Ruy Lopez: Open, Dilworth Variation
3.1K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026
Black expected score · All ratings · All speeds
58.6%
the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 60.0%.
Measured over 3.1K games at this level and clock.
A strong choice for Black at this level and clock.
Outcomes for Black
Draw 12.3 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 3.1K games
- Rank among the families Black can choose here
- not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
- Games in this context
- 3.1K
- Best context
- 62.3% at 2000-2199 Blitz
- Worst context
- 55.8% at 2200-2499 Blitz
- Average game length
- 40 moves
- Games that end decisively
- 87.7%
- Draws
- 12.3%
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.
Where it holds · Black score by rating × clock
Green is clearly ahead for Black, grey is around even, red is behind. Tap a cell to measure there, and again to clear. It gets better as the rating rises: 30.0% at 0-999, 48.6% 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, Blitz: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 21.5% expected score (2 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 63.4% expected score (6 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 83.4% expected score (9 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 73.5% expected score (24 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 58.7% expected score (10 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 56.2% expected score (31 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 63.6% expected score (146 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 59.8% expected score (24 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 64.3% expected score (2 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 72.4% expected score (88 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 62.3% expected score (705 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 57.9% expected score (94 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 59.1% expected score (15 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 65.4% expected score (203 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 55.8% expected score (873 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 62.1% expected score (192 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 43.3% expected score (6 games)
- 2500+ rating, Bullet: 51.6% expected score (242 games)
- 2500+ rating, Blitz: 54.2% expected score (294 games)
- 2500+ rating, Rapid: 41.9% expected score (91 games)
- 2500+ rating, Classical: 46.8% expected score (14 games)
Related Openings
Methodology
Across every rating and clock, the Ruy Lopez: Open, Dilworth Variation scores 58.6% for Black — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 57.1% and 60.0% — from 3.1K 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
- 3.1K+ 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: Open, Dilworth Variation win rate?
Playing the Ruy Lopez: Open, Dilworth Variation, Black wins 52.4%, draws 12.3% and loses 35.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 58.6%. It rests on 3.1K rated games from Lichess.
At what rating does the Ruy Lopez: Open, Dilworth Variation perform best?
The Ruy Lopez: Open, Dilworth Variation performs best for Black at 2000-2199, with an Expected Score of 62.8% (902 games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.
Is the Ruy Lopez: Open, Dilworth Variation better in blitz or rapid?
For Black, the Ruy Lopez: Open, Dilworth Variation scores higher in Blitz: an Expected Score of 58.6% in Blitz (2.0K games) against 56.0% in Rapid (415 games).
How sharp is the Ruy Lopez: Open, Dilworth Variation?
The Ruy Lopez: Open, Dilworth Variation has a sharpness score of 87.7 (moderately decisive), meaning 87.7% of games end decisively. Average game length is 40 moves.
What is the Ruy Lopez: Open, Dilworth Variation win rate at 1800-1999?
At 1800-1999, Black wins 59.9%, draws 4.6% and loses 35.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 62.2%. It rests on 203 Lichess games, which average 32 moves.
What is the Ruy Lopez: Open, Dilworth Variation win rate at 2000-2199?
At 2000-2199, Black wins 60.2%, draws 5.3% and loses 34.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 62.8%. It rests on 902 Lichess games, which average 34 moves.
What is the Ruy Lopez: Open, Dilworth Variation win rate at 2200-2499?
At 2200-2499, Black wins 55.2%, draws 6.2% and loses 38.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 58.3%. It rests on 1.3K Lichess games, which average 37 moves.
What is the Ruy Lopez: Open, Dilworth Variation win rate at 2500+?
At 2500+, Black wins 32.5%, draws 37.7% and loses 29.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.4%. It rests on 641 Lichess games, which average 59 moves.
What is the Ruy Lopez: Open, Dilworth Variation win rate in Bullet?
In Bullet, Black wins 51.0%, draws 19.0% and loses 30.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 60.5%. It rests on 574 Lichess games.
What is the Ruy Lopez: Open, Dilworth Variation win rate in Blitz?
In Blitz, Black wins 54.2%, draws 8.9% and loses 37.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 58.6%. It rests on 2.0K Lichess games.
What is the Ruy Lopez: Open, Dilworth Variation win rate in Rapid?
In Rapid, Black wins 46.9%, draws 18.1% and loses 34.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 56.0%. It rests on 415 Lichess games.
Is the Ruy Lopez: Open, Dilworth Variation a good opening?
The Ruy Lopez: Open, Dilworth Variation is good for Black. Across all ratings, Black wins 52.4% of its games and loses 35.3%. It performs best at 2000-2199. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.