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Barnes Opening: Fool's Mate

7.1K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

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Analyze this line move by move

Black expected score · All ratings · All speeds

100.0%

45%100%
Floor100.0%

the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. Its best is the same figure — the band is too tight to plot.

Measured over 7.1K 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 0.0 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 7.1K games

Rank among the families Black can choose here
not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
Games in this context
7.1K
Best context
99.9% at 0-999 Blitz
Average game length
2 moves
Games that end decisively
100.0%
Draws
0.0%

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: 97.0% at 0-999, 87.2% 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, UltraBullet: 88.5% expected score (5 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Bullet: 99.8% expected score (340 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 99.9% expected score (985 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 99.9% expected score (863 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Classical: 97.1% expected score (24 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 92.1% expected score (8 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 99.7% expected score (226 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 99.9% expected score (478 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 99.8% expected score (394 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 98.0% expected score (35 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 88.5% expected score (5 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 99.7% expected score (214 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 99.9% expected score (400 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 99.8% expected score (290 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 97.4% expected score (27 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 97.0% expected score (23 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 99.7% expected score (206 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 99.9% expected score (406 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 99.8% expected score (398 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 99.1% expected score (80 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 94.0% expected score (11 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 99.5% expected score (139 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 99.7% expected score (280 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 99.6% expected score (166 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 95.2% expected score (14 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 88.5% expected score (5 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 99.4% expected score (124 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 99.7% expected score (236 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 99.4% expected score (116 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 92.9% expected score (9 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 78.6% expected score (2 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 99.4% expected score (128 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 99.5% expected score (140 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 98.8% expected score (60 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 88.5% expected score (5 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 99.2% expected score (92 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 98.9% expected score (64 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 94.0% expected score (11 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 98.0% expected score (35 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 93.5% expected score (10 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 70.0% expected score (1 games)

Related Openings

Parent
Barnes Opening
46.4%
Variations (3)
Barnes Opening: Walkerling
43.1%
Barnes Opening: Hammerschlag
46.7%
Barnes Opening: Gedult Gambit
51.3%
Analyze Barnes Opening: Fool's Mate PositionsSee what each move is worth at your rating, move by move

Methodology

Across every rating and clock, the Barnes Opening: Fool's Mate scores 100.0% for Black — we are 90% confident it is 100.0% — from 7.1K 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
7.1K+ 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 Barnes Opening: Fool's Mate win rate?

Playing the Barnes Opening: Fool's Mate, Black wins 100.0%, draws 0.0% and loses 0.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 100.0%. It rests on 7.1K rated games from Lichess.

At what rating does the Barnes Opening: Fool's Mate perform best?

The Barnes Opening: Fool's Mate performs best for Black at 0-999, with an Expected Score of 100.0% (2.2K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.

Is the Barnes Opening: Fool's Mate better in blitz or rapid?

For Black, the Barnes Opening: Fool's Mate scores about the same in both: an Expected Score of 100.0% in Blitz (3.0K games) against 100.0% in Rapid (2.3K games).

How sharp is the Barnes Opening: Fool's Mate?

The Barnes Opening: Fool's Mate has a sharpness score of 100.0 (very decisive), meaning 100.0% of games end decisively. Average game length is 2 moves.

What is the Barnes Opening: Fool's Mate win rate at 0-999?

At 0-999, Black wins 100.0%, draws 0.0% and loses 0.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 100.0%. It rests on 2.2K Lichess games, which average 2 moves.

What is the Barnes Opening: Fool's Mate win rate at 1000-1199?

At 1000-1199, Black wins 99.9%, draws 0.0% and loses 0.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 100.0%. It rests on 1.1K Lichess games, which average 2 moves.

What is the Barnes Opening: Fool's Mate win rate at 1200-1399?

At 1200-1399, Black wins 99.9%, draws 0.1% and loses 0.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 99.9%. It rests on 936 Lichess games, which average 2 moves.

What is the Barnes Opening: Fool's Mate win rate at 1400-1599?

At 1400-1599, Black wins 99.9%, draws 0.0% and loses 0.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 100.0%. It rests on 1.1K Lichess games, which average 2 moves.

What is the Barnes Opening: Fool's Mate win rate at 1600-1799?

At 1600-1799, Black wins 99.8%, draws 0.1% and loses 0.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 99.9%. It rests on 610 Lichess games, which average 2 moves.

What is the Barnes Opening: Fool's Mate win rate at 1800-1999?

At 1800-1999, Black wins 99.8%, draws 0.1% and loses 0.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 99.9%. It rests on 490 Lichess games, which average 2 moves.

What is the Barnes Opening: Fool's Mate win rate at 2000-2199?

At 2000-2199, Black wins 99.7%, draws 0.2% and loses 0.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 99.8%. It rests on 331 Lichess games, which average 2 moves.

What is the Barnes Opening: Fool's Mate win rate at 2200-2499?

At 2200-2499, Black wins 99.4%, draws 0.3% and loses 0.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 99.6%. It rests on 172 Lichess games, which average 2 moves.

What is the Barnes Opening: Fool's Mate win rate in Bullet?

In Bullet, Black wins 99.9%, draws 0.0% and loses 0.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 100.0%. It rests on 1.5K Lichess games.

What is the Barnes Opening: Fool's Mate win rate in Blitz?

In Blitz, Black wins 100.0%, draws 0.0% and loses 0.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 100.0%. It rests on 3.0K Lichess games.

What is the Barnes Opening: Fool's Mate win rate in Rapid?

In Rapid, Black wins 100.0%, draws 0.0% and loses 0.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 100.0%. It rests on 2.3K Lichess games.

What is the Barnes Opening: Fool's Mate win rate in Classical?

In Classical, Black wins 99.5%, draws 0.3% and loses 0.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 99.6%. It rests on 190 Lichess games.

Is the Barnes Opening: Fool's Mate a good opening?

The Barnes Opening: Fool's Mate is good for Black. Across all ratings, Black wins 100.0% of its games and loses 0.0%. It performs best at 0-999. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.