Scandinavian Defense: Schiller-Pytel Variation
137K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026
Black expected score · All ratings · All speeds
50.0%
the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 50.3%.
Measured over 137K games at this level and clock.
Roughly even — the middlegame decides more than this opening choice does.
Outcomes for Black
Draw 5.1 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 137K games
- Rank among the families Black can choose here
- not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
- Games in this context
- 137K
- Best context
- 52.9% at 1400-1599 Bullet
- Worst context
- 42.3% at 1000-1199 Rapid
- Average game length
- 37 moves
- Games that end decisively
- 94.9%
- Draws
- 5.1%
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 falls away as the rating rises: 51.5% at 0-999, 40.5% 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, UltraBullet: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
- 0-999 rating, Bullet: 46.3% expected score (470 games)
- 0-999 rating, Blitz: 47.6% expected score (794 games)
- 0-999 rating, Rapid: 42.2% expected score (217 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 73.1% expected score (5 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 52.8% expected score (1,129 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 46.7% expected score (2,078 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 42.3% expected score (591 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 38.9% expected score (3 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 51.8% expected score (2,314 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 48.4% expected score (3,694 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 43.7% expected score (1,047 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 31.7% expected score (23 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 50.0% expected score (4 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 52.9% expected score (5,094 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 49.8% expected score (8,361 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 46.8% expected score (1,997 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 39.4% expected score (83 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 42.4% expected score (5 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 51.5% expected score (6,310 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 51.3% expected score (15,322 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 48.5% expected score (3,351 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 58.0% expected score (124 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 52.5% expected score (8,717 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 50.4% expected score (19,320 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 48.2% expected score (3,525 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 41.5% expected score (168 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 51.5% expected score (11,551 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 50.8% expected score (16,657 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 46.7% expected score (1,569 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 46.2% expected score (51 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 48.7% expected score (10,509 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 46.2% expected score (8,016 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 42.8% expected score (387 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 35.2% expected score (12 games)
- 2500+ rating, Bullet: 48.9% expected score (3,257 games)
- 2500+ rating, Blitz: 46.8% expected score (547 games)
- 2500+ rating, Rapid: 25.9% expected score (13 games)
Related Openings
Methodology
Across every rating and clock, the Scandinavian Defense: Schiller-Pytel Variation scores 50.0% for Black — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 49.8% and 50.3% — from 137K 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
- 137K+ 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: Schiller-Pytel Variation win rate?
Playing the Scandinavian Defense: Schiller-Pytel Variation, Black wins 47.5%, draws 5.1% and loses 47.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.0%. It rests on 137K rated games from Lichess.
At what rating does the Scandinavian Defense: Schiller-Pytel Variation perform best?
The Scandinavian Defense: Schiller-Pytel Variation performs best for Black at 1600-1799, with an Expected Score of 51.0% (25K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.
Is the Scandinavian Defense: Schiller-Pytel Variation better in blitz or rapid?
For Black, the Scandinavian Defense: Schiller-Pytel Variation scores higher in Blitz: an Expected Score of 49.9% in Blitz (75K games) against 46.9% in Rapid (13K games).
How sharp is the Scandinavian Defense: Schiller-Pytel Variation?
The Scandinavian Defense: Schiller-Pytel Variation has a sharpness score of 94.9 (decisive), meaning 94.9% of games end decisively. Average game length is 37 moves.
What is the Scandinavian Defense: Schiller-Pytel Variation win rate at 0-999?
At 0-999, Black wins 45.1%, draws 2.6% and loses 52.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.4%. It rests on 1.5K Lichess games, which average 27 moves.
What is the Scandinavian Defense: Schiller-Pytel Variation win rate at 1000-1199?
At 1000-1199, Black wins 46.4%, draws 3.0% and loses 50.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.9%. It rests on 3.8K Lichess games, which average 30 moves.
What is the Scandinavian Defense: Schiller-Pytel Variation win rate at 1200-1399?
At 1200-1399, Black wins 47.2%, draws 3.1% and loses 49.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.8%. It rests on 7.1K Lichess games, which average 31 moves.
What is the Scandinavian Defense: Schiller-Pytel Variation win rate at 1400-1599?
At 1400-1599, Black wins 48.4%, draws 3.9% and loses 47.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.4%. It rests on 16K Lichess games, which average 34 moves.
What is the Scandinavian Defense: Schiller-Pytel Variation win rate at 1600-1799?
At 1600-1799, Black wins 48.6%, draws 4.6% and loses 46.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.0%. It rests on 25K Lichess games, which average 36 moves.
What is the Scandinavian Defense: Schiller-Pytel Variation win rate at 1800-1999?
At 1800-1999, Black wins 48.1%, draws 5.3% and loses 46.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.7%. It rests on 32K Lichess games, which average 38 moves.
What is the Scandinavian Defense: Schiller-Pytel Variation win rate at 2000-2199?
At 2000-2199, Black wins 48.0%, draws 5.6% and loses 46.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.8%. It rests on 30K Lichess games, which average 39 moves.
What is the Scandinavian Defense: Schiller-Pytel Variation win rate at 2200-2499?
At 2200-2499, Black wins 44.3%, draws 6.4% and loses 49.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.5%. It rests on 19K Lichess games, which average 40 moves.
What is the Scandinavian Defense: Schiller-Pytel Variation win rate at 2500+?
At 2500+, Black wins 45.0%, draws 7.0% and loses 48.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.5%. It rests on 3.8K Lichess games, which average 43 moves.
What is the Scandinavian Defense: Schiller-Pytel Variation win rate in Bullet?
In Bullet, Black wins 49.2%, draws 3.8% and loses 47.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.1%. It rests on 49K Lichess games.
What is the Scandinavian Defense: Schiller-Pytel Variation win rate in Blitz?
In Blitz, Black wins 47.0%, draws 5.7% and loses 47.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.9%. It rests on 75K Lichess games.
What is the Scandinavian Defense: Schiller-Pytel Variation win rate in Rapid?
In Rapid, Black wins 43.9%, draws 6.0% and loses 50.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.9%. It rests on 13K Lichess games.
What is the Scandinavian Defense: Schiller-Pytel Variation win rate in Classical?
In Classical, Black wins 40.2%, draws 10.2% and loses 49.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 45.3%. It rests on 463 Lichess games.
Is the Scandinavian Defense: Schiller-Pytel Variation a good opening?
The Scandinavian Defense: Schiller-Pytel Variation is about level. Across all ratings, Black wins 47.5% of its games and loses 47.5%. It performs best at 1600-1799. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.