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Sicilian Defense: Kupreichik Variation

32K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

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Analyze this line move by move

Black expected score · All ratings · All speeds

48.9%

45%55%
Floor48.4%

the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 49.3%.

Measured over 32K 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 Black

Draw 4.7 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 32K games

Rank among the families Black can choose here
not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
Games in this context
32K
Best context
51.2% at 2500+ Bullet
Worst context
47.1% at 2500+ Blitz
Average game length
35 moves
Games that end decisively
95.3%
Draws
4.7%

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: 54.4% at 0-999, 41.4% 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, Bullet: 48.9% expected score (351 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 48.8% expected score (125 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 65.5% expected score (34 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 49.6% expected score (366 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 48.3% expected score (479 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 59.3% expected score (133 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 51.0% expected score (733 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 48.3% expected score (1,377 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 49.5% expected score (438 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 34.2% expected score (8 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 31.9% expected score (4 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 50.6% expected score (1,158 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 50.4% expected score (2,802 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 47.2% expected score (1,002 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 52.6% expected score (58 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 49.4% expected score (1,598 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 48.2% expected score (3,428 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 47.6% expected score (1,434 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 44.8% expected score (131 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 48.7% expected score (1,565 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 48.2% expected score (3,578 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 48.7% expected score (1,279 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 52.5% expected score (100 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 48.9% expected score (1,165 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 47.8% expected score (2,498 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 48.4% expected score (529 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 30.0% expected score (21 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 40.9% expected score (4 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 48.2% expected score (1,097 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 49.7% expected score (2,443 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 48.4% expected score (464 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 38.9% expected score (3 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 51.2% expected score (769 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 47.1% expected score (949 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 25.8% expected score (15 games)

Related Openings

Parent
Sicilian Defense
48.5%
Variations (5)
Sicilian Defense: Bowdler Attack
47.2%
Sicilian Defense: Old Sicilian
48.5%
Sicilian Defense: Closed
49.8%
Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation
50.2%
Sicilian Defense: McDonnell Attack
48.6%
Analyze Sicilian Defense: Kupreichik Variation PositionsSee what each move is worth at your rating, move by move

Methodology

Across every rating and clock, the Sicilian Defense: Kupreichik Variation scores 48.9% for Black — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 48.4% and 49.3% — from 32K 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
32K+ 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: Kupreichik Variation win rate?

Playing the Sicilian Defense: Kupreichik Variation, Black wins 46.5%, draws 4.7% and loses 48.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.9%. It rests on 32K rated games from Lichess.

At what rating does the Sicilian Defense: Kupreichik Variation perform best?

The Sicilian Defense: Kupreichik Variation performs best for Black at 1400-1599, with an Expected Score of 49.8% (5.0K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.

Is the Sicilian Defense: Kupreichik Variation better in blitz or rapid?

For Black, the Sicilian Defense: Kupreichik Variation scores about the same in both: an Expected Score of 48.7% in Blitz (18K games) against 48.5% in Rapid (5.3K games).

How sharp is the Sicilian Defense: Kupreichik Variation?

The Sicilian Defense: Kupreichik Variation has a sharpness score of 95.3 (very decisive), meaning 95.3% of games end decisively. Average game length is 35 moves.

What is the Sicilian Defense: Kupreichik Variation win rate at 0-999?

At 0-999, Black wins 49.0%, draws 2.1% and loses 49.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.0%. It rests on 510 Lichess games, which average 25 moves.

What is the Sicilian Defense: Kupreichik Variation win rate at 1000-1199?

At 1000-1199, Black wins 49.2%, draws 2.1% and loses 48.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.3%. It rests on 979 Lichess games, which average 29 moves.

What is the Sicilian Defense: Kupreichik Variation win rate at 1200-1399?

At 1200-1399, Black wins 47.4%, draws 3.7% and loses 49.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.2%. It rests on 2.6K Lichess games, which average 32 moves.

What is the Sicilian Defense: Kupreichik Variation win rate at 1400-1599?

At 1400-1599, Black wins 47.9%, draws 3.7% and loses 48.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.8%. It rests on 5.0K Lichess games, which average 32 moves.

What is the Sicilian Defense: Kupreichik Variation win rate at 1600-1799?

At 1600-1799, Black wins 46.1%, draws 4.4% and loses 49.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.3%. It rests on 6.6K Lichess games, which average 34 moves.

What is the Sicilian Defense: Kupreichik Variation win rate at 1800-1999?

At 1800-1999, Black wins 46.1%, draws 4.7% and loses 49.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.5%. It rests on 6.5K Lichess games, which average 36 moves.

What is the Sicilian Defense: Kupreichik Variation win rate at 2000-2199?

At 2000-2199, Black wins 45.4%, draws 5.4% and loses 49.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.1%. It rests on 4.2K Lichess games, which average 37 moves.

What is the Sicilian Defense: Kupreichik Variation win rate at 2200-2499?

At 2200-2499, Black wins 46.0%, draws 6.2% and loses 47.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.1%. It rests on 4.0K Lichess games, which average 38 moves.

What is the Sicilian Defense: Kupreichik Variation win rate at 2500+?

At 2500+, Black wins 45.1%, draws 7.3% and loses 47.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.7%. It rests on 1.7K Lichess games, which average 43 moves.

What is the Sicilian Defense: Kupreichik Variation win rate in Bullet?

In Bullet, Black wins 47.7%, draws 3.5% and loses 48.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.5%. It rests on 8.8K Lichess games.

What is the Sicilian Defense: Kupreichik Variation win rate in Blitz?

In Blitz, Black wins 46.3%, draws 4.7% and loses 49.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.7%. It rests on 18K Lichess games.

What is the Sicilian Defense: Kupreichik Variation win rate in Rapid?

In Rapid, Black wins 45.3%, draws 6.3% and loses 48.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.5%. It rests on 5.3K Lichess games.

What is the Sicilian Defense: Kupreichik Variation win rate in Classical?

In Classical, Black wins 43.1%, draws 7.6% and loses 49.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.9%. It rests on 322 Lichess games.

Is the Sicilian Defense: Kupreichik Variation a good opening?

The Sicilian Defense: Kupreichik Variation is about level. Across all ratings, Black wins 46.5% of its games and loses 48.8%. It performs best at 1400-1599. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.