Petrov's Defense: Classical Attack, Chigorin Variation, Browne Attack
1.9K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026
White expected score · All ratings · All speeds
52.1%
the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 53.9%.
Measured over 1.9K games at this level and clock.
A strong choice for White at this level and clock.
Outcomes for White
Draw 11.0 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 1.9K games
- Rank among the families White can choose here
- not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
- Games in this context
- 1.9K
- Best context
- not measured yet
- Average game length
- 40 moves
- Games that end decisively
- 89.0%
- Draws
- 11.0%
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 falls away as the rating rises: 70.0% at 1000-1199, 58.0% 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
- 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 62.0% expected score (11 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 50.0% expected score (4 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 68.2% expected score (4 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 42.2% expected score (24 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 53.9% expected score (37 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 58.7% expected score (10 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 42.5% expected score (45 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 55.6% expected score (178 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 64.1% expected score (27 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 49.5% expected score (92 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 48.8% expected score (433 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 51.9% expected score (81 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 44.7% expected score (8 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 49.1% expected score (207 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 52.1% expected score (448 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 60.0% expected score (99 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 63.3% expected score (6 games)
- 2500+ rating, Bullet: 51.6% expected score (123 games)
- 2500+ rating, Blitz: 58.7% expected score (85 games)
- 2500+ rating, Rapid: 71.8% expected score (10 games)
- 2500+ rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
Related Openings
Methodology
Across every rating and clock, the Petrov's Defense: Classical Attack, Chigorin Variation, Browne Attack scores 52.1% for White — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 50.2% and 53.9% — from 1.9K 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
- 1.9K+ 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 Petrov's Defense: Classical Attack, Chigorin Variation, Browne Attack win rate?
Playing the Petrov's Defense: Classical Attack, Chigorin Variation, Browne Attack, White wins 46.5%, draws 11.0% and loses 42.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.1%. It rests on 1.9K rated games from Lichess.
At what rating does the Petrov's Defense: Classical Attack, Chigorin Variation, Browne Attack perform best?
The Petrov's Defense: Classical Attack, Chigorin Variation, Browne Attack performs best for White at 2500+, with an Expected Score of 55.5% (220 games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.
Is the Petrov's Defense: Classical Attack, Chigorin Variation, Browne Attack better in blitz or rapid?
For White, the Petrov's Defense: Classical Attack, Chigorin Variation, Browne Attack scores higher in Rapid: an Expected Score of 52.0% in Blitz (1.2K games) against 59.0% in Rapid (233 games).
How sharp is the Petrov's Defense: Classical Attack, Chigorin Variation, Browne Attack?
The Petrov's Defense: Classical Attack, Chigorin Variation, Browne Attack has a sharpness score of 89.0 (moderately decisive), meaning 89.0% of games end decisively. Average game length is 40 moves.
What is the Petrov's Defense: Classical Attack, Chigorin Variation, Browne Attack win rate at 1800-1999?
At 1800-1999, White wins 50.3%, draws 7.8% and loses 41.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.2%. It rests on 250 Lichess games, which average 33 moves.
What is the Petrov's Defense: Classical Attack, Chigorin Variation, Browne Attack win rate at 2000-2199?
At 2000-2199, White wins 44.3%, draws 9.8% and loses 45.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.2%. It rests on 614 Lichess games, which average 38 moves.
What is the Petrov's Defense: Classical Attack, Chigorin Variation, Browne Attack win rate at 2200-2499?
At 2200-2499, White wins 46.4%, draws 12.0% and loses 41.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.4%. It rests on 760 Lichess games, which average 43 moves.
What is the Petrov's Defense: Classical Attack, Chigorin Variation, Browne Attack win rate at 2500+?
At 2500+, White wins 46.3%, draws 18.3% and loses 35.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 55.5%. It rests on 220 Lichess games, which average 47 moves.
What is the Petrov's Defense: Classical Attack, Chigorin Variation, Browne Attack win rate in Bullet?
In Bullet, White wins 45.1%, draws 8.2% and loses 46.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.2%. It rests on 503 Lichess games.
What is the Petrov's Defense: Classical Attack, Chigorin Variation, Browne Attack win rate in Blitz?
In Blitz, White wins 46.5%, draws 10.9% and loses 42.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.0%. It rests on 1.2K Lichess games.
What is the Petrov's Defense: Classical Attack, Chigorin Variation, Browne Attack win rate in Rapid?
In Rapid, White wins 51.0%, draws 16.0% and loses 33.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 59.0%. It rests on 233 Lichess games.
Is the Petrov's Defense: Classical Attack, Chigorin Variation, Browne Attack a good opening?
The Petrov's Defense: Classical Attack, Chigorin Variation, Browne Attack is about level. Across all ratings, White wins 46.5% of its games and loses 42.4%. It performs best at 2500+. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.