English Opening: Mikenas-Carls Variation 3…d5 4. e5
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Statistics from Lichess
324,388 games: White 52.5% / Draw 5.9% / Black 41.6%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 127,152127K | ||
| 116,273116K | ||
| 56,27156K | ||
| 23,99624K | ||
| 372372 | ||
| 224224 | ||
| 2222 | ||
| 1818 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 30, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.27 The position is about equal
Best play: 4... d4 5. exf6 dxc3 6. bxc3 Qxf6 7. Nf3 b6 8. d4 Bb7 9. Bd3
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
By rating
Rating changes little here: White scores 54% under 1400, 56% at 2200 and up and 62% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 3,768 | |
| 1400–1799 | 31K | |
| 1800–2199 | 193K | |
| 2200 and up | 107K | |
| Masters, over the board | 1,685 |
Master games
- Carlsen, M. – Aronian, L.
- Carlsen, M. – Nakamura, H.
- Vachier Lagrave, M. – Nakamura, H.
- Grischuk, A. – Aronian, L.
- Aronian, L. – Kramnik, V.
Rated blitz, rapid and classical Lichess games by rating band, and over-the-board games of players rated 2200+ from the Lichess masters database, updated Sep 27, 2026
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 d5 4. e5 (4 moves).
In 324,388 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 52.5%, Black 41.6% and 5.9% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 4…d4, in 39% 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 4. e5
4…Ne4 scores best for Black: 45.8%, with Black winning 42.8% and White 51.2% of 56K games. The most played, 4…d4, scores 45.8% in 127K games, and 4…Ng8 scores lowest: 39.9%. Stockfish's first choice is 4…d4.
Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: Black's wins plus half the draws, in rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500. How to play against other popular openings
Popularity by year
This line has gained ground since 2016: 0.013% of Lichess games in 2025, up from 0.0092% (its peak: 0.016% in 2018).
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.0092% | 3,294 |
| 2017 | 0.012% | 6,622 |
| 2018 | 0.016% | 12,654 |
| 2019 | 0.015% | 18,584 |
| 2020 | 0.013% | 39,486 |
| 2021 | 0.012% | 45,375 |
| 2022 | 0.012% | 46,332 |
| 2023 | 0.012% | 46,579 |
| 2024 | 0.012% | 43,654 |
| 2025 | 0.013% | 43,493 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.012% | 13,413 |
Share of rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500 (blitz, rapid and classical) that reach this position, by year; 2026: January to April. Which openings are rising and falling
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “English Opening: Mikenas-Carls Variation (A18)”. Lichess data as of 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/english-opening-mikenas-carls-variation-3