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English Opening

127 variations · 65M games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

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1.c4
Analyze this line move by move

White expected score · Overall

52.8%

45%60%
Floor52.8%

the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. Its best is the same figure — the band is too tight to plot.

Measured over 65M games at this level and clock.

Play Thiswins clearly more often than it loses at this level

A strong opening choice for White at this level and clock.

Outcomes for White

Draw 4.3 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 65M games

Rank among the families White can choose here
#14 of 56
Games in this context
65M
Best context
57.8% at 2200-2499 Classical
Worst context
44.3% at 0-999 Classical
Variations measured
127
Average game length
35 moves

Best and worst are the strongest and weakest squares with at least 500 games behind them. The table further down shows every square, including thinner ones.

What to play from here

White · Overall
#1English Opening: Porcupine VariationBest here
1.c4 f5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.e4 fxe4 4.g4
Floor 56.4% · 391 games
60.5%
#2English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Mecking Variation
1.c4 Nf6 2.Nf3 c5 3.Nc3 Nc6 4.g3 g6 5.Bg2 Bg7 6.O-O O-O 7.d4
Floor 55.5% · 118K games
55.8%
#3English Opening: Mikenas-Carls Variation
1.c4 e6 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.e4
Floor 55.3% · 558K games
55.4%
#4English Opening: Carls-Bremen System
1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.g3
Floor 55.2% · 746K games
55.3%
#5English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Two Knights, Fianchetto Variation
1.c4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g3
Floor 54.5% · 568K games
54.6%
#6English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Fianchetto Variation
1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 c5 3.g3
Floor 54.2% · 293K games
54.3%
#7English Opening: King's English Variation, Four Knights Variation, Fianchetto Line
1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.g3
Floor 54.1% · 330K games
54.2%
#8English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense, Anglo-Grünfeld Variation
1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 d5 3.cxd5 Nxd5 4.Nf3
Floor 54.1% · 206K games
54.3%
#9English Opening: King's English Variation, Reversed Sicilian
1.c4 e5 2.Nc3
Floor 54.0% · 4.0M games
54.1%
#10English Opening: Agincourt Defense, Neo-Catalan Declined
1.c4 e6 2.Nf3 d5 3.g3 Nf6 4.Bg2 Be7 5.O-O
Floor 53.8% · 248K games
54.0%

These are the moves players actually choose from here, ranked by how they score. A higher score is a better bet on the numbers alone — familiarity and playstyle still matter.

Where it holds · White score by rating × clock

Green is clearly ahead for White, grey is around even, red is behind. Tap a cell to measure there, and again to clear. It gets better as the rating rises: 47.9% at 0-999, 56.9% at 2500+.

RatingUBBulleBlitzRapidClass
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: 45.7% expected score (4,284 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Bullet: 50.0% expected score (454,419 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 50.3% expected score (850,137 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 49.1% expected score (371,578 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Classical: 44.3% expected score (4,007 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 50.2% expected score (20,205 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 52.4% expected score (975,883 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 52.4% expected score (1,574,703 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 52.4% expected score (588,993 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 50.5% expected score (13,586 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 48.8% expected score (27,099 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 52.5% expected score (1,882,425 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 52.6% expected score (2,913,119 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 52.8% expected score (986,607 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 52.8% expected score (36,996 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 50.0% expected score (52,348 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 52.4% expected score (3,093,340 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 52.6% expected score (4,669,910 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 52.7% expected score (1,429,398 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 53.0% expected score (88,600 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 50.2% expected score (62,948 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 52.3% expected score (4,403,334 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 52.6% expected score (6,189,304 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 52.8% expected score (1,779,183 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 53.5% expected score (101,319 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 52.5% expected score (35,179 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 52.4% expected score (5,155,641 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 52.8% expected score (6,801,206 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 53.1% expected score (1,502,254 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 54.0% expected score (73,178 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 54.7% expected score (28,406 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 52.5% expected score (4,838,174 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 53.4% expected score (4,815,211 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 53.9% expected score (760,537 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 56.5% expected score (25,073 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 57.7% expected score (5,491 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 53.2% expected score (4,040,144 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 54.8% expected score (2,503,302 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 56.5% expected score (242,289 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 57.8% expected score (4,846 games)
  • 2500+ rating, UltraBullet: 60.6% expected score (377 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 55.3% expected score (1,142,012 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 56.8% expected score (304,203 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 57.7% expected score (15,029 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Classical: 54.3% expected score (1,974 games)

127 variations · ranked by floor

Floor — the worst score you would still get, 90% confident.

1
English Opening: King's English, Erbenheimer Gambit741 games
62.2%Floor 59.3%
2
English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense, Scandinavian Defense, Exchange Variation155K games
57.4%Floor 57.2%
3
English Opening: Zilbermints Gambit728 games
59.6%Floor 56.6%
English Opening: Porcupine Variation391 games
60.5%Floor 56.4%
English Opening: Agincourt Defense, Catalan Defense, Semi-Slav Defense244K games
55.9%Floor 55.8%
English Opening: Agincourt Defense, Kurajica Defense48K games
56.0%Floor 55.6%
English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Mecking Variation118K games
55.8%Floor 55.5%
English Opening: Mikenas-Carls Variation558K games
55.4%Floor 55.3%
English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense, Romanishin Variation1.0K games
57.8%Floor 55.3%
English Opening: Carls-Bremen System746K games
55.3%Floor 55.2%
English Opening: Agincourt Defense, Catalan Defense44K games
55.5%Floor 55.1%
English Opening: Agincourt Defense, Catalan Defense Accepted116K games
55.1%Floor 54.9%
English Opening: Anglo-Scandinavian Defense, Löhn Gambit130K games
54.9%Floor 54.6%
English Opening: Myers Defense72K games
54.8%Floor 54.5%
English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Two Knights, Fianchetto Variation568K games
54.6%Floor 54.5%
English Opening: Agincourt Defense, Bogoljubow Defense24K games
54.8%Floor 54.3%
English Opening: Neo-Catalan112K games
54.5%Floor 54.3%
English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Fianchetto Variation293K games
54.3%Floor 54.2%
English Opening: King's English Variation, Botvinnik System, Prickly Pawn Pass System2.2K games
55.9%Floor 54.2%
English Opening: King's English Variation, Four Knights Variation, Fianchetto Line330K games
54.2%Floor 54.1%
English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense, Anglo-Grünfeld Variation206K games
54.3%Floor 54.1%
English Opening: King's English Variation, Reversed Sicilian4.0M games
54.1%Floor 54.0%
English Opening: Anglo-Scandinavian Defense, Malvinas Variation605K games
54.1%Floor 54.0%
English Opening: King's English Variation, Two Knights Variation, Fianchetto Line39K games
54.4%Floor 54.0%
English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense, Scandinavian Defense247K games
54.1%Floor 53.9%
English Opening: King's English Variation, Smyslov Defense16K games
54.6%Floor 53.9%
English Opening: Anglo-Scandinavian Defense4.9M games
53.8%Floor 53.8%
English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Four Knights Variation254K games
54.0%Floor 53.8%
English Opening: Agincourt Defense, Neo-Catalan Declined248K games
54.0%Floor 53.8%
English Opening: King's English Variation, Four Knights Variation, Quiet Line322K games
53.8%Floor 53.7%
English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense, Queen's Indian Formation126K games
54.0%Floor 53.7%
English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense, King's Knight Variation463K games
53.8%Floor 53.6%
English Opening: Anglo-Lithuanian Variation561K games
53.7%Floor 53.6%
English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense, Slav Formation6.5K games
54.6%Floor 53.6%
English Opening: King's English Variation, Troger Defense73K games
53.7%Floor 53.4%
English Opening: King's English Variation, Four Knights Variation, Korchnoi Line34K games
53.8%Floor 53.4%
English Opening: Anglo-Scandinavian Defense, Schulz Gambit449K games
53.4%Floor 53.3%
English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Normal Variation1.5M games
53.4%Floor 53.3%
English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Ultra-Symmetrical Variation278K games
53.3%Floor 53.2%
English Opening: King's English Variation, Three Knights System459K games
53.2%Floor 53.1%
English Opening: King's English Variation, Reversed Closed Sicilian1.8M games
53.1%Floor 53.0%
English Opening: King's English Variation6.2M games
53.1%Floor 53.0%
English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense, Queen's Knight Variation2.3M games
53.1%Floor 53.0%
English Opening: Agincourt Defense, Wimpy System73K games
53.2%Floor 52.9%
English Opening: King's English Variation, Nimzowitsch Variation323K games
53.0%Floor 52.8%
English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense, Grünfeld Formation7.7K games
53.7%Floor 52.8%
English Opening: King's English Variation, Two Knights Variation2.1M games
52.8%Floor 52.7%
English Opening: Symmetrical Variation3.3M games
52.8%Floor 52.7%
English Opening: Jaenisch Gambit243K games
52.8%Floor 52.7%
English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Two Knights Variation1.0M games
52.7%Floor 52.7%
Every English Opening variation, by name127
Analyze English Opening PositionsSee what each move is worth at your rating, move by move

Methodology

Across every rating and clock, the English Opening family scores 52.8% for White — we are 90% confident it is 52.8% — from 65M Lichess games across 127 variations. Win rate, draw rate and loss rate come from games played December 2023 to November 2025.

How the figures are made
Whose games these are
65M+ rated games played on Lichess (2023-12 to 2025-11). The games are Lichess’s and free for anyone to use. What is ours is the reading of them. Last rebuilt January 2026.
Which games we count
  • Rated games only — nothing casual.
  • Both players within 200 rating points of each other. A mismatch tells you about the gap, not about the opening.
  • At least 2 moves played.
  • A game is filed under White’s rating.
Why every number comes with a range
A number off a few hundred games is a guess. The same number off millions is a fact. The range is what tells them apart, and it is what the lists rank on — so an opening cannot reach the top on a lucky run of forty games. The more games behind a figure, the narrower its range.
How much we need before we say anything
An opening page needs 100 games. A gambit needs 50 games at a rating before we will say whether it pays there. The chaos and trap lists need 500 games overall and 250 games at one rating or clock.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the English Opening win rate?

Across the English Opening's 127 variations, White wins 50.6%, draws 4.3% and loses 45.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.8%. It rests on 65M rated games from Lichess.

How many English Opening variations are there?

127 English Opening variations have a page of their own, each broken down by rating and by clock.

At what rating does the English Opening perform best?

The English Opening family performs best for White at 2500+, with an Expected Score of 55.6% (1.5M games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read. Performance may vary by specific variation.

Is the English Opening better in blitz or rapid?

For White, the English Opening scores about the same in both: an Expected Score of 52.9% in Blitz (31M games) against 52.9% in Rapid (7.7M games).

How sharp is the English Opening?

English Opening games are 95.7% decisive (non-draws), with an average length of 35 moves. Sharpness varies by specific variation.

Is the English Opening a good opening family?

The English Opening family is good for White overall. Across its games, White wins 50.6% and loses 45.1%. Results differ between its 127 variations, so open the one you play for its own figures.