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English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Normal Variation

1.5M games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

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Analyze this line move by move

White expected score · All ratings · All speeds

53.4%

45%60%
Floor53.3%

the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. Its best is the same figure — the band is too tight to plot.

Measured over 1.5M games at this level and clock.

Play Thiswins clearly more often than it loses at this level

A strong choice for White at this level and clock.

Outcomes for White

Draw 4.1 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 1.5M games

Rank among the families White can choose here
not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
Games in this context
1.5M
Best context
57.9% at 1200-1399 Classical
Worst context
51.7% at 1400-1599 UltraBullet
Average game length
36 moves
Games that end decisively
95.9%
Draws
4.1%

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 · 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: 52.2% at 0-999, 58.3% at 2500+.

RatingUBBulleBlitzRapidClass
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: 53.8% expected score (104 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Bullet: 53.7% expected score (9,933 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 54.4% expected score (17,868 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 57.1% expected score (6,337 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Classical: 41.9% expected score (54 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 55.4% expected score (517 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 54.2% expected score (22,539 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 54.3% expected score (32,867 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 56.1% expected score (11,919 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 58.3% expected score (306 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 52.0% expected score (418 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 53.3% expected score (44,985 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 53.7% expected score (63,659 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 55.1% expected score (20,906 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 57.9% expected score (823 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 51.7% expected score (912 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 53.4% expected score (80,448 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 53.0% expected score (107,776 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 53.9% expected score (31,328 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 57.4% expected score (2,207 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 52.3% expected score (804 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 52.9% expected score (121,077 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 52.9% expected score (154,473 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 53.4% expected score (42,481 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 52.6% expected score (2,655 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 51.5% expected score (396 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 52.8% expected score (145,416 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 53.3% expected score (175,195 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 53.7% expected score (36,252 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 56.7% expected score (1,695 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 58.5% expected score (182 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 52.7% expected score (128,375 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 53.7% expected score (103,510 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 54.3% expected score (15,492 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 54.5% expected score (431 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 60.6% expected score (27 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 53.0% expected score (101,278 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 54.6% expected score (33,803 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 57.6% expected score (2,915 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 60.3% expected score (47 games)
  • 2500+ rating, UltraBullet: 83.4% expected score (3 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 55.3% expected score (17,978 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 55.2% expected score (1,615 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 57.9% expected score (75 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Classical: 39.5% expected score (8 games)

Related Openings

Parent
English Opening
50.4%
Variations (5)
English Opening: King's English Variation
51.0%
English Opening: Agincourt Defense
50.2%
English Opening: Anglo-Scandinavian Defense
52.0%
English Opening: King's English Variation, Reversed Sicilian
52.2%
English Opening: Symmetrical Variation
50.5%
Analyze English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Normal Variation PositionsSee what each move is worth at your rating, move by move

Methodology

Across every rating and clock, the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Normal Variation scores 53.4% for White — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 53.3% and 53.4% — from 1.5M 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
1.5M+ 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, Normal Variation win rate?

Playing the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Normal Variation, White wins 51.3%, draws 4.1% and loses 44.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.4%. It rests on 1.5M rated games from Lichess.

At what rating does the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Normal Variation perform best?

The English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Normal Variation performs best for White at 2500+, with an Expected Score of 55.3% (20K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.

Is the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Normal Variation better in blitz or rapid?

For White, the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Normal Variation scores about the same in both: an Expected Score of 53.4% in Blitz (691K games) against 54.3% in Rapid (168K games).

How sharp is the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Normal Variation?

The English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Normal Variation has a sharpness score of 95.9 (very decisive), meaning 95.9% of games end decisively. Average game length is 36 moves.

What is the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Normal Variation win rate at 0-999?

At 0-999, White wins 53.1%, draws 3.2% and loses 43.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.7%. It rests on 34K Lichess games, which average 28 moves.

What is the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Normal Variation win rate at 1000-1199?

At 1000-1199, White wins 53.0%, draws 3.0% and loses 43.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.6%. It rests on 68K Lichess games, which average 30 moves.

What is the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Normal Variation win rate at 1200-1399?

At 1200-1399, White wins 52.3%, draws 2.9% and loses 44.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.8%. It rests on 131K Lichess games, which average 32 moves.

What is the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Normal Variation win rate at 1400-1599?

At 1400-1599, White wins 51.6%, draws 3.3% and loses 45.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.3%. It rests on 223K Lichess games, which average 34 moves.

What is the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Normal Variation win rate at 1600-1799?

At 1600-1799, White wins 51.0%, draws 3.9% and loses 45.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.0%. It rests on 321K Lichess games, which average 35 moves.

What is the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Normal Variation win rate at 1800-1999?

At 1800-1999, White wins 50.9%, draws 4.4% and loses 44.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.1%. It rests on 359K Lichess games, which average 37 moves.

What is the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Normal Variation win rate at 2000-2199?

At 2000-2199, White wins 50.8%, draws 4.8% and loses 44.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.2%. It rests on 248K Lichess games, which average 38 moves.

What is the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Normal Variation win rate at 2200-2499?

At 2200-2499, White wins 50.8%, draws 5.2% and loses 44.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.4%. It rests on 138K Lichess games, which average 39 moves.

What is the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Normal Variation win rate at 2500+?

At 2500+, White wins 52.0%, draws 6.5% and loses 41.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 55.3%. It rests on 20K Lichess games, which average 42 moves.

What is the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Normal Variation win rate in UltraBullet?

In UltraBullet, White wins 52.3%, draws 1.4% and loses 46.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.0%. It rests on 3.4K Lichess games.

What is the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Normal Variation win rate in Bullet?

In Bullet, White wins 51.5%, draws 3.1% and loses 45.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.1%. It rests on 672K Lichess games.

What is the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Normal Variation win rate in Blitz?

In Blitz, White wins 51.0%, draws 4.8% and loses 44.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.4%. It rests on 691K Lichess games.

What is the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Normal Variation win rate in Rapid?

In Rapid, White wins 51.6%, draws 5.3% and loses 43.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.3%. It rests on 168K Lichess games.

What is the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Normal Variation win rate in Classical?

In Classical, White wins 52.6%, draws 5.8% and loses 41.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 55.5%. It rests on 8.2K Lichess games.

Is the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Normal Variation a good opening?

The English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Normal Variation is good for White. Across all ratings, White wins 51.3% of its games and loses 44.6%. It performs best at 2500+. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.