Scandinavian Defense: Grünfeld Variation
5.7K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026
White expected score · All ratings · All speeds
56.7%
the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 57.8%.
Measured over 5.7K games at this level and clock.
A strong choice for White at this level and clock.
Outcomes for White
Draw 4.1 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 5.7K games
- Rank among the families White can choose here
- not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
- Games in this context
- 5.7K
- Best context
- 56.8% at 2000-2199 Blitz
- Worst context
- 53.8% at 2200-2499 Blitz
- Average game length
- 35 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 · 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 falls away as the rating rises: 70.0% at 0-999, 58.0% 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: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
- 0-999 rating, Rapid: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 44.2% expected score (7 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 63.4% expected score (6 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 64.3% expected score (2 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 60.4% expected score (13 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 41.3% expected score (10 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 50.0% expected score (4 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 77.7% expected score (22 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 64.7% expected score (36 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 60.6% expected score (8 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 64.0% expected score (81 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 67.0% expected score (102 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 63.6% expected score (28 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 77.3% expected score (4 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 59.0% expected score (144 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 54.2% expected score (446 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 59.1% expected score (48 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 55.7% expected score (414 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 56.8% expected score (1,445 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 60.6% expected score (84 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 59.6% expected score (9 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 56.0% expected score (678 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 53.8% expected score (1,308 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 53.7% expected score (120 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
- 2500+ rating, Bullet: 60.9% expected score (465 games)
- 2500+ rating, Blitz: 58.6% expected score (174 games)
- 2500+ rating, Rapid: 54.4% expected score (10 games)
Related Openings
Methodology
Across every rating and clock, the Scandinavian Defense: Grünfeld Variation scores 56.7% for White — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 55.6% and 57.8% — from 5.7K 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
- 5.7K+ 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 Scandinavian Defense: Grünfeld Variation win rate?
Playing the Scandinavian Defense: Grünfeld Variation, White wins 54.6%, draws 4.1% and loses 41.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 56.7%. It rests on 5.7K rated games from Lichess.
At what rating does the Scandinavian Defense: Grünfeld Variation perform best?
The Scandinavian Defense: Grünfeld Variation performs best for White at 1600-1799, with an Expected Score of 66.0% (215 games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.
Is the Scandinavian Defense: Grünfeld Variation better in blitz or rapid?
For White, the Scandinavian Defense: Grünfeld Variation scores higher in Rapid: an Expected Score of 55.8% in Blitz (3.5K games) against 58.0% in Rapid (305 games).
How sharp is the Scandinavian Defense: Grünfeld Variation?
The Scandinavian Defense: Grünfeld Variation has a sharpness score of 95.9 (very decisive), meaning 95.9% of games end decisively. Average game length is 35 moves.
What is the Scandinavian Defense: Grünfeld Variation win rate at 1600-1799?
At 1600-1799, White wins 64.0%, draws 3.9% and loses 32.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 66.0%. It rests on 215 Lichess games, which average 29 moves.
What is the Scandinavian Defense: Grünfeld Variation win rate at 1800-1999?
At 1800-1999, White wins 53.8%, draws 3.8% and loses 42.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 55.7%. It rests on 639 Lichess games, which average 31 moves.
What is the Scandinavian Defense: Grünfeld Variation win rate at 2000-2199?
At 2000-2199, White wins 55.0%, draws 3.6% and loses 41.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 56.8%. It rests on 2.0K Lichess games, which average 34 moves.
What is the Scandinavian Defense: Grünfeld Variation win rate at 2200-2499?
At 2200-2499, White wins 52.1%, draws 4.8% and loses 43.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.5%. It rests on 2.1K Lichess games, which average 36 moves.
What is the Scandinavian Defense: Grünfeld Variation win rate at 2500+?
At 2500+, White wins 57.9%, draws 4.5% and loses 37.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 60.2%. It rests on 649 Lichess games, which average 40 moves.
What is the Scandinavian Defense: Grünfeld Variation win rate in Bullet?
In Bullet, White wins 56.7%, draws 2.7% and loses 40.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 58.1%. It rests on 1.8K Lichess games.
What is the Scandinavian Defense: Grünfeld Variation win rate in Blitz?
In Blitz, White wins 53.4%, draws 4.8% and loses 41.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 55.8%. It rests on 3.5K Lichess games.
What is the Scandinavian Defense: Grünfeld Variation win rate in Rapid?
In Rapid, White wins 55.6%, draws 4.7% and loses 39.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 58.0%. It rests on 305 Lichess games.
Is the Scandinavian Defense: Grünfeld Variation a good opening?
The Scandinavian Defense: Grünfeld Variation is good for White. Across all ratings, White wins 54.6% of its games and loses 41.3%. It performs best at 1600-1799. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.