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this is called "The English"

"Between onib and me", not "between onib and I"  

This is what happens when parents are overzealous about the 'you and I' thing. cdeburca is correct, of course, but that hasn't stopped him mentioning it.   The English Opening (once a huge favorite of mine) tends to a more positional sort of game than the more popular openings, but does have a considerable potential to transpose into lines arising from 1.e4 and 1.d4.

1c4 is a common opening, so try to get used to it. In this stage of the game, if you don't know what to play, use your instinct. e5 is a very good and common reply to c4, trying to get a hold of the center, and a way to develop your pieces, like a normal e4 or e5.

Nothing wrong at all with 1...e5 in response to the English, and it can (though need not) indeed lead to Sicilian Reversed-type games.

This isn't really a gambit, though it could turn into one. Possibly this move is intended to throw you off balance - it doesn't look very good for anything else - but as you are unfamiliar with this opening anyway, it seems a misplaced effort!

As fisher would say the way to refute a gambit is accept it once then refuse it twice.

At this point, you have not made any mistake, instead, these moves are all book opening.

In this case this is a very good move.

Yes, and this is why 2.d4 was not the best of several moves White could have chosen.

@cdeburca: you mean 5.b3 (followed by 6.Bb2) of course..

I agree.

Be7 is better to block the check. Then the knight can go to f6 and you can castle. Now castling is a bit harder, and the DSB is blocked in. I'd consider 5. b3 for white, hindering black from playing ...g6 and freeing his pieces. ***Edit*** - yeah, 5. b2 would be quite the trick...

In most cases, bishops are developped better on the 7th rank to make it fianchetto. the h8-a1 diagonal is the biggest diagonal the dsb can stand on, and it is also a way to control the center. As I said 'most cases' because sometimes it is good to stop the other player from castling (like in our game   )

The idea really is to play ...Bg7. What that fianchetto does is strike at the centre dark squares (see how the bishop would be cooperating with the Knight at c6), but also strikes at the rook on a1. If White were to play 6.b2 now, then 6...Bg7 7.Nc3 (forced) Nb4 and things are starting to get rather exciting around White's Q-side.

Another idea might be to play b3 and Bb2.

But see my previous comment. White's choice seems best to me.

Here there is an interesting idea if white wants to prevent black from playing ...Bg7 6. Qc3!? Rg8 and black can no longer castle kingside.

@jkarp, this should not !!

Ultimately, this move fails after 7.Qd2, where your pieces will start being overwhelmed.

A bit premature, possibly, Joe, though the prospect of a family check is tempting. I wonder if there was a way to wangle it so that you got more out of this move (or the possibility of this move)? Sometimes it is better to withhold the threat for the moment (especially if, as chesskingdom64 has mentioned, the enemy has a way out) and just continue developing. White has to spend time dealing with the problem (supposing he spots it) or else a better opportunity turns up top exploit the situation.

I echo what ionadowman said and add the before you attack on the flank make sure you control the centre.

The problem here is not the specific move, but the concept of attempting wild tactical shots so early in the game. Yes, it may work occasionally at the 1000-1200 level ... but it's a pretty bad habit to get into. More often than not there's a 'stopper' (7. Qd2 in this case as CK64 pointed out) and you've just wasted a move that could have been better used for development. The fact that it worked in this case just reinforces the idea that this is a good move when in fact it was a very premature attack.

although it would not be my choice move is still very good since it threatens ...Ng3 forking the bishop and rook.

10.e4 was better.

First, the fork, and now this? White is now hanging on to a single strand of string with this lacking position. At the same time, Black is sitting there letting his single handed Knight that is wiping out White's position!? I just don't know what to say for White because he is toast (breakfast anyone?).

This is OK, though it has to be said, his bishop isn't going anywhere fro a move or two. I'd bring out my other pieces, if I were Black. But this isn't to criticise this knight move overmuch. White will lose as much time as Black does.

This move isn't bad, actually. In fact it is very good. Look at the bind now upon White's K-side. Black can afford to wait before taking the Bishop on f1. Timing's the trick...

You overlooked that you weren't attacking his rook?! I think you need to take a little bit more care over moves if you're overlooking stuff like that. ***Edit*** - it's not a bad move alright - develops a piece and readies castling in addition to the points you mention - just the thought process is a little all over the shop. If that could be tidied up, jkarp would improve a bit.

If you play ...g6 then you can almost always be sure that ...Bg7 is a good move. I do not know how many times I have seen players play ...g6 intending ...Bg7 but never do it.

A fair move made for the wrong reasons. Black was fixated on getting the Bishop onto the a7-g1 diagonal and attacking the Rook ... but that fixation didn't extend to assessing the other pieces that may be involved. A bit of tunnel vision I think.

He clearly wants to play b4, kicking your bishop.

He's right. Your c4-Bishop is a real bone in his throat right now. Probably he ought to play one of his knights to e4, and force an exchange. But that is not a very enticing plan for White, as every even exchange henceforth adds value to Black's material edge.

13 ... 0-0 is better than f6 I think, although your king gets vulnerable (there's still a dsb and g6 has been played). On the other hand, trying f6 and castling long is an option, but it would take a long time. Also Rf8 is not possible because Nxh7, attacking the rook.

Me too. f6 doesn't do much for Black and neither does it (considering the Damiano as a reason why).

Here I must disagree with the kibitzers. Although 13...0-0 would have been fine, 13...f6 or ...f5 were equally good alternatives. Having said that, 13...b6!! is in fact a brilliant move that effectively brings about exchanges toward a winning endgame. I reckon it was at least as good as the alternatives ... provided Black saw through the consequences.

Can I also add the the game move 12. ...Nxf1 13. Rxf1! encouraging white to put his once useless rook on the f-file eyeing the tasty morsal on f7 is just asking for trouble. Sometimes, it is better to take a breathe and consolidate. For example. 12. ...d6 13. b4 Qf6(attacking the hanging knight) 14. Kc2 Bb6 and either 15. Kb3 or Bb2 loses the e3 pawn.

Agree! The g3-Knight was trapping both the Bishop and Rook. That sounds like an excellent use of a Knight ... good value for the money. White can't free the Bishop or the Rook without major time-wasting maneuvering.

14. ... Qe7 is a bad move. At least take a couple of pawns - 14. ... Qxh4, with Qxc4 to follow.

The first thing that Black wants are freebies (even pawns). The last thing, ...losing a Bishop for a pawn.

As it turns out, 14...Qxe7 was not the correct follow-up. In fact, Black had to leave his Queen strictly alone. Instead 14...Rf8! (A Queen sacrifice!) 15.Nxd8 Rxf1ch 16.Kc2 Kxd8 (Even tastier would have been 16...Be7 17.g3 Rg1 clearing out White's K-side pawns, whilst the White Knight watches helplessly from Death Row at d8). Either way White would still have been a rook behind and unable to protect his K-side pawns.

16 ... Qe5 looks nice but looking at it the second time its pretty bad since Nf6+ makes some good forking opportunities for white with both knights, black will have to play Ke7 since that is the only safe square, white can play Nd5+ again and I haven't really analized it but it all looks pretty dangerous for black.

Instead of 15...Bxe3 last move, 15...Bb7 would have retained the initiative. By attacking the g-pawn, Black would have gained a tempo to castle long and win the Knight at h8: 15...Bb7 16.e4 0-0-0 17.Nf7 Rf8 half-pinning the Knight against the unprotected rook at f1. Now, with his 16th move (Nd5!) White has at least an equal game.

17... Bb3 looks better as the bishop threatens to take the knight

Now Black is definitely losing. 16...Qxh4 would have kept him in the fight, though with his more mobilised game White would have had the edge.