Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Anderssen Variation
814K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026
White expected score · All ratings · All speeds
53.6%
the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 53.7%.
Measured over 814K games at this level and clock.
A strong choice for White at this level and clock.
Outcomes for White
Draw 4.7 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 814K games
- Rank among the families White can choose here
- not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
- Games in this context
- 814K
- Best context
- 56.1% at 2500+ Blitz
- Worst context
- 50.5% at 1600-1799 Classical
- Average game length
- 36 moves
- Games that end decisively
- 95.3%
- Draws
- 4.7%
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: 52.0% at 0-999, 57.9% 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, UltraBullet: 38.9% expected score (3 games)
- 0-999 rating, Bullet: 52.7% expected score (4,007 games)
- 0-999 rating, Blitz: 52.3% expected score (6,323 games)
- 0-999 rating, Rapid: 52.3% expected score (2,679 games)
- 0-999 rating, Classical: 63.9% expected score (31 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 68.2% expected score (4 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 53.6% expected score (11,392 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 54.1% expected score (20,363 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 53.5% expected score (6,179 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 46.1% expected score (101 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 53.2% expected score (15,351 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 54.1% expected score (40,212 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 54.1% expected score (14,938 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 51.3% expected score (431 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 16.7% expected score (3 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 53.7% expected score (19,773 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 53.8% expected score (58,006 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 52.9% expected score (24,536 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 51.1% expected score (1,641 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 55.0% expected score (21,997 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 53.4% expected score (79,120 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 52.6% expected score (30,949 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 50.5% expected score (2,429 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 21.5% expected score (2 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 54.1% expected score (26,119 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 53.7% expected score (111,351 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 52.3% expected score (34,180 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 50.9% expected score (2,183 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 53.0% expected score (23,505 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 53.5% expected score (110,718 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 53.2% expected score (26,838 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 54.4% expected score (988 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 54.8% expected score (22,857 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 53.4% expected score (66,917 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 54.8% expected score (11,203 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 58.2% expected score (279 games)
- 2500+ rating, Bullet: 54.0% expected score (7,985 games)
- 2500+ rating, Blitz: 56.1% expected score (8,377 games)
- 2500+ rating, Rapid: 59.6% expected score (453 games)
- 2500+ rating, Classical: 62.0% expected score (11 games)
Related Openings
Methodology
Across every rating and clock, the Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Anderssen Variation scores 53.6% for White — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 53.5% and 53.7% — from 814K 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
- 814K+ 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 Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Anderssen Variation win rate?
Playing the Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Anderssen Variation, White wins 51.2%, draws 4.7% and loses 44.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.6%. It rests on 814K rated games from Lichess.
At what rating does the Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Anderssen Variation perform best?
The Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Anderssen Variation performs best for White at 2500+, with an Expected Score of 55.2% (17K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.
Is the Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Anderssen Variation better in blitz or rapid?
For White, the Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Anderssen Variation scores about the same in both: an Expected Score of 53.7% in Blitz (501K games) against 53.1% in Rapid (152K games).
How sharp is the Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Anderssen Variation?
The Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Anderssen Variation has a sharpness score of 95.3 (very decisive), meaning 95.3% of games end decisively. Average game length is 36 moves.
What is the Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Anderssen Variation win rate at 0-999?
At 0-999, White wins 50.8%, draws 3.1% and loses 46.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.4%. It rests on 13K Lichess games, which average 28 moves.
What is the Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Anderssen Variation win rate at 1000-1199?
At 1000-1199, White wins 52.3%, draws 3.0% and loses 44.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.8%. It rests on 38K Lichess games, which average 30 moves.
What is the Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Anderssen Variation win rate at 1200-1399?
At 1200-1399, White wins 52.2%, draws 3.3% and loses 44.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.9%. It rests on 71K Lichess games, which average 32 moves.
What is the Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Anderssen Variation win rate at 1400-1599?
At 1400-1599, White wins 51.6%, draws 3.7% and loses 44.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.5%. It rests on 104K Lichess games, which average 34 moves.
What is the Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Anderssen Variation win rate at 1600-1799?
At 1600-1799, White wins 51.4%, draws 4.1% and loses 44.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.5%. It rests on 134K Lichess games, which average 35 moves.
What is the Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Anderssen Variation win rate at 1800-1999?
At 1800-1999, White wins 51.1%, draws 4.7% and loses 44.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.4%. It rests on 174K Lichess games, which average 37 moves.
What is the Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Anderssen Variation win rate at 2000-2199?
At 2000-2199, White wins 50.7%, draws 5.3% and loses 44.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.4%. It rests on 162K Lichess games, which average 39 moves.
What is the Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Anderssen Variation win rate at 2200-2499?
At 2200-2499, White wins 50.7%, draws 6.3% and loses 43.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.9%. It rests on 101K Lichess games, which average 41 moves.
What is the Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Anderssen Variation win rate at 2500+?
At 2500+, White wins 50.3%, draws 9.9% and loses 39.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 55.2%. It rests on 17K Lichess games, which average 44 moves.
What is the Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Anderssen Variation win rate in Bullet?
In Bullet, White wins 52.4%, draws 3.1% and loses 44.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.0%. It rests on 153K Lichess games.
What is the Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Anderssen Variation win rate in Blitz?
In Blitz, White wins 51.2%, draws 4.9% and loses 43.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.7%. It rests on 501K Lichess games.
What is the Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Anderssen Variation win rate in Rapid?
In Rapid, White wins 50.3%, draws 5.5% and loses 44.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.1%. It rests on 152K Lichess games.
What is the Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Anderssen Variation win rate in Classical?
In Classical, White wins 48.0%, draws 7.0% and loses 45.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.5%. It rests on 8.1K Lichess games.
Is the Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Anderssen Variation a good opening?
The Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Anderssen Variation is good for White. Across all ratings, White wins 51.2% of its games and loses 44.1%. It performs best at 2500+. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.