Skip to content
TrueEloPlay what wins.
Score a position

Philidor Defense: Hanham Variation, Delmar Variation

19K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

8
7
6
5
4
3
2
a1
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
5.c3
Analyze this line move by move

White expected score · All ratings · All speeds

51.8%

45%60%
Floor51.2%

the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 52.4%.

Measured over 19K 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 White

Draw 3.2 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 19K games

Rank among the families White can choose here
not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
Games in this context
19K
Best context
55.6% at 2200-2499 Blitz
Worst context
49.1% at 1600-1799 Blitz
Average game length
36 moves
Games that end decisively
96.8%
Draws
3.2%

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: 62.1% at 0-999, 51.4% 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, Bullet: 62.7% expected score (54 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 58.6% expected score (74 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 64.9% expected score (22 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 50.0% expected score (125 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 47.2% expected score (263 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 47.8% expected score (89 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 51.7% expected score (294 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 53.6% expected score (520 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 50.9% expected score (175 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 60.6% expected score (8 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 78.6% expected score (2 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 53.0% expected score (367 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 53.1% expected score (789 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 52.4% expected score (307 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 60.3% expected score (18 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 52.0% expected score (752 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 49.1% expected score (1,583 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 52.2% expected score (433 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 67.1% expected score (22 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 51.5% expected score (1,255 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 51.1% expected score (3,150 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 51.0% expected score (595 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 48.0% expected score (23 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 49.6% expected score (1,534 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 51.5% expected score (2,828 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 57.8% expected score (399 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 53.5% expected score (13 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 53.4% expected score (1,734 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 55.6% expected score (885 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 54.8% expected score (112 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 78.6% expected score (2 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 49.2% expected score (190 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 55.1% expected score (18 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 50.0% expected score (2 games)

Related Openings

Parent
Philidor Defense
50.2%
Variations (5)
Philidor Defense: Exchange Variation
50.5%
Philidor Defense: Lion Variation
45.8%
Philidor Defense: Hanham Variation
46.9%
Philidor Defense: Nimzowitsch Variation
53.4%
Philidor Defense: Morphy Gambit
51.7%
Analyze Philidor Defense: Hanham Variation, Delmar Variation PositionsSee what each move is worth at your rating, move by move

Methodology

Across every rating and clock, the Philidor Defense: Hanham Variation, Delmar Variation scores 51.8% for White — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 51.2% and 52.4% — from 19K 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
19K+ 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, Delmar Variation win rate?

Playing the Philidor Defense: Hanham Variation, Delmar Variation, White wins 50.2%, draws 3.2% and loses 46.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.8%. It rests on 19K rated games from Lichess.

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

The Philidor Defense: Hanham Variation, Delmar Variation performs best for White at 0-999, with an Expected Score of 61.2% (150 games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.

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

For White, the Philidor Defense: Hanham Variation, Delmar Variation scores higher in Rapid: an Expected Score of 51.5% in Blitz (10K games) against 52.9% in Rapid (2.1K games).

How sharp is the Philidor Defense: Hanham Variation, Delmar Variation?

The Philidor Defense: Hanham Variation, Delmar Variation has a sharpness score of 96.8 (very decisive), meaning 96.8% of games end decisively. Average game length is 36 moves.

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

At 0-999, White wins 59.7%, draws 3.0% and loses 37.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 61.2%. It rests on 150 Lichess games, which average 26 moves.

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

At 1000-1199, White wins 46.9%, draws 2.2% and loses 50.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.0%. It rests on 477 Lichess games, which average 30 moves.

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

At 1200-1399, White wins 51.4%, draws 2.4% and loses 46.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.6%. It rests on 997 Lichess games, which average 31 moves.

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

At 1400-1599, White wins 51.8%, draws 2.5% and loses 45.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.1%. It rests on 1.5K Lichess games, which average 33 moves.

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

At 1600-1799, White wins 48.9%, draws 3.3% and loses 47.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.5%. It rests on 2.8K Lichess games, which average 34 moves.

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

At 1800-1999, White wins 49.5%, draws 3.2% and loses 47.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.2%. It rests on 5.0K Lichess games, which average 36 moves.

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

At 2000-2199, White wins 49.6%, draws 3.4% and loses 46.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.4%. It rests on 4.8K Lichess games, which average 37 moves.

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

At 2200-2499, White wins 52.4%, draws 3.6% and loses 44.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.2%. It rests on 2.7K Lichess games, which average 38 moves.

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

At 2500+, White wins 47.5%, draws 4.5% and loses 48.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.8%. It rests on 210 Lichess games, which average 39 moves.

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

In Bullet, White wins 50.6%, draws 2.1% and loses 47.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.7%. It rests on 6.3K Lichess games.

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

In Blitz, White wins 49.7%, draws 3.6% and loses 46.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.5%. It rests on 10K Lichess games.

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

In Rapid, White wins 50.7%, draws 4.4% and loses 44.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.9%. It rests on 2.1K Lichess games.

Is the Philidor Defense: Hanham Variation, Delmar Variation a good opening?

The Philidor Defense: Hanham Variation, Delmar Variation is about level. Across all ratings, White wins 50.2% of its games and loses 46.6%. It performs best at 0-999. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.