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Barnes Opening: Walkerling

161K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

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Analyze this line move by move

White expected score · All ratings · All speeds

45.0%

40%55%
Floor44.8%

the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 45.2%.

Measured over 161K games at this level and clock.

Tough Sellloses more often than it wins at this level

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

Outcomes for White

Draw 3.7 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 161K games

Rank among the families White can choose here
not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
Games in this context
161K
Best context
47.8% at 1000-1199 Bullet
Worst context
37.3% at 1400-1599 Classical
Average game length
32 moves
Games that end decisively
96.3%
Draws
3.7%

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.

Extra Analysis

Deep-dive datasets for this opening

Time-Control Swing

Max swing: 8.6% · Bullet best · Classical worst

Where it holds · White score by rating × clock

Green is clearly ahead for White, grey is around even, red is behind. Tap a cell to measure there, and again to clear. It gets better as the rating rises: 41.0% at 0-999, 46.0% 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: 33.6% expected score (35 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Bullet: 45.4% expected score (4,508 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 44.4% expected score (17,341 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 43.6% expected score (13,978 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Classical: 37.8% expected score (191 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 38.7% expected score (65 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 47.8% expected score (4,605 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 46.4% expected score (17,120 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 44.2% expected score (12,049 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 41.4% expected score (502 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 37.4% expected score (86 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 46.6% expected score (4,458 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 45.6% expected score (15,053 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 43.3% expected score (10,192 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 38.6% expected score (662 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 57.6% expected score (78 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 44.3% expected score (4,807 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 44.7% expected score (11,728 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 40.9% expected score (6,037 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 37.3% expected score (641 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 48.6% expected score (33 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 47.1% expected score (5,250 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 45.7% expected score (8,884 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 45.2% expected score (3,827 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 38.9% expected score (201 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 73.1% expected score (5 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 47.4% expected score (3,912 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 46.8% expected score (6,919 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 43.8% expected score (2,236 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 43.1% expected score (49 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 46.2% expected score (1,656 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 47.5% expected score (2,662 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 43.1% expected score (551 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 30.0% expected score (6 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 45.0% expected score (425 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 47.0% expected score (326 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 40.5% expected score (56 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 55.5% expected score (44 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 52.6% expected score (18 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 30.0% expected score (1 games)

Related Openings

Parent
Barnes Opening
46.4%
Variations (3)
Barnes Opening: Hammerschlag
46.7%
Barnes Opening: Fool's Mate
0.0%
Barnes Opening: Gedult Gambit
51.3%
Analyze Barnes Opening: Walkerling PositionsSee what each move is worth at your rating, move by move

Methodology

Across every rating and clock, the Barnes Opening: Walkerling scores 45.0% for White — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 44.8% and 45.2% — from 161K Lichess games. 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
161K+ 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 Opening: Walkerling win rate?

Playing the Barnes Opening: Walkerling, White wins 43.1%, draws 3.7% and loses 53.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 45.0%. It rests on 161K rated games from Lichess.

At what rating does the Barnes Opening: Walkerling perform best?

The Barnes Opening: Walkerling performs best for White at 1800-1999, with an Expected Score of 46.4% (13K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.

Is the Barnes Opening: Walkerling better in blitz or rapid?

For White, the Barnes Opening: Walkerling scores higher in Blitz: an Expected Score of 45.6% in Blitz (80K games) against 43.5% in Rapid (49K games).

How sharp is the Barnes Opening: Walkerling?

The Barnes Opening: Walkerling has a sharpness score of 96.3 (very decisive), meaning 96.3% of games end decisively. Average game length is 32 moves.

What is the Barnes Opening: Walkerling win rate at 0-999?

At 0-999, White wins 41.9%, draws 4.6% and loses 53.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 44.2%. It rests on 36K Lichess games, which average 29 moves.

What is the Barnes Opening: Walkerling win rate at 1000-1199?

At 1000-1199, White wins 43.9%, draws 3.6% and loses 52.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 45.7%. It rests on 34K Lichess games, which average 31 moves.

What is the Barnes Opening: Walkerling win rate at 1200-1399?

At 1200-1399, White wins 43.1%, draws 3.4% and loses 53.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 44.8%. It rests on 30K Lichess games, which average 32 moves.

What is the Barnes Opening: Walkerling win rate at 1400-1599?

At 1400-1599, White wins 41.9%, draws 3.2% and loses 54.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 43.5%. It rests on 23K Lichess games, which average 32 moves.

What is the Barnes Opening: Walkerling win rate at 1600-1799?

At 1600-1799, White wins 44.3%, draws 3.2% and loses 52.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 45.9%. It rests on 18K Lichess games, which average 33 moves.

What is the Barnes Opening: Walkerling win rate at 1800-1999?

At 1800-1999, White wins 44.6%, draws 3.5% and loses 51.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.4%. It rests on 13K Lichess games, which average 34 moves.

What is the Barnes Opening: Walkerling win rate at 2000-2199?

At 2000-2199, White wins 44.5%, draws 4.1% and loses 51.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.5%. It rests on 4.9K Lichess games, which average 35 moves.

What is the Barnes Opening: Walkerling win rate at 2200-2499?

At 2200-2499, White wins 43.3%, draws 4.4% and loses 52.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 45.5%. It rests on 808 Lichess games, which average 36 moves.

What is the Barnes Opening: Walkerling win rate in UltraBullet?

In UltraBullet, White wins 44.2%, draws 0.5% and loses 55.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 44.5%. It rests on 303 Lichess games.

What is the Barnes Opening: Walkerling win rate in Bullet?

In Bullet, White wins 45.4%, draws 1.9% and loses 52.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.4%. It rests on 30K Lichess games.

What is the Barnes Opening: Walkerling win rate in Blitz?

In Blitz, White wins 43.7%, draws 3.7% and loses 52.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 45.6%. It rests on 80K Lichess games.

What is the Barnes Opening: Walkerling win rate in Rapid?

In Rapid, White wins 41.1%, draws 4.7% and loses 54.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 43.5%. It rests on 49K Lichess games.

What is the Barnes Opening: Walkerling win rate in Classical?

In Classical, White wins 36.8%, draws 4.0% and loses 59.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 38.8%. It rests on 2.3K Lichess games.

Is the Barnes Opening: Walkerling a good opening?

The Barnes Opening: Walkerling is hard work for White — it favours Black. Across all ratings, White wins 43.1% of its games and loses 53.2%. It performs best at 1800-1999. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.