- ECO code
- A30
- Moves
- 1.c4 c5
- Family
- English Opening
- To move
- White
- Master games
- 1,212
- Average game length
- 43 moves
- Years covered
- 1905–2026
English Opening: Symmetrical Variation is the opening filed under ECO code A30, reached after 1.c4 c5. It belongs to the English Opening family and is known as the Symmetrical Variation; in the resulting position it is White to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 1,212 games on this line — the 95th most played opening in the collection. The oldest game on this line is from 1905 and the most recent from 2026. The busiest decade in this collection is the 2020s, with 364 games. An average game here lasts 43 moves.
White wins 38% of those games, 44% end in a draw, and Black wins 18%. Compared with the collection average (White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28%), Black scores worse here by 10 percentage points. Draws are more common here than usual, by 9 points.
From this position the most popular move is 2.Nf3, played in 718 games, followed by 2.g3 (274) and 2.Nc3 (196). 2.Nf3 leads into English Opening: Symmetrical Variation (A30). After 2.Nf3 White scores 36% and Black 15%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Kortschnoj, Viktor (93 games); on the Black side, So,W (51).
1 named variation branch off this position and have their own page here, among them English Opening: Symmetrical Variation (A30).
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Results in master games
- White 38% (463)
- Draws 44% (533)
- Black 18% (216)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.Nf3 | 718 | 36/49/15 | English Opening: Symmetrical Variation (A30) |
| 2.g3 | 274 | 44/32/24 | — |
| 2.Nc3 | 196 | 37/44/19 | — |
| 2.b3 | 20 | 50/40/10 | — |
| 2.e3 | 4 | 25/0/75 | — |
Variations from this position
- Symmetrical Variation (A30) · 2.Nf3 · 718 games
How the position is reached
- English Opening · 1.c4 · 10,834 games
Played most often by
As White
- Kortschnoj, Viktor 93
- Aronian,L 55
- Larsen, Bent 52
As Black
- So,W 51
- Anand,V 44
- Kramnik,V 34
Games per decade
- 1900s 1
- 1910s 2
- 1920s 8
- 1930s 3
- 1940s 1
- 1950s 35
- 1960s 83
- 1970s 116
- 1980s 96
- 1990s 104
- 2000s 94
- 2010s 305
- 2020s 364
Master games on this line
| White | Black | Result | Year | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nakamura,Hi | Caruana,F | 1-0 | 2026 | FIDE Candidates 2026 |
| Nakamura,Hi | Bok,B | 0-1 | 2026 | Titled Tue 10th Mar 2026 |
| Mamedyarov,S | Mamedov,Rau | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | FIDE World Rapid Team |
| Seemann,Jakub | Ivanchuk,V | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | 26th ch-EUR Indiv 2026 |
| Lazavik,Denis | Carlsen,M | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | SpeedChess Final 2025 |
| Gukesh,D | So,W | 1-0 | 2026 | 14th Norway Armageddon |
Frequently asked questions
What is the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation?
It is the opening with ECO code A30, reached after 1.c4 c5. It belongs to the English Opening family.
Is the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation good for White or for Black?
In 1,212 master games on this line White wins 38%, 44% are drawn and Black wins 18%. 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: Symmetrical Variation?
2.Nf3 — played in 718 of the master games on this line, which leads into English Opening: Symmetrical Variation (A30).
Which grandmasters play the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation?
On the White side Kortschnoj, Viktor (93), Aronian,L (55), Larsen, Bent (52); on the Black side So,W (51), Anand,V (44), Kramnik,V (34).
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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