English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense, Queen's Indian Variation
English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense, Queen's Indian Variation is a chess opening with the ECO code A17, part of the English Opening family. It goes 1. c4 e6 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Nf3 b6 4. e4 Bb7 5. Bd3. White opens with 1. c4 (the English move) and Black answers 1... e6. After 9 moves it is Black 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. c4 – White plays the pawn to c4
1... e6 – Black plays the pawn to e6
2. Nc3 – White plays the knight to c3
2... Nf6 – Black plays the knight to f6
3. Nf3 – White plays the knight to f3
3... b6 – Black plays the pawn to b6
4. e4 – White plays the pawn to e4
4... Bb7 – Black plays the bishop to b7
5. Bd3 – White plays the bishop to d3
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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