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Philidor Defense: Hanham Variation, Steiner Variation

9.9K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

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Analyze this line move by move

White expected score · All ratings · All speeds

47.7%

40%55%
Floor46.8%

the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 48.5%.

Measured over 9.9K games at this level and clock.

Tough Sellloses more often than it wins at this level

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

Outcomes for White

Draw 4.6 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 9.9K games

Rank among the families White can choose here
not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
Games in this context
9.9K
Best context
58.5% at 2200-2499 Blitz
Worst context
38.5% at 1800-1999 Bullet
Average game length
36 moves
Games that end decisively
95.4%
Draws
4.6%

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 gets better as the rating rises: 58.0% at 0-999, 69.6% 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, Bullet: 50.0% expected score (12 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 54.0% expected score (11 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 31.8% expected score (26 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 57.4% expected score (53 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 60.3% expected score (18 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 40.0% expected score (193 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 45.0% expected score (199 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 41.9% expected score (103 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 39.4% expected score (187 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 43.8% expected score (400 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 49.5% expected score (173 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 64.3% expected score (9 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 39.1% expected score (359 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 42.9% expected score (989 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 43.8% expected score (265 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 73.1% expected score (18 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 38.5% expected score (522 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 45.6% expected score (1,659 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 48.4% expected score (355 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 31.9% expected score (15 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 48.8% expected score (591 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 49.0% expected score (1,410 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 56.7% expected score (245 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 64.3% expected score (9 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 48.7% expected score (881 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 58.5% expected score (767 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 73.9% expected score (97 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 58.9% expected score (207 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 71.2% expected score (86 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 78.6% 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, Steiner Variation PositionsSee what each move is worth at your rating, move by move

Methodology

Across every rating and clock, the Philidor Defense: Hanham Variation, Steiner Variation scores 47.7% for White — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 46.8% and 48.5% — from 9.9K 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
9.9K+ 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, Steiner Variation win rate?

Playing the Philidor Defense: Hanham Variation, Steiner Variation, White wins 45.4%, draws 4.6% and loses 50.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.7%. It rests on 9.9K rated games from Lichess.

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

The Philidor Defense: Hanham Variation, Steiner Variation performs best for White at 2500+, with an Expected Score of 62.8% (295 games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.

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

For White, the Philidor Defense: Hanham Variation, Steiner Variation scores higher in Rapid: an Expected Score of 48.2% in Blitz (5.6K games) against 50.9% in Rapid (1.3K games).

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

The Philidor Defense: Hanham Variation, Steiner Variation has a sharpness score of 95.4 (very decisive), meaning 95.4% of games end decisively. Average game length is 36 moves.

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

At 1200-1399, White wins 41.2%, draws 2.3% and loses 56.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 42.4%. It rests on 497 Lichess games, which average 30 moves.

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

At 1400-1599, White wins 42.8%, draws 2.9% and loses 54.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 44.3%. It rests on 769 Lichess games, which average 32 moves.

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

At 1600-1799, White wins 40.5%, draws 4.1% and loses 55.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 42.6%. It rests on 1.6K Lichess games, which average 34 moves.

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

At 1800-1999, White wins 41.9%, draws 5.1% and loses 53.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 44.5%. It rests on 2.6K Lichess games, which average 37 moves.

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

At 2000-2199, White wins 47.7%, draws 4.4% and loses 47.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.9%. It rests on 2.3K Lichess games, which average 37 moves.

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

At 2200-2499, White wins 51.4%, draws 6.0% and loses 42.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.4%. It rests on 1.7K Lichess games, which average 38 moves.

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

At 2500+, White wins 60.2%, draws 5.2% and loses 34.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 62.8%. It rests on 295 Lichess games, which average 39 moves.

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

In Bullet, White wins 43.4%, draws 3.5% and loses 53.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 45.2%. It rests on 3.0K Lichess games.

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

In Blitz, White wins 45.6%, draws 5.1% and loses 49.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.2%. It rests on 5.6K Lichess games.

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

In Rapid, White wins 48.5%, draws 4.8% and loses 46.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.9%. It rests on 1.3K Lichess games.

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

The Philidor Defense: Hanham Variation, Steiner Variation is hard work for White — it favours Black. Across all ratings, White wins 45.4% of its games and loses 50.1%. It performs best at 2500+. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.