English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense, Queen's Knight Variation

English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense, Queen's Knight Variation is a chess opening with the ECO code A16, part of the English Opening family. It goes 1. c4 Nf6 2. Nc3. White opens with 1. c4 (the English move) and Black answers 1... Nf6. After 3 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... Nf6 – Black plays the knight to f6
• 2. Nc3 – White plays the knight to c3

In chessGM's opening book this position continues with 2... e6, 2... d5.

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.

chessGM has a full course for this line: open the English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense, Queen's Knight Variation course lesson.

Related openings

• It extends: English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense (1. c4 Nf6)
• Continues with: English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense, Anti-Anti-Grünfeld – adds 2... g6 3. Nf3 Bg7 4. e4
• Continues with: English Opening: Anglo-Grünfeld Defense – adds 2... d5
• Continues with: English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense, Hedgehog System – adds 2... e6
• Continues with: English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Fianchetto Variation – adds 2... c5 3. g3
• Related line: English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense, Anglo-Grünfeld Variation (1. c4 Nf6 2. Nc3 d5 3. cxd5 Nxd5 4. g3 g6 5. Bg2 Nxc3)
• Related line: English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense (1. c4 Nf6 2. Nc3 d5 3. cxd5 Nxd5 4. Nf3 c5 5. e3 e6)
• Related line: English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense, Anglo-Grünfeld Variation (1. c4 Nf6 2. Nc3 d5 3. cxd5 Nxd5 4. g3 g6 5. Bg2 Nb6)
• Related line: English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense, Hedgehog System (1. c4 Nf6 2. Nc3 e6)
• Related line: English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense, Anglo-Grünfeld Variation (1. c4 Nf6 2. Nc3 d5 3. cxd5 Nxd5 4. Nf3 g6)
• Related line: English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense, Nimzo-English (1. c4 Nf6 2. Nc3 e6 3. Nf3 Bb4)

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