Modern Defense: Pseudo-Austrian Attack
398K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026
White expected score · All ratings · All speeds
53.4%
the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 53.5%.
Measured over 398K games at this level and clock.
A strong choice for White at this level and clock.
Outcomes for White
Draw 4.0 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 398K games
- Rank among the families White can choose here
- not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
- Games in this context
- 398K
- Best context
- 59.3% at 2500+ Blitz
- Worst context
- 46.7% at 0-999 Bullet
- Average game length
- 34 moves
- Games that end decisively
- 96.0%
- Draws
- 4.0%
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: 41.2% at 0-999, 61.8% 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: 8.9% expected score (7 games)
- 0-999 rating, Bullet: 46.7% expected score (612 games)
- 0-999 rating, Blitz: 50.4% expected score (605 games)
- 0-999 rating, Rapid: 58.7% expected score (154 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 34.2% expected score (8 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 48.5% expected score (2,298 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 53.6% expected score (2,263 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 58.8% expected score (464 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 61.2% expected score (3 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 54.7% expected score (20 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 51.9% expected score (5,880 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 53.3% expected score (5,963 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 55.4% expected score (1,303 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 69.6% expected score (19 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 50.6% expected score (83 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 51.8% expected score (11,587 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 53.5% expected score (14,299 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 54.5% expected score (2,780 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 62.3% expected score (96 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 43.3% expected score (110 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 51.7% expected score (19,786 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 53.0% expected score (27,261 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 54.6% expected score (5,392 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 61.5% expected score (194 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 52.6% expected score (58 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 52.6% expected score (30,369 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 53.3% expected score (44,751 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 56.4% expected score (6,596 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 59.3% expected score (296 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 74.2% expected score (13 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 52.7% expected score (37,998 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 53.6% expected score (49,746 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 57.0% expected score (5,359 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 57.1% expected score (169 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 59.1% expected score (26 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 53.5% expected score (53,491 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 53.9% expected score (39,197 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 59.0% expected score (2,227 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 51.3% expected score (37 games)
- 2500+ rating, UltraBullet: 61.4% expected score (25 games)
- 2500+ rating, Bullet: 54.4% expected score (22,292 games)
- 2500+ rating, Blitz: 59.3% expected score (3,696 games)
- 2500+ rating, Rapid: 55.4% expected score (82 games)
- 2500+ rating, Classical: 78.6% expected score (2 games)
Related Openings
Methodology
Across every rating and clock, the Modern Defense: Pseudo-Austrian Attack scores 53.4% for White — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 53.3% and 53.5% — from 398K 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
- 398K+ 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: Pseudo-Austrian Attack win rate?
Playing the Modern Defense: Pseudo-Austrian Attack, White wins 51.4%, draws 4.0% and loses 44.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.4%. It rests on 398K rated games from Lichess.
At what rating does the Modern Defense: Pseudo-Austrian Attack perform best?
The Modern Defense: Pseudo-Austrian Attack performs best for White at 2500+, with an Expected Score of 55.1% (26K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.
Is the Modern Defense: Pseudo-Austrian Attack better in blitz or rapid?
For White, the Modern Defense: Pseudo-Austrian Attack scores higher in Rapid: an Expected Score of 53.6% in Blitz (188K games) against 56.2% in Rapid (24K games).
How sharp is the Modern Defense: Pseudo-Austrian Attack?
The Modern Defense: Pseudo-Austrian Attack has a sharpness score of 96.0 (very decisive), meaning 96.0% of games end decisively. Average game length is 34 moves.
What is the Modern Defense: Pseudo-Austrian Attack win rate at 0-999?
At 0-999, White wins 48.0%, draws 2.9% and loses 49.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.5%. It rests on 1.4K Lichess games, which average 26 moves.
What is the Modern Defense: Pseudo-Austrian Attack win rate at 1000-1199?
At 1000-1199, White wins 50.4%, draws 2.6% and loses 47.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.7%. It rests on 5.0K Lichess games, which average 28 moves.
What is the Modern Defense: Pseudo-Austrian Attack win rate at 1200-1399?
At 1200-1399, White wins 51.5%, draws 2.8% and loses 45.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.9%. It rests on 13K Lichess games, which average 30 moves.
What is the Modern Defense: Pseudo-Austrian Attack win rate at 1400-1599?
At 1400-1599, White wins 51.5%, draws 2.9% and loses 45.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.9%. It rests on 29K Lichess games, which average 31 moves.
What is the Modern Defense: Pseudo-Austrian Attack win rate at 1600-1799?
At 1600-1799, White wins 51.1%, draws 3.2% and loses 45.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.7%. It rests on 53K Lichess games, which average 33 moves.
What is the Modern Defense: Pseudo-Austrian Attack win rate at 1800-1999?
At 1800-1999, White wins 51.4%, draws 3.7% and loses 44.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.3%. It rests on 82K Lichess games, which average 34 moves.
What is the Modern Defense: Pseudo-Austrian Attack win rate at 2000-2199?
At 2000-2199, White wins 51.4%, draws 4.1% and loses 44.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.5%. It rests on 93K Lichess games, which average 35 moves.
What is the Modern Defense: Pseudo-Austrian Attack win rate at 2200-2499?
At 2200-2499, White wins 51.4%, draws 4.8% and loses 43.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.8%. It rests on 95K Lichess games, which average 36 moves.
What is the Modern Defense: Pseudo-Austrian Attack win rate at 2500+?
At 2500+, White wins 52.2%, draws 5.8% and loses 42.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 55.1%. It rests on 26K Lichess games, which average 39 moves.
What is the Modern Defense: Pseudo-Austrian Attack win rate in UltraBullet?
In UltraBullet, White wins 48.8%, draws 2.1% and loses 49.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.9%. It rests on 350 Lichess games.
What is the Modern Defense: Pseudo-Austrian Attack win rate in Bullet?
In Bullet, White wins 51.1%, draws 3.4% and loses 45.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.8%. It rests on 184K Lichess games.
What is the Modern Defense: Pseudo-Austrian Attack win rate in Blitz?
In Blitz, White wins 51.3%, draws 4.5% and loses 44.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.6%. It rests on 188K Lichess games.
What is the Modern Defense: Pseudo-Austrian Attack win rate in Rapid?
In Rapid, White wins 53.7%, draws 4.9% and loses 41.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 56.2%. It rests on 24K Lichess games.
What is the Modern Defense: Pseudo-Austrian Attack win rate in Classical?
In Classical, White wins 56.6%, draws 6.4% and loses 37.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 59.8%. It rests on 816 Lichess games.
Is the Modern Defense: Pseudo-Austrian Attack a good opening?
The Modern Defense: Pseudo-Austrian Attack is good for White. Across all ratings, White wins 51.4% of its games and loses 44.6%. It performs best at 2500+. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.