- ECO code
- A21
- Moves
- 1.c4 e5 2.Nc3
- Family
- English Opening
- To move
- Black
- Master games
- 1,509
- Average game length
- 45 moves
- Years covered
- 1872–2026
English Opening: King's English Variation, Reversed Sicilian is the opening filed under ECO code A21, reached after 1.c4 e5 2.Nc3. It belongs to the English Opening family and is known as the King's English Variation, Reversed Sicilian; in the resulting position it is Black to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 1,509 games on this line — the 80th most played opening in the collection. The oldest game on this line is from 1872 and the most recent from 2026. The busiest decade in this collection is the 2020s, with 534 games. An average game here lasts 45 moves.
White wins 36% of those games, 36% end in a draw, and Black wins 28%. That is close to the collection average (White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28%).
From this position the most popular move is 2...Nf6, played in 852 games, followed by 2...Nc6 (283) and 2...Bb4 (242). 2...Nf6 leads into English Opening: King's English Variation, Two Knights Variation. After 2...Nf6 White scores 33% and Black 28%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Kortschnoj, Viktor (70 games); on the Black side, Caruana,F (75).
2 named variations branch off this position and have their own page here, among them English Opening: King's English Variation, Two Knights Variation; English Opening: King's English Variation, Four Knights Variation.
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Results in master games
- White 36% (542)
- Draws 36% (543)
- Black 28% (424)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2...Nf6 | 852 | 33/39/28 | English Opening: King's English Variation, Two Knights Variation |
| 2...Nc6 | 283 | 43/33/24 | — |
| 2...Bb4 | 242 | 37/28/35 | — |
| 2...d6 | 114 | 33/41/26 | — |
| 2...f5 | 7 | 57/14/29 | — |
| 2...c5 | 5 | 60/40/0 | — |
| 2...g6 | 3 | 67/33/0 | — |
| 2...a5 | 1 | 0/0/100 | — |
Variations from this position
- English Opening: King's English Variation, Two Knights Variation · 2...Nf6 · 852 games
- English Opening: King's English Variation, Four Knights Variation · 2...Nf6 3.Nf3 Nc6 · 610 games
How the position is reached
- English Opening · 1.c4 · 10,834 games
- English Opening: King's English Variation · 1.c4 e5 · 2,529 games
Played most often by
As White
- Kortschnoj, Viktor 70
- Aronian,L 62
- Caruana,F 59
As Black
- Caruana,F 75
- Nakamura,Hi 63
- Smyslov, Vassily 52
Games per decade
- 1870s 1
- 1900s 6
- 1910s 6
- 1920s 20
- 1930s 31
- 1940s 16
- 1950s 44
- 1960s 91
- 1970s 119
- 1980s 79
- 1990s 141
- 2000s 120
- 2010s 301
- 2020s 534
Master games on this line
| White | Black | Result | Year | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nakamura,Hi | Rohith,Krishna S | 1-0 | 2026 | Titled Tue 10th Feb 2026 |
| Lazavik,Denis | Carlsen,M | 0-1 | 2026 | 2nd 3-0 Thu 29th Jan 2026 |
| Lazavik,Denis | Carlsen,M | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | SpeedChess Final 2025 |
| Martinez Alcantara,Jose Eduardo | Nakamura,Hi | 0-1 | 2026 | Titled Tue 5th May 2026 |
| Gustafsson,J | Abdusattorov,Nodirbek | 0-1 | 2026 | Titled Tue 10th Mar 2026 |
| Carlsen,M | Keymer,Vincent | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | 14th Norway Chess 2026 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the English Opening: King's English Variation, Reversed Sicilian?
It is the opening with ECO code A21, reached after 1.c4 e5 2.Nc3. It belongs to the English Opening family.
Is the English Opening: King's English Variation, Reversed Sicilian good for White or for Black?
In 1,509 master games on this line White wins 36%, 36% are drawn and Black wins 28%. 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: King's English Variation, Reversed Sicilian?
2...Nf6 — played in 852 of the master games on this line, which leads into English Opening: King's English Variation, Two Knights Variation.
Which grandmasters play the English Opening: King's English Variation, Reversed Sicilian?
On the White side Kortschnoj, Viktor (70), Aronian,L (62), Caruana,F (59); on the Black side Caruana,F (75), Nakamura,Hi (63), Smyslov, Vassily (52).
Every number on this page is computed from Katuranga's master game collection; names and ECO codes follow the lichess opening book (CC0).
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