TrueEloPlay what wins.
Analyzer

Ruy Lopez: Closed, Kholmov Variation

22K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

Play This
White Expected Score57.4%Range (90% confident): 56.9% – 58.0%Based on 22K games
0%57.4%100%
Range (90% confident): 56.9% – 58.0%
Outcome Distribution
54.9%5.0%40.1%
Win
Draw
Loss
9...Be6
Ruy Lopez: Closed, Kholmov Variation
Analyzen=22K
Avg Length38 moves
Sharpness95%
Draw Rate5.0%

What is the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Kholmov Variation expected score for White?

Snapshot

At all ratings, the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Kholmov Variation has a 57.4% expected score for White (we're 90% confident it's between 56.9% and 58.0%), based on 22K Lichess games.

White Win% by Rating

Stable across ratings (~50%)

0
1000
1200
1400
1600
1800
2000
2200
2500+

  • 0-999: 49.5% win rate (48 games)
  • 1000-1199: 56.1% win rate (215 games)
  • 1200-1399: 55.9% win rate (704 games)
  • 1400-1599: 56.5% win rate (2,172 games)
  • 1600-1799: 56.2% win rate (4,799 games)
  • 1800-1999: 55.2% win rate (6,801 games)
  • 2000-2199: 53.5% win rate (4,988 games)
  • 2200-2499: 53.1% win rate (2,236 games)
  • 2500+: 50.3% win rate (518 games)

White Win% by Time Control

Best in UltraBullet (71%), worst in Classical (51%)

UltraBullet
Bullet
Blitz
Rapid
Classical

  • UltraBullet: 71.4% win rate (2 games)
  • Bullet: 55.1% win rate (5,492 games)
  • Blitz: 54.8% win rate (13,143 games)
  • Rapid: 54.9% win rate (3,675 games)
  • Classical: 50.7% win rate (169 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, Bullet: 43.3% expected score (28 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 72.6% expected score (14 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 50.0% expected score (6 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 58.4% expected score (111 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 59.8% expected score (80 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 46.0% expected score (23 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 58.4% expected score (315 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 56.3% expected score (325 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 56.2% expected score (63 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 57.8% expected score (768 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 57.6% expected score (1,172 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 57.9% expected score (220 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 54.0% expected score (11 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 56.9% expected score (1,050 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 58.0% expected score (3,016 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 61.4% expected score (686 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (47 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 58.1% expected score (1,165 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 57.6% expected score (4,181 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 57.6% expected score (1,390 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 53.8% expected score (65 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 56.1% expected score (951 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 56.2% expected score (2,985 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 57.1% expected score (1,017 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 59.6% expected score (35 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 55.3% expected score (841 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 56.5% expected score (1,185 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 59.2% expected score (207 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 61.1% expected score (3 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 59.7% expected score (263 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 64.8% expected score (185 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 60.9% expected score (63 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Classical: 73.5% expected score (7 games)

Related Openings

Parent
Ruy Lopez
51.9%
Variations (5)
Ruy Lopez: Alapin Defense
55.9%
Ruy Lopez: Alapin Defense, Alapin Gambit
53.0%
Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense
49.9%
Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Anderssen Variation
48.6%
Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Berlin Wall
12.2%
Analyze Ruy Lopez: Closed, Kholmov Variation PositionsGet move-by-move win rates with the TrueElo analyzer

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Kholmov Variation win rate?

The Ruy Lopez: Closed, Kholmov Variation has a 54.9% (90% CI: 54.3%-55.4%) win rate for white, based on 22K rated games from Lichess.

At what rating does the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Kholmov Variation perform best?

The Ruy Lopez: Closed, Kholmov Variation performs best at 1600-1799 Elo with a 56.2% win rate for white (4.8K games). Win rate tends to decline at higher ratings as opponents know the theory better.

Is the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Kholmov Variation better in blitz or rapid?

Blitz (54.8%) outperforms Classical (50.7%) by 4.1%. Choose your time control wisely.

How sharp is the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Kholmov Variation?

The Ruy Lopez: Closed, Kholmov Variation has a sharpness score of 95.0 (very decisive), meaning 95.0% of games end decisively. Average game length is 38 moves.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Kholmov Variation win rate at 1000-1199 Elo?

At 1000-1199 Elo, the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Kholmov Variation has a 56.1% (90% CI: 50.6%-61.6%) win rate for white, based on 215 Lichess games. Average game length is 29 moves with a 3.5% draw rate.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Kholmov Variation win rate at 1200-1399 Elo?

At 1200-1399 Elo, the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Kholmov Variation has a 55.9% (90% CI: 52.8%-59.0%) win rate for white, based on 704 Lichess games. Average game length is 32 moves with a 2.8% draw rate.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Kholmov Variation win rate at 1400-1599 Elo?

At 1400-1599 Elo, the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Kholmov Variation has a 56.5% (90% CI: 54.7%-58.2%) win rate for white, based on 2.2K Lichess games. Average game length is 33 moves with a 2.4% draw rate.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Kholmov Variation win rate at 1600-1799 Elo?

At 1600-1799 Elo, the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Kholmov Variation has a 56.2% (90% CI: 55.1%-57.4%) win rate for white, based on 4.8K Lichess games. Average game length is 35 moves with a 3.8% draw rate.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Kholmov Variation win rate at 1800-1999 Elo?

At 1800-1999 Elo, the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Kholmov Variation has a 55.2% (90% CI: 54.2%-56.2%) win rate for white, based on 6.8K Lichess games. Average game length is 38 moves with a 4.8% draw rate.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Kholmov Variation win rate at 2000-2199 Elo?

At 2000-2199 Elo, the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Kholmov Variation has a 53.5% (90% CI: 52.4%-54.7%) win rate for white, based on 5.0K Lichess games. Average game length is 40 moves with a 5.7% draw rate.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Kholmov Variation win rate at 2200-2499 Elo?

At 2200-2499 Elo, the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Kholmov Variation has a 53.1% (90% CI: 51.3%-54.8%) win rate for white, based on 2.2K Lichess games. Average game length is 42 moves with a 6.4% draw rate.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Kholmov Variation win rate at 2500+ Elo?

At 2500+ Elo, the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Kholmov Variation has a 50.3% (90% CI: 46.7%-53.9%) win rate for white, based on 518 Lichess games. Average game length is 57 moves with a 23.2% draw rate.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Kholmov Variation win rate in Bullet?

In Bullet games, the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Kholmov Variation has a 55.1% (90% CI: 54.0%-56.2%) win rate for white (5.5K Lichess games). Draw rate is 4.0%.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Kholmov Variation win rate in Blitz?

In Blitz games, the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Kholmov Variation has a 54.8% (90% CI: 54.1%-55.6%) win rate for white (13K Lichess games). Draw rate is 5.0%.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Kholmov Variation win rate in Rapid?

In Rapid games, the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Kholmov Variation has a 54.9% (90% CI: 53.6%-56.3%) win rate for white (3.7K Lichess games). Draw rate is 6.6%.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Kholmov Variation win rate in Classical?

In Classical games, the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Kholmov Variation has a 50.7% (90% CI: 44.4%-57.0%) win rate for white (169 Lichess games). Draw rate is 9.7%.

Is the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Kholmov Variation a good opening?

The Ruy Lopez: Closed, Kholmov Variation is statistically favors white with a 54.9% (90% CI: 54.3%-55.4%) win rate across all ratings. It performs best at 1600-1799 Elo. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.