Ruy Lopez: Schliemann Defense, Möhring Variation
2.6K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026
Black expected score · All ratings · All speeds
57.4%
the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 59.1%.
Measured over 2.6K games at this level and clock.
A strong choice for Black at this level and clock.
Outcomes for Black
Draw 6.2 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 2.6K games
- Rank among the families Black can choose here
- not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
- Games in this context
- 2.6K
- Best context
- 59.7% at 2000-2199 Blitz
- Worst context
- 57.4% at 2200-2499 Blitz
- Average game length
- 32 moves
- Games that end decisively
- 93.8%
- Draws
- 6.2%
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 · 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 falls away as the rating rises: 70.0% at 0-999, 52.8% 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: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 13.7% expected score (4 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 68.2% expected score (4 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 62.0% expected score (11 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 56.5% expected score (14 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 38.9% expected score (3 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 54.8% expected score (9 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 52.1% expected score (23 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 42.6% expected score (12 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 60.3% expected score (18 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 56.1% expected score (56 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 25.6% expected score (21 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 62.4% expected score (47 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 51.1% expected score (190 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 33.7% expected score (26 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 42.4% expected score (5 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 66.1% expected score (185 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 59.7% expected score (657 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 36.9% expected score (44 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 21.5% expected score (2 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 58.6% expected score (401 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 57.4% expected score (559 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 39.9% expected score (28 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 35.7% expected score (2 games)
- 2500+ rating, Bullet: 64.7% expected score (213 games)
- 2500+ rating, Blitz: 43.7% expected score (38 games)
- 2500+ rating, Rapid: 50.0% expected score (6 games)
Related Openings
Methodology
Across every rating and clock, the Ruy Lopez: Schliemann Defense, Möhring Variation scores 57.4% for Black — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 55.8% and 59.1% — from 2.6K 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
- 2.6K+ 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, Möhring Variation win rate?
Playing the Ruy Lopez: Schliemann Defense, Möhring Variation, Black wins 54.3%, draws 6.2% and loses 39.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 57.4%. It rests on 2.6K rated games from Lichess.
At what rating does the Ruy Lopez: Schliemann Defense, Möhring Variation perform best?
The Ruy Lopez: Schliemann Defense, Möhring Variation performs best for Black at 2000-2199, with an Expected Score of 59.7% (889 games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.
Is the Ruy Lopez: Schliemann Defense, Möhring Variation better in blitz or rapid?
For Black, the Ruy Lopez: Schliemann Defense, Möhring Variation scores higher in Blitz: an Expected Score of 57.2% in Blitz (1.5K games) against 35.3% in Rapid (141 games).
How sharp is the Ruy Lopez: Schliemann Defense, Möhring Variation?
The Ruy Lopez: Schliemann Defense, Möhring Variation has a sharpness score of 93.8 (decisive), meaning 93.8% of games end decisively. Average game length is 32 moves.
What is the Ruy Lopez: Schliemann Defense, Möhring Variation win rate at 1800-1999?
At 1800-1999, Black wins 49.2%, draws 3.9% and loses 46.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.2%. It rests on 268 Lichess games, which average 27 moves.
What is the Ruy Lopez: Schliemann Defense, Möhring Variation win rate at 2000-2199?
At 2000-2199, Black wins 56.3%, draws 6.8% and loses 36.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 59.7%. It rests on 889 Lichess games, which average 32 moves.
What is the Ruy Lopez: Schliemann Defense, Möhring Variation win rate at 2200-2499?
At 2200-2499, Black wins 53.8%, draws 7.0% and loses 39.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 57.3%. It rests on 990 Lichess games, which average 34 moves.
What is the Ruy Lopez: Schliemann Defense, Möhring Variation win rate at 2500+?
At 2500+, Black wins 57.4%, draws 7.5% and loses 35.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 61.2%. It rests on 257 Lichess games, which average 36 moves.
What is the Ruy Lopez: Schliemann Defense, Möhring Variation win rate in Bullet?
In Bullet, Black wins 59.6%, draws 4.3% and loses 36.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 61.8%. It rests on 889 Lichess games.
What is the Ruy Lopez: Schliemann Defense, Möhring Variation win rate in Blitz?
In Blitz, Black wins 53.6%, draws 7.1% and loses 39.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 57.2%. It rests on 1.5K Lichess games.
What is the Ruy Lopez: Schliemann Defense, Möhring Variation win rate in Rapid?
In Rapid, Black wins 31.2%, draws 8.1% and loses 60.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 35.3%. It rests on 141 Lichess games.
Is the Ruy Lopez: Schliemann Defense, Möhring Variation a good opening?
The Ruy Lopez: Schliemann Defense, Möhring Variation is good for Black. Across all ratings, Black wins 54.3% of its games and loses 39.5%. It performs best at 2000-2199. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.