English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Hedgehog Defense
1. c4 e6 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nc3 c5 4. g3 b6 5. Bg2 Bb7 6. O-O Be7
The English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Hedgehog Defense is a chess opening classified as ECO A30, reached after 1. c4 e6 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nc3 c5 4. g3 b6 5. Bg2 Bb7 6. O-O Be7. It is a line of the English Opening. White is to move.
This exact move order didn't appear in our sample of 12.6 million Lichess games: it's a rare line.
Engine evaluation: +0.31 (Stockfish, depth 50; best line 7. d4 cxd4 8. Qxd4 d6 9. e4 Nbd7)
- ECO
- A30
- Moves
- 12 plies
- FEN
rn1qk2r/pb1pbppp/1p2pn2/2p5/2P5/2N2NP1/PP1PPPBP/R1BQ1RK1 w kq - 4 7- PGN
1. c4 e6 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nc3 c5 4. g3 b6 5. Bg2 Bb7 6. O-O Be7
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Master games
3 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 33%, draw 34%, Black 33%). The strongest:
- FM Florian Gatterer (2281) – IM Milan Novkovic (2375) 1/2-1/2 · TCh-AUT 2nd West 2016-17 · 2016-11-26
- Kacper Jarzebowski (2079) – FM Jan Kokoszczynski (2301) 0-1 · Najdorf Mem Open A 2025 · 2025-07-08
- Ingo, Dr. Abraham (2235) – Bernd Kievelitz (2035) 1-0 · 104 Jahre FC St. Pauli Op · 2014-07-24
Comes from
English Opening: Agincourt Defense (1… e6 2. Nf3) 1. c4 e6 2. Nf3
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.