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English Defense: Eastbourne Gambit

14K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

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Analyze this line move by move

Black expected score · All ratings · All speeds

48.2%

40%55%
Floor47.5%

the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 48.9%.

Measured over 14K games at this level and clock.

Tough Sellloses more often than it wins at this level

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

Outcomes for Black

Draw 3.4 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 14K games

Rank among the families Black can choose here
not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
Games in this context
14K
Best context
51.0% at 1800-1999 Bullet
Worst context
45.3% at 1800-1999 Blitz
Average game length
34 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

Gambit BreakpointBlack

Peak: −4.5% · Breakpoint: 0-999

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: 47.4% at 0-999, 41.8% 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: 62.4% expected score (39 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 47.3% expected score (53 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 50.0% expected score (13 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Classical: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 38.9% expected score (3 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 57.5% expected score (153 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 40.5% expected score (104 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 44.8% expected score (27 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 44.2% expected score (7 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 44.2% expected score (328 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 48.8% expected score (244 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 43.9% expected score (31 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 75.7% expected score (18 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 46.8% expected score (725 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 46.0% expected score (495 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 39.0% expected score (71 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 61.8% expected score (7 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 76.1% expected score (10 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 49.4% expected score (1,705 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 47.7% expected score (798 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 47.7% expected score (87 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 21.5% expected score (2 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 55.3% expected score (8 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 51.0% expected score (2,699 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 45.3% expected score (756 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 56.5% expected score (91 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 21.5% expected score (2 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 36.7% expected score (6 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 48.4% expected score (3,270 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 45.8% expected score (377 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 36.8% expected score (25 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 46.8% expected score (1,491 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 43.9% expected score (163 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 13.7% expected score (4 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 45.8% expected score (233 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 37.7% expected score (39 games)

Related Openings

Parent
English Defense
49.7%
Variations (4)
English Defense: Perrin Variation
50.3%
English Defense: Hartlaub Gambit Declined
46.1%
English Defense: Poli Gambit
41.0%
English Defense: Hartlaub Gambit Accepted
52.1%
Analyze English Defense: Eastbourne Gambit PositionsSee what each move is worth at your rating, move by move

Methodology

Across every rating and clock, the English Defense: Eastbourne Gambit scores 48.2% for Black — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 47.5% and 48.9% — from 14K 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
14K+ 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 English Defense: Eastbourne Gambit win rate?

Playing the English Defense: Eastbourne Gambit, Black wins 46.5%, draws 3.4% and loses 50.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.2%. It rests on 14K rated games from Lichess.

At what rating does the English Defense: Eastbourne Gambit perform best?

The English Defense: Eastbourne Gambit performs best for Black at 1800-1999, with an Expected Score of 49.9% (3.6K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.

Is the English Defense: Eastbourne Gambit better in blitz or rapid?

For Black, the English Defense: Eastbourne Gambit scores about the same in both: an Expected Score of 46.0% in Blitz (3.0K games) against 46.3% in Rapid (349 games).

How sharp is the English Defense: Eastbourne Gambit?

The English Defense: Eastbourne Gambit has a sharpness score of 96.6 (very decisive), meaning 96.6% of games end decisively. Average game length is 34 moves.

What is the English Defense: Eastbourne Gambit win rate at 0-999?

At 0-999, Black wins 50.7%, draws 4.2% and loses 45.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.8%. It rests on 106 Lichess games, which average 26 moves.

What is the English Defense: Eastbourne Gambit win rate at 1000-1199?

At 1000-1199, Black wins 48.7%, draws 2.3% and loses 49.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.9%. It rests on 287 Lichess games, which average 27 moves.

What is the English Defense: Eastbourne Gambit win rate at 1200-1399?

At 1200-1399, Black wins 44.2%, draws 3.5% and loses 52.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.0%. It rests on 611 Lichess games, which average 30 moves.

What is the English Defense: Eastbourne Gambit win rate at 1400-1599?

At 1400-1599, Black wins 45.0%, draws 3.1% and loses 51.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.6%. It rests on 1.3K Lichess games, which average 32 moves.

What is the English Defense: Eastbourne Gambit win rate at 1600-1799?

At 1600-1799, Black wins 47.4%, draws 2.9% and loses 49.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.9%. It rests on 2.6K Lichess games, which average 33 moves.

What is the English Defense: Eastbourne Gambit win rate at 1800-1999?

At 1800-1999, Black wins 48.2%, draws 3.4% and loses 48.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.9%. It rests on 3.6K Lichess games, which average 34 moves.

What is the English Defense: Eastbourne Gambit win rate at 2000-2199?

At 2000-2199, Black wins 46.2%, draws 3.7% and loses 50.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.0%. It rests on 3.7K Lichess games, which average 35 moves.

What is the English Defense: Eastbourne Gambit win rate at 2200-2499?

At 2200-2499, Black wins 44.3%, draws 4.1% and loses 51.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.4%. It rests on 1.7K Lichess games, which average 37 moves.

What is the English Defense: Eastbourne Gambit win rate at 2500+?

At 2500+, Black wins 41.5%, draws 6.0% and loses 52.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 44.5%. It rests on 272 Lichess games, which average 40 moves.

What is the English Defense: Eastbourne Gambit win rate in Bullet?

In Bullet, Black wins 47.3%, draws 3.1% and loses 49.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.9%. It rests on 11K Lichess games.

What is the English Defense: Eastbourne Gambit win rate in Blitz?

In Blitz, Black wins 43.8%, draws 4.4% and loses 51.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.0%. It rests on 3.0K Lichess games.

What is the English Defense: Eastbourne Gambit win rate in Rapid?

In Rapid, Black wins 44.1%, draws 4.4% and loses 51.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.3%. It rests on 349 Lichess games.

Is the English Defense: Eastbourne Gambit a good opening?

The English Defense: Eastbourne Gambit is hard work for Black — it favours White. Across all ratings, Black wins 46.5% of its games and loses 50.1%. It performs best at 1800-1999. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.