Ruy Lopez: Schliemann Defense, Schönemann Attack
57K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026
White expected score · All ratings · All speeds
50.5%
the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 50.8%.
Measured over 57K games at this level and clock.
Roughly even — the middlegame decides more than this opening choice does.
Outcomes for White
Draw 4.0 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 57K games
- Rank among the families White can choose here
- not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
- Games in this context
- 57K
- Best context
- 59.0% at 1400-1599 Rapid
- Worst context
- 47.8% at 2200-2499 Rapid
- Average game length
- 30 moves
- Games that end decisively
- 96.0%
- Draws
- 4.0%
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: 49.7% at 0-999, 52.1% 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: 52.4% expected score (166 games)
- 0-999 rating, Blitz: 51.8% expected score (199 games)
- 0-999 rating, Rapid: 45.0% expected score (69 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 21.5% expected score (2 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 55.5% expected score (343 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 49.6% expected score (423 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 53.7% expected score (165 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (4 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 51.9% expected score (642 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 57.4% expected score (985 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 56.8% expected score (311 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (4 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 53.0% expected score (1,158 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 53.5% expected score (2,086 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 59.0% expected score (588 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (34 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 51.0% expected score (1,738 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 54.7% expected score (4,121 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 56.7% expected score (1,016 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 52.7% expected score (56 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 50.2% expected score (2,857 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 50.0% expected score (8,446 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 55.2% expected score (1,460 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 54.4% expected score (101 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 49.5% expected score (3,741 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 47.9% expected score (11,090 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 49.0% expected score (1,791 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 55.2% expected score (66 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 49.9% expected score (4,118 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 48.4% expected score (6,582 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 47.8% expected score (669 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 35.2% expected score (12 games)
- 2500+ rating, Bullet: 47.9% expected score (1,030 games)
- 2500+ rating, Blitz: 53.1% expected score (469 games)
- 2500+ rating, Rapid: 55.2% expected score (18 games)
Related Openings
Methodology
Across every rating and clock, the Ruy Lopez: Schliemann Defense, Schönemann Attack scores 50.5% for White — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 50.1% and 50.8% — from 57K 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
- 57K+ 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, Schönemann Attack win rate?
Playing the Ruy Lopez: Schliemann Defense, Schönemann Attack, White wins 48.4%, draws 4.0% and loses 47.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.5%. It rests on 57K rated games from Lichess.
At what rating does the Ruy Lopez: Schliemann Defense, Schönemann Attack perform best?
The Ruy Lopez: Schliemann Defense, Schönemann Attack performs best for White at 1200-1399, with an Expected Score of 55.5% (1.9K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.
Is the Ruy Lopez: Schliemann Defense, Schönemann Attack better in blitz or rapid?
For White, the Ruy Lopez: Schliemann Defense, Schönemann Attack scores higher in Rapid: an Expected Score of 50.0% in Blitz (34K games) against 53.1% in Rapid (6.1K games).
How sharp is the Ruy Lopez: Schliemann Defense, Schönemann Attack?
The Ruy Lopez: Schliemann Defense, Schönemann Attack has a sharpness score of 96.0 (very decisive), meaning 96.0% of games end decisively. Average game length is 30 moves.
What is the Ruy Lopez: Schliemann Defense, Schönemann Attack win rate at 0-999?
At 0-999, White wins 49.5%, draws 2.9% and loses 47.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.0%. It rests on 434 Lichess games, which average 24 moves.
What is the Ruy Lopez: Schliemann Defense, Schönemann Attack win rate at 1000-1199?
At 1000-1199, White wins 51.5%, draws 1.7% and loses 46.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.4%. It rests on 937 Lichess games, which average 24 moves.
What is the Ruy Lopez: Schliemann Defense, Schönemann Attack win rate at 1200-1399?
At 1200-1399, White wins 54.2%, draws 2.5% and loses 43.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 55.5%. It rests on 1.9K Lichess games, which average 25 moves.
What is the Ruy Lopez: Schliemann Defense, Schönemann Attack win rate at 1400-1599?
At 1400-1599, White wins 52.9%, draws 2.4% and loses 44.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.1%. It rests on 3.9K Lichess games, which average 26 moves.
What is the Ruy Lopez: Schliemann Defense, Schönemann Attack win rate at 1600-1799?
At 1600-1799, White wins 52.5%, draws 3.0% and loses 44.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.0%. It rests on 6.9K Lichess games, which average 27 moves.
What is the Ruy Lopez: Schliemann Defense, Schönemann Attack win rate at 1800-1999?
At 1800-1999, White wins 48.8%, draws 3.6% and loses 47.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.6%. It rests on 13K Lichess games, which average 29 moves.
What is the Ruy Lopez: Schliemann Defense, Schönemann Attack win rate at 2000-2199?
At 2000-2199, White wins 46.2%, draws 4.5% and loses 49.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.5%. It rests on 17K Lichess games, which average 31 moves.
What is the Ruy Lopez: Schliemann Defense, Schönemann Attack win rate at 2200-2499?
At 2200-2499, White wins 46.3%, draws 5.1% and loses 48.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.9%. It rests on 11K Lichess games, which average 33 moves.
What is the Ruy Lopez: Schliemann Defense, Schönemann Attack win rate at 2500+?
At 2500+, White wins 46.0%, draws 7.2% and loses 46.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.6%. It rests on 1.5K Lichess games, which average 36 moves.
What is the Ruy Lopez: Schliemann Defense, Schönemann Attack win rate in Bullet?
In Bullet, White wins 48.8%, draws 2.9% and loses 48.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.3%. It rests on 16K Lichess games.
What is the Ruy Lopez: Schliemann Defense, Schönemann Attack win rate in Blitz?
In Blitz, White wins 47.8%, draws 4.4% and loses 47.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.0%. It rests on 34K Lichess games.
What is the Ruy Lopez: Schliemann Defense, Schönemann Attack win rate in Rapid?
In Rapid, White wins 50.7%, draws 4.8% and loses 44.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.1%. It rests on 6.1K Lichess games.
What is the Ruy Lopez: Schliemann Defense, Schönemann Attack win rate in Classical?
In Classical, White wins 49.7%, draws 5.9% and loses 44.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.7%. It rests on 277 Lichess games.
Is the Ruy Lopez: Schliemann Defense, Schönemann Attack a good opening?
The Ruy Lopez: Schliemann Defense, Schönemann Attack is about level. Across all ratings, White wins 48.4% of its games and loses 47.5%. It performs best at 1200-1399. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.