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Pterodactyl Defense: Eastern, Pterodactyl

42K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

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Analyze this line move by move

Black expected score · All ratings · All speeds

45.0%

40%55%
Floor44.6%

the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 45.4%.

Measured over 42K games at this level and clock.

Tough Sellloses more often than it wins at this level

Black comes out behind here — there are better weapons in the list.

Outcomes for Black

Draw 3.6 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 42K games

Rank among the families Black can choose here
not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
Games in this context
42K
Best context
54.9% at 1600-1799 Bullet
Worst context
41.0% at 2500+ Bullet
Average game length
34 moves
Games that end decisively
96.4%
Draws
3.6%

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: 57.0% at 0-999, 39.4% at 2500+.

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: 71.5% expected score (38 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 54.3% expected score (81 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 45.2% expected score (9 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 51.9% expected score (159 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 48.8% expected score (168 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 54.0% expected score (49 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 56.4% expected score (273 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 47.0% expected score (436 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 44.2% expected score (111 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 68.2% expected score (4 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 27.0% expected score (5 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 53.7% expected score (660 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 48.6% expected score (795 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 48.6% expected score (203 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 70.0% expected score (11 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 44.2% expected score (7 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 54.9% expected score (1,369 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 46.8% expected score (1,420 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 46.3% expected score (361 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 55.1% expected score (18 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 34.7% expected score (5 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 49.4% expected score (2,724 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 48.7% expected score (3,001 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 46.1% expected score (397 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 47.4% expected score (36 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 45.5% expected score (4,703 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 45.3% expected score (4,744 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 41.8% expected score (430 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 44.6% expected score (17 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 43.0% expected score (9,182 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 42.1% expected score (4,374 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 34.6% expected score (330 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 26.5% expected score (7 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 41.0% expected score (5,286 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 41.6% expected score (536 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 35.7% expected score (9 games)

Related Openings

Parent
Pterodactyl Defense
44.0%
Variations (5)
Pterodactyl Defense: Eastern, Anhanguera
48.1%
Pterodactyl Defense: Queen Pterodactyl, Quiet Line
47.7%
Pterodactyl Defense: Eastern, Benoni
49.3%
Pterodactyl Defense: Western, Rhamphorhynchus
48.0%
Pterodactyl Defense: Eastern, Rhamphorhynchus
51.1%
Analyze Pterodactyl Defense: Eastern, Pterodactyl PositionsSee what each move is worth at your rating, move by move

Methodology

Across every rating and clock, the Pterodactyl Defense: Eastern, Pterodactyl scores 45.0% for Black — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 44.6% and 45.4% — from 42K 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
42K+ 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: Eastern, Pterodactyl win rate?

Playing the Pterodactyl Defense: Eastern, Pterodactyl, Black wins 43.2%, draws 3.6% and loses 53.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 45.0%. It rests on 42K rated games from Lichess.

At what rating does the Pterodactyl Defense: Eastern, Pterodactyl perform best?

The Pterodactyl Defense: Eastern, Pterodactyl performs best for Black at 0-999, with an Expected Score of 58.9% (128 games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.

Is the Pterodactyl Defense: Eastern, Pterodactyl better in blitz or rapid?

For Black, the Pterodactyl Defense: Eastern, Pterodactyl scores higher in Blitz: an Expected Score of 45.4% in Blitz (16K games) against 43.5% in Rapid (1.9K games).

How sharp is the Pterodactyl Defense: Eastern, Pterodactyl?

The Pterodactyl Defense: Eastern, Pterodactyl has a sharpness score of 96.4 (very decisive), meaning 96.4% of games end decisively. Average game length is 34 moves.

What is the Pterodactyl Defense: Eastern, Pterodactyl win rate at 0-999?

At 0-999, Black wins 56.8%, draws 4.2% and loses 39.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 58.9%. It rests on 128 Lichess games, which average 23 moves.

What is the Pterodactyl Defense: Eastern, Pterodactyl win rate at 1000-1199?

At 1000-1199, Black wins 48.7%, draws 3.8% and loses 47.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.7%. It rests on 377 Lichess games, which average 27 moves.

What is the Pterodactyl Defense: Eastern, Pterodactyl win rate at 1200-1399?

At 1200-1399, Black wins 48.8%, draws 2.2% and loses 49.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.9%. It rests on 824 Lichess games, which average 28 moves.

What is the Pterodactyl Defense: Eastern, Pterodactyl win rate at 1400-1599?

At 1400-1599, Black wins 49.4%, draws 2.4% and loses 48.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.7%. It rests on 1.7K Lichess games, which average 30 moves.

What is the Pterodactyl Defense: Eastern, Pterodactyl win rate at 1600-1799?

At 1600-1799, Black wins 48.8%, draws 2.8% and loses 48.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.2%. It rests on 3.2K Lichess games, which average 32 moves.

What is the Pterodactyl Defense: Eastern, Pterodactyl win rate at 1800-1999?

At 1800-1999, Black wins 47.0%, draws 3.5% and loses 49.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.8%. It rests on 6.2K Lichess games, which average 34 moves.

What is the Pterodactyl Defense: Eastern, Pterodactyl win rate at 2000-2199?

At 2000-2199, Black wins 43.7%, draws 3.0% and loses 53.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 45.2%. It rests on 9.9K Lichess games, which average 33 moves.

What is the Pterodactyl Defense: Eastern, Pterodactyl win rate at 2200-2499?

At 2200-2499, Black wins 40.5%, draws 3.9% and loses 55.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 42.5%. It rests on 14K Lichess games, which average 34 moves.

What is the Pterodactyl Defense: Eastern, Pterodactyl win rate at 2500+?

At 2500+, Black wins 38.5%, draws 5.0% and loses 56.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 41.0%. It rests on 5.8K Lichess games, which average 38 moves.

What is the Pterodactyl Defense: Eastern, Pterodactyl win rate in Bullet?

In Bullet, Black wins 43.3%, draws 3.2% and loses 53.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 44.9%. It rests on 24K Lichess games.

What is the Pterodactyl Defense: Eastern, Pterodactyl win rate in Blitz?

In Blitz, Black wins 43.3%, draws 4.1% and loses 52.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 45.4%. It rests on 16K Lichess games.

What is the Pterodactyl Defense: Eastern, Pterodactyl win rate in Rapid?

In Rapid, Black wins 41.4%, draws 4.1% and loses 54.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 43.5%. It rests on 1.9K Lichess games.

Is the Pterodactyl Defense: Eastern, Pterodactyl a good opening?

The Pterodactyl Defense: Eastern, Pterodactyl is hard work for Black — it favours White. Across all ratings, Black wins 43.2% of its games and loses 53.2%. It performs best at 0-999. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.