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English Opening

King's English Variation, Four Knights Variation, Bradley Beach Variation

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  1. 1.c4e5
  2. 2.Nc3Nf6
  3. 3.Nf3Nc6
  4. 4.d4e4
598 games50%45%

A rare English Four Knights line in which Black answers 4. d4 by advancing 4...e4, gaining space and evicting the f3-knight; play is roughly balanced.

Train it in Theoria

About the Bradley Beach Variation

In the Bradley Beach Variation, Black meets 4. d4 with 4...e4 rather than exchanging on d4, gaining space and driving the f3-knight from its post. The knight must move. 5. Ng5, which attacks the advanced pawn, is the most frequent choice, while 5. Ne5 and 5. Nd2 are the main alternatives, with the engine preferring the retreat to d2. The line is rarely played, the position is roughly balanced, and few games end in draws.

Popular continuations