Sicilian Defense: Closed, Anti-Sveshnikov Variation, Kharlov-Kramnik Line
408 games from Lichess · Updated January 2026
Black expected score · All ratings · All speeds
43.4%
the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 47.4%.
Measured over 408 games at this level and clock.
Black comes out behind here — there are better weapons in the list.
Outcomes for Black
Draw 23.1 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 408 games
- Rank among the families Black can choose here
- not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
- Games in this context
- 408
- Best context
- not measured yet
- Average game length
- 45 moves
- Games that end decisively
- 76.9%
- Draws
- 23.1%
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 · Black score by rating × clock
Green is clearly ahead for Black, grey is around even, red is behind. Tap a cell to measure there, and again to clear. It falls away as the rating rises: 50.0% at 1000-1199, 39.0% at 2500+.
| 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
- 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 35.7% expected score (2 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 31.9% expected score (4 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 35.7% expected score (2 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 35.7% expected score (2 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 38.9% expected score (3 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 64.3% expected score (2 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 43.3% expected score (6 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 40.3% expected score (19 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 69.5% expected score (19 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 54.3% expected score (137 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 38.0% expected score (11 games)
- 2500+ rating, Bullet: 41.8% expected score (72 games)
- 2500+ rating, Blitz: 30.5% expected score (106 games)
- 2500+ rating, Rapid: 33.8% expected score (17 games)
- 2500+ rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (3 games)
Related Openings
Methodology
Across every rating and clock, the Sicilian Defense: Closed, Anti-Sveshnikov Variation, Kharlov-Kramnik Line scores 43.4% for Black — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 39.5% and 47.4% — from 408 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
- 408+ 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 Sicilian Defense: Closed, Anti-Sveshnikov Variation, Kharlov-Kramnik Line win rate?
Playing the Sicilian Defense: Closed, Anti-Sveshnikov Variation, Kharlov-Kramnik Line, Black wins 31.9%, draws 23.1% and loses 45.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 43.4%. It rests on 408 rated games from Lichess.
At what rating does the Sicilian Defense: Closed, Anti-Sveshnikov Variation, Kharlov-Kramnik Line perform best?
The Sicilian Defense: Closed, Anti-Sveshnikov Variation, Kharlov-Kramnik Line performs best for Black at 2200-2499, with an Expected Score of 55.1% (167 games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.
How sharp is the Sicilian Defense: Closed, Anti-Sveshnikov Variation, Kharlov-Kramnik Line?
The Sicilian Defense: Closed, Anti-Sveshnikov Variation, Kharlov-Kramnik Line has a sharpness score of 76.9 (drawish), meaning 76.9% of games end decisively. Average game length is 45 moves.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Closed, Anti-Sveshnikov Variation, Kharlov-Kramnik Line win rate at 2200-2499?
At 2200-2499, Black wins 47.8%, draws 14.5% and loses 37.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 55.1%. It rests on 167 Lichess games, which average 39 moves.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Closed, Anti-Sveshnikov Variation, Kharlov-Kramnik Line win rate at 2500+?
At 2500+, Black wins 19.3%, draws 31.3% and loses 49.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 35.0%. It rests on 198 Lichess games, which average 52 moves.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Closed, Anti-Sveshnikov Variation, Kharlov-Kramnik Line win rate in Blitz?
In Blitz, Black wins 34.8%, draws 16.4% and loses 48.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 43.0%. It rests on 270 Lichess games.
Is the Sicilian Defense: Closed, Anti-Sveshnikov Variation, Kharlov-Kramnik Line a good opening?
The Sicilian Defense: Closed, Anti-Sveshnikov Variation, Kharlov-Kramnik Line is hard work for Black — it favours White. Across all ratings, Black wins 31.9% of its games and loses 45.1%. It performs best at 2200-2499. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.