English/Sicilian

Basically identical besides the tempo. I use these two constantly, and I wonder if working on sicilian natural works on your english, and vise versa.

Bonus Questions:

-What is an "open" or a "closed" game. Does closed just mean that the pawns are entangled and the game is very slow and positional?

-What is all this I read about "modern/hypermodern" openings and defences? Are these just weird newer openings/defences that the older masters never liked to use, or never thought of?

Originally posted by DanFaggella
Basically identical besides the tempo. I use these two constantly, and I wonder if working on sicilian natural works on your english, and vise versa.

Bonus Questions:

-What is an "open" or a "closed" game. Does closed just mean that the pawns are entangled and the game is very slow and positional?

-What is all this I read about "modern/hypermode rd newer openings/defences that the older masters never liked to use, or never thought of?

Sicilian and English games can be very, very different. Sicilian games are often tactical and sharp and English games can be slow and positional. Despite the c pawn move they are often very different (except in the case of reversed Sicilian 1. c4 e5 where there are some carryover ideas)

Closed games typically refer to games in which the center is locked or the board is lacking free diagonals or files. Open games usually have free centers and freedom for piece movement; they are often sharper, more tactical. Very closed games have a lot of manuevering and positional play...knights often do better than bishops.


Hypermodern defenses usually refer to strategies where the center is controlled from a distance with pieces or perhaps from the c file with pawns...they often have a bishop controlling the long diagonal by sitting on squares like b2, g2, b7, g7. This style is in contrast to 'classical' where the center is often occupired with pawns. Examples include Sililian, Kings Indian, and Grunfeld.

Originally posted by DanFaggella
Basically identical besides the tempo. I use these two constantly, and I wonder if working on sicilian natural works on your english, and vise versa.

Bonus Questions:

-What is an "open" or a "closed" game. Does closed just mean that the pawns are entangled and the game is very slow and positional?

-What is all this I read about "modern/hypermode ...[text shortened]... rd newer openings/defences that the older masters never liked to use, or never thought of?

modern/hypermodern were "newer" ideas eighty years ago

One thing i've noticed about reversed openings (eg english/sicilian and dutch/bird) is that the lines that work for one colour are usually a total flop when reversed.

Originally posted by Tengu
One thing i've noticed about reversed openings (eg english/sicilian and dutch/bird) is that the lines that work for one colour are usually a total flop when reversed.

It's all about the extra tempo.

exactly! amazing how much that extra tempo actually means!!!