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Sicilian Defense: Delayed Alapin Variation

77K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

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Analyze this line move by move

Black expected score · All ratings · All speeds

49.3%

45%55%
Floor49.0%

the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 49.6%.

Measured over 77K games at this level and clock.

Playablewins about as often as it loses at this level

Roughly even — the middlegame decides more than this opening choice does.

Outcomes for Black

Draw 6.9 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 77K games

Rank among the families Black can choose here
not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
Games in this context
77K
Best context
54.6% at 1600-1799 Rapid
Worst context
43.1% at 2500+ Blitz
Average game length
38 moves
Games that end decisively
93.1%
Draws
6.9%

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 gets better as the rating rises: 43.4% at 0-999, 47.6% 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: 43.9% expected score (23 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 28.5% expected score (24 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 57.7% expected score (5 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 54.4% expected score (89 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 55.9% expected score (100 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 38.7% expected score (25 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 50.0% expected score (310 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 49.9% expected score (357 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 60.1% expected score (83 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 67.7% expected score (7 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 51.8% expected score (682 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 52.9% expected score (1,274 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 53.1% expected score (274 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 54.0% expected score (11 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 51.1% expected score (1,775 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 50.6% expected score (4,562 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 54.6% expected score (867 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 48.4% expected score (60 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 49.3% expected score (3,370 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 51.4% expected score (11,219 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 52.5% expected score (2,343 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 44.9% expected score (146 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 47.8% expected score (4,439 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 50.0% expected score (15,212 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 50.7% expected score (2,877 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (131 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 48.9% expected score (7,488 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 46.9% expected score (12,735 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 46.1% expected score (1,303 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 48.6% expected score (33 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 45.5% expected score (3,849 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 43.1% expected score (1,550 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 37.4% expected score (50 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Classical: 64.3% expected score (2 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%
Continuations (4)
Sicilian Defense: Delayed Alapin Variation, with d6
49.8%
Sicilian Defense: Delayed Alapin Variation, with e6
49.5%
Sicilian Defense: Delayed Alapin Variation, Basman-Palatnik Double Gambit
55.9%
Sicilian Defense: Delayed Alapin Variation, Basman-Palatnik Gambit
61.2%
Analyze Sicilian Defense: Delayed Alapin Variation PositionsSee what each move is worth at your rating, move by move

Methodology

Across every rating and clock, the Sicilian Defense: Delayed Alapin Variation scores 49.3% for Black — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 49.0% and 49.6% — from 77K 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
77K+ 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: Delayed Alapin Variation win rate?

Playing the Sicilian Defense: Delayed Alapin Variation, Black wins 45.8%, draws 6.9% and loses 47.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.3%. It rests on 77K rated games from Lichess.

At what rating does the Sicilian Defense: Delayed Alapin Variation perform best?

The Sicilian Defense: Delayed Alapin Variation performs best for Black at 1400-1599, with an Expected Score of 52.6% (2.2K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.

Is the Sicilian Defense: Delayed Alapin Variation better in blitz or rapid?

For Black, the Sicilian Defense: Delayed Alapin Variation scores higher in Rapid: an Expected Score of 49.4% in Blitz (47K games) against 50.9% in Rapid (7.8K games).

How sharp is the Sicilian Defense: Delayed Alapin Variation?

The Sicilian Defense: Delayed Alapin Variation has a sharpness score of 93.1 (decisive), meaning 93.1% of games end decisively. Average game length is 38 moves.

What is the Sicilian Defense: Delayed Alapin Variation win rate at 1000-1199?

At 1000-1199, Black wins 50.8%, draws 4.9% and loses 44.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.3%. It rests on 214 Lichess games, which average 27 moves.

What is the Sicilian Defense: Delayed Alapin Variation win rate at 1200-1399?

At 1200-1399, Black wins 49.6%, draws 3.2% and loses 47.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.3%. It rests on 757 Lichess games, which average 30 moves.

What is the Sicilian Defense: Delayed Alapin Variation win rate at 1400-1599?

At 1400-1599, Black wins 50.7%, draws 3.8% and loses 45.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.6%. It rests on 2.2K Lichess games, which average 31 moves.

What is the Sicilian Defense: Delayed Alapin Variation win rate at 1600-1799?

At 1600-1799, Black wins 48.9%, draws 4.5% and loses 46.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.2%. It rests on 7.3K Lichess games, which average 34 moves.

What is the Sicilian Defense: Delayed Alapin Variation win rate at 1800-1999?

At 1800-1999, Black wins 48.1%, draws 5.9% and loses 46.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.1%. It rests on 17K Lichess games, which average 36 moves.

What is the Sicilian Defense: Delayed Alapin Variation win rate at 2000-2199?

At 2000-2199, Black wins 46.1%, draws 7.1% and loses 46.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.7%. It rests on 23K Lichess games, which average 38 moves.

What is the Sicilian Defense: Delayed Alapin Variation win rate at 2200-2499?

At 2200-2499, Black wins 43.3%, draws 8.3% and loses 48.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.5%. It rests on 22K Lichess games, which average 40 moves.

What is the Sicilian Defense: Delayed Alapin Variation win rate at 2500+?

At 2500+, Black wins 40.4%, draws 8.7% and loses 50.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 44.8%. It rests on 5.5K Lichess games, which average 43 moves.

What is the Sicilian Defense: Delayed Alapin Variation win rate in Bullet?

In Bullet, Black wins 46.0%, draws 4.9% and loses 49.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.5%. It rests on 22K Lichess games.

What is the Sicilian Defense: Delayed Alapin Variation win rate in Blitz?

In Blitz, Black wins 45.6%, draws 7.5% and loses 46.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.4%. It rests on 47K Lichess games.

What is the Sicilian Defense: Delayed Alapin Variation win rate in Rapid?

In Rapid, Black wins 46.7%, draws 8.4% and loses 44.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.9%. It rests on 7.8K Lichess games.

What is the Sicilian Defense: Delayed Alapin Variation win rate in Classical?

In Classical, Black wins 40.7%, draws 15.2% and loses 44.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.3%. It rests on 390 Lichess games.

Is the Sicilian Defense: Delayed Alapin Variation a good opening?

The Sicilian Defense: Delayed Alapin Variation is about level. Across all ratings, Black wins 45.8% of its games and loses 47.3%. It performs best at 1400-1599. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.