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Bishop's Opening: Kitchener Folly

32K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

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Analyze this line move by move

Black expected score · All ratings · All speeds

47.5%

40%55%
Floor47.0%

the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 47.9%.

Measured over 32K games at this level and clock.

Tough Sellloses more often than it wins at this level

Black comes out behind here — there are better weapons in the list.

Outcomes for Black

Draw 3.5 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 32K games

Rank among the families Black can choose here
not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
Games in this context
32K
Best context
52.7% at 0-999 Bullet
Worst context
44.8% at 1600-1799 Rapid
Average game length
33 moves
Games that end decisively
96.5%
Draws
3.5%

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: 49.0% at 0-999, 42.5% at 2500+.

RatingUBBulleBlitzRapidClass
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: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Bullet: 52.7% expected score (524 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 46.1% expected score (778 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 46.2% expected score (433 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 39.8% expected score (18 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 50.2% expected score (1,161 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 48.1% expected score (2,000 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 46.0% expected score (615 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 64.3% expected score (2 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 45.2% expected score (19 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 47.6% expected score (1,536 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 47.2% expected score (4,062 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 47.3% expected score (1,288 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 45.8% expected score (34 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 48.1% expected score (50 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 51.3% expected score (1,805 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 46.8% expected score (4,682 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 46.3% expected score (1,997 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 42.4% expected score (84 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 37.8% expected score (23 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 49.9% expected score (1,899 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 46.4% expected score (3,430 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 44.8% expected score (1,540 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (86 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 63.4% expected score (6 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 47.6% expected score (879 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 45.1% expected score (1,627 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 49.1% expected score (700 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 44.9% expected score (18 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 49.2% expected score (298 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 50.0% expected score (410 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 49.0% expected score (95 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 37.6% expected score (91 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 47.6% expected score (99 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 38.9% expected score (3 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 23.9% expected score (10 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 61.2% expected score (3 games)

Related Openings

Parent
Bishop's Opening
51.7%
Variations (5)
Bishop's Opening: Berlin Defense
50.0%
Bishop's Opening: Boi Variation
52.7%
Bishop's Opening: Vienna Hybrid
51.3%
Bishop's Opening: Philidor Counterattack
51.1%
Bishop's Opening: Vienna Hybrid, Spielmann Attack
52.2%
Analyze Bishop's Opening: Kitchener Folly PositionsSee what each move is worth at your rating, move by move

Methodology

Across every rating and clock, the Bishop's Opening: Kitchener Folly scores 47.5% for Black — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 47.0% and 47.9% — from 32K 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
32K+ 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 Bishop's Opening: Kitchener Folly win rate?

Playing the Bishop's Opening: Kitchener Folly, Black wins 45.7%, draws 3.5% and loses 50.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.5%. It rests on 32K rated games from Lichess.

At what rating does the Bishop's Opening: Kitchener Folly perform best?

The Bishop's Opening: Kitchener Folly performs best for Black at 1000-1199, with an Expected Score of 48.4% (3.8K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.

Is the Bishop's Opening: Kitchener Folly better in blitz or rapid?

For Black, the Bishop's Opening: Kitchener Folly scores about the same in both: an Expected Score of 46.9% in Blitz (17K games) against 46.4% in Rapid (6.7K games).

How sharp is the Bishop's Opening: Kitchener Folly?

The Bishop's Opening: Kitchener Folly has a sharpness score of 96.5 (very decisive), meaning 96.5% of games end decisively. Average game length is 33 moves.

What is the Bishop's Opening: Kitchener Folly win rate at 0-999?

At 0-999, Black wins 46.2%, draws 3.8% and loses 50.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.1%. It rests on 1.7K Lichess games, which average 27 moves.

What is the Bishop's Opening: Kitchener Folly win rate at 1000-1199?

At 1000-1199, Black wins 46.9%, draws 2.9% and loses 50.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.4%. It rests on 3.8K Lichess games, which average 30 moves.

What is the Bishop's Opening: Kitchener Folly win rate at 1200-1399?

At 1200-1399, Black wins 45.6%, draws 3.3% and loses 51.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.3%. It rests on 6.9K Lichess games, which average 32 moves.

What is the Bishop's Opening: Kitchener Folly win rate at 1400-1599?

At 1400-1599, Black wins 45.8%, draws 3.5% and loses 50.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.6%. It rests on 8.6K Lichess games, which average 34 moves.

What is the Bishop's Opening: Kitchener Folly win rate at 1600-1799?

At 1600-1799, Black wins 45.3%, draws 3.4% and loses 51.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.0%. It rests on 7.0K Lichess games, which average 35 moves.

What is the Bishop's Opening: Kitchener Folly win rate at 1800-1999?

At 1800-1999, Black wins 44.7%, draws 3.9% and loses 51.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.7%. It rests on 3.2K Lichess games, which average 37 moves.

What is the Bishop's Opening: Kitchener Folly win rate at 2000-2199?

At 2000-2199, Black wins 46.9%, draws 5.3% and loses 47.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.6%. It rests on 803 Lichess games, which average 38 moves.

What is the Bishop's Opening: Kitchener Folly win rate at 2200-2499?

At 2200-2499, Black wins 39.8%, draws 5.4% and loses 54.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 42.5%. It rests on 193 Lichess games, which average 37 moves.

What is the Bishop's Opening: Kitchener Folly win rate in UltraBullet?

In UltraBullet, Black wins 43.9%, draws 2.1% and loses 54.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 45.0%. It rests on 118 Lichess games.

What is the Bishop's Opening: Kitchener Folly win rate in Bullet?

In Bullet, Black wins 48.4%, draws 2.3% and loses 49.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.6%. It rests on 8.2K Lichess games.

What is the Bishop's Opening: Kitchener Folly win rate in Blitz?

In Blitz, Black wins 44.9%, draws 3.8% and loses 51.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.9%. It rests on 17K Lichess games.

What is the Bishop's Opening: Kitchener Folly win rate in Rapid?

In Rapid, Black wins 44.3%, draws 4.1% and loses 51.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.4%. It rests on 6.7K Lichess games.

What is the Bishop's Opening: Kitchener Folly win rate in Classical?

In Classical, Black wins 44.2%, draws 4.2% and loses 51.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.3%. It rests on 226 Lichess games.

Is the Bishop's Opening: Kitchener Folly a good opening?

The Bishop's Opening: Kitchener Folly is hard work for Black — it favours White. Across all ratings, Black wins 45.7% of its games and loses 50.8%. It performs best at 1000-1199. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.