ecocodes
Volume A · Flank openings‹ A37A39 ›
a1b2c3d4e5f6g7h8
Reference position · White to move

A38 English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Full Symmetry Line

A38 holds three named lines, all under the name English Opening. It leaves A35 (English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Four Knights Variation) with 4.g3 g6 5.Bg2 Bg7. Black has three minor pieces off their first squares, level for the most of the 29 English Opening codes. After 5...Bg7 the position is a mirror image: every Black man stands opposite its White counterpart.

Score sheet
#WhiteBlack
1c4Nf6
2Nf3c5
3Nc3Nc6
4g3g6
5Bg2Bg7

The move that completes A38

The reference line of A39 plays all of these moves and continues beyond them; A38 is the position reached at 5...Bg7.

  1. 5...Bg7 The bishop leaves f8 for g7, opening a line for the rook on h8, guarding the rook on h8.

Lines filed under A38

All three share the start 1.c4 and then split two ways at Black’s move 1.

NameAfter the shared startPliesAt the end
English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Full Symmetry Line1...Nf6 2.Nf3 c5 3.Nc3 Nc6 4.g3 g6 5.Bg2 Bg710
English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Double Fianchetto1...c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.Nf3 Nf6 6.O-O O-O 7.b313both castled
English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Duchamp Variation1...Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.g3 Bg7 4.Bg2 O-O 5.O-O c5 6.Nc3 Nc6 7.d313both castled

English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Double Fianchetto

  1. 1...c5 The c-pawn advances two squares to c5, covering b4 and d4, opening a line for the queen on d8.
  2. 2.Nc3 The knight leaves b1 for c3, opening a line for the rook on a1.
  3. 2...Nc6 The knight leaves b8 for c6, opening a line for the rook on a8.
  4. 3.g3 The g-pawn advances to g3, covering f4 and h4, opening a line for the bishop on f1.
  5. 3...g6 The g-pawn advances to g6, covering f5 and h5, opening a line for the bishop on f8.

English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Duchamp Variation

  1. 1...Nf6 The knight leaves g8 for f6, opening a line for the rook on h8.
  2. 2.Nf3 The knight leaves g1 for f3, opening a line for the rook on h1.
  3. 2...g6 The g-pawn advances to g6, covering f5 and h5, opening a line for the bishop on f8.
  4. 3.g3 The g-pawn advances to g3, covering f4 and h4, opening a line for the bishop on f1.
  5. 3...Bg7 The bishop leaves f8 for g7, opening a line for the rook on h8, guarding the rook on h8.

The road to A38

Two of the five named positions on the way are reached by a move order other than their own.

  1. 1.c4 … 2...c5three earlier stops: A10, A15
  2. 3.Nc3A34 Three Knights Variation by another order
  3. 3...Nc6A35 Four Knights Variation by another order
  4. 5...Bg7A38

The position after 5...Bg7

White has brought out the knight on c3, knight on f3 and bishop on g2; Black the knight on c6, knight on f6 and bishop on g7. White is to move and has 31 legal moves.

WhiteBlackMaterial (pawn units)3939Minor pieces developed33Moves spent on pawns22Pawns on d4, e4, d5, e500Squares attacked in the other half44not castlednot castled

Codes that branch off from A38

The reference lines of one other code leave A38 from the position after 5...Bg7, each with its own moves.

CodeMovesReference line
A396.O-O O-O 7.d4English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Mecking Variation

Closest boards in other codes

CodeLineDiffers on
A37English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Three Knights, Fianchetto Variationtwo squares: f6, g8
D34Tarrasch Defense: Prague Variation, Main Lineeight squares: d2, c4, d4, d5, g6, d7, e7, g7
E64King’s Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Pterodactyl Variationeight squares: b1, d2, c3, d4, a5, c6, b8, d8
A29English Opening: King’s English Variation, Four Knights Variation, Fianchetto Linenine squares: f1, g2, c5, e5, g6, c7, e7, g7 …
A36English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Two Knights, Fianchetto Variationnine squares: f1, g1, g2, f3, f6, g6, g7, f8 …
A28English Opening: King’s English Variation, Four Knights Variationten squares: f1, g2, g3, c5, e5, g6, c7, e7 …
A87Dutch Defense: Leningrad Variationten squares: b1, d2, c3, d4, c5, f5, c6, c7 …

Where lines continue from here

One named line filed under other codes passes through the position after 5...Bg7. It belongs to the code listed above.

Volume A

  1. 00
  2. 01
  3. 02
  4. 03
  5. 04
  6. 05
  7. 06
  8. 07
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  100. 99

Open this line in the finderAll English Opening codes