English Opening: King's English Variation, Smyslov Defense
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Statistics from Lichess
24,856 games: White 56.1% / Draw 4.6% / Black 39.3%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 6,3026,302 | ||
| 4,7174,717 | ||
| 4,4794,479 | ||
| 2,5722,572 | ||
| 2,5622,562 | ||
| 2,2462,246 | ||
| 1,2351,235 | ||
| 145145 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 31, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.81 White is better
Best play: 4. d4 Nd7 5. g3 c6 6. h3 Bxf3 7. exf3 Ne7 8. d5 Nf5
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, Smyslov Defense (ECO A21, Flank Openings) is a variation of the English Opening: King's English Variation, reached after 1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 d6 3. Nf3 Bg4 (3 moves).
In 24,856 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 56.1%, Black 39.3% and 4.6% were drawn. White's most played move here is 4. e3, in 25% 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, Smyslov Defense
4. d4 scores best for White: 62.0%, with White winning 59.7% and Black 35.8% of 4,479 games. The most played, 4. e3, scores 60.0% in 6,302 games, and 4. h3 scores lowest: 53.4%. Stockfish's first choice is also 4. d4.
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, Smyslov Defense (A21)”. Lichess data as of 31 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/english-opening-kings-english-variation-smyslov-defense