- ECO code
- A10
- Moves
- 1.c4
- Family
- English Opening
- To move
- Black
- Master games
- 10,834
- Average game length
- 44 moves
- Years covered
- 1851–2026
English Opening is the opening filed under ECO code A10, reached after 1.c4. It belongs to the English Opening family; in the resulting position it is Black to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 10,834 games on this line — the 13th 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 4,120 games. An average game here lasts 44 moves.
White wins 39% of those games, 37% end in a draw, and Black wins 24%. Compared with the collection average (White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28%), Black scores worse here by 4 percentage points.
From this position the most popular move is 1...Nf6, played in 3,366 games, followed by 1...e5 (2,529) and 1...e6 (1,912). 1...Nf6 leads into English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense. After 1...Nf6 White scores 39% and Black 22%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Kortschnoj, Viktor (570 games); on the Black side, Nakamura,Hi (270).
14 named variations branch off this position and have their own page here, among them English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense; English Opening: King's English Variation; English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense, Queen's Knight Variation.
Reading about an opening is not the same as knowing it. Play this line against the Katuranga bot, then let the engine mark your brilliant moves, mistakes and blunders in Analysis — the fastest way to find out which of these moves you actually understand.
Results in master games
- White 39% (4,268)
- Draws 37% (4,005)
- Black 24% (2,561)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1...Nf6 | 3,366 | 39/39/22 | English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense |
| 1...e5 | 2,529 | 38/33/29 | English Opening: King's English Variation |
| 1...e6 | 1,912 | 43/37/20 | English Opening: Agincourt Defense |
| 1...c5 | 1,212 | 38/44/18 | English Opening: Symmetrical Variation |
| 1...g6 | 777 | 34/37/29 | English Opening: Great Snake Variation |
| 1...c6 | 681 | 40/38/22 | English Opening: Caro-Kann Defensive System |
| 1...b6 | 132 | 45/20/35 | — |
| 1...f5 | 131 | 50/21/29 | — |
Variations from this position
- Anglo-Indian Defense · 1...Nf6 · 3,366 games
- King's English Variation · 1...e5 · 2,529 games
- Anglo-Indian Defense, Queen's Knight Variation · 1...Nf6 2.Nc3 · 2,223 games
- Agincourt Defense · 1...e6 · 1,912 games
- King's English Variation, Reversed Sicilian · 1...e5 2.Nc3 · 1,509 games
- Symmetrical Variation · 1...c5 · 1,212 games
- King's English Variation, Two Knights Variation · 1...e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 · 852 games
- Great Snake Variation · 1...g6 · 777 games
- Symmetrical Variation · 1...c5 2.Nf3 · 718 games
- Caro-Kann Defensive System · 1...c6 · 681 games
- King's English Variation, Four Knights Variation · 1...e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Nf3 Nc6 · 610 games
- Anglo-Indian Defense, King's Knight Variation · 1...Nf6 2.Nf3 · 591 games
- Anglo-Indian Defense, Hedgehog System · 1...Nf6 2.Nc3 e6 · 584 games
- Agincourt Defense · 1...e6 2.Nf3 · 416 games
Played most often by
As White
- Kortschnoj, Viktor 570
- Caruana,F 385
- Aronian,L 372
As Black
- Nakamura,Hi 270
- Caruana,F 230
- Grischuk,A 201
Games per decade
- 1850s 3
- 1860s 6
- 1870s 7
- 1880s 6
- 1890s 3
- 1900s 17
- 1910s 23
- 1920s 105
- 1930s 102
- 1940s 75
- 1950s 436
- 1960s 661
- 1970s 845
- 1980s 616
- 1990s 748
- 2000s 743
- 2010s 2,318
- 2020s 4,120
Master games on this line
| White | Black | Result | Year | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nakamura,Hi | Rohith,Krishna S | 1-0 | 2026 | Titled Tue 10th Feb 2026 |
| Nakamura,Hi | Le Tuan Minh | 1-0 | 2026 | Titled Tue 24th 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 |
| Nakamura,Hi | Madaminov,Mukhiddin | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | Titled Tue 10th Mar 2026 |
| Pena Gomez,M | Anand,V | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | FIDE World Bl Team Pool A |
Frequently asked questions
What is the English Opening?
It is the opening with ECO code A10, reached after 1.c4. It belongs to the English Opening family.
Is the English Opening good for White or for Black?
In 10,834 master games on this line White wins 39%, 37% are drawn and Black wins 24%. 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?
1...Nf6 — played in 3,366 of the master games on this line, which leads into English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense.
Which grandmasters play the English Opening?
On the White side Kortschnoj, Viktor (570), Caruana,F (385), Aronian,L (372); on the Black side Nakamura,Hi (270), Caruana,F (230), Grischuk,A (201).
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
Play this opening against the Katuranga bot, then review the game — the engine marks every brilliant move, mistake and blunder.