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English, Symmetrical (A37)
1 c4 c5 2 Nc3 Nc6 3 g3 g6 4 Bg2 Bg7 5 Nf3

Number of games in database: 4714
Years covered: 1889 to 2025
Overall record:
   White wins 27.8%
   Black wins 32.3%
   Draws 39.9%

Popularity graph, by decade

Explore this opening  |  Search for sacrifices in this opening.
PRACTITIONERS
With the White Pieces With the Black Pieces
Colin McNab  30 games
Tomasz Markowski  28 games
Valery Loginov  26 games
Thomas Ernst  27 games
Dominguez Perez  22 games
Pia Cramling  21 games
NOTABLE GAMES [what is this?]
White Wins Black Wins
Botvinnik vs Gligoric, 1956
Andersson vs Seirawan, 1983
McShane vs Carlsen, 2010
Petrosian vs Fischer, 1970
Larsen vs Tal, 1973
Barcza vs Karpov, 1970
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 page 1 of 189; games 1-25 of 4,714  PGN Download
Game  ResultMoves YearEvent/LocaleOpening
1. Blackburne vs J Metger 1-04118896th DSB Congress, BreslauA37 English, Symmetrical
2. Reti vs Maroczy ½-½321924New YorkA37 English, Symmetrical
3. J Montezinos vs Euwe 0-1241927AmsterdamA37 English, Symmetrical
4. J H Goud vs Euwe  0-1591927Amsterdam CC ChampionshipA37 English, Symmetrical
5. S Takacs vs S Beutum  1-0711927Trebitsch MemorialA37 English, Symmetrical
6. W Perquin vs Koltanowski  ½-½341931Antwerp Schaakstudiekring NationalA37 English, Symmetrical
7. E Sapira vs Koltanowski  ½-½231931Antwerp Schaakstudiekring NationalA37 English, Symmetrical
8. E Sapira vs Koltanowski  0-1231932AntwerpA37 English, Symmetrical
9. A Mortlock vs S Khan  0-1271933British ChampionshipA37 English, Symmetrical
10. Flohr vs T Melngailis 0-1231933SimulA37 English, Symmetrical
11. A Dake vs L Stolzenberg  1-024193334th Western ChampionshipA37 English, Symmetrical
12. O'Kelly vs H Grob  0-1481939StuttgartA37 English, Symmetrical
13. G Danielsson vs Z Kleinstein  1-0381939Buenos Aires Olympiad qual-4A37 English, Symmetrical
14. O Zimmermann vs P Trifunovic  ½-½561954ZuerichA37 English, Symmetrical
15. M Raizman vs P Trifunovic  ½-½661954Amsterdam Olympiad qual-3A37 English, Symmetrical
16. M Weiner vs J Fichtl  1-0401954Czechoslovak ChampionshipA37 English, Symmetrical
17. Kotov vs Korchnoi  1-0731955USSR ChampionshipA37 English, Symmetrical
18. H Steiner vs R H Steinmeyer  ½-½43195556th US OpenA37 English, Symmetrical
19. Petrosian vs Y Gusev  ½-½311956Moscow ChampionshipA37 English, Symmetrical
20. V Bobolovich vs S G Lebedev ½-½421956Moscow Championship qfA37 English, Symmetrical
21. W Luczynowicz vs Z Boleslawski  1-0351956Krynica 1955/56A37 English, Symmetrical
22. Lisitsin vs Averbakh 0-1501956USSR ChampionshipA37 English, Symmetrical
23. Lisitsin vs A Bannik  0-1441956USSR ChampionshipA37 English, Symmetrical
24. Portisch vs J Pogats  ½-½311956Budapest SzikraA37 English, Symmetrical
25. I Pogrebissky vs V Shiyanovsky  0-1331956Ukrainian ChampionshipA37 English, Symmetrical
 page 1 of 189; games 1-25 of 4,714  PGN Download
  REFINE SEARCH:   White wins (1-0) | Black wins (0-1) | Draws (1/2-1/2)  

Kibitzer's Corner
Feb-14-04  marcus13: Wow 50% of draw seemed that this opening draw a lot.
Feb-14-04  PinkPanther: Well...that's what happens when a position becomes very symmetrical. The Petrov Defense and the 4 Knights Game suffer from the same problem for the same reason.
Feb-14-04  marcus13: Is it really a problem?
Feb-14-04  PinkPanther: For white it is. I don't think players with white (unless black is a much stronger player, or if they're just looking for a half point to secure first in a tournament or something) really wants to settle for a stale draw.
Mar-26-04  tacticsjokerxxx: 5.-Nh6 and black wins.

there is no drawing problem here.

Feb-04-05  jahhaj: Is this the most boring opening in chess?
Feb-04-05  Abaduba: It's probably up there, but don't count out the exchange French and the exchange Slav (70% drawn in some lines)

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