Skip to content
TrueEloPlay what wins.
Score a position

Philidor Defense: Hanham Variation, Sharp Variation

3.1K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
h8
g
f
e
d
c
b
a
4...Nb6
Analyze this line move by move

Black expected score · All ratings · All speeds

45.3%

40%55%
Floor43.8%

the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 46.7%.

Measured over 3.1K games at this level and clock.

Tough Sellloses more often than it wins at this level

Black comes out behind here — there are better weapons in the list.

Outcomes for Black

Draw 2.8 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 3.1K games

Rank among the families Black can choose here
not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
Games in this context
3.1K
Best context
not measured yet
Average game length
32 moves
Games that end decisively
97.2%
Draws
2.8%

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: 41.1% at 0-999, 35.0% 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: 42.2% expected score (24 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 44.1% expected score (108 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 36.9% expected score (44 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 43.0% expected score (63 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 40.7% expected score (186 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 50.7% expected score (71 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (4 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 43.3% expected score (110 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 46.0% expected score (272 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 41.5% expected score (133 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 45.4% expected score (117 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 47.3% expected score (329 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 43.1% expected score (172 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 44.7% expected score (8 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 45.7% expected score (90 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 43.3% expected score (260 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 42.8% expected score (131 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 54.0% expected score (11 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 45.4% expected score (74 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 43.8% expected score (191 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 37.6% expected score (71 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 41.3% expected score (10 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 57.4% expected score (268 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 44.0% expected score (114 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 46.6% expected score (57 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 46.2% expected score (90 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 39.1% expected score (35 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 50.0% expected score (22 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 53.5% expected score (13 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 21.5% expected score (2 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 30.0% expected score (1 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, Sharp Variation PositionsSee what each move is worth at your rating, move by move

Methodology

Across every rating and clock, the Philidor Defense: Hanham Variation, Sharp Variation scores 45.3% for Black — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 43.8% and 46.7% — from 3.1K 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
3.1K+ 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, Sharp Variation win rate?

Playing the Philidor Defense: Hanham Variation, Sharp Variation, Black wins 43.9%, draws 2.8% and loses 53.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 45.3%. It rests on 3.1K rated games from Lichess.

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

The Philidor Defense: Hanham Variation, Sharp Variation performs best for Black at 2000-2199, with an Expected Score of 52.6% (440 games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.

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

For Black, the Philidor Defense: Hanham Variation, Sharp Variation scores higher in Blitz: an Expected Score of 44.3% in Blitz (1.5K games) against 42.9% in Rapid (702 games).

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

The Philidor Defense: Hanham Variation, Sharp Variation has a sharpness score of 97.2 (very decisive), meaning 97.2% of games end decisively. Average game length is 32 moves.

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

At 0-999, Black wins 40.8%, draws 2.0% and loses 57.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 41.8%. It rests on 176 Lichess games, which average 26 moves.

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

At 1000-1199, Black wins 42.1%, draws 2.9% and loses 55.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 43.6%. It rests on 325 Lichess games, which average 28 moves.

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

At 1200-1399, Black wins 43.0%, draws 2.2% and loses 54.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 44.1%. It rests on 516 Lichess games, which average 31 moves.

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

At 1400-1599, Black wins 44.2%, draws 2.9% and loses 52.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 45.7%. It rests on 626 Lichess games, which average 33 moves.

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

At 1600-1799, Black wins 42.2%, draws 3.1% and loses 54.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 43.8%. It rests on 492 Lichess games, which average 33 moves.

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

At 1800-1999, Black wins 41.0%, draws 3.3% and loses 55.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 42.7%. It rests on 346 Lichess games, which average 35 moves.

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

At 2000-2199, Black wins 50.8%, draws 3.5% and loses 45.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.6%. It rests on 440 Lichess games, which average 34 moves.

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

At 2200-2499, Black wins 43.4%, draws 3.0% and loses 53.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 45.0%. It rests on 147 Lichess games, which average 35 moves.

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

In Bullet, Black wins 47.9%, draws 1.8% and loses 50.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.8%. It rests on 849 Lichess games.

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

In Blitz, Black wins 42.8%, draws 3.0% and loses 54.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 44.3%. It rests on 1.5K Lichess games.

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

In Rapid, Black wins 41.0%, draws 3.8% and loses 55.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 42.9%. It rests on 702 Lichess games.

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

The Philidor Defense: Hanham Variation, Sharp Variation is hard work for Black — it favours White. Across all ratings, Black wins 43.9% of its games and loses 53.3%. It performs best at 2000-2199. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.