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Grünfeld Defense: Russian Variation

35K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

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White Expected Score53.9%Range (90% confident): 53.5% – 54.4%Based on 35K games
0%53.9%100%
Range (90% confident): 53.5% – 54.4%
Outcome Distribution
50.9%5.9%43.1%
Win
Draw
Loss
7.e4
Grünfeld Defense: Russian Variation
Analyzen=35K
Avg Length37 moves
Sharpness94%
Draw Rate5.9%

What is the Grünfeld Defense: Russian Variation expected score for White?

Snapshot

At all ratings, the Grünfeld Defense: Russian Variation has a 53.9% expected score for White (we're 90% confident it's between 53.5% and 54.4%), based on 35K Lichess games.

White Win% by Rating

Stable across ratings (~52%)

0
1000
1200
1400
1600
1800
2000
2200
2500+

  • 0-999: 51.7% win rate (13 games)
  • 1000-1199: 45.3% win rate (57 games)
  • 1200-1399: 48.3% win rate (188 games)
  • 1400-1599: 55.2% win rate (521 games)
  • 1600-1799: 50.2% win rate (1,783 games)
  • 1800-1999: 51.1% win rate (5,976 games)
  • 2000-2199: 50.9% win rate (12,397 games)
  • 2200-2499: 50.8% win rate (11,799 games)
  • 2500+: 51.1% win rate (1,996 games)

White Win% by Time Control

Similar across time controls (~53%)

Bullet
Blitz
Rapid
Classical

  • Bullet: 51.0% win rate (8,551 games)
  • Blitz: 50.6% win rate (22,733 games)
  • Rapid: 53.1% win rate (3,252 games)
  • Classical: 51.9% win rate (194 games)

White% by Rating × Time Control

Click any cell to filter. Green = above 50%, Red = below 50%.

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, Bullet: 38.9% expected score (3 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 55.3% expected score (8 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 78.6% expected score (2 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 34.6% expected score (18 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 51.6% expected score (31 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 60.6% expected score (8 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 50.8% expected score (65 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 50.0% expected score (100 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 48.0% expected score (23 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 52.9% expected score (152 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 56.2% expected score (282 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 68.2% expected score (81 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (6 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 50.7% expected score (532 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 51.6% expected score (1,074 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 64.8% expected score (154 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 46.0% expected score (23 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 53.4% expected score (1,146 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 53.0% expected score (4,152 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 56.8% expected score (609 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 55.7% expected score (69 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 54.0% expected score (2,408 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 53.7% expected score (8,560 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 55.1% expected score (1,356 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 57.4% expected score (73 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 53.0% expected score (3,062 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 53.7% expected score (7,752 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 58.1% expected score (962 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 72.5% expected score (23 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 54.0% expected score (1,165 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 58.0% expected score (774 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 65.4% expected score (57 games)

Related Openings

Parent
Grünfeld Defense
45.8%
Variations (5)
Grünfeld Defense: Botvinnik Variation
47.7%
Grünfeld Defense: Brinckmann Attack
49.6%
Grünfeld Defense: Brinckmann Attack, Grünfeld Gambit
45.9%
Grünfeld Defense: Brinckmann Attack, Grünfeld Gambit Accepted
51.6%
Grünfeld Defense: Brinckmann Attack, Grünfeld Gambit, Botvinnik Variation
45.0%
Continuations (7)
Grünfeld Defense: Russian Variation, Accelerated Variation
48.6%
Grünfeld Defense: Russian Variation, Byrne Variation
45.1%
Grünfeld Defense: Russian Variation, Hungarian Variation
47.1%
Grünfeld Defense: Russian Variation, Levenfish Variation
49.8%
Grünfeld Defense: Russian Variation, Prins Variation
47.6%
Grünfeld Defense: Russian Variation, Smyslov Variation
49.0%
Grünfeld Defense: Russian Variation, Szabo Variation
50.4%
Analyze Grünfeld Defense: Russian Variation PositionsGet move-by-move win rates with the TrueElo analyzer

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Grünfeld Defense: Russian Variation win rate?

The Grünfeld Defense: Russian Variation has a 50.9% (90% CI: 50.5%-51.4%) win rate for white, based on 35K rated games from Lichess.

At what rating does the Grünfeld Defense: Russian Variation perform best?

The Grünfeld Defense: Russian Variation performs best at 1400-1599 Elo with a 55.2% win rate for white (521 games). Win rate tends to decline at higher ratings as opponents know the theory better.

Is the Grünfeld Defense: Russian Variation better in blitz or rapid?

Rapid (53.1%) outperforms Classical (51.9%) by 1.2%. Choose your time control wisely.

How sharp is the Grünfeld Defense: Russian Variation?

The Grünfeld Defense: Russian Variation has a sharpness score of 94.1 (decisive), meaning 94.1% of games end decisively. Average game length is 37 moves.

What is the Grünfeld Defense: Russian Variation win rate at 1200-1399 Elo?

At 1200-1399 Elo, the Grünfeld Defense: Russian Variation has a 48.3% (90% CI: 42.3%-54.3%) win rate for white, based on 188 Lichess games. Average game length is 28 moves with a 3.4% draw rate.

What is the Grünfeld Defense: Russian Variation win rate at 1400-1599 Elo?

At 1400-1599 Elo, the Grünfeld Defense: Russian Variation has a 55.2% (90% CI: 51.6%-58.8%) win rate for white, based on 521 Lichess games. Average game length is 30 moves with a 3.7% draw rate.

What is the Grünfeld Defense: Russian Variation win rate at 1600-1799 Elo?

At 1600-1799 Elo, the Grünfeld Defense: Russian Variation has a 50.2% (90% CI: 48.2%-52.1%) win rate for white, based on 1.8K Lichess games. Average game length is 32 moves with a 4.4% draw rate.

What is the Grünfeld Defense: Russian Variation win rate at 1800-1999 Elo?

At 1800-1999 Elo, the Grünfeld Defense: Russian Variation has a 51.1% (90% CI: 50.0%-52.1%) win rate for white, based on 6.0K Lichess games. Average game length is 34 moves with a 4.8% draw rate.

What is the Grünfeld Defense: Russian Variation win rate at 2000-2199 Elo?

At 2000-2199 Elo, the Grünfeld Defense: Russian Variation has a 50.9% (90% CI: 50.2%-51.6%) win rate for white, based on 12K Lichess games. Average game length is 36 moves with a 6.0% draw rate.

What is the Grünfeld Defense: Russian Variation win rate at 2200-2499 Elo?

At 2200-2499 Elo, the Grünfeld Defense: Russian Variation has a 50.8% (90% CI: 50.1%-51.6%) win rate for white, based on 12K Lichess games. Average game length is 38 moves with a 6.2% draw rate.

What is the Grünfeld Defense: Russian Variation win rate at 2500+ Elo?

At 2500+ Elo, the Grünfeld Defense: Russian Variation has a 51.1% (90% CI: 49.3%-53.0%) win rate for white, based on 2.0K Lichess games. Average game length is 43 moves with a 9.4% draw rate.

What is the Grünfeld Defense: Russian Variation win rate in Bullet?

In Bullet games, the Grünfeld Defense: Russian Variation has a 51.0% (90% CI: 50.1%-51.8%) win rate for white (8.6K Lichess games). Draw rate is 4.6%.

What is the Grünfeld Defense: Russian Variation win rate in Blitz?

In Blitz games, the Grünfeld Defense: Russian Variation has a 50.6% (90% CI: 50.1%-51.1%) win rate for white (23K Lichess games). Draw rate is 6.1%.

What is the Grünfeld Defense: Russian Variation win rate in Rapid?

In Rapid games, the Grünfeld Defense: Russian Variation has a 53.1% (90% CI: 51.6%-54.5%) win rate for white (3.3K Lichess games). Draw rate is 8.4%.

What is the Grünfeld Defense: Russian Variation win rate in Classical?

In Classical games, the Grünfeld Defense: Russian Variation has a 51.9% (90% CI: 46.0%-57.8%) win rate for white (194 Lichess games). Draw rate is 10.5%.

Is the Grünfeld Defense: Russian Variation a good opening?

The Grünfeld Defense: Russian Variation is statistically favors white with a 50.9% (90% CI: 50.5%-51.4%) win rate across all ratings. It performs best at 1400-1599 Elo. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.