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Analyzer

Slav Defense: Steiner Variation

47K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

Playable
Black Expected Score49.5%Range (90% confident): 49.1% – 49.8%Based on 47K games
0%49.5%100%
Range (90% confident): 49.1% – 49.8%
Outcome Distribution
47.2%4.5%48.3%
Win
Draw
Loss
5...Bg4
Slav Defense: Steiner Variation
Analyzen=47K
Avg Length35 moves
Sharpness96%
Draw Rate4.5%

What is the Slav Defense: Steiner Variation expected score for Black?

Snapshot

At all ratings, the Slav Defense: Steiner Variation has a 49.5% expected score for Black (we're 90% confident it's between 49.1% and 49.8%), based on 47K Lichess games.

Black Win% by Rating

Stable across ratings (~44%)

0
1000
1200
1400
1600
1800
2000
2200
2500+

  • 0-999: 43.7% win rate (50 games)
  • 1000-1199: 50.1% win rate (191 games)
  • 1200-1399: 46.5% win rate (608 games)
  • 1400-1599: 45.3% win rate (1,810 games)
  • 1600-1799: 47.4% win rate (5,356 games)
  • 1800-1999: 47.4% win rate (11,981 games)
  • 2000-2199: 47.3% win rate (14,750 games)
  • 2200-2499: 47.7% win rate (10,886 games)
  • 2500+: 42.4% win rate (1,734 games)

Black Win% by Time Control

Best in Bullet (48%), worst in Classical (35%)

UltraBullet
Bullet
Blitz
Rapid
Classical

  • UltraBullet: 39.4% win rate (15 games)
  • Bullet: 47.8% win rate (22,656 games)
  • Blitz: 46.9% win rate (22,565 games)
  • Rapid: 43.6% win rate (2,038 games)
  • Classical: 34.8% win rate (92 games)

Black% 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: 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 PositionsGet move-by-move win rates with the TrueElo analyzer

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Slav Defense: Steiner Variation win rate?

The Slav Defense: Steiner Variation has a 48.3% (90% CI: 48.0%-48.7%) win rate for white, based on 47K rated games from Lichess.

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

The Slav Defense: Steiner Variation performs best at 1400-1599 Elo with a 51.5% win rate for white (1.8K games). Win rate tends to decline at higher ratings as opponents know the theory better.

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

Bullet (48.7%) outperforms Classical (54.0%) by -5.3%. Choose your time control wisely.

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 Elo?

At 1000-1199 Elo, the Slav Defense: Steiner Variation has a 48.1% (90% CI: 42.2%-54.0%) win rate for white, based on 191 Lichess games. Average game length is 26 moves with a 1.8% draw rate.

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

At 1200-1399 Elo, the Slav Defense: Steiner Variation has a 51.3% (90% CI: 47.9%-54.6%) win rate for white, based on 608 Lichess games. Average game length is 28 moves with a 2.2% draw rate.

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

At 1400-1599 Elo, the Slav Defense: Steiner Variation has a 51.5% (90% CI: 49.6%-53.5%) win rate for white, based on 1.8K Lichess games. Average game length is 31 moves with a 3.2% draw rate.

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

At 1600-1799 Elo, the Slav Defense: Steiner Variation has a 48.7% (90% CI: 47.6%-49.9%) win rate for white, based on 5.4K Lichess games. Average game length is 33 moves with a 3.8% draw rate.

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

At 1800-1999 Elo, the Slav Defense: Steiner Variation has a 48.7% (90% CI: 47.9%-49.4%) win rate for white, based on 12K Lichess games. Average game length is 35 moves with a 4.0% draw rate.

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

At 2000-2199 Elo, the Slav Defense: Steiner Variation has a 48.0% (90% CI: 47.3%-48.7%) win rate for white, based on 15K Lichess games. Average game length is 36 moves with a 4.7% draw rate.

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

At 2200-2499 Elo, the Slav Defense: Steiner Variation has a 47.1% (90% CI: 46.3%-47.9%) win rate for white, based on 11K Lichess games. Average game length is 37 moves with a 5.2% draw rate.

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

At 2500+ Elo, the Slav Defense: Steiner Variation has a 50.8% (90% CI: 48.9%-52.8%) win rate for white, based on 1.7K Lichess games. Average game length is 41 moves with a 6.7% draw rate.

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

In Bullet games, the Slav Defense: Steiner Variation has a 48.7% (90% CI: 48.2%-49.3%) win rate for white (23K Lichess games). Draw rate is 3.4%.

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

In Blitz games, the Slav Defense: Steiner Variation has a 47.8% (90% CI: 47.3%-48.4%) win rate for white (23K Lichess games). Draw rate is 5.3%.

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

In Rapid games, the Slav Defense: Steiner Variation has a 49.5% (90% CI: 47.7%-51.3%) win rate for white (2.0K Lichess games). Draw rate is 6.9%.

Is the Slav Defense: Steiner Variation a good opening?

The Slav Defense: Steiner Variation is statistically balanced with a 48.3% (90% CI: 48.0%-48.7%) win rate across all ratings. It performs best at 1400-1599 Elo. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.