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Lion Defense: Anti-Philidor, Lion's Cave

149K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

Playable
Black Expected Score48.7%Range (90% confident): 48.5% – 48.9%Based on 149K games
0%48.7%100%
Range (90% confident): 48.5% – 48.9%
Outcome Distribution
46.4%4.6%49.0%
Win
Draw
Loss
4...e5
Lion Defense: Anti-Philidor, Lion's Cave
Analyzen=149K
Avg Length34 moves
Sharpness95%
Draw Rate4.6%

What is the Lion Defense: Anti-Philidor, Lion's Cave expected score for Black?

Snapshot

At all ratings, the Lion Defense: Anti-Philidor, Lion's Cave has a 48.7% expected score for Black (we're 90% confident it's between 48.5% and 48.9%), based on 149K Lichess games.

Black Win% by Rating

Declines with rating: 49% → 41%

0
1000
1200
1400
1600
1800
2000
2200
2500+

  • 0-999: 48.9% win rate (204 games)
  • 1000-1199: 49.4% win rate (825 games)
  • 1200-1399: 48.6% win rate (2,388 games)
  • 1400-1599: 47.2% win rate (6,569 games)
  • 1600-1799: 47.0% win rate (17,047 games)
  • 1800-1999: 47.4% win rate (31,427 games)
  • 2000-2199: 47.6% win rate (42,225 games)
  • 2200-2499: 45.1% win rate (38,004 games)
  • 2500+: 41.1% win rate (10,337 games)

Black Win% by Time Control

Best in UltraBullet (52%), worst in Classical (40%)

UltraBullet
Bullet
Blitz
Rapid
Classical

  • UltraBullet: 52.2% win rate (126 games)
  • Bullet: 47.1% win rate (62,443 games)
  • Blitz: 46.3% win rate (75,036 games)
  • Rapid: 43.1% win rate (10,866 games)
  • Classical: 40.2% win rate (555 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: 49.4% expected score (76 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 57.0% expected score (99 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 32.0% expected score (29 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 51.8% expected score (334 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 50.8% expected score (397 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 47.3% expected score (89 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 40.9% expected score (4 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 76.7% expected score (6 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 51.0% expected score (1,127 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 49.9% expected score (995 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 44.5% expected score (253 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 55.9% expected score (7 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 44.9% expected score (18 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 49.9% expected score (2,644 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 48.8% expected score (3,265 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 43.2% expected score (602 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 38.0% expected score (40 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 42.6% expected score (12 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 50.7% expected score (5,634 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 48.6% expected score (9,353 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 44.5% expected score (1,907 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 49.0% expected score (141 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 53.3% expected score (45 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 50.8% expected score (8,694 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 49.6% expected score (19,353 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 46.3% expected score (3,136 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 46.0% expected score (199 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 50.0% expected score (16 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 51.6% expected score (13,096 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 49.4% expected score (25,687 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 47.8% expected score (3,305 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 40.2% expected score (121 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 48.0% expected score (23 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 48.0% expected score (22,059 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 47.4% expected score (14,399 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 46.3% expected score (1,481 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 37.4% expected score (42 games)
  • 2500+ rating, UltraBullet: 73.1% expected score (5 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 44.6% expected score (8,779 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 42.4% expected score (1,488 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 35.5% expected score (64 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Classical: 30.0% expected score (1 games)

Related Openings

Variations (4)
Lion Defense: Lion's Jaw
48.0%
Lion Defense: Anti-Philidor
55.3%
Lion Defense: Bayonet Attack
56.6%
Lion Defense: Anti-Philidor, Lion's Cave, Lion Claw Gambit
39.8%
Continuations (1)
Lion Defense: Anti-Philidor, Lion's Cave, Lion Claw Gambit
39.8%
Analyze Lion Defense: Anti-Philidor, Lion's Cave PositionsGet move-by-move win rates with the TrueElo analyzer

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Lion Defense: Anti-Philidor, Lion's Cave win rate?

The Lion Defense: Anti-Philidor, Lion's Cave has a 49.0% (90% CI: 48.8%-49.2%) win rate for white, based on 149K rated games from Lichess.

At what rating does the Lion Defense: Anti-Philidor, Lion's Cave perform best?

The Lion Defense: Anti-Philidor, Lion's Cave performs best at 2500+ Elo with a 52.6% win rate for white (10K games). Win rate tends to decline at higher ratings as opponents know the theory better.

Is the Lion Defense: Anti-Philidor, Lion's Cave better in blitz or rapid?

Rapid (50.9%) outperforms UltraBullet (47.5%) by 3.4%. Choose your time control wisely.

How sharp is the Lion Defense: Anti-Philidor, Lion's Cave?

The Lion Defense: Anti-Philidor, Lion's Cave has a sharpness score of 95.4 (very decisive), meaning 95.4% of games end decisively. Average game length is 34 moves.

What is the Lion Defense: Anti-Philidor, Lion's Cave win rate at 0-999 Elo?

At 0-999 Elo, the Lion Defense: Anti-Philidor, Lion's Cave has a 47.9% (90% CI: 42.2%-53.7%) win rate for white, based on 204 Lichess games. Average game length is 27 moves with a 3.2% draw rate.

What is the Lion Defense: Anti-Philidor, Lion's Cave win rate at 1000-1199 Elo?

At 1000-1199 Elo, the Lion Defense: Anti-Philidor, Lion's Cave has a 47.9% (90% CI: 45.0%-50.7%) win rate for white, based on 825 Lichess games. Average game length is 27 moves with a 2.7% draw rate.

What is the Lion Defense: Anti-Philidor, Lion's Cave win rate at 1200-1399 Elo?

At 1200-1399 Elo, the Lion Defense: Anti-Philidor, Lion's Cave has a 48.7% (90% CI: 47.0%-50.4%) win rate for white, based on 2.4K Lichess games. Average game length is 28 moves with a 2.7% draw rate.

What is the Lion Defense: Anti-Philidor, Lion's Cave win rate at 1400-1599 Elo?

At 1400-1599 Elo, the Lion Defense: Anti-Philidor, Lion's Cave has a 49.9% (90% CI: 48.9%-51.0%) win rate for white, based on 6.6K Lichess games. Average game length is 30 moves with a 2.9% draw rate.

What is the Lion Defense: Anti-Philidor, Lion's Cave win rate at 1600-1799 Elo?

At 1600-1799 Elo, the Lion Defense: Anti-Philidor, Lion's Cave has a 49.4% (90% CI: 48.7%-50.0%) win rate for white, based on 17K Lichess games. Average game length is 32 moves with a 3.7% draw rate.

What is the Lion Defense: Anti-Philidor, Lion's Cave win rate at 1800-1999 Elo?

At 1800-1999 Elo, the Lion Defense: Anti-Philidor, Lion's Cave has a 48.3% (90% CI: 47.8%-48.7%) win rate for white, based on 31K Lichess games. Average game length is 33 moves with a 4.3% draw rate.

What is the Lion Defense: Anti-Philidor, Lion's Cave win rate at 2000-2199 Elo?

At 2000-2199 Elo, the Lion Defense: Anti-Philidor, Lion's Cave has a 47.7% (90% CI: 47.3%-48.1%) win rate for white, based on 42K Lichess games. Average game length is 34 moves with a 4.7% draw rate.

What is the Lion Defense: Anti-Philidor, Lion's Cave win rate at 2200-2499 Elo?

At 2200-2499 Elo, the Lion Defense: Anti-Philidor, Lion's Cave has a 49.7% (90% CI: 49.3%-50.1%) win rate for white, based on 38K Lichess games. Average game length is 36 moves with a 5.3% draw rate.

What is the Lion Defense: Anti-Philidor, Lion's Cave win rate at 2500+ Elo?

At 2500+ Elo, the Lion Defense: Anti-Philidor, Lion's Cave has a 52.6% (90% CI: 51.8%-53.4%) win rate for white, based on 10K Lichess games. Average game length is 39 moves with a 6.3% draw rate.

What is the Lion Defense: Anti-Philidor, Lion's Cave win rate in UltraBullet?

In UltraBullet games, the Lion Defense: Anti-Philidor, Lion's Cave has a 47.5% (90% CI: 40.2%-54.7%) win rate for white (126 Lichess games). Draw rate is 0.4%.

What is the Lion Defense: Anti-Philidor, Lion's Cave win rate in Bullet?

In Bullet games, the Lion Defense: Anti-Philidor, Lion's Cave has a 49.0% (90% CI: 48.7%-49.4%) win rate for white (62K Lichess games). Draw rate is 3.8%.

What is the Lion Defense: Anti-Philidor, Lion's Cave win rate in Blitz?

In Blitz games, the Lion Defense: Anti-Philidor, Lion's Cave has a 48.6% (90% CI: 48.3%-48.9%) win rate for white (75K Lichess games). Draw rate is 5.1%.

What is the Lion Defense: Anti-Philidor, Lion's Cave win rate in Rapid?

In Rapid games, the Lion Defense: Anti-Philidor, Lion's Cave has a 50.9% (90% CI: 50.1%-51.7%) win rate for white (11K Lichess games). Draw rate is 6.0%.

What is the Lion Defense: Anti-Philidor, Lion's Cave win rate in Classical?

In Classical games, the Lion Defense: Anti-Philidor, Lion's Cave has a 51.8% (90% CI: 48.4%-55.3%) win rate for white (555 Lichess games). Draw rate is 8.0%.

Is the Lion Defense: Anti-Philidor, Lion's Cave a good opening?

The Lion Defense: Anti-Philidor, Lion's Cave is statistically balanced with a 49.0% (90% CI: 48.8%-49.2%) 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.