Continuations show the most common variations from this opening. Higher expected scores indicate better statistical outcomes, but familiarity and playstyle matter too.

Snapshot

Overall, the St. George Defense family has a 48.6% expected score for Black (we're 90% confident it's between 48.6% and 48.7%), aggregated from 4 variations and 3.3M Lichess games.

Black Win% by Rating

Stable across ratings (~46%)

1000

1200

1400

1600

1800

2000

2200

2500+

Black Win% by Time Control

Best in Bullet (48%), worst in UltraBullet (43%)

UltraBullet

Bullet

Blitz

Rapid

Classical

Rating vs Time Control Matrix

Click cells to filter · Black expected scores

Black% by Rating × Time Control

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

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: 49.5% expected score (1,304 games)
0-999 rating, Bullet: 48.7% expected score (49,381 games)
0-999 rating, Blitz: 48.7% expected score (82,269 games)
0-999 rating, Rapid: 45.6% expected score (31,182 games)
0-999 rating, Classical: 41.1% expected score (408 games)
1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 42.3% expected score (2,321 games)
1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 49.4% expected score (91,605 games)
1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 48.2% expected score (163,620 games)
1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 47.4% expected score (59,682 games)
1000-1199 rating, Classical: 46.3% expected score (1,139 games)
1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 41.8% expected score (3,377 games)
1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 49.4% expected score (142,429 games)
1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 48.2% expected score (253,577 games)
1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 47.4% expected score (99,662 games)
1200-1399 rating, Classical: 47.3% expected score (3,804 games)
1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 43.0% expected score (2,974 games)
1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 49.8% expected score (175,377 games)
1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 48.6% expected score (346,008 games)
1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 47.9% expected score (121,437 games)
1400-1599 rating, Classical: 48.7% expected score (8,480 games)
1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 44.0% expected score (1,603 games)
1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 49.1% expected score (206,925 games)
1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 48.7% expected score (318,505 games)
1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 47.5% expected score (109,162 games)
1600-1799 rating, Classical: 45.6% expected score (6,505 games)
1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 48.7% expected score (1,360 games)
1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 49.4% expected score (178,971 games)
1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 48.6% expected score (251,751 games)
1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 47.6% expected score (64,155 games)
1800-1999 rating, Classical: 45.6% expected score (1,584 games)
2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 43.4% expected score (483 games)
2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 49.8% expected score (154,622 games)
2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 47.8% expected score (114,383 games)
2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 46.0% expected score (17,588 games)
2000-2199 rating, Classical: 42.2% expected score (402 games)
2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 49.0% expected score (148 games)
2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 50.0% expected score (111,868 games)
2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 48.1% expected score (53,836 games)
2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 46.1% expected score (3,508 games)
2200-2499 rating, Classical: 58.2% expected score (29 games)
2500+ rating, UltraBullet: 28.4% expected score (17 games)
2500+ rating, Bullet: 49.3% expected score (51,629 games)
2500+ rating, Blitz: 43.7% expected score (6,292 games)
2500+ rating, Rapid: 45.0% expected score (117 games)
2500+ rating, Classical: 30.0% expected score (1 games)

Matrix view reveals how performance varies across rating brackets and time controls. Green indicates favorable, red indicates challenging contexts.

Variations (4)

St. George Defense3.1M games

Balanced48.6%

St. George Defense: San Jorge Variation11K games

Balanced49.3%

St. George Defense: Polish Variation141K games

Balanced48.5%

St. George Defense: Zilbermints Gambit15K games

Losing44.8%

Analyze St. George Defense PositionsGet move-by-move win rates with the TrueElo analyzer

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the St. George Defense win rate?

The St. George Defense family has a 49.7% (90% CI: 49.6%-49.7%) win rate for white, aggregated from 4 variations and 3.3M rated games from Lichess.

How many St. George Defense variations are there?

This analysis covers 4 St. George Defense variations with sufficient game data. Each variation has its own statistics page with detailed win rates by rating and time control.

At what rating does the St. George Defense perform best?

The St. George Defense family performs best at 1200-1399 Elo with a 50.2% win rate for white (503K games). Performance may vary by specific variation.

Is the St. George Defense better in blitz or rapid?

UltraBullet (55.2%) outperforms Bullet (49.2%) by 6.0% across all St. George Defense variations.

How sharp is the St. George Defense?

St. George Defense games are 96.5% decisive (non-draws), with an average length of 34 moves. Sharpness varies by specific variation.

Is the St. George Defense a good opening family?

The St. George Defense family is statistically balanced overall with a 49.7% (90% CI: 49.6%-49.7%) aggregated win rate. However, win rates vary significantly between the 4 variations—explore individual lines to find the best fit for your style.

What Should I Play?

What is the St. George Defense expected score for Black?