English Opening: Agincourt Defense, Neo-Catalan Declined
English Opening: Agincourt Defense, Neo-Catalan Declined is a chess opening with the ECO code A14, part of the English Opening family. It goes 1. Nf3 d5 2. g3 Nf6 3. Bg2 e6 4. O-O Be7 5. c4 O-O 6. b3 c5. White opens with 1. Nf3 (the Zukertort/Réti knight move) and Black answers 1... d5. After 12 moves it is White to move. The lesson on the board explains every move of the line and lets you play it yourself; it is free.
The moves
1. Nf3 – White plays the knight to f3
1... d5 – Black plays the pawn to d5
2. g3 – White plays the pawn to g3
2... Nf6 – Black plays the knight to f6
3. Bg2 – White plays the bishop to g2
3... e6 – Black plays the pawn to e6
4. O-O – White castles kingside
4... Be7 – Black plays the bishop to e7
5. c4 – White plays the pawn to c4
5... O-O – Black castles kingside
6. b3 – White plays the pawn to b3
6... c5 – Black plays the pawn to c5
About the English Opening
White starts with 1.c4, controlling d5 from the side. It is flexible and often leads to slow, strategic games.
White often fianchettoes with g3 and Bg2 to aim the bishop down the long diagonal.
Against 1...e5 it is like a Sicilian with colours reversed and an extra tempo for White.
White fights on the queenside with b4-b5 and the open c-file.
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