Chess opening · ECO A30
English Opening: Symmetrical Variation
1...c5 copies White's first move and takes control of d4, the same way White's pawn controls d5. Both sides often build matching kingside fianchettoes, so the board can look the same from either side for several moves. White's extra tempo and the question of who breaks the symmetry first decide what the middlegame looks like.
- Rank by weighted share
- #103 of 159
Key moves
1. c4 c5
- 1... c5The pawn covers d4 and b4, mirroring White's hold on d5 and b5. Black keeps the e- and d-pawns free and can later choose between ...g6 and ...Bg7, or ...e6 and ...d5.
Breaking the mirror with d4
The usual way for White to change the structure is d4. After ...cxd4 and Nxd4 White's knight sits on an open central square, and the game takes on an open character with the c- and d-files partly cleared.
Black can do the same with ...d5 if White waits too long, and in some lines that is the point of Black's setup.
The d5 square in the mirror
With Black's c-pawn on c5, only the e-pawn can ever drive a white piece off d5, and the same holds for White's e-pawn and the d4 square. A white knight on d5 or a black knight on d4 can be strong, and the fianchettoed bishops support those squares from g2 and g7.
Full symmetry, then d4
2. Nc3 Nc6 3. g3 g6 4. Bg2 Bg7 5. Nf3 Nf6 6. O-O O-O 7. d4 cxd4 8. Nxd4
After five more moves each of copying, White pushes d4 and recaptures with the knight. The c6 knight attacks d4, and the g7 bishop waits behind the f6 knight on the same diagonal, so any knight move from f6 adds pressure on d4 and c3.
Top replies by rating
Nc3 leads every band. Nf3 sits second from 1600 up, and at 2000 and up g3 nearly catches it.
| Rating | Top | Second | Third |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 1200 | Nc3 53% | e4 33% | d4 7% |
| 1200–1399 | Nc3 49% | Nf3 13% | e3 10% |
| 1400–1599 | Nc3 52% | g3 14% | Nf3 10% |
| 1600–1799 | Nc3 51% | Nf3 14% | g3 11% |
| 1800–1999 | Nc3 60% | Nf3 16% | g3 10% |
| 2000 and up | Nc3 59% | Nf3 20% | g3 18% |
Questions
Can Black keep copying White forever?
No. Sooner or later a move like d4 or a capture forces Black to respond differently, since copying would leave a piece hanging or ignore a threat. A pawn break in the center, by either side, is the usual way the mirror ends.
Related openings
Try it on the board. The first coached game and three analyses are free.