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Sicilian Defense: Closed

12M games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

Playable
White Expected Score51.8%Range (90% confident): 51.8% – 51.8%Based on 12M games
0%51.8%100%
Range (90% confident): 51.8% – 51.8%
Outcome Distribution
49.8%3.9%46.3%
Win
Draw
Loss
6.Be3
Sicilian Defense: Closed
Analyzen=12M
Avg Length35 moves
Sharpness96%
Draw Rate3.9%

What is the Sicilian Defense: Closed expected score for White?

Snapshot

At all ratings, the Sicilian Defense: Closed has a 51.8% expected score for White (we're 90% confident it's between 51.8% and 51.8%), based on 12M Lichess games.

White Win% by Rating

Improves with rating: 47% → 53%

0
1000
1200
1400
1600
1800
2000
2200
2500+

  • 0-999: 47.4% win rate (211,778 games)
  • 1000-1199: 47.9% win rate (426,366 games)
  • 1200-1399: 48.3% win rate (808,262 games)
  • 1400-1599: 48.5% win rate (1,404,933 games)
  • 1600-1799: 49.3% win rate (2,091,542 games)
  • 1800-1999: 50.0% win rate (2,661,980 games)
  • 2000-2199: 50.5% win rate (2,375,885 games)
  • 2200-2499: 51.2% win rate (1,663,146 games)
  • 2500+: 52.8% win rate (331,492 games)

White Win% by Time Control

Best in UltraBullet (52%), worst in Classical (47%)

UltraBullet
Bullet
Blitz
Rapid
Classical

  • UltraBullet: 51.7% win rate (32,011 games)
  • Bullet: 50.4% win rate (5,552,822 games)
  • Blitz: 49.6% win rate (5,218,477 games)
  • Rapid: 48.3% win rate (1,117,483 games)
  • Classical: 46.7% win rate (54,591 games)

White% by Rating × Time Control

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

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: 43.4% expected score (349 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Bullet: 46.8% expected score (60,295 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 49.6% expected score (99,858 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 50.3% expected score (50,750 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Classical: 49.6% expected score (526 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 49.8% expected score (1,138 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 48.4% expected score (155,444 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 49.8% expected score (183,252 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 50.0% expected score (84,572 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 49.0% expected score (1,960 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 51.2% expected score (3,717 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 49.5% expected score (316,452 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 49.9% expected score (352,234 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 49.8% expected score (130,402 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 48.0% expected score (5,457 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 50.8% expected score (7,931 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 50.2% expected score (565,625 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 50.4% expected score (627,999 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 49.1% expected score (191,119 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 45.5% expected score (12,259 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 52.1% expected score (9,943 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 51.2% expected score (859,443 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 51.1% expected score (976,955 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 50.1% expected score (229,660 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 49.7% expected score (15,541 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 54.5% expected score (5,931 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 51.9% expected score (1,124,225 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 52.0% expected score (1,293,490 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 51.3% expected score (225,532 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 52.1% expected score (12,802 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 58.6% expected score (2,097 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 52.5% expected score (1,130,280 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 53.0% expected score (1,084,929 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 52.9% expected score (153,472 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 54.6% expected score (5,107 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 55.1% expected score (722 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 53.4% expected score (1,052,833 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 54.4% expected score (558,049 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 55.9% expected score (50,635 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 58.8% expected score (907 games)
  • 2500+ rating, UltraBullet: 64.4% expected score (183 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 55.7% expected score (288,225 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 57.2% expected score (41,711 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 59.2% expected score (1,341 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Classical: 51.5% expected score (32 games)

Related Openings

Parent
Sicilian Defense
48.5%
Variations (5)
Sicilian Defense: Accelerated Dragon
45.7%
Sicilian Defense: Accelerated Dragon, Exchange Variation
45.8%
Sicilian Defense: Accelerated Dragon, Maróczy Bind
48.8%
Sicilian Defense: Accelerated Dragon, Maróczy Bind, Breyer Variation
43.7%
Sicilian Defense: Accelerated Dragon, Maróczy Bind, Gurgenidze Variation
44.6%
Continuations (10)
Sicilian Defense: Closed, Anti-Sveshnikov Variation, Kharlov-Kramnik Line
45.1%
Sicilian Defense: Closed, Anti-Sveshnikov Variation, with d6
46.5%
Sicilian Defense: Closed, Anti-Sveshnikov Variation, with Nf6
48.5%
Sicilian Defense: Closed, Botvinnik Defense, Edge Variation
64.0%
Sicilian Defense: Closed, Botvinnik Defense, with f4
51.5%
Sicilian Defense: Closed, Botvinnik Defense, with Nge2
48.2%
Sicilian Defense: Closed, Chameleon Variation
51.1%
Sicilian Defense: Closed, Fianchetto Variation
52.6%
Sicilian Defense: Closed, Grob Attack
51.3%
Sicilian Defense: Closed, Korchnoi Defense
50.2%
Analyze Sicilian Defense: Closed PositionsGet move-by-move win rates with the TrueElo analyzer

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Sicilian Defense: Closed win rate?

The Sicilian Defense: Closed has a 49.8% (90% CI: 49.8%-49.8%) win rate for white, based on 12M rated games from Lichess.

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

The Sicilian Defense: Closed performs best at 2500+ Elo with a 52.8% win rate for white (331K games). Win rate tends to decline at higher ratings as opponents know the theory better.

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

UltraBullet (51.7%) outperforms Classical (46.7%) by 5.0%. Choose your time control wisely.

How sharp is the Sicilian Defense: Closed?

The Sicilian Defense: Closed has a sharpness score of 96.1 (very decisive), meaning 96.1% of games end decisively. Average game length is 35 moves.

What is the Sicilian Defense: Closed win rate at 0-999 Elo?

At 0-999 Elo, the Sicilian Defense: Closed has a 47.4% (90% CI: 47.2%-47.6%) win rate for white, based on 212K Lichess games. Average game length is 27 moves with a 3.1% draw rate.

What is the Sicilian Defense: Closed win rate at 1000-1199 Elo?

At 1000-1199 Elo, the Sicilian Defense: Closed has a 47.9% (90% CI: 47.8%-48.0%) win rate for white, based on 426K Lichess games. Average game length is 29 moves with a 2.8% draw rate.

What is the Sicilian Defense: Closed win rate at 1200-1399 Elo?

At 1200-1399 Elo, the Sicilian Defense: Closed has a 48.3% (90% CI: 48.2%-48.4%) win rate for white, based on 808K Lichess games. Average game length is 31 moves with a 2.8% draw rate.

What is the Sicilian Defense: Closed win rate at 1400-1599 Elo?

At 1400-1599 Elo, the Sicilian Defense: Closed has a 48.5% (90% CI: 48.5%-48.6%) win rate for white, based on 1.4M Lichess games. Average game length is 32 moves with a 3.0% draw rate.

What is the Sicilian Defense: Closed win rate at 1600-1799 Elo?

At 1600-1799 Elo, the Sicilian Defense: Closed has a 49.3% (90% CI: 49.3%-49.4%) win rate for white, based on 2.1M Lichess games. Average game length is 34 moves with a 3.4% draw rate.

What is the Sicilian Defense: Closed win rate at 1800-1999 Elo?

At 1800-1999 Elo, the Sicilian Defense: Closed has a 50.0% (90% CI: 49.9%-50.0%) win rate for white, based on 2.7M Lichess games. Average game length is 35 moves with a 3.8% draw rate.

What is the Sicilian Defense: Closed win rate at 2000-2199 Elo?

At 2000-2199 Elo, the Sicilian Defense: Closed has a 50.5% (90% CI: 50.5%-50.6%) win rate for white, based on 2.4M Lichess games. Average game length is 37 moves with a 4.4% draw rate.

What is the Sicilian Defense: Closed win rate at 2200-2499 Elo?

At 2200-2499 Elo, the Sicilian Defense: Closed has a 51.2% (90% CI: 51.2%-51.3%) win rate for white, based on 1.7M Lichess games. Average game length is 38 moves with a 5.1% draw rate.

What is the Sicilian Defense: Closed win rate at 2500+ Elo?

At 2500+ Elo, the Sicilian Defense: Closed has a 52.8% (90% CI: 52.7%-53.0%) win rate for white, based on 331K Lichess games. Average game length is 41 moves with a 6.1% draw rate.

What is the Sicilian Defense: Closed win rate in UltraBullet?

In UltraBullet games, the Sicilian Defense: Closed has a 51.7% (90% CI: 51.2%-52.1%) win rate for white (32K Lichess games). Draw rate is 1.6%.

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

In Bullet games, the Sicilian Defense: Closed has a 50.4% (90% CI: 50.3%-50.4%) win rate for white (5.6M Lichess games). Draw rate is 3.1%.

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

In Blitz games, the Sicilian Defense: Closed has a 49.6% (90% CI: 49.6%-49.6%) win rate for white (5.2M Lichess games). Draw rate is 4.5%.

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

In Rapid games, the Sicilian Defense: Closed has a 48.3% (90% CI: 48.2%-48.4%) win rate for white (1.1M Lichess games). Draw rate is 4.9%.

What is the Sicilian Defense: Closed win rate in Classical?

In Classical games, the Sicilian Defense: Closed has a 46.7% (90% CI: 46.4%-47.1%) win rate for white (55K Lichess games). Draw rate is 6.0%.

Is the Sicilian Defense: Closed a good opening?

The Sicilian Defense: Closed is statistically balanced with a 49.8% (90% CI: 49.8%-49.8%) win rate across all ratings. It performs best at 2500+ Elo. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.