King's Knight Opening

3 variations · 7.8M games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

Key Finding

King's Knight Opening gives White a 53.1% expected score — a strong opening choice.

With a minimum advantage of 6.1%, this opening reliably outperforms the baseline 50% expected score.

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Rating

Time

White Expected Score0.0%Range (90% confident): 53.1% – 53.1%Aggregated from 3 variations

0%53.1%100%

Range (90% confident): 53.1% – 53.1%

ContextOverall · n=7.8M

Outcome Distribution

51.0%4.1%44.9%

Win

Draw

Loss

2.Nf3

King's Knight Opening

Variations3

Games (Context)7.8M

Avg Length31 moves

Draw Rate4.1%

What Should I Play?

Player-controlled continuations for White · Overall

#1King's Knight OpeningTop Pick

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3

Min adv +23.5% · n=2.9M

61.8%

#2King's Knight Opening: Konstantinopolsky

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.g3

Min adv -1.2% · n=633K

49.5%

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 King's Knight Opening family has a 53.1% expected score for White (we're 90% confident it's between 53.1% and 53.1%), aggregated from 3 variations and 7.8M Lichess games.

White Win% by Rating

Declines with rating: 52% → 49%

1000

1200

1400

1600

1800

2000

2200

2500+

White Win% by Time Control

Best in UltraBullet (55%), worst in Blitz (51%)

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: 51.3% expected score (2,612 games)
0-999 rating, Bullet: 54.4% expected score (247,736 games)
0-999 rating, Blitz: 53.2% expected score (687,982 games)
0-999 rating, Rapid: 54.7% expected score (514,721 games)
0-999 rating, Classical: 53.9% expected score (6,404 games)
1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 56.6% expected score (4,892 games)
1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 53.9% expected score (278,129 games)
1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 53.3% expected score (734,843 games)
1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 53.9% expected score (453,158 games)
1000-1199 rating, Classical: 56.3% expected score (17,158 games)
1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 56.0% expected score (5,933 games)
1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 53.4% expected score (299,995 games)
1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 52.9% expected score (792,707 games)
1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 53.2% expected score (475,041 games)
1200-1399 rating, Classical: 56.2% expected score (27,281 games)
1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 54.7% expected score (4,493 games)
1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 52.8% expected score (291,989 games)
1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 52.4% expected score (742,771 games)
1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 52.1% expected score (416,914 games)
1400-1599 rating, Classical: 54.8% expected score (38,358 games)
1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 56.5% expected score (2,172 games)
1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 52.9% expected score (232,539 games)
1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 52.3% expected score (528,796 games)
1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 52.4% expected score (267,075 games)
1600-1799 rating, Classical: 56.0% expected score (16,713 games)
1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 53.6% expected score (1,208 games)
1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 52.3% expected score (153,560 games)
1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 51.8% expected score (243,811 games)
1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 52.4% expected score (107,995 games)
1800-1999 rating, Classical: 54.1% expected score (3,505 games)
2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 62.4% expected score (436 games)
2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 51.8% expected score (77,674 games)
2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 52.0% expected score (69,739 games)
2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 54.0% expected score (19,130 games)
2000-2199 rating, Classical: 55.7% expected score (511 games)
2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 48.3% expected score (145 games)
2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 51.6% expected score (35,773 games)
2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 53.0% expected score (14,869 games)
2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 56.0% expected score (2,070 games)
2200-2499 rating, Classical: 61.9% expected score (83 games)
2500+ rating, UltraBullet: 27.0% expected score (5 games)
2500+ rating, Bullet: 54.3% expected score (6,113 games)
2500+ rating, Blitz: 56.5% expected score (2,050 games)
2500+ rating, Rapid: 61.6% expected score (98 games)
2500+ rating, Classical: 39.7% expected score (13 games)

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

Variations (3)

King's Knight Opening2.9M games

Winning61.8%

King's Knight Opening: Konstantinopolsky633K games

Balanced49.5%

King's Knight Opening: Normal Variation4.3M games

Losing47.9%

Analyze King's Knight Opening PositionsGet move-by-move win rates with the TrueElo analyzer

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the King's Knight Opening win rate?

The King's Knight Opening family has a 51.0% (90% CI: 51.0%-51.0%) win rate for white, aggregated from 3 variations and 7.8M rated games from Lichess.

How many King's Knight Opening variations are there?

This analysis covers 3 King's Knight Opening 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 King's Knight Opening perform best?

The King's Knight Opening family performs best at 0-999 Elo with a 51.7% win rate for white (1.5M games). Performance may vary by specific variation.

Is the King's Knight Opening better in blitz or rapid?

UltraBullet (54.5%) outperforms Blitz (50.6%) by 3.9% across all King's Knight Opening variations.

How sharp is the King's Knight Opening?

King's Knight Opening games are 95.9% decisive (non-draws), with an average length of 31 moves. Sharpness varies by specific variation.

Is the King's Knight Opening a good opening family?

The King's Knight Opening family is statistically favors white overall with a 51.0% (90% CI: 51.0%-51.0%) aggregated win rate. However, win rates vary significantly between the 3 variations—explore individual lines to find the best fit for your style.