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Bishop's Opening: McDonnell Gambit, La Bourdonnais-Denker Gambit

4.9K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

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Analyze this line move by move

White expected score · All ratings · All speeds

54.6%

45%60%
Floor53.4%

the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 55.7%.

Measured over 4.9K games at this level and clock.

Play Thiswins clearly more often than it loses at this level

A strong choice for White at this level and clock.

Outcomes for White

Draw 2.5 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 4.9K games

Rank among the families White can choose here
not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
Games in this context
4.9K
Best context
54.7% at 1600-1799 Blitz
Worst context
54.2% at 1800-1999 Blitz
Average game length
30 moves
Games that end decisively
97.5%
Draws
2.5%

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: +5.2% · 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: 48.0% at 0-999, 50.0% 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, Bullet: 56.0% expected score (32 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 55.9% expected score (92 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 50.0% expected score (68 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Classical: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 53.2% expected score (46 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 52.6% expected score (136 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 51.3% expected score (79 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 51.6% expected score (162 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 52.9% expected score (319 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 60.6% expected score (155 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (8 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 56.2% expected score (299 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 55.9% expected score (474 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 52.8% expected score (286 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 52.9% expected score (16 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 49.7% expected score (143 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 54.7% expected score (669 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 53.4% expected score (356 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 67.4% expected score (10 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 55.0% expected score (120 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 54.2% expected score (624 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 55.9% expected score (252 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 56.5% expected score (14 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 54.2% expected score (143 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 55.1% expected score (275 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 60.1% expected score (78 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 64.3% expected score (2 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 65.2% expected score (38 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 45.8% expected score (22 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 57.5% expected score (12 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 50.0% expected score (1 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: McDonnell Gambit, La Bourdonnais-Denker 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, La Bourdonnais-Denker Gambit scores 54.6% for White — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 53.4% and 55.7% — from 4.9K 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
4.9K+ 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: McDonnell Gambit, La Bourdonnais-Denker Gambit win rate?

Playing the Bishop's Opening: McDonnell Gambit, La Bourdonnais-Denker Gambit, White wins 53.3%, draws 2.5% and loses 44.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.6%. It rests on 4.9K rated games from Lichess.

At what rating does the Bishop's Opening: McDonnell Gambit, La Bourdonnais-Denker Gambit perform best?

The Bishop's Opening: McDonnell Gambit, La Bourdonnais-Denker Gambit performs best for White at 1400-1599, with an Expected Score of 55.1% (1.1K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.

Is the Bishop's Opening: McDonnell Gambit, La Bourdonnais-Denker Gambit better in blitz or rapid?

For White, the Bishop's Opening: McDonnell Gambit, La Bourdonnais-Denker Gambit scores about the same in both: an Expected Score of 54.5% in Blitz (2.6K games) against 54.8% in Rapid (1.3K games).

How sharp is the Bishop's Opening: McDonnell Gambit, La Bourdonnais-Denker Gambit?

The Bishop's Opening: McDonnell Gambit, La Bourdonnais-Denker Gambit has a sharpness score of 97.5 (very decisive), meaning 97.5% of games end decisively. Average game length is 30 moves.

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

At 0-999, White wins 52.7%, draws 1.8% and loses 45.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.6%. It rests on 193 Lichess games, which average 24 moves.

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

At 1000-1199, White wins 51.2%, draws 2.1% and loses 46.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.3%. It rests on 261 Lichess games, which average 26 moves.

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

At 1200-1399, White wins 53.4%, draws 1.9% and loses 44.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.4%. It rests on 644 Lichess games, which average 29 moves.

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

At 1400-1599, White wins 54.1%, draws 2.0% and loses 43.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 55.1%. It rests on 1.1K Lichess games, which average 28 moves.

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

At 1600-1799, White wins 52.3%, draws 3.0% and loses 44.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.8%. It rests on 1.2K Lichess games, which average 31 moves.

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

At 1800-1999, White wins 53.4%, draws 2.6% and loses 43.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.8%. It rests on 1.0K Lichess games, which average 32 moves.

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

At 2000-2199, White wins 53.8%, draws 3.9% and loses 42.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 55.8%. It rests on 498 Lichess games, which average 31 moves.

What is the Bishop's Opening: McDonnell Gambit, La Bourdonnais-Denker Gambit win rate in Bullet?

In Bullet, White wins 53.5%, draws 1.5% and loses 45.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.3%. It rests on 984 Lichess games.

What is the Bishop's Opening: McDonnell Gambit, La Bourdonnais-Denker Gambit win rate in Blitz?

In Blitz, White wins 53.2%, draws 2.4% and loses 44.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.5%. It rests on 2.6K Lichess games.

What is the Bishop's Opening: McDonnell Gambit, La Bourdonnais-Denker Gambit win rate in Rapid?

In Rapid, White wins 53.2%, draws 3.2% and loses 43.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.8%. It rests on 1.3K Lichess games.

Is the Bishop's Opening: McDonnell Gambit, La Bourdonnais-Denker Gambit a good opening?

The Bishop's Opening: McDonnell Gambit, La Bourdonnais-Denker Gambit is good for White. Across all ratings, White wins 53.3% of its games and loses 44.2%. It performs best at 1400-1599. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.