English Opening: Myers Defense
72K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026
Black expected score · All ratings · All speeds
45.3%
the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 45.6%.
Measured over 72K games at this level and clock.
Black comes out behind here — there are better weapons in the list.
Outcomes for Black
Draw 3.3 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 72K games
- Rank among the families Black can choose here
- not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
- Games in this context
- 72K
- Best context
- 46.8% at 2200-2499 Bullet
- Worst context
- 40.4% at 2500+ Bullet
- Average game length
- 32 moves
- Games that end decisively
- 96.7%
- Draws
- 3.3%
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: 49.8% at 0-999, 41.1% 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, UltraBullet: 63.4% expected score (6 games)
- 0-999 rating, Bullet: 44.3% expected score (1,000 games)
- 0-999 rating, Blitz: 45.8% expected score (2,195 games)
- 0-999 rating, Rapid: 45.4% expected score (1,054 games)
- 0-999 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (16 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 42.7% expected score (19 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 44.1% expected score (1,598 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 45.2% expected score (2,898 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 42.2% expected score (1,127 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 47.7% expected score (42 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 43.7% expected score (30 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 45.3% expected score (2,380 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 44.6% expected score (4,543 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 41.0% expected score (1,486 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 41.2% expected score (135 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 53.2% expected score (46 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 46.4% expected score (3,895 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 45.4% expected score (5,550 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 43.5% expected score (1,653 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 36.4% expected score (168 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 44.8% expected score (95 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 45.1% expected score (5,194 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 46.3% expected score (6,132 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 44.4% expected score (1,486 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 44.8% expected score (104 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 52.6% expected score (97 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 46.0% expected score (5,937 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 44.6% expected score (5,559 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 44.9% expected score (1,009 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 53.3% expected score (76 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 44.9% expected score (86 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 46.5% expected score (5,061 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 46.2% expected score (3,741 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 45.1% expected score (464 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 32.6% expected score (30 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 31.4% expected score (20 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 46.8% expected score (4,515 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 45.1% expected score (1,513 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 39.3% expected score (92 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
- 2500+ rating, Bullet: 40.4% expected score (612 games)
- 2500+ rating, Blitz: 43.3% expected score (110 games)
- 2500+ rating, Rapid: 39.5% expected score (8 games)
Related Openings
Methodology
Across every rating and clock, the English Opening: Myers Defense scores 45.3% for Black — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 45.0% and 45.6% — from 72K 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
- 72K+ 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: Myers Defense win rate?
Playing the English Opening: Myers Defense, Black wins 43.6%, draws 3.3% and loses 53.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 45.3%. It rests on 72K rated games from Lichess.
At what rating does the English Opening: Myers Defense perform best?
The English Opening: Myers Defense performs best for Black at 2000-2199, with an Expected Score of 46.2% (9.4K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.
Is the English Opening: Myers Defense better in blitz or rapid?
For Black, the English Opening: Myers Defense scores higher in Blitz: an Expected Score of 45.4% in Blitz (32K games) against 43.5% in Rapid (8.4K games).
How sharp is the English Opening: Myers Defense?
The English Opening: Myers Defense has a sharpness score of 96.7 (very decisive), meaning 96.7% of games end decisively. Average game length is 32 moves.
What is the English Opening: Myers Defense win rate at 0-999?
At 0-999, Black wins 42.9%, draws 4.9% and loses 52.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 45.4%. It rests on 4.3K Lichess games, which average 27 moves.
What is the English Opening: Myers Defense win rate at 1000-1199?
At 1000-1199, Black wins 42.8%, draws 3.0% and loses 54.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 44.3%. It rests on 5.7K Lichess games, which average 28 moves.
What is the English Opening: Myers Defense win rate at 1200-1399?
At 1200-1399, Black wins 42.7%, draws 2.8% and loses 54.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 44.1%. It rests on 8.6K Lichess games, which average 30 moves.
What is the English Opening: Myers Defense win rate at 1400-1599?
At 1400-1599, Black wins 43.9%, draws 2.9% and loses 53.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 45.4%. It rests on 11K Lichess games, which average 31 moves.
What is the English Opening: Myers Defense win rate at 1600-1799?
At 1600-1799, Black wins 44.1%, draws 2.8% and loses 53.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 45.6%. It rests on 13K Lichess games, which average 32 moves.
What is the English Opening: Myers Defense win rate at 1800-1999?
At 1800-1999, Black wins 43.8%, draws 3.1% and loses 53.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 45.4%. It rests on 13K Lichess games, which average 34 moves.
What is the English Opening: Myers Defense win rate at 2000-2199?
At 2000-2199, Black wins 44.2%, draws 4.0% and loses 51.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.2%. It rests on 9.4K Lichess games, which average 35 moves.
What is the English Opening: Myers Defense win rate at 2200-2499?
At 2200-2499, Black wins 44.1%, draws 4.2% and loses 51.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.2%. It rests on 6.1K Lichess games, which average 36 moves.
What is the English Opening: Myers Defense win rate at 2500+?
At 2500+, Black wins 38.3%, draws 4.9% and loses 56.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 40.8%. It rests on 730 Lichess games, which average 37 moves.
What is the English Opening: Myers Defense win rate in UltraBullet?
In UltraBullet, Black wins 46.3%, draws 1.4% and loses 52.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.0%. It rests on 399 Lichess games.
What is the English Opening: Myers Defense win rate in Bullet?
In Bullet, Black wins 44.6%, draws 2.3% and loses 53.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 45.8%. It rests on 30K Lichess games.
What is the English Opening: Myers Defense win rate in Blitz?
In Blitz, Black wins 43.4%, draws 3.9% and loses 52.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 45.4%. It rests on 32K Lichess games.
What is the English Opening: Myers Defense win rate in Rapid?
In Rapid, Black wins 41.1%, draws 4.7% and loses 54.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 43.5%. It rests on 8.4K Lichess games.
What is the English Opening: Myers Defense win rate in Classical?
In Classical, Black wins 39.5%, draws 5.7% and loses 54.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 42.4%. It rests on 572 Lichess games.
Is the English Opening: Myers Defense a good opening?
The English Opening: Myers Defense is hard work for Black — it favours White. Across all ratings, Black wins 43.6% of its games and loses 53.1%. It performs best at 2000-2199. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.