Modern Defense: Anti-Modern
902 games from Lichess · Updated January 2026
White expected score · All ratings · All speeds
54.6%
the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 57.3%.
Measured over 902 games at this level and clock.
A strong choice for White at this level and clock.
Outcomes for White
Draw 2.9 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 902 games
- Rank among the families White can choose here
- not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
- Games in this context
- 902
- Best context
- not measured yet
- Average game length
- 34 moves
- Games that end decisively
- 97.1%
- Draws
- 2.9%
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: 40.0% at 1200-1399, 54.1% at 2500+.
| Rating | UB | Bulle | Blitz | Rapid | Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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
- 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 63.4% expected score (6 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 55.9% expected score (7 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 46.6% expected score (13 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 67.8% expected score (21 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 50.0% expected score (8 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 65.5% expected score (50 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 50.7% expected score (72 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 67.7% expected score (7 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 54.7% expected score (85 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 52.6% expected score (172 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 42.6% expected score (12 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 45.9% expected score (170 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 59.4% expected score (159 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 81.6% expected score (8 games)
- 2500+ rating, Bullet: 58.2% expected score (103 games)
- 2500+ rating, Blitz: 50.0% expected score (5 games)
Related Openings
Methodology
Across every rating and clock, the Modern Defense: Anti-Modern scores 54.6% for White — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 51.8% and 57.3% — from 902 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
- 902+ 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 Modern Defense: Anti-Modern win rate?
Playing the Modern Defense: Anti-Modern, White wins 53.1%, draws 2.9% and loses 44.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.6%. It rests on 902 rated games from Lichess.
At what rating does the Modern Defense: Anti-Modern perform best?
The Modern Defense: Anti-Modern performs best for White at 1800-1999, with an Expected Score of 57.7% (129 games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.
How sharp is the Modern Defense: Anti-Modern?
The Modern Defense: Anti-Modern has a sharpness score of 97.1 (very decisive), meaning 97.1% of games end decisively. Average game length is 34 moves.
What is the Modern Defense: Anti-Modern win rate at 1800-1999?
At 1800-1999, White wins 57.1%, draws 1.1% and loses 41.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 57.7%. It rests on 129 Lichess games, which average 35 moves.
What is the Modern Defense: Anti-Modern win rate at 2000-2199?
At 2000-2199, White wins 51.9%, draws 1.7% and loses 46.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.8%. It rests on 269 Lichess games, which average 33 moves.
What is the Modern Defense: Anti-Modern win rate at 2200-2499?
At 2200-2499, White wins 51.0%, draws 4.6% and loses 44.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.3%. It rests on 337 Lichess games, which average 33 moves.
What is the Modern Defense: Anti-Modern win rate at 2500+?
At 2500+, White wins 55.3%, draws 5.0% and loses 39.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 57.8%. It rests on 108 Lichess games, which average 41 moves.
What is the Modern Defense: Anti-Modern win rate in Bullet?
In Bullet, White wins 52.1%, draws 2.2% and loses 45.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.3%. It rests on 429 Lichess games.
What is the Modern Defense: Anti-Modern win rate in Blitz?
In Blitz, White wins 53.5%, draws 4.0% and loses 42.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 55.5%. It rests on 437 Lichess games.
Is the Modern Defense: Anti-Modern a good opening?
The Modern Defense: Anti-Modern is about level. Across all ratings, White wins 53.1% of its games and loses 44.0%. It performs best at 1800-1999. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.