Queen's Pawn: English Defence, 2.c4 Bb7
Queen’s Pawn: English Defence, 2.c4 Bb7
Definition
The English Defence is an off-beat yet respected reply to the Queen’s Pawn opening. The characteristic position after the moves
1. d4 b6 2. c4 Bb7
gives the name to the line “Queen’s Pawn: English Defence, 2.c4 Bb7” (ECO code A40). Black fianchettoes the queen’s bishop on the long diagonal, delays central pawn moves, and aims for dynamic counter-play rather than immediate symmetry.
Typical Move Order
The English Defence may reach the diagram position by several routes:
- 1.d4 b6 2.c4 Bb7 – the pure A40 move order.
- 1.d4 e6 2.c4 b6 3.e4 Bb7 – an A41 transposition favoured by a number of grandmasters (notably Tony Miles).
- From certain Réti or English openings where White plays an early d4 and Black steers for …b6 and …Bb7.
Strategic Ideas
- Hypermodern philosophy – Black concedes central space temporarily, aiming to undermine White’s centre with breaks such as …e6–e5, …c7–c5, and …f7–f5.
- Queenside fianchetto – The bishop on b7 exerts pressure on e4 and d5; if White plays 3.e4, that bishop immediately eyes the heart of the pawn phalanx.
- Flexible pawn structure – Black can adopt a Benoni-style setup with …e6, …Bb4, and …f5, or a Queen’s Indian-type structure with …Nf6, …g6, and …Bg7, depending on White’s development.
- Provocation – By inviting White to build a big centre, Black sets tactical traps: premature advances such as e4-e5 can be met by …Bb4+ or …d6 followed by …dxe5 when the b7-bishop roars to life.
Plans for Each Side
- White
- Occupy the centre with e2–e4 (or maintain a d4-c4 pawn duo) and restrict the b7-bishop with f2-f3 or d4-d5.
- Develop harmoniously: Nc3, Nf3, Be2/Bd3, 0-0. A timely d5 advance can cramp Black.
- If allowed, launch a kingside attack based on e4-e5 and f2-f4.
- Black
- Hit the centre with …Bb4+, …Nf6, …c5, or the ultra-sharp break …f5 (Miles variation).
- Keep pieces active; exchanges that leave the b7-bishop unopposed often favour Black.
- When White pushes d4-d5, counter with …exd5 and …Bb4+, creating structural imbalances.
Historical Significance
Despite the name, the defence is not of English opening (1.c4) origin; it was analysed by 19th-century English masters and later championed by grandmasters from England—hence “English Defence.” Tony Miles, Jonathan Speelman, and Nigel Short popularised it in the late 1970s and 1980s, showing that even top-level opponents could be knocked off balance by its unorthodox plans.
Illustrative Games
-
Kasparov – Timman, Tilburg 1981: Kasparov unleashed 3.e4 but Timman struck with …Bb4+ and the sharp break …f5, demonstrating the defence’s fighting spirit before eventually holding a draw.
-
Short – Speelman, British Ch. 1986: Black’s thematic …c5 counterblow dismantled White’s centre; Speelman converted the queenside majority in a crisp endgame.
Interesting Facts & Anecdotes
- The line has two ECO families: A40 (1.d4 b6 2.c4 Bb7) and A41 (1.d4 e6 2.c4 b6), illustrating how a single idea can arise from different first moves.
- Tony Miles once quipped that the English Defence “works best when your opponent hasn’t booked up, which is most of the time after midnight when we’re still analysing it.”
- Because the b7-bishop often builds up a laser on e4, some players nickname it the “sniper bishop.”
- The defence appeals to creative players who relish asymmetrical positions and hate facing heavy opening theory in mainline Queen’s Gambits.
Common Traps
- Premature 3.Nc3? without e2–e4 can be met by …e5! exploiting the pin on d4.
- Over-extended centre: after 1.d4 b6 2.c4 Bb7 3.Nc3 e6 4.e4 Bb4 5.Bd3 f5!?, the pawn storm on the kingside can catch an unprepared White player off guard.
Summary
The English Defence with 2…Bb7 is an ambitious, strategically double-edged response to 1.d4. By fianchettoing the queen’s bishop and delaying classical central occupation, Black invites White to over-stretch. Although less frequent than mainstream Queen’s Gambit lines, it remains a dangerous practical weapon, prized for its imbalance, rich tactics, and the psychological edge of steering opponents into less familiar territory.