Ware Defense

2 variations · 1.4M games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

Key Finding

Ware Defense leaves Black at 44.7% — consider alternatives.

The minimum advantage of -10.8% suggests this opening underperforms statistically at your level.

You play

Tough Sell

Rating

Time

Black Expected Score0.0%Range (90% confident): 44.6% – 44.8%Aggregated from 2 variations

0%44.7%100%

Range (90% confident): 44.6% – 44.8%

ContextOverall · n=1.4M

Outcome Distribution

42.8%3.8%53.4%

Win

Draw

Loss

1...a5

Ware Defense

Variations2

Games (Context)1.4M

Avg Length32 moves

Draw Rate3.8%

What Should I Play?

Player-controlled continuations for Black · Overall

#1Ware DefenseTop Pick

1.e4 a5

Min adv -10.6% · n=1.4M

44.8%

#2Ware Defense: Snagglepuss Defense

1.e4 a5 2.d4 Nc6

Min adv -22.8% · n=16K

39.2%

Continuations show the most common variations from this opening. Higher expected scores indicate better statistical outcomes, but familiarity and playstyle matter too.

Snapshot

Overall, the Ware Defense family has a 44.7% expected score for Black (we're 90% confident it's between 44.6% and 44.8%), aggregated from 2 variations and 1.4M Lichess games.

Black Win% by Rating

Improves with rating: 38% → 45%

1000

1200

1400

1600

1800

2000

2200

2500+

Black Win% by Time Control

Best in UltraBullet (45%), worst in Classical (33%)

UltraBullet

Bullet

Blitz

Rapid

Classical

Rating vs Time Control Matrix

Click cells to filter · Black expected scores

Black% by Rating × Time Control

Click any cell to filter. Green = above 50%, Red = below 50%.

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: 46.1% expected score (768 games)
0-999 rating, Bullet: 41.4% expected score (48,305 games)
0-999 rating, Blitz: 42.3% expected score (93,969 games)
0-999 rating, Rapid: 37.0% expected score (48,725 games)
0-999 rating, Classical: 33.8% expected score (1,019 games)
1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 41.7% expected score (1,684 games)
1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 43.8% expected score (53,706 games)
1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 44.4% expected score (106,252 games)
1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 41.2% expected score (42,165 games)
1000-1199 rating, Classical: 33.6% expected score (1,849 games)
1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 48.3% expected score (4,539 games)
1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 45.7% expected score (69,318 games)
1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 45.0% expected score (119,104 games)
1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 42.4% expected score (45,827 games)
1200-1399 rating, Classical: 36.2% expected score (2,993 games)
1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 45.7% expected score (6,428 games)
1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 46.8% expected score (73,904 games)
1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 45.4% expected score (128,338 games)
1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 42.4% expected score (41,045 games)
1400-1599 rating, Classical: 36.5% expected score (4,295 games)
1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 38.2% expected score (3,112 games)
1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 47.7% expected score (79,398 games)
1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 45.3% expected score (105,684 games)
1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 43.2% expected score (28,378 games)
1600-1799 rating, Classical: 34.0% expected score (1,651 games)
1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 48.8% expected score (1,681 games)
1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 47.8% expected score (74,979 games)
1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 45.4% expected score (62,040 games)
1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 44.7% expected score (12,991 games)
1800-1999 rating, Classical: 35.8% expected score (437 games)
2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 50.9% expected score (1,306 games)
2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 48.2% expected score (54,413 games)
2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 45.5% expected score (29,252 games)
2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 45.4% expected score (3,912 games)
2000-2199 rating, Classical: 34.8% expected score (64 games)
2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 54.5% expected score (1,837 games)
2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 47.1% expected score (51,196 games)
2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 46.8% expected score (9,825 games)
2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 50.8% expected score (779 games)
2200-2499 rating, Classical: 36.7% expected score (6 games)
2500+ rating, UltraBullet: 39.2% expected score (599 games)
2500+ rating, Bullet: 47.8% expected score (17,640 games)
2500+ rating, Blitz: 46.0% expected score (1,634 games)
2500+ rating, Rapid: 52.3% expected score (21 games)

Matrix view reveals how performance varies across rating brackets and time controls. Green indicates favorable, red indicates challenging contexts.

Variations (2)

Ware Defense1.4M games

Losing44.8%

Ware Defense: Snagglepuss Defense16K games

Losing39.2%

Analyze Ware Defense PositionsGet move-by-move win rates with the TrueElo analyzer

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Ware Defense win rate?

The Ware Defense family has a 53.4% (90% CI: 53.4%-53.5%) win rate for white, aggregated from 2 variations and 1.4M rated games from Lichess.

How many Ware Defense variations are there?

This analysis covers 2 Ware Defense variations with sufficient game data. Each variation has its own statistics page with detailed win rates by rating and time control.

At what rating does the Ware Defense perform best?

The Ware Defense family performs best at 0-999 Elo with a 56.9% win rate for white (193K games). Performance may vary by specific variation.

Is the Ware Defense better in blitz or rapid?

Classical (62.2%) outperforms Bullet (52.4%) by 9.8% across all Ware Defense variations.

How sharp is the Ware Defense?

Ware Defense games are 96.2% decisive (non-draws), with an average length of 32 moves. Sharpness varies by specific variation.

Is the Ware Defense a good opening family?

The Ware Defense family is statistically favors white overall with a 53.4% (90% CI: 53.4%-53.5%) aggregated win rate. However, win rates vary significantly between the 2 variations—explore individual lines to find the best fit for your style.