English Opening: King's English Variation, Troger Defense
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Statistics from Lichess
117,004 games: White 51.0% / Draw 5.1% / Black 43.9%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 57,31457K | ||
| 35,29835K | ||
| 7,4117,411 | ||
| 6,4056,405 | ||
| 5,6135,613 | ||
| 1,1961,196 | ||
| 1,1701,170 | ||
| 1,0041,004 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 13, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.59 White is slightly better
Best play: 5. Nf3 Nf6 6. d4 Nxd4 7. Nxd4 exd4 8. Qxd4 c6 9. b3 Qb6
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, Troger Defense (ECO A21, Flank Openings) is a variation of the English Opening: King's English Variation, Reversed Closed Sicilian, reached after 1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. g3 d6 4. Bg2 Be6 (4 moves).
In 117,004 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 51.0%, Black 43.9% and 5.1% were drawn. White's most played move here is 5. d3, in 49% 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, Troger Defense
The most played answer, 5. d3, also scores best for White: 53.7%, with White winning 51.0% and Black 43.7% of 57K games. Of the main answers, 5. e3 scores lowest: 49.6%. Stockfish's first choice is 5. 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: King's English Variation, Troger Defense (A21)”. Lichess data as of 13 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/english-opening-kings-english-variation-troger-defense