The English Opening – Chess Openings Explained

Jonathan Schrantz explores the fourth most popular opening: the English. But what to do on move two? Learn several lines from three strong games. Join in the holiday cheer with Jonathan and 1. c4!

2015.11.30
Mikhail Botvinnik vs Lajos Portisch, Monte Carlo (1968): A22 English, Bremen, reverse dragon
Dana Reizniece-Ozala vs Sergey Karjakin, Vladimir Petrov Memorial (Rapid) (2015): A29 English, four knights, kingside fianchetto
Hikaru Nakamura vs Samuel Sevian, Millionaire Chess (2015): A20 English opening

471 Comments

  1. The poor thing is not so much that he blunders a piece with Nc6 at 5:58, Anyone can make a mistake. But it’s highly disappointing that obviously he hasn’t commented on this blunder ever since, nor has anyone else from Saint Louis Chess Club. That’s simply poor practice from an institution that claims to have some educational standards.

  2. 19:55 that is not a checkmate as black can take the knight with the king to escape the queen's check.

  3. Can black play the English? Or some variation?

  4. 4 mins just to move the flowers to h3? He is off his game.

  5. Everyone's complaining about the flowers but it's the constant feeble throat clearing attempts that drive me crazy.
    Jesus Christ….STOP. Take the the time to properly and thoroughly clear your throat and then continue.
    I notice a lot of podcast hosts doing the same extremely irritating throat clearing thing.
    Maybe it's just a nervous habit

  6. if my opponent opening 1.d2-d4 d7-d5 2.f2-f4 what is the good reply thanks

  7. Honestly, 4 years later and still, wtf dude with the flowers

  8. 4:21 why does he do first name, last name for Mikhail Botvinnik, but reversed for Portisch? I should mention that other notable Hungarian players include Leko Peter and Polgar Judit.

  9. He must have had a huge spot on his chin or something.

  10. What is the name of the song at the end of the video ?

  11. This flower reminded me of a pawn, which came in the way of my rook and opponent's king! Lost the game…

  12. I like it when my local stalker teaches me chess from behind my garden flowers

  13. not a good intstructor what he showed I would tear to pieces with black very bad opening suggest the gambit to be better

  14. Someone said the flowers are a metaphor for positional chess and said very well done. Who puts flowers on a top directly in front of the host it was lame-brained

  15. At 5:58, after Nc6, isn't the Knight on d5 hanging? I think you are supposed to play Nb6 now and only play Nc6 after that.

  16. In chess it’s the only game where you could say!

  17. everyone came to the comment section looking for comments about the flowers

  18. Great lecture on the flowers gambit declined. Solid performance.

  19. I flowers like flowers to flowers play flowers the flowers English flowers opening. Flowers.

  20. Jonathan is the King so better move the plant in front of him to protect him

  21. Thank you for putting a poinsettia right in front of him

  22. I can't understand, it is at 5:58 (the reversed Sicilian after c4-e5, Kc3-Kf6, g3-d5, cd5:-Kd5:). Why doesn't white just take the knight on d5? Am I missing something here?

  23. between 2 ferns eat your heart out

  24. 5 years ago! Wow, thanks for the lessons

  25. Who the hell put those stupid flowers there in the first place? And I'm also amazed that he didn't remove them in the beginning.

  26. this was a good episode. I watch alot from you. Know i have a sandwich and wine. Im going back to watching buffy. I play better chess in the a.m. GO ENGLISH OPEN!!

  27. 'How to get people commenting on the video 101- Put flowers in front of the presenters face' should have thought of that one before!

  28. Worst item placement in youtube history…#1…

  29. The flower attack opening. The reverse colour sicilian with a pink touch. The greek 'flower' gift gambit.

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