Russian Game: Classical Attack, Mason Variation
14K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026
White expected score · All ratings · All speeds
53.7%
the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 54.4%.
Measured over 14K games at this level and clock.
A strong choice for White at this level and clock.
Outcomes for White
Draw 6.8 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 14K games
- Rank among the families White can choose here
- not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
- Games in this context
- 14K
- Best context
- 59.2% at 2000-2199 Rapid
- Worst context
- 50.0% at 2000-2199 Bullet
- Average game length
- 37 moves
- Games that end decisively
- 93.2%
- Draws
- 6.8%
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: 53.7% at 0-999, 72.2% 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, Bullet: 45.4% expected score (20 games)
- 0-999 rating, Blitz: 62.0% expected score (11 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 56.1% expected score (23 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 55.1% expected score (28 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 11.5% expected score (5 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 49.3% expected score (71 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 61.6% expected score (107 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 62.9% expected score (18 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 50.2% expected score (309 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 53.2% expected score (363 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 68.4% expected score (80 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 68.2% expected score (4 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 78.6% expected score (2 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 56.0% expected score (628 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 51.0% expected score (1,262 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 49.8% expected score (245 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 39.9% expected score (28 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 51.6% expected score (854 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 52.2% expected score (2,544 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 50.1% expected score (596 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 60.5% expected score (70 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 78.6% expected score (2 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 50.0% expected score (899 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 53.5% expected score (2,886 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 59.2% expected score (672 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 53.3% expected score (29 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 52.8% expected score (669 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 59.0% expected score (1,218 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 59.1% expected score (224 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 88.1% expected score (9 games)
- 2500+ rating, Bullet: 65.9% expected score (134 games)
- 2500+ rating, Blitz: 76.9% expected score (58 games)
- 2500+ rating, Rapid: 73.8% expected score (9 games)
Related Openings
Methodology
Across every rating and clock, the Russian Game: Classical Attack, Mason Variation scores 53.7% for White — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 53.0% and 54.4% — from 14K 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
- 14K+ 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, Mason Variation win rate?
Playing the Russian Game: Classical Attack, Mason Variation, White wins 50.3%, draws 6.8% and loses 42.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.7%. It rests on 14K rated games from Lichess.
At what rating does the Russian Game: Classical Attack, Mason Variation perform best?
The Russian Game: Classical Attack, Mason Variation performs best for White at 2500+, with an Expected Score of 69.8% (201 games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.
Is the Russian Game: Classical Attack, Mason Variation better in blitz or rapid?
For White, the Russian Game: Classical Attack, Mason Variation scores higher in Rapid: an Expected Score of 53.8% in Blitz (8.5K games) against 55.4% in Rapid (1.8K games).
How sharp is the Russian Game: Classical Attack, Mason Variation?
The Russian Game: Classical Attack, Mason Variation has a sharpness score of 93.2 (decisive), meaning 93.2% of games end decisively. Average game length is 37 moves.
What is the Russian Game: Classical Attack, Mason Variation win rate at 1200-1399?
At 1200-1399, White wins 55.9%, draws 2.8% and loses 41.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 57.3%. It rests on 196 Lichess games, which average 29 moves.
What is the Russian Game: Classical Attack, Mason Variation win rate at 1400-1599?
At 1400-1599, White wins 51.9%, draws 3.5% and loses 44.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.7%. It rests on 757 Lichess games, which average 31 moves.
What is the Russian Game: Classical Attack, Mason Variation win rate at 1600-1799?
At 1600-1799, White wins 49.2%, draws 6.0% and loses 44.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.2%. It rests on 2.2K Lichess games, which average 35 moves.
What is the Russian Game: Classical Attack, Mason Variation win rate at 1800-1999?
At 1800-1999, White wins 48.8%, draws 6.2% and loses 45.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.9%. It rests on 4.1K Lichess games, which average 37 moves.
What is the Russian Game: Classical Attack, Mason Variation win rate at 2000-2199?
At 2000-2199, White wins 49.9%, draws 7.4% and loses 42.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.6%. It rests on 4.5K Lichess games, which average 39 moves.
What is the Russian Game: Classical Attack, Mason Variation win rate at 2200-2499?
At 2200-2499, White wins 52.7%, draws 9.0% and loses 38.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 57.2%. It rests on 2.1K Lichess games, which average 42 moves.
What is the Russian Game: Classical Attack, Mason Variation win rate at 2500+?
At 2500+, White wins 65.4%, draws 8.6% and loses 25.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 69.8%. It rests on 201 Lichess games, which average 43 moves.
What is the Russian Game: Classical Attack, Mason Variation win rate in Bullet?
In Bullet, White wins 49.8%, draws 5.4% and loses 44.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.5%. It rests on 3.6K Lichess games.
What is the Russian Game: Classical Attack, Mason Variation win rate in Blitz?
In Blitz, White wins 50.2%, draws 7.1% and loses 42.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.8%. It rests on 8.5K Lichess games.
What is the Russian Game: Classical Attack, Mason Variation win rate in Rapid?
In Rapid, White wins 51.8%, draws 7.2% and loses 41.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 55.4%. It rests on 1.8K Lichess games.
What is the Russian Game: Classical Attack, Mason Variation win rate in Classical?
In Classical, White wins 47.7%, draws 19.4% and loses 32.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 57.4%. It rests on 140 Lichess games.
Is the Russian Game: Classical Attack, Mason Variation a good opening?
The Russian Game: Classical Attack, Mason Variation is good for White. Across all ratings, White wins 50.3% of its games and loses 42.9%. It performs best at 2500+. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.