King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation, Glek Defense
45K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026
Black expected score · All ratings · All speeds
50.5%
the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 50.9%.
Measured over 45K games at this level and clock.
Roughly even — the middlegame decides more than this opening choice does.
Outcomes for Black
Draw 7.0 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 45K games
- Rank among the families Black can choose here
- not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
- Games in this context
- 45K
- Best context
- 55.4% at 2000-2199 Rapid
- Worst context
- 43.6% at 2500+ Blitz
- Average game length
- 40 moves
- Games that end decisively
- 93.0%
- Draws
- 7.0%
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 falls away as the rating rises: 73.1% at 0-999, 44.4% 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
- 0-999 rating, Blitz: 73.1% expected score (5 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 57.5% expected score (12 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 63.4% expected score (6 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 50.0% expected score (7 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 56.4% expected score (30 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 67.1% expected score (22 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 67.4% expected score (10 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 58.9% expected score (66 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 53.3% expected score (135 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 47.1% expected score (33 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 64.3% expected score (2 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 57.8% expected score (212 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 54.5% expected score (504 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 52.0% expected score (100 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (7 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 53.1% expected score (744 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 53.5% expected score (2,801 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 52.6% expected score (426 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (49 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 51.0% expected score (1,578 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 53.5% expected score (8,236 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 55.4% expected score (1,006 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 53.3% expected score (29 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 51.5% expected score (5,294 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 49.2% expected score (15,558 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 48.0% expected score (1,088 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 42.5% expected score (25 games)
- 2500+ rating, Bullet: 49.3% expected score (3,560 games)
- 2500+ rating, Blitz: 43.6% expected score (3,399 games)
- 2500+ rating, Rapid: 37.7% expected score (112 games)
- 2500+ rating, Classical: 46.8% expected score (14 games)
Related Openings
Methodology
Across every rating and clock, the King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation, Glek Defense scores 50.5% for Black — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 50.1% and 50.9% — from 45K 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
- 45K+ 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: Orthodox Variation, Glek Defense win rate?
Playing the King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation, Glek Defense, Black wins 47.0%, draws 7.0% and loses 46.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.5%. It rests on 45K rated games from Lichess.
At what rating does the King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation, Glek Defense perform best?
The King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation, Glek Defense performs best for Black at 1200-1399, with an Expected Score of 62.6% (62 games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.
Is the King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation, Glek Defense better in blitz or rapid?
For Black, the King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation, Glek Defense scores higher in Rapid: an Expected Score of 50.2% in Blitz (31K games) against 51.2% in Rapid (2.8K games).
How sharp is the King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation, Glek Defense?
The King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation, Glek Defense has a sharpness score of 93.0 (decisive), meaning 93.0% of games end decisively. Average game length is 40 moves.
What is the King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation, Glek Defense win rate at 1400-1599?
At 1400-1599, Black wins 52.4%, draws 3.6% and loses 44.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.2%. It rests on 236 Lichess games, which average 32 moves.
What is the King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation, Glek Defense win rate at 1600-1799?
At 1600-1799, Black wins 52.7%, draws 4.5% and loses 42.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 55.0%. It rests on 823 Lichess games, which average 34 moves.
What is the King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation, Glek Defense win rate at 1800-1999?
At 1800-1999, Black wins 50.3%, draws 5.8% and loses 43.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.3%. It rests on 4.0K Lichess games, which average 35 moves.
What is the King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation, Glek Defense win rate at 2000-2199?
At 2000-2199, Black wins 50.2%, draws 6.1% and loses 43.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.3%. It rests on 11K Lichess games, which average 38 moves.
What is the King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation, Glek Defense win rate at 2200-2499?
At 2200-2499, Black wins 46.3%, draws 6.7% and loses 47.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.7%. It rests on 22K Lichess games, which average 40 moves.
What is the King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation, Glek Defense win rate at 2500+?
At 2500+, Black wins 41.2%, draws 10.2% and loses 48.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.3%. It rests on 7.1K Lichess games, which average 44 moves.
What is the King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation, Glek Defense win rate in Bullet?
In Bullet, Black wins 48.3%, draws 5.3% and loses 46.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.0%. It rests on 11K Lichess games.
What is the King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation, Glek Defense win rate in Blitz?
In Blitz, Black wins 46.5%, draws 7.3% and loses 46.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.2%. It rests on 31K Lichess games.
What is the King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation, Glek Defense win rate in Rapid?
In Rapid, Black wins 46.5%, draws 9.3% and loses 44.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.2%. It rests on 2.8K Lichess games.
What is the King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation, Glek Defense win rate in Classical?
In Classical, Black wins 38.8%, draws 20.8% and loses 40.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.2%. It rests on 126 Lichess games.
Is the King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation, Glek Defense a good opening?
The King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation, Glek Defense is about level. Across all ratings, Black wins 47.0% of its games and loses 46.1%. It performs best at 1200-1399. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.