Saragossa Opening

1 variations · 6.5M games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

Key Finding

Saragossa Opening is balanced for White at 50.9% expected score.

This opening produces roughly even results, with outcomes depending more on middlegame play than opening choice.

You play

Playable

Rating

Time

White Expected Score0.0%Range (90% confident): 50.8% – 50.9%Aggregated from 1 variations

0%50.9%100%

Range (90% confident): 50.8% – 50.9%

ContextOverall · n=6.5M

Outcome Distribution

48.9%3.8%47.2%

Win

Draw

Loss

1.c3

Saragossa Opening

Variations1

Games (Context)6.5M

Avg Length35 moves

Draw Rate3.8%

What Should I Play?

Player-controlled continuations for White · Overall

#1Saragossa OpeningTop Pick

1.c3

Min adv +1.6% · n=6.5M

50.9%

Continuations show the most common variations from this opening. Higher expected scores indicate better statistical outcomes, but familiarity and playstyle matter too.

Snapshot

Overall, the Saragossa Opening family has a 50.9% expected score for White (we're 90% confident it's between 50.8% and 50.9%), aggregated from 1 variations and 6.5M Lichess games.

White Win% by Rating

Stable across ratings (~46%)

1000

1200

1400

1600

1800

2000

2200

2500+

White Win% by Time Control

Best in UltraBullet (50%), worst in Classical (45%)

UltraBullet

Bullet

Blitz

Rapid

Classical

Rating vs Time Control Matrix

Click cells to filter · White expected scores

White% by Rating × Time Control

Click any cell to filter. Green = above 50%, Red = below 50%.

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: 43.8% expected score (1,250 games)
0-999 rating, Bullet: 48.2% expected score (74,213 games)
0-999 rating, Blitz: 48.6% expected score (173,556 games)
0-999 rating, Rapid: 47.8% expected score (72,635 games)
0-999 rating, Classical: 46.2% expected score (922 games)
1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 46.2% expected score (4,004 games)
1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 50.6% expected score (130,508 games)
1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 50.5% expected score (227,209 games)
1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 49.6% expected score (83,557 games)
1000-1199 rating, Classical: 46.6% expected score (2,853 games)
1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 49.0% expected score (14,560 games)
1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 50.6% expected score (250,646 games)
1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 50.4% expected score (322,931 games)
1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 49.4% expected score (100,644 games)
1200-1399 rating, Classical: 47.2% expected score (6,678 games)
1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 49.1% expected score (53,182 games)
1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 50.4% expected score (415,603 games)
1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 50.4% expected score (388,605 games)
1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 48.9% expected score (88,241 games)
1400-1599 rating, Classical: 45.1% expected score (7,378 games)
1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 51.7% expected score (69,811 games)
1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 50.7% expected score (580,974 games)
1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 50.8% expected score (450,647 games)
1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 50.5% expected score (77,041 games)
1600-1799 rating, Classical: 48.7% expected score (3,546 games)
1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 52.6% expected score (42,979 games)
1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 50.9% expected score (672,973 games)
1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 50.9% expected score (406,662 games)
1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 51.3% expected score (57,328 games)
1800-1999 rating, Classical: 52.6% expected score (2,730 games)
2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 54.8% expected score (22,788 games)
2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 51.3% expected score (669,941 games)
2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 52.3% expected score (201,292 games)
2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 52.2% expected score (20,639 games)
2000-2199 rating, Classical: 54.2% expected score (756 games)
2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 53.1% expected score (15,050 games)
2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 52.3% expected score (557,153 games)
2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 53.3% expected score (74,543 games)
2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 55.9% expected score (6,225 games)
2200-2499 rating, Classical: 56.3% expected score (70 games)
2500+ rating, UltraBullet: 62.2% expected score (551 games)
2500+ rating, Bullet: 53.8% expected score (126,644 games)
2500+ rating, Blitz: 56.5% expected score (8,416 games)
2500+ rating, Rapid: 53.3% expected score (617 games)
2500+ rating, Classical: 60.1% expected score (256 games)

Matrix view reveals how performance varies across rating brackets and time controls. Green indicates favorable, red indicates challenging contexts.

Variations (1)

Saragossa Opening6.5M games

Balanced50.9%

Analyze Saragossa Opening PositionsGet move-by-move win rates with the TrueElo analyzer

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Saragossa Opening win rate?

The Saragossa Opening family has a 48.9% (90% CI: 48.9%-49.0%) win rate for white, aggregated from 1 variations and 6.5M rated games from Lichess.

How many Saragossa Opening variations are there?

This analysis covers 1 Saragossa Opening variations with sufficient game data. Each variation has its own statistics page with detailed win rates by rating and time control.

At what rating does the Saragossa Opening perform best?

The Saragossa Opening family performs best at 2200-2499 Elo with a 50.1% win rate for white (653K games). Performance may vary by specific variation.

Is the Saragossa Opening better in blitz or rapid?

UltraBullet (50.3%) outperforms Classical (44.6%) by 5.7% across all Saragossa Opening variations.

How sharp is the Saragossa Opening?

Saragossa Opening games are 96.2% decisive (non-draws), with an average length of 35 moves. Sharpness varies by specific variation.

Is the Saragossa Opening a good opening family?

The Saragossa Opening family is statistically balanced overall with a 48.9% (90% CI: 48.9%-49.0%) aggregated win rate. However, win rates vary significantly between the 1 variations—explore individual lines to find the best fit for your style.