English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Botvinnik System Reversed, with e3
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Statistics from Lichess
67,878 games: White 47.0% / Draw 7.4% / Black 45.7%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 63,60064K | ||
| 1,1651,165 | ||
| 992992 | ||
| 938938 | ||
| 229229 | ||
| 205205 | ||
| 105105 | ||
| 9797 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 27, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.27 The position is about equal
Best play: 6. a3 d6 7. Nge2 Nge7 8. d3 O-O 9. Rb1 a5 10. O-O Rb8
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Botvinnik System Reversed, with e3 (ECO A36, Flank Openings) is a variation of the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Two Knights, Fianchetto Variation, reached after 1. c4 c5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. g3 g6 4. Bg2 Bg7 5. e3 e5 (5 moves).
In 67,878 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 47.0%, Black 45.7% and 7.4% were drawn. White's most played move here is 6. Nge2, in 94% of those games.
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Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Botvinnik System Reversed, with e3 (A36)”. Lichess data as of 27 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/english-opening-symmetrical-variation-botvinnik-system-reversed-with-e3