ecocodes
Volume A · Flank openings‹ A34A36 ›
a1b2c3d4e5f6g7h8
Reference position · White to move

A35 English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Two Knights Variation

A35 holds four named lines, all under the name English Opening. It leaves A34 (English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Normal Variation) with 2...Nc6. Lines filed under A38 and D32 reach one of its named positions by a different move order. None of its four lines contains a capture. After 2...Nc6 the position is a mirror image: every Black man stands opposite its White counterpart.

Score sheet
#WhiteBlack
1c4c5
2Nc3Nc6

The move that completes A35

The reference line of A36 plays all of these moves and continues beyond them; A35 is the position reached at 2...Nc6.

  1. 2...Nc6 The knight leaves b8 for c6, opening a line for the rook on a8.

Lines filed under A35

All four share the start 1.c4 c5 and then split two ways at White’s move 2.

NameAfter the shared startPlies
English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Two Knights Variation2.Nc3 Nc64
English Opening: Symmetrical Variation2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Nf3 e56
English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Four Knights Variation2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nc3 Nc66
English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Four Knights Variation, Keres-Parma System2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nc3 Nc6 4.g3 e68

English Opening: Symmetrical Variation

  1. 2.Nc3 The knight leaves b1 for c3, opening a line for the rook on a1.
  2. 2...Nf6 The knight leaves g8 for f6, opening a line for the rook on h8.
  3. 3.Nf3 The knight leaves g1 for f3, opening a line for the rook on h1.
  4. 3...e5 The e-pawn advances two squares to e5, covering d4 and f4, opening a line for the queen on d8 and the bishop on f8.

English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Four Knights Variation

  1. 2.Nf3 The knight leaves g1 for f3, opening a line for the rook on h1.
  2. 2...Nf6 The knight leaves g8 for f6, opening a line for the rook on h8.
  3. 3.Nc3 The knight leaves b1 for c3, opening a line for the rook on a1.
  4. 3...Nc6 The knight leaves b8 for c6, opening a line for the rook on a8.

English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Four Knights Variation, Keres-Parma System

  1. 2.Nf3 The knight leaves g1 for f3, opening a line for the rook on h1.
  2. 2...Nf6 The knight leaves g8 for f6, opening a line for the rook on h8.
  3. 3.Nc3 The knight leaves b1 for c3, opening a line for the rook on a1.
  4. 3...Nc6 The knight leaves b8 for c6, opening a line for the rook on a8.
  5. 4.g3 The g-pawn advances to g3, covering f4 and h4, opening a line for the bishop on f1.

The road to A35

  1. 1.c4one earlier stop: A10
  2. 1...c5A30 Symmetrical Variation
  3. 2.Nc3A34 Normal Variation
  4. 2...Nc6A35

The position after 2...Nc6

White has brought out the knight on c3; Black the knight on c6. White is to move and has 25 legal moves.

WhiteBlackMaterial (pawn units)3939Minor pieces developed11Moves spent on pawns11Pawns on d4, e4, d5, e500Squares attacked in the other half22not castlednot castled

Codes that branch off from A35

The reference lines of two other codes leave A35 from two of its named positions; “From” gives the last part of that position’s name.

CodeFromMovesReference line
A36Two Knights Variation3.g3English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Two Knights, Fianchetto Variation
A38Four Knights Variation4.g3 g6 5.Bg2 Bg7English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Full Symmetry Line

Closest boards in other codes

CodeLineDiffers on
A25English Opening: King’s English Variation, Reversed Closed Sicilianfour squares: c5, e5, c7, e7
A30English Opening: Symmetrical Variationfour squares: b1, c3, c6, b8
A11English Opening: Caro-Kann Defensive Systemfive squares: b1, c3, c5, c6, b8
A00Van Geet Openingsix squares: c2, c4, c5, c6, c7, b8
A10English Openingsix squares: b1, c3, c5, c6, c7, b8
A16English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense, Queen’s Knight Variationsix squares: c5, c6, f6, c7, b8, g8
A21English Opening: King’s English Variation, Reversed Siciliansix squares: c5, e5, c6, c7, e7, b8

Where lines continue from here

Ten named lines filed under other codes pass through the position after 2...Nc6. Besides the codes above, they belong to A37.

Volume A

  1. 00
  2. 01
  3. 02
  4. 03
  5. 04
  6. 05
  7. 06
  8. 07
  9. 08
  10. 09
  11. 10
  12. 11
  13. 12
  14. 13
  15. 14
  16. 15
  17. 16
  18. 17
  19. 18
  20. 19
  21. 20
  22. 21
  23. 22
  24. 23
  25. 24
  26. 25
  27. 26
  28. 27
  29. 28
  30. 29
  31. 30
  32. 31
  33. 32
  34. 33
  35. 34
  36. 35
  37. 36
  38. 37
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  92. 91
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  94. 93
  95. 94
  96. 95
  97. 96
  98. 97
  99. 98
  100. 99

Other move orders

  • English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Four Knights Variation is also reached inside A38 English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Full Symmetry Line, whose order is 1.c4 Nf6 2.Nf3 c5 3.Nc3 Nc6.
  • English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Four Knights Variation is also reached inside D32 Tarrasch Defense: Symmetrical Variation, whose order is 1.c4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6.

Open this line in the finderAll English Opening codes