Owen Defense: Unicorn Variation
1.6K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026
Black expected score · All ratings · All speeds
39.6%
the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 41.7%.
Measured over 1.6K games at this level and clock.
Black comes out behind here — there are better weapons in the list.
Outcomes for Black
Draw 3.1 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 1.6K games
- Rank among the families Black can choose here
- not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
- Games in this context
- 1.6K
- Best context
- not measured yet
- Average game length
- 33 moves
- Games that end decisively
- 96.9%
- Draws
- 3.1%
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.
Extra Analysis
Deep-dive datasets for this opening
Where it holds · Black score by rating × clock
Green is clearly ahead for Black, grey is around even, red is behind. Tap a cell to measure there, and again to clear. It gets better as the rating rises: 36.9% at 0-999, 78.6% 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, Bullet: 31.7% expected score (23 games)
- 0-999 rating, Blitz: 34.3% expected score (43 games)
- 0-999 rating, Rapid: 44.7% expected score (8 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 53.2% expected score (46 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 33.5% expected score (71 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 28.1% expected score (19 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 47.7% expected score (84 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 51.9% expected score (106 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 21.2% expected score (35 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 39.7% expected score (110 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 33.9% expected score (132 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 24.1% expected score (39 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 78.6% expected score (2 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 51.8% expected score (142 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 36.5% expected score (183 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 20.4% expected score (39 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 57.7% expected score (5 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 50.9% expected score (111 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 41.5% expected score (157 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 28.7% expected score (43 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 21.5% expected score (2 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 38.5% expected score (72 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 37.0% expected score (79 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 30.7% expected score (14 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 37.8% expected score (23 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 22.1% expected score (20 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 16.7% expected score (3 games)
- 2500+ rating, Bullet: 78.6% expected score (2 games)
Related Openings
Methodology
Across every rating and clock, the Owen Defense: Unicorn Variation scores 39.6% for Black — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 37.6% and 41.7% — from 1.6K 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
- 1.6K+ 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 Owen Defense: Unicorn Variation win rate?
Playing the Owen Defense: Unicorn Variation, Black wins 38.1%, draws 3.1% and loses 58.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 39.6%. It rests on 1.6K rated games from Lichess.
At what rating does the Owen Defense: Unicorn Variation perform best?
The Owen Defense: Unicorn Variation performs best for Black at 1200-1399, with an Expected Score of 45.5% (227 games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.
Is the Owen Defense: Unicorn Variation better in blitz or rapid?
For Black, the Owen Defense: Unicorn Variation scores higher in Blitz: an Expected Score of 38.2% in Blitz (791 games) against 24.2% in Rapid (200 games).
How sharp is the Owen Defense: Unicorn Variation?
The Owen Defense: Unicorn Variation has a sharpness score of 96.9 (very decisive), meaning 96.9% of games end decisively. Average game length is 33 moves.
What is the Owen Defense: Unicorn Variation win rate at 1000-1199?
At 1000-1199, Black wins 38.6%, draws 1.8% and loses 59.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 39.5%. It rests on 137 Lichess games, which average 28 moves.
What is the Owen Defense: Unicorn Variation win rate at 1200-1399?
At 1200-1399, Black wins 44.9%, draws 1.1% and loses 54.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 45.5%. It rests on 227 Lichess games, which average 31 moves.
What is the Owen Defense: Unicorn Variation win rate at 1400-1599?
At 1400-1599, Black wins 33.3%, draws 2.6% and loses 64.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 34.7%. It rests on 282 Lichess games, which average 31 moves.
What is the Owen Defense: Unicorn Variation win rate at 1600-1799?
At 1600-1799, Black wins 39.1%, draws 4.2% and loses 56.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 41.2%. It rests on 371 Lichess games, which average 34 moves.
What is the Owen Defense: Unicorn Variation win rate at 1800-1999?
At 1800-1999, Black wins 40.9%, draws 3.7% and loses 55.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 42.7%. It rests on 313 Lichess games, which average 35 moves.
What is the Owen Defense: Unicorn Variation win rate at 2000-2199?
At 2000-2199, Black wins 35.1%, draws 3.3% and loses 61.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 36.8%. It rests on 165 Lichess games, which average 35 moves.
What is the Owen Defense: Unicorn Variation win rate in Bullet?
In Bullet, Black wins 45.0%, draws 2.4% and loses 52.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.2%. It rests on 613 Lichess games.
What is the Owen Defense: Unicorn Variation win rate in Blitz?
In Blitz, Black wins 36.4%, draws 3.6% and loses 60.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 38.2%. It rests on 791 Lichess games.
What is the Owen Defense: Unicorn Variation win rate in Rapid?
In Rapid, Black wins 22.6%, draws 3.2% and loses 74.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 24.2%. It rests on 200 Lichess games.
Is the Owen Defense: Unicorn Variation a good opening?
The Owen Defense: Unicorn Variation is hard work for Black — it favours White. Across all ratings, Black wins 38.1% of its games and loses 58.9%. It performs best at 1200-1399. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.