English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Ultra-Symmetrical Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
1,318,780 games: White 49.1% / Draw 6.7% / Black 44.1%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Three Knights, Fianchetto Variation | 432,858433K | |
| 389,236389K | ||
| English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Botvinnik System | 203,959204K | |
| 158,031158K | ||
| 79,30479K | ||
| 16,01116K | ||
| 12,82213K | ||
| 6,4186,418 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 29, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.10 The position is about equal
Best play: 5. Nf3 d6 6. O-O Nh6 7. a3 O-O 8. d3 Nf5 9. Rb1 Qd7
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
By rating
Rating changes little here: Black scores 46% under 1400, 48% at 2200 and up and 49% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 75K | |
| 1400–1799 | 391K | |
| 1800–2199 | 753K | |
| 2200 and up | 308K | |
| Masters, over the board | 9,132 |
Master games
- Carlsen, M. – Vachier Lagrave, M.
- Aronian, L. – Carlsen, M.
- Carlsen, M. – Aronian, L.
- Carlsen, M. – Erigaisi, A.
- Carlsen, M. – Vachier Lagrave, M.
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: Symmetrical Variation, Ultra-Symmetrical Variation (ECO A36, Flank Openings) is a variation of the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, reached after 1. c4 c5 2. g3 g6 3. Bg2 Bg7 4. Nc3 Nc6 (4 moves).
In 1,318,780 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 49.1%, Black 44.1% and 6.7% were drawn. White's most played move here is 5. Nf3, in 33% 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: Symmetrical Variation, Ultra-Symmetrical Variation
5. a3 scores best for White: 56.7%, with White winning 53.3% and Black 39.9% of 79K games. The most played, 5. Nf3, scores 52.1% in 433K games, and 5. d3 scores lowest: 52.1%. Stockfish's first choice is 5. Nf3.
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
Popularity by year
The English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Ultra-Symmetrical Variation has gained ground since 2016: 0.051% of Lichess games in 2025, up from 0.039% (its peak: 0.06% in 2020).
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.039% | 14,050 |
| 2017 | 0.047% | 25,673 |
| 2018 | 0.053% | 41,811 |
| 2019 | 0.059% | 73,122 |
| 2020 | 0.06% | 176,356 |
| 2021 | 0.051% | 200,896 |
| 2022 | 0.048% | 179,643 |
| 2023 | 0.048% | 179,599 |
| 2024 | 0.048% | 172,678 |
| 2025 | 0.051% | 176,319 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.053% | 57,977 |
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
Transpositions
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Ultra-Symmetrical Variation (A36)”. Lichess data as of 29 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/english-opening-symmetrical-variation-ultra-symmetrical-variation