solid opening, and world champions from Botvinnik to Carlsen and Ding Liren have played it in title matches.

The idea

Either side may break in the centre early with the d-pawn. If White plays d4 and recaptures with the knight, the game resembles an Open Sicilian with colours reversed, and with a later e4 it can turn into Maróczy Bind lines of the Accelerated Dragon, Taimanov, Kan or Kalashnikov. If Black gets ...d5 in before White plays e4, the game can transpose to a Queen's Gambit Declined.

Main lines

• 2.Nc3, the Normal Variation, with 2...Nc6 (Two Knights Variation) or 2...Nf6 3.Nf3 (Three Knights Variation). A typical line with an early ...d5 is 2...Nf6 3.Nf3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5; after 5.g3 Black can play ...Nc6, ...Nc7 and ...e5, a reversed Maróczy Bind called the Rubinstein System.
• 2.Nf3 with an early d4, as in the Open Sicilian. When Black has played ...Nf6, these lines are often called the Anti-Benoni, since they are often reached from 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.Nf3, where White avoids the Benoni after 3.d5.
• Fianchetto set-ups with g3 and Bg2 for both sides, such as the Ultra-Symmetrical Variation and the Botvinnik System.
• 2.e3 Nf6 3.d4 cxd4 4.exd4 d5 transposes to the Panov Attack of the Caro-Kann.

Typical Black set-ups include the Hedgehog, a solid but flexible defence with ...b6, ...e6, ...Bb7, ...Be7, ...a6 and ...d6, and the double fianchetto with bishops on g7 and b7, which is fairly solid and difficult to defeat at grandmaster level.

Strengths and weaknesses

Strengths

• Many possible set-ups for Black, from the Hedgehog to the double fianchetto.
• Many transpositions to familiar Sicilian and Queen's Gambit structures.

Weaknesses

• Some symmetrical lines, especially with double fianchettoes for both sides, lead to many exchanges and highly drawish positions.
• The English is known as a slippery opening: Black has to choose move orders carefully because of White's transpositions.

Who should play it

The Symmetrical English suits positional players on either side who like long manoeuvring games; Black players with a Sicilian background will find many familiar structures.

The numbers

On Lichess White leads at every level: 51.6% against 44.2% under 1400, 50.9% against 44.7% at 1400–1799, 50.5% against 43.8% at 1800–2199 and 49.2% against 42.7% from 2200 up. In about 22,200 master games White won 34.0%, Black 20.9%, and 45.1% were drawn.