Bishop's Opening: Ponziani Gambit
709K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026
White expected score · All ratings · All speeds
56.6%
the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 56.7%.
Measured over 709K games at this level and clock.
A strong choice for White at this level and clock.
Outcomes for White
Draw 3.2 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 709K games
- Rank among the families White can choose here
- not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
- Games in this context
- 709K
- Best context
- 65.9% at 2200-2499 Rapid
- Worst context
- 50.2% at 0-999 Rapid
- Average game length
- 29 moves
- Games that end decisively
- 96.8%
- Draws
- 3.2%
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
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: 50.5% at 0-999, 57.8% at 2500+.
| Rating | UB | Bulle | Blitz | Rapid | Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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: 50.0% expected score (28 games)
- 0-999 rating, Bullet: 53.6% expected score (8,605 games)
- 0-999 rating, Blitz: 51.9% expected score (27,690 games)
- 0-999 rating, Rapid: 50.2% expected score (19,069 games)
- 0-999 rating, Classical: 47.0% expected score (130 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 46.2% expected score (76 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 56.9% expected score (9,992 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 55.0% expected score (43,428 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 53.5% expected score (26,108 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 50.9% expected score (546 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 49.8% expected score (237 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 57.1% expected score (13,527 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 56.4% expected score (63,585 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 54.8% expected score (40,571 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 52.7% expected score (2,348 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 54.8% expected score (576 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 57.0% expected score (15,683 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 57.0% expected score (74,759 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 56.1% expected score (48,412 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 53.4% expected score (3,376 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 55.8% expected score (155 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 57.0% expected score (15,526 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 57.8% expected score (78,011 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 57.3% expected score (49,748 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 58.0% expected score (3,096 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 54.0% expected score (36 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 57.8% expected score (15,056 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 59.0% expected score (58,714 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 58.3% expected score (30,513 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 59.0% expected score (1,717 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 62.3% expected score (27 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 57.6% expected score (8,892 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 59.6% expected score (27,414 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 60.7% expected score (9,860 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 64.4% expected score (338 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 50.0% expected score (4 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 58.8% expected score (4,053 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 61.5% expected score (4,634 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 65.9% expected score (1,024 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 66.4% expected score (23 games)
- 2500+ rating, Bullet: 60.4% expected score (1,041 games)
- 2500+ rating, Blitz: 65.3% expected score (110 games)
- 2500+ rating, Rapid: 55.3% expected score (8 games)
- 2500+ rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (1 games)
Related Openings
Methodology
Across every rating and clock, the Bishop's Opening: Ponziani Gambit scores 56.6% for White — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 56.5% and 56.7% — from 709K 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
- 709K+ 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: Ponziani Gambit win rate?
Playing the Bishop's Opening: Ponziani Gambit, White wins 55.0%, draws 3.2% and loses 41.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 56.6%. It rests on 709K rated games from Lichess.
At what rating does the Bishop's Opening: Ponziani Gambit perform best?
The Bishop's Opening: Ponziani Gambit performs best for White at 2200-2499, with an Expected Score of 60.8% (9.7K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.
Is the Bishop's Opening: Ponziani Gambit better in blitz or rapid?
For White, the Bishop's Opening: Ponziani Gambit scores higher in Blitz: an Expected Score of 57.0% in Blitz (378K games) against 55.9% in Rapid (225K games).
How sharp is the Bishop's Opening: Ponziani Gambit?
The Bishop's Opening: Ponziani Gambit has a sharpness score of 96.8 (very decisive), meaning 96.8% of games end decisively. Average game length is 29 moves.
What is the Bishop's Opening: Ponziani Gambit win rate at 0-999?
At 0-999, White wins 49.9%, draws 3.4% and loses 46.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.6%. It rests on 56K Lichess games, which average 24 moves.
What is the Bishop's Opening: Ponziani Gambit win rate at 1000-1199?
At 1000-1199, White wins 53.3%, draws 2.9% and loses 43.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.8%. It rests on 80K Lichess games, which average 26 moves.
What is the Bishop's Opening: Ponziani Gambit win rate at 1200-1399?
At 1200-1399, White wins 54.5%, draws 2.7% and loses 42.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 55.9%. It rests on 120K Lichess games, which average 27 moves.
What is the Bishop's Opening: Ponziani Gambit win rate at 1400-1599?
At 1400-1599, White wins 55.2%, draws 2.8% and loses 42.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 56.6%. It rests on 143K Lichess games, which average 29 moves.
What is the Bishop's Opening: Ponziani Gambit win rate at 1600-1799?
At 1600-1799, White wins 55.9%, draws 3.3% and loses 40.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 57.6%. It rests on 147K Lichess games, which average 30 moves.
What is the Bishop's Opening: Ponziani Gambit win rate at 1800-1999?
At 1800-1999, White wins 56.8%, draws 3.7% and loses 39.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 58.6%. It rests on 106K Lichess games, which average 31 moves.
What is the Bishop's Opening: Ponziani Gambit win rate at 2000-2199?
At 2000-2199, White wins 57.4%, draws 4.2% and loses 38.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 59.5%. It rests on 47K Lichess games, which average 32 moves.
What is the Bishop's Opening: Ponziani Gambit win rate at 2200-2499?
At 2200-2499, White wins 58.4%, draws 4.8% and loses 36.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 60.8%. It rests on 9.7K Lichess games, which average 32 moves.
What is the Bishop's Opening: Ponziani Gambit win rate at 2500+?
At 2500+, White wins 58.4%, draws 4.8% and loses 36.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 60.8%. It rests on 1.2K Lichess games, which average 36 moves.
What is the Bishop's Opening: Ponziani Gambit win rate in UltraBullet?
In UltraBullet, White wins 52.9%, draws 0.8% and loses 46.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.3%. It rests on 1.1K Lichess games.
What is the Bishop's Opening: Ponziani Gambit win rate in Bullet?
In Bullet, White wins 56.0%, draws 2.0% and loses 42.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 57.0%. It rests on 92K Lichess games.
What is the Bishop's Opening: Ponziani Gambit win rate in Blitz?
In Blitz, White wins 55.4%, draws 3.2% and loses 41.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 57.0%. It rests on 378K Lichess games.
What is the Bishop's Opening: Ponziani Gambit win rate in Rapid?
In Rapid, White wins 54.1%, draws 3.6% and loses 42.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 55.9%. It rests on 225K Lichess games.
What is the Bishop's Opening: Ponziani Gambit win rate in Classical?
In Classical, White wins 53.5%, draws 3.9% and loses 42.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 55.5%. It rests on 12K Lichess games.
Is the Bishop's Opening: Ponziani Gambit a good opening?
The Bishop's Opening: Ponziani Gambit is good for White. Across all ratings, White wins 55.0% of its games and loses 41.8%. It performs best at 2200-2499. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.