Vienna Game: Stanley Variation
2.0M games from Lichess · Updated January 2026
White expected score · All ratings · All speeds
52.9%
the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. Its best is the same figure — the band is too tight to plot.
Measured over 2.0M games at this level and clock.
A strong choice for White at this level and clock.
Outcomes for White
Draw 3.8 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 2.0M games
- Rank among the families White can choose here
- not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
- Games in this context
- 2.0M
- Best context
- 57.5% at 2500+ Blitz
- Worst context
- 45.7% at 0-999 Classical
- Average game length
- 32 moves
- Games that end decisively
- 96.2%
- Draws
- 3.8%
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: 50.2% at 0-999, 57.0% 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, UltraBullet: 50.5% expected score (111 games)
- 0-999 rating, Bullet: 51.3% expected score (26,861 games)
- 0-999 rating, Blitz: 52.1% expected score (98,288 games)
- 0-999 rating, Rapid: 51.2% expected score (81,106 games)
- 0-999 rating, Classical: 45.7% expected score (702 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 53.1% expected score (258 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 52.6% expected score (39,504 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 53.4% expected score (142,131 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 53.1% expected score (90,260 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 50.5% expected score (2,586 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 52.3% expected score (538 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 51.8% expected score (52,102 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 53.2% expected score (186,819 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 53.4% expected score (108,052 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 53.4% expected score (5,343 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 47.7% expected score (579 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 51.9% expected score (61,824 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 52.9% expected score (212,044 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 52.6% expected score (114,547 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 53.5% expected score (7,378 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 51.2% expected score (410 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 51.8% expected score (60,037 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 52.9% expected score (202,394 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 53.5% expected score (97,641 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 54.4% expected score (5,501 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 57.4% expected score (203 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 52.2% expected score (50,140 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 53.3% expected score (137,557 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 53.6% expected score (56,249 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 52.8% expected score (2,101 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 74.7% expected score (43 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 52.5% expected score (31,805 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 54.4% expected score (47,738 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 55.4% expected score (13,067 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 57.1% expected score (197 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 59.6% expected score (9 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 53.4% expected score (15,097 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 56.6% expected score (10,983 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 56.4% expected score (1,420 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 69.4% expected score (14 games)
- 2500+ rating, UltraBullet: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
- 2500+ rating, Bullet: 55.9% expected score (3,316 games)
- 2500+ rating, Blitz: 57.5% expected score (831 games)
- 2500+ rating, Rapid: 62.7% expected score (34 games)
- 2500+ rating, Classical: 59.1% expected score (4 games)
Related Openings
Methodology
Across every rating and clock, the Vienna Game: Stanley Variation scores 52.9% for White — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 52.8% and 52.9% — from 2.0M 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
- 2.0M+ 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 Vienna Game: Stanley Variation win rate?
Playing the Vienna Game: Stanley Variation, White wins 51.0%, draws 3.8% and loses 45.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.9%. It rests on 2.0M rated games from Lichess.
At what rating does the Vienna Game: Stanley Variation perform best?
The Vienna Game: Stanley Variation performs best for White at 2500+, with an Expected Score of 56.3% (4.2K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.
Is the Vienna Game: Stanley Variation better in blitz or rapid?
For White, the Vienna Game: Stanley Variation scores about the same in both: an Expected Score of 53.1% in Blitz (1.0M games) against 53.0% in Rapid (562K games).
How sharp is the Vienna Game: Stanley Variation?
The Vienna Game: Stanley Variation has a sharpness score of 96.2 (very decisive), meaning 96.2% of games end decisively. Average game length is 32 moves.
What is the Vienna Game: Stanley Variation win rate at 0-999?
At 0-999, White wins 49.7%, draws 3.9% and loses 46.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.6%. It rests on 207K Lichess games, which average 27 moves.
What is the Vienna Game: Stanley Variation win rate at 1000-1199?
At 1000-1199, White wins 51.3%, draws 3.5% and loses 45.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.1%. It rests on 275K Lichess games, which average 29 moves.
What is the Vienna Game: Stanley Variation win rate at 1200-1399?
At 1200-1399, White wins 51.3%, draws 3.4% and loses 45.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.0%. It rests on 353K Lichess games, which average 31 moves.
What is the Vienna Game: Stanley Variation win rate at 1400-1599?
At 1400-1599, White wins 50.9%, draws 3.5% and loses 45.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.7%. It rests on 396K Lichess games, which average 33 moves.
What is the Vienna Game: Stanley Variation win rate at 1600-1799?
At 1600-1799, White wins 51.0%, draws 3.8% and loses 45.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.9%. It rests on 366K Lichess games, which average 34 moves.
What is the Vienna Game: Stanley Variation win rate at 1800-1999?
At 1800-1999, White wins 51.0%, draws 4.3% and loses 44.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.2%. It rests on 246K Lichess games, which average 36 moves.
What is the Vienna Game: Stanley Variation win rate at 2000-2199?
At 2000-2199, White wins 51.6%, draws 4.6% and loses 43.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.9%. It rests on 93K Lichess games, which average 37 moves.
What is the Vienna Game: Stanley Variation win rate at 2200-2499?
At 2200-2499, White wins 52.3%, draws 5.0% and loses 42.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.8%. It rests on 28K Lichess games, which average 37 moves.
What is the Vienna Game: Stanley Variation win rate at 2500+?
At 2500+, White wins 51.3%, draws 10.0% and loses 38.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 56.3%. It rests on 4.2K Lichess games, which average 41 moves.
What is the Vienna Game: Stanley Variation win rate in UltraBullet?
In UltraBullet, White wins 51.3%, draws 1.0% and loses 47.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.9%. It rests on 2.2K Lichess games.
What is the Vienna Game: Stanley Variation win rate in Bullet?
In Bullet, White wins 50.9%, draws 2.4% and loses 46.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.1%. It rests on 341K Lichess games.
What is the Vienna Game: Stanley Variation win rate in Blitz?
In Blitz, White wins 51.2%, draws 3.8% and loses 45.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.1%. It rests on 1.0M Lichess games.
What is the Vienna Game: Stanley Variation win rate in Rapid?
In Rapid, White wins 50.7%, draws 4.4% and loses 44.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.0%. It rests on 562K Lichess games.
What is the Vienna Game: Stanley Variation win rate in Classical?
In Classical, White wins 50.7%, draws 4.8% and loses 44.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.1%. It rests on 24K Lichess games.
Is the Vienna Game: Stanley Variation a good opening?
The Vienna Game: Stanley Variation is good for White. Across all ratings, White wins 51.0% of its games and loses 45.2%. It performs best at 2500+. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.