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Kádas Opening: Koola-Koola Variation

21K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

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Analyze this line move by move

Black expected score · All ratings · All speeds

49.3%

45%55%
Floor48.7%

the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 49.8%.

Measured over 21K games at this level and clock.

Playablewins about as often as it loses at this level

Roughly even — the middlegame decides more than this opening choice does.

Outcomes for Black

Draw 13.1 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 21K games

Rank among the families Black can choose here
not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
Games in this context
21K
Best context
53.2% at 2000-2199 Blitz
Worst context
44.5% at 1800-1999 Blitz
Average game length
36 moves
Games that end decisively
86.9%
Draws
13.1%

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: 49.3% at 0-999, 40.2% 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: 45.8% expected score (22 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Bullet: 51.9% expected score (847 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 51.2% expected score (2,915 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 50.2% expected score (1,329 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Classical: 47.3% expected score (35 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 45.8% expected score (22 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 50.0% expected score (595 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 46.2% expected score (1,474 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 44.9% expected score (537 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 56.8% expected score (28 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 50.8% expected score (65 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 52.7% expected score (677 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 49.8% expected score (1,302 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 48.4% expected score (473 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 50.8% expected score (66 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 55.2% expected score (115 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 50.3% expected score (799 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 50.8% expected score (1,409 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 48.7% expected score (432 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 50.6% expected score (94 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 32.5% expected score (67 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 50.1% expected score (752 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 44.7% expected score (923 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 49.1% expected score (215 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 55.1% expected score (18 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 56.4% expected score (93 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 49.9% expected score (867 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 44.5% expected score (785 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 43.9% expected score (112 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 38.9% expected score (3 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 54.4% expected score (149 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 49.9% expected score (896 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 53.2% expected score (590 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 47.5% expected score (57 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 52.8% expected score (193 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 45.5% expected score (1,041 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 52.2% expected score (507 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 60.2% expected score (33 games)
  • 2500+ rating, UltraBullet: 32.6% expected score (56 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 45.7% expected score (650 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 42.2% expected score (140 games)

Related Openings

Parent
Kádas Opening
45.1%
Variations (5)
Kádas Opening: Beginner's Trap
33.0%
Kádas Opening: Schneider Gambit
48.0%
Kádas Opening: Kádas Gambit
42.9%
Kádas Opening: Myers Variation
46.8%
Kádas Opening: Steinbok Gambit
54.8%
Analyze Kádas Opening: Koola-Koola Variation PositionsSee what each move is worth at your rating, move by move

Methodology

Across every rating and clock, the Kádas Opening: Koola-Koola Variation scores 49.3% for Black — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 48.7% and 49.8% — from 21K 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
21K+ 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 Kádas Opening: Koola-Koola Variation win rate?

Playing the Kádas Opening: Koola-Koola Variation, Black wins 42.7%, draws 13.1% and loses 44.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.3%. It rests on 21K rated games from Lichess.

At what rating does the Kádas Opening: Koola-Koola Variation perform best?

The Kádas Opening: Koola-Koola Variation performs best for Black at 0-999, with an Expected Score of 51.0% (5.1K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.

Is the Kádas Opening: Koola-Koola Variation better in blitz or rapid?

For Black, the Kádas Opening: Koola-Koola Variation scores about the same in both: an Expected Score of 49.2% in Blitz (10K games) against 48.6% in Rapid (3.2K games).

How sharp is the Kádas Opening: Koola-Koola Variation?

The Kádas Opening: Koola-Koola Variation has a sharpness score of 86.9 (moderately decisive), meaning 86.9% of games end decisively. Average game length is 36 moves.

What is the Kádas Opening: Koola-Koola Variation win rate at 0-999?

At 0-999, Black wins 39.6%, draws 22.7% and loses 37.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.0%. It rests on 5.1K Lichess games, which average 36 moves.

What is the Kádas Opening: Koola-Koola Variation win rate at 1000-1199?

At 1000-1199, Black wins 39.9%, draws 14.1% and loses 46.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.9%. It rests on 2.7K Lichess games, which average 34 moves.

What is the Kádas Opening: Koola-Koola Variation win rate at 1200-1399?

At 1200-1399, Black wins 42.7%, draws 15.3% and loses 42.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.4%. It rests on 2.6K Lichess games, which average 36 moves.

What is the Kádas Opening: Koola-Koola Variation win rate at 1400-1599?

At 1400-1599, Black wins 42.7%, draws 15.6% and loses 41.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.5%. It rests on 2.8K Lichess games, which average 36 moves.

What is the Kádas Opening: Koola-Koola Variation win rate at 1600-1799?

At 1600-1799, Black wins 43.4%, draws 6.9% and loses 49.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.9%. It rests on 2.0K Lichess games, which average 35 moves.

What is the Kádas Opening: Koola-Koola Variation win rate at 1800-1999?

At 1800-1999, Black wins 45.2%, draws 4.6% and loses 50.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.6%. It rests on 1.9K Lichess games, which average 35 moves.

What is the Kádas Opening: Koola-Koola Variation win rate at 2000-2199?

At 2000-2199, Black wins 49.5%, draws 3.8% and loses 46.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.4%. It rests on 1.7K Lichess games, which average 37 moves.

What is the Kádas Opening: Koola-Koola Variation win rate at 2200-2499?

At 2200-2499, Black wins 46.0%, draws 4.8% and loses 49.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.5%. It rests on 1.8K Lichess games, which average 39 moves.

What is the Kádas Opening: Koola-Koola Variation win rate at 2500+?

At 2500+, Black wins 41.2%, draws 5.8% and loses 52.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 44.2%. It rests on 846 Lichess games, which average 41 moves.

What is the Kádas Opening: Koola-Koola Variation win rate in UltraBullet?

In UltraBullet, Black wins 48.7%, draws 2.7% and loses 48.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.1%. It rests on 782 Lichess games.

What is the Kádas Opening: Koola-Koola Variation win rate in Bullet?

In Bullet, Black wins 46.5%, draws 5.8% and loses 47.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.4%. It rests on 7.1K Lichess games.

What is the Kádas Opening: Koola-Koola Variation win rate in Blitz?

In Blitz, Black wins 40.7%, draws 16.9% and loses 42.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.2%. It rests on 10K Lichess games.

What is the Kádas Opening: Koola-Koola Variation win rate in Rapid?

In Rapid, Black wins 38.5%, draws 20.1% and loses 41.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.6%. It rests on 3.2K Lichess games.

What is the Kádas Opening: Koola-Koola Variation win rate in Classical?

In Classical, Black wins 44.2%, draws 13.6% and loses 42.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.0%. It rests on 244 Lichess games.

Is the Kádas Opening: Koola-Koola Variation a good opening?

The Kádas Opening: Koola-Koola Variation is about level. Across all ratings, Black wins 42.7% of its games and loses 44.2%. It performs best at 0-999. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.