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English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense, Queen's Knight Variation

2.3M games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

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Analyze this line move by move

White expected score · All ratings · All speeds

53.1%

45%60%
Floor53.0%

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.

Play Thiswins clearly more often than it loses at this level

A strong choice for White at this level and clock.

Outcomes for White

Draw 4.5 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 2.3M games

Rank among the families White can choose here
not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
Games in this context
2.3M
Best context
58.7% at 2500+ Blitz
Worst context
44.1% at 1200-1399 UltraBullet
Average game length
37 moves
Games that end decisively
95.5%
Draws
4.5%

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 · White score by rating × clock

Green is clearly ahead for White, grey is around even, red is behind. Tap a cell to measure there, and again to clear. It gets better as the rating rises: 46.8% at 0-999, 58.8% 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: 51.0% expected score (47 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Bullet: 52.1% expected score (7,643 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 50.5% expected score (10,011 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 49.8% expected score (3,215 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Classical: 30.7% expected score (14 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 48.0% expected score (380 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 53.7% expected score (21,709 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 51.7% expected score (25,670 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 50.7% expected score (7,774 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 52.7% expected score (109 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 44.1% expected score (502 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 53.3% expected score (47,001 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 52.2% expected score (60,070 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 51.1% expected score (16,384 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 48.8% expected score (467 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 46.7% expected score (1,382 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 53.0% expected score (89,587 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 52.3% expected score (122,715 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 51.8% expected score (29,828 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 49.4% expected score (1,565 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 47.1% expected score (1,533 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 52.9% expected score (145,482 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 52.5% expected score (218,990 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 51.4% expected score (48,485 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 49.9% expected score (2,690 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 53.2% expected score (1,145 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 53.0% expected score (185,338 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 52.6% expected score (330,516 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 52.0% expected score (59,185 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 51.2% expected score (2,694 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 56.0% expected score (530 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 53.2% expected score (204,741 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 53.7% expected score (269,446 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 53.3% expected score (41,008 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 54.8% expected score (1,218 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 64.4% expected score (96 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 53.9% expected score (175,332 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 55.2% expected score (114,283 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 56.5% expected score (13,651 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 57.9% expected score (232 games)
  • 2500+ rating, UltraBullet: 44.2% expected score (7 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 55.1% expected score (39,626 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 58.7% expected score (6,847 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 67.9% expected score (194 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Classical: 68.2% expected score (4 games)

Related Openings

Parent
English Opening
50.4%
Variations (5)
English Opening: King's English Variation
51.0%
English Opening: Agincourt Defense
50.2%
English Opening: Anglo-Scandinavian Defense
52.0%
English Opening: King's English Variation, Reversed Sicilian
52.2%
English Opening: Symmetrical Variation
50.5%
Analyze English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense, Queen's Knight Variation PositionsSee what each move is worth at your rating, move by move

Methodology

Across every rating and clock, the English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense, Queen's Knight Variation scores 53.1% for White — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 53.0% and 53.1% — 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, Queen's Knight Variation win rate?

Playing the English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense, Queen's Knight Variation, White wins 50.8%, draws 4.5% and loses 44.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.1%. It rests on 2.3M rated games from Lichess.

At what rating does the English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense, Queen's Knight Variation perform best?

The English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense, Queen's Knight Variation performs best for White at 2500+, with an Expected Score of 55.7% (47K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.

Is the English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense, Queen's Knight Variation better in blitz or rapid?

For White, the English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense, Queen's Knight Variation scores about the same in both: an Expected Score of 53.0% in Blitz (1.2M games) against 52.2% in Rapid (220K games).

How sharp is the English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense, Queen's Knight Variation?

The English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense, Queen's Knight Variation has a sharpness score of 95.5 (very decisive), meaning 95.5% of games end decisively. Average game length is 37 moves.

What is the English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense, Queen's Knight Variation win rate at 0-999?

At 0-999, White wins 49.5%, draws 2.9% and loses 47.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.0%. It rests on 21K Lichess games, which average 28 moves.

What is the English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense, Queen's Knight Variation win rate at 1000-1199?

At 1000-1199, White wins 50.9%, draws 2.9% and loses 46.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.4%. It rests on 56K Lichess games, which average 30 moves.

What is the English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense, Queen's Knight Variation win rate at 1200-1399?

At 1200-1399, White wins 50.9%, draws 3.1% and loses 46.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.4%. It rests on 124K Lichess games, which average 32 moves.

What is the English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense, Queen's Knight Variation win rate at 1400-1599?

At 1400-1599, White wins 50.7%, draws 3.3% and loses 45.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.4%. It rests on 245K Lichess games, which average 33 moves.

What is the English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense, Queen's Knight Variation win rate at 1600-1799?

At 1600-1799, White wins 50.5%, draws 3.9% and loses 45.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.5%. It rests on 417K Lichess games, which average 35 moves.

What is the English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense, Queen's Knight Variation win rate at 1800-1999?

At 1800-1999, White wins 50.3%, draws 4.7% and loses 45.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.7%. It rests on 579K Lichess games, which average 37 moves.

What is the English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense, Queen's Knight Variation win rate at 2000-2199?

At 2000-2199, White wins 50.8%, draws 5.2% and loses 44.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.4%. It rests on 517K Lichess games, which average 38 moves.

What is the English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense, Queen's Knight Variation win rate at 2200-2499?

At 2200-2499, White wins 51.7%, draws 5.7% and loses 42.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.6%. It rests on 304K Lichess games, which average 40 moves.

What is the English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense, Queen's Knight Variation win rate at 2500+?

At 2500+, White wins 52.4%, draws 6.5% and loses 41.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 55.7%. It rests on 47K Lichess games, which average 42 moves.

What is the English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense, Queen's Knight Variation win rate in UltraBullet?

In UltraBullet, White wins 48.3%, draws 1.7% and loses 50.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.2%. It rests on 5.6K Lichess games.

What is the English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense, Queen's Knight Variation win rate in Bullet?

In Bullet, White wins 51.6%, draws 3.4% and loses 45.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.3%. It rests on 916K Lichess games.

What is the English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense, Queen's Knight Variation win rate in Blitz?

In Blitz, White wins 50.4%, draws 5.2% and loses 44.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.0%. It rests on 1.2M Lichess games.

What is the English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense, Queen's Knight Variation win rate in Rapid?

In Rapid, White wins 49.3%, draws 5.8% and loses 44.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.2%. It rests on 220K Lichess games.

What is the English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense, Queen's Knight Variation win rate in Classical?

In Classical, White wins 47.3%, draws 7.4% and loses 45.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.0%. It rests on 9.0K Lichess games.

Is the English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense, Queen's Knight Variation a good opening?

The English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense, Queen's Knight Variation is good for White. Across all ratings, White wins 50.8% of its games and loses 44.7%. It performs best at 2500+. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.