Chess Openings Lab
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English Opening: King's English Variation, Two Knights Variation, Reversed Dragon

The Reversed Dragon comes from 3.g3 d5, where Black grabs the center and invites a Sicilian Dragon with colors reversed. White wants cxd5 and Bg2 against the d5 knight, while Black hopes for a broad center and free piece play.

Moves
1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.g3 d5
ECO
A22
Engine
+0.24 · level (Stockfish 17.1, depth 20)
Played
854 games in our lichess sample
White scores
52.6%

Key ideas for both sides

White

  • Take at once with cxd5; slower moves like Bg2 or d3 let Black play ...d4 and drive the c3 knight to the edge.
  • After ...Nxd5, put the bishop on g2 and the knight on f3 so the d5 knight and e5 pawn come under steady fire.
  • Castle short, then use a3 and b4 to expand on the queenside where the Dragon setup usually attacks.

Black

  • After cxd5 Nxd5, retreat the knight to b6 so it no longer sits on the long diagonal.
  • Develop ...Nc6, ...Be7 and ...O-O, keeping e5 well protected by knights and the queen.
  • Use the extra central space to expand on the kingside, with ideas like ...f5 or ...Be6 and ...Qd7.

Plans and pawn structure

White gets a Sicilian Dragon with an extra tempo, so the plans are queenside-based: the g2 bishop on the long diagonal, a rook on c1, and pawn pushes like a3 and b4. Black gets an Open Sicilian center with e5 and an extra space, but the bishop on g2 and the knight on c3 target the d5 knight and the c6 knight. Black's knight usually retreats to b6, and Black looks for kingside play. Both sides have clear plans, but White's must start with the capture.

What the engine plays from here

Stockfish 17.1 at depth 20 rates the position +0.24: level. Its three top choices for White:

  1. +0.24 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.Nf3 Nc6 6.Bg2 Nb6
  2. −0.80 4.Bg2 d4 5.Na4 c5 6.d3 Bd6
  3. −1.07 4.d3 d4 5.Na4 h5 6.h3 h4

Pawns, from White's side.

How it scores on lichess

854 rated lichess games reached this position; White scored 52.6%.

under 120057.7%
1200–159955.0%
1600–199950.4%
2000 and up50.3%

Light: White wins. Grey: draws. Dark: Black wins. About the sample.

How to play against it

For White: take on d5 right away. If you play Bg2 or d3 first, ...d4 hits the c3 knight and it ends up on a4, offside and short of squares. After the exchange, keep the g2 bishop active on the long diagonal and don't let Black play ...f5 and ...e4 while you are still undeveloped.

Questions

What are the moves of the English Opening: King's English Variation, Two Knights Variation, Reversed Dragon?

The English Opening: King's English Variation, Two Knights Variation, Reversed Dragon starts 1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.g3 d5. Its ECO code is A22.

Is the English Opening: King's English Variation, Two Knights Variation, Reversed Dragon good for Black?

Stockfish 17.1 rates the position +0.24 at depth 20, which is level. In 854 lichess games from our sample, White scored 52.6%. Rewards White players who know Sicilian themes from the other side; Black gets a sound, open game but must handle pressure on the long diagonal.

What is the main idea of the English Opening: King's English Variation, Two Knights Variation, Reversed Dragon?

Black takes the center with ...d5, and White answers cxd5 to reach a Dragon Sicilian with an extra move. White plays on the long diagonal and the queenside; Black relies on central space.

What should White play next?

The engine's first choice is cxd5, with Bg2 and d3 close behind. cxd5 removes the d5 pawn before ...d4 can push the c3 knight to a bad square.

Updated October 2026. Sources and method.