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Russian Game: Classical Attack, Marshall Variation

39K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

No move sequence recorded for this opening

White expected score · All ratings · All speeds

49.7%

45%55%
Floor49.3%

the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 50.1%.

Measured over 39K games at this level and clock.

Playablewins about as often as it loses at this level

Roughly even — the middlegame decides more than this opening choice does.

Outcomes for White

Draw 6.5 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 39K games

Rank among the families White can choose here
not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
Games in this context
39K
Best context
52.9% at 2200-2499 Bullet
Worst context
45.4% at 1400-1599 Bullet
Average game length
36 moves
Games that end decisively
93.5%
Draws
6.5%

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 gets better as the rating rises: 39.4% at 0-999, 53.9% at 2500+.

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: 36.0% expected score (27 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 41.4% expected score (16 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 40.9% expected score (4 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 38.5% expected score (68 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 54.3% expected score (57 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 53.7% expected score (12 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 45.8% expected score (246 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 44.8% expected score (210 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 58.1% expected score (42 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 64.3% expected score (2 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 45.4% expected score (811 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 47.8% expected score (849 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 45.1% expected score (193 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 32.9% expected score (16 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 47.3% expected score (1,753 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 46.7% expected score (3,532 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 50.1% expected score (578 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 52.3% expected score (107 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 48.9% expected score (2,719 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 49.0% expected score (8,103 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 49.3% expected score (1,551 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 49.5% expected score (183 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 50.1% expected score (2,653 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 51.1% expected score (7,188 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 50.8% expected score (1,898 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 55.1% expected score (86 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 52.9% expected score (1,804 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 51.9% expected score (3,002 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 52.5% expected score (687 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 37.9% expected score (15 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 52.9% expected score (506 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 54.9% expected score (247 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 53.9% expected score (24 games)

Related Openings

Parent
Russian Game
48.9%
Variations (5)
Russian Game: Three Knights Game
50.2%
Russian Game: Italian Variation
50.9%
Russian Game: Stafford Gambit
46.2%
Russian Game: Modern Attack
51.5%
Russian Game: Damiano Variation
58.3%
Continuations (1)
Russian Game: Classical Attack, Marshall Variation, Chinese Gambit
52.2%

Methodology

Across every rating and clock, the Russian Game: Classical Attack, Marshall Variation scores 49.7% for White — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 49.3% and 50.1% — from 39K 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
39K+ 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 Russian Game: Classical Attack, Marshall Variation win rate?

Playing the Russian Game: Classical Attack, Marshall Variation, White wins 46.4%, draws 6.5% and loses 47.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.7%. It rests on 39K rated games from Lichess.

At what rating does the Russian Game: Classical Attack, Marshall Variation perform best?

The Russian Game: Classical Attack, Marshall Variation performs best for White at 2200-2499, with an Expected Score of 52.3% (5.5K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.

Is the Russian Game: Classical Attack, Marshall Variation better in blitz or rapid?

For White, the Russian Game: Classical Attack, Marshall Variation scores about the same in both: an Expected Score of 49.7% in Blitz (23K games) against 50.3% in Rapid (5.0K games).

How sharp is the Russian Game: Classical Attack, Marshall Variation?

The Russian Game: Classical Attack, Marshall Variation has a sharpness score of 93.5 (decisive), meaning 93.5% of games end decisively. Average game length is 36 moves.

What is the Russian Game: Classical Attack, Marshall Variation win rate at 1000-1199?

At 1000-1199, White wins 45.8%, draws 1.1% and loses 53.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.4%. It rests on 137 Lichess games, which average 25 moves.

What is the Russian Game: Classical Attack, Marshall Variation win rate at 1200-1399?

At 1200-1399, White wins 45.0%, draws 3.1% and loses 51.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.6%. It rests on 500 Lichess games, which average 29 moves.

What is the Russian Game: Classical Attack, Marshall Variation win rate at 1400-1599?

At 1400-1599, White wins 44.4%, draws 3.8% and loses 51.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.3%. It rests on 1.9K Lichess games, which average 30 moves.

What is the Russian Game: Classical Attack, Marshall Variation win rate at 1600-1799?

At 1600-1799, White wins 44.9%, draws 4.8% and loses 50.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.3%. It rests on 6.0K Lichess games, which average 32 moves.

What is the Russian Game: Classical Attack, Marshall Variation win rate at 1800-1999?

At 1800-1999, White wins 46.0%, draws 5.9% and loses 48.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.0%. It rests on 13K Lichess games, which average 35 moves.

What is the Russian Game: Classical Attack, Marshall Variation win rate at 2000-2199?

At 2000-2199, White wins 47.2%, draws 7.3% and loses 45.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.9%. It rests on 12K Lichess games, which average 37 moves.

What is the Russian Game: Classical Attack, Marshall Variation win rate at 2200-2499?

At 2200-2499, White wins 47.8%, draws 8.9% and loses 43.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.3%. It rests on 5.5K Lichess games, which average 40 moves.

What is the Russian Game: Classical Attack, Marshall Variation win rate at 2500+?

At 2500+, White wins 48.0%, draws 11.1% and loses 40.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.6%. It rests on 777 Lichess games, which average 43 moves.

What is the Russian Game: Classical Attack, Marshall Variation win rate in Bullet?

In Bullet, White wins 47.0%, draws 4.7% and loses 48.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.4%. It rests on 11K Lichess games.

What is the Russian Game: Classical Attack, Marshall Variation win rate in Blitz?

In Blitz, White wins 46.3%, draws 6.7% and loses 47.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.7%. It rests on 23K Lichess games.

What is the Russian Game: Classical Attack, Marshall Variation win rate in Rapid?

In Rapid, White wins 46.0%, draws 8.6% and loses 45.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.3%. It rests on 5.0K Lichess games.

What is the Russian Game: Classical Attack, Marshall Variation win rate in Classical?

In Classical, White wins 42.5%, draws 15.7% and loses 41.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.4%. It rests on 409 Lichess games.

Is the Russian Game: Classical Attack, Marshall Variation a good opening?

The Russian Game: Classical Attack, Marshall Variation is about level. Across all ratings, White wins 46.4% of its games and loses 47.1%. It performs best at 2200-2499. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.