English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Rubinstein Variation
English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Rubinstein Variation is a chess opening with the ECO code A34, part of the English Opening family. It goes 1. c4 c5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. g3 Nc6 6. Bg2 Nc7. White opens with 1. c4 (the English move) and Black answers 1... c5. 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. c4 – White plays the pawn to c4
1... c5 – Black plays the pawn to c5
2. Nf3 – White plays the knight to f3
2... Nf6 – Black plays the knight to f6
3. Nc3 – White plays the knight to c3
3... d5 – Black plays the pawn to d5
4. cxd5 – White captures on d5 with the c-pawn
4... Nxd5 – Black takes on d5 with the knight
5. g3 – White plays the pawn to g3
5... Nc6 – Black plays the knight to c6
6. Bg2 – White plays the bishop to g2
6... Nc7 – Black plays the knight to c7
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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