Answers.Body: <p>Before a sufficient number of moves is played, the exact name of the opening cannot be determined. And the key term to answer your question is <a href="/questions/tagged/transpositions" class="post-tag" title="show questions tagged &#39;transpositions&#39;" aria-label="show questions tagged &#39;transpositions&#39;" rel="tag" aria-labelledby="tag-transpositions-tooltip-container">transpositions</a>:</p>
  <blockquote>
  <p>... is a sequence of moves that results in a position that may also be reached by another, more common sequence of moves. Transpositions are particularly common in the opening, where a given position may be reached by different sequences of moves (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transposition_(chess)" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Wiki on chess transpositions</a>).</p>
  </blockquote>
  <p>So, <code>c4</code> at move 1 is commonly referred as the <em>English opening</em> family; however, certain Sicilian (and other ones!) defense positions can be reached from it (soundly or unsoundly — is a different question). Moreover, in many cases there is no established convention on how to call a position (especially when amateur players play the opening); hence, some choice is made by a website interface, and it might be that another website can make a different choice for the same position.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2023-11-17T01:27:02.767Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2023-11-17T01:27:02.767Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Anton Menshov
Body: <p>Here are the first few moves of a game that I played at chess.com and the name of the openings is shown by the system:</p>
  <ol>
  <li>c4 <strong>(English Opening)</strong> c5 <strong>(English Opening; Symmetrical Variation)</strong></li>
  <li>Nc3 Nc6 <strong>(English Opening; Symmetrical, Two Knights Variation)</strong></li>
  <li>g3 <strong>(English Opening; Symmetrical, Two Knights, Fianchetto Variation)</strong> Nf6</li>
  <li>Bg2 <strong>(English Opening; Angelo-Indian Defense)</strong> g6 <strong>(English Opening; Symmetrical, Two Knights, Fianchetto Variation)</strong></li>
  <li>e4 Bg7 <strong>(English Opening; Fianchetto, Ultra-Symmetrical, Botinivik System)</strong></li>
  <li>d3 <strong>(English Opening; Fianchetto, Ultra-Symmetrical Line)</strong> O-O <strong>(English Opening, Angelo-Indian, Queen's Knight Variation)</strong></li>
  <li>Nge2 <strong>(Sicilian Defence, Staunton-Cochrane System)</strong> d6</li>
  <li>O-O <strong>(English Opening; Fianchetto, Ultra-Symmetrical, Botinivik System)</strong></li>
  </ol>
  <p>Why did the name of the opening of this game change back and forth so many times in the first few moves? I am particularly amazed that we entered Sicilian Defence at move 7 and came back to English at move 8.</p>
  
Tags: <opening><online-chess><sicilian-defense><terminology><english-opening>
Title: Opening name change of one game at Chess.com
ThreadText: # Opening name change of one game at Chess.com
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2023-11-16)
  
  Here are the first few moves of a game that I played at chess.com and the name of the openings is shown by the system:
  
  1. c4 **(English Opening)** c5 **(English Opening; Symmetrical Variation)**
  2. Nc3 Nc6 **(English Opening; Symmetrical, Two Knights Variation)**
  3. g3 **(English Opening; Symmetrical, Two Knights, Fianchetto Variation)** Nf6
  4. Bg2 **(English Opening; Angelo-Indian Defense)** g6 **(English Opening; Symmetrical, Two Knights, Fianchetto Variation)**
  5. e4 Bg7 **(English Opening; Fianchetto, Ultra-Symmetrical, Botinivik System)**
  6. d3 **(English Opening; Fianchetto, Ultra-Symmetrical Line)** O-O **(English Opening, Angelo-Indian, Queen's Knight Variation)**
  7. Nge2 **(Sicilian Defence, Staunton-Cochrane System)** d6
  8. O-O **(English Opening; Fianchetto, Ultra-Symmetrical, Botinivik System)**
  
  Why did the name of the opening of this game change back and forth so many times in the first few moves? I am particularly amazed that we entered Sicilian Defence at move 7 and came back to English at move 8.
  
  **Tags:** opening, online-chess, sicilian-defense, terminology, english-opening
  
  
  ---
  
  ## 1 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_1 on 2023-11-17. Score: 2
  
  Before a sufficient number of moves is played, the exact name of the opening cannot be determined. And the key term to answer your question is [transpositions](/questions/tagged/transpositions "show questions tagged 'transpositions'"):
  
  > ... is a sequence of moves that results in a position that may also be reached by another, more common sequence of moves. Transpositions are particularly common in the opening, where a given position may be reached by different sequences of moves ([Wiki on chess transpositions](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transposition_(chess))).
  
  So, `c4` at move 1 is commonly referred as the *English opening* family; however, certain Sicilian (and other ones!) defense positions can be reached from it (soundly or unsoundly — is a different question). Moreover, in many cases there is no established convention on how to call a position (especially when amateur players play the opening); hence, some choice is made by a website interface, and it might be that another website can make a different choice for the same position.
  
  
  ---
  
  