Tarrasch Defense: Symmetrical Variation

614K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

Playable
White Expected Score51.0%Range (90% confident): 50.9% – 51.1%Based on 614K games
0%51.0%100%
Range (90% confident): 50.9% – 51.1%
Outcome Distribution
48.5%4.9%46.6%
Win
Draw
Loss
5...Nc6
Tarrasch Defense: Symmetrical Variation
Analyzen=614K
Avg Length35 moves
Sharpness95%
Draw Rate4.9%

What is the Tarrasch Defense: Symmetrical Variation expected score for White?

Snapshot

At all ratings, the Tarrasch Defense: Symmetrical Variation has a 51.0% expected score for White (we're 90% confident it's between 50.9% and 51.1%), based on 614K Lichess games.

White Win% by Rating

Stable across ratings (~49%)

0
1000
1200
1400
1600
1800
2000
2200
2500+

  • 0-999: 48.7% win rate (5,447 games)
  • 1000-1199: 49.0% win rate (20,148 games)
  • 1200-1399: 49.3% win rate (51,423 games)
  • 1400-1599: 48.8% win rate (93,729 games)
  • 1600-1799: 48.6% win rate (134,757 games)
  • 1800-1999: 48.3% win rate (147,645 games)
  • 2000-2199: 47.9% win rate (102,004 games)
  • 2200-2499: 48.6% win rate (50,793 games)
  • 2500+: 48.6% win rate (8,373 games)

White Win% by Time Control

Best in Bullet (50%), worst in UltraBullet (45%)

UltraBullet
Bullet
Blitz
Rapid
Classical

  • UltraBullet: 44.7% win rate (181 games)
  • Bullet: 49.6% win rate (202,928 games)
  • Blitz: 48.3% win rate (326,901 games)
  • Rapid: 46.9% win rate (80,509 games)
  • Classical: 45.2% win rate (3,800 games)

White% 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, UltraBullet: 13.7% expected score (4 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Bullet: 49.8% expected score (2,179 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 49.7% expected score (2,641 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 52.7% expected score (619 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Classical: 68.2% expected score (4 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 46.6% expected score (13 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 51.2% expected score (8,162 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 49.8% expected score (9,870 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 49.9% expected score (2,084 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 57.3% expected score (19 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 57.9% expected score (24 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 51.0% expected score (18,922 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 50.8% expected score (26,928 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 50.4% expected score (5,422 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 43.0% expected score (127 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 55.7% expected score (43 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 51.1% expected score (29,188 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 50.7% expected score (51,199 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 49.2% expected score (12,739 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 48.7% expected score (560 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 46.2% expected score (38 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 51.4% expected score (39,367 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 50.8% expected score (73,982 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 49.8% expected score (20,133 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 48.1% expected score (1,237 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 31.4% expected score (28 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 51.0% expected score (43,167 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 51.1% expected score (80,375 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 50.3% expected score (22,871 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 50.7% expected score (1,204 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 47.6% expected score (19 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 51.2% expected score (32,446 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 51.0% expected score (55,896 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 50.7% expected score (13,134 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 56.5% expected score (509 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 27.8% expected score (12 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 51.4% expected score (23,907 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 53.3% expected score (23,438 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 52.4% expected score (3,322 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 49.6% expected score (114 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 53.1% expected score (5,590 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 56.5% expected score (2,572 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 54.9% expected score (185 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Classical: 57.3% expected score (26 games)

Related Openings

Analyze Tarrasch Defense: Symmetrical Variation PositionsGet move-by-move win rates with the TrueElo analyzer

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Tarrasch Defense: Symmetrical Variation win rate?

The Tarrasch Defense: Symmetrical Variation has a 48.5% (90% CI: 48.4%-48.6%) win rate for white, based on 614K rated games from Lichess.

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

The Tarrasch Defense: Symmetrical Variation performs best at 1200-1399 Elo with a 49.3% win rate for white (51K games). Win rate tends to decline at higher ratings as opponents know the theory better.

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

Bullet (49.6%) outperforms UltraBullet (44.7%) by 4.9%. Choose your time control wisely.

How sharp is the Tarrasch Defense: Symmetrical Variation?

The Tarrasch Defense: Symmetrical Variation has a sharpness score of 95.1 (very decisive), meaning 95.1% of games end decisively. Average game length is 35 moves.

What is the Tarrasch Defense: Symmetrical Variation win rate at 0-999 Elo?

At 0-999 Elo, the Tarrasch Defense: Symmetrical Variation has a 48.7% (90% CI: 47.6%-49.8%) win rate for white, based on 5.4K Lichess games. Average game length is 27 moves with a 2.7% draw rate.

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

At 1000-1199 Elo, the Tarrasch Defense: Symmetrical Variation has a 49.0% (90% CI: 48.5%-49.6%) win rate for white, based on 20K Lichess games. Average game length is 29 moves with a 2.6% draw rate.

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

At 1200-1399 Elo, the Tarrasch Defense: Symmetrical Variation has a 49.3% (90% CI: 48.9%-49.6%) win rate for white, based on 51K Lichess games. Average game length is 31 moves with a 3.0% draw rate.

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

At 1400-1599 Elo, the Tarrasch Defense: Symmetrical Variation has a 48.8% (90% CI: 48.5%-49.0%) win rate for white, based on 94K Lichess games. Average game length is 32 moves with a 3.7% draw rate.

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

At 1600-1799 Elo, the Tarrasch Defense: Symmetrical Variation has a 48.6% (90% CI: 48.4%-48.9%) win rate for white, based on 135K Lichess games. Average game length is 34 moves with a 4.3% draw rate.

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

At 1800-1999 Elo, the Tarrasch Defense: Symmetrical Variation has a 48.3% (90% CI: 48.1%-48.5%) win rate for white, based on 148K Lichess games. Average game length is 36 moves with a 5.2% draw rate.

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

At 2000-2199 Elo, the Tarrasch Defense: Symmetrical Variation has a 47.9% (90% CI: 47.7%-48.2%) win rate for white, based on 102K Lichess games. Average game length is 37 moves with a 6.2% draw rate.

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

At 2200-2499 Elo, the Tarrasch Defense: Symmetrical Variation has a 48.6% (90% CI: 48.2%-49.0%) win rate for white, based on 51K Lichess games. Average game length is 39 moves with a 7.3% draw rate.

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

At 2500+ Elo, the Tarrasch Defense: Symmetrical Variation has a 48.6% (90% CI: 47.7%-49.5%) win rate for white, based on 8.4K Lichess games. Average game length is 43 moves with a 11.2% draw rate.

What is the Tarrasch Defense: Symmetrical Variation win rate in UltraBullet?

In UltraBullet games, the Tarrasch Defense: Symmetrical Variation has a 44.7% (90% CI: 38.7%-50.7%) win rate for white (181 Lichess games). Draw rate is 1.4%.

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

In Bullet games, the Tarrasch Defense: Symmetrical Variation has a 49.6% (90% CI: 49.4%-49.8%) win rate for white (203K Lichess games). Draw rate is 3.2%.

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

In Blitz games, the Tarrasch Defense: Symmetrical Variation has a 48.3% (90% CI: 48.2%-48.4%) win rate for white (327K Lichess games). Draw rate is 5.5%.

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

In Rapid games, the Tarrasch Defense: Symmetrical Variation has a 46.9% (90% CI: 46.6%-47.2%) win rate for white (81K Lichess games). Draw rate is 6.5%.

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

In Classical games, the Tarrasch Defense: Symmetrical Variation has a 45.2% (90% CI: 43.9%-46.6%) win rate for white (3.8K Lichess games). Draw rate is 9.8%.

Is the Tarrasch Defense: Symmetrical Variation a good opening?

The Tarrasch Defense: Symmetrical Variation is statistically balanced with a 48.5% (90% CI: 48.4%-48.6%) win rate across all ratings. It performs best at 1200-1399 Elo. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.