English Opening: King's English Variation, Four Knights Variation, Fianchetto Line, with Nb6

An entry in the Encyclopedia of Chess Openings (ECO A29), reached after 12 half-moves: 1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. g3 d5 5. cxd5 Nxd5 6. Bg2 Nb6.

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Black bishop — Use ← → arrows or click moves to step through.

End of this line

No further variations branch from this position in our database. To explore neighbouring ideas:

↑ Go back to English Opening: King's English Variation, Four Knights Variation, Fianchetto Line — try a different continuation
⤴ See the English Opening family overview

About this opening

English Opening: King's English Variation, Four Knights Variation, Fianchetto Line, with Nb6 is an opening in the Encyclopedia of Chess Openings, classified under code A29. ECO group A (A00–A99) covers flank and irregular openings, including the English, Bird, Réti and Dutch defences. This particular variation is reached after 12 half-moves from the starting position, with the move sequence 1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. g3 d5 5. cxd5 Nxd5 6. Bg2 Nb6.

It belongs to the English Opening family. Within that family this is a level-4 branch (the King's English Variation → Four Knights Variation → Fianchetto Line → with Nb6 line). The immediate parent line is English Opening: King's English Variation, Four Knights Variation, Fianchetto Line, transitioned via 6…Nb6.

The opening sequence in prose form: 1.c4 e5, 2.Nc3 Nf6, 3.Nf3 Nc6, 4.g3 d5, 5.cxd5 Nxd5, 6.Bg2 Nb6. From this position the encyclopaedia records no further canonical continuations — practical play branches into unnamed transpositions or returns to the parent line for alternative ideas.