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Russian Game: Three Knights Game

3.2M games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

No move sequence recorded for this opening

White expected score · All ratings · All speeds

52.1%

45%60%
Floor52.0%

the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. Its best is the same figure — the band is too tight to plot.

Measured over 3.2M games at this level and clock.

Play Thiswins clearly more often than it loses at this level

A strong choice for White at this level and clock.

Outcomes for White

Draw 3.8 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 3.2M games

Rank among the families White can choose here
not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
Games in this context
3.2M
Best context
60.3% at 2500+ Blitz
Worst context
47.7% at 1000-1199 UltraBullet
Average game length
32 moves
Games that end decisively
96.2%
Draws
3.8%

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 gets better as the rating rises: 50.9% at 0-999, 60.1% at 2500+.

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: 42.1% expected score (417 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Bullet: 50.8% expected score (72,320 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 52.7% expected score (182,159 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 54.4% expected score (112,561 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Classical: 54.7% expected score (1,128 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 47.7% expected score (723 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 51.3% expected score (109,585 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 52.6% expected score (240,210 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 55.0% expected score (116,989 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 56.5% expected score (3,394 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 48.1% expected score (1,154 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 51.0% expected score (141,359 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 52.2% expected score (307,175 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 53.9% expected score (127,813 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 56.9% expected score (5,813 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 50.8% expected score (1,447 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 50.8% expected score (149,270 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 51.7% expected score (337,958 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 52.6% expected score (137,511 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 54.5% expected score (9,436 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 55.4% expected score (1,277 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 50.7% expected score (141,533 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 51.7% expected score (294,982 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 52.6% expected score (106,798 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 55.1% expected score (6,166 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 57.5% expected score (605 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 50.6% expected score (107,852 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 51.7% expected score (188,460 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 52.6% expected score (58,000 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 54.5% expected score (2,094 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 57.4% expected score (248 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 50.9% expected score (63,938 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 51.3% expected score (70,353 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 53.5% expected score (16,617 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 54.7% expected score (319 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 56.4% expected score (100 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 51.3% expected score (30,529 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 52.3% expected score (18,984 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 54.5% expected score (2,850 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 60.2% expected score (23 games)
  • 2500+ rating, UltraBullet: 70.0% expected score (11 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 52.3% expected score (6,021 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 60.3% expected score (1,341 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 57.7% expected score (31 games)

Related Openings

Parent
Russian Game
48.9%
Variations (5)
Russian Game: Italian Variation
50.9%
Russian Game: Stafford Gambit
46.2%
Russian Game: Modern Attack
51.5%
Russian Game: Damiano Variation
58.3%
Russian Game: Cozio Attack
48.5%

Methodology

Across every rating and clock, the Russian Game: Three Knights Game scores 52.1% for White — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 52.0% and 52.1% — from 3.2M 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
3.2M+ 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 Russian Game: Three Knights Game win rate?

Playing the Russian Game: Three Knights Game, White wins 50.2%, draws 3.8% and loses 46.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.1%. It rests on 3.2M rated games from Lichess.

At what rating does the Russian Game: Three Knights Game perform best?

The Russian Game: Three Knights Game performs best for White at 2500+, with an Expected Score of 53.8% (7.4K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.

Is the Russian Game: Three Knights Game better in blitz or rapid?

For White, the Russian Game: Three Knights Game scores higher in Rapid: an Expected Score of 52.0% in Blitz (1.6M games) against 53.6% in Rapid (679K games).

How sharp is the Russian Game: Three Knights Game?

The Russian Game: Three Knights Game has a sharpness score of 96.2 (very decisive), meaning 96.2% of games end decisively. Average game length is 32 moves.

What is the Russian Game: Three Knights Game win rate at 0-999?

At 0-999, White wins 50.8%, draws 4.1% and loses 45.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.8%. It rests on 369K Lichess games, which average 27 moves.

What is the Russian Game: Three Knights Game win rate at 1000-1199?

At 1000-1199, White wins 51.2%, draws 3.4% and loses 45.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.9%. It rests on 471K Lichess games, which average 29 moves.

What is the Russian Game: Three Knights Game win rate at 1200-1399?

At 1200-1399, White wins 50.6%, draws 3.4% and loses 46.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.3%. It rests on 583K Lichess games, which average 30 moves.

What is the Russian Game: Three Knights Game win rate at 1400-1599?

At 1400-1599, White wins 49.9%, draws 3.5% and loses 46.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.7%. It rests on 636K Lichess games, which average 32 moves.

What is the Russian Game: Three Knights Game win rate at 1600-1799?

At 1600-1799, White wins 49.7%, draws 3.9% and loses 46.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.7%. It rests on 551K Lichess games, which average 34 moves.

What is the Russian Game: Three Knights Game win rate at 1800-1999?

At 1800-1999, White wins 49.3%, draws 4.4% and loses 46.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.5%. It rests on 357K Lichess games, which average 35 moves.

What is the Russian Game: Three Knights Game win rate at 2000-2199?

At 2000-2199, White wins 48.9%, draws 5.0% and loses 46.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.4%. It rests on 151K Lichess games, which average 37 moves.

What is the Russian Game: Three Knights Game win rate at 2200-2499?

At 2200-2499, White wins 48.8%, draws 6.0% and loses 45.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.8%. It rests on 52K Lichess games, which average 38 moves.

What is the Russian Game: Three Knights Game win rate at 2500+?

At 2500+, White wins 50.3%, draws 6.9% and loses 42.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.8%. It rests on 7.4K Lichess games, which average 41 moves.

What is the Russian Game: Three Knights Game win rate in UltraBullet?

In UltraBullet, White wins 50.4%, draws 1.8% and loses 47.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.3%. It rests on 6.0K Lichess games.

What is the Russian Game: Three Knights Game win rate in Bullet?

In Bullet, White wins 49.6%, draws 2.7% and loses 47.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.9%. It rests on 822K Lichess games.

What is the Russian Game: Three Knights Game win rate in Blitz?

In Blitz, White wins 49.9%, draws 4.1% and loses 45.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.0%. It rests on 1.6M Lichess games.

What is the Russian Game: Three Knights Game win rate in Rapid?

In Rapid, White wins 51.3%, draws 4.5% and loses 44.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.6%. It rests on 679K Lichess games.

What is the Russian Game: Three Knights Game win rate in Classical?

In Classical, White wins 53.1%, draws 4.5% and loses 42.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 55.4%. It rests on 28K Lichess games.

Is the Russian Game: Three Knights Game a good opening?

The Russian Game: Three Knights Game is good for White. Across all ratings, White wins 50.2% of its games and loses 46.0%. It performs best at 2500+. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.