ECO A22 · English Opening

English Opening: King's English, Mazedonisch

1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. f4

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Black to move. The arrow shows Stockfish’s best move.
Best move

3… exf4−0.22

The position is roughly equal. Stockfish 18, depth 18.

Analyze this position

In the English Opening: King's English, Mazedonisch (A22), reached after 1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. f4, Stockfish 18 recommends 3… exf4 for Black. The position is roughly equal (−0.22).

Top engine moves

  1. −0.223… exf4 4. d4 c5 5. Nf3 cxd4 6. Nxd4 Bc5 7. Bxf4 O-O 8. e3
  2. −0.073… d6 4. Nf3 Nc6 5. e4 g6 6. Be2 Bh6 7. d4 exf4 8. g3
  3. −0.063… e4 4. e3 c6 5. d3 exd3 6. Bxd3 d5 7. Nf3 dxc4 8. Bxc4

Frequently asked questions

What is the best move in the English Opening: King's English, Mazedonisch?
After 1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. f4, Stockfish 18 at depth 18 recommends 3… exf4 for Black, continuing 4. d4 c5 5. Nf3 cxd4 6. Nxd4 Bc5 7. Bxf4 O-O 8. e3. The position is roughly equal (−0.22). The next best moves are 3… d6 (−0.07) and 3… e4 (−0.06).
Is the English Opening: King's English, Mazedonisch a good opening?
Stockfish rates the position at −0.22: the position is roughly equal. Evaluations this early in the game are small, so practical results depend far more on knowing the plans and typical structures than on the engine's number.
What is the ECO code of the English Opening: King's English, Mazedonisch?
A22. ECO codes classify chess openings from A00 to E99; A is the volume for flank openings.

Opening names from the Lichess opening book (CC0). Pieces by Colin M.L. Burnett (GPLv2+).