English Opening · Chess.com blitz ·
How the top 10 Chess.com blitz players play the English Opening
646 blitz games where a top-10 Chess.com player had White and played the English Opening, 1.c4. See how Black replies, what White plays against 1…e5 and how it scores. 9 of the top 10 play it.
English games
646
Agincourt (1…e6)
33%
most played system
Top players' score
73%
vs ~3,100 avg opponents
Key findings
- 9 of the top 10 play the English as White. Sina Movahed has no games in it. Wesley So has fewer than 10 games in it.
- 1…e6 (the Agincourt Defense) is the most common system. 33% of 646 games are Agincourt Defense lines. The chart below breaks the rest down by system.
- The top players' usual reply to each system. King's English (1…e5): 2.Nc3 (69%); Anglo-Indian (1…Nf6): 2.Nc3 (65%).
- Magnus Carlsen scores best in the English. Magnus Carlsen scores 78% over 116 games, the highest among players with 50 or more games in the English.
- The top players score lowest against the Great Snake. They score 57% over 36 games against it, and 73% over all 646 games.
- After 1…e5, 2.Nc3 leads. It was played in 93 of the 134 games after 1…e5 (69%), ahead of 2.g3 (32 games, 24%).
How Black answers 1.c4
Share of each player's games in the English. Tap or hover a segment for the count and the score.
- Agincourt (1…e6)
- King's English (1…e5)
- Anglo-Indian (1…Nf6)
- Symmetrical (1…c5)
- Caro-Kann setup (1…c6)
- Great Snake (1…g6)
- Other systems
Table view
| Player | Agincourt (1…e6) | King's English (1…e5) | Anglo-Indian (1…Nf6) | Symmetrical (1…c5) | Caro-Kann setup (1…c6) | Great Snake (1…g6) | Other systems |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All 10 players | 212 · 33% · 73% | 151 · 23% · 70% | 118 · 18% · 79% | 48 · 7% · 70% | 44 · 7% · 76% | 36 · 6% · 57% | 37 · 6% · 83% |
| Hikaru Nakamura | 19 · 40% · 92% | 10 · 21% · 90% | 11 · 23% · 77% | – | – | – | 7 · 15% · 79% |
| Magnus Carlsen | 33 · 28% · 79% | 26 · 22% · 69% | 27 · 23% · 81% | 7 · 6% · 71% | 10 · 9% · 85% | 8 · 7% · 75% | 5 · 4% · 100% |
| Nihal Sarin | 20 · 43% · 70% | 9 · 19% · 83% | 6 · 13% · 83% | 7 · 15% · 64% | – | 5 · 11% · 40% | – |
| Ediz Gürel | 33 · 33% · 71% | 17 · 17% · 79% | 23 · 23% · 65% | 4 · 4% · 100% | 6 · 6% · 75% | 10 · 10% · 35% | 6 · 6% · 83% |
| Jan-Krzysztof Duda | 17 · 37% · 59% | 10 · 22% · 75% | 8 · 17% · 100% | – | – | 4 · 9% · 63% | 7 · 15% · 79% |
| Aleksei Sarana | 7 · 25% · 57% | 3 · 11% · 67% | 4 · 14% · 100% | – | 7 · 25% · 71% | – | 7 · 25% · 86% |
| Denis Lazavik | 27 · 31% · 74% | 23 · 27% · 59% | 15 · 17% · 83% | 9 · 10% · 61% | 4 · 5% · 100% | – | 8 · 9% · 81% |
| Dmitry Andreikin | 53 · 31% · 71% | 48 · 28% · 65% | 26 · 15% · 75% | 14 · 8% · 61% | 14 · 8% · 71% | 4 · 2% · 38% | 10 · 6% · 85% |
| System | Games | Share | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agincourt (1…e6) | 212 | 33% | 73% |
| King's English (1…e5) | 151 | 23% | 70% |
| Anglo-Indian (1…Nf6) | 118 | 18% | 79% |
| Symmetrical (1…c5) | 48 | 7% | 70% |
| Caro-Kann setup (1…c6) | 44 | 7% | 76% |
| Great Snake (1…g6) | 36 | 6% | 57% |
| Other systems | 37 | 6% | 83% |
Player by player
The reply each player met most often, and how they handle 1…e5.
Hikaru Nakamura
47 games in the English · score 86%
Faced most: Agincourt (1…e6), 19 games (40%)
Next: Anglo-Indian (1…Nf6), 11 games (23%)
Meets 1…e5 in 10 games; always 2.Nc3 (Reversed Sicilian)
Magnus Carlsen
116 games in the English · score 78%
Faced most: Agincourt (1…e6), 33 games (28%)
Next: Anglo-Indian (1…Nf6), 27 games (23%)
Meets 1…e5 in 21 games; most often 2.g3 (17 games)
Also meets the Caro-Kann setup (1…c6), 10 games
Nihal Sarin
47 games in the English · score 70%
Faced most: Agincourt (1…e6), 20 games (43%)
Next: King's English (1…e5), 9 games (19%)
Meets 1…e5 in 9 games; most often 2.g3 (6 games)
Also meets the Symmetrical Variation (1…c5), 7 games
Ediz Gürel
99 games in the English · score 70%
Faced most: Agincourt (1…e6), 33 games (33%)
Next: Anglo-Indian (1…Nf6), 23 games (23%)
Meets 1…e5 in 17 games; most often 2.Nc3 (Reversed Sicilian), 11 games
Also meets the Great Snake (1…g6), 10 games
Jan-Krzysztof Duda
46 games in the English · score 73%
Faced most: Agincourt (1…e6), 17 games (37%)
Next: King's English (1…e5), 10 games (22%)
Meets 1…e5 in 10 games; most often 2.Nc3 (Reversed Sicilian), 7 games
Aleksei Sarana
28 games in the English · score 75%
Faced most: Agincourt (1…e6), 7 games (25%)
Next: Caro-Kann setup (1…c6), 7 games (25%)
Denis Lazavik
86 games in the English · score 72%
Faced most: Agincourt (1…e6), 27 games (31%)
Next: King's English (1…e5), 23 games (27%)
Meets 1…e5 in 23 games; always 2.Nc3 (Reversed Sicilian)
Also meets the Symmetrical Variation (1…c5), 9 games
Dmitry Andreikin
169 games in the English · score 69%
Faced most: Agincourt (1…e6), 53 games (31%)
Next: King's English (1…e5), 48 games (28%)
Meets 1…e5 in 39 games; most often 2.Nc3 (Reversed Sicilian), 37 games
Also meets the Symmetrical Variation (1…c5), 14 games
After 1…e5: move 2
134 games reached 1…e5 (1.c4 e5). White's second move, player by player.
- Reversed Sicilian (2.Nc3)
- 2.g3
- 2.Nf3
- 2.d3
- Other second moves
Faded rows: fewer than 20 1…e5 games.
Table view
| Player | Reversed Sicilian (2.Nc3) | 2.g3 | 2.Nf3 | 2.d3 | Other second moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All 10 players | 93 · 69% · 70% | 32 · 24% · 73% | 3 · 2% · 100% | 3 · 2% · 33% | 3 · 2% · 84% |
| Hikaru Nakamura | 10 · 100% · 90% | – | – | – | – |
| Magnus Carlsen | – | 17 · 81% · 74% | – | – | 4 · 19% · 63% |
| Nihal Sarin | – | 6 · 67% · 75% | – | – | 3 · 33% · 100% |
| Ediz Gürel | 11 · 65% · 77% | 3 · 18% · 67% | 3 · 18% · 100% | – | – |
| Jan-Krzysztof Duda | 7 · 70% · 93% | – | – | 3 · 30% · 33% | – |
| Denis Lazavik | 23 · 100% · 59% | – | – | – | – |
| Dmitry Andreikin | 37 · 95% · 65% | – | – | – | 2 · 5% · 75% |
Move explorer
Starts after 1.c4. Pick all 10 players or one of them, then click a move to go deeper. Rarer moves are grouped as other moves.
- 1.c4
English Opening
646 games · top players scored 73%
Other moves: 10 games
Questions people ask
- What do Black players play against the English Opening?
- In Chess.com blitz, the top 10 players meet 1…e6 (the Agincourt Defense) in 33% of 646 games. Here 1…e6 (the Agincourt Defense) means 1…e6. The rest: the King's English 23%, the Anglo-Indian Defense 18%, the Symmetrical Variation 7%, the Caro-Kann setup 7%, the Great Snake 6%, other systems 6%, spread over many smaller lines; the biggest is 1…b6, with 14 games.
- What is the second most common reply to the English Opening?
- After the most played reply, the next is the King's English, in 23% of games. Here that means 1…e5, or 1…Nf6 and then 2…e5 (unless 2.d4, the Budapest-style move order). Next: the Anglo-Indian Defense at 18%, the Symmetrical Variation at 7%, the Caro-Kann setup at 7%, the Great Snake at 6%.
- What do Black players try against Hikaru Nakamura's English?
- In 47 blitz games as White in the English (1.c4), Hikaru Nakamura faced 1…e6 (the Agincourt Defense) most (19 games, 40%), then the Anglo-Indian Defense (11, 23%). Hikaru Nakamura meets 1…e5 in 10 games; always 2.Nc3 (Reversed Sicilian).
- What do Black players try against Magnus Carlsen's English?
- In 116 blitz games as White in the English (1.c4), Magnus Carlsen faced 1…e6 (the Agincourt Defense) most (33 games, 28%), then the Anglo-Indian Defense (27, 23%). Magnus Carlsen meets 1…e5 in 21 games; most often 2.g3 (17 games).
- What do top players play after 1…e5?
- In the 134 games that reached 1…e5 (1.c4 e5), the most common second move is 2.Nc3 Reversed Sicilian (93 games, 69%), followed by 2.g3 (32 games, 24%).
- Does a high score mean the opening is good?
- Not by itself. Scores also reflect the rating gap between the top players and their opponents. Compare lines by how often the top players choose them, and use the scores as context.
- Where do these numbers come from?
- From up to 1,000 Chess.com blitz games as White of each of the top 10 players on the leaderboard. 646 of them start 1.c4. A win counts as 1 and a draw as ½, from the top player's side. The games were last refreshed on 22 Oct 2026.
How we counted
We took the Chess.com blitz games as White of each of the top 10 players on the leaderboard, up to 1,000 each, and kept the ones that started 1.c4. Each game counts under the first rule below that fits it:
- King's English (1…e5): 1…e5, or 1…Nf6 and then 2…e5 (unless 2.d4, the Budapest-style move order).
- Agincourt (1…e6): 1…e6.
- Anglo-Indian (1…Nf6): 1…Nf6.
- Symmetrical (1…c5): 1…c5.
- Caro-Kann setup (1…c6): 1…c6.
- Great Snake (1…g6): 1…g6.
- Other systems: everything else: Black's rarer first replies, such as 1…b6 and 1…d6.
A win counts as 1 and a draw as ½, from the top player's side. Scores also reflect the rating gap: opponents average about 3,100.
1…Nf6 followed by 2…e5 counts as the King's English: 1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 e5 reaches the same Two Knights position as 1…e5 2.Nc3 Nf6. 1…e6 counts here even when d4 later turns the game into a Queen's Gambit Declined. A row or a card built on fewer than 20 games is faded. Players with fewer than 10 games in the opening have no card or row; their games count in the totals.
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Learn the English Opening like a top player
Free lines from each player's Chess.com blitz games. No account needed.
- Hikaru Nakamura
- Magnus Carlsen
- Nihal Sarin
- Ediz Gürel
- Jan-Krzysztof Duda
- Denis Lazavik
- Dmitry Andreikin
- Maxime Vachier-Lagrave
- Nodirbek Abdusattorov
- Fabiano Caruana
- Andy Woodward
- Hans Niemann
- Vladislav Artemiev
- Vincent Keymer
- Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu
- Michael Roiz
- Abhimanyu Mishra
- Sam Sevian
- Teimour Radjabov
- Andrey Esipenko
- Parham Maghsoodloo
- Haik Martirosyan
- Liem Le
- Salem AR Saleh
- Liam Putnam
- Maxim Matlakov
- Arjun Erigaisi
- Haowen Xue
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