A10–C20 Flank openings

English Opening

White controls d5 from the flank and keeps several central structures available.

Best for

Players who enjoy flexible move orders, positional pressure, and reversed Sicilian structures.

Study map

Start with one line, then add nearby branches.

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01English OpeningA10 · 1 movenew02English Opening: Anglo-Dutch DefenseA10 · 1 movenew03English Opening: Anglo-Lithuanian VariationA10 · 1 movenew04English Opening: Anglo-Scandinavian DefenseA10 · 1 movenew05English Opening: Great Snake VariationA10 · 1 movenew

Browse all 166 lines

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King's English Variation47 lines
Symmetrical Variation32 lines
Anglo-Indian Defense25 lines
Agincourt Defense23 lines
Anglo-Scandinavian Defense4 lines
Mikenas-Carls Variation3 lines
Anglo-Dutch Defense2 lines
Anglo-Dutch Variation2 lines
Anglo-Grünfeld Defense2 lines

Mix the variations

Practice changing book replies after you know at least 2 lines.

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White's plan

  1. 01 Use Bg2 to control the long diagonal.
  2. 02 Choose d4 or e4 based on Black's setup.
  3. 03 Expand with b4 when the center is stable.

Black's plan

  1. 01 Claim central space before White does.
  2. 02 Use ...d5 or ...e5 decisively.
  3. 03 Watch queenside expansion after Bg2.

Position fingerprint

The squares that explain the opening

d5 is White's first target, g2 starts the main diagonal, and b5 often supports queenside space.

Keep the position healthy

Practical habits

  • Turn flank control into a central break.
  • Avoid drifting through move orders without claiming space.