The English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Mecking Variation reaches a named position after 7 moves: 1. c4 Nf6 2. Nf3 c5 3. Nc3 Nc6 4. g3 g6 5. Bg2 Bg7 6. O-O O-O 7. d4
In practical games, this line matters because the early pawn and piece choices decide which middlegame plans are natural. Use the board above to learn the move order, then complete Practice without hints before adding the opening to your regular queue.
If this exact branch does not appear in your games, study the related lines below. Openings often transpose, and recognizing the family pattern is more useful than memorizing one narrow sequence.
The idea behind this line
White controls d5 from the flank and keeps several central structures available.
What to look for
- Use Bg2 to control the long diagonal.
- Choose d4 or e4 based on Black's setup.
- Expand with b4 when the center is stable.
Position details
This line branches from English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Full Symmetry Line with O-O.
r1bqk2r/pp1pppbp/2n2np1/2p5/2P5/2N2NP1/PP1PPPBP/R1BQ1RK1 b kq - 3 6