Philidor Defense: Berger Variation
161 games from Lichess · Updated January 2026
White expected score · All ratings · All speeds
44.8%
the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 51.2%.
Measured over 161 games at this level and clock.
White comes out behind here — there are better weapons in the list.
Outcomes for White
Draw 8.9 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 161 games
- Rank among the families White can choose here
- not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
- Games in this context
- 161
- Best context
- not measured yet
- Average game length
- 36 moves
- Games that end decisively
- 91.1%
- Draws
- 8.9%
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 holds about the same all the way up, near 70.0%.
| 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: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 13.7% expected score (4 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 42.4% expected score (5 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 27.8% expected score (3 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 21.5% expected score (2 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 45.3% expected score (9 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 43.6% expected score (14 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 35.4% expected score (19 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 50.0% expected score (37 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 59.1% expected score (4 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 71.1% expected score (8 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 30.9% expected score (22 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 59.1% expected score (4 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 64.3% expected score (9 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 45.7% expected score (10 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 61.2% expected score (3 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 78.6% expected score (2 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 35.7% expected score (2 games)
- 2500+ rating, Bullet: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
Related Openings
Methodology
Across every rating and clock, the Philidor Defense: Berger Variation scores 44.8% for White — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 38.5% and 51.2% — from 161 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
- 161+ 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 Philidor Defense: Berger Variation win rate?
Playing the Philidor Defense: Berger Variation, White wins 40.3%, draws 8.9% and loses 50.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 44.8%. It rests on 161 rated games from Lichess.
At what rating does the Philidor Defense: Berger Variation perform best?
The Philidor Defense: Berger Variation performs best for White at 1600-1799, with an Expected Score of 46.0% (60 games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.
How sharp is the Philidor Defense: Berger Variation?
The Philidor Defense: Berger Variation has a sharpness score of 91.1 (decisive), meaning 91.1% of games end decisively. Average game length is 36 moves.
Is the Philidor Defense: Berger Variation a good opening?
The Philidor Defense: Berger Variation is hard work for White — it favours Black. Across all ratings, White wins 40.3% of its games and loses 50.8%. It performs best at 1600-1799. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.