English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Botvinnik System Reversed, with Nf3 (5. Nf3 e5)
1. c4 c5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. g3 g6 4. Bg2 Bg7 5. Nf3 e5
The English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Botvinnik System Reversed, with Nf3 is a chess opening classified as ECO A37, reached after 1. c4 c5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. g3 g6 4. Bg2 Bg7 5. Nf3 e5. It is a line of the English Opening. White is to move. 2 named lines continue from this position.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 43 times by this move order. White won 56%, 9% were drawn and Black won 35%. The most popular continuation is 6. O-O (56% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.19 (Stockfish, depth 46; best line 6. a3 Nge7 7. O-O O-O 8. Rb1 d5)
- ECO
- A37
- Moves
- 10 plies
- FEN
r1bqk1nr/pp1p1pbp/2n3p1/2p1p3/2P5/2N2NP1/PP1PPPBP/R1BQK2R w KQkq - 0 6- PGN
1. c4 c5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. g3 g6 4. Bg2 Bg7 5. Nf3 e5
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 2 | |
| 1500-1999 | 22 | |
| 2000+ | 19 | |
| All | 43 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 6. O-O | 24 (56%) | |
| 6. d3 | 12 (28%) | |
| 6. e4 | 3 (7%) | |
| 6. e3 | 2 (5%) | |
| 6. a3 | 1 (2%) | |
| 6. Nd5 | 1 (2%) |
Master games
117 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 37%, draw 27%, Black 36%). The strongest:
- GM Baadur Jobava (2668) – GM Jan-Krzysztof Duda (2658) 1/2-1/2 · 20th European Teams · 2015-11-15
- GM Anish Giri (2731) – GM Ihor Samunenkov (2541) 1-0 · Titled Tue 7th Jan Early · 2025-01-07
- GM Mikheil Mchedlishvili (2604) – GM Mircea-Emilian Parligras (2616) 1-0 · 21st European Teams · 2017-10-31
- GM Maxim Rodshtein (2684) – GM Nikola Djukic (2517) 1/2-1/2 · 22nd European Teams · 2019-10-24
- GM Hans Moke Niemann (2676) – GM David Brodsky (2515) 1-0 · Titled Tue 19th Mar Early · 2024-03-19
Highest-rated Lichess games
- IM Leviathan64 (2582) – mikhaylov_artem (2546) 1-0 · 2026-09-04 · 180 + 0s
- michalkrycki2010 (2520) – FM DiogenesSinopeus (2522) 0-1 · 2026-09-04 · 180 + 0s
- NM Oleksiy_Gross (2511) – FM DiogenesSinopeus (2476) 1-0 · 2026-09-01 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Three Knights, Fianchetto Variation (4… Bg7 5. Nf3) 1. c4 c5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. g3 g6 4. Bg2 Bg7 5. Nf3
Continuations
- English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Botvinnik System Reversed, with Nf3 (6. O-O d6) A37 · 1. c4 c5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. g3 g6 4. Bg2 Bg7 5. Nf3 e5 6. O-O d6
- English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Botvinnik System Reversed, with Nf3 (6. O-O Nge7) A37 · 1. c4 c5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. g3 g6 4. Bg2 Bg7 5. Nf3 e5 6. O-O Nge7
More English Opening lines (all)
- English Opening A10
- English Opening: Achilles-Omega Gambit A10
- English Opening: Adorjan Defense A10
- English Opening: Anglo-Dutch Defense A10
- English Opening: Anglo-Dutch Defense, Hickmann Gambit A10
- English Opening: Anglo-Dutch Variation, Chabanon Gambit A10
- English Opening: Anglo-Dutch Variation, Ferenc Gambit A10
- English Opening: Anglo-Lithuanian Variation A10
- English Opening: Anglo-Scandinavian Defense A10
- English Opening: Anglo-Scandinavian Defense, Löhn Gambit A10
- English Opening: Anglo-Scandinavian Defense, Malvinas Variation A10
- English Opening: Anglo-Scandinavian Defense, Schulz Gambit A10
Opening names and moves from the Lichess openings dataset; statistics from the Lichess open database, 2026-09 (CC0), sample of 12.6 million games, bots excluded; evaluations from Lichess cloud analysis (all CC0). Master games from The Week in Chess #920–#1664 by Mark Crowther, used with permission.