- ECO code
- A13
- Moves
- 1.c4 e6
- Family
- English Opening
- To move
- White
- Master games
- 1,912
- Average game length
- 45 moves
- Years covered
- 1851–2026
English Opening: Agincourt Defense is the opening filed under ECO code A13, reached after 1.c4 e6. It belongs to the English Opening family and is known as the Agincourt Defense; in the resulting position it is White to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 1,912 games on this line — the 61st most played opening in the collection. The oldest game on this line is from 1851 and the most recent from 2026. The busiest decade in this collection is the 2020s, with 890 games. An average game here lasts 45 moves.
White wins 43% of those games, 37% end in a draw, and Black wins 20%. Compared with the collection average (White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28%), Black scores worse here by 8 percentage points.
From this position the most popular move is 2.Nc3, played in 949 games, followed by 2.Nf3 (416) and 2.g3 (384). After 2.Nc3 White scores 44% and Black 19%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Kortschnoj, Viktor (110 games); on the Black side, Kramnik,V (73).
1 named variation branch off this position and have their own page here, among them English Opening: Agincourt Defense (A13).
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Results in master games
- White 43% (813)
- Draws 37% (708)
- Black 20% (391)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.Nc3 | 949 | 44/37/19 | — |
| 2.Nf3 | 416 | 43/35/22 | English Opening: Agincourt Defense (A13) |
| 2.g3 | 384 | 39/40/21 | — |
| 2.d4 | 113 | 39/42/19 | — |
| 2.e4 | 32 | 53/19/28 | — |
| 2.e3 | 10 | 40/10/50 | — |
| 2.b3 | 8 | 75/0/25 | — |
Variations from this position
- Agincourt Defense (A13) · 2.Nf3 · 416 games
How the position is reached
- English Opening · 1.c4 · 10,834 games
Played most often by
As White
- Kortschnoj, Viktor 110
- Caruana,F 86
- Aronian,L 75
As Black
- Kramnik,V 73
- Erigaisi,Arjun 65
- Spassky, Boris V 54
Games per decade
- 1850s 1
- 1860s 3
- 1870s 3
- 1880s 2
- 1890s 2
- 1900s 7
- 1910s 10
- 1920s 19
- 1930s 16
- 1940s 11
- 1950s 53
- 1960s 99
- 1970s 91
- 1980s 125
- 1990s 113
- 2000s 91
- 2010s 376
- 2020s 890
Master games on this line
| White | Black | Result | Year | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nakamura,Hi | Madaminov,Mukhiddin | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | Titled Tue 10th Mar 2026 |
| Nakamura,Hi | Esipenko,Andrey | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | FIDE Candidates 2026 |
| Vakhidov,J | Caruana,F | 0-1 | 2026 | 3rd 3-0 Thu 12th Mar 2026 |
| Giri,A | Bluebaum,M | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | FIDE Candidates 2026 |
| Caruana,F | Sarana,A | 1-0 | 2026 | 2nd 3-0 Thu 19th Feb 2026 |
| Keymer,Vincent | Oro,Faustino | 0-1 | 2026 | Titled Tue 17th Feb 2026 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the English Opening: Agincourt Defense?
It is the opening with ECO code A13, reached after 1.c4 e6. It belongs to the English Opening family.
Is the English Opening: Agincourt Defense good for White or for Black?
In 1,912 master games on this line White wins 43%, 37% are drawn and Black wins 20%. 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.Nc3 — played in 949 of the master games on this line.
Which grandmasters play the English Opening: Agincourt Defense?
On the White side Kortschnoj, Viktor (110), Caruana,F (86), Aronian,L (75); on the Black side Kramnik,V (73), Erigaisi,Arjun (65), Spassky, Boris V (54).
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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