English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Anti-Benoni Variation, Spielmann Defense
290K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026
Black expected score · All ratings · All speeds
49.2%
the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 49.3%.
Measured over 290K games at this level and clock.
Roughly even — the middlegame decides more than this opening choice does.
Outcomes for Black
Draw 5.1 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 290K games
- Rank among the families Black can choose here
- not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
- Games in this context
- 290K
- Best context
- 52.8% at 1000-1199 Bullet
- Worst context
- 43.0% at 2500+ Blitz
- Average game length
- 36 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 · 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: 47.1% at 0-999, 43.6% 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: 38.9% expected score (3 games)
- 0-999 rating, Bullet: 49.2% expected score (244 games)
- 0-999 rating, Blitz: 54.1% expected score (147 games)
- 0-999 rating, Rapid: 46.1% expected score (24 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 52.8% expected score (980 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 48.6% expected score (873 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 53.4% expected score (118 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 52.0% expected score (24 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 51.4% expected score (3,229 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 50.0% expected score (3,250 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 52.8% expected score (475 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 71.1% expected score (8 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 45.4% expected score (118 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 50.3% expected score (8,596 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 49.7% expected score (8,502 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 52.8% expected score (1,576 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 48.2% expected score (54 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 55.1% expected score (306 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 51.0% expected score (18,531 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 49.6% expected score (16,681 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 52.5% expected score (3,110 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 51.4% expected score (176 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 55.3% expected score (197 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 50.5% expected score (31,836 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 49.1% expected score (26,810 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 49.2% expected score (4,245 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 48.6% expected score (214 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 54.9% expected score (50 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 49.6% expected score (39,134 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 47.8% expected score (31,375 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 48.3% expected score (3,528 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 42.8% expected score (137 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 62.9% expected score (14 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 48.8% expected score (45,705 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 47.5% expected score (20,715 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 46.2% expected score (1,686 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 47.9% expected score (45 games)
- 2500+ rating, Bullet: 47.3% expected score (14,483 games)
- 2500+ rating, Blitz: 43.0% expected score (2,837 games)
- 2500+ rating, Rapid: 45.7% expected score (194 games)
- 2500+ rating, Classical: 38.4% expected score (20 games)
Related Openings
Methodology
Across every rating and clock, the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Anti-Benoni Variation, Spielmann Defense scores 49.2% for Black — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 49.0% and 49.3% — from 290K 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
- 290K+ 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: Symmetrical Variation, Anti-Benoni Variation, Spielmann Defense win rate?
The English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Anti-Benoni Variation, Spielmann Defense scores 49.2% (range, 90% confident: 49.0% – 49.3%) for Black, based on 290K rated games from Lichess.
At what rating does the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Anti-Benoni Variation, Spielmann Defense perform best?
The English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Anti-Benoni Variation, Spielmann Defense performs best at 1600-1799, where it scores 50.5% for Black (39K games). It tends to score less at higher ratings as opponents know the theory better.
Is the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Anti-Benoni Variation, Spielmann Defense better in blitz or rapid?
For Black, UltraBullet (53.5%) outperforms Classical (48.0%). Choose your time control wisely.
How sharp is the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Anti-Benoni Variation, Spielmann Defense?
The English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Anti-Benoni Variation, Spielmann Defense has a sharpness score of 94.9 (decisive), meaning 94.9% of games end decisively. Average game length is 36 moves.
What is the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Anti-Benoni Variation, Spielmann Defense win rate at 0-999?
At 0-999, the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Anti-Benoni Variation, Spielmann Defense scores 50.6% (range, 90% confident: 46.6% – 54.6%) for Black, based on 418 Lichess games. Average game length is 25 moves with a 2.3% draw rate.
What is the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Anti-Benoni Variation, Spielmann Defense win rate at 1000-1199?
At 1000-1199, the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Anti-Benoni Variation, Spielmann Defense scores 51.0% (range, 90% confident: 49.2% – 52.9%) for Black, based on 2.0K Lichess games. Average game length is 27 moves with a 2.7% draw rate.
What is the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Anti-Benoni Variation, Spielmann Defense win rate at 1200-1399?
At 1200-1399, the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Anti-Benoni Variation, Spielmann Defense scores 50.9% (range, 90% confident: 49.9% – 51.9%) for Black, based on 7.0K Lichess games. Average game length is 30 moves with a 2.3% draw rate.
What is the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Anti-Benoni Variation, Spielmann Defense win rate at 1400-1599?
At 1400-1599, the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Anti-Benoni Variation, Spielmann Defense scores 50.2% (range, 90% confident: 49.6% – 50.8%) for Black, based on 19K Lichess games. Average game length is 31 moves with a 3.2% draw rate.
What is the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Anti-Benoni Variation, Spielmann Defense win rate at 1600-1799?
At 1600-1799, the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Anti-Benoni Variation, Spielmann Defense scores 50.5% (range, 90% confident: 50.1% – 50.9%) for Black, based on 39K Lichess games. Average game length is 33 moves with a 3.5% draw rate.
What is the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Anti-Benoni Variation, Spielmann Defense win rate at 1800-1999?
At 1800-1999, the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Anti-Benoni Variation, Spielmann Defense scores 49.8% (range, 90% confident: 49.5% – 50.2%) for Black, based on 63K Lichess games. Average game length is 35 moves with a 4.4% draw rate.
What is the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Anti-Benoni Variation, Spielmann Defense win rate at 2000-2199?
At 2000-2199, the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Anti-Benoni Variation, Spielmann Defense scores 48.8% (range, 90% confident: 48.5% – 49.1%) for Black, based on 74K Lichess games. Average game length is 36 moves with a 5.1% draw rate.
What is the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Anti-Benoni Variation, Spielmann Defense win rate at 2200-2499?
At 2200-2499, the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Anti-Benoni Variation, Spielmann Defense scores 48.3% (range, 90% confident: 48.0% – 48.6%) for Black, based on 68K Lichess games. Average game length is 38 moves with a 6.4% draw rate.
What is the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Anti-Benoni Variation, Spielmann Defense win rate at 2500+?
At 2500+, the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Anti-Benoni Variation, Spielmann Defense scores 46.6% (range, 90% confident: 45.9% – 47.2%) for Black, based on 18K Lichess games. Average game length is 42 moves with a 10.0% draw rate.
What is the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Anti-Benoni Variation, Spielmann Defense win rate in UltraBullet?
In UltraBullet games, the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Anti-Benoni Variation, Spielmann Defense scores 53.5% (range, 90% confident: 50.5% – 56.6%) for Black (714 Lichess games). Draw rate is 3.7%.
What is the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Anti-Benoni Variation, Spielmann Defense win rate in Bullet?
In Bullet games, the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Anti-Benoni Variation, Spielmann Defense scores 49.6% (range, 90% confident: 49.4% – 49.8%) for Black (163K Lichess games). Draw rate is 4.1%.
What is the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Anti-Benoni Variation, Spielmann Defense win rate in Blitz?
In Blitz games, the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Anti-Benoni Variation, Spielmann Defense scores 48.4% (range, 90% confident: 48.2% – 48.7%) for Black (111K Lichess games). Draw rate is 6.2%.
What is the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Anti-Benoni Variation, Spielmann Defense win rate in Rapid?
In Rapid games, the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Anti-Benoni Variation, Spielmann Defense scores 49.8% (range, 90% confident: 49.1% – 50.5%) for Black (15K Lichess games). Draw rate is 7.5%.
What is the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Anti-Benoni Variation, Spielmann Defense win rate in Classical?
In Classical games, the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Anti-Benoni Variation, Spielmann Defense scores 48.0% (range, 90% confident: 44.9% – 51.2%) for Black (654 Lichess games). Draw rate is 12.0%.
Is the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Anti-Benoni Variation, Spielmann Defense a good opening?
The English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Anti-Benoni Variation, Spielmann Defense is about level with a 48.3% (range, 90% confident: 48.1% – 48.5%) win rate across all ratings. It performs best at 1600-1799. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.