English Opening: Agincourt Defense, Neo-Catalan Declined, Early b3 5. b3 b6
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Statistics from Lichess
1,320 games: White 46.6% / Draw 8.9% / Black 44.5%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 670670 | ||
| 536536 | ||
| 7373 | ||
| 1010 | ||
| 99 | ||
| 88 | ||
| 55 | ||
| 44 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 29, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.20 The position is about equal
Best play: 6. cxd5 Nxd5 7. Bb2 O-O 8. O-O Bb7 9. d4 c5 10. dxc5 Bxc5
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, Early b3 (ECO A14, Flank Openings) is a variation of the English Opening: Agincourt Defense, Neo-Catalan Declined, Early b3, reached after 1. c4 e6 2. Nf3 d5 3. g3 Nf6 4. Bg2 Be7 5. b3 b6 (5 moves).
In 1,320 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 46.6%, Black 44.5% and 8.9% were drawn. White's most played move here is 6. O-O, in 51% 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 5…b6
The most played answer, 6. O-O, also scores best for White: 52.5%, with White winning 47.9% and Black 42.8% of 670 games. Of the main answers, 6. Bb2 scores lowest: 48.5%. Stockfish's first choice is 6. 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
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “English Opening: Agincourt Defense, Neo-Catalan Declined, Early b3 (A14)”. Lichess data as of 29 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/english-opening-agincourt-defense-neo-catalan-declined-early-b3-2