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French Defense: Reversed Philidor Formation

5.2K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

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Analyze this line move by move

White expected score · All ratings · All speeds

54.5%

45%60%
Floor53.4%

the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 55.7%.

Measured over 5.2K games at this level and clock.

Play Thiswins clearly more often than it loses at this level

A strong choice for White at this level and clock.

Outcomes for White

Draw 6.8 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 5.2K games

Rank among the families White can choose here
not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
Games in this context
5.2K
Best context
57.1% at 2200-2499 Bullet
Worst context
53.5% at 2200-2499 Blitz
Average game length
39 moves
Games that end decisively
93.2%
Draws
6.8%

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 · 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: 48.2% at 0-999, 54.0% 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: 44.0% expected score (15 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 49.0% expected score (50 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 51.6% expected score (30 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 52.7% expected score (36 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 58.7% expected score (73 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 45.9% expected score (35 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 54.6% expected score (75 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 61.0% expected score (99 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 52.7% expected score (36 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 38.9% expected score (3 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 45.2% expected score (92 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 56.7% expected score (149 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 41.8% expected score (29 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 43.1% expected score (13 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 61.1% expected score (121 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 52.5% expected score (164 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 42.6% expected score (32 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 71.1% expected score (8 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 38.9% expected score (3 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 54.9% expected score (152 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 53.2% expected score (223 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 53.1% expected score (31 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 61.2% expected score (3 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 55.4% expected score (221 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 54.5% expected score (509 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 56.2% expected score (47 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 57.1% expected score (617 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 53.5% expected score (1,519 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 55.3% expected score (65 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 55.1% expected score (446 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 57.0% expected score (323 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 50.0% expected score (2 games)

Related Openings

Parent
French Defense
45.7%
Variations (5)
French Defense: Knight Variation
48.3%
French Defense: Exchange Variation
47.7%
French Defense: Normal Variation
50.3%
French Defense: Advance Variation
48.0%
French Defense: Queen's Knight
48.5%
Analyze French Defense: Reversed Philidor Formation PositionsSee what each move is worth at your rating, move by move

Methodology

Across every rating and clock, the French Defense: Reversed Philidor Formation scores 54.5% for White — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 53.4% and 55.7% — from 5.2K 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
5.2K+ 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 French Defense: Reversed Philidor Formation win rate?

Playing the French Defense: Reversed Philidor Formation, White wins 51.1%, draws 6.8% and loses 42.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.5%. It rests on 5.2K rated games from Lichess.

At what rating does the French Defense: Reversed Philidor Formation perform best?

The French Defense: Reversed Philidor Formation performs best for White at 2500+, with an Expected Score of 55.9% (771 games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.

Is the French Defense: Reversed Philidor Formation better in blitz or rapid?

For White, the French Defense: Reversed Philidor Formation scores higher in Blitz: an Expected Score of 54.4% in Blitz (3.1K games) against 50.8% in Rapid (307 games).

How sharp is the French Defense: Reversed Philidor Formation?

The French Defense: Reversed Philidor Formation has a sharpness score of 93.2 (decisive), meaning 93.2% of games end decisively. Average game length is 39 moves.

What is the French Defense: Reversed Philidor Formation win rate at 1000-1199?

At 1000-1199, White wins 51.9%, draws 4.5% and loses 43.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.2%. It rests on 144 Lichess games, which average 34 moves.

What is the French Defense: Reversed Philidor Formation win rate at 1200-1399?

At 1200-1399, White wins 55.7%, draws 2.6% and loses 41.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 57.0%. It rests on 213 Lichess games, which average 33 moves.

What is the French Defense: Reversed Philidor Formation win rate at 1400-1599?

At 1400-1599, White 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 284 Lichess games, which average 34 moves.

What is the French Defense: Reversed Philidor Formation win rate at 1600-1799?

At 1600-1799, White wins 53.4%, draws 3.5% and loses 43.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 55.2%. It rests on 327 Lichess games, which average 36 moves.

What is the French Defense: Reversed Philidor Formation win rate at 1800-1999?

At 1800-1999, White wins 51.0%, draws 5.2% and loses 43.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.6%. It rests on 411 Lichess games, which average 38 moves.

What is the French Defense: Reversed Philidor Formation win rate at 2000-2199?

At 2000-2199, White wins 52.0%, draws 5.8% and loses 42.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.9%. It rests on 782 Lichess games, which average 38 moves.

What is the French Defense: Reversed Philidor Formation win rate at 2200-2499?

At 2200-2499, White wins 50.6%, draws 7.7% and loses 41.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.5%. It rests on 2.2K Lichess games, which average 41 moves.

What is the French Defense: Reversed Philidor Formation win rate at 2500+?

At 2500+, White wins 50.8%, draws 10.2% and loses 39.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 55.9%. It rests on 771 Lichess games, which average 45 moves.

What is the French Defense: Reversed Philidor Formation win rate in Bullet?

In Bullet, White wins 52.8%, draws 5.4% and loses 41.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 55.6%. It rests on 1.8K Lichess games.

What is the French Defense: Reversed Philidor Formation win rate in Blitz?

In Blitz, White wins 50.6%, draws 7.6% and loses 41.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.4%. It rests on 3.1K Lichess games.

What is the French Defense: Reversed Philidor Formation win rate in Rapid?

In Rapid, White wins 47.5%, draws 6.6% and loses 45.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.8%. It rests on 307 Lichess games.

Is the French Defense: Reversed Philidor Formation a good opening?

The French Defense: Reversed Philidor Formation is good for White. Across all ratings, White wins 51.1% of its games and loses 42.1%. It performs best at 2500+. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.