Skip to content
TrueEloPlay what wins.
Score a position

English Opening: King's English Variation, Four Knights Variation, Korchnoi Line

34K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

8
7
6
5
4
3
2
a1
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
4.a3
Analyze this line move by move

White expected score · All ratings · All speeds

53.8%

45%60%
Floor53.4%

the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 54.3%.

Measured over 34K games at this level and clock.

Play Thiswins clearly more often than it loses at this level

A strong choice for White at this level and clock.

Outcomes for White

Draw 5.1 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 34K games

Rank among the families White can choose here
not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
Games in this context
34K
Best context
57.9% at 1200-1399 Bullet
Worst context
49.7% at 1600-1799 Classical
Average game length
35 moves
Games that end decisively
94.9%
Draws
5.1%

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 · 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: 44.3% at 0-999, 54.9% 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, Bullet: 46.1% expected score (253 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 45.5% expected score (266 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 55.8% expected score (102 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Classical: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 52.0% expected score (254 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 54.3% expected score (767 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 52.1% expected score (264 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 36.7% expected score (6 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 57.9% expected score (641 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 55.9% expected score (1,531 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 55.7% expected score (723 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 44.9% expected score (18 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 54.0% expected score (782 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 54.8% expected score (2,323 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 53.8% expected score (2,132 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 55.1% expected score (135 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 53.4% expected score (1,441 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 53.2% expected score (2,675 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 52.9% expected score (1,797 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 49.7% expected score (629 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 52.2% expected score (710 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 51.3% expected score (2,409 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 53.1% expected score (1,319 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 60.6% expected score (121 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 52.6% expected score (1,211 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 53.8% expected score (2,693 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 51.2% expected score (1,253 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 47.7% expected score (42 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 51.4% expected score (1,503 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 57.5% expected score (4,052 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 55.2% expected score (282 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 58.0% expected score (11 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 56.6% expected score (510 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 54.7% expected score (606 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 63.1% expected score (33 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Classical: 45.3% expected score (9 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, Korchnoi Line 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, Korchnoi Line scores 53.8% for White — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 53.4% and 54.3% — from 34K 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
34K+ 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, Korchnoi Line win rate?

Playing the English Opening: King's English Variation, Four Knights Variation, Korchnoi Line, White wins 51.3%, draws 5.1% and loses 43.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.8%. It rests on 34K rated games from Lichess.

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

The English Opening: King's English Variation, Four Knights Variation, Korchnoi Line performs best for White at 2200-2499, with an Expected Score of 55.8% (5.8K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.

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

For White, the English Opening: King's English Variation, Four Knights Variation, Korchnoi Line scores higher in Blitz: an Expected Score of 54.5% in Blitz (17K games) against 53.3% in Rapid (7.9K games).

How sharp is the English Opening: King's English Variation, Four Knights Variation, Korchnoi Line?

The English Opening: King's English Variation, Four Knights Variation, Korchnoi Line has a sharpness score of 94.9 (decisive), meaning 94.9% of games end decisively. Average game length is 35 moves.

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

At 0-999, White wins 46.4%, draws 1.8% and loses 51.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.4%. It rests on 622 Lichess games, which average 25 moves.

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

At 1000-1199, White wins 52.1%, draws 2.4% and loses 45.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.3%. It rests on 1.3K Lichess games, which average 29 moves.

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

At 1200-1399, White wins 55.2%, draws 1.9% and loses 42.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 56.2%. It rests on 2.9K Lichess games, which average 30 moves.

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

At 1400-1599, White wins 52.7%, draws 3.2% and loses 44.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.3%. It rests on 5.4K Lichess games, which average 33 moves.

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

At 1600-1799, White wins 50.8%, draws 3.9% and loses 45.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.8%. It rests on 6.5K Lichess games, which average 34 moves.

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

At 1800-1999, White wins 49.6%, draws 5.2% and loses 45.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.2%. It rests on 4.6K Lichess games, which average 36 moves.

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

At 2000-2199, White wins 49.8%, draws 6.1% and loses 44.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.9%. It rests on 5.2K Lichess games, which average 37 moves.

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

At 2200-2499, White wins 51.9%, draws 7.8% and loses 40.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 55.8%. It rests on 5.8K Lichess games, which average 39 moves.

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

At 2500+, White wins 48.6%, draws 14.2% and loses 37.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 55.7%. It rests on 1.2K Lichess games, which average 44 moves.

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

In Bullet, White wins 51.0%, draws 4.2% and loses 44.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.1%. It rests on 7.3K Lichess games.

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

In Blitz, White wins 51.8%, draws 5.4% and loses 42.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.5%. It rests on 17K Lichess games.

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

In Rapid, White wins 50.7%, draws 5.1% and loses 44.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.3%. It rests on 7.9K Lichess games.

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

In Classical, White wins 48.3%, draws 6.4% and loses 45.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.6%. It rests on 972 Lichess games.

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

The English Opening: King's English Variation, Four Knights Variation, Korchnoi Line is good for White. Across all ratings, White wins 51.3% of its games and loses 43.7%. It performs best at 2200-2499. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.