English Opening: Myers Defense
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Statistics from Lichess
89,176 games: White 52.8% / Draw 4.2% / Black 42.9%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 44,79845K | ||
| 21,10721K | ||
| 9,8999,899 | ||
| 4,5454,545 | ||
| 2,4282,428 | ||
| 1,5101,510 | ||
| 1,4061,406 | ||
| 1,1381,138 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 30, 2026
Engine evaluation
+1.32 White is better
Best play: 2. d4 h6 3. Nc3 d6 4. e4 c5 5. d5 Bg7 6. Qc2 a6
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
English Opening: Myers Defense (ECO A10, Flank Openings) is a variation of the English Opening, reached after 1. c4 g5 (1 move).
In 89,176 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 52.8%, Black 42.9% and 4.2% were drawn. White's most played move here is 2. Nc3, in 50% of those games.
It branches into 2 named variations; the most played are English Opening: Myers Gambit and English Opening: Zilbermints Gambit.
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: Myers Defense
2. g3 scores best for White: 55.7%, with White winning 53.6% and Black 42.2% of 9,899 games. The most played, 2. Nc3, scores 55.2% in 45K games, and 2. e3 scores lowest: 53.5%. Stockfish's first choice is 2. 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
Variations (2)
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “English Opening: Myers Defense (A10)”. Lichess data as of 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/english-opening-myers-defense