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Tarrasch Defense: Classical Variation

69K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

Tough Sell
Black Expected Score47.4%Range (90% confident): 47.1% – 47.7%Based on 69K games
0%47.4%100%
Range (90% confident): 47.1% – 47.7%
Outcome Distribution
43.7%7.3%49.0%
Win
Draw
Loss
8...O-O
Tarrasch Defense: Classical Variation
Analyzen=69K
Avg Length38 moves
Sharpness93%
Draw Rate7.3%

What is the Tarrasch Defense: Classical Variation expected score for Black?

Snapshot

At all ratings, the Tarrasch Defense: Classical Variation has a 47.4% expected score for Black (we're 90% confident it's between 47.1% and 47.7%), based on 69K Lichess games.

Black Win% by Rating

Declines with rating: 54% → 40%

0
1000
1200
1400
1600
1800
2000
2200
2500+

  • 0-999: 54.1% win rate (29 games)
  • 1000-1199: 41.5% win rate (166 games)
  • 1200-1399: 46.4% win rate (504 games)
  • 1400-1599: 45.9% win rate (1,417 games)
  • 1600-1799: 47.0% win rate (3,401 games)
  • 1800-1999: 46.2% win rate (8,591 games)
  • 2000-2199: 44.7% win rate (17,733 games)
  • 2200-2499: 43.0% win rate (28,455 games)
  • 2500+: 39.9% win rate (8,956 games)

Black Win% by Time Control

Best in UltraBullet (52%), worst in Classical (41%)

UltraBullet
Bullet
Blitz
Rapid
Classical

  • UltraBullet: 52.3% win rate (76 games)
  • Bullet: 44.7% win rate (28,014 games)
  • Blitz: 43.1% win rate (36,975 games)
  • Rapid: 42.4% win rate (3,940 games)
  • Classical: 41.2% win rate (247 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: 56.1% expected score (15 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 60.4% expected score (13 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 48.1% expected score (78 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 41.2% expected score (72 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 37.9% expected score (15 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 45.3% expected score (200 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 50.8% expected score (247 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 48.2% expected score (54 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 57.7% expected score (5 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 50.7% expected score (517 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 47.1% expected score (703 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 40.9% expected score (179 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (13 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 50.0% expected score (15 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 48.6% expected score (1,202 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 49.3% expected score (1,755 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 47.9% expected score (381 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 53.1% expected score (48 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 63.4% expected score (21 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 48.2% expected score (2,659 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 49.5% expected score (5,023 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 47.3% expected score (806 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 42.2% expected score (82 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 56.4% expected score (22 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 48.5% expected score (5,305 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 47.8% expected score (11,184 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 49.2% expected score (1,144 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 45.0% expected score (78 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 41.3% expected score (10 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 47.9% expected score (11,831 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 46.6% expected score (15,347 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 48.1% expected score (1,243 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 54.0% expected score (24 games)
  • 2500+ rating, UltraBullet: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 44.6% expected score (6,207 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 44.7% expected score (2,631 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 33.1% expected score (117 games)

Related Openings

Parent
Tarrasch Defense
48.8%
Variations (5)
Tarrasch Defense: Symmetrical Variation
48.5%
Tarrasch Defense: Two Knights Variation
49.7%
Tarrasch Defense: Schara Gambit
45.6%
Tarrasch Defense: Dubov Tarrasch
44.6%
Tarrasch Defense: Prague Variation
50.3%
Continuations (9)
Tarrasch Defense: Classical Variation, Carlsbad Variation
48.9%
Tarrasch Defense: Classical Variation, Advance Variation
44.6%
Tarrasch Defense: Classical Variation, Endgame Variation
48.7%
Tarrasch Defense: Classical Variation, Réti Variation
49.5%
Tarrasch Defense: Classical Variation, Classical Tarrasch Gambit
45.0%
Tarrasch Defense: Classical Variation, Main Line
46.0%
Tarrasch Defense: Classical Variation, Petursson Variation
48.9%
Tarrasch Defense: Classical Variation, Bogoljubow Variation
46.6%
Tarrasch Defense: Classical Variation, Spassky Variation
44.5%
Analyze Tarrasch Defense: Classical Variation PositionsGet move-by-move win rates with the TrueElo analyzer

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Tarrasch Defense: Classical Variation win rate?

The Tarrasch Defense: Classical Variation has a 49.0% (90% CI: 48.6%-49.3%) win rate for white, based on 69K rated games from Lichess.

At what rating does the Tarrasch Defense: Classical Variation perform best?

The Tarrasch Defense: Classical Variation performs best at 2500+ Elo with a 51.0% win rate for white (9.0K games). Win rate tends to decline at higher ratings as opponents know the theory better.

Is the Tarrasch Defense: Classical Variation better in blitz or rapid?

Bullet (49.9%) outperforms UltraBullet (43.2%) by 6.7%. Choose your time control wisely.

How sharp is the Tarrasch Defense: Classical Variation?

The Tarrasch Defense: Classical Variation has a sharpness score of 92.7 (decisive), meaning 92.7% of games end decisively. Average game length is 38 moves.

What is the Tarrasch Defense: Classical Variation win rate at 1000-1199 Elo?

At 1000-1199 Elo, the Tarrasch Defense: Classical Variation has a 54.0% (90% CI: 47.7%-60.3%) win rate for white, based on 166 Lichess games. Average game length is 29 moves with a 4.5% draw rate.

What is the Tarrasch Defense: Classical Variation win rate at 1200-1399 Elo?

At 1200-1399 Elo, the Tarrasch Defense: Classical Variation has a 50.0% (90% CI: 46.3%-53.6%) win rate for white, based on 504 Lichess games. Average game length is 30 moves with a 3.7% draw rate.

What is the Tarrasch Defense: Classical Variation win rate at 1400-1599 Elo?

At 1400-1599 Elo, the Tarrasch Defense: Classical Variation has a 50.6% (90% CI: 48.4%-52.8%) win rate for white, based on 1.4K Lichess games. Average game length is 31 moves with a 3.5% draw rate.

What is the Tarrasch Defense: Classical Variation win rate at 1600-1799 Elo?

At 1600-1799 Elo, the Tarrasch Defense: Classical Variation has a 49.1% (90% CI: 47.7%-50.5%) win rate for white, based on 3.4K Lichess games. Average game length is 33 moves with a 3.9% draw rate.

What is the Tarrasch Defense: Classical Variation win rate at 1800-1999 Elo?

At 1800-1999 Elo, the Tarrasch Defense: Classical Variation has a 48.5% (90% CI: 47.6%-49.4%) win rate for white, based on 8.6K Lichess games. Average game length is 35 moves with a 5.3% draw rate.

What is the Tarrasch Defense: Classical Variation win rate at 2000-2199 Elo?

At 2000-2199 Elo, the Tarrasch Defense: Classical Variation has a 48.5% (90% CI: 47.9%-49.1%) win rate for white, based on 18K Lichess games. Average game length is 37 moves with a 6.8% draw rate.

What is the Tarrasch Defense: Classical Variation win rate at 2200-2499 Elo?

At 2200-2499 Elo, the Tarrasch Defense: Classical Variation has a 48.6% (90% CI: 48.1%-49.1%) win rate for white, based on 28K Lichess games. Average game length is 39 moves with a 8.4% draw rate.

What is the Tarrasch Defense: Classical Variation win rate at 2500+ Elo?

At 2500+ Elo, the Tarrasch Defense: Classical Variation has a 51.0% (90% CI: 50.1%-51.9%) win rate for white, based on 9.0K Lichess games. Average game length is 43 moves with a 9.1% draw rate.

What is the Tarrasch Defense: Classical Variation win rate in Bullet?

In Bullet games, the Tarrasch Defense: Classical Variation has a 49.9% (90% CI: 49.4%-50.4%) win rate for white (28K Lichess games). Draw rate is 5.4%.

What is the Tarrasch Defense: Classical Variation win rate in Blitz?

In Blitz games, the Tarrasch Defense: Classical Variation has a 48.4% (90% CI: 47.9%-48.8%) win rate for white (37K Lichess games). Draw rate is 8.5%.

What is the Tarrasch Defense: Classical Variation win rate in Rapid?

In Rapid games, the Tarrasch Defense: Classical Variation has a 47.6% (90% CI: 46.3%-48.9%) win rate for white (3.9K Lichess games). Draw rate is 9.9%.

What is the Tarrasch Defense: Classical Variation win rate in Classical?

In Classical games, the Tarrasch Defense: Classical Variation has a 47.7% (90% CI: 42.5%-52.9%) win rate for white (247 Lichess games). Draw rate is 11.1%.

Is the Tarrasch Defense: Classical Variation a good opening?

The Tarrasch Defense: Classical Variation is statistically favors white with a 49.0% (90% CI: 48.6%-49.3%) win rate across all ratings. It performs best at 2500+ Elo. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.