Robatsch Defense

1 variations · 98K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

Key Finding

Robatsch Defense is balanced for White at 48.5% expected score.

This opening produces roughly even results, with outcomes depending more on middlegame play than opening choice.

You play

Playable

Rating

Time

White Expected Score0.0%Range (90% confident): 48.2% – 48.7%Aggregated from 1 variations

0%48.5%100%

Range (90% confident): 48.2% – 48.7%

ContextOverall · n=98K

Outcome Distribution

46.3%4.3%49.4%

Win

Draw

Loss

4...Bg4

Robatsch Defense

Variations1

Games (Context)98K

Avg Length35 moves

Draw Rate4.3%

What Should I Play?

Player-controlled continuations for White · Overall · limited data

No continuation list is available for this context yet (needs more games).

Continuations show the most common variations from this opening. Higher expected scores indicate better statistical outcomes, but familiarity and playstyle matter too.

Snapshot

Overall, the Robatsch Defense family has a 48.5% expected score for White (we're 90% confident it's between 48.2% and 48.7%), aggregated from 1 variations and 98K Lichess games.

White Win% by Rating

Improves with rating: 42% → 45%

1000

1200

1400

1600

1800

2000

2200

2500+

White Win% by Time Control

Best in Classical (48%), worst in UltraBullet (31%)

UltraBullet

Bullet

Blitz

Rapid

Classical

Rating vs Time Control Matrix

Click cells to filter · White expected scores

White% by Rating × Time Control

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

Rating	UB	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, UltraBullet: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
0-999 rating, Bullet: 43.2% expected score (560 games)
0-999 rating, Blitz: 43.5% expected score (519 games)
0-999 rating, Rapid: 38.9% expected score (75 games)
1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 47.3% expected score (1,557 games)
1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 50.2% expected score (2,593 games)
1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 44.1% expected score (429 games)
1000-1199 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (1 games)
1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 78.6% expected score (2 games)
1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 46.0% expected score (3,316 games)
1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 48.3% expected score (7,561 games)
1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 49.4% expected score (1,538 games)
1200-1399 rating, Classical: 58.2% expected score (17 games)
1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 23.4% expected score (6 games)
1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 46.2% expected score (4,808 games)
1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 49.1% expected score (13,376 games)
1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 49.6% expected score (3,526 games)
1400-1599 rating, Classical: 55.9% expected score (100 games)
1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 29.3% expected score (13 games)
1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 47.1% expected score (5,451 games)
1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 49.3% expected score (14,785 games)
1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 51.2% expected score (5,179 games)
1600-1799 rating, Classical: 52.9% expected score (207 games)
1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 38.9% expected score (3 games)
1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 45.3% expected score (4,734 games)
1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 48.4% expected score (10,026 games)
1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 50.3% expected score (3,890 games)
1800-1999 rating, Classical: 49.5% expected score (182 games)
2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 50.0% expected score (4 games)
2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 47.3% expected score (2,556 games)
2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 48.1% expected score (4,090 games)
2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 50.7% expected score (1,381 games)
2000-2199 rating, Classical: 55.5% expected score (44 games)
2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 21.5% expected score (2 games)
2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 45.5% expected score (1,649 games)
2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 49.3% expected score (2,289 games)
2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 52.8% expected score (306 games)
2200-2499 rating, Classical: 39.5% expected score (8 games)
2500+ rating, Bullet: 50.0% expected score (454 games)
2500+ rating, Blitz: 51.3% expected score (377 games)
2500+ rating, Rapid: 50.0% expected score (9 games)
2500+ rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (9 games)

Matrix view reveals how performance varies across rating brackets and time controls. Green indicates favorable, red indicates challenging contexts.

Variations (1)

Robatsch Defense98K games

Balanced48.5%

Analyze Robatsch Defense PositionsGet move-by-move win rates with the TrueElo analyzer

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Robatsch Defense win rate?

The Robatsch Defense family has a 46.3% (90% CI: 46.0%-46.5%) win rate for white, aggregated from 1 variations and 98K rated games from Lichess.

How many Robatsch Defense variations are there?

This analysis covers 1 Robatsch Defense variations with sufficient game data. Each variation has its own statistics page with detailed win rates by rating and time control.

At what rating does the Robatsch Defense perform best?

The Robatsch Defense family performs best at 1600-1799 Elo with a 47.0% win rate for white (26K games). Performance may vary by specific variation.

Is the Robatsch Defense better in blitz or rapid?

Rapid (47.4%) outperforms Bullet (44.9%) by 2.5% across all Robatsch Defense variations.

How sharp is the Robatsch Defense?

Robatsch Defense games are 95.7% decisive (non-draws), with an average length of 35 moves. Sharpness varies by specific variation.

Is the Robatsch Defense a good opening family?

The Robatsch Defense family is statistically balanced overall with a 46.3% (90% CI: 46.0%-46.5%) aggregated win rate. However, win rates vary significantly between the 1 variations—explore individual lines to find the best fit for your style.