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Barnes Defense

1 variations · 1.2M games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

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Analyze this line move by move

Black expected score · Overall

45.0%

40%55%
Floor44.9%

the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. Its best is the same figure — the band is too tight to plot.

Measured over 1.2M games at this level and clock.

Tough Sellloses more often than it wins at this level

Black comes out behind here — there are better weapons in the ranked list.

Outcomes for Black

Draw 3.3 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 1.2M games

Rank among the families Black can choose here
#58 of 62
Games in this context
1.2M
Best context
54.2% at 1400-1599 UltraBullet
Worst context
29.1% at 1400-1599 Classical
Variations measured
1
Average game length
33 moves

Best and worst are the strongest and weakest squares with at least 500 games behind them. The table further down shows every square, including thinner ones.

What to play from here

Black · Overall
#1Barnes DefenseBest here
1.e4 f6
Floor 44.9% · 1.2M games
45.0%

These are the moves players actually choose from here, ranked by how they score. A higher score is a better bet on the numbers alone — familiarity and playstyle still matter.

Where it holds · Black score by rating × clock

Green is clearly ahead for Black, grey is around even, red is behind. Tap a cell to measure there, and again to clear. It falls away as the rating rises: 44.0% at 0-999, 37.2% at 2500+.

RatingUBBulleBlitzRapidClass
0-999
1000-1199
1200-1399
1400-1599
1600-1799
1800-1999
2000-2199
2200-2499
2500+—

Expected score matrix by rating bracket and time control

  • 0-999 rating, UltraBullet: 58.0% expected score (498 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Bullet: 43.6% expected score (28,847 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 42.9% expected score (65,129 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 40.0% expected score (35,404 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Classical: 35.6% expected score (453 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 53.0% expected score (1,540 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 44.9% expected score (37,236 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 42.2% expected score (57,638 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 38.9% expected score (28,544 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 33.8% expected score (1,139 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 53.3% expected score (4,299 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 47.0% expected score (63,767 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 42.4% expected score (60,833 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 37.2% expected score (22,935 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 36.8% expected score (1,920 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 54.2% expected score (6,709 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 48.0% expected score (104,463 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 42.4% expected score (60,696 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 36.0% expected score (16,051 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 29.1% expected score (1,843 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 48.9% expected score (6,175 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 48.0% expected score (127,121 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 44.4% expected score (62,785 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 41.1% expected score (12,733 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 34.4% expected score (983 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 49.9% expected score (4,415 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 48.2% expected score (125,639 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 43.2% expected score (50,498 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 42.3% expected score (8,570 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 34.6% expected score (474 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 41.7% expected score (1,734 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 47.3% expected score (93,275 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 44.4% expected score (23,433 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 39.0% expected score (2,098 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 32.1% expected score (46 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 35.8% expected score (223 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 45.6% expected score (56,635 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 43.7% expected score (9,781 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 32.4% expected score (387 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (4 games)
  • 2500+ rating, UltraBullet: 36.7% expected score (6 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 43.6% expected score (10,553 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 35.7% expected score (795 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 32.6% expected score (10 games)

1 variations · ranked by floor

Floor — the worst score you would still get, 90% confident.

1
Barnes Defense1.2M games
45.0%Floor 44.9%
Analyze Barnes Defense PositionsSee what each move is worth at your rating, move by move

Methodology

Across every rating and clock, the Barnes Defense family scores 45.0% for Black — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 44.9% and 45.0% — from 1.2M Lichess games across 1 variations. Win rate, draw rate and loss rate come from games played December 2023 to November 2025.

How the figures are made
Whose games these are
1.2M+ rated games played on Lichess (2023-12 to 2025-11). The games are Lichess’s and free for anyone to use. What is ours is the reading of them. Last rebuilt January 2026.
Which games we count
  • Rated games only — nothing casual.
  • Both players within 200 rating points of each other. A mismatch tells you about the gap, not about the opening.
  • At least 2 moves played.
  • A game is filed under White’s rating.
Why every number comes with a range
A number off a few hundred games is a guess. The same number off millions is a fact. The range is what tells them apart, and it is what the lists rank on — so an opening cannot reach the top on a lucky run of forty games. The more games behind a figure, the narrower its range.
How much we need before we say anything
An opening page needs 100 games. A gambit needs 50 games at a rating before we will say whether it pays there. The chaos and trap lists need 500 games overall and 250 games at one rating or clock.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Barnes Defense win rate?

Across the Barnes Defense's 1 variations, Black wins 43.3%, draws 3.3% and loses 53.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 45.0%. It rests on 1.2M rated games from Lichess.

How many Barnes Defense variations are there?

1 Barnes Defense variations have a page of their own, each broken down by rating and by clock.

At what rating does the Barnes Defense perform best?

The Barnes Defense family performs best for Black at 1800-1999, with an Expected Score of 46.6% (190K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read. Performance may vary by specific variation.

Is the Barnes Defense better in blitz or rapid?

For Black, the Barnes Defense scores higher in Blitz: an Expected Score of 43.0% in Blitz (392K games) against 38.9% in Rapid (127K games).

How sharp is the Barnes Defense?

Barnes Defense games are 96.7% decisive (non-draws), with an average length of 33 moves. Sharpness varies by specific variation.

Is the Barnes Defense a good opening family?

The Barnes Defense family is hard work for Black — it favours White overall. Across its games, Black wins 43.3% and loses 53.4%. Results differ between its 1 variations, so open the one you play for its own figures.