English Opening: Mikenas-Carls Variation 3. e4 Nc6
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Statistics from Lichess
65,315 games: White 51.6% / Draw 4.6% / Black 43.8%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 25,04525K | ||
| 13,84214K | ||
| 10,27810K | ||
| 7,8947,894 | ||
| 2,1662,166 | ||
| 2,0742,074 | ||
| 1,4491,449 | ||
| 1,2781,278 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 26, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.85 White is better
Best play: 4. d4 d5 5. e5 Ne4 6. Nf3 Bb4 7. Qc2 f5 8. exf6 Qxf6
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
English Opening: Mikenas-Carls Variation (ECO A18, Flank Openings) is a variation of the English Opening: Mikenas-Carls Variation, reached after 1. c4 e6 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. e4 Nc6 (3 moves).
In 65,315 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 51.6%, Black 43.8% and 4.6% were drawn. White's most played move here is 4. d4, in 38% 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 3…Nc6
The most played answer, 4. d4, also scores best for White: 55.7%, with White winning 53.6% and Black 42.2% of 25K games. Of the main answers, 4. d3 scores lowest: 49.7%. 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: Mikenas-Carls Variation (A18)”. Lichess data as of 26 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/english-opening-mikenas-carls-variation-2