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Sicilian Defense: Kveinis Variation

113K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

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Analyze this line move by move

Black expected score · All ratings · All speeds

58.2%

45%65%
Floor57.9%

the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 58.4%.

Measured over 113K games at this level and clock.

Play Thiswins clearly more often than it loses at this level

A strong choice for Black at this level and clock.

Outcomes for Black

Draw 4.7 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 113K games

Rank among the families Black can choose here
not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
Games in this context
113K
Best context
61.6% at 1600-1799 Bullet
Worst context
51.4% at 2200-2499 Blitz
Average game length
32 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: 61.7% at 0-999, 47.8% 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: 64.5% expected score (258 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 54.1% expected score (121 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 66.5% expected score (35 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 60.1% expected score (871 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 57.8% expected score (635 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 51.8% expected score (142 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 58.8% expected score (1,548 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 57.3% expected score (2,730 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 56.9% expected score (433 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 61.2% expected score (12 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 45.3% expected score (9 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 60.4% expected score (4,684 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 59.3% expected score (7,247 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 56.3% expected score (1,614 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 44.7% expected score (36 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 21.5% expected score (2 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 61.6% expected score (7,063 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 57.9% expected score (11,183 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 54.9% expected score (3,281 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 54.9% expected score (247 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 60.6% expected score (8,349 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 57.3% expected score (15,734 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 54.4% expected score (2,701 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 46.5% expected score (180 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 61.6% expected score (8,587 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 57.9% expected score (11,642 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 55.4% expected score (1,798 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 60.4% expected score (37 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 60.1% expected score (11,191 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 51.4% expected score (6,697 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 52.6% expected score (408 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 32.6% expected score (10 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 55.2% expected score (3,414 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 49.3% expected score (387 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 38.9% expected score (116 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: Kveinis Variation PositionsSee what each move is worth at your rating, move by move

Methodology

Across every rating and clock, the Sicilian Defense: Kveinis Variation scores 58.2% for Black — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 57.9% and 58.4% — from 113K 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
113K+ 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: Kveinis Variation win rate?

Playing the Sicilian Defense: Kveinis Variation, Black wins 55.8%, draws 4.7% and loses 39.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 58.2%. It rests on 113K rated games from Lichess.

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

The Sicilian Defense: Kveinis Variation performs best for Black at 1400-1599, with an Expected Score of 59.3% (14K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.

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

For Black, the Sicilian Defense: Kveinis Variation scores higher in Blitz: an Expected Score of 57.0% in Blitz (56K games) against 54.9% in Rapid (11K games).

How sharp is the Sicilian Defense: Kveinis Variation?

The Sicilian Defense: Kveinis Variation has a sharpness score of 95.3 (very decisive), meaning 95.3% of games end decisively. Average game length is 32 moves.

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

At 0-999, Black wins 60.5%, draws 2.3% and loses 37.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 61.7%. It rests on 414 Lichess games, which average 22 moves.

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

At 1000-1199, Black wins 57.5%, draws 2.1% and loses 40.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 58.6%. It rests on 1.6K Lichess games, which average 24 moves.

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

At 1200-1399, Black wins 56.0%, draws 3.5% and loses 40.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 57.8%. It rests on 4.7K Lichess games, which average 27 moves.

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

At 1400-1599, Black wins 57.7%, draws 3.1% and loses 39.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 59.3%. It rests on 14K Lichess games, which average 27 moves.

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

At 1600-1799, Black wins 56.6%, draws 4.1% and loses 39.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 58.6%. It rests on 22K Lichess games, which average 30 moves.

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

At 1800-1999, Black wins 55.3%, draws 5.1% and loses 39.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 57.9%. It rests on 27K Lichess games, which average 32 moves.

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

At 2000-2199, Black wins 56.7%, draws 4.9% and loses 38.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 59.2%. It rests on 22K Lichess games, which average 34 moves.

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

At 2200-2499, Black wins 53.9%, draws 5.5% and loses 40.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 56.7%. It rests on 18K Lichess games, which average 37 moves.

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

At 2500+, Black wins 50.4%, draws 7.4% and loses 42.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.1%. It rests on 3.9K Lichess games, which average 42 moves.

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

In Bullet, Black wins 58.6%, draws 3.5% and loses 38.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 60.3%. It rests on 46K Lichess games.

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

In Blitz, Black wins 54.3%, draws 5.4% and loses 40.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 57.0%. It rests on 56K Lichess games.

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

In Rapid, Black wins 51.8%, draws 6.0% and loses 42.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.9%. It rests on 11K Lichess games.

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

In Classical, Black wins 48.3%, draws 6.2% and loses 45.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.4%. It rests on 523 Lichess games.

Is the Sicilian Defense: Kveinis Variation a good opening?

The Sicilian Defense: Kveinis Variation is good for Black. Across all ratings, Black wins 55.8% of its games and loses 39.5%. It performs best at 1400-1599. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.