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Bishop's Opening: McDonnell Gambit

4.2K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

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Analyze this line move by move

White expected score · All ratings · All speeds

49.8%

45%55%
Floor48.5%

the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 51.1%.

Measured over 4.2K 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 3.4 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 4.2K games

Rank among the families White can choose here
not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
Games in this context
4.2K
Best context
50.8% at 1600-1799 Blitz
Average game length
29 moves
Games that end decisively
96.6%
Draws
3.4%

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: −3.7% · 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 holds about the same all the way up, near 49.2%.

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: 44.7% expected score (36 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 54.2% expected score (153 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 47.7% expected score (188 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 54.8% expected score (71 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 49.4% expected score (157 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 51.0% expected score (101 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 16.7% expected score (3 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 52.4% expected score (187 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 49.1% expected score (327 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 46.7% expected score (131 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 60.6% expected score (8 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 16.7% expected score (3 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 52.1% expected score (302 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 49.6% expected score (428 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 45.0% expected score (218 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 48.2% expected score (26 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 51.8% expected score (193 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 50.8% expected score (529 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 43.7% expected score (252 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 27.0% expected score (5 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 56.6% expected score (113 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 50.6% expected score (324 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 49.7% expected score (142 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (4 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 47.0% expected score (115 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 48.5% expected score (126 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 67.4% expected score (36 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 60.4% expected score (13 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 50.0% expected score (8 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 42.4% expected score (5 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%
Continuations (2)
Bishop's Opening: McDonnell Gambit, La Bourdonnais-Denker Gambit
53.3%
Bishop's Opening: McDonnell Gambit, McDonnell Double Gambit
56.5%
Analyze Bishop's Opening: McDonnell Gambit PositionsSee what each move is worth at your rating, move by move

Methodology

Across every rating and clock, the Bishop's Opening: McDonnell Gambit scores 49.8% for White — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 48.5% and 51.1% — from 4.2K 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
4.2K+ 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: McDonnell Gambit win rate?

Playing the Bishop's Opening: McDonnell Gambit, White wins 48.1%, draws 3.4% and loses 48.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.8%. It rests on 4.2K rated games from Lichess.

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

The Bishop's Opening: McDonnell Gambit performs best for White at 1800-1999, with an Expected Score of 51.6% (583 games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.

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

For White, the Bishop's Opening: McDonnell Gambit scores higher in Blitz: an Expected Score of 50.2% in Blitz (2.1K games) against 47.3% in Rapid (1.1K games).

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

The Bishop's Opening: McDonnell Gambit has a sharpness score of 96.6 (very decisive), meaning 96.6% of games end decisively. Average game length is 29 moves.

What is the Bishop's Opening: McDonnell Gambit win rate at 0-999?

At 0-999, White wins 47.2%, draws 5.7% and loses 47.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.0%. It rests on 379 Lichess games, which average 23 moves.

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

At 1000-1199, White wins 48.7%, draws 4.4% and loses 46.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.9%. It rests on 330 Lichess games, which average 25 moves.

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

At 1200-1399, White wins 47.8%, draws 3.3% and loses 48.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.5%. It rests on 656 Lichess games, which average 27 moves.

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

At 1400-1599, White wins 47.8%, draws 2.7% and loses 49.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.2%. It rests on 977 Lichess games, which average 29 moves.

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

At 1600-1799, White wins 47.4%, draws 3.0% and loses 49.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.9%. It rests on 980 Lichess games, which average 32 moves.

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

At 1800-1999, White wins 49.9%, draws 3.3% and loses 46.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.6%. It rests on 583 Lichess games, which average 33 moves.

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

At 2000-2199, White wins 48.1%, draws 4.8% and loses 47.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.6%. It rests on 278 Lichess games, which average 33 moves.

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

In Bullet, White wins 50.8%, draws 2.5% and loses 46.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.1%. It rests on 1.0K Lichess games.

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

In Blitz, White wins 48.7%, draws 3.0% and loses 48.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.2%. It rests on 2.1K Lichess games.

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

In Rapid, White wins 44.7%, draws 5.1% and loses 50.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.3%. It rests on 1.1K Lichess games.

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

The Bishop's Opening: McDonnell Gambit is about level. Across all ratings, White wins 48.1% of its games and loses 48.5%. It performs best at 1800-1999. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.