St George Defence - A Tribute to Anthony Miles Standard Chess

The St. George Defence is generally considered an inferior response to 1.e4 compared to 1...e5, 1...e6, 1...c5, or 1...c6.

The first known chess game involving the St. George was a simultaneous game between an English amateur J. Baker and the first official World Chess Champion Wilhelm Steinitz on 11 December 1868. The game was won by Baker and the opening derives it's name from that game as the patron saint of England is St George. The advocates of the opening are generally players willing to sacrifice the center in order to attack from the flank, and to avoid theory.

In perhaps its most famous appearance, Miles defeated reigning world champion Anatoly Karpov in the 1980 European Team Championship in Skara, Sweden. Miles thus named the opening after the myth of Saint George and the Dragon in which Saint George slays the dragon as Miles slew Karpov in winning the game. The opening also acquired the name of "Birmingham Defence" at this time, after Miles' hometown.

Birmingham is also my home town :-) And here's remembering a fine chess player...