Kangaroo Defense

2 variations · 329K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

Key Finding

Kangaroo Defense gives White a 54.0% expected score — a strong opening choice.

With a minimum advantage of 7.8%, this opening reliably outperforms the baseline 50% expected score.

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Rating

Time

White Expected Score0.0%Range (90% confident): 53.9% – 54.2%Aggregated from 2 variations

0%54.0%100%

Range (90% confident): 53.9% – 54.2%

ContextOverall · n=329K

Outcome Distribution

51.9%4.2%43.9%

Win

Draw

Loss

2...Bb4+

Kangaroo Defense

Variations2

Games (Context)329K

Avg Length35 moves

Draw Rate4.2%

What Should I Play?

Player-controlled continuations for White · Overall

#1Kangaroo Defense: Keres Defense, Transpositional VariationTop Pick

1.d4 e6 2.c4 Bb4+ 3.Nc3

Min adv +8.6% · n=171K

54.5%

Continuations show the most common variations from this opening. Higher expected scores indicate better statistical outcomes, but familiarity and playstyle matter too.

Snapshot

Overall, the Kangaroo Defense family has a 54.0% expected score for White (we're 90% confident it's between 53.9% and 54.2%), aggregated from 2 variations and 329K Lichess games.

White Win% by Rating

Declines with rating: 54% → 48%

1000

1200

1400

1600

1800

2000

2200

2500+

White Win% by Time Control

Best in Classical (57%), worst in UltraBullet (47%)

UltraBullet

Bullet

Blitz

Rapid

Classical

Rating vs Time Control Matrix

Click cells to filter · White expected scores

White% by Rating × Time Control

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

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: 53.9% expected score (76 games)
0-999 rating, Bullet: 55.9% expected score (3,879 games)
0-999 rating, Blitz: 55.7% expected score (9,355 games)
0-999 rating, Rapid: 55.6% expected score (4,788 games)
0-999 rating, Classical: 62.4% expected score (47 games)
1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 50.3% expected score (198 games)
1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 55.2% expected score (6,989 games)
1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 55.0% expected score (16,965 games)
1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 57.9% expected score (6,699 games)
1000-1199 rating, Classical: 62.7% expected score (211 games)
1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 46.9% expected score (654 games)
1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 54.4% expected score (10,989 games)
1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 54.7% expected score (29,469 games)
1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 55.8% expected score (9,845 games)
1200-1399 rating, Classical: 61.3% expected score (558 games)
1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 44.6% expected score (2,643 games)
1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 54.8% expected score (15,557 games)
1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 53.9% expected score (36,507 games)
1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 55.1% expected score (13,306 games)
1400-1599 rating, Classical: 61.4% expected score (812 games)
1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 47.8% expected score (3,405 games)
1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 55.3% expected score (16,877 games)
1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 54.3% expected score (32,084 games)
1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 54.3% expected score (12,843 games)
1600-1799 rating, Classical: 59.3% expected score (854 games)
1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 52.3% expected score (1,522 games)
1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 53.7% expected score (15,590 games)
1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 52.5% expected score (22,747 games)
1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 54.2% expected score (8,195 games)
1800-1999 rating, Classical: 56.8% expected score (376 games)
2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 52.9% expected score (392 games)
2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 52.7% expected score (9,215 games)
2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 51.5% expected score (12,762 games)
2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 52.5% expected score (2,959 games)
2000-2199 rating, Classical: 56.5% expected score (76 games)
2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 54.7% expected score (31 games)
2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 51.0% expected score (5,847 games)
2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 51.8% expected score (9,709 games)
2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 56.1% expected score (662 games)
2200-2499 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (12 games)
2500+ rating, UltraBullet: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
2500+ rating, Bullet: 52.8% expected score (1,931 games)
2500+ rating, Blitz: 54.0% expected score (1,774 games)
2500+ rating, Rapid: 41.1% expected score (38 games)
2500+ rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (3 games)

Matrix view reveals how performance varies across rating brackets and time controls. Green indicates favorable, red indicates challenging contexts.

Variations (2)

Kangaroo Defense: Keres Defense, Transpositional Variation171K games

Winning54.5%

Kangaroo Defense158K games

Winning53.6%

Analyze Kangaroo Defense PositionsGet move-by-move win rates with the TrueElo analyzer

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Kangaroo Defense win rate?

The Kangaroo Defense family has a 51.9% (90% CI: 51.8%-52.1%) win rate for white, aggregated from 2 variations and 329K rated games from Lichess.

How many Kangaroo Defense variations are there?

This analysis covers 2 Kangaroo Defense variations with sufficient game data. Each variation has its own statistics page with detailed win rates by rating and time control.

At what rating does the Kangaroo Defense perform best?

The Kangaroo Defense family performs best at 1000-1199 Elo with a 53.9% win rate for white (31K games). Performance may vary by specific variation.

Is the Kangaroo Defense better in blitz or rapid?

Classical (57.3%) outperforms UltraBullet (47.0%) by 10.3% across all Kangaroo Defense variations.

How sharp is the Kangaroo Defense?

Kangaroo Defense games are 95.8% decisive (non-draws), with an average length of 35 moves. Sharpness varies by specific variation.

Is the Kangaroo Defense a good opening family?

The Kangaroo Defense family is statistically favors white overall with a 51.9% (90% CI: 51.8%-52.1%) aggregated win rate. However, win rates vary significantly between the 2 variations—explore individual lines to find the best fit for your style.