Danish Gambit Accepted: Schlechter Defense
91K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026
Black expected score · All ratings · All speeds
50.2%
the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 50.5%.
Measured over 91K games at this level and clock.
Roughly even — the middlegame decides more than this opening choice does.
Outcomes for Black
Draw 4.8 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 91K games
- Rank among the families Black can choose here
- not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
- Games in this context
- 91K
- Best context
- 52.1% at 1800-1999 Rapid
- Worst context
- 43.6% at 1000-1199 Blitz
- Average game length
- 32 moves
- Games that end decisively
- 95.2%
- Draws
- 4.8%
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: 45.2% at 0-999, 34.6% 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: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
- 0-999 rating, Bullet: 36.1% expected score (263 games)
- 0-999 rating, Blitz: 44.5% expected score (153 games)
- 0-999 rating, Rapid: 45.3% expected score (115 games)
- 0-999 rating, Classical: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 21.5% expected score (2 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 46.4% expected score (588 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 43.6% expected score (518 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 49.3% expected score (201 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 13.7% expected score (4 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 50.6% expected score (1,409 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 48.6% expected score (1,906 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 48.3% expected score (497 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 38.0% expected score (11 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 20.6% expected score (7 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 50.9% expected score (3,285 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 50.1% expected score (4,713 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 51.0% expected score (1,137 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 63.0% expected score (60 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 21.5% expected score (2 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 50.2% expected score (5,266 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 51.0% expected score (11,696 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 50.2% expected score (2,321 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 54.4% expected score (100 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 49.9% expected score (6,501 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 51.3% expected score (18,898 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 52.1% expected score (3,296 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 48.4% expected score (118 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 49.1% expected score (5,468 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 50.2% expected score (13,633 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 49.1% expected score (2,321 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 44.2% expected score (50 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 47.7% expected score (2,932 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 50.7% expected score (2,512 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 48.5% expected score (380 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 23.9% expected score (10 games)
- 2500+ rating, Bullet: 44.2% expected score (322 games)
- 2500+ rating, Blitz: 40.4% expected score (66 games)
- 2500+ rating, Rapid: 19.3% expected score (5 games)
Related Openings
Methodology
Across every rating and clock, the Danish Gambit Accepted: Schlechter Defense scores 50.2% for Black — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 50.0% and 50.5% — from 91K 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
- 91K+ 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 Danish Gambit Accepted: Schlechter Defense win rate?
Playing the Danish Gambit Accepted: Schlechter Defense, Black wins 47.8%, draws 4.8% and loses 47.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.2%. It rests on 91K rated games from Lichess.
At what rating does the Danish Gambit Accepted: Schlechter Defense perform best?
The Danish Gambit Accepted: Schlechter Defense performs best for Black at 1800-1999, with an Expected Score of 51.0% (29K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.
Is the Danish Gambit Accepted: Schlechter Defense better in blitz or rapid?
For Black, the Danish Gambit Accepted: Schlechter Defense scores about the same in both: an Expected Score of 50.6% in Blitz (54K games) against 50.4% in Rapid (10K games).
How sharp is the Danish Gambit Accepted: Schlechter Defense?
The Danish Gambit Accepted: Schlechter Defense has a sharpness score of 95.2 (very decisive), meaning 95.2% of games end decisively. Average game length is 32 moves.
What is the Danish Gambit Accepted: Schlechter Defense win rate at 0-999?
At 0-999, Black wins 39.0%, draws 2.9% and loses 58.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 40.5%. It rests on 533 Lichess games, which average 24 moves.
What is the Danish Gambit Accepted: Schlechter Defense win rate at 1000-1199?
At 1000-1199, Black wins 44.3%, draws 2.6% and loses 53.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 45.6%. It rests on 1.3K Lichess games, which average 25 moves.
What is the Danish Gambit Accepted: Schlechter Defense win rate at 1200-1399?
At 1200-1399, Black wins 47.8%, draws 2.7% and loses 49.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.2%. It rests on 3.8K Lichess games, which average 27 moves.
What is the Danish Gambit Accepted: Schlechter Defense win rate at 1400-1599?
At 1400-1599, Black wins 48.7%, draws 3.7% and loses 47.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.6%. It rests on 9.2K Lichess games, which average 29 moves.
What is the Danish Gambit Accepted: Schlechter Defense win rate at 1600-1799?
At 1600-1799, Black wins 48.6%, draws 4.1% and loses 47.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.7%. It rests on 19K Lichess games, which average 30 moves.
What is the Danish Gambit Accepted: Schlechter Defense win rate at 1800-1999?
At 1800-1999, Black wins 48.6%, draws 4.8% and loses 46.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.0%. It rests on 29K Lichess games, which average 33 moves.
What is the Danish Gambit Accepted: Schlechter Defense win rate at 2000-2199?
At 2000-2199, Black wins 46.8%, draws 5.8% and loses 47.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.8%. It rests on 21K Lichess games, which average 35 moves.
What is the Danish Gambit Accepted: Schlechter Defense win rate at 2200-2499?
At 2200-2499, Black wins 45.6%, draws 6.6% and loses 47.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.9%. It rests on 5.8K Lichess games, which average 36 moves.
What is the Danish Gambit Accepted: Schlechter Defense win rate at 2500+?
At 2500+, Black wins 39.9%, draws 6.2% and loses 53.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 43.0%. It rests on 393 Lichess games, which average 40 moves.
What is the Danish Gambit Accepted: Schlechter Defense win rate in Bullet?
In Bullet, Black wins 47.5%, draws 3.7% and loses 48.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.4%. It rests on 26K Lichess games.
What is the Danish Gambit Accepted: Schlechter Defense win rate in Blitz?
In Blitz, Black wins 48.0%, draws 5.1% and loses 46.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.6%. It rests on 54K Lichess games.
What is the Danish Gambit Accepted: Schlechter Defense win rate in Rapid?
In Rapid, Black wins 47.5%, draws 5.7% and loses 46.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.4%. It rests on 10K Lichess games.
What is the Danish Gambit Accepted: Schlechter Defense win rate in Classical?
In Classical, Black wins 47.0%, draws 7.2% and loses 45.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.6%. It rests on 351 Lichess games.
Is the Danish Gambit Accepted: Schlechter Defense a good opening?
The Danish Gambit Accepted: Schlechter Defense is about level. Across all ratings, Black wins 47.8% of its games and loses 47.4%. It performs best at 1800-1999. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.