The Iron English (Hardcover)

The Iron English by Richard Palliser and Simon Williams is a hardcover chess book for players building a White repertoire against 1 c4, with a clear focus on the Botvinnik formation in the English Opening.

What this book covers

Simon Williams has known the English Opening since childhood and used 1 c4 as a regular main weapon for many years. Here he joins forces with Richard Palliser to examine one of his favourite systems in depth and turn it into a practical repertoire for White.

The book centres on the setup made famous by the sixth world champion Mikhail Botvinnik: 2 Nc3, 3 g3, 4 Bg2, 5 e4 and 6 Nge2. It is aimed at players who want a solid positional base without giving up the chance for active, ambitious middlegame play.

Inside the book

The authors guide you through the main ideas of the variation and build a complete repertoire for White. They cover the key opening concepts, typical plans and the most important transitions into the middlegame.

One of the strengths of the book is its annotated games, which do not stop at the opening moves. They also show how to continue the position and what practical decisions matter over the board.

This is a good choice for anyone who wants to play the English Opening with understanding rather than rely only on memorised lines.

Authors

Simon Williams is a grandmaster, presenter and well-known chess author.

Richard Palliser is an international master, the editor of CHESS magazine and the author of many Everyman titles, including The Complete Chess Workout.

Edition details

• Language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• Page count: 464
• Opening: English Opening
• Main line: Botvinnik formation
• Move order: 1 c4, 2 Nc3, 3 g3, 4 Bg2, 5 e4 and 6 Nge2