Skip to content
TrueEloPlay what wins.
Score a position

Sicilian Defense: Closed, Grob Attack

9.8K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

8
7
6
5
4
3
2
a1
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
3.g4
Analyze this line move by move

White expected score · All ratings · All speeds

53.7%

45%60%
Floor52.9%

the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 54.6%.

Measured over 9.8K 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 4.8 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 9.8K games

Rank among the families White can choose here
not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
Games in this context
9.8K
Best context
57.0% at 2200-2499 Bullet
Worst context
51.0% at 1600-1799 Blitz
Average game length
36 moves
Games that end decisively
95.2%
Draws
4.8%

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: 49.8% at 0-999, 57.1% 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, Bullet: 50.0% expected score (36 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 40.1% expected score (114 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 39.2% expected score (40 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Classical: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 46.9% expected score (46 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 53.6% expected score (82 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 43.5% expected score (52 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 37.2% expected score (61 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 41.3% expected score (125 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 49.1% expected score (56 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 38.9% expected score (3 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 40.8% expected score (96 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 43.9% expected score (236 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 37.4% expected score (78 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 21.5% expected score (9 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 46.6% expected score (249 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 51.0% expected score (760 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 57.8% expected score (173 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 52.6% expected score (18 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 51.5% expected score (364 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 55.8% expected score (1,944 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 49.2% expected score (121 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 68.2% expected score (15 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 55.8% expected score (668 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 56.1% expected score (1,288 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 53.9% expected score (116 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 21.5% expected score (2 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 57.0% expected score (1,882 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 53.8% expected score (929 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 66.9% expected score (49 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 55.7% expected score (156 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 58.5% expected score (28 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: Closed, Grob Attack PositionsSee what each move is worth at your rating, move by move

Methodology

Across every rating and clock, the Sicilian Defense: Closed, Grob Attack scores 53.7% for White — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 52.9% and 54.6% — from 9.8K 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
9.8K+ 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: Closed, Grob Attack win rate?

Playing the Sicilian Defense: Closed, Grob Attack, White wins 51.3%, draws 4.8% and loses 43.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.7%. It rests on 9.8K rated games from Lichess.

At what rating does the Sicilian Defense: Closed, Grob Attack perform best?

The Sicilian Defense: Closed, Grob Attack performs best for White at 2200-2499, with an Expected Score of 56.2% (2.9K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.

Is the Sicilian Defense: Closed, Grob Attack better in blitz or rapid?

For White, the Sicilian Defense: Closed, Grob Attack scores higher in Blitz: an Expected Score of 53.7% in Blitz (5.5K games) against 51.1% in Rapid (685 games).

How sharp is the Sicilian Defense: Closed, Grob Attack?

The Sicilian Defense: Closed, Grob Attack has a sharpness score of 95.2 (very decisive), meaning 95.2% of games end decisively. Average game length is 36 moves.

What is the Sicilian Defense: Closed, Grob Attack win rate at 0-999?

At 0-999, White wins 40.8%, draws 2.3% and loses 56.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 42.0%. It rests on 191 Lichess games, which average 28 moves.

What is the Sicilian Defense: Closed, Grob Attack win rate at 1000-1199?

At 1000-1199, White wins 47.7%, draws 2.5% and loses 49.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.9%. It rests on 180 Lichess games, which average 26 moves.

What is the Sicilian Defense: Closed, Grob Attack win rate at 1200-1399?

At 1200-1399, White wins 41.0%, draws 2.2% and loses 56.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 42.1%. It rests on 246 Lichess games, which average 29 moves.

What is the Sicilian Defense: Closed, Grob Attack win rate at 1400-1599?

At 1400-1599, White wins 39.5%, draws 3.4% and loses 57.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 41.2%. It rests on 420 Lichess games, which average 33 moves.

What is the Sicilian Defense: Closed, Grob Attack win rate at 1600-1799?

At 1600-1799, White wins 46.7%, draws 8.9% and loses 44.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.1%. It rests on 1.2K Lichess games, which average 42 moves.

What is the Sicilian Defense: Closed, Grob Attack win rate at 1800-1999?

At 1800-1999, White wins 52.4%, draws 5.1% and loses 42.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 55.0%. It rests on 2.4K Lichess games, which average 37 moves.

What is the Sicilian Defense: Closed, Grob Attack win rate at 2000-2199?

At 2000-2199, White wins 53.5%, draws 4.6% and loses 41.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 55.8%. It rests on 2.1K Lichess games, which average 36 moves.

What is the Sicilian Defense: Closed, Grob Attack win rate at 2200-2499?

At 2200-2499, White wins 54.2%, draws 3.9% and loses 41.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 56.2%. It rests on 2.9K Lichess games, which average 36 moves.

What is the Sicilian Defense: Closed, Grob Attack win rate at 2500+?

At 2500+, White wins 53.6%, draws 5.1% and loses 41.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 56.2%. It rests on 184 Lichess games, which average 38 moves.

What is the Sicilian Defense: Closed, Grob Attack win rate in Bullet?

In Bullet, White wins 52.5%, draws 3.7% and loses 43.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.4%. It rests on 3.6K Lichess games.

What is the Sicilian Defense: Closed, Grob Attack win rate in Blitz?

In Blitz, White wins 50.9%, draws 5.5% and loses 43.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.7%. It rests on 5.5K Lichess games.

What is the Sicilian Defense: Closed, Grob Attack win rate in Rapid?

In Rapid, White wins 48.6%, draws 4.9% and loses 46.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.1%. It rests on 685 Lichess games.

Is the Sicilian Defense: Closed, Grob Attack a good opening?

The Sicilian Defense: Closed, Grob Attack is good for White. Across all ratings, White wins 51.3% of its games and loses 43.9%. It performs best at 2200-2499. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.