Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation, Scheveningen Variation
7.8K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026
Black expected score · All ratings · All speeds
54.8%
the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 55.8%.
Measured over 7.8K games at this level and clock.
A strong choice for Black at this level and clock.
Outcomes for Black
Draw 3.9 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 7.8K games
- Rank among the families Black can choose here
- not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
- Games in this context
- 7.8K
- Best context
- 57.2% at 2000-2199 Blitz
- Worst context
- 53.7% at 2200-2499 Blitz
- Average game length
- 36 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 · 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: 56.2% at 0-999, 48.4% 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: 44.2% expected score (7 games)
- 0-999 rating, Blitz: 68.2% expected score (4 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 60.2% expected score (28 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 48.0% expected score (23 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 61.2% expected score (3 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 53.0% expected score (101 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 53.0% expected score (135 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 59.5% expected score (25 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 56.1% expected score (222 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 56.0% expected score (365 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 55.6% expected score (88 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 44.2% expected score (7 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 57.4% expected score (337 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 54.7% expected score (940 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 50.5% expected score (201 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 44.3% expected score (16 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 56.2% expected score (404 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 55.8% expected score (1,324 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 51.1% expected score (282 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 56.5% expected score (14 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 54.7% expected score (404 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 57.2% expected score (1,142 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 52.9% expected score (194 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 37.0% expected score (10 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 54.9% expected score (449 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 53.7% expected score (733 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 53.8% expected score (51 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
- 2500+ rating, Bullet: 47.0% expected score (212 games)
- 2500+ rating, Blitz: 48.3% expected score (87 games)
- 2500+ rating, Rapid: 50.0% expected score (1 games)
Related Openings
Methodology
Across every rating and clock, the Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation, Scheveningen Variation scores 54.8% for Black — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 53.9% and 55.8% — from 7.8K 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
- 7.8K+ 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: Najdorf Variation, Scheveningen Variation win rate?
Playing the Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation, Scheveningen Variation, Black wins 52.9%, draws 3.9% and loses 43.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.8%. It rests on 7.8K rated games from Lichess.
At what rating does the Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation, Scheveningen Variation perform best?
The Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation, Scheveningen Variation performs best for Black at 2000-2199, with an Expected Score of 56.0% (1.8K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.
Is the Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation, Scheveningen Variation better in blitz or rapid?
For Black, the Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation, Scheveningen Variation scores higher in Blitz: an Expected Score of 55.4% in Blitz (4.8K games) against 52.4% in Rapid (845 games).
How sharp is the Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation, Scheveningen Variation?
The Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation, Scheveningen Variation has a sharpness score of 96.1 (very decisive), meaning 96.1% of games end decisively. Average game length is 36 moves.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation, Scheveningen Variation win rate at 1200-1399?
At 1200-1399, Black wins 53.1%, draws 1.0% and loses 45.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.6%. It rests on 261 Lichess games, which average 29 moves.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation, Scheveningen Variation win rate at 1400-1599?
At 1400-1599, Black wins 54.4%, draws 3.0% and loses 42.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 55.9%. It rests on 682 Lichess games, which average 32 moves.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation, Scheveningen Variation win rate at 1600-1799?
At 1600-1799, Black wins 52.9%, draws 3.6% and loses 43.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.7%. It rests on 1.5K Lichess games, which average 34 moves.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation, Scheveningen Variation win rate at 1800-1999?
At 1800-1999, Black wins 53.2%, draws 3.9% and loses 42.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 55.2%. It rests on 2.0K Lichess games, which average 35 moves.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation, Scheveningen Variation win rate at 2000-2199?
At 2000-2199, Black wins 54.0%, draws 4.0% and loses 42.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 56.0%. It rests on 1.8K Lichess games, which average 37 moves.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation, Scheveningen Variation win rate at 2200-2499?
At 2200-2499, Black wins 51.6%, draws 5.0% and loses 43.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.1%. It rests on 1.2K Lichess games, which average 39 moves.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation, Scheveningen Variation win rate at 2500+?
At 2500+, Black wins 44.3%, draws 6.1% and loses 49.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.4%. It rests on 300 Lichess games, which average 41 moves.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation, Scheveningen Variation win rate in Bullet?
In Bullet, Black wins 53.5%, draws 2.5% and loses 44.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.8%. It rests on 2.2K Lichess games.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation, Scheveningen Variation win rate in Blitz?
In Blitz, Black wins 53.2%, draws 4.2% and loses 42.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 55.4%. It rests on 4.8K Lichess games.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation, Scheveningen Variation win rate in Rapid?
In Rapid, Black wins 49.6%, draws 5.5% and loses 44.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.4%. It rests on 845 Lichess games.
Is the Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation, Scheveningen Variation a good opening?
The Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation, Scheveningen Variation is good for Black. Across all ratings, Black wins 52.9% of its games and loses 43.3%. It performs best at 2000-2199. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.