Sicilian Defense: Lasker-Pelikan Variation
445K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026
Black expected score · All ratings · All speeds
47.9%
the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 48.0%.
Measured over 445K games at this level and clock.
Black comes out behind here — there are better weapons in the list.
Outcomes for Black
Draw 5.2 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 445K games
- Rank among the families Black can choose here
- not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
- Games in this context
- 445K
- Best context
- 51.0% at 1800-1999 Classical
- Worst context
- 42.2% at 2500+ Rapid
- Average game length
- 35 moves
- Games that end decisively
- 94.8%
- Draws
- 5.2%
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 holds about the same all the way up, near 50.2%.
| 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, Bullet: 51.0% expected score (193 games)
- 0-999 rating, Blitz: 53.9% expected score (206 games)
- 0-999 rating, Rapid: 45.6% expected score (89 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 49.5% expected score (763 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 46.0% expected score (716 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 43.3% expected score (257 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 61.2% expected score (3 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 38.9% expected score (3 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 48.0% expected score (2,679 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 45.7% expected score (3,057 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 43.0% expected score (803 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 54.1% expected score (23 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 50.0% expected score (11 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 48.7% expected score (7,187 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 45.9% expected score (11,342 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 42.8% expected score (2,559 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 46.9% expected score (126 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 76.7% expected score (6 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 49.9% expected score (14,736 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 48.1% expected score (34,246 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 46.2% expected score (6,972 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 43.6% expected score (461 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 55.9% expected score (7 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 49.7% expected score (25,381 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 48.8% expected score (73,026 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 48.9% expected score (15,068 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 51.0% expected score (990 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 61.2% expected score (3 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 49.0% expected score (32,946 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 48.1% expected score (78,245 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 48.6% expected score (14,837 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 46.9% expected score (724 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 48.0% expected score (36,876 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 46.6% expected score (52,325 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 45.0% expected score (6,538 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 42.6% expected score (173 games)
- 2500+ rating, UltraBullet: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
- 2500+ rating, Bullet: 44.1% expected score (13,251 games)
- 2500+ rating, Blitz: 43.1% expected score (7,162 games)
- 2500+ rating, Rapid: 42.2% expected score (897 games)
- 2500+ rating, Classical: 51.7% expected score (91 games)
Related Openings
Methodology
Across every rating and clock, the Sicilian Defense: Lasker-Pelikan Variation scores 47.9% for Black — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 47.8% and 48.0% — from 445K 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
- 445K+ 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: Lasker-Pelikan Variation win rate?
Playing the Sicilian Defense: Lasker-Pelikan Variation, Black wins 45.3%, draws 5.2% and loses 49.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.9%. It rests on 445K rated games from Lichess.
At what rating does the Sicilian Defense: Lasker-Pelikan Variation perform best?
The Sicilian Defense: Lasker-Pelikan Variation performs best for Black at 1800-1999, with an Expected Score of 49.0% (114K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.
Is the Sicilian Defense: Lasker-Pelikan Variation better in blitz or rapid?
For Black, the Sicilian Defense: Lasker-Pelikan Variation scores about the same in both: an Expected Score of 47.7% in Blitz (260K games) against 47.3% in Rapid (48K games).
How sharp is the Sicilian Defense: Lasker-Pelikan Variation?
The Sicilian Defense: Lasker-Pelikan Variation has a sharpness score of 94.8 (decisive), meaning 94.8% of games end decisively. Average game length is 35 moves.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Lasker-Pelikan Variation win rate at 0-999?
At 0-999, Black wins 50.2%, draws 2.1% and loses 47.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.3%. It rests on 488 Lichess games, which average 23 moves.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Lasker-Pelikan Variation win rate at 1000-1199?
At 1000-1199, Black wins 46.4%, draws 1.5% and loses 52.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.2%. It rests on 1.7K Lichess games, which average 26 moves.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Lasker-Pelikan Variation win rate at 1200-1399?
At 1200-1399, Black wins 45.2%, draws 2.1% and loses 52.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.3%. It rests on 6.6K Lichess games, which average 27 moves.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Lasker-Pelikan Variation win rate at 1400-1599?
At 1400-1599, Black wins 45.1%, draws 2.7% and loses 52.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.5%. It rests on 21K Lichess games, which average 29 moves.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Lasker-Pelikan Variation win rate at 1600-1799?
At 1600-1799, Black wins 46.5%, draws 3.5% and loses 50.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.3%. It rests on 56K Lichess games, which average 31 moves.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Lasker-Pelikan Variation win rate at 1800-1999?
At 1800-1999, Black wins 46.9%, draws 4.2% and loses 48.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.0%. It rests on 114K Lichess games, which average 33 moves.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Lasker-Pelikan Variation win rate at 2000-2199?
At 2000-2199, Black wins 46.0%, draws 4.8% and loses 49.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.4%. It rests on 127K Lichess games, which average 35 moves.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Lasker-Pelikan Variation win rate at 2200-2499?
At 2200-2499, Black wins 44.2%, draws 5.6% and loses 50.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.0%. It rests on 96K Lichess games, which average 38 moves.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Lasker-Pelikan Variation win rate at 2500+?
At 2500+, Black wins 33.9%, draws 19.5% and loses 46.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 43.7%. It rests on 21K Lichess games, which average 45 moves.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Lasker-Pelikan Variation win rate in Bullet?
In Bullet, Black wins 46.3%, draws 4.2% and loses 49.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.4%. It rests on 134K Lichess games.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Lasker-Pelikan Variation win rate in Blitz?
In Blitz, Black wins 45.0%, draws 5.3% and loses 49.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.7%. It rests on 260K Lichess games.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Lasker-Pelikan Variation win rate in Rapid?
In Rapid, Black wins 43.9%, draws 6.7% and loses 49.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.3%. It rests on 48K Lichess games.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Lasker-Pelikan Variation win rate in Classical?
In Classical, Black wins 42.8%, draws 10.0% and loses 47.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.8%. It rests on 2.6K Lichess games.
Is the Sicilian Defense: Lasker-Pelikan Variation a good opening?
The Sicilian Defense: Lasker-Pelikan Variation is hard work for Black — it favours White. Across all ratings, Black wins 45.3% of its games and loses 49.5%. It performs best at 1800-1999. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.