Watson on Davies: The English Opening

by ChessBase
11/10/2012 – "GM Nigel Davies has done more ChessBase videos than any other presenter," writes John Watson, "and his delivery shows why: this is a well-paced and highly instructive DVD which presents 40 games to cover a repertoire based upon 2.g3." As a sample Watson shows how Davies confronts the Reversed Dragon problem. He does so by cleverly avoiding the main line.
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Nigel Davies: The English Opening

Review by John Watson

I'll take a look at one more English Opening DVD: Nigel Davies' English Opening, which presents a repertoire but may still be viewed as a general discussion of English Opening ideas.

Davies has done more videos than any other presenter besides Andrew Martin, and his delivery shows why: this is a well-paced and highly instructive DVD which presents 40 games to cover a repertoire based upon 2 g3 (everyone's favorite order, it seems, following the footsteps of Tony Kosten's classic The Dynamic English). Being from 2008, his theory isn't quite as up-to-date as the Mihail Marin's book or the other videos; but he picks some unique lines.

I'll do a quick comparison with theory. First, let's once again see how Davies confronts the Reversed Dragon problem. He does so cleverly, avoiding the main line with a special move order.

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MoveNResultEloPlayers
1.e41,172,27354%2421---
1.d4951,24355%2434---
1.Nf3283,16356%2440---
1.c4182,99656%2442---
1.g319,77556%2427---
1.b314,39754%2427---
1.f45,92048%2377---
1.Nc33,83450%2384---
1.b41,76548%2379---
1.a31,22854%2405---
1.e31,07449%2409---
1.d395850%2378---
1.g466746%2361---
1.h445753%2378---
1.c343651%2426---
1.h328356%2419---
1.a411560%2464---
1.f39646%2431---
1.Nh39166%2508---
1.Na34262%2482---
1.c4 e5 2.g3 Nf6 3.Bg2 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.Nf3 Nc6 6.0-0 Be7 Davies' solution to 6...Nb6 is 7.b3 , which has done rather well and I tends to favour White slightly in theory. The main line is Bd6 8.Bb2 0-0 9.d3 , and now Bg4 10.Nbd2 has been featured in some top-flight GM games, with good results for White. 7.d4!? 7.Nc3 Nb6 is the main-line reversed Dragon again. 7...exd4 One problem with delaying Nc3 is that Black can play 7...e4 8.Ne5 f5! 8...Nxe5 9.dxe5 Bf5 10.Bxe4 Bxe4 11.Qa4+ is Davies' line 9.Nxc6 bxc6 . Then 10 Nd2 and 10 Nc3 were played in games in which Gelfand and Topalov were Black, and both should have led to equality. Otherwise the most obvious move is 10.Qc2 , e.g., Qd7 11.Nc3 0-0 12.Na4 12.Nxd5 cxd5= 12...Ba6 13.Re1 Nb4 14.Qd1 c5= 8.Nxd4 Nxd4 9.Qxd4 and White stands a little better. The game is a disaster for Black: Nb4? 9...Nf6 10.Qxd8+ Bxd8 11.Nc3 with a small pull, in part because White can later expand in the centre. 10.Qxg7! Bf6 11.Qh6 Nc2 12.Nc3 Nxa1 13.Rd1 White is winning, for example, Bd7 14.Nd5 Be5 15.Bg5 Qc8 16.Nf6+ Bxf6 17.Qxf6 0-0 18.Bh6 1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Davies,N2510Thiel,T23201–01994A20Lloyds Bank op 18th3

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