- ECO code
- A13
- Moves
- 1.c4 e6 2.Nf3
- Family
- English Opening
- To move
- Black
- Master games
- 416
- Average game length
- 44 moves
- Years covered
- 1925–2026
English Opening: Agincourt Defense is the opening filed under ECO code A13, reached after 1.c4 e6 2.Nf3. It belongs to the English Opening family and is known as the Agincourt Defense; in the resulting position it is Black to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 416 games on this line — the 241st most played opening in the collection. The oldest game on this line is from 1925 and the most recent from 2026. The busiest decade in this collection is the 2020s, with 197 games. An average game here lasts 44 moves.
White wins 43% of those games, 35% end in a draw, and Black wins 22%. Compared with the collection average (White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28%), Black scores worse here by 6 percentage points.
From this position the most popular move is 2...d5, played in 290 games, followed by 2...Nf6 (107) and 2...f5 (9). After 2...d5 White scores 45% and Black 23%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Erigaisi,Arjun (38 games); on the Black side, Kramnik,V (18).
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Results in master games
- White 43% (178)
- Draws 35% (147)
- Black 22% (91)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2...d5 | 290 | 45/32/23 | — |
| 2...Nf6 | 107 | 40/44/16 | — |
| 2...f5 | 9 | 22/56/22 | — |
| 2...b6 | 7 | 29/42/29 | — |
| 2...a6 | 2 | 50/0/50 | — |
| 2...g6 | 1 | 0/0/100 | — |
How the position is reached
- English Opening · 1.c4 · 10,834 games
- English Opening: Agincourt Defense · 1.c4 e6 · 1,912 games
Played most often by
As White
- Erigaisi,Arjun 38
- Nakamura,Hi 19
- Abdusattorov,Nodirbek 16
As Black
- Kramnik,V 18
- Erigaisi,Arjun 15
- Shirov,A 15
Games per decade
- 1920s 2
- 1930s 6
- 1940s 4
- 1950s 16
- 1960s 13
- 1970s 31
- 1980s 27
- 1990s 21
- 2000s 26
- 2010s 73
- 2020s 197
Master games on this line
| White | Black | Result | Year | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nakamura,Hi | Madaminov,Mukhiddin | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | Titled Tue 10th Mar 2026 |
| Keymer,Vincent | Oro,Faustino | 0-1 | 2026 | Titled Tue 17th Feb 2026 |
| Nakamura,Hi | Shimanov,A | 1-0 | 2026 | Titled Tue 10th Mar 2026 |
| Ivanchuk,V | Ilko-Toth,Andras | 1-0 | 2026 | 26th ch-EUR Indiv 2026 |
| Keymer,Vincent | Papasimakopoulos,Alexandros | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | Titled Tue 10th Feb 2026 |
| Nakamura,Hi | Bharath,Subramaniyam H | 0-1 | 2026 | Titled Tue 10th Mar 2026 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the English Opening: Agincourt Defense?
It is the opening with ECO code A13, reached after 1.c4 e6 2.Nf3. It belongs to the English Opening family.
Is the English Opening: Agincourt Defense good for White or for Black?
In 416 master games on this line White wins 43%, 35% are drawn and Black wins 22%. The collection average is White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28% — so this line is no worse than usual for White than the field as a whole.
What is the main continuation of the English Opening: Agincourt Defense?
2...d5 — played in 290 of the master games on this line.
Which grandmasters play the English Opening: Agincourt Defense?
On the White side Erigaisi,Arjun (38), Nakamura,Hi (19), Abdusattorov,Nodirbek (16); on the Black side Kramnik,V (18), Erigaisi,Arjun (15), Shirov,A (15).
Every number on this page is computed from Katuranga's master game collection; names and ECO codes follow the lichess opening book (CC0).
Try this line on the board
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