English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Duchamp Variation
139K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026
White expected score · All ratings · All speeds
52.8%
the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 53.0%.
Measured over 139K games at this level and clock.
A strong choice for White at this level and clock.
Outcomes for White
Draw 6.0 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 139K games
- Rank among the families White can choose here
- not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
- Games in this context
- 139K
- Best context
- 57.1% at 2200-2499 Rapid
- Worst context
- 49.6% at 2000-2199 Rapid
- Average game length
- 39 moves
- Games that end decisively
- 94.0%
- Draws
- 6.0%
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: 51.3% at 0-999, 54.7% 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: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
- 0-999 rating, Bullet: 49.7% expected score (133 games)
- 0-999 rating, Blitz: 49.5% expected score (184 games)
- 0-999 rating, Rapid: 57.4% expected score (107 games)
- 0-999 rating, Classical: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 42.4% expected score (5 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 52.5% expected score (515 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 51.7% expected score (512 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 56.1% expected score (211 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 38.3% expected score (7 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 68.2% expected score (4 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 52.9% expected score (1,677 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 50.8% expected score (1,750 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 53.5% expected score (517 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 31.4% expected score (20 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 42.4% expected score (5 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 51.2% expected score (3,281 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 52.0% expected score (4,865 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 50.3% expected score (1,033 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 53.2% expected score (78 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 68.6% expected score (12 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 53.2% expected score (5,637 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 51.2% expected score (10,740 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 51.3% expected score (2,250 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 42.3% expected score (135 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 56.7% expected score (6 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 52.9% expected score (9,248 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 51.7% expected score (17,257 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 49.8% expected score (3,771 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 54.8% expected score (248 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 55.9% expected score (7 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 53.2% expected score (11,937 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 52.0% expected score (19,711 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 49.6% expected score (3,173 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 50.8% expected score (132 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 78.6% expected score (2 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 53.3% expected score (15,488 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 55.3% expected score (13,960 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 57.1% expected score (1,056 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 37.8% expected score (19 games)
- 2500+ rating, Bullet: 56.7% expected score (8,158 games)
- 2500+ rating, Blitz: 55.5% expected score (1,456 games)
- 2500+ rating, Rapid: 52.0% expected score (24 games)
Related Openings
Methodology
Across every rating and clock, the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Duchamp Variation scores 52.8% for White — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 52.6% and 53.0% — from 139K 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
- 139K+ 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: Symmetrical Variation, Duchamp Variation win rate?
Playing the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Duchamp Variation, White wins 49.8%, draws 6.0% and loses 44.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.8%. It rests on 139K rated games from Lichess.
At what rating does the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Duchamp Variation perform best?
The English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Duchamp Variation performs best for White at 2500+, with an Expected Score of 56.6% (9.6K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.
Is the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Duchamp Variation better in blitz or rapid?
For White, the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Duchamp Variation scores higher in Blitz: an Expected Score of 52.5% in Blitz (70K games) against 51.0% in Rapid (12K games).
How sharp is the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Duchamp Variation?
The English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Duchamp Variation has a sharpness score of 94.0 (decisive), meaning 94.0% of games end decisively. Average game length is 39 moves.
What is the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Duchamp Variation win rate at 0-999?
At 0-999, White wins 47.8%, draws 7.4% and loses 44.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.5%. It rests on 426 Lichess games, which average 32 moves.
What is the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Duchamp Variation win rate at 1000-1199?
At 1000-1199, White wins 50.9%, draws 3.4% and loses 45.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.6%. It rests on 1.3K Lichess games, which average 31 moves.
What is the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Duchamp Variation win rate at 1200-1399?
At 1200-1399, White wins 50.2%, draws 3.5% and loses 46.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.0%. It rests on 4.0K Lichess games, which average 33 moves.
What is the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Duchamp Variation win rate at 1400-1599?
At 1400-1599, White wins 49.5%, draws 4.1% and loses 46.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.5%. It rests on 9.3K Lichess games, which average 34 moves.
What is the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Duchamp Variation win rate at 1600-1799?
At 1600-1799, White wins 49.3%, draws 4.7% and loses 45.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.7%. It rests on 19K Lichess games, which average 36 moves.
What is the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Duchamp Variation win rate at 1800-1999?
At 1800-1999, White wins 49.0%, draws 5.6% and loses 45.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.8%. It rests on 31K Lichess games, which average 38 moves.
What is the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Duchamp Variation win rate at 2000-2199?
At 2000-2199, White wins 49.0%, draws 6.3% and loses 44.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.2%. It rests on 35K Lichess games, which average 40 moves.
What is the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Duchamp Variation win rate at 2200-2499?
At 2200-2499, White wins 50.8%, draws 7.0% and loses 42.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.4%. It rests on 31K Lichess games, which average 41 moves.
What is the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Duchamp Variation win rate at 2500+?
At 2500+, White wins 52.5%, draws 8.1% and loses 39.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 56.6%. It rests on 9.6K Lichess games, which average 44 moves.
What is the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Duchamp Variation win rate in Bullet?
In Bullet, White wins 51.2%, draws 4.6% and loses 44.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.5%. It rests on 56K Lichess games.
What is the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Duchamp Variation win rate in Blitz?
In Blitz, White wins 49.1%, draws 6.6% and loses 44.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.5%. It rests on 70K Lichess games.
What is the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Duchamp Variation win rate in Rapid?
In Rapid, White wins 47.0%, draws 8.0% and loses 45.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.0%. It rests on 12K Lichess games.
What is the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Duchamp Variation win rate in Classical?
In Classical, White wins 45.6%, draws 8.2% and loses 46.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.7%. It rests on 640 Lichess games.
Is the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Duchamp Variation a good opening?
The English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Duchamp Variation is good for White. Across all ratings, White wins 49.8% of its games and loses 44.3%. It performs best at 2500+. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.