English Opening: King's English Variation, Bellon Gambit
English Opening: King's English Variation, Bellon Gambit is a chess opening with the ECO code A22, part of the English Opening family. It goes 1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Nf3 e4 4. Ng5 b5. White opens with 1. c4 (the English move) and Black answers 1... e5. After 8 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. c4 – White plays the pawn to c4
1... e5 – Black plays the pawn to e5
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... e4 – Black plays the pawn to e4
4. Ng5 – White plays the knight to g5
4... b5 – Black plays the pawn to b5
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