Rat Defense: English Rat

987K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

Playable
White Expected Score50.3%Range (90% confident): 50.2% – 50.4%Based on 987K games
0%50.3%100%
Range (90% confident): 50.2% – 50.4%
Outcome Distribution
47.8%4.9%47.3%
Win
Draw
Loss
2...e5
Rat Defense: English Rat
Analyzen=987K
Avg Length36 moves
Sharpness95%
Draw Rate4.9%

What is the Rat Defense: English Rat expected score for White?

Snapshot

At all ratings, the Rat Defense: English Rat has a 50.3% expected score for White (we're 90% confident it's between 50.2% and 50.4%), based on 987K Lichess games.

White Win% by Rating

Declines with rating: 50% → 47%

0
1000
1200
1400
1600
1800
2000
2200
2500+

  • 0-999: 49.6% win rate (37,089 games)
  • 1000-1199: 51.6% win rate (63,954 games)
  • 1200-1399: 51.1% win rate (87,157 games)
  • 1400-1599: 50.2% win rate (111,860 games)
  • 1600-1799: 48.2% win rate (142,235 games)
  • 1800-1999: 46.1% win rate (197,426 games)
  • 2000-2199: 45.6% win rate (192,979 games)
  • 2200-2499: 46.9% win rate (131,181 games)
  • 2500+: 46.8% win rate (22,888 games)

White Win% by Time Control

Best in UltraBullet (54%), worst in Blitz (46%)

UltraBullet
Bullet
Blitz
Rapid
Classical

  • UltraBullet: 53.5% win rate (7,473 games)
  • Bullet: 48.8% win rate (491,760 games)
  • Blitz: 46.4% win rate (416,383 games)
  • Rapid: 48.7% win rate (68,830 games)
  • Classical: 49.8% win rate (2,323 games)

White% by Rating × Time Control

Click any cell to filter. Green = above 50%, Red = below 50%.

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: 51.4% expected score (172 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Bullet: 49.7% expected score (11,764 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 52.3% expected score (18,661 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 52.4% expected score (6,459 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Classical: 47.1% expected score (33 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 50.7% expected score (512 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 51.8% expected score (27,538 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 54.2% expected score (26,300 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 55.6% expected score (9,417 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 59.1% expected score (187 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 51.1% expected score (1,408 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 51.7% expected score (43,279 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 53.2% expected score (31,867 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 55.6% expected score (10,224 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 59.2% expected score (379 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 54.8% expected score (2,693 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 51.3% expected score (59,269 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 51.9% expected score (39,847 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 54.9% expected score (9,529 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 53.8% expected score (522 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 57.4% expected score (2,079 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 50.6% expected score (76,650 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 49.2% expected score (53,929 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 51.8% expected score (9,117 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 55.4% expected score (460 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 50.9% expected score (490 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 49.9% expected score (97,503 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 47.3% expected score (87,915 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 48.2% expected score (11,048 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 47.8% expected score (470 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 58.9% expected score (89 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 50.1% expected score (91,594 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 47.5% expected score (91,804 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 45.9% expected score (9,249 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 49.8% expected score (243 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 27.8% expected score (30 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 50.9% expected score (67,358 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 49.5% expected score (60,093 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 49.3% expected score (3,673 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 39.5% expected score (27 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 51.0% expected score (16,805 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 51.7% expected score (5,967 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 48.7% expected score (114 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Classical: 78.6% expected score (2 games)

Related Openings

Analyze Rat Defense: English Rat PositionsGet move-by-move win rates with the TrueElo analyzer

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Rat Defense: English Rat win rate?

The Rat Defense: English Rat has a 47.8% (90% CI: 47.7%-47.9%) win rate for white, based on 987K rated games from Lichess.

At what rating does the Rat Defense: English Rat perform best?

The Rat Defense: English Rat performs best at 1000-1199 Elo with a 51.6% win rate for white (64K games). Win rate tends to decline at higher ratings as opponents know the theory better.

Is the Rat Defense: English Rat better in blitz or rapid?

UltraBullet (53.5%) outperforms Blitz (46.4%) by 7.1%. Choose your time control wisely.

How sharp is the Rat Defense: English Rat?

The Rat Defense: English Rat has a sharpness score of 95.1 (very decisive), meaning 95.1% of games end decisively. Average game length is 36 moves.

What is the Rat Defense: English Rat win rate at 0-999 Elo?

At 0-999 Elo, the Rat Defense: English Rat has a 49.6% (90% CI: 49.2%-50.1%) win rate for white, based on 37K Lichess games. Average game length is 28 moves with a 3.7% draw rate.

What is the Rat Defense: English Rat win rate at 1000-1199 Elo?

At 1000-1199 Elo, the Rat Defense: English Rat has a 51.6% (90% CI: 51.3%-52.0%) win rate for white, based on 64K Lichess games. Average game length is 30 moves with a 3.4% draw rate.

What is the Rat Defense: English Rat win rate at 1200-1399 Elo?

At 1200-1399 Elo, the Rat Defense: English Rat has a 51.1% (90% CI: 50.8%-51.3%) win rate for white, based on 87K Lichess games. Average game length is 31 moves with a 3.2% draw rate.

What is the Rat Defense: English Rat win rate at 1400-1599 Elo?

At 1400-1599 Elo, the Rat Defense: English Rat has a 50.2% (90% CI: 50.0%-50.5%) win rate for white, based on 112K Lichess games. Average game length is 33 moves with a 3.4% draw rate.

What is the Rat Defense: English Rat win rate at 1600-1799 Elo?

At 1600-1799 Elo, the Rat Defense: English Rat has a 48.2% (90% CI: 48.0%-48.4%) win rate for white, based on 142K Lichess games. Average game length is 35 moves with a 4.1% draw rate.

What is the Rat Defense: English Rat win rate at 1800-1999 Elo?

At 1800-1999 Elo, the Rat Defense: English Rat has a 46.1% (90% CI: 45.9%-46.3%) win rate for white, based on 197K Lichess games. Average game length is 37 moves with a 5.1% draw rate.

What is the Rat Defense: English Rat win rate at 2000-2199 Elo?

At 2000-2199 Elo, the Rat Defense: English Rat has a 45.6% (90% CI: 45.4%-45.8%) win rate for white, based on 193K Lichess games. Average game length is 38 moves with a 6.0% draw rate.

What is the Rat Defense: English Rat win rate at 2200-2499 Elo?

At 2200-2499 Elo, the Rat Defense: English Rat has a 46.9% (90% CI: 46.6%-47.1%) win rate for white, based on 131K Lichess games. Average game length is 39 moves with a 6.7% draw rate.

What is the Rat Defense: English Rat win rate at 2500+ Elo?

At 2500+ Elo, the Rat Defense: English Rat has a 46.8% (90% CI: 46.3%-47.4%) win rate for white, based on 23K Lichess games. Average game length is 42 moves with a 8.7% draw rate.

What is the Rat Defense: English Rat win rate in UltraBullet?

In UltraBullet games, the Rat Defense: English Rat has a 53.5% (90% CI: 52.5%-54.4%) win rate for white (7.5K Lichess games). Draw rate is 1.3%.

What is the Rat Defense: English Rat win rate in Bullet?

In Bullet games, the Rat Defense: English Rat has a 48.8% (90% CI: 48.7%-48.9%) win rate for white (492K Lichess games). Draw rate is 3.6%.

What is the Rat Defense: English Rat win rate in Blitz?

In Blitz games, the Rat Defense: English Rat has a 46.4% (90% CI: 46.3%-46.5%) win rate for white (416K Lichess games). Draw rate is 6.2%.

What is the Rat Defense: English Rat win rate in Rapid?

In Rapid games, the Rat Defense: English Rat has a 48.7% (90% CI: 48.3%-49.0%) win rate for white (69K Lichess games). Draw rate is 6.4%.

What is the Rat Defense: English Rat win rate in Classical?

In Classical games, the Rat Defense: English Rat has a 49.8% (90% CI: 48.0%-51.5%) win rate for white (2.3K Lichess games). Draw rate is 7.6%.

Is the Rat Defense: English Rat a good opening?

The Rat Defense: English Rat is statistically balanced with a 47.8% (90% CI: 47.7%-47.9%) win rate across all ratings. It performs best at 1000-1199 Elo. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.