English Opening: Agincourt Defense, Neo-Catalan Declined 7. e3 d4
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Statistics from Lichess
12,125 games: White 48.5% / Draw 7.3% / Black 44.2%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 9,4439,443 | ||
| 1,2491,249 | ||
| 730730 | ||
| 328328 | ||
| 174174 | ||
| 5656 | ||
| 4747 | ||
| 4747 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 13, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.07 The position is about equal
Best play: 8. Ne5 Nfd7 9. exd4 cxd4 10. Nxd7 Nxd7 11. Ba3 a5 12. d3 Bb4
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 English Opening: Agincourt Defense, Neo-Catalan Declined, reached after 1. Nf3 d5 2. g3 Nf6 3. Bg2 e6 4. O-O Be7 5. c4 O-O 6. b3 c5 7. e3 d4 (7 moves).
In 12,125 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 48.5%, Black 44.2% and 7.3% were drawn. White's most played move here is 8. exd4, in 78% of those games.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to answer 7…d4
8. Ne5 scores best for White: 53.9%, with White winning 49.8% and Black 42.0% of 1,249 games. The most played, 8. exd4, scores 52.0% in 9,443 games, and 8. Bb2 scores lowest: 51.2%. Stockfish's first choice is also 8. Ne5.
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
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-6