Skip to content
TrueEloPlay what wins.
Score a position

Sicilian Defense: Godiva Variation

313K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
h8
g
f
e
d
c
b
a
4...Qb6
Analyze this line move by move

Black expected score · All ratings · All speeds

51.7%

45%55%
Floor51.5%

the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 51.8%.

Measured over 313K 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 3.6 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 313K games

Rank among the families Black can choose here
not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
Games in this context
313K
Best context
56.4% at 1200-1399 Bullet
Worst context
43.9% at 2500+ Blitz
Average game length
33 moves
Games that end decisively
96.4%
Draws
3.6%

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 falls away as the rating rises: 56.3% at 0-999, 44.5% 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: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Bullet: 52.3% expected score (687 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 53.6% expected score (275 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 49.2% expected score (61 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 55.3% expected score (2,279 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 52.9% expected score (1,913 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 51.9% expected score (318 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 31.9% expected score (4 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 32.4% expected score (7 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 56.4% expected score (7,662 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 53.5% expected score (8,548 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 53.6% expected score (1,214 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 65.4% expected score (18 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 32.6% expected score (10 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 54.5% expected score (14,578 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 51.9% expected score (24,526 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 52.6% expected score (4,992 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 53.9% expected score (140 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 64.3% expected score (9 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 53.2% expected score (22,255 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 51.7% expected score (45,984 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 51.3% expected score (10,124 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 48.1% expected score (367 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 52.0% expected score (25,077 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 50.7% expected score (43,817 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 49.2% expected score (12,364 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 51.0% expected score (479 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 51.9% expected score (17,856 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 51.3% expected score (22,256 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 46.6% expected score (4,395 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 43.5% expected score (113 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 50.3% expected score (15,525 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 51.3% expected score (15,703 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 50.4% expected score (1,464 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 46.8% expected score (14 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 50.2% expected score (5,004 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 43.9% expected score (2,886 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 52.1% expected score (141 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Classical: 31.8% 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: Godiva Variation PositionsSee what each move is worth at your rating, move by move

Methodology

Across every rating and clock, the Sicilian Defense: Godiva Variation scores 51.7% for Black — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 51.5% and 51.8% — from 313K 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
313K+ 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: Godiva Variation win rate?

Playing the Sicilian Defense: Godiva Variation, Black wins 49.8%, draws 3.6% and loses 46.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.7%. It rests on 313K rated games from Lichess.

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

The Sicilian Defense: Godiva Variation performs best for Black at 1200-1399, with an Expected Score of 54.8% (17K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.

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

For Black, the Sicilian Defense: Godiva Variation scores higher in Blitz: an Expected Score of 51.3% in Blitz (166K games) against 50.2% in Rapid (35K games).

How sharp is the Sicilian Defense: Godiva Variation?

The Sicilian Defense: Godiva Variation has a sharpness score of 96.4 (very decisive), meaning 96.4% of games end decisively. Average game length is 33 moves.

What is the Sicilian Defense: Godiva Variation win rate at 0-999?

At 0-999, Black wins 51.7%, draws 1.5% and loses 46.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.5%. It rests on 1.0K Lichess games, which average 22 moves.

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

At 1000-1199, Black wins 53.2%, draws 1.5% and loses 45.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.0%. It rests on 4.5K Lichess games, which average 24 moves.

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

At 1200-1399, Black wins 53.8%, draws 1.9% and loses 44.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.8%. It rests on 17K Lichess games, which average 27 moves.

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

At 1400-1599, Black wins 51.5%, draws 2.6% and loses 45.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.8%. It rests on 44K Lichess games, which average 29 moves.

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

At 1600-1799, Black wins 50.4%, draws 3.2% and loses 46.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.1%. It rests on 79K Lichess games, which average 32 moves.

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

At 1800-1999, Black wins 49.0%, draws 3.8% and loses 47.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.9%. It rests on 82K Lichess games, which average 34 moves.

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

At 2000-2199, Black wins 48.8%, draws 4.4% and loses 46.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.0%. It rests on 45K Lichess games, which average 36 moves.

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

At 2200-2499, Black wins 48.1%, draws 5.2% and loses 46.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.8%. It rests on 33K Lichess games, which average 37 moves.

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

At 2500+, Black wins 44.8%, draws 6.1% and loses 49.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.9%. It rests on 8.0K Lichess games, which average 41 moves.

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

In Bullet, Black wins 51.3%, draws 2.6% and loses 46.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.6%. It rests on 111K Lichess games.

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

In Blitz, Black wins 49.3%, draws 4.1% and loses 46.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.3%. It rests on 166K Lichess games.

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

In Rapid, Black wins 47.8%, draws 4.8% and loses 47.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.2%. It rests on 35K Lichess games.

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

In Classical, Black wins 46.6%, draws 6.2% and loses 47.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.7%. It rests on 1.1K Lichess games.

Is the Sicilian Defense: Godiva Variation a good opening?

The Sicilian Defense: Godiva Variation is about level. Across all ratings, Black wins 49.8% of its games and loses 46.5%. It performs best at 1200-1399. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.