Slav Defense: Schlechter Variation
487K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026
Black expected score · All ratings · All speeds
47.1%
the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 47.2%.
Measured over 487K games at this level and clock.
Black comes out behind here — there are better weapons in the list.
Outcomes for Black
Draw 5.1 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 487K games
- Rank among the families Black can choose here
- not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
- Games in this context
- 487K
- Best context
- 57.6% at 0-999 Blitz
- Worst context
- 37.9% at 2500+ Blitz
- Average game length
- 37 moves
- Games that end decisively
- 94.9%
- Draws
- 5.1%
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 falls away as the rating rises: 57.0% at 0-999, 49.9% 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, UltraBullet: 61.2% expected score (3 games)
- 0-999 rating, Bullet: 54.1% expected score (629 games)
- 0-999 rating, Blitz: 57.6% expected score (932 games)
- 0-999 rating, Rapid: 54.9% expected score (184 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 61.2% expected score (3 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 48.8% expected score (2,563 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 49.5% expected score (3,307 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 50.6% expected score (851 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 73.1% expected score (5 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 47.3% expected score (17 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 49.0% expected score (6,238 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 50.2% expected score (8,204 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 49.3% expected score (2,287 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 41.8% expected score (41 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 39.5% expected score (65 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 49.1% expected score (11,893 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 48.4% expected score (18,452 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 48.8% expected score (4,940 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 42.5% expected score (191 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 37.8% expected score (109 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 48.4% expected score (23,979 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 48.2% expected score (37,318 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 48.6% expected score (8,044 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 46.7% expected score (446 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 47.5% expected score (58 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 48.3% expected score (41,498 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 47.4% expected score (65,590 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 47.5% expected score (11,987 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 45.2% expected score (634 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 57.3% expected score (60 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 47.5% expected score (49,655 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 45.9% expected score (72,666 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 46.5% expected score (9,367 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 42.3% expected score (288 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 42.8% expected score (47 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 47.2% expected score (50,926 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 43.3% expected score (33,215 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 42.3% expected score (3,407 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 45.9% expected score (59 games)
- 2500+ rating, UltraBullet: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
- 2500+ rating, Bullet: 43.7% expected score (14,193 games)
- 2500+ rating, Blitz: 37.9% expected score (2,383 games)
- 2500+ rating, Rapid: 37.0% expected score (141 games)
- 2500+ rating, Classical: 61.1% expected score (3 games)
Related Openings
Methodology
Across every rating and clock, the Slav Defense: Schlechter Variation scores 47.1% for Black — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 47.0% and 47.2% — from 487K 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
- 487K+ 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 Slav Defense: Schlechter Variation win rate?
Playing the Slav Defense: Schlechter Variation, Black wins 44.5%, draws 5.1% and loses 50.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.1%. It rests on 487K rated games from Lichess.
At what rating does the Slav Defense: Schlechter Variation perform best?
The Slav Defense: Schlechter Variation performs best for Black at 0-999, with an Expected Score of 56.1% (1.7K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.
Is the Slav Defense: Schlechter Variation better in blitz or rapid?
For Black, the Slav Defense: Schlechter Variation scores about the same in both: an Expected Score of 46.7% in Blitz (242K games) against 47.4% in Rapid (41K games).
How sharp is the Slav Defense: Schlechter Variation?
The Slav Defense: Schlechter Variation has a sharpness score of 94.9 (decisive), meaning 94.9% of games end decisively. Average game length is 37 moves.
What is the Slav Defense: Schlechter Variation win rate at 0-999?
At 0-999, Black wins 54.7%, draws 2.7% and loses 42.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 56.1%. It rests on 1.7K Lichess games, which average 28 moves.
What is the Slav Defense: Schlechter Variation win rate at 1000-1199?
At 1000-1199, Black wins 48.0%, draws 2.8% and loses 49.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.4%. It rests on 6.7K Lichess games, which average 30 moves.
What is the Slav Defense: Schlechter Variation win rate at 1200-1399?
At 1200-1399, Black wins 48.0%, draws 3.1% and loses 48.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.6%. It rests on 17K Lichess games, which average 31 moves.
What is the Slav Defense: Schlechter Variation win rate at 1400-1599?
At 1400-1599, Black wins 46.9%, draws 3.5% and loses 49.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.7%. It rests on 36K Lichess games, which average 33 moves.
What is the Slav Defense: Schlechter Variation win rate at 1600-1799?
At 1600-1799, Black wins 46.2%, draws 4.1% and loses 49.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.3%. It rests on 70K Lichess games, which average 35 moves.
What is the Slav Defense: Schlechter Variation win rate at 1800-1999?
At 1800-1999, Black wins 45.3%, draws 4.8% and loses 49.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.7%. It rests on 120K Lichess games, which average 37 moves.
What is the Slav Defense: Schlechter Variation win rate at 2000-2199?
At 2000-2199, Black wins 43.6%, draws 5.7% and loses 50.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.5%. It rests on 132K Lichess games, which average 39 moves.
What is the Slav Defense: Schlechter Variation win rate at 2200-2499?
At 2200-2499, Black wins 42.3%, draws 6.4% and loses 51.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 45.5%. It rests on 88K Lichess games, which average 40 moves.
What is the Slav Defense: Schlechter Variation win rate at 2500+?
At 2500+, Black wins 39.0%, draws 7.5% and loses 53.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 42.8%. It rests on 17K Lichess games, which average 43 moves.
What is the Slav Defense: Schlechter Variation win rate in UltraBullet?
In UltraBullet, Black wins 43.2%, draws 2.6% and loses 54.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 44.5%. It rests on 363 Lichess games.
What is the Slav Defense: Schlechter Variation win rate in Bullet?
In Bullet, Black wins 45.6%, draws 3.9% and loses 50.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.6%. It rests on 202K Lichess games.
What is the Slav Defense: Schlechter Variation win rate in Blitz?
In Blitz, Black wins 43.7%, draws 5.8% and loses 50.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.7%. It rests on 242K Lichess games.
What is the Slav Defense: Schlechter Variation win rate in Rapid?
In Rapid, Black wins 44.0%, draws 6.7% and loses 49.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.4%. It rests on 41K Lichess games.
What is the Slav Defense: Schlechter Variation win rate in Classical?
In Classical, Black wins 40.4%, draws 8.8% and loses 50.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 44.8%. It rests on 1.7K Lichess games.
Is the Slav Defense: Schlechter Variation a good opening?
The Slav Defense: Schlechter Variation is hard work for Black — it favours White. Across all ratings, Black wins 44.5% of its games and loses 50.3%. It performs best at 0-999. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.