Southern Opening

Richard Sharp's name for the opening F Lon-ENG, F Edi-NTH. There are three named variations:

• Edinburgh variation
• Welsh Opening
• Yorkshire Opening

SOUTHERN OPENING, WELSH VARIANT

Known as the Welsh Opening, this opening is normally attempted when England is quite sure of taking the Channel, a fact seen by its high success rate compared with other Southern openings. Because England only commits to Wales with the surety of a Channel entry, French cooperation is often assumed by the board, and the most common target for the English army is Belgium. As a result, however, the success rate for taking Brest with this opening is extraordinarily high, and any French trust in the English will be tested. The Gamer's Guide to Diplomacy calls this opening "blatantly anti-French." If France opened to the Mid-Atlantic, she is probably faced with the choice of giving up either Spain or Portugal in order to protect Brest. England may also allow her to slip back in the home center while convoying the army to Belgium instead. Meanwhile, the North Sea fleet can either support the army into Belgium or take Norway.

ATLANTIC BIND

In this Fall 1901 continuation of a Southern opening, England sends the Channel fleet into the Mid-Atlantic Ocean while convoying to Norway. England passes up the slim chance of Brest in exchange for the forward position. (The MAO is much harder for England to take once France builds a second fleet.) If expelled from MAO, the English fleet can move to the Western Mediterranean, threatening Spain, Tunis, and the Gulf of Lyon.