Philidor Defense: Lion Variation, Lion's Claw, with Be2 and c6

10.0K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

Tough Sell
White Expected Score48.2%Range (90% confident): 47.4% – 49.0%Based on 10.0K games
0%48.2%100%
Range (90% confident): 47.4% – 49.0%
Outcome Distribution
45.8%4.8%49.4%
Win
Draw
Loss
6...c6
Philidor Defense: Lion Variation, Lion's Claw, with Be2 and c6
Analyzen=10.0K
Avg Length38 moves
Sharpness95%
Draw Rate4.8%

What is the Philidor Defense: Lion Variation, Lion's Claw, with Be2 and c6 expected score for White?

Snapshot

At all ratings, the Philidor Defense: Lion Variation, Lion's Claw, with Be2 and c6 has a 48.2% expected score for White (we're 90% confident it's between 47.4% and 49.0%), based on 10.0K Lichess games.

White Win% by Rating

Improves with rating: 37% → 51%

0
1000
1200
1400
1600
1800
2000
2200
2500+

  • 0-999: 37.0% win rate (35 games)
  • 1000-1199: 46.6% win rate (122 games)
  • 1200-1399: 42.6% win rate (366 games)
  • 1400-1599: 49.1% win rate (715 games)
  • 1600-1799: 44.2% win rate (1,296 games)
  • 1800-1999: 43.5% win rate (1,942 games)
  • 2000-2199: 45.4% win rate (2,509 games)
  • 2200-2499: 47.0% win rate (2,394 games)
  • 2500+: 51.4% win rate (602 games)

White Win% by Time Control

Best in UltraBullet (52%), worst in Classical (41%)

UltraBullet
Bullet
Blitz
Rapid
Classical

  • UltraBullet: 51.5% win rate (15 games)
  • Bullet: 44.4% win rate (3,133 games)
  • Blitz: 47.0% win rate (5,600 games)
  • Rapid: 43.9% win rate (1,162 games)
  • Classical: 40.7% win rate (71 games)

White% by Rating × Time Control

Click any cell to filter. Green = above 50%, Red = below 50%.

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 (16 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 28.4% expected score (17 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 51.4% expected score (35 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 48.5% expected score (66 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 34.6% expected score (18 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 40.1% expected score (94 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 50.6% expected score (184 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 37.1% expected score (84 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 31.9% expected score (4 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 42.5% expected score (144 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 54.2% expected score (392 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 52.8% expected score (165 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 42.6% expected score (12 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 41.3% expected score (291 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 48.4% expected score (723 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 47.2% expected score (266 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 44.3% expected score (16 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 50.0% expected score (4 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 41.7% expected score (401 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 46.5% expected score (1,224 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 48.8% expected score (288 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 40.6% expected score (25 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 50.0% expected score (6 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 46.8% expected score (607 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 48.6% expected score (1,656 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 44.9% expected score (235 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 73.1% expected score (5 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 45.9% expected score (1,048 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 52.8% expected score (1,241 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 50.5% expected score (97 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 44.7% expected score (8 games)
  • 2500+ rating, UltraBullet: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 54.0% expected score (497 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 57.7% expected score (97 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 73.6% expected score (7 games)

Related Openings

Analyze Philidor Defense: Lion Variation, Lion's Claw, with Be2 and c6 PositionsGet move-by-move win rates with the TrueElo analyzer

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Philidor Defense: Lion Variation, Lion's Claw, with Be2 and c6 win rate?

The Philidor Defense: Lion Variation, Lion's Claw, with Be2 and c6 has a 45.8% (90% CI: 45.0%-46.6%) win rate for white, based on 10.0K rated games from Lichess.

At what rating does the Philidor Defense: Lion Variation, Lion's Claw, with Be2 and c6 perform best?

The Philidor Defense: Lion Variation, Lion's Claw, with Be2 and c6 performs best at 2500+ Elo with a 51.4% win rate for white (602 games). Win rate tends to decline at higher ratings as opponents know the theory better.

Is the Philidor Defense: Lion Variation, Lion's Claw, with Be2 and c6 better in blitz or rapid?

Blitz (47.0%) outperforms Classical (40.7%) by 6.3%. Choose your time control wisely.

How sharp is the Philidor Defense: Lion Variation, Lion's Claw, with Be2 and c6?

The Philidor Defense: Lion Variation, Lion's Claw, with Be2 and c6 has a sharpness score of 95.2 (very decisive), meaning 95.2% of games end decisively. Average game length is 38 moves.

What is the Philidor Defense: Lion Variation, Lion's Claw, with Be2 and c6 win rate at 1000-1199 Elo?

At 1000-1199 Elo, the Philidor Defense: Lion Variation, Lion's Claw, with Be2 and c6 has a 46.6% (90% CI: 39.2%-53.9%) win rate for white, based on 122 Lichess games. Average game length is 31 moves with a 0.4% draw rate.

What is the Philidor Defense: Lion Variation, Lion's Claw, with Be2 and c6 win rate at 1200-1399 Elo?

At 1200-1399 Elo, the Philidor Defense: Lion Variation, Lion's Claw, with Be2 and c6 has a 42.6% (90% CI: 38.4%-46.8%) win rate for white, based on 366 Lichess games. Average game length is 33 moves with a 3.7% draw rate.

What is the Philidor Defense: Lion Variation, Lion's Claw, with Be2 and c6 win rate at 1400-1599 Elo?

At 1400-1599 Elo, the Philidor Defense: Lion Variation, Lion's Claw, with Be2 and c6 has a 49.1% (90% CI: 46.0%-52.1%) win rate for white, based on 715 Lichess games. Average game length is 34 moves with a 4.4% draw rate.

What is the Philidor Defense: Lion Variation, Lion's Claw, with Be2 and c6 win rate at 1600-1799 Elo?

At 1600-1799 Elo, the Philidor Defense: Lion Variation, Lion's Claw, with Be2 and c6 has a 44.2% (90% CI: 41.9%-46.5%) win rate for white, based on 1.3K Lichess games. Average game length is 35 moves with a 4.5% draw rate.

What is the Philidor Defense: Lion Variation, Lion's Claw, with Be2 and c6 win rate at 1800-1999 Elo?

At 1800-1999 Elo, the Philidor Defense: Lion Variation, Lion's Claw, with Be2 and c6 has a 43.5% (90% CI: 41.7%-45.4%) win rate for white, based on 1.9K Lichess games. Average game length is 37 moves with a 4.5% draw rate.

What is the Philidor Defense: Lion Variation, Lion's Claw, with Be2 and c6 win rate at 2000-2199 Elo?

At 2000-2199 Elo, the Philidor Defense: Lion Variation, Lion's Claw, with Be2 and c6 has a 45.4% (90% CI: 43.8%-47.0%) win rate for white, based on 2.5K Lichess games. Average game length is 38 moves with a 5.0% draw rate.

What is the Philidor Defense: Lion Variation, Lion's Claw, with Be2 and c6 win rate at 2200-2499 Elo?

At 2200-2499 Elo, the Philidor Defense: Lion Variation, Lion's Claw, with Be2 and c6 has a 47.0% (90% CI: 45.3%-48.7%) win rate for white, based on 2.4K Lichess games. Average game length is 40 moves with a 5.3% draw rate.

What is the Philidor Defense: Lion Variation, Lion's Claw, with Be2 and c6 win rate at 2500+ Elo?

At 2500+ Elo, the Philidor Defense: Lion Variation, Lion's Claw, with Be2 and c6 has a 51.4% (90% CI: 48.1%-54.8%) win rate for white, based on 602 Lichess games. Average game length is 43 moves with a 6.9% draw rate.

What is the Philidor Defense: Lion Variation, Lion's Claw, with Be2 and c6 win rate in Bullet?

In Bullet games, the Philidor Defense: Lion Variation, Lion's Claw, with Be2 and c6 has a 44.4% (90% CI: 42.9%-45.9%) win rate for white (3.1K Lichess games). Draw rate is 3.4%.

What is the Philidor Defense: Lion Variation, Lion's Claw, with Be2 and c6 win rate in Blitz?

In Blitz games, the Philidor Defense: Lion Variation, Lion's Claw, with Be2 and c6 has a 47.0% (90% CI: 45.9%-48.1%) win rate for white (5.6K Lichess games). Draw rate is 5.2%.

What is the Philidor Defense: Lion Variation, Lion's Claw, with Be2 and c6 win rate in Rapid?

In Rapid games, the Philidor Defense: Lion Variation, Lion's Claw, with Be2 and c6 has a 43.9% (90% CI: 41.5%-46.3%) win rate for white (1.2K Lichess games). Draw rate is 7.1%.

Is the Philidor Defense: Lion Variation, Lion's Claw, with Be2 and c6 a good opening?

The Philidor Defense: Lion Variation, Lion's Claw, with Be2 and c6 is slightly favors black with a 45.8% (90% CI: 45.0%-46.6%) win rate across all ratings. It performs best at 2500+ Elo. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.