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Queen's Indian Defense: Kasparov Variation

265K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

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Analyze this line move by move

White expected score · All ratings · All speeds

50.8%

45%55%
Floor50.6%

the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 50.9%.

Measured over 265K 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 5.0 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 265K games

Rank among the families White can choose here
not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
Games in this context
265K
Best context
55.5% at 1000-1199 Bullet
Worst context
48.7% at 1200-1399 Rapid
Average game length
37 moves
Games that end decisively
95.0%
Draws
5.0%

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 · 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 55.7%.

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: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Bullet: 50.9% expected score (285 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 53.2% expected score (293 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 48.6% expected score (70 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 61.2% expected score (3 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 55.5% expected score (1,053 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 50.4% expected score (1,131 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 48.3% expected score (237 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 27.0% expected score (5 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 22.0% expected score (11 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 50.9% expected score (3,010 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 51.5% expected score (4,020 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 48.7% expected score (751 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 70.0% expected score (11 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 62.2% expected score (19 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 50.4% expected score (7,015 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 51.2% expected score (10,247 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 51.7% expected score (2,236 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 52.5% expected score (100 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 47.5% expected score (18 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 50.6% expected score (12,804 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 50.7% expected score (21,764 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 51.0% expected score (4,716 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 51.1% expected score (363 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 56.5% expected score (14 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 50.8% expected score (18,221 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 50.5% expected score (36,196 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 49.5% expected score (7,179 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 46.4% expected score (480 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 16.7% expected score (3 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 50.3% expected score (22,723 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 50.3% expected score (39,147 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 50.0% expected score (6,631 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 53.3% expected score (259 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 50.7% expected score (28,219 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 52.0% expected score (21,451 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 52.5% expected score (2,585 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 49.1% expected score (54 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 52.5% expected score (9,502 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 55.0% expected score (1,574 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 57.8% expected score (127 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Classical: 60.6% expected score (8 games)

Related Openings

Parent
Queen's Indian Defense
47.9%
Variations (5)
Queen's Indian Defense: Classical Variation, Traditional Variation, Nimzowitsch Line
49.8%
Queen's Indian Defense: Spassky System
48.5%
Queen's Indian Defense: Classical Variation, Traditional Variation
50.0%
Queen's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Traditional Line
52.6%
Queen's Indian Defense: Classical Variation
51.1%
Continuations (1)
Queen's Indian Defense: Kasparov Variation, Botvinnik Attack
49.3%
Analyze Queen's Indian Defense: Kasparov Variation PositionsSee what each move is worth at your rating, move by move

Methodology

Across every rating and clock, the Queen's Indian Defense: Kasparov Variation scores 50.8% for White — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 50.6% and 50.9% — from 265K 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
265K+ 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 Queen's Indian Defense: Kasparov Variation win rate?

Playing the Queen's Indian Defense: Kasparov Variation, White wins 48.3%, draws 5.0% and loses 46.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.8%. It rests on 265K rated games from Lichess.

At what rating does the Queen's Indian Defense: Kasparov Variation perform best?

The Queen's Indian Defense: Kasparov Variation performs best for White at 2500+, with an Expected Score of 52.9% (11K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.

Is the Queen's Indian Defense: Kasparov Variation better in blitz or rapid?

For White, the Queen's Indian Defense: Kasparov Variation scores about the same in both: an Expected Score of 50.8% in Blitz (136K games) against 50.5% in Rapid (25K games).

How sharp is the Queen's Indian Defense: Kasparov Variation?

The Queen's Indian Defense: Kasparov Variation has a sharpness score of 95.0 (very decisive), meaning 95.0% of games end decisively. Average game length is 37 moves.

What is the Queen's Indian Defense: Kasparov Variation win rate at 0-999?

At 0-999, White wins 50.5%, draws 2.5% and loses 47.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.8%. It rests on 649 Lichess games, which average 26 moves.

What is the Queen's Indian Defense: Kasparov Variation win rate at 1000-1199?

At 1000-1199, White wins 51.0%, draws 2.6% and loses 46.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.4%. It rests on 2.4K Lichess games, which average 28 moves.

What is the Queen's Indian Defense: Kasparov Variation win rate at 1200-1399?

At 1200-1399, White wins 49.6%, draws 2.6% and loses 47.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.0%. It rests on 7.8K Lichess games, which average 30 moves.

What is the Queen's Indian Defense: Kasparov Variation win rate at 1400-1599?

At 1400-1599, White wins 49.3%, draws 3.2% and loses 47.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.0%. It rests on 20K Lichess games, which average 32 moves.

What is the Queen's Indian Defense: Kasparov Variation win rate at 1600-1799?

At 1600-1799, White wins 48.8%, draws 3.7% and loses 47.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.7%. It rests on 40K Lichess games, which average 34 moves.

What is the Queen's Indian Defense: Kasparov Variation win rate at 1800-1999?

At 1800-1999, White wins 48.0%, draws 4.8% and loses 47.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.4%. It rests on 62K Lichess games, which average 36 moves.

What is the Queen's Indian Defense: Kasparov Variation win rate at 2000-2199?

At 2000-2199, White wins 47.5%, draws 5.6% and loses 46.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.3%. It rests on 69K Lichess games, which average 38 moves.

What is the Queen's Indian Defense: Kasparov Variation win rate at 2200-2499?

At 2200-2499, White wins 48.3%, draws 5.9% and loses 45.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.3%. It rests on 52K Lichess games, which average 39 moves.

What is the Queen's Indian Defense: Kasparov Variation win rate at 2500+?

At 2500+, White wins 49.1%, draws 7.7% and loses 43.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.9%. It rests on 11K Lichess games, which average 43 moves.

What is the Queen's Indian Defense: Kasparov Variation win rate in Bullet?

In Bullet, White wins 48.9%, draws 3.8% and loses 47.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.8%. It rests on 103K Lichess games.

What is the Queen's Indian Defense: Kasparov Variation win rate in Blitz?

In Blitz, White wins 48.0%, draws 5.6% and loses 46.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.8%. It rests on 136K Lichess games.

What is the Queen's Indian Defense: Kasparov Variation win rate in Rapid?

In Rapid, White wins 47.2%, draws 6.5% and loses 46.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.5%. It rests on 25K Lichess games.

What is the Queen's Indian Defense: Kasparov Variation win rate in Classical?

In Classical, White wins 45.6%, draws 8.6% and loses 45.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.9%. It rests on 1.3K Lichess games.

Is the Queen's Indian Defense: Kasparov Variation a good opening?

The Queen's Indian Defense: Kasparov Variation is about level. Across all ratings, White wins 48.3% of its games and loses 46.7%. It performs best at 2500+. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.