A28 English Opening: King’s English Variation, Four Knights Variation
A28 holds nine named lines, all under the name English Opening. It leaves A22 (English Opening: King’s English Variation, Two Knights Variation) with 3.Nf3 Nc6. Its deepest line, English Opening: King’s English Variation, Four Knights Variation, runs to 8...Ne5, the second-longest of the 29 English Opening codes. That final move, by the knight, opens a line for the rook on a8 and guards the pawn on e5.
| # | White | Black |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | c4 | e5 |
| 2 | Nc3 | Nf6 |
| 3 | Nf3 | Nc6 |
Lines filed under A28
All nine share their first six plies, the whole reference line and then split five ways at White’s move 4.
| Name | After the shared start | Plies | At the end |
|---|---|---|---|
| English Opening: King’s English Variation, Four Knights Variation | (the shared start itself) | 6 | |
| English Opening: Four Knights System, Nimzowitsch Variation | 4.e4 | 7 | |
| English Opening: King’s English Variation, Four Knights Variation, Flexible Line | 4.d3 | 7 | |
| English Opening: King’s English Variation, Four Knights Variation, Korchnoi Line | 4.a3 | 7 | |
| English Opening: King’s English Variation, Four Knights Variation, Quiet Line | 4.e3 | 7 | |
| English Opening: King’s English Variation, Four Knights Variation, Bradley Beach Variation | 4.d4 e4 | 8 | |
| English Opening: King’s English Variation, Four Knights Variation, Quiet Line | 4.e3 Bb4 5.Qc2 Bxc3 | 10 | Black +3 |
| English Opening: King’s English Variation, Four Knights Variation, Quiet Line | 4.e3 Bb4 5.Qc2 O-O 6.Nd5 Re8 7.Qf5 | 13 | Black castled |
| English Opening: King’s English Variation, Four Knights Variation | 4.d4 exd4 5.Nxd4 Bb4 6.Bg5 h6 7.Bh4 Bxc3+ 8.bxc3 Ne5 | 16 |
The road to A28
- 1.c4 … 1...e5two earlier stops: A10, A20
- 2.Nc3A21 Reversed Sicilian
- 2...Nf6A22 Two Knights Variation
- 3...Nc6A28
The position after 3...Nc6
White has brought out the knight on c3 and knight on f3; Black the knight on c6 and knight on f6. White could capture with Nxe5. White is to move and has 28 legal moves.
Codes that branch off from A28
The reference lines of one other code leave A28 from the position after 3...Nc6, each with its own moves.
| Code | Moves | Reference line |
|---|---|---|
| A29 | 4.g3 | English Opening: King’s English Variation, Four Knights Variation, Fianchetto Line |
Closest boards in other codes
| Code | Line | Differs on |
|---|---|---|
| A27 | English Opening: King’s English Variation, Three Knights System | two squares: f6, g8 |
| A25 | English Opening: King’s English Variation, Reversed Closed Sicilian | four squares: g1, f3, f6, g8 |
| C47 | Four Knights Game | four squares: c2, e2, c4, e4 |
| A16 | English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense, Queen’s Knight Variation | six squares: g1, f3, e5, c6, e7, b8 |
| A17 | English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense, Hedgehog System | six squares: g1, f3, e5, c6, e6, b8 |
| A21 | English Opening: King’s English Variation, Reversed Sicilian | six squares: g1, f3, c6, f6, b8, g8 |
| A33 | English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Anti-Benoni Variation, Spielmann Defense | six squares: d2, f3, d4, e5, e6, c7 |
Where lines continue from here
Nine named lines filed under other codes pass through the position after 3...Nc6. All of them belong to the codes listed above.