English Opening, Carls-Bremen System

The Carls-Bremen System appears within the King's English when White plays c4, develops the knight to c3, and prepares g3, while Black places a pawn on e5 and a knight on f6. The move g3 clears a route for the f1-bishop to reach g2.

This bishop development is called a fianchetto : the g-pawn moves one square and the bishop takes the long diagonal from g2. From there it helps control central light squares, especially d5. White has not moved the g1-knight yet, so it may go to f3 for natural development or to e2 if White wants the f-pawn to remain free.

English Opening, Carls-Bremen System: canonical line

8

7

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2

a1

b

c

d

e

f

g

h

Start

c4

e5

Nc3

Nf6

g3

The line begins from the starting position

The board replays every move in the notation maintained by the article, without adding continuations.

The system's main value is flexibility. With Nf3 it can approach the Four Knights Variation; with d3, e4, and Nge2 it can become a Botvinnik formation. Therefore g3 does not determine the whole plan. Later choices for the g1-knight and the d- and e-pawns shape the kind of position that follows the opening.