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Queen's Pawn Game: Zukertort Variation

13M games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

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Analyze this line move by move

White expected score · All ratings · All speeds

53.3%

45%60%
Floor53.3%

the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. Its best is the same figure — the band is too tight to plot.

Measured over 13M games at this level and clock.

Play Thiswins clearly more often than it loses at this level

A strong choice for White at this level and clock.

Outcomes for White

Draw 4.4 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 13M games

Rank among the families White can choose here
not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
Games in this context
13M
Best context
61.8% at 2000-2199 Classical
Worst context
47.0% at 0-999 UltraBullet
Average game length
35 moves
Games that end decisively
95.6%
Draws
4.4%

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: 50.3% at 0-999, 57.4% 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, UltraBullet: 47.0% expected score (876 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Bullet: 52.0% expected score (162,103 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 51.8% expected score (368,937 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 51.9% expected score (157,915 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Classical: 48.8% expected score (1,476 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 53.3% expected score (2,660 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 53.5% expected score (296,033 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 53.0% expected score (549,733 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 53.1% expected score (214,339 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 53.5% expected score (5,054 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 53.2% expected score (5,443 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 53.3% expected score (489,809 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 52.9% expected score (832,783 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 53.2% expected score (296,187 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 53.4% expected score (13,423 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 54.8% expected score (9,160 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 53.3% expected score (708,804 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 52.8% expected score (1,152,075 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 52.7% expected score (374,415 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 52.8% expected score (22,876 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 55.8% expected score (9,746 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 53.6% expected score (882,754 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 52.8% expected score (1,344,936 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 52.9% expected score (379,630 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 54.4% expected score (20,747 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 56.2% expected score (7,213 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 53.6% expected score (942,222 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 53.2% expected score (1,266,555 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 53.5% expected score (292,712 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 54.6% expected score (10,730 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 56.2% expected score (4,534 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 53.9% expected score (807,683 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 54.3% expected score (745,306 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 55.1% expected score (107,762 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 61.8% expected score (2,333 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 57.7% expected score (1,471 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 54.2% expected score (581,513 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 55.6% expected score (248,532 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 57.2% expected score (19,964 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 63.1% expected score (331 games)
  • 2500+ rating, UltraBullet: 60.9% expected score (72 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 55.4% expected score (139,234 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 57.9% expected score (15,718 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 56.1% expected score (622 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Classical: 56.5% expected score (91 games)

Related Openings

Parent
Queen's Pawn Game
50.0%
Variations (5)
Queen's Pawn Game: Accelerated London System
51.6%
Queen's Pawn Game: Modern Defense
49.2%
Queen's Pawn Game: Chigorin Variation
50.8%
Queen's Pawn Game: Colle System
50.8%
Queen's Pawn Game: London System
50.9%
Analyze Queen's Pawn Game: Zukertort Variation PositionsSee what each move is worth at your rating, move by move

Methodology

Across every rating and clock, the Queen's Pawn Game: Zukertort Variation scores 53.3% for White — we are 90% confident it is 53.3% — from 13M 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
13M+ 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: Zukertort Variation win rate?

Playing the Queen's Pawn Game: Zukertort Variation, White wins 51.1%, draws 4.4% and loses 44.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.3%. It rests on 13M rated games from Lichess.

At what rating does the Queen's Pawn Game: Zukertort Variation perform best?

The Queen's Pawn Game: Zukertort Variation performs best for White at 2500+, with an Expected Score of 55.7% (156K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.

Is the Queen's Pawn Game: Zukertort Variation better in blitz or rapid?

For White, the Queen's Pawn Game: Zukertort Variation scores about the same in both: an Expected Score of 53.1% in Blitz (6.5M games) against 53.1% in Rapid (1.8M games).

How sharp is the Queen's Pawn Game: Zukertort Variation?

The Queen's Pawn Game: Zukertort Variation has a sharpness score of 95.6 (very decisive), meaning 95.6% of games end decisively. Average game length is 35 moves.

What is the Queen's Pawn Game: Zukertort Variation win rate at 0-999?

At 0-999, White wins 49.9%, draws 3.9% and loses 46.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.9%. It rests on 691K Lichess games, which average 28 moves.

What is the Queen's Pawn Game: Zukertort Variation win rate at 1000-1199?

At 1000-1199, White wins 51.4%, draws 3.4% and loses 45.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.2%. It rests on 1.1M Lichess games, which average 31 moves.

What is the Queen's Pawn Game: Zukertort Variation win rate at 1200-1399?

At 1200-1399, White wins 51.4%, draws 3.4% and loses 45.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.1%. It rests on 1.6M Lichess games, which average 33 moves.

What is the Queen's Pawn Game: Zukertort Variation win rate at 1400-1599?

At 1400-1599, White wins 51.1%, draws 3.7% and loses 45.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.9%. It rests on 2.3M Lichess games, which average 34 moves.

What is the Queen's Pawn Game: Zukertort Variation win rate at 1600-1799?

At 1600-1799, White wins 51.0%, draws 4.2% and loses 44.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.1%. It rests on 2.6M Lichess games, which average 36 moves.

What is the Queen's Pawn Game: Zukertort Variation win rate at 1800-1999?

At 1800-1999, White wins 50.9%, draws 4.9% and loses 44.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.4%. It rests on 2.5M Lichess games, which average 37 moves.

What is the Queen's Pawn Game: Zukertort Variation win rate at 2000-2199?

At 2000-2199, White wins 51.4%, draws 5.5% and loses 43.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.2%. It rests on 1.7M Lichess games, which average 38 moves.

What is the Queen's Pawn Game: Zukertort Variation win rate at 2200-2499?

At 2200-2499, White wins 51.6%, draws 6.1% and loses 42.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.7%. It rests on 852K Lichess games, which average 40 moves.

What is the Queen's Pawn Game: Zukertort Variation win rate at 2500+?

At 2500+, White wins 51.7%, draws 7.9% and loses 40.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 55.7%. It rests on 156K Lichess games, which average 43 moves.

What is the Queen's Pawn Game: Zukertort Variation win rate in UltraBullet?

In UltraBullet, White wins 54.2%, draws 1.7% and loses 44.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 55.1%. It rests on 41K Lichess games.

What is the Queen's Pawn Game: Zukertort Variation win rate in Bullet?

In Bullet, White wins 52.0%, draws 3.2% and loses 44.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.6%. It rests on 5.0M Lichess games.

What is the Queen's Pawn Game: Zukertort Variation win rate in Blitz?

In Blitz, White wins 50.6%, draws 5.0% and loses 44.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.1%. It rests on 6.5M Lichess games.

What is the Queen's Pawn Game: Zukertort Variation win rate in Rapid?

In Rapid, White wins 50.4%, draws 5.3% and loses 44.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.1%. It rests on 1.8M Lichess games.

What is the Queen's Pawn Game: Zukertort Variation win rate in Classical?

In Classical, White wins 50.9%, draws 5.9% and loses 43.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.9%. It rests on 77K Lichess games.

Is the Queen's Pawn Game: Zukertort Variation a good opening?

The Queen's Pawn Game: Zukertort Variation is good for White. Across all ratings, White wins 51.1% of its games and loses 44.5%. It performs best at 2500+. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.