Petrov's Defense: Classical Attack, Marshall Trap
136 games from Lichess · Updated January 2026
Black expected score · All ratings · All speeds
83.5%
the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 88.4%.
Measured over 136 games at this level and clock.
A strong choice for Black at this level and clock.
Outcomes for Black
Draw 3.3 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 136 games
- Rank among the families Black can choose here
- not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
- Games in this context
- 136
- Best context
- not measured yet
- Average game length
- 29 moves
- Games that end decisively
- 96.7%
- Draws
- 3.3%
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 · 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: 50.0% at 0-999, 77.9% at 2200-2499.
| 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, Rapid: 50.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 78.6% expected score (2 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 78.6% expected score (2 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 91.2% expected score (7 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 68.2% expected score (4 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 76.3% expected score (27 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 93.5% expected score (10 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 83.4% expected score (3 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 89.4% expected score (15 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 81.6% expected score (27 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 44.2% expected score (7 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 67.7% expected score (7 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 92.5% expected score (15 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 73.6% expected score (7 games)
Related Openings
Methodology
Across every rating and clock, the Petrov's Defense: Classical Attack, Marshall Trap scores 83.5% for Black — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 78.0% and 88.4% — from 136 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
- 136+ 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, Marshall Trap win rate?
Playing the Petrov's Defense: Classical Attack, Marshall Trap, Black wins 81.8%, draws 3.3% and loses 14.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 83.5%. It rests on 136 rated games from Lichess.
At what rating does the Petrov's Defense: Classical Attack, Marshall Trap perform best?
The Petrov's Defense: Classical Attack, Marshall Trap performs best for Black at 2000-2199, with an Expected Score of 80.1% (50 games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.
How sharp is the Petrov's Defense: Classical Attack, Marshall Trap?
The Petrov's Defense: Classical Attack, Marshall Trap has a sharpness score of 96.7 (very decisive), meaning 96.7% of games end decisively. Average game length is 29 moves.
Is the Petrov's Defense: Classical Attack, Marshall Trap a good opening?
The Petrov's Defense: Classical Attack, Marshall Trap is good for Black. Across all ratings, Black wins 81.8% of its games and loses 14.9%. It performs best at 2000-2199. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.