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English Opening: King's English Variation, Four Knights Variation, Bradley Beach Variation

25K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

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Analyze this line move by move

Black expected score · All ratings · All speeds

47.3%

40%55%
Floor46.8%

the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 47.8%.

Measured over 25K games at this level and clock.

Tough Sellloses more often than it wins at this level

Black comes out behind here — there are better weapons in the list.

Outcomes for Black

Draw 3.6 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 25K games

Rank among the families Black can choose here
not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
Games in this context
25K
Best context
50.8% at 1400-1599 Rapid
Worst context
43.9% at 1200-1399 Bullet
Average game length
33 moves
Games that end decisively
96.4%
Draws
3.6%

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 falls away as the rating rises: 48.0% at 0-999, 41.1% 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, Bullet: 42.1% expected score (131 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 46.5% expected score (334 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 55.4% expected score (120 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 45.2% expected score (302 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 50.3% expected score (747 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 50.0% expected score (410 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 65.4% expected score (5 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 54.8% expected score (9 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 43.9% expected score (631 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 47.0% expected score (1,321 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 47.5% expected score (727 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 74.5% expected score (21 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 41.3% expected score (27 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 49.3% expected score (728 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 47.6% expected score (2,399 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 50.8% expected score (870 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 58.3% expected score (53 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 11.5% expected score (5 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 48.2% expected score (1,060 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 47.9% expected score (2,639 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 44.9% expected score (1,085 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 36.8% expected score (59 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 78.6% expected score (2 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 47.6% expected score (1,327 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 47.4% expected score (3,236 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 46.9% expected score (814 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 43.8% expected score (47 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 42.4% expected score (5 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 46.5% expected score (1,436 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 48.0% expected score (2,096 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 42.3% expected score (378 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 54.7% expected score (20 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 45.2% expected score (927 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 45.9% expected score (618 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 41.4% expected score (103 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 78.6% expected score (2 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 44.4% expected score (123 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 42.1% expected score (49 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 27.8% expected score (3 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: King's English Variation, Four Knights Variation, Bradley Beach Variation PositionsSee what each move is worth at your rating, move by move

Methodology

Across every rating and clock, the English Opening: King's English Variation, Four Knights Variation, Bradley Beach Variation scores 47.3% for Black — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 46.8% and 47.8% — from 25K 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
25K+ 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: King's English Variation, Four Knights Variation, Bradley Beach Variation win rate?

Playing the English Opening: King's English Variation, Four Knights Variation, Bradley Beach Variation, Black wins 45.5%, draws 3.6% and loses 50.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.3%. It rests on 25K rated games from Lichess.

At what rating does the English Opening: King's English Variation, Four Knights Variation, Bradley Beach Variation perform best?

The English Opening: King's English Variation, Four Knights Variation, Bradley Beach Variation performs best for Black at 1400-1599, with an Expected Score of 48.7% (4.1K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.

Is the English Opening: King's English Variation, Four Knights Variation, Bradley Beach Variation better in blitz or rapid?

For Black, the English Opening: King's English Variation, Four Knights Variation, Bradley Beach Variation scores about the same in both: an Expected Score of 47.6% in Blitz (13K games) against 47.3% in Rapid (4.5K games).

How sharp is the English Opening: King's English Variation, Four Knights Variation, Bradley Beach Variation?

The English Opening: King's English Variation, Four Knights Variation, Bradley Beach Variation has a sharpness score of 96.4 (very decisive), meaning 96.4% of games end decisively. Average game length is 33 moves.

What is the English Opening: King's English Variation, Four Knights Variation, Bradley Beach Variation win rate at 0-999?

At 0-999, Black wins 46.0%, draws 2.6% and loses 51.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.3%. It rests on 585 Lichess games, which average 25 moves.

What is the English Opening: King's English Variation, Four Knights Variation, Bradley Beach Variation win rate at 1000-1199?

At 1000-1199, Black wins 47.6%, draws 3.1% and loses 49.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.2%. It rests on 1.5K Lichess games, which average 28 moves.

What is the English Opening: King's English Variation, Four Knights Variation, Bradley Beach Variation win rate at 1200-1399?

At 1200-1399, Black wins 45.1%, draws 3.1% and loses 51.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.7%. It rests on 2.7K Lichess games, which average 30 moves.

What is the English Opening: King's English Variation, Four Knights Variation, Bradley Beach Variation win rate at 1400-1599?

At 1400-1599, Black wins 47.1%, draws 3.1% and loses 49.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.7%. It rests on 4.1K Lichess games, which average 31 moves.

What is the English Opening: King's English Variation, Four Knights Variation, Bradley Beach Variation win rate at 1600-1799?

At 1600-1799, Black wins 45.5%, draws 3.2% and loses 51.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.1%. It rests on 4.8K Lichess games, which average 33 moves.

What is the English Opening: King's English Variation, Four Knights Variation, Bradley Beach Variation win rate at 1800-1999?

At 1800-1999, Black wins 45.5%, draws 3.7% and loses 50.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.4%. It rests on 5.4K Lichess games, which average 34 moves.

What is the English Opening: King's English Variation, Four Knights Variation, Bradley Beach Variation win rate at 2000-2199?

At 2000-2199, Black wins 44.8%, draws 4.0% and loses 51.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.9%. It rests on 3.9K Lichess games, which average 35 moves.

What is the English Opening: King's English Variation, Four Knights Variation, Bradley Beach Variation win rate at 2200-2499?

At 2200-2499, Black wins 42.9%, draws 4.7% and loses 52.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 45.3%. It rests on 1.6K Lichess games, which average 37 moves.

What is the English Opening: King's English Variation, Four Knights Variation, Bradley Beach Variation win rate at 2500+?

At 2500+, Black wins 37.5%, draws 11.5% and loses 51.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 43.3%. It rests on 176 Lichess games, which average 39 moves.

What is the English Opening: King's English Variation, Four Knights Variation, Bradley Beach Variation win rate in Bullet?

In Bullet, Black wins 45.4%, draws 2.4% and loses 52.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.6%. It rests on 6.7K Lichess games.

What is the English Opening: King's English Variation, Four Knights Variation, Bradley Beach Variation win rate in Blitz?

In Blitz, Black wins 45.7%, draws 3.8% and loses 50.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.6%. It rests on 13K Lichess games.

What is the English Opening: King's English Variation, Four Knights Variation, Bradley Beach Variation win rate in Rapid?

In Rapid, Black wins 45.1%, draws 4.3% and loses 50.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.3%. It rests on 4.5K Lichess games.

What is the English Opening: King's English Variation, Four Knights Variation, Bradley Beach Variation win rate in Classical?

In Classical, Black wins 47.5%, draws 6.9% and loses 45.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.0%. It rests on 208 Lichess games.

Is the English Opening: King's English Variation, Four Knights Variation, Bradley Beach Variation a good opening?

The English Opening: King's English Variation, Four Knights Variation, Bradley Beach Variation is hard work for Black — it favours White. Across all ratings, Black wins 45.5% of its games and loses 50.9%. It performs best at 1400-1599. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.