Ware Defense

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

1...a5

Analyze this line move by move

Black expected score · Overall

44.7%

40%55%

Floor44.6%

the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 44.8%.

Measured over 1.4M games at this level and clock.

Tough Sellloses more often than it wins at this level

Black comes out behind here — there are better weapons in the ranked list.

Outcomes for Black

42.8%3.8%53.4%

Win

Draw

Loss

Draw 3.8 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 1.4M games

Rank among the families Black can choose here: #59 of 62
Games in this context: 1.4M
Best context: 54.5% at 2200-2499 UltraBullet
Worst context: 33.6% at 1000-1199 Classical
Variations measured: 2
Average game length: 32 moves

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.

What to play from here

Black · Overall

#1Ware DefenseBest here

1.e4 a5

Floor 44.7% · 1.4M games

44.8%

#2Ware Defense: Snagglepuss Defense

1.e4 a5 2.d4 Nc6

Floor 38.6% · 16K games

39.2%

These are the moves players actually choose from here, ranked by how they score. A higher score is a better bet on the numbers alone — familiarity and playstyle still matter.

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 gets better as the rating rises: 40.1% at 0-999, 46.3% 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: 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)

2 variations · ranked by floor

Floor — the worst score you would still get, 90% confident.

Ware Defense1.4M games

Losing44.8%Floor 44.7%

Ware Defense: Snagglepuss Defense16K games

Losing39.2%Floor 38.6%

Analyze Ware Defense PositionsSee what each move is worth at your rating, move by move

Methodology

Across every rating and clock, the Ware Defense family scores 44.7% for Black — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 44.6% and 44.8% — from 1.4M Lichess games across 2 variations. 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: 1.4M+ 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 Ware Defense win rate?

Across the Ware Defense's 2 variations, Black wins 42.8%, draws 3.8% and loses 53.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 44.7%. It rests on 1.4M rated games from Lichess.

How many Ware Defense variations are there?

2 Ware Defense variations have a page of their own, each broken down by rating and by clock.

At what rating does the Ware Defense perform best?

The Ware Defense family performs best for Black at 2200-2499, with an Expected Score of 47.3% (64K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read. Performance may vary by specific variation.

Is the Ware Defense better in blitz or rapid?

For Black, the Ware Defense scores higher in Blitz: an Expected Score of 44.7% in Blitz (656K games) against 41.3% in Rapid (224K games).

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 hard work for Black — it favours White overall. Across its games, Black wins 42.8% and loses 53.4%. Results differ between its 2 variations, so open the one you play for its own figures.