Pirc Defense: Byrne Variation
1.0M games from Lichess · Updated January 2026
White expected score · All ratings · All speeds
54.7%
the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. Its best is the same figure — the band is too tight to plot.
Measured over 1.0M games at this level and clock.
A strong choice for White at this level and clock.
Outcomes for White
Draw 3.8 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 1.0M games
- Rank among the families White can choose here
- not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
- Games in this context
- 1.0M
- Best context
- 62.2% at 2200-2499 Rapid
- Worst context
- 46.5% at 0-999 Bullet
- Average game length
- 33 moves
- Games that end decisively
- 96.2%
- Draws
- 3.8%
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 · 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: 38.4% at 0-999, 63.9% at 2500+.
| Rating | UB | Bulle | Blitz | Rapid | Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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: 10.0% expected score (6 games)
- 0-999 rating, Bullet: 46.5% expected score (6,039 games)
- 0-999 rating, Blitz: 51.5% expected score (9,456 games)
- 0-999 rating, Rapid: 52.1% expected score (2,574 games)
- 0-999 rating, Classical: 31.9% expected score (4 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 54.0% expected score (11 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 50.0% expected score (18,011 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 53.2% expected score (35,580 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 54.0% expected score (10,265 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 60.2% expected score (77 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 52.8% expected score (17 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 51.2% expected score (32,091 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 53.5% expected score (73,388 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 52.9% expected score (27,038 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 50.9% expected score (526 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 55.7% expected score (78 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 51.7% expected score (40,617 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 53.8% expected score (105,339 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 53.6% expected score (43,069 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 51.5% expected score (1,772 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 50.0% expected score (44 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 53.2% expected score (45,496 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 54.0% expected score (112,457 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 54.3% expected score (44,197 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 53.0% expected score (1,844 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 46.9% expected score (30 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 54.7% expected score (43,221 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 55.6% expected score (102,928 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 54.8% expected score (31,915 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 53.0% expected score (1,337 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 63.2% expected score (25 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 57.5% expected score (43,576 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 57.1% expected score (84,353 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 57.2% expected score (15,221 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 58.7% expected score (461 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 72.6% expected score (25 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 58.6% expected score (47,129 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 58.8% expected score (45,051 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 62.2% expected score (4,484 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 64.5% expected score (78 games)
- 2500+ rating, Bullet: 61.1% expected score (12,386 games)
- 2500+ rating, Blitz: 59.5% expected score (2,723 games)
- 2500+ rating, Rapid: 71.2% expected score (67 games)
Related Openings
Methodology
Across every rating and clock, the Pirc Defense: Byrne Variation scores 54.7% for White — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 54.7% and 54.8% — from 1.0M 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
- 1.0M+ 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 Pirc Defense: Byrne Variation win rate?
Playing the Pirc Defense: Byrne Variation, White wins 52.8%, draws 3.8% and loses 43.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.7%. It rests on 1.0M rated games from Lichess.
At what rating does the Pirc Defense: Byrne Variation perform best?
The Pirc Defense: Byrne Variation performs best for White at 2500+, with an Expected Score of 60.9% (15K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.
Is the Pirc Defense: Byrne Variation better in blitz or rapid?
For White, the Pirc Defense: Byrne Variation scores about the same in both: an Expected Score of 55.0% in Blitz (571K games) against 54.4% in Rapid (179K games).
How sharp is the Pirc Defense: Byrne Variation?
The Pirc Defense: Byrne Variation has a sharpness score of 96.2 (very decisive), meaning 96.2% of games end decisively. Average game length is 33 moves.
What is the Pirc Defense: Byrne Variation win rate at 0-999?
At 0-999, White wins 48.4%, draws 2.9% and loses 48.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.9%. It rests on 18K Lichess games, which average 27 moves.
What is the Pirc Defense: Byrne Variation win rate at 1000-1199?
At 1000-1199, White wins 50.8%, draws 3.2% and loses 46.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.4%. It rests on 64K Lichess games, which average 29 moves.
What is the Pirc Defense: Byrne Variation win rate at 1200-1399?
At 1200-1399, White wins 51.1%, draws 3.4% and loses 45.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.8%. It rests on 133K Lichess games, which average 31 moves.
What is the Pirc Defense: Byrne Variation win rate at 1400-1599?
At 1400-1599, White wins 51.5%, draws 3.5% and loses 45.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.3%. It rests on 191K Lichess games, which average 32 moves.
What is the Pirc Defense: Byrne Variation win rate at 1600-1799?
At 1600-1799, White wins 52.0%, draws 3.8% and loses 44.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.9%. It rests on 204K Lichess games, which average 33 moves.
What is the Pirc Defense: Byrne Variation win rate at 1800-1999?
At 1800-1999, White wins 53.1%, draws 4.1% and loses 42.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 55.2%. It rests on 179K Lichess games, which average 34 moves.
What is the Pirc Defense: Byrne Variation win rate at 2000-2199?
At 2000-2199, White wins 55.1%, draws 4.2% and loses 40.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 57.2%. It rests on 144K Lichess games, which average 34 moves.
What is the Pirc Defense: Byrne Variation win rate at 2200-2499?
At 2200-2499, White wins 56.5%, draws 4.7% and loses 38.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 58.9%. It rests on 97K Lichess games, which average 36 moves.
What is the Pirc Defense: Byrne Variation win rate at 2500+?
At 2500+, White wins 58.4%, draws 5.0% and loses 36.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 60.9%. It rests on 15K Lichess games, which average 38 moves.
What is the Pirc Defense: Byrne Variation win rate in UltraBullet?
In UltraBullet, White wins 52.8%, draws 3.6% and loses 43.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.6%. It rests on 236 Lichess games.
What is the Pirc Defense: Byrne Variation win rate in Bullet?
In Bullet, White wins 53.2%, draws 2.7% and loses 44.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.6%. It rests on 289K Lichess games.
What is the Pirc Defense: Byrne Variation win rate in Blitz?
In Blitz, White wins 52.9%, draws 4.1% and loses 43.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 55.0%. It rests on 571K Lichess games.
What is the Pirc Defense: Byrne Variation win rate in Rapid?
In Rapid, White wins 52.1%, draws 4.6% and loses 43.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.4%. It rests on 179K Lichess games.
What is the Pirc Defense: Byrne Variation win rate in Classical?
In Classical, White wins 50.2%, draws 5.6% and loses 44.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.0%. It rests on 6.1K Lichess games.
Is the Pirc Defense: Byrne Variation a good opening?
The Pirc Defense: Byrne Variation is good for White. Across all ratings, White wins 52.8% of its games and loses 43.4%. It performs best at 2500+. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.