English Opening: Agincourt Defense, Neo-Catalan Declined, Early b3 5. b3 c5
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Statistics from Lichess
3,711 games: White 49.8% / Draw 6.5% / Black 43.7%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 1,6681,668 | ||
| 979979 | ||
| 485485 | ||
| 409409 | ||
| 7373 | ||
| 7070 | ||
| 1515 | ||
| 44 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 27, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.11 The position is about equal
Best play: 6. cxd5 exd5 7. O-O Nc6 8. Bb2 d4 9. Na3 O-O 10. Nc4 Be6
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 c5 (5 moves).
In 3,711 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 49.8%, Black 43.7% and 6.5% were drawn. White's most played move here is 6. O-O, in 45% 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…c5
6. Bb2 scores best for White: 54.3%, with White winning 51.8% and Black 43.1% of 979 games. The most played, 6. O-O, scores 53.9% in 1,668 games, and 6. e3 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 27 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/english-opening-agincourt-defense-neo-catalan-declined-early-b3-3