English Opening: Agincourt Defense 5. e3 O-O
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Statistics from Lichess
152,460 games: White 49.4% / Draw 7.3% / Black 43.3%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 46,75047K | ||
| 41,51142K | ||
| 23,06923K | ||
| 16,87817K | ||
| 11,73112K | ||
| 3,6113,611 | ||
| 3,3693,369 | ||
| 1,2371,237 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 25, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.11 The position is about equal
Best play: 6. Nc3 c5 7. cxd5 Nxd5 8. Qc2 Nc6 9. a3 Bd7 10. Bd3 f5
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
English Opening: Agincourt Defense (ECO A13, Flank Openings) is a variation of the English Opening: Agincourt Defense, reached after 1. c4 e6 2. Nf3 d5 3. b3 Nf6 4. Bb2 Be7 5. e3 O-O (5 moves).
In 152,460 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 49.4%, Black 43.3% and 7.3% were drawn. White's most played move here is 6. Be2, in 31% of those games.
It continues into one named variation.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to answer 5…O-O
6. Qc2 scores best for White: 56.2%, with White winning 53.8% and Black 41.5% of 12K games. The most played, 6. Be2, scores 52.8% in 47K games, and 6. cxd5 scores lowest: 48.1%. Stockfish's first choice is 6. Nc3.
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
Variations (1)
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “English Opening: Agincourt Defense (A13)”. Lichess data as of 25 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/english-opening-agincourt-defense-4