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Analyzer

Borg Defense

4 variations · 1.9M games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

Key Finding

Borg Defense leaves Black at 47.1% — pick a better weapon.

The minimum advantage of -5.9% suggests this opening underperforms statistically at your level.

You play
Tough Sell
Rating
Time
Black Expected Score47.1%Aggregated from 4 variationsWin + ½×draw — predicts rating gain better than win rate
40%47.1%55%
Tight estimate: 47.1% (±0.1%, huge sample)
Min adv-5.9%
ContextOverall · n=1.9M
Outcome Distribution
1...g5
Borg Defense
Variations4
Games (Context)1.9M
Avg Length29 moves
Draw Rate2.9%

Games (Context) — games matching the current filter

What Should I Play?

Player-controlled continuations for Black · Overall

#1Borg Defense: Troon GambitTop Pick
1.e4 g5 2.d4 h6 3.h4 g4
Min adv -5.1% · n=1.9K
49.4%
#2Borg Defense
1.e4 g5
Min adv -5.3% · n=1.3M
47.4%
#3Borg Defense: Borg Gambit
1.d4 g5
Min adv -7.4% · n=524K
46.4%
#4Borg Defense: Zilbermints Gambit
1.e4 g5 2.d4 e5
Min adv -19.2% · n=9.7K
41.3%

Continuations show the most common variations from this opening. Higher expected scores indicate better statistical outcomes, but familiarity and playstyle matter too.

What is the Borg Defense expected score for Black?

Snapshot

Overall, the Borg Defense family has a 47.1% expected score for Black (we're 90% confident it's between 47.1% and 47.2%), aggregated from 4 variations and 1.9M Lichess games.

Black Win% by Rating

Declines with rating: 43% → 39%

0
1000
1200
1400
1600
1800
2000
2200
2500+

  • 0-999: 42.9% win rate (201,231 games)
  • 1000-1199: 45.4% win rate (232,675 games)
  • 1200-1399: 46.3% win rate (313,116 games)
  • 1400-1599: 46.4% win rate (350,421 games)
  • 1600-1799: 46.1% win rate (304,618 games)
  • 1800-1999: 46.4% win rate (242,161 games)
  • 2000-2199: 45.2% win rate (132,479 games)
  • 2200-2499: 45.0% win rate (74,674 games)
  • 2500+: 39.3% win rate (8,066 games)

Black Win% by Time Control

Best in Bullet (47%), worst in Classical (38%)

UltraBullet
Bullet
Blitz
Rapid
Classical

  • UltraBullet: 47.0% win rate (9,215 games)
  • Bullet: 47.1% win rate (668,712 games)
  • Blitz: 45.6% win rate (864,411 games)
  • Rapid: 43.1% win rate (300,905 games)
  • Classical: 38.4% win rate (16,198 games)

Rating vs Time Control Matrix

Click cells to filter · Black expected scores

Black% by Rating × Time Control

Click any cell to filter — click it again to clear. 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, UltraBullet: 46.1% expected score (178 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Bullet: 46.8% expected score (45,538 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 45.8% expected score (102,420 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 41.5% expected score (52,472 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Classical: 33.8% expected score (623 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 40.9% expected score (457 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 47.8% expected score (60,987 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 47.6% expected score (119,777 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 44.4% expected score (49,779 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 38.4% expected score (1,675 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 42.0% expected score (860 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 48.6% expected score (84,880 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 47.9% expected score (165,303 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 45.8% expected score (57,291 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 42.6% expected score (4,782 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 46.6% expected score (1,383 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 48.6% expected score (108,793 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 47.8% expected score (173,886 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 47.1% expected score (60,777 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 37.6% expected score (5,582 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 52.2% expected score (2,066 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 47.9% expected score (110,750 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 47.3% expected score (143,543 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 46.4% expected score (46,275 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 40.8% expected score (1,984 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 48.8% expected score (2,479 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 48.9% expected score (111,961 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 47.1% expected score (100,325 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 46.3% expected score (26,215 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 49.0% expected score (1,181 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 48.3% expected score (1,107 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 47.8% expected score (76,961 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 46.1% expected score (46,804 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 42.2% expected score (7,239 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 43.4% expected score (368 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 45.8% expected score (638 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 47.4% expected score (61,505 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 44.4% expected score (11,726 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 42.0% expected score (802 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 16.7% expected score (3 games)
  • 2500+ rating, UltraBullet: 40.7% expected score (47 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 42.1% expected score (7,337 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 39.0% expected score (627 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 34.1% expected score (55 games)

Matrix view reveals how performance varies across rating brackets and time controls. Green indicates favorable, red indicates challenging contexts.

Variations (4)

Ranked by Min adv — the worst-case edge over 50% we're 90% confident you keep.

1
Borg Defense: Troon Gambit1.9K games
49.4%min -5.1%
2
Borg Defense1.3M games
47.4%min -5.3%
3
Borg Defense: Borg Gambit524K games
46.4%min -7.4%
Borg Defense: Zilbermints Gambit9.7K games
41.3%min -19.2%
Analyze Borg Defense PositionsGet move-by-move win rates at your level with the TrueElo analyzer

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Borg Defense win rate?

The Borg Defense family has a 51.5% (90% CI: 51.4%-51.5%) win rate for white, aggregated from 4 variations and 1.9M rated games from Lichess.

How many Borg Defense variations are there?

This analysis covers 4 Borg Defense variations with sufficient game data. Each variation has its own statistics page with detailed win rates by rating and time control.

At what rating does the Borg Defense perform best?

The Borg Defense family performs best at 2500+ Elo with a 55.8% win rate for white (8.1K games). Performance may vary by specific variation.

Is the Borg Defense better in blitz or rapid?

Classical (57.8%) outperforms UltraBullet (51.3%) by 6.5% across all Borg Defense variations.

How sharp is the Borg Defense?

Borg Defense games are 97.1% decisive (non-draws), with an average length of 29 moves. Sharpness varies by specific variation.

Is the Borg Defense a good opening family?

The Borg Defense family is statistically favors white overall with a 51.5% (90% CI: 51.4%-51.5%) aggregated win rate. However, win rates vary significantly between the 4 variations—explore individual lines to find the best fit for your style.