English Opening: Porcupine Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
1,620 games: White 54.3% / Draw 4.7% / Black 41.0%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 769769 | ||
| 355355 | ||
| 167167 | ||
| 142142 | ||
| 7676 | ||
| 5151 | ||
| 3232 | ||
| 88 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 30, 2026
Engine evaluation
−0.35 Black is slightly better
Best play: 4... g6 5. g5 Nh5 6. Nxe4 Bg7 7. Ne2 O-O 8. Bg2 d6 9. d4
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
English Opening: Porcupine Variation (ECO A10, Flank Openings) is a variation of the English Opening: Anglo-Dutch Variation, Ferenc Gambit, reached after 1. c4 f5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. e4 fxe4 4. g4 (4 moves).
In 1,620 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 54.3%, Black 41.0% and 4.7% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 4…h6, in 47% 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: Porcupine Variation
4…g6 scores best for Black: 50.9%, with Black winning 49.1% and White 47.3% of 167 games. The most played, 4…h6, scores 44.0% in 769 games, and 4…d6 scores lowest: 35.6%. Stockfish's first choice is also 4…g6.
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
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “English Opening: Porcupine Variation (A10)”. Lichess data as of 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/english-opening-porcupine-variation