English Opening: Drill Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
22,294 games: White 48.4% / Draw 4.9% / Black 46.7%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 9,3719,371 | ||
| 6,3416,341 | ||
| 2,2942,294 | ||
| 1,8471,847 | ||
| 1,5961,596 | ||
| 612612 | ||
| 7878 | ||
| 6363 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 29, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.55 White is slightly better
Best play: 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. Bg2 d6 5. Nc3 Nd4 6. Nxd4 exd4 7. Nb5 d3
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
English Opening: Drill Variation (ECO A20, Flank Openings) is a variation of the English Opening: King's English Variation, reached after 1. c4 e5 2. g3 h5 (2 moves).
In 22,294 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 48.4%, Black 46.7% and 4.9% were drawn. White's most played move here is 3. Bg2, in 42% of those games.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to play against the English Opening: Drill Variation
3. h3 scores best for White: 55.1%, with White winning 52.3% and Black 42.1% of 1,847 games. The most played answer, 3. Bg2, scores lowest: 47.6% in 9,371 games. Stockfish's first choice is 3. Nf3.
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: Drill Variation (A20)”. Lichess data as of 29 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/english-opening-drill-variation