Ware Opening: Symmetric Variation
34K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026
Black expected score · All ratings · All speeds
49.6%
the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 50.0%.
Measured over 34K games at this level and clock.
Roughly even — the middlegame decides more than this opening choice does.
Outcomes for Black
Draw 7.8 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 34K games
- Rank among the families Black can choose here
- not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
- Games in this context
- 34K
- Best context
- 54.0% at 1400-1599 Bullet
- Worst context
- 43.5% at 2500+ Bullet
- Average game length
- 35 moves
- Games that end decisively
- 92.2%
- Draws
- 7.8%
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 · 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 falls away as the rating rises: 50.5% at 0-999, 42.3% 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: 54.8% expected score (9 games)
- 0-999 rating, Bullet: 49.7% expected score (1,221 games)
- 0-999 rating, Blitz: 51.2% expected score (3,846 games)
- 0-999 rating, Rapid: 53.6% expected score (2,128 games)
- 0-999 rating, Classical: 43.1% expected score (49 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 51.4% expected score (35 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 49.5% expected score (907 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 49.2% expected score (2,230 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 48.3% expected score (1,161 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 65.8% expected score (46 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 54.7% expected score (254 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 51.4% expected score (960 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 49.3% expected score (2,276 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 47.7% expected score (1,328 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 56.8% expected score (80 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 49.4% expected score (239 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 54.0% expected score (1,057 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 50.2% expected score (1,826 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 52.3% expected score (940 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 53.6% expected score (110 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 54.7% expected score (204 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 51.0% expected score (1,395 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 48.3% expected score (1,260 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 45.7% expected score (489 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 26.2% expected score (30 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 56.1% expected score (311 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 48.0% expected score (1,570 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 48.5% expected score (1,065 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 52.6% expected score (169 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 13.0% expected score (12 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 43.1% expected score (324 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 49.4% expected score (1,554 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 45.7% expected score (613 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 42.5% expected score (78 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 54.2% expected score (152 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 47.8% expected score (2,948 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 42.8% expected score (330 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 33.0% expected score (22 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (1 games)
- 2500+ rating, UltraBullet: 39.5% expected score (8 games)
- 2500+ rating, Bullet: 43.5% expected score (1,160 games)
- 2500+ rating, Blitz: 45.4% expected score (84 games)
- 2500+ rating, Rapid: 40.9% expected score (4 games)
Related Openings
Methodology
Across every rating and clock, the Ware Opening: Symmetric Variation scores 49.6% for Black — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 49.1% and 50.0% — from 34K 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
- 34K+ 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 Opening: Symmetric Variation win rate?
Playing the Ware Opening: Symmetric Variation, Black wins 45.7%, draws 7.8% and loses 46.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.6%. It rests on 34K rated games from Lichess.
At what rating does the Ware Opening: Symmetric Variation perform best?
The Ware Opening: Symmetric Variation performs best for Black at 0-999, with an Expected Score of 51.6% (7.3K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.
Is the Ware Opening: Symmetric Variation better in blitz or rapid?
For Black, the Ware Opening: Symmetric Variation scores about the same in both: an Expected Score of 49.4% in Blitz (14K games) against 50.3% in Rapid (6.3K games).
How sharp is the Ware Opening: Symmetric Variation?
The Ware Opening: Symmetric Variation has a sharpness score of 92.2 (decisive), meaning 92.2% of games end decisively. Average game length is 35 moves.
What is the Ware Opening: Symmetric Variation win rate at 0-999?
At 0-999, Black wins 44.5%, draws 14.1% and loses 41.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.6%. It rests on 7.3K Lichess games, which average 33 moves.
What is the Ware Opening: Symmetric Variation win rate at 1000-1199?
At 1000-1199, Black wins 45.7%, draws 7.0% and loses 47.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.2%. It rests on 4.4K Lichess games, which average 33 moves.
What is the Ware Opening: Symmetric Variation win rate at 1200-1399?
At 1200-1399, Black wins 46.0%, draws 7.3% and loses 46.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.7%. It rests on 4.9K Lichess games, which average 35 moves.
What is the Ware Opening: Symmetric Variation win rate at 1400-1599?
At 1400-1599, Black wins 47.5%, draws 8.3% and loses 44.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.7%. It rests on 4.2K Lichess games, which average 35 moves.
What is the Ware Opening: Symmetric Variation win rate at 1600-1799?
At 1600-1799, Black wins 46.8%, draws 4.8% and loses 48.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.2%. It rests on 3.4K Lichess games, which average 36 moves.
What is the Ware Opening: Symmetric Variation win rate at 1800-1999?
At 1800-1999, Black wins 47.1%, draws 3.9% and loses 49.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.1%. It rests on 3.1K Lichess games, which average 37 moves.
What is the Ware Opening: Symmetric Variation win rate at 2000-2199?
At 2000-2199, Black wins 45.5%, draws 4.0% and loses 50.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.5%. It rests on 2.6K Lichess games, which average 38 moves.
What is the Ware Opening: Symmetric Variation win rate at 2200-2499?
At 2200-2499, Black wins 45.0%, draws 5.0% and loses 50.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.5%. It rests on 3.5K Lichess games, which average 40 moves.
What is the Ware Opening: Symmetric Variation win rate at 2500+?
At 2500+, Black wins 40.0%, draws 7.0% and loses 53.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 43.5%. It rests on 1.3K Lichess games, which average 41 moves.
What is the Ware Opening: Symmetric Variation win rate in UltraBullet?
In UltraBullet, Black wins 50.4%, draws 2.1% and loses 47.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.5%. It rests on 1.5K Lichess games.
What is the Ware Opening: Symmetric Variation win rate in Bullet?
In Bullet, Black wins 47.3%, draws 3.6% and loses 49.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.1%. It rests on 13K Lichess games.
What is the Ware Opening: Symmetric Variation win rate in Blitz?
In Blitz, Black wins 44.2%, draws 10.4% and loses 45.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.4%. It rests on 14K Lichess games.
What is the Ware Opening: Symmetric Variation win rate in Rapid?
In Rapid, Black wins 44.3%, draws 11.9% and loses 43.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.3%. It rests on 6.3K Lichess games.
What is the Ware Opening: Symmetric Variation win rate in Classical?
In Classical, Black wins 44.6%, draws 11.0% and loses 44.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.2%. It rests on 329 Lichess games.
Is the Ware Opening: Symmetric Variation a good opening?
The Ware Opening: Symmetric Variation is about level. Across all ratings, Black wins 45.7% of its games and loses 46.6%. It performs best at 0-999. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.