English Orangutan
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Statistics from Lichess
66,768 games: White 45.0% / Draw 4.7% / Black 50.3%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 23,01323K | ||
| 17,90918K | ||
| 11,13311K | ||
| 5,5475,547 | ||
| 3,4163,416 | ||
| 1,6251,625 | ||
| 1,0671,067 | ||
| 1,0461,046 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 9, 2026
Engine evaluation
−0.37 Black is slightly better
Best play: 2... e5 3. a3 c5 4. b5 d5 5. cxd5 Nxd5 6. e4 Nf4 7. Nf3
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
English Orangutan (ECO A15, Flank Openings) is a variation of the English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense, reached after 1. c4 Nf6 2. b4 (2 moves).
In 66,768 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 45.0%, Black 50.3% and 4.7% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 2…g6, in 34% 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 Orangutan
2…e5 scores best for Black: 53.3%, with Black winning 51.4% and White 44.7% of 11K games. The most played, 2…g6, scores 53.0% in 23K games, and 2…d6 scores lowest: 50.8%. Stockfish's first choice is also 2…e5.
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 Orangutan (A15)”. Lichess data as of 9 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/english-orangutan