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Sicilian Defense: Big Clamp Formation

29K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

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Analyze this line move by move

White expected score · All ratings · All speeds

52.7%

45%60%
Floor52.2%

the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 53.2%.

Measured over 29K games at this level and clock.

Play Thiswins clearly more often than it loses at this level

A strong choice for White at this level and clock.

Outcomes for White

Draw 3.8 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 29K games

Rank among the families White can choose here
not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
Games in this context
29K
Best context
55.6% at 2200-2499 Bullet
Worst context
47.1% at 1400-1599 Bullet
Average game length
37 moves
Games that end decisively
96.2%
Draws
3.8%

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: 42.5% at 0-999, 62.0% at 2500+.

RatingUBBulleBlitzRapidClass
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: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Bullet: 49.2% expected score (59 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 47.1% expected score (100 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 43.6% expected score (22 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 52.3% expected score (194 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 53.7% expected score (256 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 51.5% expected score (64 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 50.0% expected score (4 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 52.2% expected score (472 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 53.5% expected score (711 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 43.0% expected score (149 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 32.4% expected score (7 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 86.4% expected score (4 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 47.1% expected score (1,014 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 53.3% expected score (1,825 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 48.4% expected score (309 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 38.9% expected score (3 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 21.5% expected score (2 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 54.1% expected score (1,508 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 52.4% expected score (4,529 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 52.4% expected score (477 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (37 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 54.1% expected score (2,541 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 53.9% expected score (5,822 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 49.4% expected score (1,170 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 67.7% expected score (7 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 52.1% expected score (2,193 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 52.6% expected score (3,765 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 50.8% expected score (604 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 16.7% expected score (3 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 55.6% expected score (688 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 55.5% expected score (546 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 48.0% expected score (23 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 55.9% expected score (279 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 68.2% expected score (4 games)

Related Openings

Parent
Sicilian Defense
48.5%
Variations (5)
Sicilian Defense: Bowdler Attack
47.2%
Sicilian Defense: Old Sicilian
48.5%
Sicilian Defense: Closed
49.8%
Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation
50.2%
Sicilian Defense: McDonnell Attack
48.6%
Analyze Sicilian Defense: Big Clamp Formation PositionsSee what each move is worth at your rating, move by move

Methodology

Across every rating and clock, the Sicilian Defense: Big Clamp Formation scores 52.7% for White — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 52.2% and 53.2% — from 29K 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
29K+ 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 Sicilian Defense: Big Clamp Formation win rate?

Playing the Sicilian Defense: Big Clamp Formation, White wins 50.8%, draws 3.8% and loses 45.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.7%. It rests on 29K rated games from Lichess.

At what rating does the Sicilian Defense: Big Clamp Formation perform best?

The Sicilian Defense: Big Clamp Formation performs best for White at 2200-2499, with an Expected Score of 55.4% (1.3K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.

Is the Sicilian Defense: Big Clamp Formation better in blitz or rapid?

For White, the Sicilian Defense: Big Clamp Formation scores higher in Blitz: an Expected Score of 53.2% in Blitz (18K games) against 49.7% in Rapid (2.8K games).

How sharp is the Sicilian Defense: Big Clamp Formation?

The Sicilian Defense: Big Clamp Formation has a sharpness score of 96.2 (very decisive), meaning 96.2% of games end decisively. Average game length is 37 moves.

What is the Sicilian Defense: Big Clamp Formation win rate at 0-999?

At 0-999, White wins 45.5%, draws 3.0% and loses 51.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.0%. It rests on 182 Lichess games, which average 28 moves.

What is the Sicilian Defense: Big Clamp Formation win rate at 1000-1199?

At 1000-1199, White wins 51.9%, draws 2.0% and loses 46.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.9%. It rests on 516 Lichess games, which average 30 moves.

What is the Sicilian Defense: Big Clamp Formation win rate at 1200-1399?

At 1200-1399, White wins 50.7%, draws 2.1% and loses 47.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.8%. It rests on 1.3K Lichess games, which average 32 moves.

What is the Sicilian Defense: Big Clamp Formation win rate at 1400-1599?

At 1400-1599, White wins 49.4%, draws 2.8% and loses 47.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.8%. It rests on 3.2K Lichess games, which average 34 moves.

What is the Sicilian Defense: Big Clamp Formation win rate at 1600-1799?

At 1600-1799, White wins 50.9%, draws 3.6% and loses 45.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.7%. It rests on 6.6K Lichess games, which average 36 moves.

What is the Sicilian Defense: Big Clamp Formation win rate at 1800-1999?

At 1800-1999, White wins 51.4%, draws 4.0% and loses 44.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.4%. It rests on 9.5K Lichess games, which average 38 moves.

What is the Sicilian Defense: Big Clamp Formation win rate at 2000-2199?

At 2000-2199, White wins 50.1%, draws 4.3% and loses 45.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.3%. It rests on 6.6K Lichess games, which average 39 moves.

What is the Sicilian Defense: Big Clamp Formation win rate at 2200-2499?

At 2200-2499, White wins 52.6%, draws 5.5% and loses 41.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 55.4%. It rests on 1.3K Lichess games, which average 40 moves.

What is the Sicilian Defense: Big Clamp Formation win rate at 2500+?

At 2500+, White wins 54.7%, draws 3.0% and loses 42.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 56.2%. It rests on 283 Lichess games, which average 41 moves.

What is the Sicilian Defense: Big Clamp Formation win rate in Bullet?

In Bullet, White wins 51.3%, draws 2.9% and loses 45.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.8%. It rests on 8.9K Lichess games.

What is the Sicilian Defense: Big Clamp Formation win rate in Blitz?

In Blitz, White wins 51.1%, draws 4.1% and loses 44.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.2%. It rests on 18K Lichess games.

What is the Sicilian Defense: Big Clamp Formation win rate in Rapid?

In Rapid, White wins 47.3%, draws 4.8% and loses 47.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.7%. It rests on 2.8K Lichess games.

Is the Sicilian Defense: Big Clamp Formation a good opening?

The Sicilian Defense: Big Clamp Formation is good for White. Across all ratings, White wins 50.8% of its games and loses 45.4%. It performs best at 2200-2499. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.