Rodney Barking has recently moved across to 1.c4 as his main opening as White. The English used to have a reputation for being a boring positional opening until players discovered its potential as an attacking kingside opening. Also it is less heavily analysed than 1.e4 or 1.d4 so you are more likely to reach original positions.

Rodney has been very successful with the English so this is the start of a new series showcasing his games. You can play through the unannotated game on Lichess online, or alternatively set up the board and follow the game and annotations in the old-fashioned way.

Rodney Barking (2070) – Ewan Wilson (2142)
Surrey Border League, 16 March 2023
A13: English Opening
In the Surrey Border League, public transport is scarce and you have to make most journeys by car. That’s OK when the venue is within about 10 miles of your home club (Guildford in my case). However, this match was away against Reading A which is an hour’s drive on a good day so the travel is much more of an effort.
1.c4 e6 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nc3 d5
There are many ways to play against the English. Black chooses a solid Queen’s Gambit Declined setup. I already knew this would happen. You can’t normally predict your opponent in league matches but Ewan Wilson is their strongest player and has been playing board 1 all season. Also the Border League rules gave me White as the away player on top board. So I spent an hour before the match checking the theory and recommended lines in the Anti-QGD English. For this I used the Chessable course “Lifetime Repertoires: 1.c4 / 1. Nf3 – Part 2” by IM Christof Sielicki. I was not so interested in the exact move order as the plans for both sides, which he explains very clearly.
4.e3 Be7 5.b3 O-O 6.Bb2 b6
The basic idea of this variation is to delay playing d4 until absolutely necessary (otherwise you would have the QGD proper which is a different opening). Instead White relies on controlling the centre from afar in hypermodern style. The main issue is at what point White should clarify the centre with cxd5. Sielicki explains that the right time is when Black has committed to a particular pawn structure with …b6 or …c5. In these cases the exchange on d5 will eventually leave Black with either an isolated d-pawn or hanging pawns on c5 and d5. In contrast, Sielicki explains that White should not exchange on d5 if black has played …c6, because after recapturing with the e-pawn Black would have a solid pawn chain on b7-c6-d5 with no weaknesses.
7.cxd5 exd5 8.d4 c5
8…Bb7 is theory. After 8…c5, either White can inflict hanging pawns by capturing on c5, or Black will close the centre with …c4 and leave White a free hand on the kingside.
9.Bd3
This is slightly inaccurate since Black could now play …Nc6 with pressure on d4 and could also hassle the bishop on d3 with …Nb4. Instead Sielicki recommends 9.Rc1. However, my opponent didn’t take advantage. I suspect his chosen system involved playing …Bb7 and …Nbd7, and he didn’t see a need to deviate from that.
9…Bb7 10.O-O Nbd7 11.Rc1 Bd6 12.Ne2
This is a key idea that I picked up from Sielicki’s course. The knight transfers to the kingside with the manoeuvre Ne2-g3-f5 where it takes up an attacking position.
12…Re8 13.Ng3 Rc8 14.Nf5 Bb8
I can see why he played this as he wants to follow up with …Qc7 and his own kingside attack. But 15…Bf8 defending was safer.
15.Bb1 c4
This is one of the turning points in the game. Black’s plan is now to create a protected passed pawn on the queenside. He must have decided that my kingside pressure was not a threat.
16.Ba3
The idea was to exploit the dark squares with Nd6 gaining the bishop pair. Black’s only way to prevent this is with …Nf8, but then Ne5 and the attack builds. Ne7+ winning the exchange is a secondary theme. However, Stockfish prefers to clarify matters in the centre with 16.bxc4 dxc4 17.Ne5 Nxe5 18.dxe5 Bxe5 19.Bxe5 Rxe5 20.Rxc4 Rd5 21.Rxc8 Bxc8 22.Nd4.
16…b5 17.Nd6 Bxd6 18.Bxd6 a5
Continuing with the queenside plan as my attack is a slow burner.
19.Bf4
The bishop has no future on the queenside. From f4 it controls the h2-b8 diagonal (this becomes important much later in the game) and prepares Ne5.
19…b4 20.Ne5 Nxe5 21.dxe5 Nd7
Now unless I do something Black will follow up with …c3, …Nc5 and …Ba6. But Black’s pieces are temporarily uncoordinated and this gives me the chance to clarify the centre and develop the attack.
22.bxc4 dxc4 23.Bf5 Nc5
Black is more or less forced to give up the exchange in this way:
A: 23…Rc7? 24.e6 wins for White.
B: 23…Re7 24.Bg5 f6 25.exf6 gxf6 26.Bh6 leaves the black king exposed.
C: 23…Nxe5 24.Bxc8 Qxc8 25.Bxe5 Rxe5 26.Rxc4 is also very good for White.
24.Bxc8 Qxc8 25.Rxc4
And now I decided to return the exchange for a pawn, otherwise black plays …Ba6 and …Nd3 with counterplay and the queenside pawns could become dangerous.
25…Ba6?
This is the obvious move, skewering the rooks, and he played it quickly, but actually it’s a blunder since I could create a lasting pin on the c-file and win the knight on c5. However, it’s not easy to see how this is done, and in fact I didn’t see it during the game.
26.Qc2?
Stockfish points out the correct manoeuvre: 26.Rc1 Bxf1 27.Qxf1 Qc6 28.Qc4 Rc8 29.e6 fxe6 30.Be5 with Bd4 to follow.
26…Bxc4 27.Qxc4 Ne6 28.Rc1
I’m a pawn up, but Black has compensation and my back rank is vulnerable. The safest course was to gain time by attacking the a5 pawn and create a bolthole for the king: 28.Qb5 Qa8 29.h4. I considered Qb5 but decided to take queens off and go for the ending with rook and bishop against rook and knight.
28…Qxc4 29.Rxc4 g5
The attack on the bishop gains a tempo and ensures Black won’t get mated on the back rank, so freeing his rook for active play.
30.Bg3 Rd8
The mate threat wins the pawn on a2, creating two connected passed pawns on the queenside for Black. However, I get to activate my king and push my pawns on the kingside. The race is about to start…
31.f4 Rd1+ 32.Kf2 Rd2+ 33.Kf3 Rxa2 34.f5 Nf8??
This natural move loses. My opponent played it very quickly. Instead Stockfish points out that Black can reach a drawn rook and pawn ending by pushing the b-pawn and sacrificing the knight: 34…b3 35.Rc8+ Kg7 36.fxe6 fxe6 37.Rb8 b2 38.Rb7+ Kg6 39.Rb6 Kf7 40.Be1 (there’s nothing better) 40…Ra1 41.Rxb2 Rxe1 42.Ra2 h5 43.Rxa5 is +0.00.
35.Rc8
Now e6 and Bd6 winning the knight is a real threat.
35…Kg7 36.f6+ Kg6
This allows me to win material and chase Black’s king around. Instead 36…Kg8 37.e6 fxe6 38.Bd6 Kf7 39.Rxf8+ Kg6 wins for White.
37.Rxf8 b3 38.Rg8+ Kf5
38…Kh5 39.e6 b2 40.Rb8 is no good as White queens and stops Black queening.
39.e4+ Ke6 40.Re8+?!
I had seen all this and played it automatically intending to follow up with Re7+ and a strong attack. However, if I’d stopped for a moment, I would surely have found the better continuation 40.Rd8 forcing immediate resignation as Black can’t prevent mate on d6.
40…Kd7 41.Re7+ Kc6
His only hope is to run to the queenside and try to stop my rook coming to the b-file where it would control the queening square.
42.e6 b2 43.Rc7+ Kb6 44.Rc8!
The position is now so sharp that this is the only winning move. Everything else loses for White. If Black queens first then White is in big trouble. After Rc8, Black can’t queen on b1 because the x-ray move Rb8+ picks up the queen for nothing.
44…Ka7 45.Rb8 Ra3+ 46.Kf2
Alternatively 46.Kg4 Rxg3+ 47.hxg3 Kxb8 48.exf7 b1=Q 49.f8=Q+ and white will win because the queen can support the promotion of the advanced pawn on f6.
46…Ra2 47.Ke1! fxe6
My last move allowed black to queen with check, winning the rook, but… 47…Ra1+ 48.Ke2 b1=Q 49.Rxb1 Rxb1 50.exf7 and crucially black can’t get back to stop the f7 pawn from queening because the bishop on g3 guards the b8 square.
48.f7 Ra1+ 49.Ke2!
Better than 49.Kd2 Rf1 50.Rxb2 Rxf7 although white will still win this eventually. Black has nothing left in the locker and so he resigned.
1-0

It’s time to get jingoistic in the words of an old song:
“The English the English the English is best /
So up with the English and down with the rest!”