English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Full Symmetry Line
151K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026
Black expected score · All ratings · All speeds
47.2%
the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 47.4%.
Measured over 151K games at this level and clock.
Black comes out behind here — there are better weapons in the list.
Outcomes for Black
Draw 5.7 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 151K games
- Rank among the families Black can choose here
- not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
- Games in this context
- 151K
- Best context
- 50.4% at 1000-1199 Bullet
- Worst context
- 40.4% at 2200-2499 Rapid
- Average game length
- 37 moves
- Games that end decisively
- 94.3%
- Draws
- 5.7%
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: 41.6% at 0-999, 36.2% 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, Bullet: 50.4% expected score (261 games)
- 0-999 rating, Blitz: 50.3% expected score (373 games)
- 0-999 rating, Rapid: 44.2% expected score (153 games)
- 0-999 rating, Classical: 21.5% expected score (2 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 73.1% expected score (5 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 50.4% expected score (1,077 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 47.3% expected score (1,098 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 45.3% expected score (365 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 44.7% expected score (8 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 55.9% expected score (7 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 48.4% expected score (2,487 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 50.3% expected score (3,091 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 48.3% expected score (889 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 42.8% expected score (26 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 32.6% expected score (10 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 48.0% expected score (4,599 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 48.5% expected score (7,717 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 49.9% expected score (1,923 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (116 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 63.4% expected score (6 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 47.1% expected score (7,086 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 48.7% expected score (15,622 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 50.0% expected score (4,120 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 48.8% expected score (240 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 64.3% expected score (2 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 47.0% expected score (9,484 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 47.5% expected score (22,918 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 49.0% expected score (5,959 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 45.2% expected score (419 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 46.2% expected score (10,252 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 46.6% expected score (19,918 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 46.0% expected score (4,183 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 51.2% expected score (173 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 46.8% expected score (9,113 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 44.1% expected score (12,130 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 40.4% expected score (1,497 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 31.2% expected score (33 games)
- 2500+ rating, Bullet: 43.0% expected score (2,078 games)
- 2500+ rating, Blitz: 42.2% expected score (1,269 games)
- 2500+ rating, Rapid: 23.7% expected score (46 games)
- 2500+ rating, Classical: 35.7% expected score (2 games)
Related Openings
Methodology
Across every rating and clock, the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Full Symmetry Line scores 47.2% for Black — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 47.0% and 47.4% — from 151K 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
- 151K+ 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, Full Symmetry Line win rate?
Playing the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Full Symmetry Line, Black wins 44.3%, draws 5.7% and loses 50.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.2%. It rests on 151K rated games from Lichess.
At what rating does the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Full Symmetry Line perform best?
The English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Full Symmetry Line performs best for Black at 1200-1399, with an Expected Score of 49.3% (6.5K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.
Is the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Full Symmetry Line better in blitz or rapid?
For Black, the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Full Symmetry Line scores about the same in both: an Expected Score of 47.1% in Blitz (84K games) against 47.8% in Rapid (19K games).
How sharp is the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Full Symmetry Line?
The English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Full Symmetry Line has a sharpness score of 94.3 (decisive), meaning 94.3% of games end decisively. Average game length is 37 moves.
What is the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Full Symmetry Line win rate at 0-999?
At 0-999, Black wins 46.7%, draws 4.5% and loses 48.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.0%. It rests on 789 Lichess games, which average 29 moves.
What is the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Full Symmetry Line win rate at 1000-1199?
At 1000-1199, Black wins 46.7%, draws 3.3% and loses 50.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.4%. It rests on 2.6K Lichess games, which average 30 moves.
What is the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Full Symmetry Line win rate at 1200-1399?
At 1200-1399, Black wins 47.6%, draws 3.4% and loses 49.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.3%. It rests on 6.5K Lichess games, which average 32 moves.
What is the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Full Symmetry Line win rate at 1400-1599?
At 1400-1599, Black wins 46.5%, draws 3.9% and loses 49.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.5%. It rests on 14K Lichess games, which average 34 moves.
What is the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Full Symmetry Line win rate at 1600-1799?
At 1600-1799, Black wins 46.0%, draws 4.9% and loses 49.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.5%. It rests on 27K Lichess games, which average 36 moves.
What is the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Full Symmetry Line win rate at 1800-1999?
At 1800-1999, Black wins 44.8%, draws 5.6% and loses 49.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.6%. It rests on 39K Lichess games, which average 37 moves.
What is the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Full Symmetry Line win rate at 2000-2199?
At 2000-2199, Black wins 43.2%, draws 6.3% and loses 50.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.4%. It rests on 35K Lichess games, which average 39 moves.
What is the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Full Symmetry Line win rate at 2200-2499?
At 2200-2499, Black wins 41.2%, draws 7.5% and loses 51.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 45.0%. It rests on 23K Lichess games, which average 40 moves.
What is the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Full Symmetry Line win rate at 2500+?
At 2500+, Black wins 37.9%, draws 8.9% and loses 53.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 42.4%. It rests on 3.4K Lichess games, which average 43 moves.
What is the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Full Symmetry Line win rate in Bullet?
In Bullet, Black wins 44.9%, draws 4.0% and loses 51.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.9%. It rests on 46K Lichess games.
What is the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Full Symmetry Line win rate in Blitz?
In Blitz, Black wins 44.0%, draws 6.2% and loses 49.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.1%. It rests on 84K Lichess games.
What is the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Full Symmetry Line win rate in Rapid?
In Rapid, Black wins 44.1%, draws 7.3% and loses 48.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.8%. It rests on 19K Lichess games.
What is the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Full Symmetry Line win rate in Classical?
In Classical, Black wins 41.8%, draws 10.2% and loses 48.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.9%. It rests on 1.0K Lichess games.
Is the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Full Symmetry Line a good opening?
The English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Full Symmetry Line is hard work for Black — it favours White. Across all ratings, Black wins 44.3% of its games and loses 50.0%. It performs best at 1200-1399. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.