Russian Game: Modern Attack, Steinitz Variation
504 games from Lichess · Updated January 2026
White expected score · All ratings · All speeds
60.0%
the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 63.6%.
Measured over 504 games at this level and clock.
A strong choice for White at this level and clock.
Outcomes for White
Draw 2.3 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 504 games
- Rank among the families White can choose here
- not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
- Games in this context
- 504
- Best context
- not measured yet
- Average game length
- 28 moves
- Games that end decisively
- 97.7%
- Draws
- 2.3%
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.
Extra Analysis
Deep-dive datasets for this opening
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: 64.5% at 0-999, 38.9% 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, Bullet: 50.0% expected score (8 games)
- 0-999 rating, Blitz: 69.3% expected score (27 games)
- 0-999 rating, Rapid: 74.3% expected score (15 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 72.6% expected score (14 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 58.8% expected score (27 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 67.1% expected score (19 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 67.2% expected score (16 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 65.4% expected score (31 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 75.8% expected score (14 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 78.6% expected score (2 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 61.8% expected score (24 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 57.1% expected score (34 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 34.0% expected score (11 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 39.9% expected score (28 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 51.9% expected score (51 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 46.8% expected score (14 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 48.9% expected score (43 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 69.1% expected score (30 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 58.2% expected score (17 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 21.5% expected score (2 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 56.5% expected score (14 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 67.8% expected score (21 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 58.7% expected score (10 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 58.0% expected score (11 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 83.4% expected score (9 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 86.4% expected score (4 games)
- 2500+ rating, Bullet: 38.9% expected score (3 games)
Related Openings
Methodology
Across every rating and clock, the Russian Game: Modern Attack, Steinitz Variation scores 60.0% for White — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 56.4% and 63.6% — from 504 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
- 504+ 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: Modern Attack, Steinitz Variation win rate?
Playing the Russian Game: Modern Attack, Steinitz Variation, White wins 58.9%, draws 2.3% and loses 38.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 60.0%. It rests on 504 rated games from Lichess.
At what rating does the Russian Game: Modern Attack, Steinitz Variation perform best?
The Russian Game: Modern Attack, Steinitz Variation performs best for White at 1200-1399, with an Expected Score of 70.2% (63 games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.
Is the Russian Game: Modern Attack, Steinitz Variation better in blitz or rapid?
For White, the Russian Game: Modern Attack, Steinitz Variation scores about the same in both: an Expected Score of 63.0% in Blitz (230 games) against 62.8% in Rapid (104 games).
How sharp is the Russian Game: Modern Attack, Steinitz Variation?
The Russian Game: Modern Attack, Steinitz Variation has a sharpness score of 97.7 (very decisive), meaning 97.7% of games end decisively. Average game length is 28 moves.
What is the Russian Game: Modern Attack, Steinitz Variation win rate in Bullet?
In Bullet, White wins 53.2%, draws 2.8% and loses 44.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.6%. It rests on 161 Lichess games.
What is the Russian Game: Modern Attack, Steinitz Variation win rate in Blitz?
In Blitz, White wins 62.0%, draws 1.9% and loses 36.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 63.0%. It rests on 230 Lichess games.
What is the Russian Game: Modern Attack, Steinitz Variation win rate in Rapid?
In Rapid, White wins 61.1%, draws 3.3% and loses 35.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 62.8%. It rests on 104 Lichess games.
Is the Russian Game: Modern Attack, Steinitz Variation a good opening?
The Russian Game: Modern Attack, Steinitz Variation is good for White. Across all ratings, White wins 58.9% of its games and loses 38.9%. It performs best at 1200-1399. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.