English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Napolitano Gambit
1.2K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026
White expected score · All ratings · All speeds
47.3%
the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 49.6%.
Measured over 1.2K games at this level and clock.
White comes out behind here — there are better weapons in the list.
Outcomes for White
Draw 3.8 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 1.2K games
- Rank among the families White can choose here
- not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
- Games in this context
- 1.2K
- Best context
- not measured yet
- Average game length
- 34 moves
- Games that end decisively
- 96.2%
- Draws
- 3.8%
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.
Extra Analysis
Deep-dive datasets for this opening
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: 54.2% at 0-999, 62.8% 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: 57.7% expected score (5 games)
- 0-999 rating, Blitz: 54.8% expected score (9 games)
- 0-999 rating, Rapid: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 38.0% expected score (11 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 64.9% expected score (12 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 36.7% expected score (6 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 55.5% expected score (17 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 48.6% expected score (33 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 20.4% expected score (12 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 40.3% expected score (50 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 44.8% expected score (160 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 41.9% expected score (17 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 68.2% expected score (4 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 45.1% expected score (39 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 49.6% expected score (126 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 41.3% expected score (33 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 55.9% expected score (7 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 42.0% expected score (36 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 47.4% expected score (111 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 47.6% expected score (104 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (4 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 48.2% expected score (52 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 45.2% expected score (165 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 54.2% expected score (58 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 49.3% expected score (64 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 45.9% expected score (59 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 83.3% expected score (9 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
- 2500+ rating, Bullet: 47.3% expected score (17 games)
- 2500+ rating, Blitz: 71.1% expected score (8 games)
- 2500+ rating, Rapid: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
Related Openings
Methodology
Across every rating and clock, the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Napolitano Gambit scores 47.3% for White — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 45.0% and 49.6% — from 1.2K 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
- 1.2K+ 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, Napolitano Gambit win rate?
Playing the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Napolitano Gambit, White wins 45.4%, draws 3.8% and loses 50.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.3%. It rests on 1.2K rated games from Lichess.
At what rating does the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Napolitano Gambit perform best?
The English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Napolitano Gambit performs best for White at 2200-2499, with an Expected Score of 50.8% (133 games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.
Is the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Napolitano Gambit better in blitz or rapid?
For White, the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Napolitano Gambit scores about the same in both: an Expected Score of 47.3% in Blitz (683 games) against 47.8% in Rapid (242 games).
How sharp is the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Napolitano Gambit?
The English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Napolitano Gambit has a sharpness score of 96.2 (very decisive), meaning 96.2% of games end decisively. Average game length is 34 moves.
What is the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Napolitano Gambit win rate at 1400-1599?
At 1400-1599, White wins 42.4%, draws 3.2% and loses 54.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 44.0%. It rests on 231 Lichess games, which average 31 moves.
What is the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Napolitano Gambit win rate at 1600-1799?
At 1600-1799, White wins 46.2%, draws 2.7% and loses 51.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.6%. It rests on 205 Lichess games, which average 33 moves.
What is the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Napolitano Gambit win rate at 1800-1999?
At 1800-1999, White wins 44.2%, draws 4.9% and loses 50.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.7%. It rests on 255 Lichess games, which average 34 moves.
What is the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Napolitano Gambit win rate at 2000-2199?
At 2000-2199, White wins 45.4%, draws 4.5% and loses 50.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.7%. It rests on 275 Lichess games, which average 37 moves.
What is the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Napolitano Gambit win rate at 2200-2499?
At 2200-2499, White wins 48.0%, draws 5.6% and loses 46.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.8%. It rests on 133 Lichess games, which average 36 moves.
What is the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Napolitano Gambit win rate in Bullet?
In Bullet, White wins 45.3%, draws 1.2% and loses 53.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 45.9%. It rests on 291 Lichess games.
What is the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Napolitano Gambit win rate in Blitz?
In Blitz, White wins 45.1%, draws 4.5% and loses 50.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.3%. It rests on 683 Lichess games.
What is the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Napolitano Gambit win rate in Rapid?
In Rapid, White wins 45.0%, draws 5.5% and loses 49.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.8%. It rests on 242 Lichess games.
Is the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Napolitano Gambit a good opening?
The English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Napolitano Gambit is hard work for White — it favours Black. Across all ratings, White wins 45.4% of its games and loses 50.8%. It performs best at 2200-2499. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.