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King's Indian Attack: Spassky Variation

39K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

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Analyze this line move by move

Black expected score · All ratings · All speeds

47.8%

40%55%
Floor47.4%

the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 48.3%.

Measured over 39K games at this level and clock.

Tough Sellloses more often than it wins at this level

Black comes out behind here — there are better weapons in the list.

Outcomes for Black

Draw 7.3 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 39K games

Rank among the families Black can choose here
not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
Games in this context
39K
Best context
53.5% at 1800-1999 Blitz
Worst context
44.0% at 2500+ Blitz
Average game length
40 moves
Games that end decisively
92.7%
Draws
7.3%

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 gets better as the rating rises: 38.5% at 0-999, 43.4% 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, Bullet: 32.8% expected score (13 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 40.7% expected score (68 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 41.6% expected score (58 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Classical: 38.9% expected score (3 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 41.3% expected score (10 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 51.9% expected score (51 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 43.0% expected score (41 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 37.8% expected score (19 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 49.3% expected score (67 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 45.4% expected score (42 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 16.7% expected score (3 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 55.9% expected score (7 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 41.4% expected score (68 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 43.8% expected score (87 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 40.6% expected score (41 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 36.7% expected score (6 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 88.5% expected score (5 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 47.2% expected score (175 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 49.1% expected score (207 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 40.1% expected score (54 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 60.6% expected score (8 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 45.2% expected score (464 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 53.5% expected score (1,052 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 54.1% expected score (132 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 61.5% expected score (29 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 83.4% expected score (3 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 46.8% expected score (1,534 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 51.9% expected score (5,029 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 51.6% expected score (387 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 64.3% expected score (16 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 47.7% expected score (5,886 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 48.9% expected score (12,279 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 50.6% expected score (879 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 42.7% expected score (19 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 44.2% expected score (6,192 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 44.0% expected score (3,934 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 41.9% expected score (121 games)

Related Openings

Parent
King's Indian Attack
51.3%
Variations (5)
King's Indian Attack: Symmetrical Defense
50.0%
King's Indian Attack: Sicilian Variation
53.3%
King's Indian Attack: French Variation
51.7%
King's Indian Attack: Yugoslav Variation
50.5%
King's Indian Attack: Keres Variation
51.7%
Analyze King's Indian Attack: Spassky Variation PositionsSee what each move is worth at your rating, move by move

Methodology

Across every rating and clock, the King's Indian Attack: Spassky Variation scores 47.8% for Black — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 47.4% and 48.3% — from 39K 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
39K+ 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 King's Indian Attack: Spassky Variation win rate?

Playing the King's Indian Attack: Spassky Variation, Black wins 44.2%, draws 7.3% and loses 48.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.8%. It rests on 39K rated games from Lichess.

At what rating does the King's Indian Attack: Spassky Variation perform best?

The King's Indian Attack: Spassky Variation performs best for Black at 2000-2199, with an Expected Score of 50.8% (7.0K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.

Is the King's Indian Attack: Spassky Variation better in blitz or rapid?

For Black, the King's Indian Attack: Spassky Variation scores about the same in both: an Expected Score of 48.9% in Blitz (23K games) against 49.3% in Rapid (1.8K games).

How sharp is the King's Indian Attack: Spassky Variation?

The King's Indian Attack: Spassky Variation has a sharpness score of 92.7 (decisive), meaning 92.7% of games end decisively. Average game length is 40 moves.

What is the King's Indian Attack: Spassky Variation win rate at 0-999?

At 0-999, Black wins 37.3%, draws 5.2% and loses 57.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 39.9%. It rests on 142 Lichess games, which average 31 moves.

What is the King's Indian Attack: Spassky Variation win rate at 1000-1199?

At 1000-1199, Black wins 45.5%, draws 2.4% and loses 52.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.7%. It rests on 103 Lichess games, which average 30 moves.

What is the King's Indian Attack: Spassky Variation win rate at 1200-1399?

At 1200-1399, Black wins 45.3%, draws 0.4% and loses 54.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 45.5%. It rests on 132 Lichess games, which average 32 moves.

What is the King's Indian Attack: Spassky Variation win rate at 1400-1599?

At 1400-1599, Black wins 39.7%, draws 5.5% and loses 54.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 42.4%. It rests on 209 Lichess games, which average 33 moves.

What is the King's Indian Attack: Spassky Variation win rate at 1600-1799?

At 1600-1799, Black wins 45.2%, draws 5.7% and loses 49.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.0%. It rests on 449 Lichess games, which average 35 moves.

What is the King's Indian Attack: Spassky Variation win rate at 1800-1999?

At 1800-1999, Black wins 48.7%, draws 5.3% and loses 46.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.4%. It rests on 1.7K Lichess games, which average 36 moves.

What is the King's Indian Attack: Spassky Variation win rate at 2000-2199?

At 2000-2199, Black wins 47.8%, draws 6.0% and loses 46.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.8%. It rests on 7.0K Lichess games, which average 38 moves.

What is the King's Indian Attack: Spassky Variation win rate at 2200-2499?

At 2200-2499, Black wins 44.7%, draws 7.8% and loses 47.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.6%. It rests on 19K Lichess games, which average 40 moves.

What is the King's Indian Attack: Spassky Variation win rate at 2500+?

At 2500+, Black wins 40.1%, draws 7.9% and loses 52.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 44.1%. It rests on 10K Lichess games, which average 44 moves.

What is the King's Indian Attack: Spassky Variation win rate in Bullet?

In Bullet, Black wins 43.1%, draws 5.6% and loses 51.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 45.9%. It rests on 14K Lichess games.

What is the King's Indian Attack: Spassky Variation win rate in Blitz?

In Blitz, Black wins 44.7%, draws 8.3% and loses 47.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.9%. It rests on 23K Lichess games.

What is the King's Indian Attack: Spassky Variation win rate in Rapid?

In Rapid, Black wins 44.9%, draws 8.7% and loses 46.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.3%. It rests on 1.8K Lichess games.

Is the King's Indian Attack: Spassky Variation a good opening?

The King's Indian Attack: Spassky Variation is hard work for Black — it favours White. Across all ratings, Black wins 44.2% of its games and loses 48.6%. It performs best at 2000-2199. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.