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English, Bremen System, Keres Variation (A23)
1 c4 e5 2 Nc3 Nf6 3 g3 c6

Number of games in database: 708
Years covered: 1898 to 2025
Overall record:
   White wins 35.0%
   Black wins 31.4%
   Draws 33.6%

Popularity graph, by decade

Explore this opening  |  Search for sacrifices in this opening.
PRACTITIONERS
With the White Pieces With the Black Pieces
Mark Taimanov  6 games
Normunds Miezis  6 games
Borislav Ivkov  4 games
Paul Keres  14 games
Werner Golz  5 games
Ortvin Sarapu  5 games
NOTABLE GAMES [what is this?]
White Wins Black Wins
Botvinnik vs Tal, 1961
Tal vs N Zhuravliov, 1965
G McCarthy vs M Kennefick, 1977
K Tsarouhas vs Kotronias, 2005
Molero vs A Lootsma, 1980
L Andrade vs A Moiseenko, 1995
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 page 1 of 29; games 1-25 of 708  PGN Download
Game  ResultMoves YearEvent/LocaleOpening
1. E Delmar vs G Koehler  0-1491898Manhattan CC Championship 1898/99A23 English, Bremen System, Keres Variation
2. Tarrasch vs A Reggio 1-0261903Monte CarloA23 English, Bremen System, Keres Variation
3. Euwe vs Bogoljubov ½-½361923Maehrisch-OstrauA23 English, Bremen System, Keres Variation
4. S Kinch vs J Giersing  1-0161924Nordic Congress, CopenhagenA23 English, Bremen System, Keres Variation
5. P D Bolland vs C Mansfield  1-0291925Weston-super-Mare - Bristol CCA23 English, Bremen System, Keres Variation
6. H Jacobs vs W Gooding  ½-½461925British ChampionshipA23 English, Bremen System, Keres Variation
7. Capablanca vs E Gross  ½-½361925Simul, 30bA23 English, Bremen System, Keres Variation
8. S Beutum vs S R Wolf  ½-½521928ViennaA23 English, Bremen System, Keres Variation
9. Laaman vs Keres 0-1231935corrA23 English, Bremen System, Keres Variation
10. M Fox vs R Hayes  1-0571936Canadian ChampionshipA23 English, Bremen System, Keres Variation
11. Golombek vs W H Kirk  1-0361939Hastings 1939/40A23 English, Bremen System, Keres Variation
12. G Szilagyi vs B Sebestyen  ½-½391950Hungarian ChampionshipA23 English, Bremen System, Keres Variation
13. Taimanov vs Shamkovich ½-½411954URS-ch sf LeningradA23 English, Bremen System, Keres Variation
14. G Goldberg vs Antoshin  ½-½421955Moscow ChampionshipA23 English, Bremen System, Keres Variation
15. Taimanov vs S Gawlikowski  ½-½641955POL-URSA23 English, Bremen System, Keres Variation
16. Pachman vs F Auer  1-0551955CSR-AUTA23 English, Bremen System, Keres Variation
17. Averbakh vs Ragozin  1-0421955URS-ch sf MoscowA23 English, Bremen System, Keres Variation
18. H Heinicke vs R Teschner  ½-½191955Klaus Junge MemorialA23 English, Bremen System, Keres Variation
19. Taimanov vs B Vladimirov  ½-½371955URS-ch sf LeningradA23 English, Bremen System, Keres Variation
20. Pirc vs Keres  ½-½201956Yugoslavia - Soviet UnionA23 English, Bremen System, Keres Variation
21. J Rejfir vs Keres 0-1561956Moscow Olympiad Final-AA23 English, Bremen System, Keres Variation
22. Szabo vs Keres 1-0771956Alekhine MemorialA23 English, Bremen System, Keres Variation
23. Uhlmann vs Gligoric 0-1401956Alekhine MemorialA23 English, Bremen System, Keres Variation
24. Taimanov vs V Mikenas  ½-½551957USSR ChampionshipA23 English, Bremen System, Keres Variation
25. Korchnoi vs Keres ½-½591957USSR ChampionshipA23 English, Bremen System, Keres Variation
 page 1 of 29; games 1-25 of 708  PGN Download
  REFINE SEARCH:   White wins (1-0) | Black wins (0-1) | Draws (1/2-1/2)  

Kibitzer's Corner
Apr-14-04  tacticsjokerxxx: Nf3 is the logical and statistically best continuation of 3.-c6
Oct-14-04  Giancarlo: 3.nf3 and then e4 by black perhaps? Maybe d3 first by white seems better before nf3.
Sep-25-06  ChessDude33: <Giancarlo> 3. d3 allows an early d5 for black with probable equality. 3.Nf3 on the other hand has the benefit of weakening black's center

1.c4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. g3 c6 4. Nf3 e4 Nd5 d5 5. cxd5 cxd5 White has set up a nice blockade and can immediately start undermining black's center with moves like d3 and f3.

compared to:

1.c4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. g3 c6 4. d3 d5 where blacks center looks strong.

Its best to look at this opening as if it were a reversed alapin sicilian, Nf6(3) and d5(4) are the usual moves.

Feb-19-09  FiveofSwords: the problem with looking at this opening as if it were a reversed alapin is the fact that an early g6 is in almost all setups a very weak and inconsistent move for black in that opening. Its not a reversed alapin...the g3 move really makes it something quite different.
Feb-20-09  chessman95: I guess the "reversed-alapin" thing sort of makes sense, and the ideas behind all the moves follow the same theme, but the thing to watch out for is that here white has an extra tempo, so attack possibilities are much better here than for black in the alapin sicilian. A key weakness for black here is the e5 pawn, which is furthur weakened by the move c6 (blocking the knight).
Feb-11-11
Premium Chessgames Member
  Penguincw: Opening of the Day :< English, Bremen System, Keres Variation 1. c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3. g3 c6 > Interesting opening.I haven't seen this opening before though (well DUH,because I'm still a beginner).
Feb-29-12
Premium Chessgames Member
  Penguincw: Opening of the Day

English, Bremen System, Keres Variation
1.c4 e5 2.♘c3 ♘f6 3.g3 c6


click for larger view

Sep-18-13  parisattack: Probably the best line for black against the Bremen.

Here's how 'Mr.English' Mikhail Botvinnik played against it -

Botvinnik vs A Alexeev, 1968

Sep-18-13  parisattack: And, here's how the originator of the line won with it -

Panno vs Keres, 1957

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