Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen Variation, Classical Main Line
3.9K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026
Black expected score · All ratings · All speeds
42.2%
the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 43.4%.
Measured over 3.9K games at this level and clock.
Black comes out behind here — there are better weapons in the list.
Outcomes for Black
Draw 6.4 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 3.9K games
- Rank among the families Black can choose here
- not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
- Games in this context
- 3.9K
- Best context
- 43.5% at 2200-2499 Blitz
- Worst context
- 41.8% at 2000-2199 Blitz
- Average game length
- 36 moves
- Games that end decisively
- 93.6%
- Draws
- 6.4%
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 gets better as the rating rises: 30.0% at 0-999, 43.2% 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: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 55.9% expected score (7 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 83.4% expected score (3 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 50.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 41.8% expected score (29 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 48.9% expected score (41 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 34.0% expected score (11 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 42.1% expected score (80 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 43.3% expected score (200 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 52.8% expected score (34 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 61.2% expected score (3 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 38.9% expected score (170 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 42.8% expected score (564 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 51.5% expected score (99 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 37.0% expected score (10 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 45.4% expected score (250 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 41.8% expected score (654 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 42.0% expected score (142 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 55.9% expected score (7 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 39.1% expected score (300 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 43.5% expected score (758 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 36.5% expected score (76 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
- 2500+ rating, Bullet: 42.0% expected score (180 games)
- 2500+ rating, Blitz: 36.0% expected score (269 games)
- 2500+ rating, Rapid: 30.5% expected score (19 games)
- 2500+ rating, Classical: 64.3% expected score (2 games)
Related Openings
Methodology
Across every rating and clock, the Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen Variation, Classical Main Line scores 42.2% for Black — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 40.9% and 43.4% — from 3.9K 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
- 3.9K+ 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: Scheveningen Variation, Classical Main Line win rate?
Playing the Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen Variation, Classical Main Line, Black wins 39.0%, draws 6.4% and loses 54.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 42.2%. It rests on 3.9K rated games from Lichess.
At what rating does the Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen Variation, Classical Main Line perform best?
The Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen Variation, Classical Main Line performs best for Black at 2000-2199, with an Expected Score of 42.8% (1.1K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.
Is the Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen Variation, Classical Main Line better in blitz or rapid?
For Black, the Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen Variation, Classical Main Line scores higher in Rapid: an Expected Score of 42.2% in Blitz (2.5K games) against 43.4% in Rapid (382 games).
How sharp is the Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen Variation, Classical Main Line?
The Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen Variation, Classical Main Line has a sharpness score of 93.6 (decisive), meaning 93.6% of games end decisively. Average game length is 36 moves.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen Variation, Classical Main Line win rate at 1600-1799?
At 1600-1799, Black wins 42.5%, draws 3.3% and loses 54.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 44.2%. It rests on 317 Lichess games, which average 32 moves.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen Variation, Classical Main Line win rate at 1800-1999?
At 1800-1999, Black wins 40.0%, draws 5.9% and loses 54.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 42.9%. It rests on 843 Lichess games, which average 33 moves.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen Variation, Classical Main Line win rate at 2000-2199?
At 2000-2199, Black wins 40.1%, draws 5.4% and loses 54.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 42.8%. It rests on 1.1K Lichess games, which average 35 moves.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen Variation, Classical Main Line win rate at 2200-2499?
At 2200-2499, Black wins 38.6%, draws 6.4% and loses 55.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 41.8%. It rests on 1.1K Lichess games, which average 37 moves.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen Variation, Classical Main Line win rate at 2500+?
At 2500+, Black wins 31.9%, draws 12.4% and loses 55.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 38.1%. It rests on 470 Lichess games, which average 43 moves.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen Variation, Classical Main Line win rate in Bullet?
In Bullet, Black wins 39.3%, draws 4.3% and loses 56.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 41.5%. It rests on 1.0K Lichess games.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen Variation, Classical Main Line win rate in Blitz?
In Blitz, Black wins 38.8%, draws 6.7% and loses 54.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 42.2%. It rests on 2.5K Lichess games.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen Variation, Classical Main Line win rate in Rapid?
In Rapid, Black wins 38.7%, draws 9.3% and loses 52.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 43.4%. It rests on 382 Lichess games.
Is the Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen Variation, Classical Main Line a good opening?
The Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen Variation, Classical Main Line is hard work for Black — it favours White. Across all ratings, Black wins 39.0% of its games and loses 54.7%. It performs best at 2000-2199. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.