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Slav Defense: Steiner Variation

47K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

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Analyze this line move by move

Black expected score · All ratings · All speeds

49.5%

45%55%
Floor49.1%

the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 49.8%.

Measured over 47K 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 Black

Draw 4.5 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 47K games

Rank among the families Black can choose here
not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
Games in this context
47K
Best context
51.9% at 2200-2499 Blitz
Worst context
45.7% at 1400-1599 Blitz
Average game length
35 moves
Games that end decisively
95.5%
Draws
4.5%

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: 48.3% at 0-999, 41.8% 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, Bullet: 39.3% expected score (31 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 55.5% expected score (17 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 52.7% expected score (129 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 57.4% expected score (46 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 21.5% expected score (16 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 53.5% expected score (387 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 39.7% expected score (188 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 24.6% expected score (30 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 42.4% expected score (5 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 49.0% expected score (989 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 45.7% expected score (712 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 36.7% expected score (100 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 13.7% expected score (4 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 34.7% expected score (5 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 49.8% expected score (2,516 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 49.2% expected score (2,536 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 47.8% expected score (270 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 46.8% expected score (29 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 49.8% expected score (5,015 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 49.1% expected score (6,293 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 48.5% expected score (634 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 43.6% expected score (37 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 50.3% expected score (6,715 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 49.2% expected score (7,310 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 48.8% expected score (708 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 36.5% expected score (17 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 49.1% expected score (5,556 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 51.9% expected score (5,058 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 47.2% expected score (267 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 40.9% expected score (4 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 46.1% expected score (1,318 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 45.3% expected score (405 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 34.0% expected score (11 games)

Related Openings

Parent
Slav Defense
50.8%
Variations (5)
Slav Defense: Exchange Variation
50.4%
Slav Defense: Three Knights Variation
51.1%
Slav Defense: Modern Line
51.9%
Slav Defense: Quiet Variation, Pin Defense
49.6%
Slav Defense: Slav Gambit, Alekhine Attack
52.8%
Analyze Slav Defense: Steiner Variation PositionsSee what each move is worth at your rating, move by move

Methodology

Across every rating and clock, the Slav Defense: Steiner Variation scores 49.5% for Black — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 49.1% and 49.8% — from 47K 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
47K+ 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: Steiner Variation win rate?

Playing the Slav Defense: Steiner Variation, Black wins 47.2%, draws 4.5% and loses 48.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.5%. It rests on 47K rated games from Lichess.

At what rating does the Slav Defense: Steiner Variation perform best?

The Slav Defense: Steiner Variation performs best for Black at 2200-2499, with an Expected Score of 50.3% (11K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.

Is the Slav Defense: Steiner Variation better in blitz or rapid?

For Black, the Slav Defense: Steiner Variation scores higher in Blitz: an Expected Score of 49.6% in Blitz (23K games) against 47.1% in Rapid (2.0K games).

How sharp is the Slav Defense: Steiner Variation?

The Slav Defense: Steiner Variation has a sharpness score of 95.5 (very decisive), meaning 95.5% of games end decisively. Average game length is 35 moves.

What is the Slav Defense: Steiner Variation win rate at 1000-1199?

At 1000-1199, Black wins 50.1%, draws 1.8% and loses 48.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.0%. It rests on 191 Lichess games, which average 26 moves.

What is the Slav Defense: Steiner Variation win rate at 1200-1399?

At 1200-1399, Black wins 46.5%, draws 2.2% and loses 51.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.6%. It rests on 608 Lichess games, which average 28 moves.

What is the Slav Defense: Steiner Variation win rate at 1400-1599?

At 1400-1599, Black wins 45.3%, draws 3.2% and loses 51.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.9%. It rests on 1.8K Lichess games, which average 31 moves.

What is the Slav Defense: Steiner Variation win rate at 1600-1799?

At 1600-1799, Black wins 47.4%, draws 3.8% and loses 48.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.4%. It rests on 5.4K Lichess games, which average 33 moves.

What is the Slav Defense: Steiner Variation win rate at 1800-1999?

At 1800-1999, Black wins 47.4%, draws 4.0% and loses 48.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.4%. It rests on 12K Lichess games, which average 35 moves.

What is the Slav Defense: Steiner Variation win rate at 2000-2199?

At 2000-2199, Black wins 47.3%, draws 4.7% and loses 48.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.7%. It rests on 15K Lichess games, which average 36 moves.

What is the Slav Defense: Steiner Variation win rate at 2200-2499?

At 2200-2499, Black wins 47.7%, draws 5.2% and loses 47.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.3%. It rests on 11K Lichess games, which average 37 moves.

What is the Slav Defense: Steiner Variation win rate at 2500+?

At 2500+, Black wins 42.4%, draws 6.7% and loses 50.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 45.8%. It rests on 1.7K Lichess games, which average 41 moves.

What is the Slav Defense: Steiner Variation win rate in Bullet?

In Bullet, Black wins 47.8%, draws 3.4% and loses 48.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.6%. It rests on 23K Lichess games.

What is the Slav Defense: Steiner Variation win rate in Blitz?

In Blitz, Black wins 46.9%, draws 5.3% and loses 47.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.6%. It rests on 23K Lichess games.

What is the Slav Defense: Steiner Variation win rate in Rapid?

In Rapid, Black wins 43.6%, draws 6.9% and loses 49.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.1%. It rests on 2.0K Lichess games.

Is the Slav Defense: Steiner Variation a good opening?

The Slav Defense: Steiner Variation is about level. Across all ratings, Black wins 47.2% of its games and loses 48.3%. It performs best at 2200-2499. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.