Rubinstein Opening
5 variations · 253K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026
White expected score · Overall
55.3%
the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 55.5%.
Measured over 253K games at this level and clock.
A strong opening choice for White at this level and clock.
Outcomes for White
Draw 4.4 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 253K games
- Rank among the families White can choose here
- #2 of 56
- Games in this context
- 253K
- Best context
- 56.8% at 2200-2499 Rapid
- Worst context
- 50.7% at 1600-1799 Classical
- Variations measured
- 5
- Average game length
- 35 moves
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.
What to play from here
White · OverallThese are the moves players actually choose from here, ranked by how they score. A higher score is a better bet on the numbers alone — familiarity and playstyle still matter.
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 holds about the same all the way up, near 54.5%.
| 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: 55.0% expected score (298 games)
- 0-999 rating, Blitz: 50.8% expected score (339 games)
- 0-999 rating, Rapid: 57.7% expected score (141 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 56.0% expected score (1,343 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 56.3% expected score (1,414 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 56.9% expected score (429 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 34.7% expected score (5 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 67.3% expected score (13 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 55.6% expected score (3,293 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 54.7% expected score (4,371 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 55.1% expected score (1,196 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 61.6% expected score (46 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 42.3% expected score (31 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 55.3% expected score (7,068 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 55.7% expected score (12,263 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 55.9% expected score (3,259 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 51.8% expected score (247 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 42.2% expected score (50 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 55.4% expected score (12,615 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 54.9% expected score (25,697 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 53.6% expected score (7,417 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 50.7% expected score (635 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 60.2% expected score (33 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 56.5% expected score (16,550 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 54.8% expected score (37,728 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 54.5% expected score (11,291 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 54.2% expected score (840 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 73.8% expected score (9 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 56.2% expected score (16,793 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 54.9% expected score (36,304 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 55.5% expected score (8,552 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 56.1% expected score (397 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 55.9% expected score (17,031 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 56.2% expected score (15,687 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 56.8% expected score (2,516 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 63.1% expected score (71 games)
- 2500+ rating, Bullet: 56.7% expected score (5,400 games)
- 2500+ rating, Blitz: 54.7% expected score (1,009 games)
- 2500+ rating, Rapid: 57.2% expected score (158 games)
- 2500+ rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
5 variations · ranked by floor
Floor — the worst score you would still get, 90% confident.
Methodology
Across every rating and clock, the Rubinstein Opening family scores 55.3% for White — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 55.2% and 55.5% — from 253K Lichess games across 5 variations. 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
- 253K+ 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 Rubinstein Opening win rate?
Across the Rubinstein Opening's 5 variations, White wins 53.1%, draws 4.4% and loses 42.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 55.3%. It rests on 253K rated games from Lichess.
How many Rubinstein Opening variations are there?
5 Rubinstein Opening variations have a page of their own, each broken down by rating and by clock.
At what rating does the Rubinstein Opening perform best?
The Rubinstein Opening family performs best for White at 2200-2499, with an Expected Score of 56.1% (35K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read. Performance may vary by specific variation.
Is the Rubinstein Opening better in blitz or rapid?
For White, the Rubinstein Opening scores about the same in both: an Expected Score of 55.1% in Blitz (135K games) against 54.9% in Rapid (35K games).
How sharp is the Rubinstein Opening?
Rubinstein Opening games are 95.6% decisive (non-draws), with an average length of 35 moves. Sharpness varies by specific variation.
Is the Rubinstein Opening a good opening family?
The Rubinstein Opening family is good for White overall. Across its games, White wins 53.1% and loses 42.5%. Results differ between its 5 variations, so open the one you play for its own figures.