Anti-English: 1...e5
A complete, fighting answer to 1.c4: meet it with 1...e5 and play a Sicilian with colours reversed — a tempo up on White. Black stakes a claim in the centre with an early ...d5 break, develops naturally, and plays for the initiative instead of sitting passively against the English.
Starting moves
The Anti-English: 1...e5 typically begins with the following sequence. In GoWinChess you'll drill these moves until they're automatic — so you never have to think twice in the opening.
What you'll learn
This repertoire includes 8 annotated lines (3 beginner, 3 intermediate, 2 advanced) covering the most important variations and the tactical traps that catch unprepared opponents. You progress from forgiving beginner lines up to the sharpest main-line theory. A few of them:
- Anti-English: Reversed Dragon — 4...d5 5.cxd5 Nxd5 Hits the Center
- Anti-English: vs Early 2.g3 — ...d5 Stakes the Center
- Anti-English: vs 2.Nf3 — ...Nc6 Defends e5
- Anti-English: Reversed Dragon Main — ...Be7, ...O-O, ...a5 Queenside Plan
- Anti-English: 4...Bb4 — ...e4 Push After Bxc3
- Anti-English: vs 3.g3 Move Order — ...d5 Break
How to study the Anti-English: 1...e5
Reading about an opening isn't the same as remembering it over the board. GoWinChess uses spaced repetition — the same memory science behind Anki and medical-school study — to schedule each position right before you'd forget it. You Learn a line, then Drill it from memory, then the algorithm brings it back on the perfect day. New to the game? Start with Learn Chess in 15 Minutes.
Learn the Anti-English: 1...e5 for free
Drill every line with spaced repetition. Start with one opening free — no credit card.
Start the interactive course →Play the other side of this matchup
Study how to handle the Anti-English: 1...e5 from the other side of the board.