• Power: England
• Group: None
• When: Spring 1901
• Target SCs: Brest, Belgium
• Aggressive towards: France
• Orders: F Edi-Cly, F Lon-ENG, A Lpl-Wal

Ah, the Western Opening. If there’s one opening I’ve never been tempted to try it’s this one. Well, not just this one but this one’s included. It’s not quite the strangest opening for England, but it’s pretty strange, nonetheless.

With this opening England is announcing very clearly that they’re not interested in Scandinavia. Both fleets are moving away from your eastern seas. F Lon-ENG is a typical move, if a risky one, for reasons explained elsewhere. F Edi-Cly is… unexpected.

What it also signals is that England isn’t concerned with Germany and is very, very clearly going after France. What happens next? Well, presumably, F Cly-IRI/NAO, F ENG C Wal-Bre/Pic/Bel?

Here’s the problem: France is – if they can – cover Brest and, while getting the army into Picardy is fine if you’re also getting an SC elsewhere, with this opening you’re not getting an SC unless you get Belgium. Hopefully, the commitment you’ve shown to Germany by using this opening might encourage them to help you get Belgium… but it might not.

You can, of course, pretty much force your way into the Mid-Atlantic Ocean, and that might help you take Brest in Fall 1902, but – again – you’re relying on German help.

POSTS IN THIS SERIES

• England’s Opening Moves – Introduction
• Churchill Opening
• Jorvik Opening
• Leith Opening
• Ouse Opening
• Severn Opening
• Grampian Opening
• Pennine Opening
• Snowdonia Opening
• Western Opening
• Yorkshire Pudding Opening