English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense
2.3M games from Lichess · Updated January 2026
Black expected score · All ratings · All speeds
47.7%
the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. Its best is the same figure — the band is too tight to plot.
Measured over 2.3M games at this level and clock.
Black comes out behind here — there are better weapons in the list.
Outcomes for Black
Draw 4.4 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 2.3M games
- Rank among the families Black can choose here
- not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
- Games in this context
- 2.3M
- Best context
- 59.8% at 1200-1399 UltraBullet
- Worst context
- 41.7% at 2500+ Blitz
- Average game length
- 36 moves
- Games that end decisively
- 95.6%
- Draws
- 4.4%
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: 51.7% at 0-999, 38.0% 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: 51.2% expected score (43 games)
- 0-999 rating, Bullet: 50.8% expected score (9,389 games)
- 0-999 rating, Blitz: 52.6% expected score (13,816 games)
- 0-999 rating, Rapid: 55.0% expected score (4,913 games)
- 0-999 rating, Classical: 49.0% expected score (47 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 53.4% expected score (233 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 48.7% expected score (21,780 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 49.5% expected score (29,785 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 50.3% expected score (9,289 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 55.1% expected score (175 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 59.8% expected score (866 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 47.8% expected score (51,128 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 48.8% expected score (70,868 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 49.5% expected score (18,381 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 54.2% expected score (571 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 54.5% expected score (1,911 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 48.0% expected score (96,962 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 48.2% expected score (138,559 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 49.3% expected score (35,418 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 53.1% expected score (1,789 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 54.0% expected score (3,817 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 48.1% expected score (144,547 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 48.2% expected score (219,753 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 49.0% expected score (55,758 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 50.7% expected score (3,263 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 51.3% expected score (2,079 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 47.9% expected score (179,862 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 47.9% expected score (294,031 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 48.8% expected score (57,419 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 46.8% expected score (2,950 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 44.6% expected score (2,094 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 47.8% expected score (193,312 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 47.1% expected score (233,776 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 47.2% expected score (35,257 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 45.0% expected score (1,203 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 42.4% expected score (209 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 47.1% expected score (180,115 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 44.3% expected score (133,582 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 43.4% expected score (13,258 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 46.1% expected score (216 games)
- 2500+ rating, UltraBullet: 24.5% expected score (22 games)
- 2500+ rating, Bullet: 44.1% expected score (52,944 games)
- 2500+ rating, Blitz: 41.7% expected score (14,340 games)
- 2500+ rating, Rapid: 37.2% expected score (434 games)
- 2500+ rating, Classical: 42.7% expected score (19 games)
Related Openings
Methodology
Across every rating and clock, the English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense scores 47.7% for Black — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 47.6% and 47.7% — from 2.3M 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
- 2.3M+ 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 English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense win rate?
Playing the English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense, Black wins 45.4%, draws 4.4% and loses 50.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.7%. It rests on 2.3M rated games from Lichess.
At what rating does the English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense perform best?
The English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense performs best for Black at 0-999, with an Expected Score of 52.4% (28K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.
Is the English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense better in blitz or rapid?
For Black, the English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense scores higher in Rapid: an Expected Score of 47.5% in Blitz (1.1M games) against 48.6% in Rapid (230K games).
How sharp is the English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense?
The English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense has a sharpness score of 95.6 (very decisive), meaning 95.6% of games end decisively. Average game length is 36 moves.
What is the English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense win rate at 0-999?
At 0-999, Black wins 50.8%, draws 3.0% and loses 46.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.4%. It rests on 28K Lichess games, which average 28 moves.
What is the English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense win rate at 1000-1199?
At 1000-1199, Black wins 47.9%, draws 2.9% and loses 49.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.4%. It rests on 61K Lichess games, which average 30 moves.
What is the English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense win rate at 1200-1399?
At 1200-1399, Black wins 47.2%, draws 2.8% and loses 50.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.6%. It rests on 142K Lichess games, which average 32 moves.
What is the English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense win rate at 1400-1599?
At 1400-1599, Black wins 46.7%, draws 3.2% and loses 50.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.3%. It rests on 275K Lichess games, which average 33 moves.
What is the English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense win rate at 1600-1799?
At 1600-1799, Black wins 46.5%, draws 3.7% and loses 49.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.4%. It rests on 427K Lichess games, which average 35 moves.
What is the English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense win rate at 1800-1999?
At 1800-1999, Black wins 45.8%, draws 4.4% and loses 49.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.0%. It rests on 536K Lichess games, which average 37 moves.
What is the English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense win rate at 2000-2199?
At 2000-2199, Black wins 44.9%, draws 5.0% and loses 50.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.4%. It rests on 466K Lichess games, which average 38 moves.
What is the English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense win rate at 2200-2499?
At 2200-2499, Black wins 42.9%, draws 5.9% and loses 51.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 45.8%. It rests on 327K Lichess games, which average 39 moves.
What is the English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense win rate at 2500+?
At 2500+, Black wins 39.4%, draws 8.3% and loses 52.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 43.6%. It rests on 68K Lichess games, which average 43 moves.
What is the English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense win rate in UltraBullet?
In UltraBullet, Black wins 50.6%, draws 2.7% and loses 46.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.0%. It rests on 11K Lichess games.
What is the English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense win rate in Bullet?
In Bullet, Black wins 45.9%, draws 3.4% and loses 50.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.6%. It rests on 930K Lichess games.
What is the English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense win rate in Blitz?
In Blitz, Black wins 45.0%, draws 5.0% and loses 50.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.5%. It rests on 1.1M Lichess games.
What is the English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense win rate in Rapid?
In Rapid, Black wins 45.7%, draws 5.6% and loses 48.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.6%. It rests on 230K Lichess games.
What is the English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense win rate in Classical?
In Classical, Black wins 45.7%, draws 7.4% and loses 46.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.5%. It rests on 10K Lichess games.
Is the English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense a good opening?
The English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense is hard work for Black — it favours White. Across all ratings, Black wins 45.4% of its games and loses 50.1%. It performs best at 0-999. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.