Slav Defense: Two Knights Attack
168K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026
Black expected score · All ratings · All speeds
46.8%
the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 47.0%.
Measured over 168K games at this level and clock.
Black comes out behind here — there are better weapons in the list.
Outcomes for Black
Draw 3.9 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 168K games
- Rank among the families Black can choose here
- not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
- Games in this context
- 168K
- Best context
- 51.2% at 1600-1799 Rapid
- Worst context
- 39.1% at 2500+ Blitz
- Average game length
- 35 moves
- Games that end decisively
- 96.1%
- Draws
- 3.9%
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 gets better as the rating rises: 41.2% at 0-999, 45.4% 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: 31.9% expected score (4 games)
- 0-999 rating, Bullet: 41.9% expected score (405 games)
- 0-999 rating, Blitz: 45.6% expected score (588 games)
- 0-999 rating, Rapid: 45.3% expected score (158 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 39.8% expected score (18 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 45.8% expected score (1,567 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 46.9% expected score (1,219 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 42.0% expected score (428 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 68.2% expected score (4 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 43.3% expected score (65 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 44.7% expected score (3,369 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 42.9% expected score (2,289 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 43.6% expected score (714 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 30.0% expected score (36 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 46.3% expected score (200 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 45.7% expected score (6,523 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 45.5% expected score (4,222 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 45.6% expected score (1,096 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 47.8% expected score (65 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 50.5% expected score (337 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 47.2% expected score (13,536 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 47.9% expected score (8,368 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 51.2% expected score (1,174 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 52.0% expected score (72 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 44.0% expected score (163 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 47.2% expected score (23,489 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 47.8% expected score (13,654 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 48.8% expected score (1,424 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 56.7% expected score (95 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 47.2% expected score (34 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 47.5% expected score (24,974 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 47.7% expected score (15,456 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 47.1% expected score (1,182 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 57.0% expected score (27 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 53.5% expected score (13 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 46.5% expected score (24,163 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 46.2% expected score (8,963 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 45.1% expected score (595 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 40.5% expected score (9 games)
- 2500+ rating, UltraBullet: 64.3% expected score (2 games)
- 2500+ rating, Bullet: 43.5% expected score (5,710 games)
- 2500+ rating, Blitz: 39.1% expected score (1,123 games)
- 2500+ rating, Rapid: 50.0% expected score (12 games)
- 2500+ rating, Classical: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
Related Openings
Methodology
Across every rating and clock, the Slav Defense: Two Knights Attack scores 46.8% for Black — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 46.6% and 47.0% — from 168K 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
- 168K+ 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: Two Knights Attack win rate?
Playing the Slav Defense: Two Knights Attack, Black wins 44.8%, draws 3.9% and loses 51.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.8%. It rests on 168K rated games from Lichess.
At what rating does the Slav Defense: Two Knights Attack perform best?
The Slav Defense: Two Knights Attack performs best for Black at 1600-1799, with an Expected Score of 47.7% (23K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.
Is the Slav Defense: Two Knights Attack better in blitz or rapid?
For Black, the Slav Defense: Two Knights Attack scores about the same in both: an Expected Score of 46.9% in Blitz (56K games) against 47.0% in Rapid (6.8K games).
How sharp is the Slav Defense: Two Knights Attack?
The Slav Defense: Two Knights Attack has a sharpness score of 96.1 (very decisive), meaning 96.1% of games end decisively. Average game length is 35 moves.
What is the Slav Defense: Two Knights Attack win rate at 0-999?
At 0-999, Black wins 43.0%, draws 2.2% and loses 54.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 44.1%. It rests on 1.2K Lichess games, which average 27 moves.
What is the Slav Defense: Two Knights Attack win rate at 1000-1199?
At 1000-1199, Black wins 44.3%, draws 2.7% and loses 53.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 45.7%. It rests on 3.2K Lichess games, which average 28 moves.
What is the Slav Defense: Two Knights Attack win rate at 1200-1399?
At 1200-1399, Black wins 42.3%, draws 3.0% and loses 54.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 43.8%. It rests on 6.5K Lichess games, which average 30 moves.
What is the Slav Defense: Two Knights Attack win rate at 1400-1599?
At 1400-1599, Black wins 44.2%, draws 2.9% and loses 52.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 45.7%. It rests on 12K Lichess games, which average 31 moves.
What is the Slav Defense: Two Knights Attack win rate at 1600-1799?
At 1600-1799, Black wins 46.1%, draws 3.1% and loses 50.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.7%. It rests on 23K Lichess games, which average 33 moves.
What is the Slav Defense: Two Knights Attack win rate at 1800-1999?
At 1800-1999, Black wins 45.6%, draws 3.6% and loses 50.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.4%. It rests on 39K Lichess games, which average 35 moves.
What is the Slav Defense: Two Knights Attack win rate at 2000-2199?
At 2000-2199, Black wins 45.5%, draws 4.1% and loses 50.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.6%. It rests on 42K Lichess games, which average 36 moves.
What is the Slav Defense: Two Knights Attack win rate at 2200-2499?
At 2200-2499, Black wins 43.9%, draws 4.9% and loses 51.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.4%. It rests on 34K Lichess games, which average 38 moves.
What is the Slav Defense: Two Knights Attack win rate at 2500+?
At 2500+, Black wins 39.9%, draws 5.7% and loses 54.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 42.8%. It rests on 6.8K Lichess games, which average 40 moves.
What is the Slav Defense: Two Knights Attack win rate in UltraBullet?
In UltraBullet, Black wins 46.6%, draws 1.1% and loses 52.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.2%. It rests on 836 Lichess games.
What is the Slav Defense: Two Knights Attack win rate in Bullet?
In Bullet, Black wins 45.0%, draws 3.4% and loses 51.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.7%. It rests on 104K Lichess games.
What is the Slav Defense: Two Knights Attack win rate in Blitz?
In Blitz, Black wins 44.5%, draws 4.8% and loses 50.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.9%. It rests on 56K Lichess games.
What is the Slav Defense: Two Knights Attack win rate in Rapid?
In Rapid, Black wins 44.5%, draws 5.0% and loses 50.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.0%. It rests on 6.8K Lichess games.
What is the Slav Defense: Two Knights Attack win rate in Classical?
In Classical, Black wins 46.5%, draws 7.2% and loses 46.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.2%. It rests on 309 Lichess games.
Is the Slav Defense: Two Knights Attack a good opening?
The Slav Defense: Two Knights Attack is hard work for Black — it favours White. Across all ratings, Black wins 44.8% of its games and loses 51.3%. It performs best at 1600-1799. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.