French Defense: Bird Invitation

198K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

View As

Tough Sell

White Expected Score46.5%Range (90% confident): 46.3% – 46.6%Based on 198K games

0%46.5%100%

Range (90% confident): 46.3% – 46.6%

Outcome Distribution

44.6%3.7%51.7%

Win

Draw

Loss

2.Bb5

French Defense: Bird Invitation

Analyzen=198K

Avg Length33 moves

Sharpness96%

Draw Rate3.7%

Snapshot

At all ratings, the French Defense: Bird Invitation has a 46.5% expected score for White (we're 90% confident it's between 46.3% and 46.6%), based on 198K Lichess games.

Extra Analysis

Deep-dive datasets for this opening

Time-Control Swing

Max swing: 12.3% · Blitz best · Classical worst

White Win% by Rating

Improves with rating: 38% → 41%

1000

1200

1400

1600

1800

2000

2200

2500+

White Win% by Time Control

Best in Blitz (46%), worst in Classical (33%)

UltraBullet

Bullet

Blitz

Rapid

Classical

White% by Rating × Time Control

Click any cell to filter. Green = above 50%, Red = below 50%.

Rating	UB	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: 28.7% expected score (224 games)
0-999 rating, Bullet: 40.3% expected score (5,877 games)
0-999 rating, Blitz: 40.8% expected score (13,047 games)
0-999 rating, Rapid: 41.2% expected score (13,070 games)
0-999 rating, Classical: 34.5% expected score (227 games)
1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 40.8% expected score (488 games)
1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 43.4% expected score (4,628 games)
1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 45.7% expected score (10,586 games)
1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 41.3% expected score (5,371 games)
1000-1199 rating, Classical: 34.9% expected score (423 games)
1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 44.9% expected score (961 games)
1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 45.2% expected score (7,024 games)
1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 47.9% expected score (16,394 games)
1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 45.6% expected score (6,172 games)
1200-1399 rating, Classical: 35.0% expected score (599 games)
1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 44.0% expected score (1,426 games)
1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 44.6% expected score (11,736 games)
1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 48.4% expected score (19,226 games)
1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 45.4% expected score (8,563 games)
1400-1599 rating, Classical: 27.9% expected score (650 games)
1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 51.8% expected score (845 games)
1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 49.3% expected score (11,015 games)
1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 50.5% expected score (18,192 games)
1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 48.2% expected score (7,226 games)
1600-1799 rating, Classical: 48.2% expected score (359 games)
1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 52.6% expected score (484 games)
1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 48.0% expected score (7,351 games)
1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 50.3% expected score (10,729 games)
1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 48.6% expected score (3,874 games)
1800-1999 rating, Classical: 46.6% expected score (145 games)
2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 57.2% expected score (185 games)
2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 51.7% expected score (4,392 games)
2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 51.6% expected score (2,962 games)
2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 51.9% expected score (1,095 games)
2000-2199 rating, Classical: 38.9% expected score (12 games)
2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 57.1% expected score (34 games)
2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 52.1% expected score (1,821 games)
2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 53.9% expected score (554 games)
2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 53.3% expected score (44 games)
2500+ rating, Bullet: 47.5% expected score (160 games)
2500+ rating, Blitz: 43.4% expected score (179 games)
2500+ rating, Rapid: 35.7% expected score (2 games)
2500+ rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (1 games)

Related Openings

Parent

French Defense

45.7%

Variations (5)

French Defense: Advance Variation

48.0%

French Defense: Advance Variation, Euwe Variation

46.1%

French Defense: Advance Variation, Extended Bishop Swap

48.6%

French Defense: Advance Variation, Frenkel Gambit

46.5%

French Defense: Advance Variation, Lputian Variation

48.8%

Analyze French Defense: Bird Invitation PositionsGet move-by-move win rates with the TrueElo analyzer

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the French Defense: Bird Invitation win rate?

The French Defense: Bird Invitation has a 44.6% (90% CI: 44.4%-44.7%) win rate for white, based on 198K rated games from Lichess.

At what rating does the French Defense: Bird Invitation perform best?

The French Defense: Bird Invitation performs best at 2000-2199 Elo with a 50.0% win rate for white (8.6K games). Win rate tends to decline at higher ratings as opponents know the theory better.

Is the French Defense: Bird Invitation better in blitz or rapid?

Blitz (45.7%) outperforms Classical (33.4%) by 12.3%. Choose your time control wisely.

How sharp is the French Defense: Bird Invitation?

The French Defense: Bird Invitation has a sharpness score of 96.3 (very decisive), meaning 96.3% of games end decisively. Average game length is 33 moves.

What is the French Defense: Bird Invitation win rate at 0-999 Elo?

At 0-999 Elo, the French Defense: Bird Invitation has a 38.0% (90% CI: 37.5%-38.4%) win rate for white, based on 32K Lichess games. Average game length is 27 moves with a 5.5% draw rate.

What is the French Defense: Bird Invitation win rate at 1000-1199 Elo?

At 1000-1199 Elo, the French Defense: Bird Invitation has a 42.0% (90% CI: 41.5%-42.6%) win rate for white, based on 21K Lichess games. Average game length is 30 moves with a 3.5% draw rate.

What is the French Defense: Bird Invitation win rate at 1200-1399 Elo?

At 1200-1399 Elo, the French Defense: Bird Invitation has a 44.8% (90% CI: 44.3%-45.2%) win rate for white, based on 31K Lichess games. Average game length is 32 moves with a 3.5% draw rate.

What is the French Defense: Bird Invitation win rate at 1400-1599 Elo?

At 1400-1599 Elo, the French Defense: Bird Invitation has a 44.7% (90% CI: 44.3%-45.1%) win rate for white, based on 42K Lichess games. Average game length is 33 moves with a 3.0% draw rate.

What is the French Defense: Bird Invitation win rate at 1600-1799 Elo?

At 1600-1799 Elo, the French Defense: Bird Invitation has a 48.1% (90% CI: 47.7%-48.5%) win rate for white, based on 38K Lichess games. Average game length is 36 moves with a 3.2% draw rate.

What is the French Defense: Bird Invitation win rate at 1800-1999 Elo?

At 1800-1999 Elo, the French Defense: Bird Invitation has a 47.4% (90% CI: 46.9%-48.0%) win rate for white, based on 23K Lichess games. Average game length is 37 moves with a 3.6% draw rate.

What is the French Defense: Bird Invitation win rate at 2000-2199 Elo?

At 2000-2199 Elo, the French Defense: Bird Invitation has a 50.0% (90% CI: 49.1%-50.9%) win rate for white, based on 8.6K Lichess games. Average game length is 38 moves with a 3.4% draw rate.

What is the French Defense: Bird Invitation win rate at 2200-2499 Elo?

At 2200-2499 Elo, the French Defense: Bird Invitation has a 50.8% (90% CI: 49.1%-52.4%) win rate for white, based on 2.5K Lichess games. Average game length is 39 moves with a 3.6% draw rate.

What is the French Defense: Bird Invitation win rate at 2500+ Elo?

At 2500+ Elo, the French Defense: Bird Invitation has a 41.2% (90% CI: 36.9%-45.6%) win rate for white, based on 342 Lichess games. Average game length is 43 moves with a 8.0% draw rate.

What is the French Defense: Bird Invitation win rate in UltraBullet?

In UltraBullet games, the French Defense: Bird Invitation has a 45.3% (90% CI: 44.1%-46.5%) win rate for white (4.6K Lichess games). Draw rate is 1.5%.

What is the French Defense: Bird Invitation win rate in Bullet?

In Bullet games, the French Defense: Bird Invitation has a 45.2% (90% CI: 44.9%-45.6%) win rate for white (54K Lichess games). Draw rate is 2.2%.

What is the French Defense: Bird Invitation win rate in Blitz?

In Blitz games, the French Defense: Bird Invitation has a 45.7% (90% CI: 45.4%-46.0%) win rate for white (92K Lichess games). Draw rate is 3.9%.

What is the French Defense: Bird Invitation win rate in Rapid?

In Rapid games, the French Defense: Bird Invitation has a 42.0% (90% CI: 41.6%-42.3%) win rate for white (45K Lichess games). Draw rate is 5.2%.

What is the French Defense: Bird Invitation win rate in Classical?

In Classical games, the French Defense: Bird Invitation has a 33.4% (90% CI: 31.8%-34.9%) win rate for white (2.4K Lichess games). Draw rate is 4.6%.

Is the French Defense: Bird Invitation a good opening?

The French Defense: Bird Invitation is slightly favors black with a 44.6% (90% CI: 44.4%-44.7%) win rate across all ratings. It performs best at 2000-2199 Elo. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.

What is the French Defense: Bird Invitation expected score for White?