TrueEloPlay what wins.
Analyzer

French Defense: Steinitz Attack

2.4M games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

Playable
White Expected Score50.0%Range (90% confident): 50.0% – 50.1%Based on 2.4M games
0%50.0%100%
Range (90% confident): 50.0% – 50.1%
Outcome Distribution
48.1%3.7%48.2%
Win
Draw
Loss
2.e5
French Defense: Steinitz Attack
Analyzen=2.4M
Avg Length34 moves
Sharpness96%
Draw Rate3.7%

What is the French Defense: Steinitz Attack expected score for White?

Snapshot

At all ratings, the French Defense: Steinitz Attack has a 50.0% expected score for White (we're 90% confident it's between 50.0% and 50.1%), based on 2.4M Lichess games.

White Win% by Rating

Improves with rating: 48% → 51%

0
1000
1200
1400
1600
1800
2000
2200
2500+

  • 0-999: 48.1% win rate (178,169 games)
  • 1000-1199: 48.8% win rate (313,822 games)
  • 1200-1399: 48.0% win rate (437,890 games)
  • 1400-1599: 47.4% win rate (468,172 games)
  • 1600-1799: 47.6% win rate (404,934 games)
  • 1800-1999: 48.2% win rate (312,257 games)
  • 2000-2199: 48.9% win rate (190,101 games)
  • 2200-2499: 49.6% win rate (88,975 games)
  • 2500+: 51.1% win rate (9,269 games)

White Win% by Time Control

Best in UltraBullet (51%), worst in Classical (46%)

UltraBullet
Bullet
Blitz
Rapid
Classical

  • UltraBullet: 50.7% win rate (80,401 games)
  • Bullet: 48.6% win rate (781,826 games)
  • Blitz: 47.8% win rate (1,083,828 games)
  • Rapid: 47.6% win rate (436,549 games)
  • Classical: 46.4% win rate (20,985 games)

White% 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, UltraBullet: 30.9% expected score (213 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Bullet: 47.2% expected score (30,168 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 50.6% expected score (108,317 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 50.7% expected score (39,178 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Classical: 43.6% expected score (293 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 42.5% expected score (643 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 48.7% expected score (50,205 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 50.7% expected score (184,637 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 51.6% expected score (76,990 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 49.3% expected score (1,347 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 45.1% expected score (7,065 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 48.8% expected score (79,980 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 49.9% expected score (237,931 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 50.3% expected score (108,242 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 50.4% expected score (4,672 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 49.5% expected score (11,898 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 49.0% expected score (107,778 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 49.4% expected score (234,368 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 49.0% expected score (105,655 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 47.9% expected score (8,473 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 50.3% expected score (21,524 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 50.0% expected score (133,674 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 49.3% expected score (173,622 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 48.6% expected score (71,203 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 48.4% expected score (4,911 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 53.4% expected score (25,192 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 50.5% expected score (158,786 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 49.5% expected score (99,069 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 49.2% expected score (28,004 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 49.8% expected score (1,206 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 56.5% expected score (10,396 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 51.0% expected score (133,826 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 50.3% expected score (39,171 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 49.7% expected score (6,631 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 51.9% expected score (77 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 58.4% expected score (3,312 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 51.8% expected score (78,586 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 51.9% expected score (6,432 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 50.0% expected score (639 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 36.7% expected score (6 games)
  • 2500+ rating, UltraBullet: 65.4% expected score (158 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 53.9% expected score (8,823 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 58.0% expected score (281 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 61.8% expected score (7 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: Steinitz Attack PositionsGet move-by-move win rates with the TrueElo analyzer

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the French Defense: Steinitz Attack win rate?

The French Defense: Steinitz Attack has a 48.1% (90% CI: 48.1%-48.2%) win rate for white, based on 2.4M rated games from Lichess.

At what rating does the French Defense: Steinitz Attack perform best?

The French Defense: Steinitz Attack performs best at 2500+ Elo with a 51.1% win rate for white (9.3K games). Win rate tends to decline at higher ratings as opponents know the theory better.

Is the French Defense: Steinitz Attack better in blitz or rapid?

UltraBullet (50.7%) outperforms Classical (46.4%) by 4.3%. Choose your time control wisely.

How sharp is the French Defense: Steinitz Attack?

The French Defense: Steinitz Attack has a sharpness score of 96.3 (very decisive), meaning 96.3% of games end decisively. Average game length is 34 moves.

What is the French Defense: Steinitz Attack win rate at 0-999 Elo?

At 0-999 Elo, the French Defense: Steinitz Attack has a 48.1% (90% CI: 47.9%-48.3%) win rate for white, based on 178K Lichess games. Average game length is 28 moves with a 3.8% draw rate.

What is the French Defense: Steinitz Attack win rate at 1000-1199 Elo?

At 1000-1199 Elo, the French Defense: Steinitz Attack has a 48.8% (90% CI: 48.7%-49.0%) win rate for white, based on 314K Lichess games. Average game length is 31 moves with a 3.5% draw rate.

What is the French Defense: Steinitz Attack win rate at 1200-1399 Elo?

At 1200-1399 Elo, the French Defense: Steinitz Attack has a 48.0% (90% CI: 47.9%-48.1%) win rate for white, based on 438K Lichess games. Average game length is 33 moves with a 3.4% draw rate.

What is the French Defense: Steinitz Attack win rate at 1400-1599 Elo?

At 1400-1599 Elo, the French Defense: Steinitz Attack has a 47.4% (90% CI: 47.3%-47.5%) win rate for white, based on 468K Lichess games. Average game length is 34 moves with a 3.5% draw rate.

What is the French Defense: Steinitz Attack win rate at 1600-1799 Elo?

At 1600-1799 Elo, the French Defense: Steinitz Attack has a 47.6% (90% CI: 47.5%-47.7%) win rate for white, based on 405K Lichess games. Average game length is 35 moves with a 3.6% draw rate.

What is the French Defense: Steinitz Attack win rate at 1800-1999 Elo?

At 1800-1999 Elo, the French Defense: Steinitz Attack has a 48.2% (90% CI: 48.1%-48.4%) win rate for white, based on 312K Lichess games. Average game length is 36 moves with a 4.0% draw rate.

What is the French Defense: Steinitz Attack win rate at 2000-2199 Elo?

At 2000-2199 Elo, the French Defense: Steinitz Attack has a 48.9% (90% CI: 48.7%-49.1%) win rate for white, based on 190K Lichess games. Average game length is 38 moves with a 4.3% draw rate.

What is the French Defense: Steinitz Attack win rate at 2200-2499 Elo?

At 2200-2499 Elo, the French Defense: Steinitz Attack has a 49.6% (90% CI: 49.4%-49.9%) win rate for white, based on 89K Lichess games. Average game length is 40 moves with a 4.8% draw rate.

What is the French Defense: Steinitz Attack win rate at 2500+ Elo?

At 2500+ Elo, the French Defense: Steinitz Attack has a 51.1% (90% CI: 50.2%-52.0%) win rate for white, based on 9.3K Lichess games. Average game length is 42 moves with a 6.1% draw rate.

What is the French Defense: Steinitz Attack win rate in UltraBullet?

In UltraBullet games, the French Defense: Steinitz Attack has a 50.7% (90% CI: 50.4%-51.0%) win rate for white (80K Lichess games). Draw rate is 2.0%.

What is the French Defense: Steinitz Attack win rate in Bullet?

In Bullet games, the French Defense: Steinitz Attack has a 48.6% (90% CI: 48.5%-48.7%) win rate for white (782K Lichess games). Draw rate is 2.9%.

What is the French Defense: Steinitz Attack win rate in Blitz?

In Blitz games, the French Defense: Steinitz Attack has a 47.8% (90% CI: 47.7%-47.9%) win rate for white (1.1M Lichess games). Draw rate is 4.1%.

What is the French Defense: Steinitz Attack win rate in Rapid?

In Rapid games, the French Defense: Steinitz Attack has a 47.6% (90% CI: 47.5%-47.7%) win rate for white (437K Lichess games). Draw rate is 4.6%.

What is the French Defense: Steinitz Attack win rate in Classical?

In Classical games, the French Defense: Steinitz Attack has a 46.4% (90% CI: 45.8%-46.9%) win rate for white (21K Lichess games). Draw rate is 4.7%.

Is the French Defense: Steinitz Attack a good opening?

The French Defense: Steinitz Attack is statistically balanced with a 48.1% (90% CI: 48.1%-48.2%) 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.