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English Opening: King's English Variation, Two Knights Variation, Smyslov System

345K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

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Analyze this line move by move

Black expected score · All ratings · All speeds

48.4%

45%55%
Floor48.3%

the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 48.5%.

Measured over 345K games at this level and clock.

Playablewins about as often as it loses at this level

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

Outcomes for Black

Draw 4.5 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 345K games

Rank among the families Black can choose here
not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
Games in this context
345K
Best context
52.9% at 2200-2499 Rapid
Worst context
46.8% at 1400-1599 Bullet
Average game length
35 moves
Games that end decisively
95.5%
Draws
4.5%

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 47.5%.

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: 50.0% expected score (3 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Bullet: 50.1% expected score (1,867 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 50.0% expected score (1,872 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 48.3% expected score (627 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Classical: 38.9% expected score (3 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 54.8% expected score (9 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 47.7% expected score (5,501 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 49.9% expected score (7,906 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 48.3% expected score (1,939 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 45.6% expected score (32 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 34.9% expected score (15 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 47.4% expected score (11,582 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 48.4% expected score (21,552 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 48.3% expected score (5,860 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 49.6% expected score (138 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 57.6% expected score (38 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 46.8% expected score (16,749 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 48.0% expected score (37,672 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 48.6% expected score (11,392 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 49.1% expected score (488 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 47.3% expected score (17 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 47.0% expected score (18,955 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 48.3% expected score (44,418 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 49.5% expected score (14,288 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 48.7% expected score (755 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 31.9% expected score (4 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 47.7% expected score (15,805 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 48.5% expected score (39,647 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 49.2% expected score (11,529 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (655 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 50.0% expected score (4 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 47.3% expected score (11,399 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 49.2% expected score (25,374 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 51.8% expected score (6,139 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 50.2% expected score (272 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 48.7% expected score (9,077 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 48.6% expected score (14,823 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 52.9% expected score (1,991 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 60.3% expected score (62 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 47.4% expected score (3,247 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 48.4% expected score (1,558 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 45.7% expected score (150 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Classical: 44.6% expected score (26 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, Two Knights Variation, Smyslov System 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, Two Knights Variation, Smyslov System scores 48.4% for Black — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 48.3% and 48.5% — from 345K 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
345K+ 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, Two Knights Variation, Smyslov System win rate?

Playing the English Opening: King's English Variation, Two Knights Variation, Smyslov System, Black wins 46.1%, draws 4.5% and loses 49.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.4%. It rests on 345K rated games from Lichess.

At what rating does the English Opening: King's English Variation, Two Knights Variation, Smyslov System perform best?

The English Opening: King's English Variation, Two Knights Variation, Smyslov System performs best for Black at 2000-2199, with an Expected Score of 49.1% (43K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.

Is the English Opening: King's English Variation, Two Knights Variation, Smyslov System better in blitz or rapid?

For Black, the English Opening: King's English Variation, Two Knights Variation, Smyslov System scores higher in Rapid: an Expected Score of 48.5% in Blitz (195K games) against 49.5% in Rapid (54K games).

How sharp is the English Opening: King's English Variation, Two Knights Variation, Smyslov System?

The English Opening: King's English Variation, Two Knights Variation, Smyslov System has a sharpness score of 95.5 (very decisive), meaning 95.5% of games end decisively. Average game length is 35 moves.

What is the English Opening: King's English Variation, Two Knights Variation, Smyslov System win rate at 0-999?

At 0-999, Black wins 48.3%, draws 2.9% and loses 48.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.8%. It rests on 4.4K Lichess games, which average 27 moves.

What is the English Opening: King's English Variation, Two Knights Variation, Smyslov System win rate at 1000-1199?

At 1000-1199, Black wins 47.6%, draws 2.4% and loses 49.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.9%. It rests on 15K Lichess games, which average 29 moves.

What is the English Opening: King's English Variation, Two Knights Variation, Smyslov System win rate at 1200-1399?

At 1200-1399, Black wins 46.5%, draws 3.1% and loses 50.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.1%. It rests on 39K Lichess games, which average 31 moves.

What is the English Opening: King's English Variation, Two Knights Variation, Smyslov System win rate at 1400-1599?

At 1400-1599, Black wins 46.0%, draws 3.5% and loses 50.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.8%. It rests on 66K Lichess games, which average 33 moves.

What is the English Opening: King's English Variation, Two Knights Variation, Smyslov System win rate at 1600-1799?

At 1600-1799, Black wins 46.2%, draws 4.0% and loses 49.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.2%. It rests on 78K Lichess games, which average 35 moves.

What is the English Opening: King's English Variation, Two Knights Variation, Smyslov System win rate at 1800-1999?

At 1800-1999, Black wins 46.1%, draws 4.6% and loses 49.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.4%. It rests on 68K Lichess games, which average 36 moves.

What is the English Opening: King's English Variation, Two Knights Variation, Smyslov System win rate at 2000-2199?

At 2000-2199, Black wins 46.4%, draws 5.4% and loses 48.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.1%. It rests on 43K Lichess games, which average 37 moves.

What is the English Opening: King's English Variation, Two Knights Variation, Smyslov System win rate at 2200-2499?

At 2200-2499, Black wins 46.0%, draws 6.0% and loses 48.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.0%. It rests on 26K Lichess games, which average 39 moves.

What is the English Opening: King's English Variation, Two Knights Variation, Smyslov System win rate at 2500+?

At 2500+, Black wins 33.7%, draws 27.9% and loses 38.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.7%. It rests on 5.0K Lichess games, which average 45 moves.

What is the English Opening: King's English Variation, Two Knights Variation, Smyslov System win rate in Bullet?

In Bullet, Black wins 45.5%, draws 3.8% and loses 50.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.4%. It rests on 94K Lichess games.

What is the English Opening: King's English Variation, Two Knights Variation, Smyslov System win rate in Blitz?

In Blitz, Black wins 46.2%, draws 4.7% and loses 49.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.5%. It rests on 195K Lichess games.

What is the English Opening: King's English Variation, Two Knights Variation, Smyslov System win rate in Rapid?

In Rapid, Black wins 46.9%, draws 5.1% and loses 48.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.5%. It rests on 54K Lichess games.

What is the English Opening: King's English Variation, Two Knights Variation, Smyslov System win rate in Classical?

In Classical, Black wins 45.9%, draws 7.3% and loses 46.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.5%. It rests on 2.4K Lichess games.

Is the English Opening: King's English Variation, Two Knights Variation, Smyslov System a good opening?

The English Opening: King's English Variation, Two Knights Variation, Smyslov System is about level. Across all ratings, Black wins 46.1% of its games and loses 49.4%. It performs best at 2000-2199. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.