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Analyzer

Bishop's Opening: McDonnell Gambit

4.2K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

Playable
White Expected Score49.8%Range (90% confident): 48.5% – 51.1%Based on 4.2K games
0%49.8%100%
Range (90% confident): 48.5% – 51.1%
Outcome Distribution
48.1%3.4%48.5%
Win
Draw
Loss
3.b4
Bishop's Opening: McDonnell Gambit
Analyzen=4.2K
Avg Length29 moves
Sharpness97%
Draw Rate3.4%

What is the Bishop's Opening: McDonnell Gambit expected score for White?

Snapshot

At all ratings, the Bishop's Opening: McDonnell Gambit has a 49.8% expected score for White (we're 90% confident it's between 48.5% and 51.1%), based on 4.2K Lichess games.

Extra Analysis

Deep-dive datasets for this opening

Gambit BreakpointWhite

Peak: -3.7% · Breakpoint: 0-999

White Win% by Rating

Improves with rating: 47% → 53%

0
1000
1200
1400
1600
1800
2000
2200

  • 0-999: 47.2% win rate (379 games)
  • 1000-1199: 48.7% win rate (330 games)
  • 1200-1399: 47.8% win rate (656 games)
  • 1400-1599: 47.8% win rate (977 games)
  • 1600-1799: 47.4% win rate (980 games)
  • 1800-1999: 49.9% win rate (583 games)
  • 2000-2199: 48.1% win rate (278 games)
  • 2200-2499: 52.7% win rate (26 games)

White Win% by Time Control

Best in Bullet (51%), worst in UltraBullet (6%)

UltraBullet
Bullet
Blitz
Rapid
Classical

  • UltraBullet: 5.9% win rate (7 games)
  • Bullet: 50.8% win rate (1,030 games)
  • Blitz: 48.7% win rate (2,052 games)
  • Rapid: 44.7% win rate (1,073 games)
  • Classical: 44.3% win rate (47 games)

White% by Rating × Time Control

Click any cell to filter. Green = above 50%, Red = below 50%.

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: Anderssen Gambit
54.3%
Bishop's Opening: Berlin Defense
50.0%
Bishop's Opening: Berlin Defense, Greco Gambit
47.8%
Bishop's Opening: Boden-Kieseritzky Gambit
56.0%
Bishop's Opening: Boden-Kieseritzky Gambit, Lichtenhein Defense
56.3%
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 PositionsGet move-by-move win rates with the TrueElo analyzer

Frequently Asked Questions

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

The Bishop's Opening: McDonnell Gambit has a 48.1% (90% CI: 46.8%-49.4%) win rate for white, based 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 at 1800-1999 Elo with a 49.9% win rate for white (583 games). Win rate tends to decline at higher ratings as opponents know the theory better.

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

Bullet (50.8%) outperforms Rapid (44.7%) by 6.1%. Choose your time control wisely.

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 Elo?

At 0-999 Elo, the Bishop's Opening: McDonnell Gambit has a 47.2% (90% CI: 43.0%-51.4%) win rate for white, based on 379 Lichess games. Average game length is 23 moves with a 5.7% draw rate.

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

At 1000-1199 Elo, the Bishop's Opening: McDonnell Gambit has a 48.7% (90% CI: 44.2%-53.2%) win rate for white, based on 330 Lichess games. Average game length is 25 moves with a 4.4% draw rate.

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

At 1200-1399 Elo, the Bishop's Opening: McDonnell Gambit has a 47.8% (90% CI: 44.6%-51.0%) win rate for white, based on 656 Lichess games. Average game length is 27 moves with a 3.3% draw rate.

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

At 1400-1599 Elo, the Bishop's Opening: McDonnell Gambit has a 47.8% (90% CI: 45.2%-50.4%) win rate for white, based on 977 Lichess games. Average game length is 29 moves with a 2.7% draw rate.

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

At 1600-1799 Elo, the Bishop's Opening: McDonnell Gambit has a 47.4% (90% CI: 44.8%-50.1%) win rate for white, based on 980 Lichess games. Average game length is 32 moves with a 3.0% draw rate.

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

At 1800-1999 Elo, the Bishop's Opening: McDonnell Gambit has a 49.9% (90% CI: 46.5%-53.3%) win rate for white, based on 583 Lichess games. Average game length is 33 moves with a 3.3% draw rate.

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

At 2000-2199 Elo, the Bishop's Opening: McDonnell Gambit has a 48.1% (90% CI: 43.2%-53.0%) win rate for white, based on 278 Lichess games. Average game length is 33 moves with a 4.8% draw rate.

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

In Bullet games, the Bishop's Opening: McDonnell Gambit has a 50.8% (90% CI: 48.3%-53.4%) win rate for white (1.0K Lichess games). Draw rate is 2.5%.

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

In Blitz games, the Bishop's Opening: McDonnell Gambit has a 48.7% (90% CI: 46.9%-50.5%) win rate for white (2.1K Lichess games). Draw rate is 3.0%.

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

In Rapid games, the Bishop's Opening: McDonnell Gambit has a 44.7% (90% CI: 42.2%-47.2%) win rate for white (1.1K Lichess games). Draw rate is 5.1%.

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

The Bishop's Opening: McDonnell Gambit is statistically balanced with a 48.1% (90% CI: 46.8%-49.4%) win rate across all ratings. It performs best at 1800-1999 Elo. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.