Chess opening · ECO A20

English Opening: King's English Variation

The English Opening: King's English Variation starts 1. c4 e5. It ranks #45 of the 174 openings on this site by how often rated players on Lichess reach it.

The position after 1. c4 e5. White to move.

Move by move

  1. 1. c4White pushes the c-pawn two squares to c4.
  2. 1... e5Black pushes the e-pawn two squares to e5, staking a claim in the center.

What players choose next, by rating

The three most common White moves from this position in rated Lichess games, grouped by the rating of the player making the move. Among players rated under 1200, the most popular next move is e4; among players rated 2000 and up, it is Nc3.

RatingMost commonSecondThird
Under 1200e4 36%Nc3 32%d4 7%
1200–1399Nc3 42%e4 18%e3 10%
1400–1599Nc3 52%g3 10%e4 10%
1600–1799Nc3 58%g3 9%e4 8%
1800–1999Nc3 66%g3 16%b3 5%
2000 and upNc3 67%g3 28%Nf3 3%

Related openings

English OpeningThe line this one grows fromEnglish Opening: King's English Variation, Reversed SicilianA variation of this line

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