Rubinstein Opening: Bogoljubov Defense
729 games from Lichess · Updated January 2026
White expected score · All ratings · All speeds
53.8%
the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 56.8%.
Measured over 729 games at this level and clock.
A strong choice for White at this level and clock.
Outcomes for White
Draw 5.5 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 729 games
- Rank among the families White can choose here
- not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
- Games in this context
- 729
- Best context
- not measured yet
- Average game length
- 34 moves
- Games that end decisively
- 94.5%
- Draws
- 5.5%
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 falls away as the rating rises: 64.3% at 0-999, 60.9% 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, Blitz: 64.3% expected score (2 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 68.2% expected score (4 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 42.4% expected score (5 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 61.2% expected score (3 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 67.4% expected score (10 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 43.3% expected score (21 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 68.2% expected score (4 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 65.4% expected score (18 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 61.4% expected score (38 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 58.7% expected score (10 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 59.1% expected score (59 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 53.8% expected score (92 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 46.1% expected score (24 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 68.2% expected score (4 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 50.7% expected score (76 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 54.3% expected score (163 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 53.5% expected score (13 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 44.2% expected score (76 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 50.0% expected score (66 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 43.3% expected score (6 games)
- 2500+ rating, Bullet: 64.1% expected score (27 games)
- 2500+ rating, Blitz: 57.7% expected score (5 games)
Related Openings
Methodology
Across every rating and clock, the Rubinstein Opening: Bogoljubov Defense scores 53.8% for White — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 50.8% and 56.8% — from 729 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
- 729+ 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: Bogoljubov Defense win rate?
Playing the Rubinstein Opening: Bogoljubov Defense, White wins 51.0%, draws 5.5% and loses 43.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.8%. It rests on 729 rated games from Lichess.
At what rating does the Rubinstein Opening: Bogoljubov Defense perform best?
The Rubinstein Opening: Bogoljubov Defense performs best for White at 1600-1799, with an Expected Score of 63.2% (67 games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.
Is the Rubinstein Opening: Bogoljubov Defense better in blitz or rapid?
For White, the Rubinstein Opening: Bogoljubov Defense scores higher in Blitz: an Expected Score of 54.0% in Blitz (394 games) against 50.9% in Rapid (58 games).
How sharp is the Rubinstein Opening: Bogoljubov Defense?
The Rubinstein Opening: Bogoljubov Defense has a sharpness score of 94.5 (decisive), meaning 94.5% of games end decisively. Average game length is 34 moves.
What is the Rubinstein Opening: Bogoljubov Defense win rate at 1800-1999?
At 1800-1999, White wins 52.9%, draws 4.2% and loses 42.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 55.0%. It rests on 179 Lichess games, which average 32 moves.
What is the Rubinstein Opening: Bogoljubov Defense win rate at 2000-2199?
At 2000-2199, White wins 49.5%, draws 7.3% and loses 43.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.2%. It rests on 252 Lichess games, which average 36 moves.
What is the Rubinstein Opening: Bogoljubov Defense win rate at 2200-2499?
At 2200-2499, White wins 43.1%, draws 7.0% and loses 49.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.7%. It rests on 148 Lichess games, which average 35 moves.
What is the Rubinstein Opening: Bogoljubov Defense win rate in Bullet?
In Bullet, White wins 51.4%, draws 4.2% and loses 44.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.5%. It rests on 272 Lichess games.
What is the Rubinstein Opening: Bogoljubov Defense win rate in Blitz?
In Blitz, White wins 50.9%, draws 6.2% and loses 42.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.0%. It rests on 394 Lichess games.
Is the Rubinstein Opening: Bogoljubov Defense a good opening?
The Rubinstein Opening: Bogoljubov Defense is about level. Across all ratings, White wins 51.0% of its games and loses 43.5%. It performs best at 1600-1799. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.