Polish Opening: Schiffler-Sokolsky Variation
204K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026
White expected score · All ratings · All speeds
54.5%
the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 54.7%.
Measured over 204K games at this level and clock.
A strong choice for White at this level and clock.
Outcomes for White
Draw 4.5 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 204K games
- Rank among the families White can choose here
- not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
- Games in this context
- 204K
- Best context
- 59.2% at 2200-2499 Bullet
- Worst context
- 48.2% at 1400-1599 Rapid
- Average game length
- 36 moves
- Games that end decisively
- 95.5%
- Draws
- 4.5%
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.
Extra Analysis
Deep-dive datasets for this opening
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 holds about the same all the way up, near 52.0%.
| 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, Bullet: 54.9% expected score (325 games)
- 0-999 rating, Blitz: 52.5% expected score (138 games)
- 0-999 rating, Rapid: 48.5% expected score (31 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 54.5% expected score (1,142 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 52.5% expected score (792 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 45.1% expected score (121 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 64.3% expected score (9 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 56.4% expected score (5,422 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 50.9% expected score (4,507 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 50.1% expected score (583 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 32.4% expected score (7 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 57.0% expected score (106 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 55.2% expected score (11,662 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 51.8% expected score (13,979 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 48.2% expected score (1,970 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 47.0% expected score (81 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 65.5% expected score (76 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 56.5% expected score (15,692 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 53.1% expected score (30,455 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 50.9% expected score (4,216 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 55.4% expected score (221 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 72.6% expected score (14 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 57.0% expected score (22,191 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 53.7% expected score (32,428 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 51.3% expected score (5,799 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 55.1% expected score (195 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 56.3% expected score (21,548 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 54.5% expected score (16,837 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 50.7% expected score (1,867 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 52.1% expected score (46 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 59.2% expected score (7,490 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 55.7% expected score (3,171 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 49.0% expected score (453 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 69.1% expected score (9 games)
- 2500+ rating, Bullet: 56.4% expected score (466 games)
- 2500+ rating, Blitz: 48.9% expected score (42 games)
- 2500+ rating, Rapid: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
Related Openings
Methodology
Across every rating and clock, the Polish Opening: Schiffler-Sokolsky Variation scores 54.5% for White — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 54.4% and 54.7% — from 204K 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
- 204K+ 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 Polish Opening: Schiffler-Sokolsky Variation win rate?
Playing the Polish Opening: Schiffler-Sokolsky Variation, White wins 52.2%, draws 4.5% and loses 43.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.5%. It rests on 204K rated games from Lichess.
At what rating does the Polish Opening: Schiffler-Sokolsky Variation perform best?
The Polish Opening: Schiffler-Sokolsky Variation performs best for White at 2200-2499, with an Expected Score of 57.8% (11K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.
Is the Polish Opening: Schiffler-Sokolsky Variation better in blitz or rapid?
For White, the Polish Opening: Schiffler-Sokolsky Variation scores higher in Blitz: an Expected Score of 53.3% in Blitz (102K games) against 50.6% in Rapid (15K games).
How sharp is the Polish Opening: Schiffler-Sokolsky Variation?
The Polish Opening: Schiffler-Sokolsky Variation has a sharpness score of 95.5 (very decisive), meaning 95.5% of games end decisively. Average game length is 36 moves.
What is the Polish Opening: Schiffler-Sokolsky Variation win rate at 0-999?
At 0-999, White wins 52.6%, draws 2.5% and loses 44.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.9%. It rests on 494 Lichess games, which average 26 moves.
What is the Polish Opening: Schiffler-Sokolsky Variation win rate at 1000-1199?
At 1000-1199, White wins 52.2%, draws 2.0% and loses 45.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.2%. It rests on 2.1K Lichess games, which average 28 moves.
What is the Polish Opening: Schiffler-Sokolsky Variation win rate at 1200-1399?
At 1200-1399, White wins 52.6%, draws 2.3% and loses 45.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.8%. It rests on 11K Lichess games, which average 31 moves.
What is the Polish Opening: Schiffler-Sokolsky Variation win rate at 1400-1599?
At 1400-1599, White wins 51.2%, draws 3.4% and loses 45.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.0%. It rests on 28K Lichess games, which average 33 moves.
What is the Polish Opening: Schiffler-Sokolsky Variation win rate at 1600-1799?
At 1600-1799, White wins 51.8%, draws 4.3% and loses 43.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.0%. It rests on 51K Lichess games, which average 35 moves.
What is the Polish Opening: Schiffler-Sokolsky Variation win rate at 1800-1999?
At 1800-1999, White wins 52.2%, draws 4.9% and loses 42.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.7%. It rests on 61K Lichess games, which average 37 moves.
What is the Polish Opening: Schiffler-Sokolsky Variation win rate at 2000-2199?
At 2000-2199, White wins 52.7%, draws 5.1% and loses 42.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 55.3%. It rests on 40K Lichess games, which average 38 moves.
What is the Polish Opening: Schiffler-Sokolsky Variation win rate at 2200-2499?
At 2200-2499, White wins 54.6%, draws 6.4% and loses 39.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 57.8%. It rests on 11K Lichess games, which average 41 moves.
What is the Polish Opening: Schiffler-Sokolsky Variation win rate at 2500+?
At 2500+, White wins 51.9%, draws 7.7% and loses 40.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 55.8%. It rests on 510 Lichess games, which average 41 moves.
What is the Polish Opening: Schiffler-Sokolsky Variation win rate in UltraBullet?
In UltraBullet, White wins 60.2%, draws 3.1% and loses 36.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 61.8%. It rests on 207 Lichess games.
What is the Polish Opening: Schiffler-Sokolsky Variation win rate in Bullet?
In Bullet, White wins 55.0%, draws 3.1% and loses 41.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 56.6%. It rests on 86K Lichess games.
What is the Polish Opening: Schiffler-Sokolsky Variation win rate in Blitz?
In Blitz, White wins 50.6%, draws 5.4% and loses 44.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.3%. It rests on 102K Lichess games.
What is the Polish Opening: Schiffler-Sokolsky Variation win rate in Rapid?
In Rapid, White wins 47.4%, draws 6.3% and loses 46.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.6%. It rests on 15K Lichess games.
What is the Polish Opening: Schiffler-Sokolsky Variation win rate in Classical?
In Classical, White wins 49.5%, draws 8.5% and loses 42.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.8%. It rests on 559 Lichess games.
Is the Polish Opening: Schiffler-Sokolsky Variation a good opening?
The Polish Opening: Schiffler-Sokolsky Variation is good for White. Across all ratings, White wins 52.2% of its games and loses 43.3%. It performs best at 2200-2499. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.