Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Tartakower Variation
1.9K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026
White expected score · All ratings · All speeds
52.6%
the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 54.5%.
Measured over 1.9K games at this level and clock.
A strong choice for White at this level and clock.
Outcomes for White
Draw 5.8 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 1.9K games
- Rank among the families White can choose here
- not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
- Games in this context
- 1.9K
- Best context
- not measured yet
- Average game length
- 34 moves
- Games that end decisively
- 94.2%
- Draws
- 5.8%
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.
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: 56.4% at 0-999, 54.1% 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: 61.2% expected score (12 games)
- 0-999 rating, Blitz: 52.2% expected score (45 games)
- 0-999 rating, Rapid: 55.9% expected score (24 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 50.0% expected score (20 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 68.3% expected score (56 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 55.7% expected score (34 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 61.2% expected score (3 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 64.3% expected score (23 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 63.1% expected score (105 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 56.4% expected score (54 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 27.0% expected score (5 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 32.9% expected score (16 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 56.5% expected score (76 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 60.9% expected score (72 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 76.3% expected score (8 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 36.5% expected score (17 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 56.0% expected score (125 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 60.6% expected score (79 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 45.3% expected score (9 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 54.7% expected score (41 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 47.3% expected score (251 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 54.0% expected score (62 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (5 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 43.2% expected score (108 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 49.5% expected score (306 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 55.9% expected score (50 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 47.0% expected score (82 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 48.7% expected score (145 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 45.4% expected score (20 games)
- 2500+ rating, Bullet: 50.0% expected score (12 games)
- 2500+ rating, Blitz: 42.3% expected score (5 games)
- 2500+ rating, Rapid: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
Related Openings
Methodology
Across every rating and clock, the Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Tartakower Variation scores 52.6% for White — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 50.7% and 54.5% — from 1.9K 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
- 1.9K+ 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, Tartakower Variation win rate?
Playing the Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Tartakower Variation, White wins 49.6%, draws 5.8% and loses 44.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.6%. It rests on 1.9K rated games from Lichess.
At what rating does the Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Tartakower Variation perform best?
The Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Tartakower Variation performs best for White at 1200-1399, with an Expected Score of 60.4% (187 games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.
Is the Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Tartakower Variation better in blitz or rapid?
For White, the Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Tartakower Variation scores higher in Rapid: an Expected Score of 52.4% in Blitz (1.1K games) against 57.2% in Rapid (396 games).
How sharp is the Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Tartakower Variation?
The Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Tartakower Variation has a sharpness score of 94.2 (decisive), meaning 94.2% of games end decisively. Average game length is 34 moves.
What is the Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Tartakower Variation win rate at 1000-1199?
At 1000-1199, White wins 58.1%, draws 6.6% and loses 35.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 61.4%. It rests on 113 Lichess games, which average 28 moves.
What is the Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Tartakower Variation win rate at 1200-1399?
At 1200-1399, White wins 59.7%, draws 1.3% and loses 39.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 60.4%. It rests on 187 Lichess games, which average 31 moves.
What is the Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Tartakower Variation win rate at 1400-1599?
At 1400-1599, White wins 54.5%, draws 5.5% and loses 40.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 57.2%. It rests on 172 Lichess games, which average 29 moves.
What is the Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Tartakower Variation win rate at 1600-1799?
At 1600-1799, White wins 52.9%, draws 5.4% and loses 41.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 55.6%. It rests on 230 Lichess games, which average 34 moves.
What is the Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Tartakower Variation win rate at 1800-1999?
At 1800-1999, White wins 47.0%, draws 4.6% and loses 48.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.3%. It rests on 359 Lichess games, which average 33 moves.
What is the Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Tartakower Variation win rate at 2000-2199?
At 2000-2199, White wins 45.0%, draws 7.4% and loses 47.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.7%. It rests on 466 Lichess games, which average 39 moves.
What is the Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Tartakower Variation win rate at 2200-2499?
At 2200-2499, White wins 43.3%, draws 9.1% and loses 47.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.8%. It rests on 247 Lichess games, which average 40 moves.
What is the Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Tartakower Variation win rate in Bullet?
In Bullet, White wins 45.0%, draws 5.0% and loses 50.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.5%. It rests on 331 Lichess games.
What is the Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Tartakower Variation win rate in Blitz?
In Blitz, White wins 49.5%, draws 5.8% and loses 44.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.4%. It rests on 1.1K Lichess games.
What is the Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Tartakower Variation win rate in Rapid?
In Rapid, White wins 53.7%, draws 6.9% and loses 39.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 57.2%. It rests on 396 Lichess games.
Is the Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Tartakower Variation a good opening?
The Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Tartakower Variation is about level. Across all ratings, White wins 49.6% of its games and loses 44.5%. It performs best at 1200-1399. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.