Sicilian Defense: Lasker-Pelikan Variation, Sveshnikov Variation
74K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026
Black expected score · All ratings · All speeds
43.9%
the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 44.2%.
Measured over 74K games at this level and clock.
Black comes out behind here — there are better weapons in the list.
Outcomes for Black
Draw 5.8 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 74K games
- Rank among the families Black can choose here
- not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
- Games in this context
- 74K
- Best context
- 48.7% at 1600-1799 Blitz
- Worst context
- 41.1% at 2500+ Blitz
- Average game length
- 36 moves
- Games that end decisively
- 94.2%
- Draws
- 5.8%
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 · 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: 55.5% at 0-999, 46.6% 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, Bullet: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
- 0-999 rating, Blitz: 64.3% expected score (2 games)
- 0-999 rating, Rapid: 72.3% expected score (3 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 50.0% expected score (12 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 47.2% expected score (16 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 50.0% expected score (8 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 50.7% expected score (71 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 51.2% expected score (41 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 57.3% expected score (26 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 35.7% expected score (2 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 52.6% expected score (346 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 47.7% expected score (324 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 41.6% expected score (87 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 74.0% expected score (11 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 48.0% expected score (1,123 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 48.7% expected score (1,752 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 51.7% expected score (276 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 48.2% expected score (26 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 47.8% expected score (2,443 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 46.0% expected score (6,905 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 44.1% expected score (1,150 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 49.6% expected score (120 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 46.3% expected score (4,935 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 44.3% expected score (15,386 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 46.9% expected score (2,191 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 49.4% expected score (154 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 42.3% expected score (7,851 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 41.7% expected score (19,666 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 43.1% expected score (1,924 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 53.6% expected score (55 games)
- 2500+ rating, Bullet: 41.7% expected score (4,185 games)
- 2500+ rating, Blitz: 41.1% expected score (3,015 games)
- 2500+ rating, Rapid: 46.4% expected score (234 games)
- 2500+ rating, Classical: 57.3% expected score (26 games)
Related Openings
Methodology
Across every rating and clock, the Sicilian Defense: Lasker-Pelikan Variation, Sveshnikov Variation scores 43.9% for Black — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 43.6% and 44.2% — from 74K 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
- 74K+ 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, Sveshnikov Variation win rate?
Playing the Sicilian Defense: Lasker-Pelikan Variation, Sveshnikov Variation, Black wins 41.0%, draws 5.8% and loses 53.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 43.9%. It rests on 74K rated games from Lichess.
At what rating does the Sicilian Defense: Lasker-Pelikan Variation, Sveshnikov Variation perform best?
The Sicilian Defense: Lasker-Pelikan Variation, Sveshnikov Variation performs best for Black at 1600-1799, with an Expected Score of 48.7% (3.2K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.
Is the Sicilian Defense: Lasker-Pelikan Variation, Sveshnikov Variation better in blitz or rapid?
For Black, the Sicilian Defense: Lasker-Pelikan Variation, Sveshnikov Variation scores higher in Rapid: an Expected Score of 43.5% in Blitz (47K games) against 45.3% in Rapid (5.9K games).
How sharp is the Sicilian Defense: Lasker-Pelikan Variation, Sveshnikov Variation?
The Sicilian Defense: Lasker-Pelikan Variation, Sveshnikov Variation has a sharpness score of 94.2 (decisive), meaning 94.2% of games end decisively. Average game length is 36 moves.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Lasker-Pelikan Variation, Sveshnikov Variation win rate at 1200-1399?
At 1200-1399, Black wins 49.8%, draws 3.9% and loses 46.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.8%. It rests on 140 Lichess games, which average 27 moves.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Lasker-Pelikan Variation, Sveshnikov Variation win rate at 1400-1599?
At 1400-1599, Black wins 48.1%, draws 2.9% and loses 48.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.6%. It rests on 768 Lichess games, which average 29 moves.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Lasker-Pelikan Variation, Sveshnikov Variation win rate at 1600-1799?
At 1600-1799, Black wins 47.2%, draws 2.9% and loses 49.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.7%. It rests on 3.2K Lichess games, which average 31 moves.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Lasker-Pelikan Variation, Sveshnikov Variation win rate at 1800-1999?
At 1800-1999, Black wins 44.4%, draws 3.6% and loses 52.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.2%. It rests on 11K Lichess games, which average 33 moves.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Lasker-Pelikan Variation, Sveshnikov Variation win rate at 2000-2199?
At 2000-2199, Black wins 42.7%, draws 4.6% and loses 52.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 45.0%. It rests on 23K Lichess games, which average 35 moves.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Lasker-Pelikan Variation, Sveshnikov Variation win rate at 2200-2499?
At 2200-2499, Black wins 39.0%, draws 6.0% and loses 55.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 42.0%. It rests on 29K Lichess games, which average 37 moves.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Lasker-Pelikan Variation, Sveshnikov Variation win rate at 2500+?
At 2500+, Black wins 35.2%, draws 12.8% and loses 52.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 41.6%. It rests on 7.5K Lichess games, which average 44 moves.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Lasker-Pelikan Variation, Sveshnikov Variation win rate in Bullet?
In Bullet, Black wins 41.8%, draws 4.8% and loses 53.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 44.3%. It rests on 21K Lichess games.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Lasker-Pelikan Variation, Sveshnikov Variation win rate in Blitz?
In Blitz, Black wins 40.5%, draws 5.8% and loses 53.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 43.5%. It rests on 47K Lichess games.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Lasker-Pelikan Variation, Sveshnikov Variation win rate in Rapid?
In Rapid, Black wins 41.2%, draws 8.1% and loses 50.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 45.3%. It rests on 5.9K Lichess games.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Lasker-Pelikan Variation, Sveshnikov Variation win rate in Classical?
In Classical, Black wins 45.4%, draws 11.5% and loses 43.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.2%. It rests on 394 Lichess games.
Is the Sicilian Defense: Lasker-Pelikan Variation, Sveshnikov Variation a good opening?
The Sicilian Defense: Lasker-Pelikan Variation, Sveshnikov Variation is hard work for Black — it favours White. Across all ratings, Black wins 41.0% of its games and loses 53.3%. It performs best at 1600-1799. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.