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French Defense: Rubinstein Variation, Blackburne Defense

837K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

Playable
Black Expected Score50.4%Range (90% confident): 50.3% – 50.5%Based on 837K games
0%50.4%100%
Range (90% confident): 50.3% – 50.5%
Outcome Distribution
47.2%6.3%46.4%
Win
Draw
Loss
4...Nd7
French Defense: Rubinstein Variation, Blackburne Defense
Analyzen=837K
Avg Length36 moves
Sharpness94%
Draw Rate6.3%

What is the French Defense: Rubinstein Variation, Blackburne Defense expected score for Black?

Snapshot

At all ratings, the French Defense: Rubinstein Variation, Blackburne Defense has a 50.4% expected score for Black (we're 90% confident it's between 50.3% and 50.5%), based on 837K Lichess games.

Black Win% by Rating

Declines with rating: 51% → 42%

0
1000
1200
1400
1600
1800
2000
2200
2500+

  • 0-999: 50.9% win rate (1,634 games)
  • 1000-1199: 52.5% win rate (3,744 games)
  • 1200-1399: 51.7% win rate (10,158 games)
  • 1400-1599: 51.0% win rate (29,245 games)
  • 1600-1799: 49.7% win rate (78,425 games)
  • 1800-1999: 49.0% win rate (181,157 games)
  • 2000-2199: 47.5% win rate (257,009 games)
  • 2200-2499: 45.1% win rate (218,190 games)
  • 2500+: 41.7% win rate (57,504 games)

Black Win% by Time Control

Best in UltraBullet (49%), worst in Classical (44%)

UltraBullet
Bullet
Blitz
Rapid
Classical

  • UltraBullet: 49.3% win rate (963 games)
  • Bullet: 48.3% win rate (346,249 games)
  • Blitz: 46.6% win rate (409,464 games)
  • Rapid: 45.9% win rate (76,175 games)
  • Classical: 44.1% win rate (4,215 games)

Black% by Rating × Time Control

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

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: 51.5% expected score (577 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 51.0% expected score (777 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 57.2% expected score (277 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Classical: 61.2% expected score (3 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 44.2% expected score (7 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 51.2% expected score (1,288 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 55.8% expected score (1,712 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 54.5% expected score (719 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 55.1% expected score (18 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 65.3% expected score (28 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 53.2% expected score (3,924 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 53.4% expected score (4,264 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 53.3% expected score (1,875 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 55.2% expected score (67 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 55.7% expected score (157 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 53.2% expected score (10,983 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 52.6% expected score (13,440 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 52.1% expected score (4,385 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 63.2% expected score (280 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 48.6% expected score (243 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 53.6% expected score (23,683 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 51.6% expected score (43,329 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 51.1% expected score (10,350 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 53.9% expected score (820 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 45.3% expected score (168 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 52.6% expected score (47,392 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 51.9% expected score (110,711 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 51.2% expected score (21,272 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 51.7% expected score (1,614 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 56.7% expected score (134 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 52.0% expected score (83,839 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 50.3% expected score (146,622 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 50.2% expected score (25,274 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 44.1% expected score (1,140 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 44.8% expected score (189 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 50.1% expected score (125,377 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 46.9% expected score (80,779 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 46.1% expected score (11,603 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 38.3% expected score (242 games)
  • 2500+ rating, UltraBullet: 61.7% expected score (37 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 46.4% expected score (49,186 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 44.5% expected score (7,830 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 38.5% expected score (420 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Classical: 48.5% expected score (31 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: Rubinstein Variation, Blackburne Defense PositionsGet move-by-move win rates with the TrueElo analyzer

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the French Defense: Rubinstein Variation, Blackburne Defense win rate?

The French Defense: Rubinstein Variation, Blackburne Defense has a 46.4% (90% CI: 46.3%-46.5%) win rate for white, based on 837K rated games from Lichess.

At what rating does the French Defense: Rubinstein Variation, Blackburne Defense perform best?

The French Defense: Rubinstein Variation, Blackburne Defense performs best at 2500+ Elo with a 49.6% win rate for white (58K games). Win rate tends to decline at higher ratings as opponents know the theory better.

Is the French Defense: Rubinstein Variation, Blackburne Defense better in blitz or rapid?

Bullet (46.9%) outperforms Classical (43.9%) by 3.0%. Choose your time control wisely.

How sharp is the French Defense: Rubinstein Variation, Blackburne Defense?

The French Defense: Rubinstein Variation, Blackburne Defense has a sharpness score of 93.7 (decisive), meaning 93.7% of games end decisively. Average game length is 36 moves.

What is the French Defense: Rubinstein Variation, Blackburne Defense win rate at 0-999 Elo?

At 0-999 Elo, the French Defense: Rubinstein Variation, Blackburne Defense has a 46.4% (90% CI: 44.4%-48.5%) win rate for white, based on 1.6K Lichess games. Average game length is 26 moves with a 2.7% draw rate.

What is the French Defense: Rubinstein Variation, Blackburne Defense win rate at 1000-1199 Elo?

At 1000-1199 Elo, the French Defense: Rubinstein Variation, Blackburne Defense has a 44.7% (90% CI: 43.3%-46.0%) win rate for white, based on 3.7K Lichess games. Average game length is 28 moves with a 2.9% draw rate.

What is the French Defense: Rubinstein Variation, Blackburne Defense win rate at 1200-1399 Elo?

At 1200-1399 Elo, the French Defense: Rubinstein Variation, Blackburne Defense has a 45.0% (90% CI: 44.2%-45.8%) win rate for white, based on 10K Lichess games. Average game length is 29 moves with a 3.3% draw rate.

What is the French Defense: Rubinstein Variation, Blackburne Defense win rate at 1400-1599 Elo?

At 1400-1599 Elo, the French Defense: Rubinstein Variation, Blackburne Defense has a 45.3% (90% CI: 44.8%-45.8%) win rate for white, based on 29K Lichess games. Average game length is 31 moves with a 3.7% draw rate.

What is the French Defense: Rubinstein Variation, Blackburne Defense win rate at 1600-1799 Elo?

At 1600-1799 Elo, the French Defense: Rubinstein Variation, Blackburne Defense has a 45.5% (90% CI: 45.2%-45.8%) win rate for white, based on 78K Lichess games. Average game length is 33 moves with a 4.8% draw rate.

What is the French Defense: Rubinstein Variation, Blackburne Defense win rate at 1800-1999 Elo?

At 1800-1999 Elo, the French Defense: Rubinstein Variation, Blackburne Defense has a 45.1% (90% CI: 44.9%-45.3%) win rate for white, based on 181K Lichess games. Average game length is 35 moves with a 5.8% draw rate.

What is the French Defense: Rubinstein Variation, Blackburne Defense win rate at 2000-2199 Elo?

At 2000-2199 Elo, the French Defense: Rubinstein Variation, Blackburne Defense has a 45.9% (90% CI: 45.7%-46.1%) win rate for white, based on 257K Lichess games. Average game length is 37 moves with a 6.6% draw rate.

What is the French Defense: Rubinstein Variation, Blackburne Defense win rate at 2200-2499 Elo?

At 2200-2499 Elo, the French Defense: Rubinstein Variation, Blackburne Defense has a 47.9% (90% CI: 47.7%-48.1%) win rate for white, based on 218K Lichess games. Average game length is 38 moves with a 7.0% draw rate.

What is the French Defense: Rubinstein Variation, Blackburne Defense win rate at 2500+ Elo?

At 2500+ Elo, the French Defense: Rubinstein Variation, Blackburne Defense has a 49.6% (90% CI: 49.3%-50.0%) win rate for white, based on 58K Lichess games. Average game length is 42 moves with a 8.7% draw rate.

What is the French Defense: Rubinstein Variation, Blackburne Defense win rate in UltraBullet?

In UltraBullet games, the French Defense: Rubinstein Variation, Blackburne Defense has a 48.3% (90% CI: 45.6%-50.9%) win rate for white (963 Lichess games). Draw rate is 2.4%.

What is the French Defense: Rubinstein Variation, Blackburne Defense win rate in Bullet?

In Bullet games, the French Defense: Rubinstein Variation, Blackburne Defense has a 46.9% (90% CI: 46.7%-47.0%) win rate for white (346K Lichess games). Draw rate is 4.9%.

What is the French Defense: Rubinstein Variation, Blackburne Defense win rate in Blitz?

In Blitz games, the French Defense: Rubinstein Variation, Blackburne Defense has a 46.2% (90% CI: 46.1%-46.4%) win rate for white (409K Lichess games). Draw rate is 7.1%.

What is the French Defense: Rubinstein Variation, Blackburne Defense win rate in Rapid?

In Rapid games, the French Defense: Rubinstein Variation, Blackburne Defense has a 45.6% (90% CI: 45.3%-45.9%) win rate for white (76K Lichess games). Draw rate is 8.5%.

What is the French Defense: Rubinstein Variation, Blackburne Defense win rate in Classical?

In Classical games, the French Defense: Rubinstein Variation, Blackburne Defense has a 43.9% (90% CI: 42.6%-45.1%) win rate for white (4.2K Lichess games). Draw rate is 12.0%.

Is the French Defense: Rubinstein Variation, Blackburne Defense a good opening?

The French Defense: Rubinstein Variation, Blackburne Defense is statistically balanced with a 46.4% (90% CI: 46.3%-46.5%) win rate across all ratings. It performs best at 2500+ Elo. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.