Dresden Opening
1 variations · 732 games from Lichess · Updated January 2026
Black expected score · Overall
74.7%
the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 77.4%.
Measured over 732 games at this level and clock.
A strong opening choice for Black at this level and clock.
Outcomes for Black
Draw 3.2 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 732 games
- Rank among the families Black can choose here
- #1 of 62
- Games in this context
- 732
- Best context
- not measured yet
- Variations measured
- 1
- Average game length
- 26 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
Black · Overall · limited dataNot enough games here yet to rank what comes next. Pick another rating or time control above.
These 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 · 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: 66.0% at 0-999, 21.5% 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: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
- 0-999 rating, Bullet: 67.6% expected score (78 games)
- 0-999 rating, Blitz: 76.9% expected score (110 games)
- 0-999 rating, Rapid: 74.2% expected score (162 games)
- 0-999 rating, Classical: 61.2% expected score (3 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 75.6% expected score (22 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 69.6% expected score (47 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 71.1% expected score (46 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 63.4% expected score (6 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 92.9% expected score (16 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 85.9% expected score (25 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 74.5% expected score (21 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 78.6% expected score (2 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 68.2% expected score (4 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 85.4% expected score (31 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 88.9% expected score (32 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 69.1% expected score (56 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 86.6% expected score (19 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 91.2% expected score (7 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 50.0% expected score (6 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 50.0% expected score (5 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 78.6% expected score (2 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 39.5% expected score (8 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 68.2% expected score (4 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 55.9% expected score (7 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 61.2% expected score (3 games)
- 2500+ rating, Bullet: 21.5% expected score (2 games)
1 variations · ranked by floor
Floor — the worst score you would still get, 90% confident.
Methodology
Across every rating and clock, the Dresden Opening family scores 74.7% for Black — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 72.1% and 77.4% — from 732 Lichess games across 1 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
- 732+ 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 Dresden Opening win rate?
Across the Dresden Opening's 1 variations, Black wins 73.1%, draws 3.2% and loses 23.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 74.7%. It rests on 732 rated games from Lichess.
How many Dresden Opening variations are there?
1 Dresden Opening variations have a page of their own, each broken down by rating and by clock.
At what rating does the Dresden Opening perform best?
The Dresden Opening family performs best for Black at 1200-1399, with an Expected Score of 84.6% (65 games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read. Performance may vary by specific variation.
Is the Dresden Opening better in blitz or rapid?
For Black, the Dresden Opening scores higher in Blitz: an Expected Score of 77.3% in Blitz (231 games) against 72.3% in Rapid (293 games).
How sharp is the Dresden Opening?
Dresden Opening games are 96.8% decisive (non-draws), with an average length of 26 moves. Sharpness varies by specific variation.
Is the Dresden Opening a good opening family?
The Dresden Opening family is good for Black overall. Across its games, Black wins 73.1% and loses 23.7%. Results differ between its 1 variations, so open the one you play for its own figures.