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Colle System: Rhamphorhynchus Variation

9.7K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

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Analyze this line move by move

Black expected score · All ratings · All speeds

51.6%

45%60%
Floor50.7%

the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 52.4%.

Measured over 9.7K 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 Black

Draw 4.3 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 9.7K games

Rank among the families Black can choose here
not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
Games in this context
9.7K
Best context
55.9% at 1400-1599 Bullet
Worst context
43.4% at 2200-2499 Bullet
Average game length
37 moves
Games that end decisively
95.7%
Draws
4.3%

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 · 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: 62.0% at 0-999, 47.1% 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, Bullet: 60.8% expected score (31 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 49.2% expected score (56 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 76.1% expected score (10 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 55.7% expected score (140 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 54.2% expected score (117 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 55.5% expected score (17 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 54.2% expected score (312 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 51.5% expected score (342 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 44.4% expected score (61 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 55.9% expected score (515 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 54.2% expected score (693 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 53.8% expected score (159 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 38.9% expected score (3 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 54.0% expected score (737 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 54.1% expected score (1,152 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 52.2% expected score (270 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 36.7% expected score (6 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 31.9% expected score (4 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 50.7% expected score (1,116 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 53.7% expected score (1,082 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 45.7% expected score (208 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 40.9% expected score (4 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 51.0% expected score (810 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 45.8% expected score (468 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 59.4% expected score (41 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 78.6% expected score (2 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 43.4% expected score (705 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 48.1% expected score (286 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 46.3% expected score (12 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 46.7% expected score (281 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 44.7% expected score (73 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 50.0% expected score (2 games)

Related Openings

Variations (1)
Colle System: Pterodactyl Variation
51.9%
Analyze Colle System: Rhamphorhynchus Variation PositionsSee what each move is worth at your rating, move by move

Methodology

Across every rating and clock, the Colle System: Rhamphorhynchus Variation scores 51.6% for Black — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 50.7% and 52.4% — from 9.7K 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
9.7K+ 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 Colle System: Rhamphorhynchus Variation win rate?

Playing the Colle System: Rhamphorhynchus Variation, Black wins 49.4%, draws 4.3% and loses 46.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.6%. It rests on 9.7K rated games from Lichess.

At what rating does the Colle System: Rhamphorhynchus Variation perform best?

The Colle System: Rhamphorhynchus Variation performs best for Black at 1400-1599, with an Expected Score of 54.8% (1.4K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.

Is the Colle System: Rhamphorhynchus Variation better in blitz or rapid?

For Black, the Colle System: Rhamphorhynchus Variation scores higher in Blitz: an Expected Score of 52.3% in Blitz (4.3K games) against 50.9% in Rapid (780 games).

How sharp is the Colle System: Rhamphorhynchus Variation?

The Colle System: Rhamphorhynchus Variation has a sharpness score of 95.7 (very decisive), meaning 95.7% of games end decisively. Average game length is 37 moves.

What is the Colle System: Rhamphorhynchus Variation win rate at 1000-1199?

At 1000-1199, Black wins 54.1%, draws 2.4% and loses 43.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 55.3%. It rests on 275 Lichess games, which average 29 moves.

What is the Colle System: Rhamphorhynchus Variation win rate at 1200-1399?

At 1200-1399, Black wins 50.6%, draws 3.1% and loses 46.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.2%. It rests on 717 Lichess games, which average 31 moves.

What is the Colle System: Rhamphorhynchus Variation win rate at 1400-1599?

At 1400-1599, Black wins 53.1%, draws 3.4% and loses 43.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.8%. It rests on 1.4K Lichess games, which average 34 moves.

What is the Colle System: Rhamphorhynchus Variation win rate at 1600-1799?

At 1600-1799, Black wins 51.3%, draws 4.9% and loses 43.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.8%. It rests on 2.2K Lichess games, which average 37 moves.

What is the Colle System: Rhamphorhynchus Variation win rate at 1800-1999?

At 1800-1999, Black wins 49.4%, draws 4.3% and loses 46.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.6%. It rests on 2.4K Lichess games, which average 39 moves.

What is the Colle System: Rhamphorhynchus Variation win rate at 2000-2199?

At 2000-2199, Black wins 47.6%, draws 3.7% and loses 48.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.5%. It rests on 1.3K Lichess games, which average 39 moves.

What is the Colle System: Rhamphorhynchus Variation win rate at 2200-2499?

At 2200-2499, Black wins 41.8%, draws 5.8% and loses 52.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 44.7%. It rests on 1.0K Lichess games, which average 40 moves.

What is the Colle System: Rhamphorhynchus Variation win rate at 2500+?

At 2500+, Black wins 42.9%, draws 6.6% and loses 50.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.2%. It rests on 356 Lichess games, which average 45 moves.

What is the Colle System: Rhamphorhynchus Variation win rate in Bullet?

In Bullet, Black wins 49.5%, draws 2.9% and loses 47.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.0%. It rests on 4.6K Lichess games.

What is the Colle System: Rhamphorhynchus Variation win rate in Blitz?

In Blitz, Black wins 49.4%, draws 5.6% and loses 44.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.3%. It rests on 4.3K Lichess games.

What is the Colle System: Rhamphorhynchus Variation win rate in Rapid?

In Rapid, Black wins 48.2%, draws 5.4% and loses 46.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.9%. It rests on 780 Lichess games.

Is the Colle System: Rhamphorhynchus Variation a good opening?

The Colle System: Rhamphorhynchus Variation is about level. Across all ratings, Black wins 49.4% of its games and loses 46.3%. It performs best at 1400-1599. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.