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Danish Gambit Declined: Sörensen Defense

156K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

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Analyze this line move by move

Black expected score · All ratings · All speeds

51.4%

45%55%
Floor51.2%

the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 51.6%.

Measured over 156K games at this level and clock.

Playablewins about as often as it loses at this level

Roughly even — the middlegame decides more than this opening choice does.

Outcomes for Black

Draw 4.3 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 156K games

Rank among the families Black can choose here
not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
Games in this context
156K
Best context
57.4% at 1200-1399 Rapid
Worst context
47.7% at 2200-2499 Blitz
Average game length
33 moves
Games that end decisively
95.7%
Draws
4.3%

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

Time-Control Swing

Max swing: 12.1% · UltraBullet best · Classical worst

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: 55.8% at 0-999, 36.4% at 2500+.

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: 54.0% expected score (613 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 52.8% expected score (930 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 58.5% expected score (389 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Classical: 57.7% expected score (5 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 14.7% expected score (7 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 49.1% expected score (1,135 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 52.5% expected score (1,890 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 54.9% expected score (685 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (6 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 46.6% expected score (13 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 50.6% expected score (2,489 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 55.1% expected score (4,774 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 57.4% expected score (1,546 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 60.6% expected score (27 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 54.0% expected score (73 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 53.0% expected score (4,239 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 52.9% expected score (10,212 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 54.9% expected score (3,031 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 61.6% expected score (141 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 54.7% expected score (52 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 51.6% expected score (7,103 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 52.0% expected score (18,618 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 54.5% expected score (4,466 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 58.1% expected score (258 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 38.4% expected score (20 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 50.8% expected score (10,617 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 51.3% expected score (25,761 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 53.0% expected score (5,035 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 58.2% expected score (169 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 30.0% expected score (11 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 50.0% expected score (11,755 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 50.0% expected score (18,174 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 51.0% expected score (3,172 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 52.7% expected score (55 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 39.8% expected score (18 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 49.0% expected score (10,358 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 47.7% expected score (4,909 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 49.8% expected score (521 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 53.5% expected score (13 games)
  • 2500+ rating, UltraBullet: 38.9% expected score (3 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 48.0% expected score (2,482 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 42.1% expected score (168 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 16.7% expected score (3 games)

Related Openings

Variations (1)
Danish Gambit Declined: Sorensen Defense
46.2%
Analyze Danish Gambit Declined: Sörensen Defense PositionsSee what each move is worth at your rating, move by move

Methodology

Across every rating and clock, the Danish Gambit Declined: Sörensen Defense scores 51.4% for Black — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 51.2% and 51.6% — from 156K 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
156K+ 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 Declined: Sörensen Defense win rate?

Playing the Danish Gambit Declined: Sörensen Defense, Black wins 49.2%, draws 4.3% and loses 46.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.4%. It rests on 156K rated games from Lichess.

At what rating does the Danish Gambit Declined: Sörensen Defense perform best?

The Danish Gambit Declined: Sörensen Defense performs best for Black at 1200-1399, with an Expected Score of 54.3% (8.8K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.

Is the Danish Gambit Declined: Sörensen Defense better in blitz or rapid?

For Black, the Danish Gambit Declined: Sörensen Defense scores higher in Rapid: an Expected Score of 51.4% in Blitz (85K games) against 53.8% in Rapid (19K games).

How sharp is the Danish Gambit Declined: Sörensen Defense?

The Danish Gambit Declined: Sörensen Defense has a sharpness score of 95.7 (very decisive), meaning 95.7% of games end decisively. Average game length is 33 moves.

What is the Danish Gambit Declined: Sörensen Defense win rate at 0-999?

At 0-999, Black wins 52.3%, draws 4.0% and loses 43.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.3%. It rests on 1.9K Lichess games, which average 25 moves.

What is the Danish Gambit Declined: Sörensen Defense win rate at 1000-1199?

At 1000-1199, Black wins 50.5%, draws 2.6% and loses 46.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.8%. It rests on 3.7K Lichess games, which average 27 moves.

What is the Danish Gambit Declined: Sörensen Defense win rate at 1200-1399?

At 1200-1399, Black wins 52.9%, draws 2.6% and loses 44.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.3%. It rests on 8.8K Lichess games, which average 28 moves.

What is the Danish Gambit Declined: Sörensen Defense win rate at 1400-1599?

At 1400-1599, Black wins 51.8%, draws 3.0% and loses 45.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.4%. It rests on 18K Lichess games, which average 30 moves.

What is the Danish Gambit Declined: Sörensen Defense win rate at 1600-1799?

At 1600-1799, Black wins 50.5%, draws 3.5% and loses 45.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.3%. It rests on 30K Lichess games, which average 31 moves.

What is the Danish Gambit Declined: Sörensen Defense win rate at 1800-1999?

At 1800-1999, Black wins 49.1%, draws 4.4% and loses 46.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.4%. It rests on 42K Lichess games, which average 33 moves.

What is the Danish Gambit Declined: Sörensen Defense win rate at 2000-2199?

At 2000-2199, Black wins 47.6%, draws 5.0% and loses 47.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.1%. It rests on 33K Lichess games, which average 35 moves.

What is the Danish Gambit Declined: Sörensen Defense win rate at 2200-2499?

At 2200-2499, Black wins 45.5%, draws 6.1% and loses 48.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.6%. It rests on 16K Lichess games, which average 37 moves.

What is the Danish Gambit Declined: Sörensen Defense win rate at 2500+?

At 2500+, Black wins 44.5%, draws 6.1% and loses 49.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.6%. It rests on 2.7K Lichess games, which average 40 moves.

What is the Danish Gambit Declined: Sörensen Defense win rate in UltraBullet?

In UltraBullet, Black wins 44.6%, draws 5.3% and loses 50.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.3%. It rests on 197 Lichess games.

What is the Danish Gambit Declined: Sörensen Defense win rate in Bullet?

In Bullet, Black wins 48.7%, draws 3.2% and loses 48.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.4%. It rests on 51K Lichess games.

What is the Danish Gambit Declined: Sörensen Defense win rate in Blitz?

In Blitz, Black wins 49.0%, draws 4.7% and loses 46.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.4%. It rests on 85K Lichess games.

What is the Danish Gambit Declined: Sörensen Defense win rate in Rapid?

In Rapid, Black wins 51.3%, draws 5.0% and loses 43.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.8%. It rests on 19K Lichess games.

What is the Danish Gambit Declined: Sörensen Defense win rate in Classical?

In Classical, Black wins 54.8%, draws 7.2% and loses 38.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 58.4%. It rests on 674 Lichess games.

Is the Danish Gambit Declined: Sörensen Defense a good opening?

The Danish Gambit Declined: Sörensen Defense is about level. Across all ratings, Black wins 49.2% of its games and loses 46.5%. It performs best at 1200-1399. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.