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Sicilian Defense: Snyder Variation

931K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

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Analyze this line move by move

White expected score · All ratings · All speeds

50.4%

45%55%
Floor50.3%

the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 50.5%.

Measured over 931K games at this level and clock.

Playablewins about as often as it loses at this level

Roughly even — the middlegame decides more than this opening choice does.

Outcomes for White

Draw 4.2 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 931K games

Rank among the families White can choose here
not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
Games in this context
931K
Best context
59.4% at 2500+ Blitz
Worst context
43.3% at 1400-1599 Classical
Average game length
35 moves
Games that end decisively
95.8%
Draws
4.2%

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 gets better as the rating rises: 44.8% at 0-999, 51.4% at 2500+.

RatingUBBulleBlitzRapidClass
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: 43.6% expected score (14 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Bullet: 45.7% expected score (3,465 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 47.5% expected score (7,962 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 46.9% expected score (3,394 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Classical: 40.4% expected score (35 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 23.2% expected score (19 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 48.9% expected score (8,928 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 48.9% expected score (16,261 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 48.3% expected score (6,476 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 46.3% expected score (118 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 54.4% expected score (56 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 49.3% expected score (20,833 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 50.4% expected score (33,569 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 48.3% expected score (11,184 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 43.0% expected score (361 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 40.8% expected score (80 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 49.0% expected score (32,229 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 50.0% expected score (69,210 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 48.1% expected score (19,582 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 43.3% expected score (1,007 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 50.0% expected score (68 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 50.0% expected score (48,639 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 49.8% expected score (116,578 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 49.5% expected score (30,252 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 47.2% expected score (1,611 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 51.2% expected score (41 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 49.6% expected score (48,646 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 49.9% expected score (127,471 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 50.0% expected score (30,848 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 49.6% expected score (1,271 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 42.4% expected score (5 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 50.4% expected score (47,875 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 51.0% expected score (96,744 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 50.6% expected score (17,305 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 49.5% expected score (452 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 50.0% expected score (6 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 52.3% expected score (34,700 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 53.7% expected score (61,436 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 54.0% expected score (5,981 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 46.9% expected score (94 games)
  • 2500+ rating, UltraBullet: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 57.2% expected score (19,329 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 59.4% expected score (6,639 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 58.9% expected score (419 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 (1)
Sicilian Defense: Snyder Variation, Queen Fianchetto Variation
48.0%
Analyze Sicilian Defense: Snyder Variation PositionsSee what each move is worth at your rating, move by move

Methodology

Across every rating and clock, the Sicilian Defense: Snyder Variation scores 50.4% for White — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 50.3% and 50.5% — from 931K 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
931K+ 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: Snyder Variation win rate?

Playing the Sicilian Defense: Snyder Variation, White wins 48.3%, draws 4.2% and loses 47.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.4%. It rests on 931K rated games from Lichess.

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

The Sicilian Defense: Snyder Variation performs best for White at 2500+, with an Expected Score of 57.8% (26K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.

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

For White, the Sicilian Defense: Snyder Variation scores higher in Blitz: an Expected Score of 50.6% in Blitz (536K games) against 49.6% in Rapid (125K games).

How sharp is the Sicilian Defense: Snyder Variation?

The Sicilian Defense: Snyder Variation has a sharpness score of 95.8 (very decisive), meaning 95.8% of games end decisively. Average game length is 35 moves.

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

At 0-999, White wins 45.4%, draws 2.9% and loses 51.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.9%. It rests on 15K Lichess games, which average 27 moves.

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

At 1000-1199, White wins 47.4%, draws 2.7% and loses 49.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.8%. It rests on 32K Lichess games, which average 29 moves.

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

At 1200-1399, White wins 48.2%, draws 2.7% and loses 49.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.6%. It rests on 66K Lichess games, which average 31 moves.

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

At 1400-1599, White wins 47.8%, draws 3.1% and loses 49.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.4%. It rests on 122K Lichess games, which average 32 moves.

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

At 1600-1799, White wins 47.9%, draws 3.7% and loses 48.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.8%. It rests on 197K Lichess games, which average 34 moves.

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

At 1800-1999, White wins 47.6%, draws 4.4% and loses 48.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.8%. It rests on 208K Lichess games, which average 36 moves.

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

At 2000-2199, White wins 48.3%, draws 4.9% and loses 46.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.8%. It rests on 162K Lichess games, which average 36 moves.

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

At 2200-2499, White wins 50.1%, draws 6.2% and loses 43.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.2%. It rests on 102K Lichess games, which average 38 moves.

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

At 2500+, White wins 54.1%, draws 7.3% and loses 38.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 57.8%. It rests on 26K Lichess games, which average 40 moves.

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

In UltraBullet, White wins 45.1%, draws 1.5% and loses 53.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 45.9%. It rests on 290 Lichess games.

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

In Bullet, White wins 49.0%, draws 3.0% and loses 48.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.5%. It rests on 265K Lichess games.

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

In Blitz, White wins 48.3%, draws 4.6% and loses 47.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.6%. It rests on 536K Lichess games.

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

In Rapid, White wins 47.0%, draws 5.1% and loses 47.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.6%. It rests on 125K Lichess games.

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

In Classical, White wins 44.0%, draws 5.5% and loses 50.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.8%. It rests on 4.9K Lichess games.

Is the Sicilian Defense: Snyder Variation a good opening?

The Sicilian Defense: Snyder Variation is about level. Across all ratings, White wins 48.3% of its games and loses 47.5%. It performs best at 2500+. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.