Center Game Accepted
277K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026
Black expected score · All ratings · All speeds
56.9%
the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 57.1%.
Measured over 277K games at this level and clock.
A strong choice for Black at this level and clock.
Outcomes for Black
Draw 3.4 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 277K games
- Rank among the families Black can choose here
- not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
- Games in this context
- 277K
- Best context
- 76.8% at 1400-1599 Classical
- Worst context
- 44.0% at 1600-1799 UltraBullet
- Average game length
- 28 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
Where it holds · Black score by rating × clock
Green is clearly ahead for Black, grey is around even, red is behind. Tap a cell to measure there, and again to clear. It falls away as the rating rises: 59.8% at 0-999, 50.7% 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: 54.1% expected score (205 games)
- 0-999 rating, Bullet: 59.8% expected score (11,622 games)
- 0-999 rating, Blitz: 59.4% expected score (22,005 games)
- 0-999 rating, Rapid: 60.9% expected score (13,764 games)
- 0-999 rating, Classical: 64.8% expected score (354 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 44.6% expected score (399 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 57.6% expected score (10,436 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 57.5% expected score (21,713 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 59.5% expected score (11,338 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 66.4% expected score (445 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 45.3% expected score (931 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 54.5% expected score (13,627 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 57.6% expected score (22,522 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 56.3% expected score (16,761 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 65.3% expected score (677 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 48.6% expected score (2,222 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 56.5% expected score (13,751 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 57.2% expected score (24,996 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 61.6% expected score (11,721 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 76.8% expected score (997 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 44.0% expected score (2,513 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 53.5% expected score (12,290 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 54.6% expected score (17,784 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 55.2% expected score (7,717 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 67.0% expected score (288 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 51.9% expected score (525 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 52.9% expected score (10,246 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 57.0% expected score (8,145 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 56.5% expected score (3,340 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 66.0% expected score (80 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 52.2% expected score (164 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 53.5% expected score (5,455 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 55.6% expected score (3,687 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 60.7% expected score (523 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 57.8% expected score (89 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 38.3% expected score (88 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 52.3% expected score (2,838 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 61.1% expected score (274 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 47.5% expected score (98 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 61.2% expected score (3 games)
- 2500+ rating, UltraBullet: 27.0% expected score (5 games)
- 2500+ rating, Bullet: 56.9% expected score (463 games)
- 2500+ rating, Blitz: 45.1% expected score (19 games)
- 2500+ rating, Rapid: 54.4% expected score (10 games)
- 2500+ rating, Classical: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
Methodology
Across every rating and clock, the Center Game Accepted scores 56.9% for Black — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 56.8% and 57.1% — from 277K 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
- 277K+ 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 Center Game Accepted win rate?
Playing the Center Game Accepted, Black wins 55.2%, draws 3.4% and loses 41.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 56.9%. It rests on 277K rated games from Lichess.
At what rating does the Center Game Accepted perform best?
The Center Game Accepted performs best for Black at 0-999, with an Expected Score of 60.0% (48K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.
Is the Center Game Accepted better in blitz or rapid?
For Black, the Center Game Accepted scores higher in Rapid: an Expected Score of 57.3% in Blitz (121K games) against 58.7% in Rapid (65K games).
How sharp is the Center Game Accepted?
The Center Game Accepted has a sharpness score of 96.6 (very decisive), meaning 96.6% of games end decisively. Average game length is 28 moves.
What is the Center Game Accepted win rate at 0-999?
At 0-999, Black wins 57.6%, draws 4.7% and loses 37.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 60.0%. It rests on 48K Lichess games, which average 25 moves.
What is the Center Game Accepted win rate at 1000-1199?
At 1000-1199, Black wins 56.3%, draws 3.3% and loses 40.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 58.0%. It rests on 44K Lichess games, which average 26 moves.
What is the Center Game Accepted win rate at 1200-1399?
At 1200-1399, Black wins 54.7%, draws 3.1% and loses 42.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 56.3%. It rests on 55K Lichess games, which average 28 moves.
What is the Center Game Accepted win rate at 1400-1599?
At 1400-1599, Black wins 56.6%, draws 2.7% and loses 40.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 58.0%. It rests on 54K Lichess games, which average 28 moves.
What is the Center Game Accepted win rate at 1600-1799?
At 1600-1799, Black wins 52.3%, draws 2.9% and loses 44.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.8%. It rests on 41K Lichess games, which average 30 moves.
What is the Center Game Accepted win rate at 1800-1999?
At 1800-1999, Black wins 53.2%, draws 3.5% and loses 43.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 55.0%. It rests on 22K Lichess games, which average 31 moves.
What is the Center Game Accepted win rate at 2000-2199?
At 2000-2199, Black wins 52.9%, draws 3.5% and loses 43.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.7%. It rests on 9.9K Lichess games, which average 32 moves.
What is the Center Game Accepted win rate at 2200-2499?
At 2200-2499, Black wins 50.6%, draws 3.9% and loses 45.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.6%. It rests on 3.3K Lichess games, which average 33 moves.
What is the Center Game Accepted win rate at 2500+?
At 2500+, Black wins 52.2%, draws 7.9% and loses 39.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 56.2%. It rests on 498 Lichess games, which average 39 moves.
What is the Center Game Accepted win rate in UltraBullet?
In UltraBullet, Black wins 46.3%, draws 0.7% and loses 53.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.7%. It rests on 7.1K Lichess games.
What is the Center Game Accepted win rate in Bullet?
In Bullet, Black wins 54.4%, draws 2.1% and loses 43.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 55.5%. It rests on 81K Lichess games.
What is the Center Game Accepted win rate in Blitz?
In Blitz, Black wins 55.5%, draws 3.6% and loses 40.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 57.3%. It rests on 121K Lichess games.
What is the Center Game Accepted win rate in Rapid?
In Rapid, Black wins 56.3%, draws 4.7% and loses 39.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 58.7%. It rests on 65K Lichess games.
What is the Center Game Accepted win rate in Classical?
In Classical, Black wins 67.3%, draws 4.0% and loses 28.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 69.3%. It rests on 2.9K Lichess games.
Is the Center Game Accepted a good opening?
The Center Game Accepted is good for Black. Across all ratings, Black wins 55.2% of its games and loses 41.4%. It performs best at 0-999. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.