Polish Opening: Zukertort System
28K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026
White expected score · All ratings · All speeds
51.0%
the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 51.5%.
Measured over 28K games at this level and clock.
Roughly even — the middlegame decides more than this opening choice does.
Outcomes for White
Draw 5.7 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 28K games
- Rank among the families White can choose here
- not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
- Games in this context
- 28K
- Best context
- 58.0% at 2500+ Blitz
- Worst context
- 47.0% at 1400-1599 Bullet
- Average game length
- 37 moves
- Games that end decisively
- 94.3%
- Draws
- 5.7%
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: 36.7% at 0-999, 63.2% 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, Bullet: 40.2% expected score (110 games)
- 0-999 rating, Blitz: 45.6% expected score (335 games)
- 0-999 rating, Rapid: 39.4% expected score (219 games)
- 0-999 rating, Classical: 21.5% expected score (2 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 40.0% expected score (178 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 43.7% expected score (285 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 48.4% expected score (188 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 16.7% expected score (6 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 21.5% expected score (2 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 50.5% expected score (717 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 50.0% expected score (599 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 44.3% expected score (242 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 32.9% expected score (16 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 50.0% expected score (6 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 47.0% expected score (664 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 47.8% expected score (1,016 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 49.4% expected score (473 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 49.0% expected score (46 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 50.0% expected score (4 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 50.4% expected score (1,045 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 48.3% expected score (1,910 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 51.2% expected score (763 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 40.5% expected score (56 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 29.0% expected score (8 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 52.4% expected score (1,335 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 50.5% expected score (3,901 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 49.7% expected score (1,412 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 49.4% expected score (74 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 44.2% expected score (7 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 49.3% expected score (1,552 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 54.0% expected score (4,100 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 50.3% expected score (722 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (23 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 51.9% expected score (1,091 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 54.3% expected score (3,222 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 54.1% expected score (478 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 73.8% expected score (9 games)
- 2500+ rating, Bullet: 52.2% expected score (718 games)
- 2500+ rating, Blitz: 58.0% expected score (654 games)
- 2500+ rating, Rapid: 65.1% expected score (25 games)
- 2500+ rating, Classical: 77.3% expected score (4 games)
Related Openings
Methodology
Across every rating and clock, the Polish Opening: Zukertort System scores 51.0% for White — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 50.5% and 51.5% — from 28K 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
- 28K+ 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: Zukertort System win rate?
Playing the Polish Opening: Zukertort System, White wins 48.1%, draws 5.7% and loses 46.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.0%. It rests on 28K rated games from Lichess.
At what rating does the Polish Opening: Zukertort System perform best?
The Polish Opening: Zukertort System performs best for White at 2500+, with an Expected Score of 55.2% (1.4K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.
Is the Polish Opening: Zukertort System better in blitz or rapid?
For White, the Polish Opening: Zukertort System scores higher in Blitz: an Expected Score of 51.8% in Blitz (16K games) against 49.7% in Rapid (4.5K games).
How sharp is the Polish Opening: Zukertort System?
The Polish Opening: Zukertort System has a sharpness score of 94.3 (decisive), meaning 94.3% of games end decisively. Average game length is 37 moves.
What is the Polish Opening: Zukertort System win rate at 0-999?
At 0-999, White wins 39.6%, draws 5.6% and loses 54.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 42.4%. It rests on 666 Lichess games, which average 29 moves.
What is the Polish Opening: Zukertort System win rate at 1000-1199?
At 1000-1199, White wins 41.6%, draws 4.3% and loses 54.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 43.8%. It rests on 658 Lichess games, which average 28 moves.
What is the Polish Opening: Zukertort System win rate at 1200-1399?
At 1200-1399, White wins 47.4%, draws 3.3% and loses 49.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.1%. It rests on 1.6K Lichess games, which average 31 moves.
What is the Polish Opening: Zukertort System win rate at 1400-1599?
At 1400-1599, White wins 46.3%, draws 3.2% and loses 50.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.9%. It rests on 2.2K Lichess games, which average 33 moves.
What is the Polish Opening: Zukertort System win rate at 1600-1799?
At 1600-1799, White wins 47.1%, draws 4.5% and loses 48.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.3%. It rests on 3.8K Lichess games, which average 35 moves.
What is the Polish Opening: Zukertort System win rate at 1800-1999?
At 1800-1999, White wins 48.0%, draws 5.3% and loses 46.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.7%. It rests on 6.7K Lichess games, which average 38 moves.
What is the Polish Opening: Zukertort System win rate at 2000-2199?
At 2000-2199, White wins 49.8%, draws 5.3% and loses 44.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.5%. It rests on 6.4K Lichess games, which average 38 moves.
What is the Polish Opening: Zukertort System win rate at 2200-2499?
At 2200-2499, White wins 50.5%, draws 6.4% and loses 43.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.8%. It rests on 4.8K Lichess games, which average 40 moves.
What is the Polish Opening: Zukertort System win rate at 2500+?
At 2500+, White wins 46.4%, draws 17.6% and loses 36.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 55.2%. It rests on 1.4K Lichess games, which average 45 moves.
What is the Polish Opening: Zukertort System win rate in Bullet?
In Bullet, White wins 47.8%, draws 4.8% and loses 47.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.2%. It rests on 7.4K Lichess games.
What is the Polish Opening: Zukertort System win rate in Blitz?
In Blitz, White wins 48.8%, draws 5.9% and loses 45.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.8%. It rests on 16K Lichess games.
What is the Polish Opening: Zukertort System win rate in Rapid?
In Rapid, White wins 46.5%, draws 6.4% and loses 47.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.7%. It rests on 4.5K Lichess games.
What is the Polish Opening: Zukertort System win rate in Classical?
In Classical, White wins 41.5%, draws 9.5% and loses 49.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.2%. It rests on 236 Lichess games.
Is the Polish Opening: Zukertort System a good opening?
The Polish Opening: Zukertort System is about level. Across all ratings, White wins 48.1% of its games and loses 46.2%. It performs best at 2500+. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.