Modern Defense: Bishop Attack
558K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026
White expected score · All ratings · All speeds
50.9%
the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 51.0%.
Measured over 558K games at this level and clock.
Roughly even — the middlegame decides more than this opening choice does.
Outcomes for White
Draw 3.4 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 558K games
- Rank among the families White can choose here
- not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
- Games in this context
- 558K
- Best context
- 56.3% at 2200-2499 Rapid
- Worst context
- 45.2% at 0-999 Bullet
- Average game length
- 34 moves
- Games that end decisively
- 96.6%
- Draws
- 3.4%
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: 39.4% at 0-999, 58.2% 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
- 0-999 rating, UltraBullet: 15.5% expected score (26 games)
- 0-999 rating, Bullet: 45.2% expected score (3,419 games)
- 0-999 rating, Blitz: 47.4% expected score (5,331 games)
- 0-999 rating, Rapid: 51.0% expected score (2,051 games)
- 0-999 rating, Classical: 37.9% expected score (15 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 39.4% expected score (112 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 47.3% expected score (7,823 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 50.4% expected score (12,842 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 51.3% expected score (3,570 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 54.0% expected score (74 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 45.1% expected score (383 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 48.5% expected score (17,449 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 50.9% expected score (31,016 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 52.0% expected score (7,749 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 50.8% expected score (184 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 46.1% expected score (1,197 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 48.6% expected score (30,479 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 50.7% expected score (55,381 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 50.7% expected score (13,950 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 52.4% expected score (467 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 53.8% expected score (504 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 50.0% expected score (38,294 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 51.1% expected score (73,083 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 51.5% expected score (18,619 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 51.6% expected score (719 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 49.3% expected score (136 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 50.8% expected score (39,605 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 52.2% expected score (67,019 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 52.4% expected score (14,089 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 53.8% expected score (460 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 47.3% expected score (35 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 50.8% expected score (36,131 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 52.9% expected score (35,808 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 53.0% expected score (5,072 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 58.3% expected score (113 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 58.7% expected score (10 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 51.2% expected score (21,294 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 53.5% expected score (8,899 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 56.3% expected score (771 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 34.2% expected score (8 games)
- 2500+ rating, Bullet: 52.1% expected score (3,369 games)
- 2500+ rating, Blitz: 52.4% expected score (403 games)
- 2500+ rating, Rapid: 70.0% expected score (6 games)
Related Openings
Methodology
Across every rating and clock, the Modern Defense: Bishop Attack scores 50.9% for White — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 50.8% and 51.0% — from 558K 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
- 558K+ 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: Bishop Attack win rate?
Playing the Modern Defense: Bishop Attack, White wins 49.2%, draws 3.4% and loses 47.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.9%. It rests on 558K rated games from Lichess.
At what rating does the Modern Defense: Bishop Attack perform best?
The Modern Defense: Bishop Attack performs best for White at 2000-2199, with an Expected Score of 52.0% (77K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.
Is the Modern Defense: Bishop Attack better in blitz or rapid?
For White, the Modern Defense: Bishop Attack scores about the same in both: an Expected Score of 51.4% in Blitz (290K games) against 51.7% in Rapid (66K games).
How sharp is the Modern Defense: Bishop Attack?
The Modern Defense: Bishop Attack has a sharpness score of 96.6 (very decisive), meaning 96.6% of games end decisively. Average game length is 34 moves.
What is the Modern Defense: Bishop Attack win rate at 0-999?
At 0-999, White wins 46.0%, draws 2.6% and loses 51.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.3%. It rests on 11K Lichess games, which average 26 moves.
What is the Modern Defense: Bishop Attack win rate at 1000-1199?
At 1000-1199, White wins 48.2%, draws 2.4% and loses 49.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.5%. It rests on 24K Lichess games, which average 29 moves.
What is the Modern Defense: Bishop Attack win rate at 1200-1399?
At 1200-1399, White wins 48.9%, draws 2.7% and loses 48.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.3%. It rests on 57K Lichess games, which average 31 moves.
What is the Modern Defense: Bishop Attack win rate at 1400-1599?
At 1400-1599, White wins 48.5%, draws 2.9% and loses 48.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.0%. It rests on 101K Lichess games, which average 33 moves.
What is the Modern Defense: Bishop Attack win rate at 1600-1799?
At 1600-1799, White wins 49.1%, draws 3.3% and loses 47.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.8%. It rests on 131K Lichess games, which average 35 moves.
What is the Modern Defense: Bishop Attack win rate at 1800-1999?
At 1800-1999, White wins 49.8%, draws 3.8% and loses 46.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.7%. It rests on 121K Lichess games, which average 36 moves.
What is the Modern Defense: Bishop Attack win rate at 2000-2199?
At 2000-2199, White wins 50.0%, draws 3.9% and loses 46.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.0%. It rests on 77K Lichess games, which average 36 moves.
What is the Modern Defense: Bishop Attack win rate at 2200-2499?
At 2200-2499, White wins 49.7%, draws 4.6% and loses 45.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.0%. It rests on 31K Lichess games, which average 37 moves.
What is the Modern Defense: Bishop Attack win rate at 2500+?
At 2500+, White wins 49.6%, draws 5.0% and loses 45.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.1%. It rests on 3.8K Lichess games, which average 39 moves.
What is the Modern Defense: Bishop Attack win rate in UltraBullet?
In UltraBullet, White wins 46.7%, draws 0.9% and loses 52.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.2%. It rests on 2.4K Lichess games.
What is the Modern Defense: Bishop Attack win rate in Bullet?
In Bullet, White wins 48.7%, draws 2.5% and loses 48.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.0%. It rests on 198K Lichess games.
What is the Modern Defense: Bishop Attack win rate in Blitz?
In Blitz, White wins 49.5%, draws 3.8% and loses 46.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.4%. It rests on 290K Lichess games.
What is the Modern Defense: Bishop Attack win rate in Rapid?
In Rapid, White wins 49.5%, draws 4.3% and loses 46.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.7%. It rests on 66K Lichess games.
What is the Modern Defense: Bishop Attack win rate in Classical?
In Classical, White wins 50.1%, draws 4.7% and loses 45.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.5%. It rests on 2.0K Lichess games.
Is the Modern Defense: Bishop Attack a good opening?
The Modern Defense: Bishop Attack is about level. Across all ratings, White wins 49.2% of its games and loses 47.4%. It performs best at 2000-2199. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.