English

As central control and good development are so important during the opening, mankind would have been forgiven for thinking that 1 e4 and 1 d4 were the only worthwhile first moves. However, the games of Howard Staunton demonstrated another approach, beginning with 1 c4 - White doesn't immediately occupy the centre with his pawns but instead prefers to control the central squares (with a pawn on c4, knights on c3 and f3, and a bishop on g2), waiting for Black to reveal his development before committing the e- and d-pawns. This approach can begin with a wide variety of moves - 1 c4 is the

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English Opening