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Rubinstein Opening: Semi-Slav Defense

16K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

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White Expected Score58.3%Range (90% confident): 57.6% – 58.9%Based on 16K games
0%58.3%100%
Range (90% confident): 57.6% – 58.9%
Outcome Distribution
56.1%4.3%39.6%
Win
Draw
Loss
8.Nbd2
Rubinstein Opening: Semi-Slav Defense
Analyzen=16K
Avg Length34 moves
Sharpness96%
Draw Rate4.3%

What is the Rubinstein Opening: Semi-Slav Defense expected score for White?

Snapshot

At all ratings, the Rubinstein Opening: Semi-Slav Defense has a 58.3% expected score for White (we're 90% confident it's between 57.6% and 58.9%), based on 16K Lichess games.

Extra Analysis

Deep-dive datasets for this opening

Time-Control Swing

Max swing: 9.2% · Blitz best · Classical worst

White Win% by Rating

Stable across ratings (~55%)

0
1000
1200
1400
1600
1800
2000
2200
2500+

  • 0-999: 55.4% win rate (77 games)
  • 1000-1199: 58.2% win rate (202 games)
  • 1200-1399: 58.4% win rate (467 games)
  • 1400-1599: 55.6% win rate (1,201 games)
  • 1600-1799: 56.8% win rate (2,578 games)
  • 1800-1999: 56.5% win rate (4,298 games)
  • 2000-2199: 55.2% win rate (4,290 games)
  • 2200-2499: 56.0% win rate (2,448 games)
  • 2500+: 54.6% win rate (564 games)

White Win% by Time Control

Best in Blitz (57%), worst in UltraBullet (42%)

UltraBullet
Bullet
Blitz
Rapid
Classical

  • UltraBullet: 42.2% win rate (21 games)
  • Bullet: 55.8% win rate (6,393 games)
  • Blitz: 56.8% win rate (7,882 games)
  • Rapid: 54.9% win rate (1,716 games)
  • Classical: 47.6% win rate (113 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, Bullet: 56.8% expected score (28 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 59.8% expected score (24 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 53.8% expected score (25 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 59.4% expected score (89 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 59.9% expected score (74 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 58.7% expected score (39 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 58.4% expected score (196 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 62.7% expected score (196 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 55.5% expected score (71 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 61.2% expected score (3 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 27.0% expected score (5 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 57.3% expected score (478 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 58.7% expected score (551 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 51.9% expected score (158 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 69.1% expected score (9 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 53.5% expected score (13 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 58.3% expected score (825 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 59.1% expected score (1,375 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 58.0% expected score (337 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 51.7% expected score (28 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 21.5% expected score (2 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 57.7% expected score (1,292 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 59.6% expected score (2,395 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 56.5% expected score (562 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 51.1% expected score (47 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 56.6% expected score (1,452 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 58.0% expected score (2,428 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 62.0% expected score (385 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 42.5% expected score (25 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 57.7% expected score (1,522 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 59.5% expected score (792 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 63.4% expected score (133 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 55.7% expected score (511 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 64.5% expected score (47 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 56.7% expected score (6 games)

Related Openings

Parent
Rubinstein Opening
52.7%
Variations (3)
Rubinstein Opening: Bogoljubov Defense
51.0%
Rubinstein Opening: Bogoljubow Defense
54.2%
Rubinstein Opening: Classical Defense
53.1%
Analyze Rubinstein Opening: Semi-Slav Defense PositionsGet move-by-move win rates with the TrueElo analyzer

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Rubinstein Opening: Semi-Slav Defense win rate?

The Rubinstein Opening: Semi-Slav Defense has a 56.1% (90% CI: 55.4%-56.7%) win rate for white, based on 16K rated games from Lichess.

At what rating does the Rubinstein Opening: Semi-Slav Defense perform best?

The Rubinstein Opening: Semi-Slav Defense performs best at 1800-1999 Elo with a 56.5% win rate for white (4.3K games). Win rate tends to decline at higher ratings as opponents know the theory better.

Is the Rubinstein Opening: Semi-Slav Defense better in blitz or rapid?

Blitz (56.8%) outperforms Classical (47.6%) by 9.2%. Choose your time control wisely.

How sharp is the Rubinstein Opening: Semi-Slav Defense?

The Rubinstein Opening: Semi-Slav Defense has a sharpness score of 95.7 (very decisive), meaning 95.7% of games end decisively. Average game length is 34 moves.

What is the Rubinstein Opening: Semi-Slav Defense win rate at 1000-1199 Elo?

At 1000-1199 Elo, the Rubinstein Opening: Semi-Slav Defense has a 58.2% (90% CI: 52.5%-63.9%) win rate for white, based on 202 Lichess games. Average game length is 29 moves with a 2.7% draw rate.

What is the Rubinstein Opening: Semi-Slav Defense win rate at 1200-1399 Elo?

At 1200-1399 Elo, the Rubinstein Opening: Semi-Slav Defense has a 58.4% (90% CI: 54.6%-62.1%) win rate for white, based on 467 Lichess games. Average game length is 28 moves with a 3.1% draw rate.

What is the Rubinstein Opening: Semi-Slav Defense win rate at 1400-1599 Elo?

At 1400-1599 Elo, the Rubinstein Opening: Semi-Slav Defense has a 55.6% (90% CI: 53.2%-57.9%) win rate for white, based on 1.2K Lichess games. Average game length is 31 moves with a 3.2% draw rate.

What is the Rubinstein Opening: Semi-Slav Defense win rate at 1600-1799 Elo?

At 1600-1799 Elo, the Rubinstein Opening: Semi-Slav Defense has a 56.8% (90% CI: 55.2%-58.4%) win rate for white, based on 2.6K Lichess games. Average game length is 32 moves with a 3.5% draw rate.

What is the Rubinstein Opening: Semi-Slav Defense win rate at 1800-1999 Elo?

At 1800-1999 Elo, the Rubinstein Opening: Semi-Slav Defense has a 56.5% (90% CI: 55.3%-57.8%) win rate for white, based on 4.3K Lichess games. Average game length is 34 moves with a 3.9% draw rate.

What is the Rubinstein Opening: Semi-Slav Defense win rate at 2000-2199 Elo?

At 2000-2199 Elo, the Rubinstein Opening: Semi-Slav Defense has a 55.2% (90% CI: 53.9%-56.4%) win rate for white, based on 4.3K Lichess games. Average game length is 36 moves with a 5.3% draw rate.

What is the Rubinstein Opening: Semi-Slav Defense win rate at 2200-2499 Elo?

At 2200-2499 Elo, the Rubinstein Opening: Semi-Slav Defense has a 56.0% (90% CI: 54.3%-57.6%) win rate for white, based on 2.4K Lichess games. Average game length is 37 moves with a 5.3% draw rate.

What is the Rubinstein Opening: Semi-Slav Defense win rate at 2500+ Elo?

At 2500+ Elo, the Rubinstein Opening: Semi-Slav Defense has a 54.6% (90% CI: 51.1%-58.0%) win rate for white, based on 564 Lichess games. Average game length is 40 moves with a 3.8% draw rate.

What is the Rubinstein Opening: Semi-Slav Defense win rate in Bullet?

In Bullet games, the Rubinstein Opening: Semi-Slav Defense has a 55.8% (90% CI: 54.7%-56.8%) win rate for white (6.4K Lichess games). Draw rate is 3.3%.

What is the Rubinstein Opening: Semi-Slav Defense win rate in Blitz?

In Blitz games, the Rubinstein Opening: Semi-Slav Defense has a 56.8% (90% CI: 55.8%-57.7%) win rate for white (7.9K Lichess games). Draw rate is 4.6%.

What is the Rubinstein Opening: Semi-Slav Defense win rate in Rapid?

In Rapid games, the Rubinstein Opening: Semi-Slav Defense has a 54.9% (90% CI: 52.9%-56.8%) win rate for white (1.7K Lichess games). Draw rate is 6.6%.

What is the Rubinstein Opening: Semi-Slav Defense win rate in Classical?

In Classical games, the Rubinstein Opening: Semi-Slav Defense has a 47.6% (90% CI: 40.0%-55.3%) win rate for white (113 Lichess games). Draw rate is 8.3%.

Is the Rubinstein Opening: Semi-Slav Defense a good opening?

The Rubinstein Opening: Semi-Slav Defense is statistically favors white with a 56.1% (90% CI: 55.4%-56.7%) win rate across all ratings. It performs best at 1800-1999 Elo. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.