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Philidor Defense: Hanham Variation

750K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

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Analyze this line move by move

Black expected score · All ratings · All speeds

51.1%

45%55%
Floor51.0%

the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 51.2%.

Measured over 750K games at this level and clock.

Playablewins about as often as it loses at this level

Roughly even — the middlegame decides more than this opening choice does.

Outcomes for Black

Draw 4.1 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 750K games

Rank among the families Black can choose here
not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
Games in this context
750K
Best context
54.5% at 1600-1799 Bullet
Worst context
37.5% at 2500+ Blitz
Average game length
35 moves
Games that end decisively
95.9%
Draws
4.1%

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.

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 falls away as the rating rises: 52.5% at 0-999, 32.6% at 2500+.

RatingUBBulleBlitzRapidClass
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: 54.8% expected score (9 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Bullet: 51.0% expected score (4,495 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 50.1% expected score (9,649 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 49.9% expected score (2,871 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Classical: 56.9% expected score (13 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 30.6% expected score (37 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 50.8% expected score (8,797 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 48.4% expected score (23,120 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 48.4% expected score (8,703 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 48.0% expected score (123 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 57.0% expected score (78 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 53.3% expected score (16,283 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 49.9% expected score (40,863 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 48.4% expected score (20,236 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 48.1% expected score (627 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 67.1% expected score (107 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 53.7% expected score (26,625 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 51.3% expected score (65,123 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 49.0% expected score (30,438 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 47.1% expected score (2,397 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 49.5% expected score (93 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 54.5% expected score (37,589 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 52.2% expected score (96,016 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 49.9% expected score (31,019 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 43.7% expected score (2,962 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 49.6% expected score (116 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 53.8% expected score (42,280 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 51.9% expected score (97,938 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 49.4% expected score (24,996 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 46.7% expected score (1,106 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 59.8% expected score (101 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 53.3% expected score (33,573 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 50.3% expected score (56,107 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 47.6% expected score (12,675 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 39.1% expected score (323 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 51.3% expected score (119 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 51.5% expected score (26,284 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 45.6% expected score (18,051 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 41.6% expected score (2,309 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 39.3% expected score (31 games)
  • 2500+ rating, UltraBullet: 38.9% expected score (12 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 46.9% expected score (4,831 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 37.5% expected score (928 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 25.9% expected score (40 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Classical: 13.7% expected score (4 games)

Related Openings

Parent
Philidor Defense
50.2%
Variations (5)
Philidor Defense: Exchange Variation
50.5%
Philidor Defense: Lion Variation
45.8%
Philidor Defense: Nimzowitsch Variation
53.4%
Philidor Defense: Morphy Gambit
51.7%
Philidor Defense: Lopez Countergambit
50.6%
Continuations (5)
Philidor Defense: Hanham Variation, Schlechter Variation
47.0%
Philidor Defense: Hanham Variation, Krause Variation
46.9%
Philidor Defense: Hanham Variation, Delmar Variation
50.2%
Philidor Defense: Hanham Variation, Steiner Variation
45.4%
Philidor Defense: Hanham Variation, Sharp Variation
53.3%
Analyze Philidor Defense: Hanham Variation PositionsSee what each move is worth at your rating, move by move

Methodology

Across every rating and clock, the Philidor Defense: Hanham Variation scores 51.1% for Black — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 51.0% and 51.2% — from 750K 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
750K+ 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: Hanham Variation win rate?

Playing the Philidor Defense: Hanham Variation, Black wins 49.0%, draws 4.1% and loses 46.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.1%. It rests on 750K rated games from Lichess.

At what rating does the Philidor Defense: Hanham Variation perform best?

The Philidor Defense: Hanham Variation performs best for Black at 1600-1799, with an Expected Score of 52.2% (168K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.

Is the Philidor Defense: Hanham Variation better in blitz or rapid?

For Black, the Philidor Defense: Hanham Variation scores higher in Blitz: an Expected Score of 50.9% in Blitz (408K games) against 48.9% in Rapid (133K games).

How sharp is the Philidor Defense: Hanham Variation?

The Philidor Defense: Hanham Variation has a sharpness score of 95.9 (very decisive), meaning 95.9% of games end decisively. Average game length is 35 moves.

What is the Philidor Defense: Hanham Variation win rate at 0-999?

At 0-999, Black wins 48.6%, draws 3.3% and loses 48.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.3%. It rests on 17K Lichess games, which average 28 moves.

What is the Philidor Defense: Hanham Variation win rate at 1000-1199?

At 1000-1199, Black wins 47.0%, draws 3.8% and loses 49.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.9%. It rests on 41K Lichess games, which average 31 moves.

What is the Philidor Defense: Hanham Variation win rate at 1200-1399?

At 1200-1399, Black wins 48.4%, draws 3.6% and loses 48.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.2%. It rests on 78K Lichess games, which average 33 moves.

What is the Philidor Defense: Hanham Variation win rate at 1400-1599?

At 1400-1599, Black wins 49.3%, draws 3.7% and loses 47.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.2%. It rests on 125K Lichess games, which average 34 moves.

What is the Philidor Defense: Hanham Variation win rate at 1600-1799?

At 1600-1799, Black wins 50.2%, draws 3.9% and loses 45.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.2%. It rests on 168K Lichess games, which average 35 moves.

What is the Philidor Defense: Hanham Variation win rate at 1800-1999?

At 1800-1999, Black wins 49.8%, draws 4.3% and loses 46.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.9%. It rests on 166K Lichess games, which average 36 moves.

What is the Philidor Defense: Hanham Variation win rate at 2000-2199?

At 2000-2199, Black wins 48.6%, draws 4.6% and loses 46.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.9%. It rests on 103K Lichess games, which average 37 moves.

What is the Philidor Defense: Hanham Variation win rate at 2200-2499?

At 2200-2499, Black wins 46.3%, draws 4.8% and loses 48.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.7%. It rests on 47K Lichess games, which average 38 moves.

What is the Philidor Defense: Hanham Variation win rate at 2500+?

At 2500+, Black wins 42.1%, draws 6.2% and loses 51.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 45.2%. It rests on 5.8K Lichess games, which average 40 moves.

What is the Philidor Defense: Hanham Variation win rate in UltraBullet?

In UltraBullet, Black wins 52.8%, draws 2.2% and loses 45.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.9%. It rests on 672 Lichess games.

What is the Philidor Defense: Hanham Variation win rate in Bullet?

In Bullet, Black wins 51.7%, draws 2.9% and loses 45.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.1%. It rests on 201K Lichess games.

What is the Philidor Defense: Hanham Variation win rate in Blitz?

In Blitz, Black wins 48.7%, draws 4.4% and loses 46.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.9%. It rests on 408K Lichess games.

What is the Philidor Defense: Hanham Variation win rate in Rapid?

In Rapid, Black wins 46.5%, draws 4.8% and loses 48.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.9%. It rests on 133K Lichess games.

What is the Philidor Defense: Hanham Variation win rate in Classical?

In Classical, Black wins 43.0%, draws 4.8% and loses 52.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 45.4%. It rests on 7.6K Lichess games.

Is the Philidor Defense: Hanham Variation a good opening?

The Philidor Defense: Hanham Variation is about level. Across all ratings, Black wins 49.0% of its games and loses 46.9%. It performs best at 1600-1799. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.