English Opening: King's English Variation, Adhiban Gambit
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Statistics from Lichess
22,077 games: White 48.1% / Draw 5.4% / Black 46.5%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 18,65119K | ||
| 2,0702,070 | ||
| 912912 | ||
| 140140 | ||
| 127127 | ||
| 7171 | ||
| 5050 | ||
| 1717 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 29, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.37 White is slightly better
Best play: 5. Ngxe4 Nxe4 6. Nxe4 d5 7. cxd5 cxd5 8. Ng3 h5 9. e3 Nc6
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
English Opening: King's English Variation, Adhiban Gambit (ECO A22, Flank Openings) is a gambit in the English Opening: King's English Variation, Two Knights Variation, reached after 1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Nf3 e4 4. Ng5 c6 (4 moves).
In 22,077 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 48.1%, Black 46.5% and 5.4% were drawn. White's most played move here is 5. Ngxe4, in 84% 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: King's English Variation, Adhiban Gambit
5. Qa4 scores best for White: 58.7%, with White winning 55.7% and Black 38.3% of 2,070 games. The most played answer, 5. Ngxe4, scores lowest: 49.9% in 19K games. Stockfish's first choice is 5. Ngxe4.
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: King's English Variation, Adhiban Gambit (A22)”. Lichess data as of 29 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/english-opening-kings-english-variation-adhiban-gambit