English Defense: Perrin Variation
13K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026
Black expected score · All ratings · All speeds
48.0%
the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 48.7%.
Measured over 13K games at this level and clock.
Black comes out behind here — there are better weapons in the list.
Outcomes for Black
Draw 3.4 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 13K games
- Rank among the families Black can choose here
- not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
- Games in this context
- 13K
- Best context
- 50.7% at 1600-1799 Blitz
- Worst context
- 43.7% at 1800-1999 Rapid
- Average game length
- 34 moves
- Games that end decisively
- 96.6%
- Draws
- 3.4%
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: 60.6% at 0-999, 35.9% 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, Bullet: 70.9% expected score (20 games)
- 0-999 rating, Blitz: 62.7% expected score (30 games)
- 0-999 rating, Rapid: 38.9% expected score (3 games)
- 0-999 rating, Classical: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 56.3% expected score (78 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 47.8% expected score (110 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 48.3% expected score (27 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 52.7% expected score (169 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 46.4% expected score (318 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 58.1% expected score (73 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 47.7% expected score (362 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 49.5% expected score (954 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 51.5% expected score (206 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 27.0% expected score (5 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 50.4% expected score (698 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 50.7% expected score (1,798 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 44.7% expected score (397 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 47.2% expected score (16 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 48.4% expected score (839 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 46.8% expected score (2,965 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 43.7% expected score (512 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 33.1% expected score (31 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 47.8% expected score (400 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 46.3% expected score (1,458 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 47.8% expected score (265 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 30.0% expected score (6 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 46.9% expected score (298 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 48.9% expected score (594 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 45.2% expected score (71 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
- 2500+ rating, Bullet: 45.3% expected score (84 games)
- 2500+ rating, Blitz: 33.5% expected score (77 games)
- 2500+ rating, Rapid: 29.0% expected score (8 games)
Related Openings
Methodology
Across every rating and clock, the English Defense: Perrin Variation scores 48.0% for Black — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 47.2% and 48.7% — from 13K 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
- 13K+ 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 English Defense: Perrin Variation win rate?
Playing the English Defense: Perrin Variation, Black wins 46.2%, draws 3.4% and loses 50.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.0%. It rests on 13K rated games from Lichess.
At what rating does the English Defense: Perrin Variation perform best?
The English Defense: Perrin Variation performs best for Black at 0-999, with an Expected Score of 65.4% (54 games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.
Is the English Defense: Perrin Variation better in blitz or rapid?
For Black, the English Defense: Perrin Variation scores higher in Blitz: an Expected Score of 47.9% in Blitz (8.3K games) against 46.4% in Rapid (1.6K games).
How sharp is the English Defense: Perrin Variation?
The English Defense: Perrin Variation has a sharpness score of 96.6 (very decisive), meaning 96.6% of games end decisively. Average game length is 34 moves.
What is the English Defense: Perrin Variation win rate at 1000-1199?
At 1000-1199, Black wins 49.7%, draws 2.5% and loses 47.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.0%. It rests on 217 Lichess games, which average 29 moves.
What is the English Defense: Perrin Variation win rate at 1200-1399?
At 1200-1399, Black wins 48.6%, draws 2.2% and loses 49.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.7%. It rests on 561 Lichess games, which average 30 moves.
What is the English Defense: Perrin Variation win rate at 1400-1599?
At 1400-1599, Black wins 47.8%, draws 2.8% and loses 49.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.2%. It rests on 1.5K Lichess games, which average 32 moves.
What is the English Defense: Perrin Variation win rate at 1600-1799?
At 1600-1799, Black wins 48.3%, draws 3.0% and loses 48.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.8%. It rests on 2.9K Lichess games, which average 33 moves.
What is the English Defense: Perrin Variation win rate at 1800-1999?
At 1800-1999, Black wins 45.1%, draws 3.0% and loses 51.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.7%. It rests on 4.3K Lichess games, which average 35 moves.
What is the English Defense: Perrin Variation win rate at 2000-2199?
At 2000-2199, Black wins 44.8%, draws 3.8% and loses 51.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.7%. It rests on 2.1K Lichess games, which average 36 moves.
What is the English Defense: Perrin Variation win rate at 2200-2499?
At 2200-2499, Black wins 44.9%, draws 6.3% and loses 48.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.0%. It rests on 965 Lichess games, which average 38 moves.
What is the English Defense: Perrin Variation win rate at 2500+?
At 2500+, Black wins 33.1%, draws 11.4% and loses 55.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 38.9%. It rests on 169 Lichess games, which average 43 moves.
What is the English Defense: Perrin Variation win rate in Bullet?
In Bullet, Black wins 47.9%, draws 2.3% and loses 49.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.1%. It rests on 2.9K Lichess games.
What is the English Defense: Perrin Variation win rate in Blitz?
In Blitz, Black wins 46.0%, draws 3.8% and loses 50.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.9%. It rests on 8.3K Lichess games.
What is the English Defense: Perrin Variation win rate in Rapid?
In Rapid, Black wins 44.5%, draws 3.6% and loses 51.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.4%. It rests on 1.6K Lichess games.
Is the English Defense: Perrin Variation a good opening?
The English Defense: Perrin Variation is hard work for Black — it favours White. Across all ratings, Black wins 46.2% of its games and loses 50.3%. It performs best at 0-999. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.