Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation

2.5M games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

View As

Playable

Black Expected Score50.7%Range (90% confident): 50.6% – 50.7%Based on 2.5M games

0%50.7%100%

Range (90% confident): 50.6% – 50.7%

Outcome Distribution

48.5%4.4%47.1%

Win

Draw

Loss

7...Be7

Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation

Analyzen=2.5M

Avg Length35 moves

Sharpness96%

Draw Rate4.4%

Snapshot

At all ratings, the Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation has a 50.7% expected score for Black (we're 90% confident it's between 50.6% and 50.7%), based on 2.5M Lichess games.

Extra Analysis

Deep-dive datasets for this opening

How to Beat This (Move 3)

Best: 3...e6 · Black wins: 50.3% · n=2.2M

Black Win% by Rating

Declines with rating: 54% → 41%

1000

1200

1400

1600

1800

2000

2200

2500+

Black Win% by Time Control

Best in UltraBullet (53%), worst in Rapid (47%)

UltraBullet

Bullet

Blitz

Rapid

Classical

Black% by Rating × Time Control

Click any cell to filter. Green = above 50%, Red = below 50%.

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: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
0-999 rating, Bullet: 55.7% expected score (3,900 games)
0-999 rating, Blitz: 55.6% expected score (2,136 games)
0-999 rating, Rapid: 53.6% expected score (558 games)
0-999 rating, Classical: 64.3% expected score (9 games)
1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 72.9% expected score (16 games)
1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 54.4% expected score (17,108 games)
1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 52.6% expected score (11,395 games)
1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 55.8% expected score (2,357 games)
1000-1199 rating, Classical: 61.3% expected score (43 games)
1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 43.9% expected score (48 games)
1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 53.9% expected score (39,618 games)
1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 52.3% expected score (43,958 games)
1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 52.1% expected score (8,979 games)
1200-1399 rating, Classical: 61.0% expected score (248 games)
1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 57.6% expected score (71 games)
1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 53.3% expected score (80,812 games)
1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 52.2% expected score (123,274 games)
1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 52.1% expected score (28,592 games)
1400-1599 rating, Classical: 54.9% expected score (1,357 games)
1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 48.0% expected score (23 games)
1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 53.0% expected score (127,785 games)
1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 51.7% expected score (263,217 games)
1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 51.5% expected score (62,180 games)
1600-1799 rating, Classical: 54.8% expected score (4,115 games)
1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 48.4% expected score (30 games)
1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 52.3% expected score (150,236 games)
1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 51.0% expected score (383,228 games)
1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 50.8% expected score (93,607 games)
1800-1999 rating, Classical: 52.0% expected score (5,921 games)
2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 62.0% expected score (11 games)
2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 51.7% expected score (149,550 games)
2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 49.7% expected score (331,541 games)
2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 49.6% expected score (74,890 games)
2000-2199 rating, Classical: 47.0% expected score (2,650 games)
2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 55.9% expected score (7 games)
2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 49.7% expected score (142,408 games)
2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 46.6% expected score (197,774 games)
2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 45.4% expected score (27,834 games)
2200-2499 rating, Classical: 43.5% expected score (547 games)
2500+ rating, UltraBullet: 50.0% expected score (6 games)
2500+ rating, Bullet: 47.0% expected score (52,206 games)
2500+ rating, Blitz: 44.1% expected score (30,067 games)
2500+ rating, Rapid: 38.4% expected score (2,130 games)
2500+ rating, Classical: 35.3% expected score (185 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%

Continuations (10)

Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation, English Attack

47.5%

Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation, Lipnitsky Attack

48.3%

Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation, Opocensky Variation

47.8%

Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation, Adams Attack

49.3%

Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation, Amsterdam Variation

50.2%

Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation, Main Line

51.5%

Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation, Zagreb Variation

48.4%

Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation, Freak Attack

52.9%

Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation, English Attack, Anti-English

44.7%

Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation, Traditional Line

50.9%

Analyze Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation PositionsGet move-by-move win rates with the TrueElo analyzer

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation win rate?

The Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation has a 47.1% (90% CI: 47.1%-47.2%) win rate for white, based on 2.5M rated games from Lichess.

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

The Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation performs best at 2200-2499 Elo with a 49.8% win rate for white (369K games). Win rate tends to decline at higher ratings as opponents know the theory better.

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

Blitz (47.4%) outperforms UltraBullet (46.2%) by 1.2%. Choose your time control wisely.

How sharp is the Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation?

The Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation has a sharpness score of 95.6 (very decisive), meaning 95.6% of games end decisively. Average game length is 35 moves.

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

At 0-999 Elo, the Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation has a 43.4% (90% CI: 42.4%-44.4%) win rate for white, based on 6.6K Lichess games. Average game length is 25 moves with a 2.2% draw rate.

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

At 1000-1199 Elo, the Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation has a 45.0% (90% CI: 44.6%-45.5%) win rate for white, based on 31K Lichess games. Average game length is 28 moves with a 2.2% draw rate.

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

At 1200-1399 Elo, the Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation has a 45.7% (90% CI: 45.4%-46.0%) win rate for white, based on 93K Lichess games. Average game length is 30 moves with a 2.7% draw rate.

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

At 1400-1599 Elo, the Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation has a 45.8% (90% CI: 45.7%-46.0%) win rate for white, based on 234K Lichess games. Average game length is 32 moves with a 3.2% draw rate.

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

At 1600-1799 Elo, the Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation has a 46.1% (90% CI: 46.0%-46.2%) win rate for white, based on 457K Lichess games. Average game length is 33 moves with a 3.7% draw rate.

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

At 1800-1999 Elo, the Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation has a 46.6% (90% CI: 46.5%-46.7%) win rate for white, based on 633K Lichess games. Average game length is 35 moves with a 4.3% draw rate.

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

At 2000-2199 Elo, the Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation has a 47.5% (90% CI: 47.4%-47.6%) win rate for white, based on 559K Lichess games. Average game length is 36 moves with a 4.7% draw rate.

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

At 2200-2499 Elo, the Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation has a 49.8% (90% CI: 49.6%-49.9%) win rate for white, based on 369K Lichess games. Average game length is 38 moves with a 5.1% draw rate.

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

At 2500+ Elo, the Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation has a 49.2% (90% CI: 48.9%-49.5%) win rate for white, based on 85K Lichess games. Average game length is 42 moves with a 10.2% draw rate.

What is the Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation win rate in UltraBullet?

In UltraBullet games, the Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation has a 46.2% (90% CI: 40.6%-51.8%) win rate for white (214 Lichess games). Draw rate is 0.7%.

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

In Bullet games, the Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation has a 46.7% (90% CI: 46.6%-46.8%) win rate for white (764K Lichess games). Draw rate is 3.3%.

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

In Blitz games, the Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation has a 47.4% (90% CI: 47.4%-47.5%) win rate for white (1.4M Lichess games). Draw rate is 4.7%.

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

In Rapid games, the Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation has a 46.9% (90% CI: 46.8%-47.1%) win rate for white (301K Lichess games). Draw rate is 5.6%.

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

In Classical games, the Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation has a 44.3% (90% CI: 43.6%-44.9%) win rate for white (15K Lichess games). Draw rate is 7.9%.

Is the Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation a good opening?

The Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation is statistically balanced with a 47.1% (90% CI: 47.1%-47.2%) win rate across all ratings. It performs best at 2200-2499 Elo. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.

What is the Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation expected score for Black?