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 before we will say where it stops working. The chaos and trap lists need 500 games.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the English Opening: Myers Defense win rate?
The English Opening: Myers Defense scores 45.3% (range, 90% confident: 45.0% – 45.6%) for Black, based on 72K rated games from Lichess.
At what rating does the English Opening: Myers Defense perform best?
The English Opening: Myers Defense performs best at 2000-2199, where it scores 46.2% for Black (9.4K games). It tends to score less at higher ratings as opponents know the theory better.
Is the English Opening: Myers Defense better in blitz or rapid?
For Black, Bullet (45.8%) outperforms Classical (42.4%). Choose your time control wisely.
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, the English Opening: Myers Defense scores 45.4% (range, 90% confident: 44.2% – 46.7%) for Black, based on 4.3K Lichess games. Average game length is 27 moves with a 4.9% draw rate.
What is the English Opening: Myers Defense win rate at 1000-1199?
At 1000-1199, the English Opening: Myers Defense scores 44.3% (range, 90% confident: 43.2% – 45.3%) for Black, based on 5.7K Lichess games. Average game length is 28 moves with a 3.0% draw rate.
What is the English Opening: Myers Defense win rate at 1200-1399?
At 1200-1399, the English Opening: Myers Defense scores 44.1% (range, 90% confident: 43.2% – 45.0%) for Black, based on 8.6K Lichess games. Average game length is 30 moves with a 2.8% draw rate.
What is the English Opening: Myers Defense win rate at 1400-1599?
At 1400-1599, the English Opening: Myers Defense scores 45.4% (range, 90% confident: 44.6% – 46.2%) for Black, based on 11K Lichess games. Average game length is 31 moves with a 2.9% draw rate.
What is the English Opening: Myers Defense win rate at 1600-1799?
At 1600-1799, the English Opening: Myers Defense scores 45.6% (range, 90% confident: 44.8% – 46.3%) for Black, based on 13K Lichess games. Average game length is 32 moves with a 2.8% draw rate.
What is the English Opening: Myers Defense win rate at 1800-1999?
At 1800-1999, the English Opening: Myers Defense scores 45.4% (range, 90% confident: 44.7% – 46.1%) for Black, based on 13K Lichess games. Average game length is 34 moves with a 3.1% draw rate.
What is the English Opening: Myers Defense win rate at 2000-2199?
At 2000-2199, the English Opening: Myers Defense scores 46.2% (range, 90% confident: 45.4% – 47.1%) for Black, based on 9.4K Lichess games. Average game length is 35 moves with a 4.0% draw rate.
What is the English Opening: Myers Defense win rate at 2200-2499?
At 2200-2499, the English Opening: Myers Defense scores 46.2% (range, 90% confident: 45.2% – 47.2%) for Black, based on 6.1K Lichess games. Average game length is 36 moves with a 4.2% draw rate.
What is the English Opening: Myers Defense win rate at 2500+?
At 2500+, the English Opening: Myers Defense scores 40.8% (range, 90% confident: 37.8% – 43.8%) for Black, based on 730 Lichess games. Average game length is 37 moves with a 4.9% draw rate.
What is the English Opening: Myers Defense win rate in UltraBullet?
In UltraBullet games, the English Opening: Myers Defense scores 47.0% (range, 90% confident: 42.9% – 51.1%) for Black (399 Lichess games). Draw rate is 1.4%.
What is the English Opening: Myers Defense win rate in Bullet?
In Bullet games, the English Opening: Myers Defense scores 45.8% (range, 90% confident: 45.3% – 46.3%) for Black (30K Lichess games). Draw rate is 2.3%.
What is the English Opening: Myers Defense win rate in Blitz?
In Blitz games, the English Opening: Myers Defense scores 45.4% (range, 90% confident: 45.0% – 45.9%) for Black (32K Lichess games). Draw rate is 3.9%.
What is the English Opening: Myers Defense win rate in Rapid?
In Rapid games, the English Opening: Myers Defense scores 43.5% (range, 90% confident: 42.6% – 44.4%) for Black (8.4K Lichess games). Draw rate is 4.7%.
What is the English Opening: Myers Defense win rate in Classical?
In Classical games, the English Opening: Myers Defense scores 42.4% (range, 90% confident: 39.0% – 45.8%) for Black (572 Lichess games). Draw rate is 5.7%.
Is the English Opening: Myers Defense a good opening?
The English Opening: Myers Defense is hard work for Black — it favours White with a 53.1% (range, 90% confident: 52.8% – 53.4%) 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.