English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Normal Variation

1. c4 c5 2. Nc3

English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Normal Variation after 1. c4 c5 2. Nc3 87654321abcdefgh

The English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Normal Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO A34, reached after 1. c4 c5 2. Nc3. It is a line of the English Opening. Black is to move. 2 named lines continue from this position.

In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 22,437 times by this move order. White won 51%, 5% were drawn and Black won 44%. The most popular continuation is 2… Nc6 (53% of games).

Engine evaluation: +0.12 (Stockfish, depth 60; best line 2… g6 3. e3 Nf6 4. d4 cxd4 5. exd4)

ECO
A34
Moves
3 plies
FEN
rnbqkbnr/pp1ppppp/8/2p5/2P5/2N5/PP1PPPPP/R1BQKBNR b KQkq - 1 2
PGN
1. c4 c5 2. Nc3

Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess

Results by rating

Average ratingGamesWhite / draw / Black
0-14994,39653%43%
1500-199913,10251%44%
2000+4,93949%44%
All22,43751%44%

Most played moves

MoveGamesWhite / draw / Black
2… Nc6
Symmetrical Variation, Two Knights Variation		11,881 (53%)51%44%
2… Nf62,640 (12%)49%45%
2… e62,567 (11%)52%44%
2… d62,115 (9%)53%43%
2… g61,379 (6%)49%45%
2… b6631 (3%)52%43%
2… e5540 (2%)53%43%
2… a6439 (2%)51%44%

Master games

3,258 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 39%, draw 23%, Black 38%). The strongest:

Search all games of the English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Normal Variation and its sub-variations

Highest-rated Lichess games

Comes from

English Opening: Symmetrical Variation (1. c4 c5) 1. c4 c5

Continuations

More English Opening lines (all)

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.