King's Indian Defense win rate
White scored 51.2% (margin 0.9 points) in 12,481 rated games of the King's Indian Defense, ECO E61, played between players within 100 rating points on 1 September 2026. It ranked number 35 of 117 openings by popularity and made up 0.8% of all games.
- White wins 48.7%
- Draws 5.0%
- Black wins 46.3%
12,481 games
How often does White win in the King's Indian Defense?
White won 48.7% of the 12,481 games, 5.0% were drawn and Black won 46.3%. White's score of 51.2% is no clear difference from White's score across all openings (51.9%): the gap of 0.7 points is inside the margin of 0.9 points.
| Result | Games | Share |
|---|---|---|
| White wins | 6,077 | 48.7% |
| Draws | 622 | 5.0% |
| Black wins | 5,782 | 46.3% |
Does the King's Indian Defense score differently at different ratings?
White's score is highest at 1600 to 1999 (51.4%) and lowest at 2000 and above (50.8%). That spread of 0.6 points is inside the two margins added together, so the data show no clear difference between the bands.
Players rated 2000 and above choose the King's Indian Defense most often relative to their other openings, in 2.3 percent of their games.
| Rating band | Games | Share of the band | White score | Margin (points) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1200 to 1599 | 2,536 | 0.4% | 50.8% | 1.9 |
| 1600 to 1999 | 5,919 | 1.0% | 51.4% | 1.2 |
| 2000 and above | 3,597 | 2.3% | 50.8% | 1.6 |
How does the King's Indian Defense do in blitz, rapid and classical?
The time control changes who tends to win, because the clock matters more in faster games. Rows with fewer than 1,500 games are left out.
| Time control | Games | White score | Margin (points) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blitz | 10,062 | 51.2% | 1.0 |
| Rapid | 2,344 | 51.5% | 2.0 |
What are the most played lines of the King's Indian Defense?
The most played named line is the Normal Variation, Rare Defenses, with 1,360 games and a White score of 50.8%. The table lists the ten most played lines that reached 300 games; a line below that is counted in the last row.
| Line | Games | White score | Margin (points) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Normal Variation, Rare Defenses | 1,360 | 50.8% | 2.6 |
| Normal Variation | 1,356 | 51.1% | 2.6 |
| Normal Variation, King's Knight Variation | 807 | 48.8% | 3.4 |
| Orthodox Variation | 772 | 53.5% | 3.4 |
| Four Pawns Attack | 663 | 53.9% | 3.7 |
| Smyslov Variation | 531 | 50.2% | 4.1 |
| Zinnowitz Variation | 431 | 52.3% | 4.6 |
| Makogonov Variation | 392 | 47.3% | 4.7 |
| Main line and less played lines | 6,169 | 51.3% | 1.2 |
How were these opening statistics measured?
Rated Blitz, Rapid and Classical games on 1 September 2026 between players within 100 rating points, banded by the lower rating. A score is wins plus half the draws, with a 95 percent margin. The hub page explains the method in full.
Frequently asked questions
What is the win rate of the King's Indian Defense?
White won 48.7%, drew 5.0% and lost 46.3% of 12,481 games, a White score of 51.2% with a margin of 0.9 points. These are games on Lichess on 1 September 2026.
Is the King's Indian Defense good for White?
At these ratings White's score was no clear difference from White's score across all openings (51.9%): the gap of 0.7 points is inside the margin of 0.9 points. A difference of a point or two is small, and the side that picks an opening also picks which games reach it, so the number describes what happened at these ratings and is not a ruling on the opening.
What is the most popular line of the King's Indian Defense?
The Normal Variation, Rare Defenses was the most played named line, with 1,360 games, which is 10.9% of the King's Indian Defense games.
Sources
Related guides and tools
- Center Game win rate and statistics
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- King's Gambit Declined win rate and statistics
- King's Gambit Accepted win rate and statistics
- Rat Defense win rate and statistics
- Chess opening statistics for players rated under 1200
- Chess opening statistics for players rated 1200 to 1599
- Chess opening statistics for players rated 1600 to 1999
- Chess opening statistics for players rated 2000 and above
- Most popular chess openings and win rates
- Chess terms glossary
- Book your first lesson
Last updated 2026-10-22.
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