Clemenz Opening
2 variations · 1.4M games from Lichess · Updated January 2026
White expected score · Overall
48.8%
the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 48.9%.
Measured over 1.4M games at this level and clock.
Roughly even — the middlegame decides more than this opening choice does.
Outcomes for White
Draw 4.5 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 1.4M games
- Rank among the families White can choose here
- #45 of 56
- Games in this context
- 1.4M
- Best context
- 55.1% at 2200-2499 UltraBullet
- Worst context
- 34.2% at 1000-1199 Classical
- Variations measured
- 2
- Average game length
- 35 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
White · OverallThese 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 · 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: 42.9% at 0-999, 52.5% at 2500+.
| 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: 46.4% expected score (2,139 games)
- 0-999 rating, Bullet: 45.3% expected score (39,677 games)
- 0-999 rating, Blitz: 45.5% expected score (65,670 games)
- 0-999 rating, Rapid: 41.4% expected score (28,034 games)
- 0-999 rating, Classical: 35.9% expected score (505 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 47.1% expected score (3,668 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 49.1% expected score (53,725 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 48.7% expected score (85,523 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 46.8% expected score (27,032 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 34.2% expected score (637 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 46.6% expected score (5,215 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 49.2% expected score (66,946 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 48.7% expected score (94,847 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 48.2% expected score (36,926 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 46.5% expected score (2,084 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 42.9% expected score (5,232 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 48.1% expected score (81,099 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 48.2% expected score (108,700 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 45.5% expected score (33,425 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 35.6% expected score (2,548 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 45.9% expected score (2,957 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 49.7% expected score (100,570 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 48.7% expected score (77,080 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 48.7% expected score (25,238 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 46.8% expected score (1,355 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 52.2% expected score (4,055 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 50.2% expected score (90,232 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 49.9% expected score (53,940 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 49.9% expected score (17,035 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 45.6% expected score (496 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 50.6% expected score (2,260 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 50.8% expected score (83,918 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 50.4% expected score (33,499 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 51.9% expected score (2,981 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 59.9% expected score (79 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 55.1% expected score (526 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 52.2% expected score (61,881 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 53.2% expected score (27,632 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 53.3% expected score (913 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 51.1% expected score (46 games)
- 2500+ rating, UltraBullet: 54.2% expected score (34 games)
- 2500+ rating, Bullet: 51.0% expected score (18,142 games)
- 2500+ rating, Blitz: 53.8% expected score (2,550 games)
- 2500+ rating, Rapid: 50.6% expected score (426 games)
- 2500+ rating, Classical: 52.7% expected score (168 games)
2 variations · ranked by floor
Floor — the worst score you would still get, 90% confident.
Methodology
Across every rating and clock, the Clemenz Opening family scores 48.8% for White — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 48.7% and 48.9% — from 1.4M Lichess games across 2 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
- 1.4M+ 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 Clemenz Opening win rate?
Across the Clemenz Opening's 2 variations, White wins 46.5%, draws 4.5% and loses 49.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.8%. It rests on 1.4M rated games from Lichess.
How many Clemenz Opening variations are there?
2 Clemenz Opening variations have a page of their own, each broken down by rating and by clock.
At what rating does the Clemenz Opening perform best?
The Clemenz Opening family performs best for White at 2200-2499, with an Expected Score of 52.6% (91K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read. Performance may vary by specific variation.
Is the Clemenz Opening better in blitz or rapid?
For White, the Clemenz Opening scores higher in Blitz: an Expected Score of 48.7% in Blitz (549K games) against 46.7% in Rapid (172K games).
How sharp is the Clemenz Opening?
Clemenz Opening games are 95.5% decisive (non-draws), with an average length of 35 moves. Sharpness varies by specific variation.
Is the Clemenz Opening a good opening family?
The Clemenz Opening family is about level overall. Across its games, White wins 46.5% and loses 49.0%. Results differ between its 2 variations, so open the one you play for its own figures.