Zukertort Opening: Wade Defense
497K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026
Black expected score · All ratings · All speeds
47.0%
the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 47.1%.
Measured over 497K games at this level and clock.
Black comes out behind here — there are better weapons in the list.
Outcomes for Black
Draw 4.2 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 497K games
- Rank among the families Black can choose here
- not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
- Games in this context
- 497K
- Best context
- 58.5% at 1400-1599 UltraBullet
- Worst context
- 42.8% at 2500+ Bullet
- Average game length
- 35 moves
- Games that end decisively
- 95.8%
- Draws
- 4.2%
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: 46.4% at 0-999, 38.6% 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: 52.3% expected score (85 games)
- 0-999 rating, Bullet: 45.3% expected score (8,625 games)
- 0-999 rating, Blitz: 47.3% expected score (17,714 games)
- 0-999 rating, Rapid: 45.7% expected score (7,325 games)
- 0-999 rating, Classical: 41.6% expected score (82 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 53.2% expected score (536 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 45.2% expected score (13,012 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 46.4% expected score (33,116 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 45.7% expected score (10,805 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 38.8% expected score (217 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 53.7% expected score (1,345 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 46.8% expected score (17,398 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 47.0% expected score (49,978 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 47.1% expected score (18,505 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 43.0% expected score (491 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 58.5% expected score (2,023 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 46.0% expected score (20,341 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 47.9% expected score (60,786 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 48.1% expected score (26,200 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 48.9% expected score (1,084 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 50.8% expected score (2,194 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 46.2% expected score (22,022 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 47.3% expected score (53,069 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 48.0% expected score (27,970 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 47.0% expected score (1,352 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 47.0% expected score (1,673 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 46.0% expected score (19,461 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 46.9% expected score (29,637 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 47.0% expected score (18,547 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 45.3% expected score (722 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 47.4% expected score (725 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 45.6% expected score (10,018 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 47.4% expected score (7,973 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 46.3% expected score (4,572 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 40.4% expected score (66 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 42.8% expected score (234 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 43.8% expected score (4,078 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 46.3% expected score (1,491 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 47.7% expected score (304 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (1 games)
- 2500+ rating, UltraBullet: 30.0% expected score (11 games)
- 2500+ rating, Bullet: 42.8% expected score (708 games)
- 2500+ rating, Blitz: 43.0% expected score (48 games)
Related Openings
Methodology
Across every rating and clock, the Zukertort Opening: Wade Defense scores 47.0% for Black — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 46.9% and 47.1% — from 497K 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
- 497K+ 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 Zukertort Opening: Wade Defense win rate?
Playing the Zukertort Opening: Wade Defense, Black wins 44.9%, draws 4.2% and loses 50.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.0%. It rests on 497K rated games from Lichess.
At what rating does the Zukertort Opening: Wade Defense perform best?
The Zukertort Opening: Wade Defense performs best for Black at 1400-1599, with an Expected Score of 47.8% (110K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.
Is the Zukertort Opening: Wade Defense better in blitz or rapid?
For Black, the Zukertort Opening: Wade Defense scores about the same in both: an Expected Score of 47.2% in Blitz (254K games) against 47.3% in Rapid (114K games).
How sharp is the Zukertort Opening: Wade Defense?
The Zukertort Opening: Wade Defense has a sharpness score of 95.8 (very decisive), meaning 95.8% of games end decisively. Average game length is 35 moves.
What is the Zukertort Opening: Wade Defense win rate at 0-999?
At 0-999, Black wins 44.4%, draws 3.9% and loses 51.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.4%. It rests on 34K Lichess games, which average 28 moves.
What is the Zukertort Opening: Wade Defense win rate at 1000-1199?
At 1000-1199, Black wins 44.2%, draws 3.6% and loses 52.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.0%. It rests on 58K Lichess games, which average 31 moves.
What is the Zukertort Opening: Wade Defense win rate at 1200-1399?
At 1200-1399, Black wins 45.2%, draws 3.7% and loses 51.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.1%. It rests on 88K Lichess games, which average 33 moves.
What is the Zukertort Opening: Wade Defense win rate at 1400-1599?
At 1400-1599, Black wins 45.8%, draws 4.0% and loses 50.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.8%. It rests on 110K Lichess games, which average 35 moves.
What is the Zukertort Opening: Wade Defense win rate at 1600-1799?
At 1600-1799, Black wins 45.1%, draws 4.4% and loses 50.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.3%. It rests on 107K Lichess games, which average 37 moves.
What is the Zukertort Opening: Wade Defense win rate at 1800-1999?
At 1800-1999, Black wins 44.1%, draws 5.1% and loses 50.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.6%. It rests on 70K Lichess games, which average 38 moves.
What is the Zukertort Opening: Wade Defense win rate at 2000-2199?
At 2000-2199, Black wins 43.5%, draws 5.7% and loses 50.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.4%. It rests on 23K Lichess games, which average 39 moves.
What is the Zukertort Opening: Wade Defense win rate at 2200-2499?
At 2200-2499, Black wins 42.0%, draws 5.0% and loses 53.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 44.5%. It rests on 6.1K Lichess games, which average 39 moves.
What is the Zukertort Opening: Wade Defense win rate at 2500+?
At 2500+, Black wins 40.0%, draws 5.1% and loses 54.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 42.6%. It rests on 767 Lichess games, which average 41 moves.
What is the Zukertort Opening: Wade Defense win rate in UltraBullet?
In UltraBullet, Black wins 50.8%, draws 2.2% and loses 47.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.9%. It rests on 8.8K Lichess games.
What is the Zukertort Opening: Wade Defense win rate in Bullet?
In Bullet, Black wins 44.3%, draws 3.0% and loses 52.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 45.8%. It rests on 116K Lichess games.
What is the Zukertort Opening: Wade Defense win rate in Blitz?
In Blitz, Black wins 45.0%, draws 4.3% and loses 50.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.2%. It rests on 254K Lichess games.
What is the Zukertort Opening: Wade Defense win rate in Rapid?
In Rapid, Black wins 44.6%, draws 5.3% and loses 50.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.3%. It rests on 114K Lichess games.
What is the Zukertort Opening: Wade Defense win rate in Classical?
In Classical, Black wins 43.1%, draws 5.8% and loses 51.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.0%. It rests on 4.0K Lichess games.
Is the Zukertort Opening: Wade Defense a good opening?
The Zukertort Opening: Wade Defense is hard work for Black — it favours White. Across all ratings, Black wins 44.9% of its games and loses 50.9%. It performs best at 1400-1599. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.