English Opening: King's English Variation, Bremen-Hort Variation
6.5K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026
Black expected score · All ratings · All speeds
52.3%
the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 53.4%.
Measured over 6.5K games at this level and clock.
A strong choice for Black at this level and clock.
Outcomes for Black
Draw 4.9 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 6.5K games
- Rank among the families Black can choose here
- not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
- Games in this context
- 6.5K
- Best context
- 55.1% at 2000-2199 Blitz
- Worst context
- 50.8% at 2200-2499 Blitz
- Average game length
- 37 moves
- Games that end decisively
- 95.1%
- Draws
- 4.9%
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 falls away as the rating rises: 47.5% at 0-999, 40.1% at 2500+.
| 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, Bullet: 50.0% expected score (6 games)
- 0-999 rating, Blitz: 42.4% expected score (5 games)
- 0-999 rating, Rapid: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 50.0% expected score (20 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 52.3% expected score (21 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 54.0% expected score (11 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 58.8% expected score (50 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 47.6% expected score (61 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 39.7% expected score (13 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 45.8% expected score (115 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 52.3% expected score (108 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 57.5% expected score (32 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 78.6% expected score (2 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 48.1% expected score (208 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 52.2% expected score (247 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 58.2% expected score (60 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 38.9% expected score (3 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 46.8% expected score (346 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 53.8% expected score (624 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 52.2% expected score (89 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 78.6% expected score (2 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 51.0% expected score (596 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 55.1% expected score (1,128 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 55.8% expected score (111 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 70.0% expected score (6 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 54.3% expected score (999 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 50.8% expected score (1,136 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 54.5% expected score (54 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
- 2500+ rating, Bullet: 52.2% expected score (390 games)
- 2500+ rating, Blitz: 38.2% expected score (83 games)
- 2500+ rating, Rapid: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
Related Openings
Methodology
Across every rating and clock, the English Opening: King's English Variation, Bremen-Hort Variation scores 52.3% for Black — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 51.3% and 53.4% — from 6.5K 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
- 6.5K+ 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 before we will say where it stops working. The chaos and trap lists need 500 games.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the English Opening: King's English Variation, Bremen-Hort Variation win rate?
The English Opening: King's English Variation, Bremen-Hort Variation scores 52.3% (range, 90% confident: 51.3% – 53.4%) for Black, based on 6.5K rated games from Lichess.
At what rating does the English Opening: King's English Variation, Bremen-Hort Variation perform best?
The English Opening: King's English Variation, Bremen-Hort Variation performs best at 2000-2199, where it scores 53.9% for Black (1.8K games). It tends to score less at higher ratings as opponents know the theory better.
Is the English Opening: King's English Variation, Bremen-Hort Variation better in blitz or rapid?
For Black, Blitz (52.6%) outperforms Bullet (51.5%). Choose your time control wisely.
How sharp is the English Opening: King's English Variation, Bremen-Hort Variation?
The English Opening: King's English Variation, Bremen-Hort Variation has a sharpness score of 95.1 (very decisive), meaning 95.1% of games end decisively. Average game length is 37 moves.
What is the English Opening: King's English Variation, Bremen-Hort Variation win rate at 1200-1399?
At 1200-1399, the English Opening: King's English Variation, Bremen-Hort Variation scores 51.2% (range, 90% confident: 43.9% – 58.5%) for Black, based on 124 Lichess games. Average game length is 33 moves with a 2.8% draw rate.
What is the English Opening: King's English Variation, Bremen-Hort Variation win rate at 1400-1599?
At 1400-1599, the English Opening: King's English Variation, Bremen-Hort Variation scores 50.4% (range, 90% confident: 45.3% – 55.5%) for Black, based on 257 Lichess games. Average game length is 33 moves with a 4.4% draw rate.
What is the English Opening: King's English Variation, Bremen-Hort Variation win rate at 1600-1799?
At 1600-1799, the English Opening: King's English Variation, Bremen-Hort Variation scores 51.2% (range, 90% confident: 47.6% – 54.8%) for Black, based on 518 Lichess games. Average game length is 34 moves with a 3.6% draw rate.
What is the English Opening: King's English Variation, Bremen-Hort Variation win rate at 1800-1999?
At 1800-1999, the English Opening: King's English Variation, Bremen-Hort Variation scores 51.5% (range, 90% confident: 49.0% – 54.0%) for Black, based on 1.1K Lichess games. Average game length is 36 moves with a 6.1% draw rate.
What is the English Opening: King's English Variation, Bremen-Hort Variation win rate at 2000-2199?
At 2000-2199, the English Opening: King's English Variation, Bremen-Hort Variation scores 53.9% (range, 90% confident: 52.0% – 55.8%) for Black, based on 1.8K Lichess games. Average game length is 37 moves with a 4.7% draw rate.
What is the English Opening: King's English Variation, Bremen-Hort Variation win rate at 2200-2499?
At 2200-2499, the English Opening: King's English Variation, Bremen-Hort Variation scores 52.6% (range, 90% confident: 50.8% – 54.3%) for Black, based on 2.2K Lichess games. Average game length is 38 moves with a 5.3% draw rate.
What is the English Opening: King's English Variation, Bremen-Hort Variation win rate at 2500+?
At 2500+, the English Opening: King's English Variation, Bremen-Hort Variation scores 49.6% (range, 90% confident: 45.9% – 53.4%) for Black, based on 474 Lichess games. Average game length is 40 moves with a 4.3% draw rate.
What is the English Opening: King's English Variation, Bremen-Hort Variation win rate in Bullet?
In Bullet games, the English Opening: King's English Variation, Bremen-Hort Variation scores 51.5% (range, 90% confident: 50.0% – 53.1%) for Black (2.7K Lichess games). Draw rate is 3.4%.
What is the English Opening: King's English Variation, Bremen-Hort Variation win rate in Blitz?
In Blitz games, the English Opening: King's English Variation, Bremen-Hort Variation scores 52.6% (range, 90% confident: 51.2% – 54.0%) for Black (3.4K Lichess games). Draw rate is 6.0%.
What is the English Opening: King's English Variation, Bremen-Hort Variation win rate in Rapid?
In Rapid games, the English Opening: King's English Variation, Bremen-Hort Variation scores 54.6% (range, 90% confident: 50.3% – 58.8%) for Black (373 Lichess games). Draw rate is 5.7%.
Is the English Opening: King's English Variation, Bremen-Hort Variation a good opening?
The English Opening: King's English Variation, Bremen-Hort Variation is about level with a 45.3% (range, 90% confident: 44.2% – 46.3%) win rate across all ratings. It performs best at 2000-2199. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.