Caissa Codex
A14

English Opening: Agincourt Defense, Neo-Catalan Declined 6. b3 c5

Chess diagram: English Opening: Agincourt Defense, Neo-Catalan Declined after 6…c5

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Statistics from Lichess

89,800 games: White 49.8% / Draw 8.8% / Black 41.3%

The moves played next. Pick one to see it on the board.
Next moveGamesWhite / Draw / BlackW / D / B
36,91037K
30,56831K
17,67218K
2,1802,180
2,0302,030
134134
6767
6666

Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 13, 2026

Engine evaluation

+0.19 The position is about equal

Best play: 7. cxd5 Nxd5 8. d4 Nc6 9. Bb2 Nxd4 10. Nxd4 cxd4 11. Qxd4 Bf6

Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.

Overview

English Opening: Agincourt Defense, Neo-Catalan Declined (ECO A14, Flank Openings) is a variation of the King's Indian Attack, reached after 1. Nf3 d5 2. g3 Nf6 3. Bg2 e6 4. O-O Be7 5. c4 O-O 6. b3 c5 (6 moves).

In 89,800 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 49.8%, Black 41.3% and 8.8% were drawn. White's most played move here is 7. Bb2, in 41% of those games.

It continues into one named variation. In all, 3 named lines continue from it.

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How to answer 6…c5

7. cxd5 scores best for White: 55.7%, with White winning 50.6% and Black 39.1% of 31K games. The most played, 7. Bb2, scores 54.0% in 37K games, and 7. e3 scores lowest: 53.6%. Stockfish's first choice is also 7. cxd5.

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)

Other lines from the same position

Instead of 2…Nf6 3. Bg2 e6 4. O-O Be7 5. c4 O-O 6. b3 c5, the position after King's Indian Attack also goes on to:

Transpositions

This position is also reached from these lines, by another move order:

All 3 named lines that continue from here

Cite this page

Caissa Codex. “English Opening: Agincourt Defense, Neo-Catalan Declined (A14)”. Lichess data as of 13 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/english-opening-agincourt-defense-neo-catalan-declined-3

https://chesscodex.org/openings/english-opening-agincourt-defense-neo-catalan-declined-3