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French Defense: Winawer Variation, Positional Variation

43K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

Playable
White Expected Score51.3%Range (90% confident): 50.9% – 51.7%Based on 43K games
0%51.3%100%
Range (90% confident): 50.9% – 51.7%
Outcome Distribution
48.6%5.4%46.0%
Win
Draw
Loss
8...Nge7
French Defense: Winawer Variation, Positional Variation
Analyzen=43K
Avg Length37 moves
Sharpness95%
Draw Rate5.4%

What is the French Defense: Winawer Variation, Positional Variation expected score for White?

Snapshot

At all ratings, the French Defense: Winawer Variation, Positional Variation has a 51.3% expected score for White (we're 90% confident it's between 50.9% and 51.7%), based on 43K Lichess games.

White Win% by Rating

Declines with rating: 70% → 52%

0
1000
1200
1400
1600
1800
2000
2200
2500+

  • 0-999: 70.4% win rate (12 games)
  • 1000-1199: 34.3% win rate (32 games)
  • 1200-1399: 52.1% win rate (132 games)
  • 1400-1599: 47.8% win rate (489 games)
  • 1600-1799: 48.0% win rate (2,050 games)
  • 1800-1999: 47.5% win rate (6,923 games)
  • 2000-2199: 48.0% win rate (13,945 games)
  • 2200-2499: 48.9% win rate (15,662 games)
  • 2500+: 52.3% win rate (3,409 games)

White Win% by Time Control

Best in UltraBullet (60%), worst in Rapid (46%)

UltraBullet
Bullet
Blitz
Rapid
Classical

  • UltraBullet: 60.0% win rate (1 games)
  • Bullet: 50.5% win rate (13,696 games)
  • Blitz: 47.9% win rate (25,825 games)
  • Rapid: 45.8% win rate (2,967 games)
  • Classical: 50.8% win rate (165 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, Bullet: 57.7% expected score (5 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 73.1% expected score (5 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 78.6% expected score (2 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 34.9% expected score (15 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 45.7% expected score (10 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 36.7% expected score (6 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 53.5% expected score (41 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 51.6% expected score (61 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 56.8% expected score (28 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 53.7% expected score (148 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 47.0% expected score (276 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 48.5% expected score (62 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 61.2% expected score (3 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 49.3% expected score (583 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 51.2% expected score (1,218 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 49.6% expected score (224 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (25 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 50.4% expected score (1,528 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 49.5% expected score (4,565 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 48.8% expected score (762 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 69.4% expected score (68 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 51.9% expected score (3,310 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 50.3% expected score (9,516 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 48.1% expected score (1,071 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 42.9% expected score (48 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 52.3% expected score (5,500 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 51.7% expected score (9,382 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 52.2% expected score (763 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 36.5% expected score (17 games)
  • 2500+ rating, UltraBullet: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 56.0% expected score (2,566 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 55.2% expected score (792 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 64.9% expected score (49 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: Winawer Variation, Positional Variation PositionsGet move-by-move win rates with the TrueElo analyzer

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the French Defense: Winawer Variation, Positional Variation win rate?

The French Defense: Winawer Variation, Positional Variation has a 48.6% (90% CI: 48.2%-49.0%) win rate for white, based on 43K rated games from Lichess.

At what rating does the French Defense: Winawer Variation, Positional Variation perform best?

The French Defense: Winawer Variation, Positional Variation performs best at 2500+ Elo with a 52.3% win rate for white (3.4K games). Win rate tends to decline at higher ratings as opponents know the theory better.

Is the French Defense: Winawer Variation, Positional Variation better in blitz or rapid?

Bullet (50.5%) outperforms Rapid (45.8%) by 4.7%. Choose your time control wisely.

How sharp is the French Defense: Winawer Variation, Positional Variation?

The French Defense: Winawer Variation, Positional Variation has a sharpness score of 94.6 (decisive), meaning 94.6% of games end decisively. Average game length is 37 moves.

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

At 1200-1399 Elo, the French Defense: Winawer Variation, Positional Variation has a 52.1% (90% CI: 45.0%-59.1%) win rate for white, based on 132 Lichess games. Average game length is 30 moves with a 2.6% draw rate.

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

At 1400-1599 Elo, the French Defense: Winawer Variation, Positional Variation has a 47.8% (90% CI: 44.1%-51.5%) win rate for white, based on 489 Lichess games. Average game length is 30 moves with a 3.0% draw rate.

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

At 1600-1799 Elo, the French Defense: Winawer Variation, Positional Variation has a 48.0% (90% CI: 46.2%-49.9%) win rate for white, based on 2.0K Lichess games. Average game length is 32 moves with a 4.9% draw rate.

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

At 1800-1999 Elo, the French Defense: Winawer Variation, Positional Variation has a 47.5% (90% CI: 46.6%-48.5%) win rate for white, based on 6.9K Lichess games. Average game length is 34 moves with a 4.5% draw rate.

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

At 2000-2199 Elo, the French Defense: Winawer Variation, Positional Variation has a 48.0% (90% CI: 47.3%-48.7%) win rate for white, based on 14K Lichess games. Average game length is 37 moves with a 5.0% draw rate.

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

At 2200-2499 Elo, the French Defense: Winawer Variation, Positional Variation has a 48.9% (90% CI: 48.2%-49.6%) win rate for white, based on 16K Lichess games. Average game length is 39 moves with a 5.9% draw rate.

What is the French Defense: Winawer Variation, Positional Variation win rate at 2500+ Elo?

At 2500+ Elo, the French Defense: Winawer Variation, Positional Variation has a 52.3% (90% CI: 50.9%-53.7%) win rate for white, based on 3.4K Lichess games. Average game length is 41 moves with a 7.2% draw rate.

What is the French Defense: Winawer Variation, Positional Variation win rate in Bullet?

In Bullet games, the French Defense: Winawer Variation, Positional Variation has a 50.5% (90% CI: 49.8%-51.2%) win rate for white (14K Lichess games). Draw rate is 4.1%.

What is the French Defense: Winawer Variation, Positional Variation win rate in Blitz?

In Blitz games, the French Defense: Winawer Variation, Positional Variation has a 47.9% (90% CI: 47.4%-48.4%) win rate for white (26K Lichess games). Draw rate is 5.8%.

What is the French Defense: Winawer Variation, Positional Variation win rate in Rapid?

In Rapid games, the French Defense: Winawer Variation, Positional Variation has a 45.8% (90% CI: 44.3%-47.3%) win rate for white (3.0K Lichess games). Draw rate is 8.1%.

What is the French Defense: Winawer Variation, Positional Variation win rate in Classical?

In Classical games, the French Defense: Winawer Variation, Positional Variation has a 50.8% (90% CI: 44.4%-57.1%) win rate for white (165 Lichess games). Draw rate is 7.5%.

Is the French Defense: Winawer Variation, Positional Variation a good opening?

The French Defense: Winawer Variation, Positional Variation is statistically balanced with a 48.6% (90% CI: 48.2%-49.0%) 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.