Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen Variation, Classical Variation
248K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026
White expected score · All ratings · All speeds
48.6%
the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 48.8%.
Measured over 248K games at this level and clock.
Roughly even — the middlegame decides more than this opening choice does.
Outcomes for White
Draw 4.6 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 248K games
- Rank among the families White can choose here
- not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
- Games in this context
- 248K
- Best context
- 58.0% at 2500+ Blitz
- Worst context
- 42.2% at 1000-1199 Bullet
- Average game length
- 36 moves
- Games that end decisively
- 95.4%
- Draws
- 4.6%
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 52.4%.
| 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: 35.8% expected score (213 games)
- 0-999 rating, Blitz: 56.4% expected score (69 games)
- 0-999 rating, Rapid: 47.6% expected score (19 games)
- 0-999 rating, Classical: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 42.2% expected score (871 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 46.0% expected score (463 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 45.7% expected score (102 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 68.2% expected score (4 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 43.6% expected score (2,265 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 45.8% expected score (2,253 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 49.5% expected score (449 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 29.5% expected score (18 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 83.4% expected score (3 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 46.4% expected score (5,524 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 47.7% expected score (7,847 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 49.7% expected score (1,711 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 40.2% expected score (121 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 78.6% expected score (2 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 47.1% expected score (9,937 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 47.1% expected score (25,134 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 47.8% expected score (5,054 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 47.4% expected score (419 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 46.8% expected score (13,689 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 48.0% expected score (48,930 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 48.2% expected score (10,742 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 48.6% expected score (825 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 46.9% expected score (15,127 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 49.1% expected score (43,111 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 51.1% expected score (9,331 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 58.2% expected score (479 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 50.1% expected score (13,149 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 52.1% expected score (20,276 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 54.1% expected score (2,800 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 66.1% expected score (67 games)
- 2500+ rating, UltraBullet: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
- 2500+ rating, Bullet: 51.2% expected score (4,739 games)
- 2500+ rating, Blitz: 58.0% expected score (1,840 games)
- 2500+ rating, Rapid: 58.1% expected score (117 games)
- 2500+ rating, Classical: 66.2% expected score (17 games)
Related Openings
Methodology
Across every rating and clock, the Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen Variation, Classical Variation scores 48.6% for White — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 48.4% and 48.8% — from 248K 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
- 248K+ 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 Variation win rate?
Playing the Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen Variation, Classical Variation, White wins 46.3%, draws 4.6% and loses 49.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.6%. It rests on 248K rated games from Lichess.
At what rating does the Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen Variation, Classical Variation perform best?
The Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen Variation, Classical Variation performs best for White at 2500+, with an Expected Score of 53.2% (6.7K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.
Is the Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen Variation, Classical Variation better in blitz or rapid?
For White, the Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen Variation, Classical Variation scores about the same in both: an Expected Score of 48.8% in Blitz (150K games) against 49.7% in Rapid (30K games).
How sharp is the Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen Variation, Classical Variation?
The Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen Variation, Classical Variation has a sharpness score of 95.4 (very decisive), meaning 95.4% of games end decisively. Average game length is 36 moves.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen Variation, Classical Variation win rate at 0-999?
At 0-999, White wins 41.0%, draws 0.8% and loses 58.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 41.4%. It rests on 302 Lichess games, which average 26 moves.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen Variation, Classical Variation win rate at 1000-1199?
At 1000-1199, White wins 42.6%, draws 2.1% and loses 55.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 43.7%. It rests on 1.4K Lichess games, which average 28 moves.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen Variation, Classical Variation win rate at 1200-1399?
At 1200-1399, White wins 43.8%, draws 2.4% and loses 53.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 45.0%. It rests on 5.0K Lichess games, which average 30 moves.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen Variation, Classical Variation win rate at 1400-1599?
At 1400-1599, White wins 45.9%, draws 3.0% and loses 51.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.4%. It rests on 15K Lichess games, which average 32 moves.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen Variation, Classical Variation win rate at 1600-1799?
At 1600-1799, White wins 45.3%, draws 3.7% and loses 51.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.2%. It rests on 41K Lichess games, which average 34 moves.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen Variation, Classical Variation win rate at 1800-1999?
At 1800-1999, White wins 45.5%, draws 4.6% and loses 49.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.8%. It rests on 74K Lichess games, which average 36 moves.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen Variation, Classical Variation win rate at 2000-2199?
At 2000-2199, White wins 46.4%, draws 5.0% and loses 48.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.9%. It rests on 68K Lichess games, which average 38 moves.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen Variation, Classical Variation win rate at 2200-2499?
At 2200-2499, White wins 48.8%, draws 5.5% and loses 45.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.6%. It rests on 36K Lichess games, which average 39 moves.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen Variation, Classical Variation win rate at 2500+?
At 2500+, White wins 49.9%, draws 6.5% and loses 43.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.2%. It rests on 6.7K Lichess games, which average 41 moves.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen Variation, Classical Variation win rate in Bullet?
In Bullet, White wins 46.1%, draws 3.0% and loses 50.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.6%. It rests on 66K Lichess games.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen Variation, Classical Variation win rate in Blitz?
In Blitz, White wins 46.3%, draws 4.9% and loses 48.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.8%. It rests on 150K Lichess games.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen Variation, Classical Variation win rate in Rapid?
In Rapid, White wins 46.6%, draws 6.2% and loses 47.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.7%. It rests on 30K Lichess games.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen Variation, Classical Variation win rate in Classical?
In Classical, White wins 46.3%, draws 9.0% and loses 44.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.8%. It rests on 2.0K Lichess games.
Is the Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen Variation, Classical Variation a good opening?
The Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen Variation, Classical Variation is about level. Across all ratings, White wins 46.3% of its games and loses 49.1%. It performs best at 2500+. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.