King's Indian Defense: Averbakh Variation, Benoni Defense, Exchange Variation
2.4K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026
White expected score · All ratings · All speeds
52.7%
the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 54.4%.
Measured over 2.4K games at this level and clock.
A strong choice for White at this level and clock.
Outcomes for White
Draw 7.2 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 2.4K games
- Rank among the families White can choose here
- not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
- Games in this context
- 2.4K
- Best context
- 54.7% at 2200-2499 Blitz
- Average game length
- 39 moves
- Games that end decisively
- 92.8%
- Draws
- 7.2%
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 · 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 gets better as the rating rises: 50.0% at 1000-1199, 52.6% at 2500+.
| 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
- 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 32.4% expected score (7 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 38.9% expected score (3 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 58.7% expected score (10 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 53.3% expected score (14 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 27.0% expected score (5 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 62.2% expected score (15 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 55.0% expected score (49 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 56.9% expected score (13 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 59.1% expected score (4 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 51.2% expected score (39 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 42.1% expected score (131 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 46.3% expected score (25 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 46.3% expected score (12 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 52.6% expected score (136 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 48.0% expected score (324 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 59.0% expected score (43 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 31.0% expected score (9 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 52.4% expected score (432 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 54.7% expected score (846 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 58.9% expected score (21 games)
- 2500+ rating, Bullet: 59.1% expected score (229 games)
- 2500+ rating, Blitz: 48.7% expected score (36 games)
- 2500+ rating, Rapid: 50.0% expected score (1 games)
Related Openings
Methodology
Across every rating and clock, the King's Indian Defense: Averbakh Variation, Benoni Defense, Exchange Variation scores 52.7% for White — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 51.1% and 54.4% — from 2.4K 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
- 2.4K+ 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 Defense: Averbakh Variation, Benoni Defense, Exchange Variation win rate?
Playing the King's Indian Defense: Averbakh Variation, Benoni Defense, Exchange Variation, White wins 49.1%, draws 7.2% and loses 43.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.7%. It rests on 2.4K rated games from Lichess.
At what rating does the King's Indian Defense: Averbakh Variation, Benoni Defense, Exchange Variation perform best?
The King's Indian Defense: Averbakh Variation, Benoni Defense, Exchange Variation performs best for White at 2500+, with an Expected Score of 57.7% (266 games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.
Is the King's Indian Defense: Averbakh Variation, Benoni Defense, Exchange Variation better in blitz or rapid?
For White, the King's Indian Defense: Averbakh Variation, Benoni Defense, Exchange Variation scores higher in Rapid: an Expected Score of 51.7% in Blitz (1.4K games) against 53.6% in Rapid (111 games).
How sharp is the King's Indian Defense: Averbakh Variation, Benoni Defense, Exchange Variation?
The King's Indian Defense: Averbakh Variation, Benoni Defense, Exchange Variation has a sharpness score of 92.8 (decisive), meaning 92.8% of games end decisively. Average game length is 39 moves.
What is the King's Indian Defense: Averbakh Variation, Benoni Defense, Exchange Variation win rate at 1800-1999?
At 1800-1999, White wins 41.0%, draws 7.0% and loses 52.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 44.5%. It rests on 207 Lichess games, which average 35 moves.
What is the King's Indian Defense: Averbakh Variation, Benoni Defense, Exchange Variation win rate at 2000-2199?
At 2000-2199, White wins 46.4%, draws 6.7% and loses 46.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.8%. It rests on 512 Lichess games, which average 36 moves.
What is the King's Indian Defense: Averbakh Variation, Benoni Defense, Exchange Variation win rate at 2200-2499?
At 2200-2499, White wins 50.7%, draws 6.7% and loses 42.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.1%. It rests on 1.3K Lichess games, which average 39 moves.
What is the King's Indian Defense: Averbakh Variation, Benoni Defense, Exchange Variation win rate at 2500+?
At 2500+, White wins 52.1%, draws 11.0% and loses 36.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 57.7%. It rests on 266 Lichess games, which average 45 moves.
What is the King's Indian Defense: Averbakh Variation, Benoni Defense, Exchange Variation win rate in Bullet?
In Bullet, White wins 51.6%, draws 5.8% and loses 42.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.5%. It rests on 862 Lichess games.
What is the King's Indian Defense: Averbakh Variation, Benoni Defense, Exchange Variation win rate in Blitz?
In Blitz, White wins 48.0%, draws 7.5% and loses 44.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.7%. It rests on 1.4K Lichess games.
What is the King's Indian Defense: Averbakh Variation, Benoni Defense, Exchange Variation win rate in Rapid?
In Rapid, White wins 46.7%, draws 13.8% and loses 39.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.6%. It rests on 111 Lichess games.
Is the King's Indian Defense: Averbakh Variation, Benoni Defense, Exchange Variation a good opening?
The King's Indian Defense: Averbakh Variation, Benoni Defense, Exchange Variation is about level. Across all ratings, White wins 49.1% of its games and loses 43.7%. It performs best at 2500+. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.