What is the English Defense expected score for White?
Snapshot
Overall, the English Defense family has a 51.5% expected score for White (we're 90% confident it's between 51.4% and 51.5%), aggregated from 6 variations and 12M Lichess games.
English Defense
6 variations · 12M games from Lichess · Updated January 2026
Key Finding
English Defense is balanced for White at 51.5% expected score.
This opening produces roughly even results, with outcomes depending more on middlegame play than opening choice.
You play
Playable
Rating
Time
White Expected Score0.0%Range (90% confident): 51.4% – 51.5%Aggregated from 6 variations
0%51.5%100%
Range (90% confident): 51.4% – 51.5%
ContextOverall · n=12M
Outcome Distribution
49.7%3.5%46.8%
Win
Draw
Loss
1...b6
English Defense
Variations6
Games (Context)12M
Avg Length35 moves
Draw Rate3.5%
What Should I Play?
Player-controlled continuations for White · Overall
Continuations show the most common variations from this opening. Higher expected scores indicate better statistical outcomes, but familiarity and playstyle matter too.
White Win% by Rating
Improves with rating: 48% → 50%
0
1000
1200
1400
1600
1800
2000
2200
2500+
- 0-999: 48.0% win rate (313,606 games)
- 1000-1199: 49.5% win rate (656,288 games)
- 1200-1399: 49.4% win rate (1,313,970 games)
- 1400-1599: 49.4% win rate (2,205,418 games)
- 1600-1799: 49.5% win rate (2,812,208 games)
- 1800-1999: 49.6% win rate (2,601,100 games)
- 2000-2199: 50.4% win rate (1,567,210 games)
- 2200-2499: 50.8% win rate (722,727 games)
- 2500+: 50.3% win rate (123,090 games)
White Win% by Time Control
Similar across time controls (~51%)
UltraBullet
Bullet
Blitz
Rapid
Classical
- UltraBullet: 49.4% win rate (65,946 games)
- Bullet: 49.6% win rate (5,988,095 games)
- Blitz: 49.7% win rate (5,188,300 games)
- Rapid: 50.2% win rate (1,042,916 games)
- Classical: 51.2% win rate (30,360 games)
Rating vs Time Control Matrix
Click cells to filter · White expected scores
White% by Rating × Time Control
Click any cell to filter. Green = above 50%, Red = below 50%.
| Rating | UB | Bulle | Blitz | Rapid | Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0-999 | |||||
| 1000-1199 | |||||
| 1200-1399 | |||||
| 1400-1599 | |||||
| 1600-1799 | |||||
| 1800-1999 | |||||
| 2000-2199 | |||||
| 2200-2499 | |||||
| 2500+ |
Expected score matrix by rating bracket and time control
- 0-999 rating, UltraBullet: 42.2% expected score (872 games)
- 0-999 rating, Bullet: 48.2% expected score (96,135 games)
- 0-999 rating, Blitz: 50.1% expected score (167,093 games)
- 0-999 rating, Rapid: 51.3% expected score (49,067 games)
- 0-999 rating, Classical: 52.1% expected score (439 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 44.3% expected score (2,323 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 49.4% expected score (241,368 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 51.5% expected score (328,614 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 53.0% expected score (82,415 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 54.0% expected score (1,568 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 45.7% expected score (6,395 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 49.9% expected score (519,003 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 51.3% expected score (641,123 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 52.3% expected score (143,323 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 52.9% expected score (4,126 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 47.9% expected score (14,687 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 50.2% expected score (872,206 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 51.3% expected score (1,072,177 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 51.9% expected score (237,526 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 53.1% expected score (8,822 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 48.9% expected score (20,357 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 50.7% expected score (1,193,653 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 51.7% expected score (1,325,681 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 52.3% expected score (263,194 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 53.0% expected score (9,323 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 54.3% expected score (12,319 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 51.0% expected score (1,340,333 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 52.0% expected score (1,045,799 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 52.8% expected score (197,591 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 57.2% expected score (5,058 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 56.8% expected score (6,212 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 52.0% expected score (1,031,074 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 53.1% expected score (469,501 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 54.9% expected score (59,501 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 60.0% expected score (922 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 58.4% expected score (2,708 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 52.6% expected score (582,035 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 54.9% expected score (127,840 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 55.5% expected score (10,047 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 55.6% expected score (97 games)
- 2500+ rating, UltraBullet: 55.4% expected score (73 games)
- 2500+ rating, Bullet: 53.1% expected score (112,288 games)
- 2500+ rating, Blitz: 56.5% expected score (10,472 games)
- 2500+ rating, Rapid: 57.9% expected score (252 games)
- 2500+ rating, Classical: 65.4% expected score (5 games)
Matrix view reveals how performance varies across rating brackets and time controls. Green indicates favorable, red indicates challenging contexts.
Variations (6)
Analyze English Defense PositionsGet move-by-move win rates with the TrueElo analyzer
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the English Defense win rate?
The English Defense family has a 49.7% (90% CI: 49.6%-49.7%) win rate for white, aggregated from 6 variations and 12M rated games from Lichess.
How many English Defense variations are there?
This analysis covers 6 English Defense variations with sufficient game data. Each variation has its own statistics page with detailed win rates by rating and time control.
At what rating does the English Defense perform best?
The English Defense family performs best at 2200-2499 Elo with a 50.8% win rate for white (723K games). Performance may vary by specific variation.
Is the English Defense better in blitz or rapid?
Classical (51.2%) outperforms UltraBullet (49.4%) by 1.8% across all English Defense variations.
How sharp is the English Defense?
English Defense games are 96.5% decisive (non-draws), with an average length of 35 moves. Sharpness varies by specific variation.
Is the English Defense a good opening family?
The English Defense family is statistically balanced overall with a 49.7% (90% CI: 49.6%-49.7%) aggregated win rate. However, win rates vary significantly between the 6 variations—explore individual lines to find the best fit for your style.