Ware Opening: Crab Variation

74K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

View As

Tough Sell

White Expected Score45.5%Range (90% confident): 45.2% – 45.8%Based on 74K games

0%45.5%100%

Range (90% confident): 45.2% – 45.8%

Outcome Distribution

43.4%4.1%52.5%

Win

Draw

Loss

2.h4

Ware Opening: Crab Variation

Analyzen=74K

Avg Length31 moves

Sharpness96%

Draw Rate4.1%

Snapshot

At all ratings, the Ware Opening: Crab Variation has a 45.5% expected score for White (we're 90% confident it's between 45.2% and 45.8%), based on 74K Lichess games.

Extra Analysis

Deep-dive datasets for this opening

Time-Control Swing

Max swing: 12.9% · UltraBullet best · Rapid worst

White Win% by Rating

Improves with rating: 39% → 49%

1000

1200

1400

1600

1800

2000

2200

2500+

White Win% by Time Control

Best in UltraBullet (53%), worst in Rapid (40%)

UltraBullet

Bullet

Blitz

Rapid

Classical

White% 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: 36.1% expected score (20 games)
0-999 rating, Bullet: 41.9% expected score (3,312 games)
0-999 rating, Blitz: 44.0% expected score (9,221 games)
0-999 rating, Rapid: 37.9% expected score (4,823 games)
0-999 rating, Classical: 30.0% expected score (138 games)
1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 46.9% expected score (62 games)
1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 47.7% expected score (3,333 games)
1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 47.2% expected score (8,259 games)
1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 45.0% expected score (3,757 games)
1000-1199 rating, Classical: 35.3% expected score (107 games)
1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 42.8% expected score (68 games)
1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 47.3% expected score (3,039 games)
1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 46.7% expected score (8,765 games)
1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 43.5% expected score (3,461 games)
1200-1399 rating, Classical: 42.2% expected score (216 games)
1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 62.4% expected score (120 games)
1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 45.6% expected score (2,738 games)
1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 46.1% expected score (4,985 games)
1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 41.3% expected score (2,851 games)
1400-1599 rating, Classical: 39.3% expected score (288 games)
1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 46.9% expected score (62 games)
1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 47.1% expected score (1,645 games)
1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 46.5% expected score (3,426 games)
1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 46.4% expected score (889 games)
1600-1799 rating, Classical: 59.9% expected score (221 games)
1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 56.0% expected score (32 games)
1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 49.2% expected score (1,090 games)
1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 45.9% expected score (1,710 games)
1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 52.4% expected score (411 games)
1800-1999 rating, Classical: 67.7% expected score (7 games)
2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 51.7% expected score (28 games)
2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 50.3% expected score (1,586 games)
2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 48.1% expected score (708 games)
2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 59.7% expected score (158 games)
2000-2199 rating, Classical: 61.2% expected score (3 games)
2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 59.4% expected score (79 games)
2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 51.1% expected score (1,119 games)
2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 49.2% expected score (376 games)
2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 77.9% expected score (38 games)
2500+ rating, UltraBullet: 58.5% expected score (46 games)
2500+ rating, Bullet: 48.7% expected score (453 games)
2500+ rating, Blitz: 54.9% expected score (60 games)
2500+ rating, Rapid: 76.7% expected score (6 games)

Related Openings

Parent

Ware Opening

46.2%

Variations (4)

Ware Opening: Meadow Hay Trap

41.5%

Ware Opening: Symmetric Variation

46.6%

Ware Opening: Ware Gambit

51.4%

Ware Opening: Wing Gambit

55.6%

Analyze Ware Opening: Crab Variation PositionsGet move-by-move win rates with the TrueElo analyzer

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Ware Opening: Crab Variation win rate?

The Ware Opening: Crab Variation has a 43.4% (90% CI: 43.1%-43.7%) win rate for white, based on 74K rated games from Lichess.

At what rating does the Ware Opening: Crab Variation perform best?

The Ware Opening: Crab Variation performs best at 2200-2499 Elo with a 49.9% win rate for white (1.6K games). Win rate tends to decline at higher ratings as opponents know the theory better.

Is the Ware Opening: Crab Variation better in blitz or rapid?

UltraBullet (52.6%) outperforms Classical (40.8%) by 11.8%. Choose your time control wisely.

How sharp is the Ware Opening: Crab Variation?

The Ware Opening: Crab Variation has a sharpness score of 95.9 (very decisive), meaning 95.9% of games end decisively. Average game length is 31 moves.

What is the Ware Opening: Crab Variation win rate at 0-999 Elo?

At 0-999 Elo, the Ware Opening: Crab Variation has a 39.1% (90% CI: 38.5%-39.7%) win rate for white, based on 18K Lichess games. Average game length is 28 moves with a 5.4% draw rate.

What is the Ware Opening: Crab Variation win rate at 1000-1199 Elo?

At 1000-1199 Elo, the Ware Opening: Crab Variation has a 44.9% (90% CI: 44.2%-45.5%) win rate for white, based on 16K Lichess games. Average game length is 30 moves with a 3.7% draw rate.

What is the Ware Opening: Crab Variation win rate at 1200-1399 Elo?

At 1200-1399 Elo, the Ware Opening: Crab Variation has a 44.1% (90% CI: 43.4%-44.7%) win rate for white, based on 16K Lichess games. Average game length is 33 moves with a 3.8% draw rate.

What is the Ware Opening: Crab Variation win rate at 1400-1599 Elo?

At 1400-1599 Elo, the Ware Opening: Crab Variation has a 42.8% (90% CI: 42.0%-43.6%) win rate for white, based on 11K Lichess games. Average game length is 32 moves with a 3.9% draw rate.

What is the Ware Opening: Crab Variation win rate at 1600-1799 Elo?

At 1600-1799 Elo, the Ware Opening: Crab Variation has a 45.5% (90% CI: 44.5%-46.5%) win rate for white, based on 6.2K Lichess games. Average game length is 34 moves with a 3.2% draw rate.

What is the Ware Opening: Crab Variation win rate at 1800-1999 Elo?

At 1800-1999 Elo, the Ware Opening: Crab Variation has a 46.2% (90% CI: 44.8%-47.6%) win rate for white, based on 3.3K Lichess games. Average game length is 34 moves with a 3.5% draw rate.

What is the Ware Opening: Crab Variation win rate at 2000-2199 Elo?

At 2000-2199 Elo, the Ware Opening: Crab Variation has a 48.2% (90% CI: 46.6%-49.8%) win rate for white, based on 2.5K Lichess games. Average game length is 36 moves with a 4.2% draw rate.

What is the Ware Opening: Crab Variation win rate at 2200-2499 Elo?

At 2200-2499 Elo, the Ware Opening: Crab Variation has a 49.9% (90% CI: 47.9%-52.0%) win rate for white, based on 1.6K Lichess games. Average game length is 37 moves with a 3.6% draw rate.

What is the Ware Opening: Crab Variation win rate at 2500+ Elo?

At 2500+ Elo, the Ware Opening: Crab Variation has a 48.6% (90% CI: 45.2%-52.1%) win rate for white, based on 565 Lichess games. Average game length is 40 moves with a 3.8% draw rate.

What is the Ware Opening: Crab Variation win rate in UltraBullet?

In UltraBullet games, the Ware Opening: Crab Variation has a 52.6% (90% CI: 48.9%-56.2%) win rate for white (517 Lichess games). Draw rate is 1.4%.

What is the Ware Opening: Crab Variation win rate in Bullet?

In Bullet games, the Ware Opening: Crab Variation has a 45.6% (90% CI: 45.0%-46.2%) win rate for white (18K Lichess games). Draw rate is 2.2%.

What is the Ware Opening: Crab Variation win rate in Blitz?

In Blitz games, the Ware Opening: Crab Variation has a 43.8% (90% CI: 43.4%-44.3%) win rate for white (38K Lichess games). Draw rate is 4.4%.

What is the Ware Opening: Crab Variation win rate in Rapid?

In Rapid games, the Ware Opening: Crab Variation has a 39.7% (90% CI: 39.0%-40.3%) win rate for white (16K Lichess games). Draw rate is 5.5%.

What is the Ware Opening: Crab Variation win rate in Classical?

In Classical games, the Ware Opening: Crab Variation has a 40.8% (90% CI: 38.2%-43.4%) win rate for white (980 Lichess games). Draw rate is 4.5%.

Is the Ware Opening: Crab Variation a good opening?

The Ware Opening: Crab Variation is slightly favors black with a 43.4% (90% CI: 43.1%-43.7%) win rate across all ratings. It performs best at 2200-2499 Elo. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.

What is the Ware Opening: Crab Variation expected score for White?