English Opening: King's English Variation

About this variation

Black answers with 1...e5, which is like a Sicilian Defense with colors reversed and an extra tempo for White.

The King's English, or Reversed Sicilian, is 1. c4 e5. Black takes the center with the king's pawn, and the position is like a Sicilian Defense with colors reversed and an extra tempo for White. That tempo can matter a great deal, because many sharp Sicilian lines become more favorable when the side playing them has an extra move.

White's usual set-up is Nc3, g3 and Bg2, controlling d5 and the long diagonal. Black has several plans: a classical ...Nc6 and ...g6 set-up with ...d6 and ...f5, a fianchetto with ...Bg7 copying White, or an active ...Nf6 and ...Bb4 set-up in the Four Knights lines. Each leads to different kinds of middlegame, from slow maneuvering to sharp tactics.

Typical ideas for White include play on the queenside with a3, b4 and Rb1, taking space and preparing to open lines, and the d3-e3 structures that keep the position flexible. Black often plays on the kingside with ...f5-f4 or in the center with ...d5, using the extra central space. The bishop on g2 is important for White, and its exchange can change the balance.

The King's English suits White players who know Sicilian structures and want to use that knowledge with an extra tempo. It is also popular with players who want a flexible opening that avoids the large body of 1. e4 theory.

A useful way to learn the King's English is to study the Reversed Sicilian ideas: the Dragon-style set-up with g3 and Bg2, plans with an early d3 and e3, and the pawn break b4 to gain queenside space. Black players should prepare one solid set-up, such as ...Nc6 with ...g6 and ...Bg7 or the Four Knights with ...Bb4. Both sides should remember that the extra tempo makes White's version of these structures noticeably more comfortable.

It is one of the main lines of the English Opening.