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Kangaroo Defense: Keres Defense, Transpositional Variation

171K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

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Analyze this line move by move

White expected score · All ratings · All speeds

54.5%

45%60%
Floor54.3%

the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 54.7%.

Measured over 171K 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 3.6 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 171K games

Rank among the families White can choose here
not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
Games in this context
171K
Best context
59.7% at 1000-1199 Rapid
Worst context
45.7% at 1400-1599 UltraBullet
Average game length
34 moves
Games that end decisively
96.4%
Draws
3.6%

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.

Extra Analysis

Deep-dive datasets for this opening

Time-Control Swing

Max swing: 9.6% · Classical best · UltraBullet worst

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 falls away as the rating rises: 59.8% at 0-999, 40.1% 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: 58.9% expected score (49 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Bullet: 57.2% expected score (2,068 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 57.4% expected score (3,671 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 57.4% expected score (1,546 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Classical: 68.0% expected score (18 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 51.8% expected score (141 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 56.5% expected score (4,198 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 56.2% expected score (7,659 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 59.7% expected score (2,557 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 71.2% expected score (67 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 47.6% expected score (466 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 54.9% expected score (6,879 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 54.8% expected score (14,764 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 56.6% expected score (3,954 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 62.5% expected score (159 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 45.7% expected score (1,929 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 56.0% expected score (10,001 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 54.5% expected score (19,718 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 56.1% expected score (5,867 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 60.6% expected score (302 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 49.3% expected score (2,471 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 56.4% expected score (11,253 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 54.4% expected score (18,165 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 54.3% expected score (6,092 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 61.3% expected score (387 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 53.8% expected score (1,160 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 54.2% expected score (10,300 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 52.4% expected score (12,232 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 53.5% expected score (3,975 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 49.3% expected score (143 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 54.8% expected score (251 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 53.2% expected score (5,614 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 51.5% expected score (4,926 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 51.1% expected score (1,284 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 64.7% expected score (19 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 58.5% expected score (22 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 50.2% expected score (2,949 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 51.9% expected score (2,692 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 50.0% expected score (161 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 38.9% expected score (3 games)
  • 2500+ rating, UltraBullet: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 50.6% expected score (791 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 56.6% expected score (402 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 23.4% expected score (6 games)

Related Openings

Parent
Kangaroo Defense
51.1%
Analyze Kangaroo Defense: Keres Defense, Transpositional Variation PositionsSee what each move is worth at your rating, move by move

Methodology

Across every rating and clock, the Kangaroo Defense: Keres Defense, Transpositional Variation scores 54.5% for White — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 54.3% and 54.7% — from 171K 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
171K+ 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 before we will say where it stops working. The chaos and trap lists need 500 games.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Kangaroo Defense: Keres Defense, Transpositional Variation win rate?

The Kangaroo Defense: Keres Defense, Transpositional Variation scores 54.5% (range, 90% confident: 54.3% – 54.7%) for White, based on 171K rated games from Lichess.

At what rating does the Kangaroo Defense: Keres Defense, Transpositional Variation perform best?

The Kangaroo Defense: Keres Defense, Transpositional Variation performs best at 0-999, where it scores 57.4% for White (7.4K games). It tends to score less at higher ratings as opponents know the theory better.

Is the Kangaroo Defense: Keres Defense, Transpositional Variation better in blitz or rapid?

For White, Classical (60.5%) outperforms UltraBullet (49.3%). Choose your time control wisely.

How sharp is the Kangaroo Defense: Keres Defense, Transpositional Variation?

The Kangaroo Defense: Keres Defense, Transpositional Variation has a sharpness score of 96.4 (very decisive), meaning 96.4% of games end decisively. Average game length is 34 moves.

What is the Kangaroo Defense: Keres Defense, Transpositional Variation win rate at 0-999?

At 0-999, the Kangaroo Defense: Keres Defense, Transpositional Variation scores 57.4% (range, 90% confident: 56.4% – 58.3%) for White, based on 7.4K Lichess games. Average game length is 26 moves with a 2.8% draw rate.

What is the Kangaroo Defense: Keres Defense, Transpositional Variation win rate at 1000-1199?

At 1000-1199, the Kangaroo Defense: Keres Defense, Transpositional Variation scores 56.9% (range, 90% confident: 56.2% – 57.6%) for White, based on 15K Lichess games. Average game length is 30 moves with a 3.0% draw rate.

What is the Kangaroo Defense: Keres Defense, Transpositional Variation win rate at 1200-1399?

At 1200-1399, the Kangaroo Defense: Keres Defense, Transpositional Variation scores 55.0% (range, 90% confident: 54.5% – 55.5%) for White, based on 26K Lichess games. Average game length is 32 moves with a 3.2% draw rate.

What is the Kangaroo Defense: Keres Defense, Transpositional Variation win rate at 1400-1599?

At 1400-1599, the Kangaroo Defense: Keres Defense, Transpositional Variation scores 54.8% (range, 90% confident: 54.3% – 55.2%) for White, based on 38K Lichess games. Average game length is 33 moves with a 3.3% draw rate.

What is the Kangaroo Defense: Keres Defense, Transpositional Variation win rate at 1600-1799?

At 1600-1799, the Kangaroo Defense: Keres Defense, Transpositional Variation scores 54.7% (range, 90% confident: 54.3% – 55.1%) for White, based on 38K Lichess games. Average game length is 35 moves with a 3.6% draw rate.

What is the Kangaroo Defense: Keres Defense, Transpositional Variation win rate at 1800-1999?

At 1800-1999, the Kangaroo Defense: Keres Defense, Transpositional Variation scores 53.3% (range, 90% confident: 52.8% – 53.8%) for White, based on 28K Lichess games. Average game length is 37 moves with a 3.9% draw rate.

What is the Kangaroo Defense: Keres Defense, Transpositional Variation win rate at 2000-2199?

At 2000-2199, the Kangaroo Defense: Keres Defense, Transpositional Variation scores 52.3% (range, 90% confident: 51.6% – 53.0%) for White, based on 12K Lichess games. Average game length is 37 moves with a 4.6% draw rate.

What is the Kangaroo Defense: Keres Defense, Transpositional Variation win rate at 2200-2499?

At 2200-2499, the Kangaroo Defense: Keres Defense, Transpositional Variation scores 51.0% (range, 90% confident: 49.9% – 52.1%) for White, based on 5.8K Lichess games. Average game length is 38 moves with a 6.0% draw rate.

What is the Kangaroo Defense: Keres Defense, Transpositional Variation win rate at 2500+?

At 2500+, the Kangaroo Defense: Keres Defense, Transpositional Variation scores 52.4% (range, 90% confident: 50.1% – 54.8%) for White, based on 1.2K Lichess games. Average game length is 40 moves with a 7.5% draw rate.

What is the Kangaroo Defense: Keres Defense, Transpositional Variation win rate in UltraBullet?

In UltraBullet games, the Kangaroo Defense: Keres Defense, Transpositional Variation scores 49.3% (range, 90% confident: 48.3% – 50.3%) for White (6.5K Lichess games). Draw rate is 1.8%.

What is the Kangaroo Defense: Keres Defense, Transpositional Variation win rate in Bullet?

In Bullet games, the Kangaroo Defense: Keres Defense, Transpositional Variation scores 55.0% (range, 90% confident: 54.6% – 55.3%) for White (54K Lichess games). Draw rate is 2.6%.

What is the Kangaroo Defense: Keres Defense, Transpositional Variation win rate in Blitz?

In Blitz games, the Kangaroo Defense: Keres Defense, Transpositional Variation scores 54.2% (range, 90% confident: 54.0% – 54.5%) for White (84K Lichess games). Draw rate is 4.0%.

What is the Kangaroo Defense: Keres Defense, Transpositional Variation win rate in Rapid?

In Rapid games, the Kangaroo Defense: Keres Defense, Transpositional Variation scores 55.4% (range, 90% confident: 54.9% – 56.0%) for White (25K Lichess games). Draw rate is 4.8%.

What is the Kangaroo Defense: Keres Defense, Transpositional Variation win rate in Classical?

In Classical games, the Kangaroo Defense: Keres Defense, Transpositional Variation scores 60.5% (range, 90% confident: 58.1% – 62.9%) for White (1.1K Lichess games). Draw rate is 5.0%.

Is the Kangaroo Defense: Keres Defense, Transpositional Variation a good opening?

The Kangaroo Defense: Keres Defense, Transpositional Variation is good for White with a 52.7% (range, 90% confident: 52.5% – 52.9%) win rate across all ratings. It performs best at 0-999. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.