Three Knights Opening: Schlechter Variation
75K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026
Black expected score · All ratings · All speeds
49.7%
the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 50.0%.
Measured over 75K games at this level and clock.
Roughly even — the middlegame decides more than this opening choice does.
Outcomes for Black
Draw 4.1 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 75K games
- Rank among the families Black can choose here
- not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
- Games in this context
- 75K
- Best context
- 53.4% at 0-999 Bullet
- Worst context
- 44.2% at 1800-1999 Rapid
- Average game length
- 32 moves
- Games that end decisively
- 95.9%
- Draws
- 4.1%
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 holds about the same all the way up, near 55.6%.
| 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: 76.7% expected score (6 games)
- 0-999 rating, Bullet: 53.4% expected score (1,518 games)
- 0-999 rating, Blitz: 50.8% expected score (5,478 games)
- 0-999 rating, Rapid: 50.5% expected score (2,968 games)
- 0-999 rating, Classical: 46.8% expected score (29 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 32.4% expected score (7 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 48.8% expected score (2,133 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 49.9% expected score (9,260 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 50.5% expected score (4,999 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 55.3% expected score (93 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 20.6% expected score (7 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 48.5% expected score (2,079 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 48.6% expected score (9,912 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 49.5% expected score (6,503 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (282 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 30.0% expected score (11 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 48.9% expected score (1,635 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 49.6% expected score (7,884 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 49.7% expected score (5,372 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 52.1% expected score (388 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 60.6% expected score (8 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 51.4% expected score (1,265 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 50.6% expected score (4,406 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 49.2% expected score (2,735 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 44.9% expected score (192 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 44.2% expected score (7 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 51.4% expected score (913 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 50.0% expected score (1,846 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 44.2% expected score (845 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 47.1% expected score (49 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 49.9% expected score (547 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 46.2% expected score (732 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 45.0% expected score (200 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 71.1% expected score (8 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 46.1% expected score (270 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 52.0% expected score (353 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 34.6% expected score (57 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 35.7% expected score (2 games)
- 2500+ rating, Bullet: 57.7% expected score (142 games)
- 2500+ rating, Blitz: 47.5% expected score (100 games)
- 2500+ rating, Rapid: 59.5% expected score (9 games)
Related Openings
Methodology
Across every rating and clock, the Three Knights Opening: Schlechter Variation scores 49.7% for Black — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 49.4% and 50.0% — from 75K 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
- 75K+ 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 Three Knights Opening: Schlechter Variation win rate?
Playing the Three Knights Opening: Schlechter Variation, Black wins 47.6%, draws 4.1% and loses 48.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.7%. It rests on 75K rated games from Lichess.
At what rating does the Three Knights Opening: Schlechter Variation perform best?
The Three Knights Opening: Schlechter Variation performs best for Black at 0-999, with an Expected Score of 51.1% (10.0K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.
Is the Three Knights Opening: Schlechter Variation better in blitz or rapid?
For Black, the Three Knights Opening: Schlechter Variation scores about the same in both: an Expected Score of 49.7% in Blitz (40K games) against 49.6% in Rapid (24K games).
How sharp is the Three Knights Opening: Schlechter Variation?
The Three Knights Opening: Schlechter Variation has a sharpness score of 95.9 (very decisive), meaning 95.9% of games end decisively. Average game length is 32 moves.
What is the Three Knights Opening: Schlechter Variation win rate at 0-999?
At 0-999, Black wins 49.2%, draws 3.7% and loses 47.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.1%. It rests on 10.0K Lichess games, which average 27 moves.
What is the Three Knights Opening: Schlechter Variation win rate at 1000-1199?
At 1000-1199, Black wins 48.0%, draws 3.9% and loses 48.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.0%. It rests on 16K Lichess games, which average 30 moves.
What is the Three Knights Opening: Schlechter Variation win rate at 1200-1399?
At 1200-1399, Black wins 47.0%, draws 3.8% and loses 49.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.9%. It rests on 19K Lichess games, which average 32 moves.
What is the Three Knights Opening: Schlechter Variation win rate at 1400-1599?
At 1400-1599, Black wins 47.5%, draws 4.1% and loses 48.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.6%. It rests on 15K Lichess games, which average 33 moves.
What is the Three Knights Opening: Schlechter Variation win rate at 1600-1799?
At 1600-1799, Black wins 47.9%, draws 4.5% and loses 47.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.2%. It rests on 8.6K Lichess games, which average 35 moves.
What is the Three Knights Opening: Schlechter Variation win rate at 1800-1999?
At 1800-1999, Black wins 46.4%, draws 5.1% and loses 48.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.0%. It rests on 3.7K Lichess games, which average 36 moves.
What is the Three Knights Opening: Schlechter Variation win rate at 2000-2199?
At 2000-2199, Black wins 45.4%, draws 4.5% and loses 50.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.6%. It rests on 1.5K Lichess games, which average 37 moves.
What is the Three Knights Opening: Schlechter Variation win rate at 2200-2499?
At 2200-2499, Black wins 45.1%, draws 5.9% and loses 48.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.1%. It rests on 684 Lichess games, which average 37 moves.
What is the Three Knights Opening: Schlechter Variation win rate at 2500+?
At 2500+, Black wins 49.7%, draws 8.1% and loses 42.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.8%. It rests on 251 Lichess games, which average 43 moves.
What is the Three Knights Opening: Schlechter Variation win rate in Bullet?
In Bullet, Black wins 48.9%, draws 2.4% and loses 48.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.1%. It rests on 11K Lichess games.
What is the Three Knights Opening: Schlechter Variation win rate in Blitz?
In Blitz, Black wins 47.5%, draws 4.2% and loses 48.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.7%. It rests on 40K Lichess games.
What is the Three Knights Opening: Schlechter Variation win rate in Rapid?
In Rapid, Black wins 47.3%, draws 4.5% and loses 48.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.6%. It rests on 24K Lichess games.
What is the Three Knights Opening: Schlechter Variation win rate in Classical?
In Classical, Black wins 47.1%, draws 6.3% and loses 46.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.2%. It rests on 1.0K Lichess games.
Is the Three Knights Opening: Schlechter Variation a good opening?
The Three Knights Opening: Schlechter Variation is about level. Across all ratings, Black wins 47.6% of its games and loses 48.3%. It performs best at 0-999. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.