Ruy Lopez: Schliemann Defense
338K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026
Black expected score · All ratings · All speeds
50.7%
the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 50.9%.
Measured over 338K games at this level and clock.
Roughly even — the middlegame decides more than this opening choice does.
Outcomes for Black
Draw 4.1 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 338K games
- Rank among the families Black can choose here
- not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
- Games in this context
- 338K
- Best context
- 53.8% at 2000-2199 Bullet
- Worst context
- 43.2% at 2500+ Blitz
- Average game length
- 32 moves
- Games that end decisively
- 95.9%
- Draws
- 4.1%
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 holds about the same all the way up, near 42.5%.
| 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: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
- 0-999 rating, Bullet: 51.8% expected score (1,258 games)
- 0-999 rating, Blitz: 48.4% expected score (1,751 games)
- 0-999 rating, Rapid: 43.4% expected score (600 games)
- 0-999 rating, Classical: 38.9% expected score (3 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 44.2% expected score (7 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 49.4% expected score (3,527 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 46.8% expected score (4,916 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 45.1% expected score (1,623 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 57.7% expected score (18 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 27.0% expected score (5 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 49.9% expected score (5,885 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 47.8% expected score (10,477 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 45.0% expected score (3,746 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 44.7% expected score (64 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 60.4% expected score (13 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 51.9% expected score (9,227 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 48.8% expected score (18,479 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 45.2% expected score (6,515 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 42.6% expected score (306 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 42.4% expected score (5 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 53.1% expected score (12,314 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 50.3% expected score (28,300 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 47.0% expected score (8,303 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 47.2% expected score (602 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 53.0% expected score (16,314 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 51.6% expected score (45,160 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 47.5% expected score (10,011 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 46.7% expected score (758 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 61.2% expected score (3 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 53.8% expected score (19,257 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 52.6% expected score (53,465 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 49.6% expected score (9,499 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 40.3% expected score (415 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 51.3% expected score (20,046 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 51.4% expected score (32,214 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 46.8% expected score (3,998 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 42.9% expected score (62 games)
- 2500+ rating, Bullet: 49.8% expected score (5,591 games)
- 2500+ rating, Blitz: 43.2% expected score (3,321 games)
- 2500+ rating, Rapid: 40.1% expected score (175 games)
- 2500+ rating, Classical: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
Related Openings
Methodology
Across every rating and clock, the Ruy Lopez: Schliemann Defense scores 50.7% for Black — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 50.6% and 50.9% — from 338K 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
- 338K+ 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: Schliemann Defense win rate?
Playing the Ruy Lopez: Schliemann Defense, Black wins 48.6%, draws 4.1% and loses 47.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.7%. It rests on 338K rated games from Lichess.
At what rating does the Ruy Lopez: Schliemann Defense perform best?
The Ruy Lopez: Schliemann Defense performs best for Black at 2000-2199, with an Expected Score of 52.4% (83K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.
Is the Ruy Lopez: Schliemann Defense better in blitz or rapid?
For Black, the Ruy Lopez: Schliemann Defense scores higher in Blitz: an Expected Score of 50.9% in Blitz (198K games) against 47.1% in Rapid (44K games).
How sharp is the Ruy Lopez: Schliemann Defense?
The Ruy Lopez: Schliemann Defense has a sharpness score of 95.9 (very decisive), meaning 95.9% of games end decisively. Average game length is 32 moves.
What is the Ruy Lopez: Schliemann Defense win rate at 0-999?
At 0-999, Black wins 47.7%, draws 2.0% and loses 50.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.7%. It rests on 3.6K Lichess games, which average 24 moves.
What is the Ruy Lopez: Schliemann Defense win rate at 1000-1199?
At 1000-1199, Black wins 46.2%, draws 2.5% and loses 51.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.5%. It rests on 10K Lichess games, which average 26 moves.
What is the Ruy Lopez: Schliemann Defense win rate at 1200-1399?
At 1200-1399, Black wins 46.6%, draws 2.4% and loses 50.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.9%. It rests on 20K Lichess games, which average 28 moves.
What is the Ruy Lopez: Schliemann Defense win rate at 1400-1599?
At 1400-1599, Black wins 47.5%, draws 2.7% and loses 49.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.9%. It rests on 35K Lichess games, which average 29 moves.
What is the Ruy Lopez: Schliemann Defense win rate at 1600-1799?
At 1600-1799, Black wins 48.7%, draws 3.3% and loses 48.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.4%. It rests on 50K Lichess games, which average 30 moves.
What is the Ruy Lopez: Schliemann Defense win rate at 1800-1999?
At 1800-1999, Black wins 49.2%, draws 4.1% and loses 46.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.3%. It rests on 72K Lichess games, which average 32 moves.
What is the Ruy Lopez: Schliemann Defense win rate at 2000-2199?
At 2000-2199, Black wins 50.1%, draws 4.6% and loses 45.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.4%. It rests on 83K Lichess games, which average 34 moves.
What is the Ruy Lopez: Schliemann Defense win rate at 2200-2499?
At 2200-2499, Black wins 48.2%, draws 5.6% and loses 46.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.0%. It rests on 56K Lichess games, which average 36 moves.
What is the Ruy Lopez: Schliemann Defense win rate at 2500+?
At 2500+, Black wins 43.6%, draws 7.2% and loses 49.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.2%. It rests on 9.1K Lichess games, which average 40 moves.
What is the Ruy Lopez: Schliemann Defense win rate in Bullet?
In Bullet, Black wins 50.7%, draws 2.9% and loses 46.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.2%. It rests on 93K Lichess games.
What is the Ruy Lopez: Schliemann Defense win rate in Blitz?
In Blitz, Black wins 48.6%, draws 4.5% and loses 46.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.9%. It rests on 198K Lichess games.
What is the Ruy Lopez: Schliemann Defense win rate in Rapid?
In Rapid, Black wins 44.7%, draws 4.7% and loses 50.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.1%. It rests on 44K Lichess games.
What is the Ruy Lopez: Schliemann Defense win rate in Classical?
In Classical, Black wins 42.2%, draws 5.4% and loses 52.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 44.9%. It rests on 2.2K Lichess games.
Is the Ruy Lopez: Schliemann Defense a good opening?
The Ruy Lopez: Schliemann Defense is about level. Across all ratings, Black wins 48.6% of its games and loses 47.3%. It performs best at 2000-2199. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.