Tarrasch Defense: Classical Variation, Réti Variation
8.6K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026
White expected score · All ratings · All speeds
54.5%
the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 55.4%.
Measured over 8.6K games at this level and clock.
A strong choice for White at this level and clock.
Outcomes for White
Draw 9.9 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 8.6K games
- Rank among the families White can choose here
- not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
- Games in this context
- 8.6K
- Best context
- 58.7% at 2500+ Blitz
- Worst context
- 52.8% at 2500+ Bullet
- Average game length
- 40 moves
- Games that end decisively
- 90.1%
- Draws
- 9.9%
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 · White score by rating × clock
Green is clearly ahead for White, grey is around even, red is behind. Tap a cell to measure there, and again to clear. It gets better as the rating rises: 50.0% at 0-999, 58.1% 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, Bullet: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
- 0-999 rating, Blitz: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 55.9% expected score (7 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 61.2% expected score (3 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 68.2% expected score (4 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 61.2% expected score (12 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 69.0% expected score (17 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 38.9% expected score (3 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 60.2% expected score (23 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 67.6% expected score (44 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 56.1% expected score (23 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 57.2% expected score (82 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 56.9% expected score (71 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 67.8% expected score (21 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 61.2% expected score (3 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 49.1% expected score (163 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 53.4% expected score (445 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 51.6% expected score (64 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (6 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 78.6% expected score (2 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 55.4% expected score (452 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 55.7% expected score (1,344 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 57.6% expected score (124 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (10 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 50.0% expected score (1 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 53.4% expected score (1,248 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 53.0% expected score (2,584 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 55.5% expected score (162 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 72.3% expected score (3 games)
- 2500+ rating, Bullet: 52.8% expected score (880 games)
- 2500+ rating, Blitz: 58.7% expected score (697 games)
- 2500+ rating, Rapid: 59.7% expected score (66 games)
- 2500+ rating, Classical: 61.1% expected score (3 games)
Related Openings
Methodology
Across every rating and clock, the Tarrasch Defense: Classical Variation, Réti Variation scores 54.5% for White — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 53.6% and 55.4% — from 8.6K 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
- 8.6K+ 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 Tarrasch Defense: Classical Variation, Réti Variation win rate?
Playing the Tarrasch Defense: Classical Variation, Réti Variation, White wins 49.5%, draws 9.9% and loses 40.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.5%. It rests on 8.6K rated games from Lichess.
At what rating does the Tarrasch Defense: Classical Variation, Réti Variation perform best?
The Tarrasch Defense: Classical Variation, Réti Variation performs best for White at 1400-1599, with an Expected Score of 62.5% (91 games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.
Is the Tarrasch Defense: Classical Variation, Réti Variation better in blitz or rapid?
For White, the Tarrasch Defense: Classical Variation, Réti Variation scores higher in Rapid: an Expected Score of 54.8% in Blitz (5.2K games) against 56.8% in Rapid (467 games).
How sharp is the Tarrasch Defense: Classical Variation, Réti Variation?
The Tarrasch Defense: Classical Variation, Réti Variation has a sharpness score of 90.1 (decisive), meaning 90.1% of games end decisively. Average game length is 40 moves.
What is the Tarrasch Defense: Classical Variation, Réti Variation win rate at 1600-1799?
At 1600-1799, White wins 56.0%, draws 4.7% and loses 39.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 58.4%. It rests on 178 Lichess games, which average 33 moves.
What is the Tarrasch Defense: Classical Variation, Réti Variation win rate at 1800-1999?
At 1800-1999, White wins 48.9%, draws 6.4% and loses 44.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.1%. It rests on 678 Lichess games, which average 37 moves.
What is the Tarrasch Defense: Classical Variation, Réti Variation win rate at 2000-2199?
At 2000-2199, White wins 52.0%, draws 7.6% and loses 40.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 55.8%. It rests on 1.9K Lichess games, which average 38 moves.
What is the Tarrasch Defense: Classical Variation, Réti Variation win rate at 2200-2499?
At 2200-2499, White wins 48.5%, draws 9.4% and loses 42.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.2%. It rests on 4.0K Lichess games, which average 41 moves.
What is the Tarrasch Defense: Classical Variation, Réti Variation win rate at 2500+?
At 2500+, White wins 47.4%, draws 16.4% and loses 36.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 55.6%. It rests on 1.6K Lichess games, which average 47 moves.
What is the Tarrasch Defense: Classical Variation, Réti Variation win rate in Bullet?
In Bullet, White wins 49.2%, draws 8.6% and loses 42.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.5%. It rests on 2.9K Lichess games.
What is the Tarrasch Defense: Classical Variation, Réti Variation win rate in Blitz?
In Blitz, White wins 49.8%, draws 9.9% and loses 40.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.8%. It rests on 5.2K Lichess games.
What is the Tarrasch Defense: Classical Variation, Réti Variation win rate in Rapid?
In Rapid, White wins 48.3%, draws 17.0% and loses 34.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 56.8%. It rests on 467 Lichess games.
Is the Tarrasch Defense: Classical Variation, Réti Variation a good opening?
The Tarrasch Defense: Classical Variation, Réti Variation is good for White. Across all ratings, White wins 49.5% of its games and loses 40.6%. It performs best at 1400-1599. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.