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Bishop's Opening: Horwitz Gambit

3.9K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

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Analyze this line move by move

Black expected score · All ratings · All speeds

43.6%

35%55%
Floor42.3%

the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 44.9%.

Measured over 3.9K games at this level and clock.

Tough Sellloses more often than it wins at this level

Black comes out behind here — there are better weapons in the list.

Outcomes for Black

Draw 3.1 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 3.9K games

Rank among the families Black can choose here
not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
Games in this context
3.9K
Best context
not measured yet
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 BreakpointBlack

Peak: −6.1% · Breakpoint: 0-999

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 gets better as the rating rises: 40.1% at 0-999, 63.4% 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: 49.5% expected score (90 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 37.6% expected score (301 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 36.7% expected score (373 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Classical: 36.7% expected score (6 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 45.1% expected score (139 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 37.9% expected score (185 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 36.4% expected score (156 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 25.9% expected score (13 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 41.5% expected score (110 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 44.0% expected score (212 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 37.9% expected score (118 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 18.0% expected score (11 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 37.1% expected score (68 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 45.9% expected score (328 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 41.1% expected score (105 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 36.2% expected score (13 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 53.1% expected score (98 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 48.6% expected score (356 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 45.1% expected score (131 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 21.5% expected score (9 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 21.5% expected score (2 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 54.7% expected score (128 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 43.2% expected score (352 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 55.5% expected score (90 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 32.8% expected score (13 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 50.0% expected score (165 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 42.3% expected score (148 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 53.8% expected score (38 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 50.8% expected score (65 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 48.5% expected score (31 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 55.9% expected score (7 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 67.7% expected score (24 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 59.1% expected score (4 games)

Related Openings

Parent
Bishop's Opening
51.7%
Variations (5)
Bishop's Opening: Berlin Defense
50.0%
Bishop's Opening: Boi Variation
52.7%
Bishop's Opening: Vienna Hybrid
51.3%
Bishop's Opening: Philidor Counterattack
51.1%
Bishop's Opening: Vienna Hybrid, Spielmann Attack
52.2%
Analyze Bishop's Opening: Horwitz Gambit PositionsSee what each move is worth at your rating, move by move

Methodology

Across every rating and clock, the Bishop's Opening: Horwitz Gambit scores 43.6% for Black — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 42.3% and 44.9% — from 3.9K 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
3.9K+ 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 Bishop's Opening: Horwitz Gambit win rate?

Playing the Bishop's Opening: Horwitz Gambit, Black wins 42.0%, draws 3.1% and loses 54.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 43.6%. It rests on 3.9K rated games from Lichess.

At what rating does the Bishop's Opening: Horwitz Gambit perform best?

The Bishop's Opening: Horwitz Gambit performs best for Black at 1600-1799, with an Expected Score of 48.1% (594 games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.

Is the Bishop's Opening: Horwitz Gambit better in blitz or rapid?

For Black, the Bishop's Opening: Horwitz Gambit scores higher in Blitz: an Expected Score of 43.4% in Blitz (1.9K games) against 40.7% in Rapid (1.0K games).

How sharp is the Bishop's Opening: Horwitz Gambit?

The Bishop's Opening: Horwitz 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 Bishop's Opening: Horwitz Gambit win rate at 0-999?

At 0-999, Black wins 36.5%, draws 4.0% and loses 59.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 38.5%. It rests on 770 Lichess games, which average 26 moves.

What is the Bishop's Opening: Horwitz Gambit win rate at 1000-1199?

At 1000-1199, Black wins 37.9%, draws 2.1% and loses 60.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 39.0%. It rests on 493 Lichess games, which average 26 moves.

What is the Bishop's Opening: Horwitz Gambit win rate at 1200-1399?

At 1200-1399, Black wins 39.8%, draws 2.1% and loses 58.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 40.9%. It rests on 452 Lichess games, which average 28 moves.

What is the Bishop's Opening: Horwitz Gambit win rate at 1400-1599?

At 1400-1599, Black wins 41.7%, draws 3.2% and loses 55.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 43.3%. It rests on 515 Lichess games, which average 30 moves.

What is the Bishop's Opening: Horwitz Gambit win rate at 1600-1799?

At 1600-1799, Black wins 46.6%, draws 2.9% and loses 50.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.1%. It rests on 594 Lichess games, which average 33 moves.

What is the Bishop's Opening: Horwitz Gambit win rate at 1800-1999?

At 1800-1999, Black wins 45.6%, draws 3.2% and loses 51.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.2%. It rests on 585 Lichess games, which average 33 moves.

What is the Bishop's Opening: Horwitz Gambit win rate at 2000-2199?

At 2000-2199, Black wins 45.2%, draws 3.8% and loses 50.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.2%. It rests on 351 Lichess games, which average 35 moves.

What is the Bishop's Opening: Horwitz Gambit win rate at 2200-2499?

At 2200-2499, Black wins 49.3%, draws 2.4% and loses 48.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.5%. It rests on 103 Lichess games, which average 37 moves.

What is the Bishop's Opening: Horwitz Gambit win rate in Bullet?

In Bullet, Black wins 47.7%, draws 2.0% and loses 50.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.7%. It rests on 887 Lichess games.

What is the Bishop's Opening: Horwitz Gambit win rate in Blitz?

In Blitz, Black wins 41.7%, draws 3.4% and loses 54.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 43.4%. It rests on 1.9K Lichess games.

What is the Bishop's Opening: Horwitz Gambit win rate in Rapid?

In Rapid, Black wins 39.0%, draws 3.4% and loses 57.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 40.7%. It rests on 1.0K Lichess games.

Is the Bishop's Opening: Horwitz Gambit a good opening?

The Bishop's Opening: Horwitz Gambit is hard work for Black — it favours White. Across all ratings, Black wins 42.0% of its games and loses 54.9%. It performs best at 1600-1799. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.