Pterodactyl Defense: Austrian, Austriadactylus Western
501 games from Lichess · Updated January 2026
Black expected score · All ratings · All speeds
57.0%
the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 60.6%.
Measured over 501 games at this level and clock.
A strong choice for Black at this level and clock.
Outcomes for Black
Draw 3.9 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 501 games
- Rank among the families Black can choose here
- not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
- Games in this context
- 501
- Best context
- not measured yet
- Average game length
- 32 moves
- Games that end decisively
- 96.1%
- Draws
- 3.9%
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 · Black score by rating × clock
Green is clearly ahead for Black, grey is around even, red is behind. Tap a cell to measure there, and again to clear. It falls away as the rating rises: 66.7% at 0-999, 21.5% 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: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
- 0-999 rating, Blitz: 63.4% expected score (6 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 50.0% expected score (4 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 50.0% expected score (6 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 61.2% expected score (3 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 69.4% expected score (14 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 66.4% expected score (26 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 23.4% expected score (6 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 67.0% expected score (25 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 56.8% expected score (43 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 44.2% expected score (7 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 51.0% expected score (48 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 50.0% expected score (50 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 50.0% expected score (10 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 35.7% expected score (2 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 62.0% expected score (61 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 63.3% expected score (100 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 41.3% expected score (10 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 50.0% expected score (28 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 51.7% expected score (28 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 57.7% expected score (18 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
- 2500+ rating, Bullet: 21.5% expected score (2 games)
Related Openings
Methodology
Across every rating and clock, the Pterodactyl Defense: Austrian, Austriadactylus Western scores 57.0% for Black — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 53.4% and 60.6% — from 501 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
- 501+ 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 Pterodactyl Defense: Austrian, Austriadactylus Western win rate?
Playing the Pterodactyl Defense: Austrian, Austriadactylus Western, Black wins 55.0%, draws 3.9% and loses 41.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 57.0%. It rests on 501 rated games from Lichess.
At what rating does the Pterodactyl Defense: Austrian, Austriadactylus Western perform best?
The Pterodactyl Defense: Austrian, Austriadactylus Western performs best for Black at 1800-1999, with an Expected Score of 61.6% (171 games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.
How sharp is the Pterodactyl Defense: Austrian, Austriadactylus Western?
The Pterodactyl Defense: Austrian, Austriadactylus Western has a sharpness score of 96.1 (very decisive), meaning 96.1% of games end decisively. Average game length is 32 moves.
What is the Pterodactyl Defense: Austrian, Austriadactylus Western win rate at 1600-1799?
At 1600-1799, Black wins 48.0%, draws 4.0% and loses 48.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.0%. It rests on 110 Lichess games, which average 30 moves.
What is the Pterodactyl Defense: Austrian, Austriadactylus Western win rate at 1800-1999?
At 1800-1999, Black wins 59.4%, draws 4.3% and loses 36.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 61.6%. It rests on 171 Lichess games, which average 34 moves.
What is the Pterodactyl Defense: Austrian, Austriadactylus Western win rate in Bullet?
In Bullet, Black wins 56.5%, draws 3.2% and loses 40.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 58.2%. It rests on 201 Lichess games.
What is the Pterodactyl Defense: Austrian, Austriadactylus Western win rate in Blitz?
In Blitz, Black wins 56.2%, draws 4.8% and loses 39.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 58.6%. It rests on 261 Lichess games.
Is the Pterodactyl Defense: Austrian, Austriadactylus Western a good opening?
The Pterodactyl Defense: Austrian, Austriadactylus Western is good for Black. Across all ratings, Black wins 55.0% of its games and loses 41.1%. It performs best at 1800-1999. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.