East Indian Defense

1 variations · 1.9M games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

Key Finding

East Indian Defense is balanced for White at 50.1% expected score.

This opening produces roughly even results, with outcomes depending more on middlegame play than opening choice.

You play

Playable

Rating

Time

White Expected Score0.0%Range (90% confident): 50.0% – 50.1%Aggregated from 1 variations

0%50.1%100%

Range (90% confident): 50.0% – 50.1%

ContextOverall · n=1.9M

Outcome Distribution

47.7%4.7%47.6%

Win

Draw

Loss

2...g6

East Indian Defense

Variations1

Games (Context)1.9M

Avg Length36 moves

Draw Rate4.7%

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 East Indian Defense family has a 50.1% expected score for White (we're 90% confident it's between 50.0% and 50.1%), aggregated from 1 variations and 1.9M Lichess games.

White Win% by Rating

Improves with rating: 44% → 50%

1000

1200

1400

1600

1800

2000

2200

2500+

White Win% by Time Control

Best in Bullet (49%), worst in Classical (41%)

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	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: 32.0% expected score (65 games)
0-999 rating, Bullet: 45.9% expected score (15,964 games)
0-999 rating, Blitz: 45.8% expected score (27,344 games)
0-999 rating, Rapid: 43.3% expected score (12,154 games)
0-999 rating, Classical: 34.3% expected score (97 games)
1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 39.0% expected score (258 games)
1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 48.5% expected score (34,733 games)
1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 48.5% expected score (45,910 games)
1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 45.6% expected score (18,949 games)
1000-1199 rating, Classical: 37.0% expected score (357 games)
1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 44.8% expected score (1,031 games)
1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 49.1% expected score (58,045 games)
1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 49.0% expected score (77,963 games)
1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 47.6% expected score (28,956 games)
1200-1399 rating, Classical: 41.8% expected score (1,072 games)
1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 45.2% expected score (2,191 games)
1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 48.8% expected score (85,114 games)
1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 49.1% expected score (118,734 games)
1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 46.9% expected score (42,411 games)
1400-1599 rating, Classical: 40.6% expected score (2,456 games)
1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 48.8% expected score (4,245 games)
1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 49.8% expected score (108,072 games)
1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 50.1% expected score (155,356 games)
1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 48.6% expected score (46,690 games)
1600-1799 rating, Classical: 44.2% expected score (2,794 games)
1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 50.7% expected score (3,940 games)
1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 50.3% expected score (132,769 games)
1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 50.3% expected score (175,810 games)
1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 49.2% expected score (42,800 games)
1800-1999 rating, Classical: 47.4% expected score (2,163 games)
2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 56.5% expected score (1,688 games)
2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 51.1% expected score (143,558 games)
2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 51.0% expected score (166,484 games)
2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 50.9% expected score (23,406 games)
2000-2199 rating, Classical: 50.2% expected score (714 games)
2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 56.6% expected score (624 games)
2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 51.7% expected score (166,660 games)
2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 52.7% expected score (94,978 games)
2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 53.8% expected score (7,895 games)
2200-2499 rating, Classical: 55.7% expected score (104 games)
2500+ rating, UltraBullet: 43.3% expected score (58 games)
2500+ rating, Bullet: 53.3% expected score (65,689 games)
2500+ rating, Blitz: 56.7% expected score (9,870 games)
2500+ rating, Rapid: 61.0% expected score (281 games)
2500+ rating, Classical: 73.1% expected score (5 games)

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

Variations (1)

East Indian Defense1.9M games

Balanced50.1%

Analyze East Indian Defense PositionsGet move-by-move win rates with the TrueElo analyzer

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the East Indian Defense win rate?

The East Indian Defense family has a 47.7% (90% CI: 47.6%-47.7%) win rate for white, aggregated from 1 variations and 1.9M rated games from Lichess.

How many East Indian Defense variations are there?

This analysis covers 1 East Indian 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 East Indian Defense perform best?

The East Indian Defense family performs best at 2500+ Elo with a 50.2% win rate for white (76K games). Performance may vary by specific variation.

Is the East Indian Defense better in blitz or rapid?

Bullet (48.6%) outperforms Classical (40.5%) by 8.1% across all East Indian Defense variations.

How sharp is the East Indian Defense?

East Indian Defense games are 95.3% decisive (non-draws), with an average length of 36 moves. Sharpness varies by specific variation.

Is the East Indian Defense a good opening family?

The East Indian Defense family is statistically balanced overall with a 47.7% (90% CI: 47.6%-47.7%) aggregated win rate. However, win rates vary significantly between the 1 variations—explore individual lines to find the best fit for your style.