Playing the English by Nikolaos Ntirlis (hardcover)

This Playing the English by Nikolaos Ntirlis is a hardcover chess book that gives White a complete repertoire after 1.c4. It is aimed at players who want to steer the game from the first move and rely more on understanding plans and structures than on memorising long lines.

What this book covers

The English Opening has long been a practical choice for players at many levels. After 1.c4, White immediately shapes the game on their own terms, and many resulting positions reward strategic ideas, typical manoeuvres and clear planning. This book is built around that approach.

Nikolaos Ntirlis presents a full repertoire for White, showing how to meet the main setups and ideas from Black. Each section begins with an introduction to the key concepts, so you get more than variation analysis: you also get practical guidance for making decisions over the board.

A practical repertoire for 1.c4

The repertoire is designed for human play, not just for engine display. That makes the material useful in real games and helps you build a solid, ambitious opening system without losing sight of the position itself.

If you are looking to organise your knowledge of the English Opening or move from theory to a better practical understanding of the positions, this book is a strong place to start.

About the author

Nikolaos Ntirlis is the author of Playing the English – A World-Class Repertoire.

Key details

• Product type: hardcover chess book
• Author: Nikolaos Ntirlis
• Title: Playing the English – A World-Class Repertoire
• Language: English
• Opening: English Opening
• Repertoire side: White
• Main move: 1.c4
• Page count: 440