Flexible, patient, and deadly. Control the board without committing.
A sophisticated flank opening where White plays 1.c4, controlling d5 from the side. The English leads to rich, strategic positions with the fianchettoed bishop on g2 as its centerpiece.
- ◆Control d5 from the flank with c4
- ◆Fianchetto the bishop to g2 for long diagonal control
- ◆The Botvinnik System combines c4 + e4 for a massive center
- ◆d4 is the key central break — time it carefully
- ◆Patience and flexibility are rewarded
- ◆The Reversed Sicilian gives White an extra tempo
Played byMikhail Botvinnik,Magnus Carlsen,Lev Polugaevsky,Michael Adams