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Sicilian Defense: Modern Variations, Tartakower

616K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

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Analyze this line move by move

White expected score · All ratings · All speeds

51.9%

45%60%
Floor51.8%

the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 52.1%.

Measured over 616K 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 White

Draw 3.9 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 616K games

Rank among the families White can choose here
not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
Games in this context
616K
Best context
54.0% at 1400-1599 Rapid
Worst context
49.1% at 0-999 Bullet
Average game length
34 moves
Games that end decisively
96.1%
Draws
3.9%

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 · 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: 48.3% at 0-999, 53.8% 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: 42.4% expected score (5 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Bullet: 49.1% expected score (677 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 51.5% expected score (404 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 48.4% expected score (91 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 46.6% expected score (13 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 49.5% expected score (3,242 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 53.6% expected score (2,025 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 52.4% expected score (382 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (5 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 50.0% expected score (33 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 50.2% expected score (8,552 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 52.3% expected score (7,193 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 52.2% expected score (1,353 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 47.8% expected score (21 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 50.5% expected score (92 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 52.4% expected score (19,410 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 52.3% expected score (21,603 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 54.0% expected score (4,187 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 55.1% expected score (126 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 56.2% expected score (128 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 51.5% expected score (37,377 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 52.5% expected score (51,514 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 52.9% expected score (8,750 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 51.5% expected score (334 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 55.1% expected score (57 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 51.4% expected score (57,710 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 52.2% expected score (97,174 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 53.5% expected score (13,519 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 53.4% expected score (616 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 55.8% expected score (33 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 51.5% expected score (69,259 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 51.8% expected score (87,270 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 53.6% expected score (10,277 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 50.3% expected score (193 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 53.8% expected score (25 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 51.2% expected score (69,035 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 52.0% expected score (27,905 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 53.8% expected score (2,907 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 43.6% expected score (14 games)
  • 2500+ rating, UltraBullet: 50.0% expected score (6 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 52.8% expected score (11,903 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 53.8% expected score (690 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 58.5% expected score (34 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: Modern Variations, Tartakower PositionsSee what each move is worth at your rating, move by move

Methodology

Across every rating and clock, the Sicilian Defense: Modern Variations, Tartakower scores 51.9% for White — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 51.8% and 52.1% — from 616K 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
616K+ 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: Modern Variations, Tartakower win rate?

Playing the Sicilian Defense: Modern Variations, Tartakower, White wins 50.0%, draws 3.9% and loses 46.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.9%. It rests on 616K rated games from Lichess.

At what rating does the Sicilian Defense: Modern Variations, Tartakower perform best?

The Sicilian Defense: Modern Variations, Tartakower performs best for White at 2500+, with an Expected Score of 52.9% (13K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.

Is the Sicilian Defense: Modern Variations, Tartakower better in blitz or rapid?

For White, the Sicilian Defense: Modern Variations, Tartakower scores higher in Rapid: an Expected Score of 52.1% in Blitz (296K games) against 53.4% in Rapid (42K games).

How sharp is the Sicilian Defense: Modern Variations, Tartakower?

The Sicilian Defense: Modern Variations, Tartakower has a sharpness score of 96.1 (very decisive), meaning 96.1% of games end decisively. Average game length is 34 moves.

What is the Sicilian Defense: Modern Variations, Tartakower win rate at 0-999?

At 0-999, White wins 49.0%, draws 1.6% and loses 49.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.8%. It rests on 1.2K Lichess games, which average 25 moves.

What is the Sicilian Defense: Modern Variations, Tartakower win rate at 1000-1199?

At 1000-1199, White wins 50.3%, draws 1.7% and loses 48.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.2%. It rests on 5.7K Lichess games, which average 26 moves.

What is the Sicilian Defense: Modern Variations, Tartakower win rate at 1200-1399?

At 1200-1399, White wins 50.1%, draws 2.3% and loses 47.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.3%. It rests on 17K Lichess games, which average 28 moves.

What is the Sicilian Defense: Modern Variations, Tartakower win rate at 1400-1599?

At 1400-1599, White wins 51.2%, draws 2.6% and loses 46.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.5%. It rests on 45K Lichess games, which average 29 moves.

What is the Sicilian Defense: Modern Variations, Tartakower win rate at 1600-1799?

At 1600-1799, White wins 50.6%, draws 3.1% and loses 46.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.2%. It rests on 98K Lichess games, which average 31 moves.

What is the Sicilian Defense: Modern Variations, Tartakower win rate at 1800-1999?

At 1800-1999, White wins 50.1%, draws 3.8% and loses 46.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.0%. It rests on 169K Lichess games, which average 33 moves.

What is the Sicilian Defense: Modern Variations, Tartakower win rate at 2000-2199?

At 2000-2199, White wins 49.6%, draws 4.3% and loses 46.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.8%. It rests on 167K Lichess games, which average 35 moves.

What is the Sicilian Defense: Modern Variations, Tartakower win rate at 2200-2499?

At 2200-2499, White wins 49.1%, draws 4.8% and loses 46.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.5%. It rests on 100K Lichess games, which average 37 moves.

What is the Sicilian Defense: Modern Variations, Tartakower win rate at 2500+?

At 2500+, White wins 50.0%, draws 5.7% and loses 44.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.9%. It rests on 13K Lichess games, which average 41 moves.

What is the Sicilian Defense: Modern Variations, Tartakower win rate in UltraBullet?

In UltraBullet, White wins 52.0%, draws 2.9% and loses 45.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.5%. It rests on 392 Lichess games.

What is the Sicilian Defense: Modern Variations, Tartakower win rate in Bullet?

In Bullet, White wins 49.9%, draws 3.1% and loses 47.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.5%. It rests on 277K Lichess games.

What is the Sicilian Defense: Modern Variations, Tartakower win rate in Blitz?

In Blitz, White wins 49.9%, draws 4.5% and loses 45.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.1%. It rests on 296K Lichess games.

What is the Sicilian Defense: Modern Variations, Tartakower win rate in Rapid?

In Rapid, White wins 50.9%, draws 5.0% and loses 44.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.4%. It rests on 42K Lichess games.

What is the Sicilian Defense: Modern Variations, Tartakower win rate in Classical?

In Classical, White wins 49.2%, draws 6.4% and loses 44.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.4%. It rests on 1.3K Lichess games.

Is the Sicilian Defense: Modern Variations, Tartakower a good opening?

The Sicilian Defense: Modern Variations, Tartakower is about level. Across all ratings, White wins 50.0% of its games and loses 46.2%. It performs best at 2500+. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.