English Opening: Adorjan Defense
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Statistics from Lichess
18,638 games: White 48.5% / Draw 5.4% / Black 46.1%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 7,5717,571 | ||
| 5,4805,480 | ||
| 2,9842,984 | ||
| 722722 | ||
| 667667 | ||
| 285285 | ||
| 165165 | ||
| 143143 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 1, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.10 The position is about equal
Best play: 3. d4 Nf6 4. Nf3 exd4 5. e5 Bb4+ 6. Bd2 Qe7 7. Bxb4 Qxb4+
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
English Opening: Adorjan Defense (ECO A10, Flank Openings) is a variation of the English Opening: Great Snake Variation, reached after 1. c4 g6 2. e4 e5 (2 moves).
In 18,638 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 48.5%, Black 46.1% and 5.4% were drawn. White's most played move here is 3. Nc3, in 41% of those games.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to play against the English Opening: Adorjan Defense
The most played answer, 3. Nc3, also scores best for White: 52.9%, with White winning 50.3% and Black 44.5% of 7,571 games. Of the main answers, 3. Nf3 scores lowest: 50.2%. Stockfish's first choice is 3. d4.
Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: White's wins plus half the draws, in rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500. How to play against other popular openings
Transpositions
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “English Opening: Adorjan Defense (A10)”. Lichess data as of 1 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/english-opening-adorjan-defense