Queen's Pawn Game: London System, Pterodactyl Variation
978 games from Lichess · Updated January 2026
Black expected score · All ratings · All speeds
47.5%
the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 50.1%.
Measured over 978 games at this level and clock.
Black comes out behind here — there are better weapons in the list.
Outcomes for Black
Draw 4.2 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 978 games
- Rank among the families Black can choose here
- not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
- Games in this context
- 978
- Best context
- not measured yet
- Average game length
- 35 moves
- Games that end decisively
- 95.8%
- Draws
- 4.2%
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: 68.8% at 0-999, 33.5% 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: 67.7% expected score (7 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 72.3% expected score (12 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 55.8% expected score (33 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 50.0% expected score (6 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 56.8% expected score (28 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 54.1% expected score (71 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 50.0% expected score (29 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 43.1% expected score (42 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 47.9% expected score (138 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 46.6% expected score (42 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 47.1% expected score (50 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 45.9% expected score (156 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 47.0% expected score (48 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 78.6% expected score (2 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 54.7% expected score (52 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 45.1% expected score (100 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 32.1% expected score (18 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 36.4% expected score (61 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 44.1% expected score (24 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 36.7% expected score (6 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 48.6% expected score (35 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 42.4% expected score (5 games)
- 2500+ rating, Bullet: 37.0% expected score (10 games)
- 2500+ rating, Blitz: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
Related Openings
Methodology
Across every rating and clock, the Queen's Pawn Game: London System, Pterodactyl Variation scores 47.5% for Black — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 44.9% and 50.1% — from 978 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
- 978+ 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 Queen's Pawn Game: London System, Pterodactyl Variation win rate?
Playing the Queen's Pawn Game: London System, Pterodactyl Variation, Black wins 45.4%, draws 4.2% and loses 50.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.5%. It rests on 978 rated games from Lichess.
At what rating does the Queen's Pawn Game: London System, Pterodactyl Variation perform best?
The Queen's Pawn Game: London System, Pterodactyl Variation performs best for Black at 1000-1199, with an Expected Score of 59.6% (51 games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.
Is the Queen's Pawn Game: London System, Pterodactyl Variation better in blitz or rapid?
For Black, the Queen's Pawn Game: London System, Pterodactyl Variation scores higher in Blitz: an Expected Score of 48.1% in Blitz (535 games) against 45.0% in Rapid (149 games).
How sharp is the Queen's Pawn Game: London System, Pterodactyl Variation?
The Queen's Pawn Game: London System, Pterodactyl Variation has a sharpness score of 95.8 (very decisive), meaning 95.8% of games end decisively. Average game length is 35 moves.
What is the Queen's Pawn Game: London System, Pterodactyl Variation win rate at 1200-1399?
At 1200-1399, Black wins 51.4%, draws 5.0% and loses 43.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.9%. It rests on 128 Lichess games, which average 32 moves.
What is the Queen's Pawn Game: London System, Pterodactyl Variation win rate at 1400-1599?
At 1400-1599, Black wins 44.8%, draws 3.3% and loses 51.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.5%. It rests on 223 Lichess games, which average 35 moves.
What is the Queen's Pawn Game: London System, Pterodactyl Variation win rate at 1600-1799?
At 1600-1799, Black wins 44.1%, draws 5.2% and loses 50.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.7%. It rests on 256 Lichess games, which average 37 moves.
What is the Queen's Pawn Game: London System, Pterodactyl Variation win rate at 1800-1999?
At 1800-1999, Black wins 44.6%, draws 3.8% and loses 51.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.5%. It rests on 170 Lichess games, which average 36 moves.
What is the Queen's Pawn Game: London System, Pterodactyl Variation win rate in Bullet?
In Bullet, Black wins 46.0%, draws 3.2% and loses 50.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.6%. It rests on 291 Lichess games.
What is the Queen's Pawn Game: London System, Pterodactyl Variation win rate in Blitz?
In Blitz, Black wins 45.4%, draws 5.3% and loses 49.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.1%. It rests on 535 Lichess games.
What is the Queen's Pawn Game: London System, Pterodactyl Variation win rate in Rapid?
In Rapid, Black wins 43.5%, draws 3.0% and loses 53.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 45.0%. It rests on 149 Lichess games.
Is the Queen's Pawn Game: London System, Pterodactyl Variation a good opening?
The Queen's Pawn Game: London System, Pterodactyl Variation is hard work for Black — it favours White. Across all ratings, Black wins 45.4% of its games and loses 50.4%. It performs best at 1000-1199. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.