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Analyzer

Sicilian Defense: Yates Variation

11K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

Tough Sell
White Expected Score38.2%Range (90% confident): 37.5% – 39.0%Based on 11K games
0%38.2%100%
Range (90% confident): 37.5% – 39.0%
Outcome Distribution
36.8%2.9%60.4%
Win
Draw
Loss
6.Bd3
Sicilian Defense: Yates Variation
Analyzen=11K
Avg Length30 moves
Sharpness97%
Draw Rate2.9%

What is the Sicilian Defense: Yates Variation expected score for White?

Snapshot

At all ratings, the Sicilian Defense: Yates Variation has a 38.2% expected score for White (we're 90% confident it's between 37.5% and 39.0%), based on 11K Lichess games.

White Win% by Rating

Declines with rating: 37% → 20%

0
1000
1200
1400
1600
1800
2000
2200
2500+

  • 0-999: 37.3% win rate (182 games)
  • 1000-1199: 38.7% win rate (625 games)
  • 1200-1399: 39.6% win rate (1,409 games)
  • 1400-1599: 37.3% win rate (2,343 games)
  • 1600-1799: 35.7% win rate (2,726 games)
  • 1800-1999: 36.7% win rate (2,038 games)
  • 2000-2199: 35.1% win rate (880 games)
  • 2200-2499: 34.6% win rate (367 games)
  • 2500+: 19.7% win rate (67 games)

White Win% by Time Control

Best in UltraBullet (54%), worst in Classical (26%)

UltraBullet
Bullet
Blitz
Rapid
Classical

  • UltraBullet: 53.8% win rate (5 games)
  • Bullet: 39.6% win rate (4,306 games)
  • Blitz: 35.9% win rate (4,759 games)
  • Rapid: 31.8% win rate (1,496 games)
  • Classical: 25.5% win rate (71 games)

White% by Rating × Time Control

Click any cell to filter. Green = above 50%, Red = below 50%.

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, Bullet: 34.7% expected score (93 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 40.3% expected score (70 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 42.7% expected score (19 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 44.9% expected score (292 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 36.1% expected score (274 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 31.5% expected score (58 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 44.0% expected score (523 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 38.9% expected score (691 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 42.2% expected score (184 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 23.9% expected score (10 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 40.3% expected score (794 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 39.3% expected score (1,167 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 34.1% expected score (361 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 23.2% expected score (19 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 40.2% expected score (891 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 37.8% expected score (1,318 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 29.9% expected score (490 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 35.5% expected score (26 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 40.7% expected score (820 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 36.8% expected score (898 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 37.1% expected score (305 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 22.7% expected score (15 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 41.6% expected score (537 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 32.5% expected score (276 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 19.6% expected score (66 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 37.4% expected score (301 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 30.6% expected score (55 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 38.0% expected score (11 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 25.2% expected score (55 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 6.5% expected score (10 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 21.5% expected score (2 games)

Related Openings

Parent
Sicilian Defense
48.5%
Variations (5)
Sicilian Defense: Accelerated Dragon
45.7%
Sicilian Defense: Accelerated Dragon, Exchange Variation
45.8%
Sicilian Defense: Accelerated Dragon, Maróczy Bind
48.8%
Sicilian Defense: Accelerated Dragon, Maróczy Bind, Breyer Variation
43.7%
Sicilian Defense: Accelerated Dragon, Maróczy Bind, Gurgenidze Variation
44.6%
Analyze Sicilian Defense: Yates Variation PositionsGet move-by-move win rates with the TrueElo analyzer

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Sicilian Defense: Yates Variation win rate?

The Sicilian Defense: Yates Variation has a 36.8% (90% CI: 36.0%-37.5%) win rate for white, based on 11K rated games from Lichess.

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

The Sicilian Defense: Yates Variation performs best at 1200-1399 Elo with a 39.6% win rate for white (1.4K games). Win rate tends to decline at higher ratings as opponents know the theory better.

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

Bullet (39.6%) outperforms Classical (25.5%) by 14.1%. Choose your time control wisely.

How sharp is the Sicilian Defense: Yates Variation?

The Sicilian Defense: Yates Variation has a sharpness score of 97.1 (very decisive), meaning 97.1% of games end decisively. Average game length is 30 moves.

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

At 0-999 Elo, the Sicilian Defense: Yates Variation has a 37.3% (90% CI: 31.6%-43.3%) win rate for white, based on 182 Lichess games. Average game length is 24 moves with a 0.3% draw rate.

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

At 1000-1199 Elo, the Sicilian Defense: Yates Variation has a 38.7% (90% CI: 35.5%-41.9%) win rate for white, based on 625 Lichess games. Average game length is 25 moves with a 1.8% draw rate.

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

At 1200-1399 Elo, the Sicilian Defense: Yates Variation has a 39.6% (90% CI: 37.5%-41.7%) win rate for white, based on 1.4K Lichess games. Average game length is 28 moves with a 3.0% draw rate.

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

At 1400-1599 Elo, the Sicilian Defense: Yates Variation has a 37.3% (90% CI: 35.7%-38.9%) win rate for white, based on 2.3K Lichess games. Average game length is 29 moves with a 2.7% draw rate.

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

At 1600-1799 Elo, the Sicilian Defense: Yates Variation has a 35.7% (90% CI: 34.2%-37.2%) win rate for white, based on 2.7K Lichess games. Average game length is 31 moves with a 3.0% draw rate.

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

At 1800-1999 Elo, the Sicilian Defense: Yates Variation has a 36.7% (90% CI: 34.9%-38.4%) win rate for white, based on 2.0K Lichess games. Average game length is 32 moves with a 3.2% draw rate.

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

At 2000-2199 Elo, the Sicilian Defense: Yates Variation has a 35.1% (90% CI: 32.5%-37.8%) win rate for white, based on 880 Lichess games. Average game length is 32 moves with a 3.7% draw rate.

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

At 2200-2499 Elo, the Sicilian Defense: Yates Variation has a 34.6% (90% CI: 30.6%-38.7%) win rate for white, based on 367 Lichess games. Average game length is 33 moves with a 3.4% draw rate.

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

In Bullet games, the Sicilian Defense: Yates Variation has a 39.6% (90% CI: 38.3%-40.8%) win rate for white (4.3K Lichess games). Draw rate is 2.3%.

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

In Blitz games, the Sicilian Defense: Yates Variation has a 35.9% (90% CI: 34.8%-37.1%) win rate for white (4.8K Lichess games). Draw rate is 3.3%.

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

In Rapid games, the Sicilian Defense: Yates Variation has a 31.8% (90% CI: 29.9%-33.8%) win rate for white (1.5K Lichess games). Draw rate is 3.5%.

Is the Sicilian Defense: Yates Variation a good opening?

The Sicilian Defense: Yates Variation is slightly favors black with a 36.8% (90% CI: 36.0%-37.5%) win rate across all ratings. It performs best at 1200-1399 Elo. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.