Sicilian Defense: Open
6.6M games from Lichess · Updated January 2026
White expected score · All ratings · All speeds
52.2%
the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. Its best is the same figure — the band is too tight to plot.
Measured over 6.6M games at this level and clock.
A strong choice for White at this level and clock.
Outcomes for White
Draw 3.8 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 6.6M games
- Rank among the families White can choose here
- not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
- Games in this context
- 6.6M
- Best context
- 57.2% at 2500+ Blitz
- Worst context
- 49.1% at 1400-1599 UltraBullet
- Average game length
- 33 moves
- Games that end decisively
- 96.2%
- Draws
- 3.8%
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.
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 holds about the same all the way up, near 51.8%.
| 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: 44.2% expected score (299 games)
- 0-999 rating, Bullet: 50.8% expected score (43,635 games)
- 0-999 rating, Blitz: 52.8% expected score (43,091 games)
- 0-999 rating, Rapid: 54.2% expected score (11,008 games)
- 0-999 rating, Classical: 57.0% expected score (63 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 51.2% expected score (958 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 52.0% expected score (124,244 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 54.1% expected score (137,917 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 55.3% expected score (34,766 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 51.1% expected score (385 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 52.5% expected score (1,201 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 51.6% expected score (240,288 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 53.3% expected score (320,631 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 54.6% expected score (84,931 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 53.1% expected score (1,608 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 49.1% expected score (1,794 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 51.2% expected score (384,388 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 52.6% expected score (569,609 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 53.7% expected score (155,172 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 53.6% expected score (6,070 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 53.0% expected score (1,274 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 51.2% expected score (481,678 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 51.8% expected score (832,481 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 52.6% expected score (204,275 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 53.5% expected score (8,755 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 51.6% expected score (730 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 51.3% expected score (506,562 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 52.0% expected score (866,101 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 52.4% expected score (190,273 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 54.7% expected score (6,317 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 50.8% expected score (385 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 51.5% expected score (398,821 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 53.1% expected score (426,833 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 53.8% expected score (83,327 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 56.7% expected score (1,591 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 47.8% expected score (179 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 52.4% expected score (239,630 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 54.6% expected score (95,864 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 56.3% expected score (15,664 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 59.2% expected score (157 games)
- 2500+ rating, UltraBullet: 29.1% expected score (20 games)
- 2500+ rating, Bullet: 53.6% expected score (35,343 games)
- 2500+ rating, Blitz: 57.2% expected score (3,449 games)
- 2500+ rating, Rapid: 62.4% expected score (217 games)
- 2500+ rating, Classical: 65.4% expected score (5 games)
Related Openings
Methodology
Across every rating and clock, the Sicilian Defense: Open scores 52.2% for White — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 52.2% and 52.3% — from 6.6M 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
- 6.6M+ 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: Open win rate?
Playing the Sicilian Defense: Open, White wins 50.3%, draws 3.8% and loses 45.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.2%. It rests on 6.6M rated games from Lichess.
At what rating does the Sicilian Defense: Open perform best?
The Sicilian Defense: Open performs best for White at 2500+, with an Expected Score of 54.0% (39K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.
Is the Sicilian Defense: Open better in blitz or rapid?
For White, the Sicilian Defense: Open scores about the same in both: an Expected Score of 52.5% in Blitz (3.3M games) against 53.4% in Rapid (780K games).
How sharp is the Sicilian Defense: Open?
The Sicilian Defense: Open has a sharpness score of 96.2 (very decisive), meaning 96.2% of games end decisively. Average game length is 33 moves.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Open win rate at 0-999?
At 0-999, White wins 50.8%, draws 2.6% and loses 46.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.1%. It rests on 98K Lichess games, which average 25 moves.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Open win rate at 1000-1199?
At 1000-1199, White wins 52.0%, draws 2.7% and loses 45.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.4%. It rests on 298K Lichess games, which average 28 moves.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Open win rate at 1200-1399?
At 1200-1399, White wins 51.3%, draws 3.0% and loses 45.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.8%. It rests on 649K Lichess games, which average 29 moves.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Open win rate at 1400-1599?
At 1400-1599, White wins 50.6%, draws 3.2% and loses 46.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.3%. It rests on 1.1M Lichess games, which average 31 moves.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Open win rate at 1600-1799?
At 1600-1799, White wins 49.9%, draws 3.7% and loses 46.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.8%. It rests on 1.5M Lichess games, which average 33 moves.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Open win rate at 1800-1999?
At 1800-1999, White wins 49.7%, draws 4.3% and loses 46.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.8%. It rests on 1.6M Lichess games, which average 35 moves.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Open win rate at 2000-2199?
At 2000-2199, White wins 50.2%, draws 4.6% and loses 45.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.5%. It rests on 911K Lichess games, which average 36 moves.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Open win rate at 2200-2499?
At 2200-2499, White wins 50.6%, draws 5.1% and loses 44.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.2%. It rests on 351K Lichess games, which average 37 moves.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Open win rate at 2500+?
At 2500+, White wins 50.8%, draws 6.4% and loses 42.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.0%. It rests on 39K Lichess games, which average 40 moves.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Open win rate in UltraBullet?
In UltraBullet, White wins 50.1%, draws 1.3% and loses 48.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.8%. It rests on 6.8K Lichess games.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Open win rate in Bullet?
In Bullet, White wins 50.0%, draws 2.9% and loses 47.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.5%. It rests on 2.5M Lichess games.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Open win rate in Blitz?
In Blitz, White wins 50.3%, draws 4.3% and loses 45.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.5%. It rests on 3.3M Lichess games.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Open win rate in Rapid?
In Rapid, White wins 50.9%, draws 4.9% and loses 44.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.4%. It rests on 780K Lichess games.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Open win rate in Classical?
In Classical, White wins 50.9%, draws 6.2% and loses 42.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.0%. It rests on 25K Lichess games.
Is the Sicilian Defense: Open a good opening?
The Sicilian Defense: Open is good for White. Across all ratings, White wins 50.3% of its games and loses 45.9%. It performs best at 2500+. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.