Zukertort Opening: The Walrus

204K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

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Tough Sell

Black Expected Score47.6%Range (90% confident): 47.4% – 47.8%Based on 204K games

0%47.6%100%

Range (90% confident): 47.4% – 47.8%

Outcome Distribution

45.8%3.5%50.7%

Win

Draw

Loss

3...dxc6

Zukertort Opening: The Walrus

Analyzen=204K

Avg Length32 moves

Sharpness97%

Draw Rate3.5%

Snapshot

At all ratings, the Zukertort Opening: The Walrus has a 47.6% expected score for Black (we're 90% confident it's between 47.4% and 47.8%), based on 204K Lichess games.

Extra Analysis

Deep-dive datasets for this opening

Time-Control Swing

Max swing: 15.5% · Classical best · UltraBullet worst

Black Win% by Rating

Declines with rating: 50% → 43%

1000

1200

1400

1600

1800

2000

2200

2500+

Black Win% by Time Control

Best in UltraBullet (62%), worst in Classical (40%)

UltraBullet

Bullet

Blitz

Rapid

Classical

Black% 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: 67.1% expected score (22 games)
0-999 rating, Bullet: 54.0% expected score (3,834 games)
0-999 rating, Blitz: 50.1% expected score (3,047 games)
0-999 rating, Rapid: 45.6% expected score (1,020 games)
0-999 rating, Classical: 32.4% expected score (7 games)
1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 65.2% expected score (38 games)
1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 49.8% expected score (7,812 games)
1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 47.8% expected score (6,684 games)
1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 47.8% expected score (1,280 games)
1000-1199 rating, Classical: 56.4% expected score (22 games)
1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 66.0% expected score (36 games)
1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 49.7% expected score (12,480 games)
1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 47.9% expected score (12,158 games)
1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 45.2% expected score (1,949 games)
1200-1399 rating, Classical: 42.2% expected score (56 games)
1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 63.4% expected score (47 games)
1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 49.4% expected score (16,537 games)
1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 47.8% expected score (17,979 games)
1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 45.6% expected score (2,775 games)
1400-1599 rating, Classical: 47.0% expected score (97 games)
1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 52.5% expected score (19 games)
1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 48.3% expected score (15,321 games)
1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 47.2% expected score (20,590 games)
1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 48.0% expected score (3,137 games)
1600-1799 rating, Classical: 43.7% expected score (77 games)
1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 57.9% expected score (24 games)
1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 46.9% expected score (15,213 games)
1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 46.1% expected score (17,378 games)
1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 44.9% expected score (2,575 games)
1800-1999 rating, Classical: 41.7% expected score (77 games)
2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 50.0% expected score (14 games)
2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 47.2% expected score (13,068 games)
2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 44.6% expected score (10,388 games)
2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 43.1% expected score (892 games)
2000-2199 rating, Classical: 36.3% expected score (24 games)
2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 58.7% expected score (10 games)
2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 46.7% expected score (10,754 games)
2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 42.2% expected score (3,236 games)
2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 38.4% expected score (179 games)
2200-2499 rating, Classical: 22.8% expected score (4 games)
2500+ rating, UltraBullet: 68.2% expected score (4 games)
2500+ rating, Bullet: 45.7% expected score (3,436 games)
2500+ rating, Blitz: 43.6% expected score (131 games)
2500+ rating, Rapid: 88.5% expected score (5 games)

Related Openings

Parent

Zukertort Opening

49.5%

Variations (5)

Zukertort Opening: Tennison Gambit

48.2%

Zukertort Opening: Queen's Gambit Invitation

51.7%

Zukertort Opening: Sicilian Invitation

49.9%

Zukertort Opening: Kingside Fianchetto

49.3%

Zukertort Opening: Slav Invitation

50.4%

Analyze Zukertort Opening: The Walrus PositionsGet move-by-move win rates with the TrueElo analyzer

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Zukertort Opening: The Walrus win rate?

The Zukertort Opening: The Walrus has a 50.7% (90% CI: 50.5%-50.9%) win rate for white, based on 204K rated games from Lichess.

At what rating does the Zukertort Opening: The Walrus perform best?

The Zukertort Opening: The Walrus performs best at 2000-2199 Elo with a 52.0% win rate for white (24K games). Win rate tends to decline at higher ratings as opponents know the theory better.

Is the Zukertort Opening: The Walrus better in blitz or rapid?

Rapid (51.9%) outperforms UltraBullet (37.4%) by 14.5%. Choose your time control wisely.

How sharp is the Zukertort Opening: The Walrus?

The Zukertort Opening: The Walrus has a sharpness score of 96.5 (very decisive), meaning 96.5% of games end decisively. Average game length is 32 moves.

What is the Zukertort Opening: The Walrus win rate at 0-999 Elo?

At 0-999 Elo, the Zukertort Opening: The Walrus has a 47.0% (90% CI: 46.1%-47.9%) win rate for white, based on 7.9K Lichess games. Average game length is 26 moves with a 3.2% draw rate.

What is the Zukertort Opening: The Walrus win rate at 1000-1199 Elo?

At 1000-1199 Elo, the Zukertort Opening: The Walrus has a 49.7% (90% CI: 49.1%-50.4%) win rate for white, based on 16K Lichess games. Average game length is 28 moves with a 3.0% draw rate.

What is the Zukertort Opening: The Walrus win rate at 1200-1399 Elo?

At 1200-1399 Elo, the Zukertort Opening: The Walrus has a 50.1% (90% CI: 49.6%-50.6%) win rate for white, based on 27K Lichess games. Average game length is 29 moves with a 2.7% draw rate.

What is the Zukertort Opening: The Walrus win rate at 1400-1599 Elo?

At 1400-1599 Elo, the Zukertort Opening: The Walrus has a 50.1% (90% CI: 49.7%-50.5%) win rate for white, based on 37K Lichess games. Average game length is 31 moves with a 3.1% draw rate.

What is the Zukertort Opening: The Walrus win rate at 1600-1799 Elo?

At 1600-1799 Elo, the Zukertort Opening: The Walrus has a 50.5% (90% CI: 50.1%-50.9%) win rate for white, based on 39K Lichess games. Average game length is 32 moves with a 3.6% draw rate.

What is the Zukertort Opening: The Walrus win rate at 1800-1999 Elo?

At 1800-1999 Elo, the Zukertort Opening: The Walrus has a 51.8% (90% CI: 51.4%-52.2%) win rate for white, based on 35K Lichess games. Average game length is 33 moves with a 3.7% draw rate.

What is the Zukertort Opening: The Walrus win rate at 2000-2199 Elo?

At 2000-2199 Elo, the Zukertort Opening: The Walrus has a 52.0% (90% CI: 51.5%-52.6%) win rate for white, based on 24K Lichess games. Average game length is 34 moves with a 4.1% draw rate.

What is the Zukertort Opening: The Walrus win rate at 2200-2499 Elo?

At 2200-2499 Elo, the Zukertort Opening: The Walrus has a 52.2% (90% CI: 51.5%-52.9%) win rate for white, based on 14K Lichess games. Average game length is 36 moves with a 4.5% draw rate.

What is the Zukertort Opening: The Walrus win rate at 2500+ Elo?

At 2500+ Elo, the Zukertort Opening: The Walrus has a 51.5% (90% CI: 50.2%-52.9%) win rate for white, based on 3.6K Lichess games. Average game length is 39 moves with a 5.6% draw rate.

What is the Zukertort Opening: The Walrus win rate in UltraBullet?

In UltraBullet games, the Zukertort Opening: The Walrus has a 37.4% (90% CI: 32.0%-42.8%) win rate for white (214 Lichess games). Draw rate is 0.2%.

What is the Zukertort Opening: The Walrus win rate in Bullet?

In Bullet games, the Zukertort Opening: The Walrus has a 50.2% (90% CI: 50.0%-50.5%) win rate for white (98K Lichess games). Draw rate is 2.9%.

What is the Zukertort Opening: The Walrus win rate in Blitz?

In Blitz games, the Zukertort Opening: The Walrus has a 51.1% (90% CI: 50.8%-51.4%) win rate for white (92K Lichess games). Draw rate is 4.0%.

What is the Zukertort Opening: The Walrus win rate in Rapid?

In Rapid games, the Zukertort Opening: The Walrus has a 51.9% (90% CI: 51.2%-52.6%) win rate for white (14K Lichess games). Draw rate is 4.4%.

What is the Zukertort Opening: The Walrus win rate in Classical?

In Classical games, the Zukertort Opening: The Walrus has a 52.9% (90% CI: 48.6%-57.2%) win rate for white (364 Lichess games). Draw rate is 7.3%.

Is the Zukertort Opening: The Walrus a good opening?

The Zukertort Opening: The Walrus is statistically favors white with a 50.7% (90% CI: 50.5%-50.9%) win rate across all ratings. It performs best at 2000-2199 Elo. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.

What is the Zukertort Opening: The Walrus expected score for Black?