Pirc Defense: Kholmov System

399K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

Playable
White Expected Score51.7%Range (90% confident): 51.6% – 51.9%Based on 399K games
0%51.7%100%
Range (90% confident): 51.6% – 51.9%
Outcome Distribution
49.7%3.9%46.4%
Win
Draw
Loss
4.Bc4
Pirc Defense: Kholmov System
Analyzen=399K
Avg Length34 moves
Sharpness96%
Draw Rate3.9%

What is the Pirc Defense: Kholmov System expected score for White?

Snapshot

At all ratings, the Pirc Defense: Kholmov System has a 51.7% expected score for White (we're 90% confident it's between 51.6% and 51.9%), based on 399K Lichess games.

White Win% by Rating

Improves with rating: 47% → 56%

0
1000
1200
1400
1600
1800
2000
2200
2500+

  • 0-999: 46.7% win rate (13,776 games)
  • 1000-1199: 48.2% win rate (30,926 games)
  • 1200-1399: 49.0% win rate (50,505 games)
  • 1400-1599: 49.1% win rate (64,518 games)
  • 1600-1799: 49.3% win rate (69,795 games)
  • 1800-1999: 49.7% win rate (74,339 games)
  • 2000-2199: 50.5% win rate (61,557 games)
  • 2200-2499: 53.7% win rate (30,409 games)
  • 2500+: 56.4% win rate (3,266 games)

White Win% by Time Control

Best in Bullet (50%), worst in UltraBullet (46%)

UltraBullet
Bullet
Blitz
Rapid
Classical

  • UltraBullet: 45.9% win rate (89 games)
  • Bullet: 49.8% win rate (90,951 games)
  • Blitz: 49.8% win rate (212,892 games)
  • Rapid: 49.5% win rate (91,129 games)
  • Classical: 48.5% win rate (4,030 games)

White% by Rating × Time Control

Click any cell to filter. Green = above 50%, Red = below 50%.

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, UltraBullet: 27.0% expected score (5 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Bullet: 45.7% expected score (2,706 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 48.7% expected score (7,245 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 50.0% expected score (3,809 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Classical: 54.0% expected score (11 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 15.2% expected score (10 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 46.5% expected score (5,727 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 50.6% expected score (16,636 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 51.1% expected score (8,444 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 45.5% expected score (109 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 37.1% expected score (14 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 48.8% expected score (8,318 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 51.3% expected score (25,811 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 50.8% expected score (15,948 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 51.0% expected score (414 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 55.1% expected score (18 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 49.8% expected score (10,967 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 51.1% expected score (32,317 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 51.3% expected score (20,073 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 52.3% expected score (1,143 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 50.0% expected score (17 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 50.1% expected score (13,246 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 51.2% expected score (36,056 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 52.1% expected score (19,273 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 48.8% expected score (1,203 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 68.0% expected score (18 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 51.4% expected score (16,037 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 51.8% expected score (42,951 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 52.5% expected score (14,439 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 53.2% expected score (894 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 38.9% expected score (3 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 52.1% expected score (16,443 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 53.0% expected score (37,683 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 52.6% expected score (7,202 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 56.4% expected score (226 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 68.2% expected score (4 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 54.8% expected score (14,713 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 56.7% expected score (13,733 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 60.0% expected score (1,929 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (30 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 58.6% expected score (2,794 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 60.8% expected score (460 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 68.6% expected score (12 games)

Related Openings

Analyze Pirc Defense: Kholmov System PositionsGet move-by-move win rates with the TrueElo analyzer

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Pirc Defense: Kholmov System win rate?

The Pirc Defense: Kholmov System has a 49.7% (90% CI: 49.6%-49.9%) win rate for white, based on 399K rated games from Lichess.

At what rating does the Pirc Defense: Kholmov System perform best?

The Pirc Defense: Kholmov System performs best at 2500+ Elo with a 56.4% win rate for white (3.3K games). Win rate tends to decline at higher ratings as opponents know the theory better.

Is the Pirc Defense: Kholmov System better in blitz or rapid?

Blitz (49.8%) outperforms UltraBullet (45.9%) by 3.9%. Choose your time control wisely.

How sharp is the Pirc Defense: Kholmov System?

The Pirc Defense: Kholmov System has a sharpness score of 96.1 (very decisive), meaning 96.1% of games end decisively. Average game length is 34 moves.

What is the Pirc Defense: Kholmov System win rate at 0-999 Elo?

At 0-999 Elo, the Pirc Defense: Kholmov System has a 46.7% (90% CI: 46.0%-47.4%) win rate for white, based on 14K Lichess games. Average game length is 28 moves with a 3.6% draw rate.

What is the Pirc Defense: Kholmov System win rate at 1000-1199 Elo?

At 1000-1199 Elo, the Pirc Defense: Kholmov System has a 48.2% (90% CI: 47.8%-48.7%) win rate for white, based on 31K Lichess games. Average game length is 30 moves with a 3.4% draw rate.

What is the Pirc Defense: Kholmov System win rate at 1200-1399 Elo?

At 1200-1399 Elo, the Pirc Defense: Kholmov System has a 49.0% (90% CI: 48.7%-49.4%) win rate for white, based on 51K Lichess games. Average game length is 31 moves with a 3.3% draw rate.

What is the Pirc Defense: Kholmov System win rate at 1400-1599 Elo?

At 1400-1599 Elo, the Pirc Defense: Kholmov System has a 49.1% (90% CI: 48.8%-49.5%) win rate for white, based on 65K Lichess games. Average game length is 32 moves with a 3.6% draw rate.

What is the Pirc Defense: Kholmov System win rate at 1600-1799 Elo?

At 1600-1799 Elo, the Pirc Defense: Kholmov System has a 49.3% (90% CI: 49.0%-49.6%) win rate for white, based on 70K Lichess games. Average game length is 34 moves with a 3.7% draw rate.

What is the Pirc Defense: Kholmov System win rate at 1800-1999 Elo?

At 1800-1999 Elo, the Pirc Defense: Kholmov System has a 49.7% (90% CI: 49.4%-50.0%) win rate for white, based on 74K Lichess games. Average game length is 35 moves with a 4.2% draw rate.

What is the Pirc Defense: Kholmov System win rate at 2000-2199 Elo?

At 2000-2199 Elo, the Pirc Defense: Kholmov System has a 50.5% (90% CI: 50.2%-50.8%) win rate for white, based on 62K Lichess games. Average game length is 36 moves with a 4.4% draw rate.

What is the Pirc Defense: Kholmov System win rate at 2200-2499 Elo?

At 2200-2499 Elo, the Pirc Defense: Kholmov System has a 53.7% (90% CI: 53.2%-54.1%) win rate for white, based on 30K Lichess games. Average game length is 37 moves with a 4.7% draw rate.

What is the Pirc Defense: Kholmov System win rate at 2500+ Elo?

At 2500+ Elo, the Pirc Defense: Kholmov System has a 56.4% (90% CI: 55.0%-57.9%) win rate for white, based on 3.3K Lichess games. Average game length is 39 moves with a 4.9% draw rate.

What is the Pirc Defense: Kholmov System win rate in Bullet?

In Bullet games, the Pirc Defense: Kholmov System has a 49.8% (90% CI: 49.5%-50.1%) win rate for white (91K Lichess games). Draw rate is 2.7%.

What is the Pirc Defense: Kholmov System win rate in Blitz?

In Blitz games, the Pirc Defense: Kholmov System has a 49.8% (90% CI: 49.6%-50.0%) win rate for white (213K Lichess games). Draw rate is 4.1%.

What is the Pirc Defense: Kholmov System win rate in Rapid?

In Rapid games, the Pirc Defense: Kholmov System has a 49.5% (90% CI: 49.2%-49.8%) win rate for white (91K Lichess games). Draw rate is 4.6%.

What is the Pirc Defense: Kholmov System win rate in Classical?

In Classical games, the Pirc Defense: Kholmov System has a 48.5% (90% CI: 47.2%-49.8%) win rate for white (4.0K Lichess games). Draw rate is 5.7%.

Is the Pirc Defense: Kholmov System a good opening?

The Pirc Defense: Kholmov System is statistically balanced with a 49.7% (90% CI: 49.6%-49.9%) win rate across all ratings. It performs best at 2500+ Elo. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.