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Bishop's Opening: Philidor Variation

219K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

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Analyze this line move by move

White expected score · All ratings · All speeds

51.9%

45%60%
Floor51.7%

the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 52.1%.

Measured over 219K games at this level and clock.

Playablewins about as often as it loses at this level

Roughly even — the middlegame decides more than this opening choice does.

Outcomes for White

Draw 3.3 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 219K games

Rank among the families White can choose here
not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
Games in this context
219K
Best context
54.3% at 2000-2199 Rapid
Worst context
48.2% at 0-999 Rapid
Average game length
32 moves
Games that end decisively
96.7%
Draws
3.3%

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.

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: 47.1% at 0-999, 49.5% 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: 53.5% expected score (13 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Bullet: 53.3% expected score (2,672 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 50.7% expected score (4,821 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 48.2% expected score (2,256 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Classical: 29.7% expected score (33 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 57.3% expected score (26 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 51.9% expected score (5,072 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 52.2% expected score (13,169 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 52.6% expected score (3,934 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 47.8% expected score (66 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 41.0% expected score (115 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 51.8% expected score (7,541 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 52.2% expected score (28,609 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 51.7% expected score (8,296 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 53.2% expected score (204 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 50.0% expected score (84 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 50.9% expected score (7,699 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 51.7% expected score (37,404 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 51.2% expected score (12,663 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 53.8% expected score (604 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 59.4% expected score (52 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 51.1% expected score (7,358 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 52.3% expected score (30,126 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 52.5% expected score (12,756 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 52.7% expected score (590 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 76.7% expected score (6 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 50.0% expected score (3,125 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 51.8% expected score (16,226 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 52.2% expected score (7,742 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 61.9% expected score (227 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 51.4% expected score (976 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 52.1% expected score (2,935 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 54.3% expected score (1,312 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 59.1% expected score (26 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 57.9% expected score (251 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 55.6% expected score (203 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 68.7% expected score (52 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 79.5% expected score (7 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 38.9% expected score (3 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 30.0% expected score (1 games)

Related Openings

Parent
Bishop's Opening
51.7%
Variations (5)
Bishop's Opening: Berlin Defense
50.0%
Bishop's Opening: Boi Variation
52.7%
Bishop's Opening: Vienna Hybrid
51.3%
Bishop's Opening: Philidor Counterattack
51.1%
Bishop's Opening: Vienna Hybrid, Spielmann Attack
52.2%
Analyze Bishop's Opening: Philidor Variation PositionsSee what each move is worth at your rating, move by move

Methodology

Across every rating and clock, the Bishop's Opening: Philidor Variation scores 51.9% for White — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 51.7% and 52.1% — from 219K 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
219K+ 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 Bishop's Opening: Philidor Variation win rate?

Playing the Bishop's Opening: Philidor Variation, White wins 50.2%, draws 3.3% and loses 46.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.9%. It rests on 219K rated games from Lichess.

At what rating does the Bishop's Opening: Philidor Variation perform best?

The Bishop's Opening: Philidor Variation performs best for White at 2200-2499, with an Expected Score of 58.1% (507 games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.

Is the Bishop's Opening: Philidor Variation better in blitz or rapid?

For White, the Bishop's Opening: Philidor Variation scores about the same in both: an Expected Score of 52.0% in Blitz (133K games) against 51.8% in Rapid (49K games).

How sharp is the Bishop's Opening: Philidor Variation?

The Bishop's Opening: Philidor Variation has a sharpness score of 96.7 (very decisive), meaning 96.7% of games end decisively. Average game length is 32 moves.

What is the Bishop's Opening: Philidor Variation win rate at 0-999?

At 0-999, White wins 49.2%, draws 3.1% and loses 47.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.8%. It rests on 9.8K Lichess games, which average 25 moves.

What is the Bishop's Opening: Philidor Variation win rate at 1000-1199?

At 1000-1199, White wins 50.8%, draws 2.7% and loses 46.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.2%. It rests on 22K Lichess games, which average 28 moves.

What is the Bishop's Opening: Philidor Variation win rate at 1200-1399?

At 1200-1399, White wins 50.6%, draws 2.8% and loses 46.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.0%. It rests on 45K Lichess games, which average 31 moves.

What is the Bishop's Opening: Philidor Variation win rate at 1400-1599?

At 1400-1599, White wins 49.9%, draws 3.2% and loses 46.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.5%. It rests on 58K Lichess games, which average 33 moves.

What is the Bishop's Opening: Philidor Variation win rate at 1600-1799?

At 1600-1799, White wins 50.4%, draws 3.5% and loses 46.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.2%. It rests on 51K Lichess games, which average 35 moves.

What is the Bishop's Opening: Philidor Variation win rate at 1800-1999?

At 1800-1999, White wins 49.7%, draws 4.1% and loses 46.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.8%. It rests on 27K Lichess games, which average 36 moves.

What is the Bishop's Opening: Philidor Variation win rate at 2000-2199?

At 2000-2199, White wins 50.5%, draws 4.0% and loses 45.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.5%. It rests on 5.2K Lichess games, which average 37 moves.

What is the Bishop's Opening: Philidor Variation win rate at 2200-2499?

At 2200-2499, White wins 56.5%, draws 3.0% and loses 40.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 58.1%. It rests on 507 Lichess games, which average 35 moves.

What is the Bishop's Opening: Philidor Variation win rate in UltraBullet?

In UltraBullet, White wins 49.6%, draws 0.2% and loses 50.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.7%. It rests on 296 Lichess games.

What is the Bishop's Opening: Philidor Variation win rate in Bullet?

In Bullet, White wins 50.6%, draws 1.7% and loses 47.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.5%. It rests on 35K Lichess games.

What is the Bishop's Opening: Philidor Variation win rate in Blitz?

In Blitz, White wins 50.3%, draws 3.4% and loses 46.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.0%. It rests on 133K Lichess games.

What is the Bishop's Opening: Philidor Variation win rate in Rapid?

In Rapid, White wins 49.8%, draws 4.0% and loses 46.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.8%. It rests on 49K Lichess games.

What is the Bishop's Opening: Philidor Variation win rate in Classical?

In Classical, White wins 51.4%, draws 4.8% and loses 43.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.8%. It rests on 1.8K Lichess games.

Is the Bishop's Opening: Philidor Variation a good opening?

The Bishop's Opening: Philidor Variation is about level. Across all ratings, White wins 50.2% of its games and loses 46.5%. It performs best at 2200-2499. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.