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Ware Defense: Snagglepuss Defense

16K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

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Analyze this line move by move

Black expected score · All ratings · All speeds

39.2%

35%55%
Floor38.6%

the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 39.9%.

Measured over 16K 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 list.

Outcomes for Black

Draw 3.6 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 16K games

Rank among the families Black can choose here
not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
Games in this context
16K
Best context
46.7% at 1000-1199 Bullet
Worst context
31.0% at 1000-1199 Rapid
Average game length
30 moves
Games that end decisively
96.4%
Draws
3.6%

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.

Extra Analysis

Deep-dive datasets for this opening

Time-Control Swing

Max swing: 23.8% · Classical best · Bullet worst

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: 46.2% at 0-999, 51.5% at 2500+.

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: 68.2% expected score (4 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Bullet: 41.1% expected score (798 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 39.3% expected score (1,977 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 34.6% expected score (1,276 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Classical: 47.8% expected score (21 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 50.0% expected score (12 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 46.7% expected score (688 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 37.3% expected score (1,578 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 31.0% expected score (775 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 21.2% expected score (47 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 61.2% expected score (3 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 45.0% expected score (1,141 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 41.2% expected score (1,421 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 34.3% expected score (731 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 24.5% expected score (73 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 40.9% expected score (15 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 42.9% expected score (534 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 38.9% expected score (1,226 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 33.6% expected score (594 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 14.0% expected score (104 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 26.2% expected score (9 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 41.5% expected score (384 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 41.9% expected score (789 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 40.1% expected score (270 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 11.2% expected score (23 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 47.6% expected score (267 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 41.1% expected score (423 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 32.8% expected score (120 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 29.0% expected score (8 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 50.7% expected score (138 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 45.9% expected score (131 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 50.0% expected score (28 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 57.7% expected score (90 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 47.9% expected score (22 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 68.2% expected score (4 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 41.9% expected score (23 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 61.2% expected score (3 games)

Related Openings

Parent
Ware Defense
53.4%
Analyze Ware Defense: Snagglepuss Defense PositionsSee what each move is worth at your rating, move by move

Methodology

Across every rating and clock, the Ware Defense: Snagglepuss Defense scores 39.2% for Black — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 38.6% and 39.9% — from 16K 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
16K+ 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: Snagglepuss Defense win rate?

Playing the Ware Defense: Snagglepuss Defense, Black wins 37.4%, draws 3.6% and loses 59.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 39.2%. It rests on 16K rated games from Lichess.

At what rating does the Ware Defense: Snagglepuss Defense perform best?

The Ware Defense: Snagglepuss Defense performs best for Black at 2200-2499, with an Expected Score of 56.4% (116 games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.

Is the Ware Defense: Snagglepuss Defense better in blitz or rapid?

For Black, the Ware Defense: Snagglepuss Defense scores higher in Blitz: an Expected Score of 39.7% in Blitz (7.6K games) against 34.1% in Rapid (3.8K games).

How sharp is the Ware Defense: Snagglepuss Defense?

The Ware Defense: Snagglepuss Defense has a sharpness score of 96.4 (very decisive), meaning 96.4% of games end decisively. Average game length is 30 moves.

What is the Ware Defense: Snagglepuss Defense win rate at 0-999?

At 0-999, Black wins 35.6%, draws 5.3% and loses 59.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 38.3%. It rests on 4.1K Lichess games, which average 28 moves.

What is the Ware Defense: Snagglepuss Defense win rate at 1000-1199?

At 1000-1199, Black wins 35.9%, draws 3.3% and loses 60.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 37.6%. It rests on 3.1K Lichess games, which average 30 moves.

What is the Ware Defense: Snagglepuss Defense win rate at 1200-1399?

At 1200-1399, Black wins 39.3%, draws 2.6% and loses 58.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 40.6%. It rests on 3.4K Lichess games, which average 30 moves.

What is the Ware Defense: Snagglepuss Defense win rate at 1400-1599?

At 1400-1599, Black wins 35.9%, draws 2.9% and loses 61.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 37.4%. It rests on 2.5K Lichess games, which average 31 moves.

What is the Ware Defense: Snagglepuss Defense win rate at 1600-1799?

At 1600-1799, Black wins 39.1%, draws 3.4% and loses 57.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 40.8%. It rests on 1.5K Lichess games, which average 33 moves.

What is the Ware Defense: Snagglepuss Defense win rate at 1800-1999?

At 1800-1999, Black wins 40.2%, draws 3.1% and loses 56.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 41.8%. It rests on 819 Lichess games, which average 35 moves.

What is the Ware Defense: Snagglepuss Defense win rate at 2000-2199?

At 2000-2199, Black wins 46.7%, draws 3.5% and loses 49.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.5%. It rests on 297 Lichess games, which average 36 moves.

What is the Ware Defense: Snagglepuss Defense win rate at 2200-2499?

At 2200-2499, Black wins 53.2%, draws 6.4% and loses 40.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 56.4%. It rests on 116 Lichess games, which average 35 moves.

What is the Ware Defense: Snagglepuss Defense win rate in Bullet?

In Bullet, Black wins 43.6%, draws 1.8% and loses 54.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 44.5%. It rests on 4.1K Lichess games.

What is the Ware Defense: Snagglepuss Defense win rate in Blitz?

In Blitz, Black wins 37.7%, draws 4.0% and loses 58.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 39.7%. It rests on 7.6K Lichess games.

What is the Ware Defense: Snagglepuss Defense win rate in Rapid?

In Rapid, Black wins 31.6%, draws 4.9% and loses 63.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 34.1%. It rests on 3.8K Lichess games.

What is the Ware Defense: Snagglepuss Defense win rate in Classical?

In Classical, Black wins 18.6%, draws 3.1% and loses 78.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 20.1%. It rests on 276 Lichess games.

Is the Ware Defense: Snagglepuss Defense a good opening?

The Ware Defense: Snagglepuss Defense is hard work for Black — it favours White. Across all ratings, Black wins 37.4% of its games and loses 59.0%. It performs best at 2200-2499. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.