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King's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Classical Variation

90K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

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Analyze this line move by move

White expected score · All ratings · All speeds

51.6%

45%55%
Floor51.3%

the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 51.8%.

Measured over 90K 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 White

Draw 5.7 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 90K games

Rank among the families White can choose here
not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
Games in this context
90K
Best context
56.7% at 2200-2499 Rapid
Worst context
50.1% at 2200-2499 Bullet
Average game length
39 moves
Games that end decisively
94.3%
Draws
5.7%

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 holds about the same all the way up, near 47.0%.

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: 54.8% expected score (9 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 72.5% expected score (23 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 13.7% expected score (4 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 50.0% expected score (73 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 49.2% expected score (62 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 59.3% expected score (20 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 50.0% expected score (4 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 53.1% expected score (246 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 51.2% expected score (217 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 64.1% expected score (59 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 38.9% expected score (3 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 34.9% expected score (15 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 53.4% expected score (569 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 51.7% expected score (670 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 59.1% expected score (181 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 58.0% expected score (11 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 54.7% expected score (20 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 52.0% expected score (1,302 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 51.8% expected score (2,126 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 54.5% expected score (448 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 51.5% expected score (32 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 57.6% expected score (38 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 52.4% expected score (2,869 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 51.4% expected score (6,703 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 51.4% expected score (1,278 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 59.0% expected score (115 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 55.1% expected score (18 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 50.8% expected score (6,651 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 51.7% expected score (14,456 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 53.6% expected score (1,958 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 44.5% expected score (116 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 60.4% expected score (13 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 50.1% expected score (15,849 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 50.9% expected score (17,742 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 56.7% expected score (1,819 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 56.4% expected score (22 games)
  • 2500+ rating, UltraBullet: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 52.2% expected score (9,927 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 53.0% expected score (3,969 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 58.8% expected score (130 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (2 games)

Related Openings

Parent
King's Indian Defense
48.1%
Variations (5)
King's Indian Defense: Normal Variation
48.9%
King's Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Rare Defenses
47.5%
King's Indian Defense: Normal Variation, King's Knight Variation
48.1%
King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation
49.9%
King's Indian Defense: Smyslov Variation
48.7%
Analyze King's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Classical Variation PositionsSee what each move is worth at your rating, move by move

Methodology

Across every rating and clock, the King's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Classical Variation scores 51.6% for White — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 51.3% and 51.8% — from 90K 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
90K+ 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: Fianchetto Variation, Classical Variation win rate?

Playing the King's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Classical Variation, White wins 48.7%, draws 5.7% and loses 45.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.6%. It rests on 90K rated games from Lichess.

At what rating does the King's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Classical Variation perform best?

The King's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Classical Variation performs best for White at 2500+, with an Expected Score of 52.5% (14K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.

Is the King's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Classical Variation better in blitz or rapid?

For White, the King's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Classical Variation scores higher in Rapid: an Expected Score of 51.5% in Blitz (46K games) against 54.5% in Rapid (5.9K games).

How sharp is the King's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Classical Variation?

The King's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Classical Variation has a sharpness score of 94.3 (decisive), meaning 94.3% of games end decisively. Average game length is 39 moves.

What is the King's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Classical Variation win rate at 1000-1199?

At 1000-1199, White wins 50.5%, draws 1.6% and loses 47.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.3%. It rests on 156 Lichess games, which average 29 moves.

What is the King's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Classical Variation win rate at 1200-1399?

At 1200-1399, White wins 51.7%, draws 3.3% and loses 45.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.4%. It rests on 529 Lichess games, which average 30 moves.

What is the King's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Classical Variation win rate at 1400-1599?

At 1400-1599, White wins 51.4%, draws 3.4% and loses 45.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.2%. It rests on 1.4K Lichess games, which average 32 moves.

What is the King's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Classical Variation win rate at 1600-1799?

At 1600-1799, White wins 50.3%, draws 3.8% and loses 45.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.2%. It rests on 3.9K Lichess games, which average 33 moves.

What is the King's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Classical Variation win rate at 1800-1999?

At 1800-1999, White wins 49.6%, draws 4.4% and loses 46.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.8%. It rests on 11K Lichess games, which average 36 moves.

What is the King's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Classical Variation win rate at 2000-2199?

At 2000-2199, White wins 48.9%, draws 5.4% and loses 45.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.6%. It rests on 23K Lichess games, which average 38 moves.

What is the King's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Classical Variation win rate at 2200-2499?

At 2200-2499, White wins 47.8%, draws 6.1% and loses 46.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.9%. It rests on 35K Lichess games, which average 40 moves.

What is the King's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Classical Variation win rate at 2500+?

At 2500+, White wins 48.9%, draws 7.2% and loses 44.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.5%. It rests on 14K Lichess games, which average 43 moves.

What is the King's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Classical Variation win rate in UltraBullet?

In UltraBullet, White wins 51.1%, draws 4.1% and loses 44.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.2%. It rests on 109 Lichess games.

What is the King's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Classical Variation win rate in Bullet?

In Bullet, White wins 48.8%, draws 4.6% and loses 46.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.1%. It rests on 37K Lichess games.

What is the King's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Classical Variation win rate in Blitz?

In Blitz, White wins 48.3%, draws 6.3% and loses 45.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.5%. It rests on 46K Lichess games.

What is the King's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Classical Variation win rate in Rapid?

In Rapid, White wins 50.7%, draws 7.6% and loses 41.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.5%. It rests on 5.9K Lichess games.

What is the King's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Classical Variation win rate in Classical?

In Classical, White wins 47.3%, draws 10.0% and loses 42.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.3%. It rests on 302 Lichess games.

Is the King's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Classical Variation a good opening?

The King's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Classical Variation is about level. Across all ratings, White wins 48.7% of its games and loses 45.6%. It performs best at 2500+. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.