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English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Three Knights, Fianchetto Variation

194K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

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Analyze this line move by move

White expected score · All ratings · All speeds

51.4%

45%55%
Floor51.2%

the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 51.6%.

Measured over 194K games at this level and clock.

Playablewins about as often as it loses at this level

Roughly even — the middlegame decides more than this opening choice does.

Outcomes for White

Draw 6.1 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 194K games

Rank among the families White can choose here
not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
Games in this context
194K
Best context
54.2% at 2200-2499 Rapid
Worst context
49.1% at 1200-1399 Blitz
Average game length
37 moves
Games that end decisively
93.9%
Draws
6.1%

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: 49.1% at 0-999, 53.3% 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, Bullet: 49.1% expected score (163 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 48.1% expected score (185 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 50.0% expected score (47 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 50.8% expected score (810 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 50.6% expected score (736 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 51.7% expected score (175 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 72.3% expected score (3 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 32.4% expected score (7 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 51.5% expected score (2,225 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 49.1% expected score (2,360 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 53.3% expected score (575 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 54.0% expected score (11 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 70.0% expected score (11 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 50.9% expected score (4,238 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 51.0% expected score (6,337 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 52.4% expected score (1,214 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 47.1% expected score (50 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 80.8% expected score (5 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 51.0% expected score (7,566 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 51.0% expected score (13,198 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 51.3% expected score (2,711 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 46.2% expected score (128 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 51.7% expected score (11,469 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 51.1% expected score (23,161 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 51.6% expected score (4,313 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 44.5% expected score (290 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 52.1% expected score (14,570 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 50.4% expected score (28,789 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 52.9% expected score (3,665 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 53.3% expected score (167 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 50.3% expected score (18,602 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 52.0% expected score (29,279 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 54.2% expected score (2,222 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 46.4% expected score (54 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 53.4% expected score (9,500 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 53.0% expected score (5,253 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 56.8% expected score (176 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (6 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, Three Knights, Fianchetto Variation PositionsSee what each move is worth at your rating, move by move

Methodology

Across every rating and clock, the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Three Knights, Fianchetto Variation scores 51.4% for White — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 51.2% and 51.6% — from 194K 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
194K+ 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, Three Knights, Fianchetto Variation win rate?

Playing the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Three Knights, Fianchetto Variation, White wins 48.3%, draws 6.1% and loses 45.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.4%. It rests on 194K rated games from Lichess.

At what rating does the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Three Knights, Fianchetto Variation perform best?

The English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Three Knights, Fianchetto Variation performs best for White at 2500+, with an Expected Score of 53.3% (15K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.

Is the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Three Knights, Fianchetto Variation better in blitz or rapid?

For White, the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Three Knights, Fianchetto Variation scores higher in Rapid: an Expected Score of 51.2% in Blitz (109K games) against 52.4% in Rapid (15K games).

How sharp is the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Three Knights, Fianchetto Variation?

The English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Three Knights, Fianchetto Variation has a sharpness score of 93.9 (decisive), meaning 93.9% of games end decisively. Average game length is 37 moves.

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

At 0-999, White wins 47.0%, draws 3.4% and loses 49.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.7%. It rests on 395 Lichess games, which average 29 moves.

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

At 1000-1199, White wins 49.6%, draws 2.4% and loses 48.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.8%. It rests on 1.7K Lichess games, which average 29 moves.

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

At 1200-1399, White wins 49.1%, draws 2.9% and loses 48.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.6%. It rests on 5.2K Lichess games, which average 31 moves.

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

At 1400-1599, White wins 49.4%, draws 3.4% and loses 47.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.1%. It rests on 12K Lichess games, which average 33 moves.

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

At 1600-1799, White wins 48.9%, draws 4.0% and loses 47.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.0%. It rests on 24K Lichess games, which average 35 moves.

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

At 1800-1999, White wins 48.7%, draws 5.1% and loses 46.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.3%. It rests on 39K Lichess games, which average 36 moves.

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

At 2000-2199, White wins 48.0%, draws 6.1% and loses 45.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.1%. It rests on 47K Lichess games, which average 38 moves.

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

At 2200-2499, White wins 47.7%, draws 7.6% and loses 44.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.5%. It rests on 50K Lichess games, which average 39 moves.

What is the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Three Knights, Fianchetto Variation win rate at 2500+?

At 2500+, White wins 48.0%, draws 10.4% and loses 41.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.3%. It rests on 15K Lichess games, which average 43 moves.

What is the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Three Knights, Fianchetto Variation win rate in Bullet?

In Bullet, White wins 49.3%, draws 4.3% and loses 46.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.5%. It rests on 69K Lichess games.

What is the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Three Knights, Fianchetto Variation win rate in Blitz?

In Blitz, White wins 47.7%, draws 7.0% and loses 45.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.2%. It rests on 109K Lichess games.

What is the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Three Knights, Fianchetto Variation win rate in Rapid?

In Rapid, White wins 48.6%, draws 7.6% and loses 43.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.4%. It rests on 15K Lichess games.

What is the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Three Knights, Fianchetto Variation win rate in Classical?

In Classical, White wins 42.2%, draws 10.8% and loses 47.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.6%. It rests on 709 Lichess games.

Is the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Three Knights, Fianchetto Variation a good opening?

The English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Three Knights, Fianchetto Variation is about level. Across all ratings, White wins 48.3% of its games and loses 45.6%. It performs best at 2500+. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.