Barnes Defense

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

Key Finding

Barnes Defense gives White a 55.1% expected score — a strong opening choice.

With a minimum advantage of 10.0%, this opening reliably outperforms the baseline 50% expected score.

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Rating

Time

White Expected Score0.0%Range (90% confident): 55.0% – 55.2%Aggregated from 1 variations

0%55.1%100%

Range (90% confident): 55.0% – 55.2%

ContextOverall · n=1.2M

Outcome Distribution

53.4%3.3%43.3%

Win

Draw

Loss

1...f6

Barnes Defense

Variations1

Games (Context)1.2M

Avg Length33 moves

Draw Rate3.3%

What Should I Play?

Player-controlled continuations for White · Overall · limited data

No continuation list is available for this context yet (needs more games).

Continuations show the most common variations from this opening. Higher expected scores indicate better statistical outcomes, but familiarity and playstyle matter too.

Snapshot

Overall, the Barnes Defense family has a 55.1% expected score for White (we're 90% confident it's between 55.0% and 55.2%), aggregated from 1 variations and 1.2M Lichess games.

White Win% by Rating

Stable across ratings (~56%)

1000

1200

1400

1600

1800

2000

2200

2500+

White Win% by Time Control

Best in Classical (64%), worst in UltraBullet (48%)

UltraBullet

Bullet

Blitz

Rapid

Classical

Rating vs Time Control Matrix

Click cells to filter · White expected scores

White% by Rating × Time Control

Click any cell to filter. Green = above 50%, Red = below 50%.

Rating	UB	Bulle	Blitz	Rapid	Class
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: 42.1% expected score (498 games)
0-999 rating, Bullet: 56.4% expected score (28,847 games)
0-999 rating, Blitz: 57.1% expected score (65,129 games)
0-999 rating, Rapid: 60.1% expected score (35,404 games)
0-999 rating, Classical: 64.4% expected score (453 games)
1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 47.1% expected score (1,540 games)
1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 55.2% expected score (37,236 games)
1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 57.8% expected score (57,638 games)
1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 61.1% expected score (28,544 games)
1000-1199 rating, Classical: 66.3% expected score (1,139 games)
1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 46.8% expected score (4,299 games)
1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 53.1% expected score (63,767 games)
1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 57.6% expected score (60,833 games)
1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 62.9% expected score (22,935 games)
1200-1399 rating, Classical: 63.3% expected score (1,920 games)
1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 45.9% expected score (6,709 games)
1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 52.1% expected score (104,463 games)
1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 57.6% expected score (60,696 games)
1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 64.1% expected score (16,051 games)
1400-1599 rating, Classical: 70.9% expected score (1,843 games)
1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 51.1% expected score (6,175 games)
1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 52.1% expected score (127,121 games)
1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 55.7% expected score (62,785 games)
1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 59.0% expected score (12,733 games)
1600-1799 rating, Classical: 65.6% expected score (983 games)
1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 50.2% expected score (4,415 games)
1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 51.8% expected score (125,639 games)
1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 56.8% expected score (50,498 games)
1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 57.8% expected score (8,570 games)
1800-1999 rating, Classical: 65.5% expected score (474 games)
2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 58.4% expected score (1,734 games)
2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 52.7% expected score (93,275 games)
2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 55.7% expected score (23,433 games)
2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 61.1% expected score (2,098 games)
2000-2199 rating, Classical: 67.9% expected score (46 games)
2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 64.3% expected score (223 games)
2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 54.4% expected score (56,635 games)
2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 56.3% expected score (9,781 games)
2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 67.6% expected score (387 games)
2200-2499 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (4 games)
2500+ rating, UltraBullet: 63.4% expected score (6 games)
2500+ rating, Bullet: 56.4% expected score (10,553 games)
2500+ rating, Blitz: 64.3% expected score (795 games)
2500+ rating, Rapid: 67.4% expected score (10 games)

Matrix view reveals how performance varies across rating brackets and time controls. Green indicates favorable, red indicates challenging contexts.

Variations (1)

Barnes Defense1.2M games

Winning55.1%

Analyze Barnes Defense PositionsGet move-by-move win rates with the TrueElo analyzer

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Barnes Defense win rate?

The Barnes Defense family has a 53.4% (90% CI: 53.4%-53.5%) win rate for white, aggregated from 1 variations and 1.2M rated games from Lichess.

How many Barnes Defense variations are there?

This analysis covers 1 Barnes Defense variations with sufficient game data. Each variation has its own statistics page with detailed win rates by rating and time control.

At what rating does the Barnes Defense perform best?

The Barnes Defense family performs best at 1000-1199 Elo with a 56.1% win rate for white (126K games). Performance may vary by specific variation.

Is the Barnes Defense better in blitz or rapid?

Classical (64.3%) outperforms UltraBullet (48.1%) by 16.2% across all Barnes Defense variations.

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 statistically favors white overall with a 53.4% (90% CI: 53.4%-53.5%) aggregated win rate. However, win rates vary significantly between the 1 variations—explore individual lines to find the best fit for your style.