Sicilian Defense: Coles Sicilian Gambit
6.0K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026
White expected score · All ratings · All speeds
46.1%
the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 47.2%.
Measured over 6.0K games at this level and clock.
White comes out behind here — there are better weapons in the list.
Outcomes for White
Draw 3.1 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 6.0K games
- Rank among the families White can choose here
- not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
- Games in this context
- 6.0K
- Best context
- 47.9% at 1600-1799 Blitz
- Worst context
- 45.9% at 1400-1599 Blitz
- Average game length
- 32 moves
- Games that end decisively
- 96.9%
- Draws
- 3.1%
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.
Extra Analysis
Deep-dive datasets for this opening
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: 36.3% at 0-999, 21.5% 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: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
- 0-999 rating, Bullet: 49.5% expected score (103 games)
- 0-999 rating, Blitz: 32.3% expected score (120 games)
- 0-999 rating, Rapid: 33.2% expected score (76 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 46.1% expected score (227 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 39.0% expected score (326 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 42.7% expected score (148 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 16.7% expected score (3 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 61.2% expected score (3 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 47.9% expected score (403 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 42.9% expected score (436 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 49.2% expected score (246 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 39.5% expected score (8 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 48.1% expected score (376 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 45.9% expected score (549 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 46.3% expected score (324 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 45.2% expected score (19 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 45.2% expected score (349 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 47.9% expected score (654 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 49.0% expected score (407 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 32.9% expected score (16 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 52.1% expected score (235 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 47.1% expected score (353 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 47.1% expected score (312 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 21.5% expected score (2 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 49.2% expected score (184 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 52.2% expected score (67 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 28.1% expected score (19 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 54.1% expected score (35 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 34.7% expected score (5 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 61.2% expected score (3 games)
- 2500+ rating, Bullet: 21.5% expected score (2 games)
Related Openings
Methodology
Across every rating and clock, the Sicilian Defense: Coles Sicilian Gambit scores 46.1% for White — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 45.1% and 47.2% — from 6.0K 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
- 6.0K+ 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: Coles Sicilian Gambit win rate?
Playing the Sicilian Defense: Coles Sicilian Gambit, White wins 44.5%, draws 3.1% and loses 52.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.1%. It rests on 6.0K rated games from Lichess.
At what rating does the Sicilian Defense: Coles Sicilian Gambit perform best?
The Sicilian Defense: Coles Sicilian Gambit performs best for White at 1800-1999, with an Expected Score of 48.3% (902 games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.
Is the Sicilian Defense: Coles Sicilian Gambit better in blitz or rapid?
For White, the Sicilian Defense: Coles Sicilian Gambit scores higher in Rapid: an Expected Score of 44.6% in Blitz (2.5K games) against 46.4% in Rapid (1.5K games).
How sharp is the Sicilian Defense: Coles Sicilian Gambit?
The Sicilian Defense: Coles Sicilian Gambit has a sharpness score of 96.9 (very decisive), meaning 96.9% of games end decisively. Average game length is 32 moves.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Coles Sicilian Gambit win rate at 0-999?
At 0-999, White wins 37.3%, draws 1.8% and loses 60.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 38.2%. It rests on 300 Lichess games, which average 26 moves.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Coles Sicilian Gambit win rate at 1000-1199?
At 1000-1199, White wins 40.6%, draws 2.5% and loses 56.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 41.9%. It rests on 704 Lichess games, which average 28 moves.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Coles Sicilian Gambit win rate at 1200-1399?
At 1200-1399, White wins 44.9%, draws 2.6% and loses 52.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.2%. It rests on 1.1K Lichess games, which average 30 moves.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Coles Sicilian Gambit win rate at 1400-1599?
At 1400-1599, White wins 45.0%, draws 3.3% and loses 51.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.7%. It rests on 1.3K Lichess games, which average 31 moves.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Coles Sicilian Gambit win rate at 1600-1799?
At 1600-1799, White wins 45.7%, draws 3.3% and loses 51.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.3%. It rests on 1.4K Lichess games, which average 33 moves.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Coles Sicilian Gambit win rate at 1800-1999?
At 1800-1999, White wins 46.3%, draws 3.9% and loses 49.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.3%. It rests on 902 Lichess games, which average 35 moves.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Coles Sicilian Gambit win rate at 2000-2199?
At 2000-2199, White wins 46.6%, draws 3.5% and loses 49.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.4%. It rests on 270 Lichess games, which average 35 moves.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Coles Sicilian Gambit win rate in Bullet?
In Bullet, White wins 47.1%, draws 1.9% and loses 51.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.1%. It rests on 1.9K Lichess games.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Coles Sicilian Gambit win rate in Blitz?
In Blitz, White wins 42.9%, draws 3.4% and loses 53.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 44.6%. It rests on 2.5K Lichess games.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Coles Sicilian Gambit win rate in Rapid?
In Rapid, White wins 44.4%, draws 4.0% and loses 51.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.4%. It rests on 1.5K Lichess games.
Is the Sicilian Defense: Coles Sicilian Gambit a good opening?
The Sicilian Defense: Coles Sicilian Gambit is hard work for White — it favours Black. Across all ratings, White wins 44.5% of its games and loses 52.4%. It performs best at 1800-1999. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.