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Bird Opening: Wagner-Zwitersch Gambit

60K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

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Analyze this line move by move

White expected score · All ratings · All speeds

51.8%

45%60%
Floor51.5%

the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 52.2%.

Measured over 60K 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 White

Draw 3.1 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 60K games

Rank among the families White can choose here
not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
Games in this context
60K
Best context
57.2% at 1600-1799 Rapid
Worst context
41.4% at 0-999 Rapid
Average game length
30 moves
Games that end decisively
96.9%
Draws
3.1%

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.

Extra Analysis

Deep-dive datasets for this opening

Gambit BreakpointWhite

Peak: +10.1% · Breakpoint: 0-999

Where it holds · White score by rating × clock

Green is clearly ahead for White, grey is around even, red is behind. Tap a cell to measure there, and again to clear. It gets better as the rating rises: 44.9% at 0-999, 66.0% 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: 60.8% expected score (31 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Bullet: 47.7% expected score (993 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 42.9% expected score (1,563 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 41.4% expected score (760 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Classical: 31.5% expected score (12 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 46.1% expected score (62 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 48.9% expected score (1,380 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 49.9% expected score (1,656 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 46.5% expected score (441 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 33.8% expected score (17 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 47.5% expected score (119 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 50.2% expected score (2,267 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 49.3% expected score (1,951 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 50.1% expected score (513 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 47.7% expected score (41 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 47.3% expected score (256 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 49.8% expected score (3,595 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 50.6% expected score (3,746 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 50.2% expected score (612 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 43.9% expected score (72 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 46.8% expected score (338 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 49.9% expected score (5,035 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 51.8% expected score (5,438 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 57.2% expected score (779 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 66.5% expected score (56 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 48.5% expected score (32 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 51.5% expected score (6,554 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 55.0% expected score (6,492 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 54.9% expected score (955 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 65.2% expected score (48 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 38.9% expected score (3 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 52.3% expected score (4,830 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 56.5% expected score (5,001 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 55.5% expected score (533 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 68.0% expected score (18 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 38.9% expected score (3 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 55.7% expected score (2,088 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 57.1% expected score (1,302 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 61.1% expected score (166 games)
  • 2500+ rating, UltraBullet: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 56.7% expected score (275 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 58.8% expected score (50 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 78.6% expected score (2 games)

Related Openings

Parent
Bird Opening
50.1%
Variations (5)
Bird Opening: Dutch Variation
50.5%
Bird Opening: From's Gambit
48.6%
Bird Opening: Williams Gambit
47.0%
Bird Opening: Schlechter Gambit
50.6%
Bird Opening: Lasker Variation
51.9%
Analyze Bird Opening: Wagner-Zwitersch Gambit PositionsSee what each move is worth at your rating, move by move

Methodology

Across every rating and clock, the Bird Opening: Wagner-Zwitersch Gambit scores 51.8% for White — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 51.5% and 52.2% — from 60K 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
60K+ 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 Bird Opening: Wagner-Zwitersch Gambit win rate?

Playing the Bird Opening: Wagner-Zwitersch Gambit, White wins 50.2%, draws 3.1% and loses 46.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.8%. It rests on 60K rated games from Lichess.

At what rating does the Bird Opening: Wagner-Zwitersch Gambit perform best?

The Bird Opening: Wagner-Zwitersch Gambit performs best for White at 2200-2499, with an Expected Score of 56.5% (3.6K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.

Is the Bird Opening: Wagner-Zwitersch Gambit better in blitz or rapid?

For White, the Bird Opening: Wagner-Zwitersch Gambit scores higher in Blitz: an Expected Score of 52.7% in Blitz (27K games) against 51.5% in Rapid (4.8K games).

How sharp is the Bird Opening: Wagner-Zwitersch Gambit?

The Bird Opening: Wagner-Zwitersch Gambit has a sharpness score of 96.9 (very decisive), meaning 96.9% of games end decisively. Average game length is 30 moves.

What is the Bird Opening: Wagner-Zwitersch Gambit win rate at 0-999?

At 0-999, White wins 40.1%, draws 7.9% and loses 52.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 44.1%. It rests on 3.4K Lichess games, which average 26 moves.

What is the Bird Opening: Wagner-Zwitersch Gambit win rate at 1000-1199?

At 1000-1199, White wins 47.5%, draws 2.9% and loses 49.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.9%. It rests on 3.6K Lichess games, which average 26 moves.

What is the Bird Opening: Wagner-Zwitersch Gambit win rate at 1200-1399?

At 1200-1399, White wins 48.3%, draws 2.9% and loses 48.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.8%. It rests on 4.9K Lichess games, which average 27 moves.

What is the Bird Opening: Wagner-Zwitersch Gambit win rate at 1400-1599?

At 1400-1599, White wins 48.9%, draws 2.2% and loses 48.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.0%. It rests on 8.3K Lichess games, which average 28 moves.

What is the Bird Opening: Wagner-Zwitersch Gambit win rate at 1600-1799?

At 1600-1799, White wins 50.1%, draws 2.3% and loses 47.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.3%. It rests on 12K Lichess games, which average 29 moves.

What is the Bird Opening: Wagner-Zwitersch Gambit win rate at 1800-1999?

At 1800-1999, White wins 52.0%, draws 2.8% and loses 45.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.4%. It rests on 14K Lichess games, which average 31 moves.

What is the Bird Opening: Wagner-Zwitersch Gambit win rate at 2000-2199?

At 2000-2199, White wins 52.7%, draws 3.6% and loses 43.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.5%. It rests on 10K Lichess games, which average 32 moves.

What is the Bird Opening: Wagner-Zwitersch Gambit win rate at 2200-2499?

At 2200-2499, White wins 54.3%, draws 4.3% and loses 41.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 56.5%. It rests on 3.6K Lichess games, which average 34 moves.

What is the Bird Opening: Wagner-Zwitersch Gambit win rate at 2500+?

At 2500+, White wins 54.8%, draws 5.3% and loses 39.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 57.5%. It rests on 328 Lichess games, which average 37 moves.

What is the Bird Opening: Wagner-Zwitersch Gambit win rate in UltraBullet?

In UltraBullet, White wins 47.3%, draws 0.4% and loses 52.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.5%. It rests on 845 Lichess games.

What is the Bird Opening: Wagner-Zwitersch Gambit win rate in Bullet?

In Bullet, White wins 50.1%, draws 2.0% and loses 47.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.1%. It rests on 27K Lichess games.

What is the Bird Opening: Wagner-Zwitersch Gambit win rate in Blitz?

In Blitz, White wins 50.8%, draws 3.8% and loses 45.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.7%. It rests on 27K Lichess games.

What is the Bird Opening: Wagner-Zwitersch Gambit win rate in Rapid?

In Rapid, White wins 48.6%, draws 5.8% and loses 45.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.5%. It rests on 4.8K Lichess games.

What is the Bird Opening: Wagner-Zwitersch Gambit win rate in Classical?

In Classical, White wins 50.7%, draws 5.8% and loses 43.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.6%. It rests on 264 Lichess games.

Is the Bird Opening: Wagner-Zwitersch Gambit a good opening?

The Bird Opening: Wagner-Zwitersch Gambit is about level. Across all ratings, White wins 50.2% of its games and loses 46.6%. It performs best at 2200-2499. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.