Sicilian Defense: McDonnell Attack
9.0M games from Lichess · Updated January 2026
White expected score · All ratings · All speeds
50.2%
the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. Its best is the same figure — the band is too tight to plot.
Measured over 9.0M games at this level and clock.
Roughly even — the middlegame decides more than this opening choice does.
Outcomes for White
Draw 3.3 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 9.0M games
- Rank among the families White can choose here
- not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
- Games in this context
- 9.0M
- Best context
- 58.5% at 2500+ Blitz
- Worst context
- 43.8% at 1200-1399 Classical
- Average game length
- 34 moves
- Games that end decisively
- 96.7%
- Draws
- 3.3%
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 · 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 gets better as the rating rises: 46.0% at 0-999, 59.9% 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: 40.2% expected score (406 games)
- 0-999 rating, Bullet: 47.3% expected score (33,308 games)
- 0-999 rating, Blitz: 49.5% expected score (34,879 games)
- 0-999 rating, Rapid: 47.4% expected score (8,925 games)
- 0-999 rating, Classical: 45.7% expected score (68 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 45.2% expected score (635 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 49.4% expected score (104,164 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 50.0% expected score (106,250 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 48.4% expected score (22,519 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 39.7% expected score (313 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 44.2% expected score (1,079 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 49.8% expected score (255,399 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 50.0% expected score (303,503 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 49.4% expected score (56,149 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 43.8% expected score (1,402 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 47.3% expected score (1,565 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 49.8% expected score (473,730 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 50.0% expected score (806,225 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 49.2% expected score (138,610 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 44.8% expected score (4,259 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 49.8% expected score (1,248 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 50.3% expected score (683,811 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 50.0% expected score (1,568,554 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 49.6% expected score (296,990 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 47.0% expected score (11,851 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 50.4% expected score (147 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 50.8% expected score (670,189 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 50.2% expected score (1,619,169 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 49.9% expected score (375,010 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 49.1% expected score (9,171 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 48.3% expected score (27 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 50.8% expected score (384,801 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 51.0% expected score (616,989 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 50.5% expected score (127,617 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 49.3% expected score (1,328 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 50.0% expected score (8 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 51.2% expected score (134,971 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 53.2% expected score (102,336 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 53.4% expected score (10,165 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 58.3% expected score (131 games)
- 2500+ rating, Bullet: 54.0% expected score (12,534 games)
- 2500+ rating, Blitz: 58.5% expected score (2,088 games)
- 2500+ rating, Rapid: 69.3% expected score (110 games)
- 2500+ rating, Classical: 57.7% expected score (5 games)
Related Openings
Methodology
Across every rating and clock, the Sicilian Defense: McDonnell Attack scores 50.2% for White — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 50.2% and 50.3% — from 9.0M 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
- 9.0M+ 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: McDonnell Attack win rate?
Playing the Sicilian Defense: McDonnell Attack, White wins 48.6%, draws 3.3% and loses 48.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.2%. It rests on 9.0M rated games from Lichess.
At what rating does the Sicilian Defense: McDonnell Attack perform best?
The Sicilian Defense: McDonnell Attack performs best for White at 2500+, with an Expected Score of 54.7% (15K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.
Is the Sicilian Defense: McDonnell Attack better in blitz or rapid?
For White, the Sicilian Defense: McDonnell Attack scores about the same in both: an Expected Score of 50.3% in Blitz (5.2M games) against 49.7% in Rapid (1.0M games).
How sharp is the Sicilian Defense: McDonnell Attack?
The Sicilian Defense: McDonnell Attack has a sharpness score of 96.7 (very decisive), meaning 96.7% of games end decisively. Average game length is 34 moves.
What is the Sicilian Defense: McDonnell Attack win rate at 0-999?
At 0-999, White wins 47.1%, draws 2.4% and loses 50.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.3%. It rests on 78K Lichess games, which average 25 moves.
What is the Sicilian Defense: McDonnell Attack win rate at 1000-1199?
At 1000-1199, White wins 48.5%, draws 2.1% and loses 49.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.5%. It rests on 234K Lichess games, which average 27 moves.
What is the Sicilian Defense: McDonnell Attack win rate at 1200-1399?
At 1200-1399, White wins 48.7%, draws 2.2% and loses 49.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.8%. It rests on 618K Lichess games, which average 29 moves.
What is the Sicilian Defense: McDonnell Attack win rate at 1400-1599?
At 1400-1599, White wins 48.5%, draws 2.5% and loses 48.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.8%. It rests on 1.4M Lichess games, which average 31 moves.
What is the Sicilian Defense: McDonnell Attack win rate at 1600-1799?
At 1600-1799, White wins 48.5%, draws 3.1% and loses 48.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.1%. It rests on 2.6M Lichess games, which average 33 moves.
What is the Sicilian Defense: McDonnell Attack win rate at 1800-1999?
At 1800-1999, White wins 48.4%, draws 3.7% and loses 47.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.3%. It rests on 2.7M Lichess games, which average 36 moves.
What is the Sicilian Defense: McDonnell Attack win rate at 2000-2199?
At 2000-2199, White wins 48.8%, draws 4.2% and loses 47.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.9%. It rests on 1.1M Lichess games, which average 37 moves.
What is the Sicilian Defense: McDonnell Attack win rate at 2200-2499?
At 2200-2499, White wins 49.7%, draws 4.8% and loses 45.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.1%. It rests on 248K Lichess games, which average 38 moves.
What is the Sicilian Defense: McDonnell Attack win rate at 2500+?
At 2500+, White wins 51.4%, draws 6.7% and loses 42.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.7%. It rests on 15K Lichess games, which average 41 moves.
What is the Sicilian Defense: McDonnell Attack win rate in UltraBullet?
In UltraBullet, White wins 46.2%, draws 0.5% and loses 53.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.5%. It rests on 5.1K Lichess games.
What is the Sicilian Defense: McDonnell Attack win rate in Bullet?
In Bullet, White wins 49.2%, draws 2.2% and loses 48.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.3%. It rests on 2.8M Lichess games.
What is the Sicilian Defense: McDonnell Attack win rate in Blitz?
In Blitz, White wins 48.4%, draws 3.6% and loses 47.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.3%. It rests on 5.2M Lichess games.
What is the Sicilian Defense: McDonnell Attack win rate in Rapid?
In Rapid, White wins 47.6%, draws 4.2% and loses 48.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.7%. It rests on 1.0M Lichess games.
What is the Sicilian Defense: McDonnell Attack win rate in Classical?
In Classical, White wins 44.8%, draws 4.8% and loses 50.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.2%. It rests on 29K Lichess games.
Is the Sicilian Defense: McDonnell Attack a good opening?
The Sicilian Defense: McDonnell Attack is about level. Across all ratings, White wins 48.6% of its games and loses 48.2%. It performs best at 2500+. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.