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English Opening: Drill Variation

9.9K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

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Analyze this line move by move

Black expected score · All ratings · All speeds

48.5%

40%55%
Floor47.7%

the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 49.3%.

Measured over 9.9K games at this level and clock.

Tough Sellloses more often than it wins at this level

Roughly even — the middlegame decides more than this opening choice does.

Outcomes for Black

Draw 4.6 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 9.9K games

Rank among the families Black can choose here
not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
Games in this context
9.9K
Best context
53.0% at 2200-2499 Bullet
Worst context
44.0% at 2500+ Blitz
Average game length
34 moves
Games that end decisively
95.4%
Draws
4.6%

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.

Where it holds · Black score by rating × clock

Green is clearly ahead for Black, grey is around even, red is behind. Tap a cell to measure there, and again to clear. It holds about the same all the way up, near 46.6%.

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, Bullet: 48.1% expected score (24 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 45.2% expected score (60 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 46.4% expected score (26 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 61.9% expected score (45 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 50.8% expected score (127 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 57.8% expected score (37 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 42.2% expected score (101 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 43.5% expected score (206 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 47.3% expected score (92 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 42.4% expected score (5 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 56.0% expected score (124 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 47.7% expected score (401 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 49.1% expected score (107 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 32.4% expected score (7 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 51.0% expected score (197 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 48.2% expected score (678 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 49.2% expected score (174 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (12 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 59.1% expected score (4 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 46.6% expected score (231 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 47.6% expected score (1,045 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 43.6% expected score (247 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 47.1% expected score (16 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 31.9% expected score (4 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 50.9% expected score (365 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 48.4% expected score (1,472 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 52.7% expected score (205 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 34.9% expected score (15 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 53.0% expected score (736 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 48.7% expected score (2,039 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 39.7% expected score (124 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 52.3% expected score (463 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 44.0% expected score (520 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 32.8% expected score (13 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (1 games)

Related Openings

Parent
English Opening
50.4%
Variations (5)
English Opening: King's English Variation
51.0%
English Opening: Agincourt Defense
50.2%
English Opening: Anglo-Scandinavian Defense
52.0%
English Opening: King's English Variation, Reversed Sicilian
52.2%
English Opening: Symmetrical Variation
50.5%
Analyze English Opening: Drill Variation PositionsSee what each move is worth at your rating, move by move

Methodology

Across every rating and clock, the English Opening: Drill Variation scores 48.5% for Black — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 47.7% and 49.3% — from 9.9K Lichess games. 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
9.9K+ 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: Drill Variation win rate?

Playing the English Opening: Drill Variation, Black wins 46.2%, draws 4.6% and loses 49.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.5%. It rests on 9.9K rated games from Lichess.

At what rating does the English Opening: Drill Variation perform best?

The English Opening: Drill Variation performs best for Black at 1000-1199, with an Expected Score of 54.5% (209 games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.

Is the English Opening: Drill Variation better in blitz or rapid?

For Black, the English Opening: Drill Variation scores about the same in both: an Expected Score of 47.8% in Blitz (6.5K games) against 47.2% in Rapid (1.0K games).

How sharp is the English Opening: Drill Variation?

The English Opening: Drill Variation has a sharpness score of 95.4 (very decisive), meaning 95.4% of games end decisively. Average game length is 34 moves.

What is the English Opening: Drill Variation win rate at 0-999?

At 0-999, Black wins 43.5%, draws 4.9% and loses 51.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.0%. It rests on 110 Lichess games, which average 27 moves.

What is the English Opening: Drill Variation win rate at 1000-1199?

At 1000-1199, Black wins 52.5%, draws 4.0% and loses 43.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.5%. It rests on 209 Lichess games, which average 30 moves.

What is the English Opening: Drill Variation win rate at 1200-1399?

At 1200-1399, Black wins 42.4%, draws 3.3% and loses 54.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 44.1%. It rests on 405 Lichess games, which average 29 moves.

What is the English Opening: Drill Variation win rate at 1400-1599?

At 1400-1599, Black wins 48.3%, draws 2.0% and loses 49.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.3%. It rests on 639 Lichess games, which average 30 moves.

What is the English Opening: Drill Variation win rate at 1600-1799?

At 1600-1799, Black wins 47.3%, draws 3.0% and loses 49.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.8%. It rests on 1.1K Lichess games, which average 31 moves.

What is the English Opening: Drill Variation win rate at 1800-1999?

At 1800-1999, Black wins 44.8%, draws 3.9% and loses 51.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.8%. It rests on 1.5K Lichess games, which average 33 moves.

What is the English Opening: Drill Variation win rate at 2000-2199?

At 2000-2199, Black wins 47.1%, draws 4.0% and loses 48.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.1%. It rests on 2.1K Lichess games, which average 34 moves.

What is the English Opening: Drill Variation win rate at 2200-2499?

At 2200-2499, Black wins 46.3%, draws 5.9% and loses 47.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.3%. It rests on 2.9K Lichess games, which average 36 moves.

What is the English Opening: Drill Variation win rate at 2500+?

At 2500+, Black wins 43.9%, draws 7.5% and loses 48.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.7%. It rests on 997 Lichess games, which average 40 moves.

What is the English Opening: Drill Variation win rate in Bullet?

In Bullet, Black wins 49.6%, draws 3.7% and loses 46.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.5%. It rests on 2.3K Lichess games.

What is the English Opening: Drill Variation win rate in Blitz?

In Blitz, Black wins 45.3%, draws 4.9% and loses 49.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.8%. It rests on 6.5K Lichess games.

What is the English Opening: Drill Variation win rate in Rapid?

In Rapid, Black wins 44.7%, draws 5.0% and loses 50.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.2%. It rests on 1.0K Lichess games.

Is the English Opening: Drill Variation a good opening?

The English Opening: Drill Variation is hard work for Black — it favours White. Across all ratings, Black wins 46.2% of its games and loses 49.2%. It performs best at 1000-1199. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.