The English Opening.

[NickFaulks]

I think the Hedgehog is self-explanatory.

[Nick Grey]

Hedgehog reversed English.

[MJMcCready]

I think the Hedgehog is self-explanatory.

Oh you mean it's easily flattened by anything coming at it?

[MJMcCready]

Don't we also have a dinosaur in there The Pterodactyl, and The Monkey's Bum. I assume this is either attempted humour or the tail end of an outlandish fixation.

[MJMcCready]

The 1843 match between Staunton and Saint-Amant has six games where Staunton opened 1.c4. That might be the origin.

This is the view of Modern Chess Openings 10th edition (1965):

..derives its name from its association with Howard Staunton who played it against St Amant in their match (1843) and again in the England v France team match (1843) as well as the historic 1851 London tournament.

Staunton himself, in his Handbook (1847) gives it no name but refers to it as "Irregular", though wryly notes that the sequence P to Q B's 4th P to K's 4th is regarded by "some writers" as favouring black, whereas "in the Sicilian Game, when the position is reversed, and you have Black's position, and in addition the advantage of the move, you can barely make an even game".

How do we determine whether it was only Staunton playing 'The English Opening', hence its attribution, or was commonly played by many of his English peers? It's a bit strange to name something English, if there's only one Englishman using it.

[Michael Farthing]

Then from now on let's call it the Staunton Opening! I don't think he's got an opening directly named after him, so time to redress that wrong.

[Roger de Coverly]

I don't think he's got an opening directly named after him, so time to redress that wrong.

Staunton Gambit in the Dutch. 1. d4 f5 2. e4

[Michael Farthing]

Nah, bit it's not a Whole Opening
[Though I suppose having the standard design of the pieces names after you is perhaps even better].

[JustinHorton]

There's also something purporting to be known as the Staunton-Cochrane variation of the Sicilian.

[Nick Grey]

That 'something' is known as the Ken Inwood variation in these parts of England. Ken has been playing it for at least 60 years.

[Matt Mackenzie]

The Monkey's Bum. I assume this is either attempted humour or the tail end of an outlandish fixation.

Supposedly named after a player saying "if that works, then I'm a Monkey's Bum"

[Kevin Thurlow]

"That 'something' is known as the Ken Inwood variation in these parts of England. Ken has been playing it for at least 60 years."

Yes, but even Ken wasn't around in Staunton's day...

[Jonathan Rogers]

Chessbomb viewers getting predictably obsessed with a blunder by Wang which allows a line assesed at +2. Which, when played through, ends in a quite drawn position! (There IS something up with the SF used on that site, surely).

[JustinHorton]

.

[Jonathan Rogers]

round 9 in 2016, I think