Zukertort Defense

2 variations · 20K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

Key Finding

Zukertort Defense gives White a 59.8% expected score — a strong opening choice.

With a minimum advantage of 18.4%, this opening reliably outperforms the baseline 50% expected score.

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Rating

Time

White Expected Score0.0%Range (90% confident): 59.2% – 60.4%Aggregated from 2 variations

0%59.8%100%

Range (90% confident): 59.2% – 60.4%

ContextOverall · n=20K

Outcome Distribution

57.8%3.9%38.3%

Win

Draw

Loss

No position data

Zukertort Defense

Variations2

Games (Context)20K

Avg Length31 moves

Draw Rate3.9%

What Should I Play?

Player-controlled continuations for White · Overall · limited data

No continuation list is available for this context yet (needs more games).

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 Zukertort Defense family has a 59.8% expected score for White (we're 90% confident it's between 59.2% and 60.4%), aggregated from 2 variations and 20K Lichess games.

White Win% by Rating

Declines with rating: 62% → 44%

1000

1200

1400

1600

1800

2000

2200

2500+

White Win% by Time Control

Best in Classical (74%), worst in UltraBullet (54%)

UltraBullet

Bullet

Blitz

Rapid

Classical

Rating vs Time Control Matrix

Click cells to filter · White expected scores

White% by Rating × Time Control

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

Rating	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: 29.0% expected score (8 games)
0-999 rating, Bullet: 61.9% expected score (1,144 games)
0-999 rating, Blitz: 63.1% expected score (1,797 games)
0-999 rating, Rapid: 67.3% expected score (1,049 games)
0-999 rating, Classical: 71.8% expected score (26 games)
1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 66.0% expected score (11 games)
1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 66.1% expected score (846 games)
1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 65.8% expected score (1,025 games)
1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 67.2% expected score (565 games)
1000-1199 rating, Classical: 71.1% expected score (53 games)
1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 44.7% expected score (36 games)
1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 63.0% expected score (613 games)
1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 67.5% expected score (875 games)
1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 74.4% expected score (509 games)
1200-1399 rating, Classical: 76.3% expected score (48 games)
1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 52.0% expected score (75 games)
1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 57.3% expected score (1,053 games)
1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 60.9% expected score (968 games)
1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 71.3% expected score (496 games)
1400-1599 rating, Classical: 87.0% expected score (89 games)
1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 60.2% expected score (77 games)
1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 55.6% expected score (1,022 games)
1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 56.7% expected score (913 games)
1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 65.6% expected score (320 games)
1600-1799 rating, Classical: 63.7% expected score (35 games)
1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 59.1% expected score (65 games)
1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 52.4% expected score (943 games)
1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 54.1% expected score (1,279 games)
1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 52.5% expected score (201 games)
1800-1999 rating, Classical: 58.7% expected score (10 games)
2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 60.2% expected score (33 games)
2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 46.1% expected score (1,030 games)
2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 49.0% expected score (960 games)
2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 60.8% expected score (110 games)
2000-2199 rating, Classical: 63.4% expected score (6 games)
2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 78.6% expected score (2 games)
2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 51.0% expected score (745 games)
2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 55.7% expected score (414 games)
2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 80.3% expected score (20 games)
2500+ rating, UltraBullet: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
2500+ rating, Bullet: 45.8% expected score (176 games)
2500+ rating, Blitz: 55.0% expected score (39 games)

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

Variations (2)

Zukertort Defense: Sicilian Knight Variation12K games

Winning65.3%

Zukertort Defense: Kingside Variation7.5K games

Balanced50.7%

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Zukertort Defense win rate?

The Zukertort Defense family has a 57.8% (90% CI: 57.3%-58.4%) win rate for white, aggregated from 2 variations and 20K rated games from Lichess.

How many Zukertort Defense variations are there?

This analysis covers 2 Zukertort 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 Zukertort Defense perform best?

The Zukertort Defense family performs best at 1200-1399 Elo with a 66.1% win rate for white (2.1K games). Performance may vary by specific variation.

Is the Zukertort Defense better in blitz or rapid?

Classical (73.9%) outperforms UltraBullet (54.4%) by 19.5% across all Zukertort Defense variations.

How sharp is the Zukertort Defense?

Zukertort Defense games are 96.1% decisive (non-draws), with an average length of 31 moves. Sharpness varies by specific variation.

Is the Zukertort Defense a good opening family?

The Zukertort Defense family is statistically favors white overall with a 57.8% (90% CI: 57.3%-58.4%) aggregated win rate. However, win rates vary significantly between the 2 variations—explore individual lines to find the best fit for your style.