English Defense: Hartlaub Gambit Declined
2.7K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026
White expected score · All ratings · All speeds
47.5%
the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 49.1%.
Measured over 2.7K games at this level and clock.
White comes out behind here — there are better weapons in the list.
Outcomes for White
Draw 2.7 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 2.7K games
- Rank among the families White can choose here
- not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
- Games in this context
- 2.7K
- Best context
- 46.1% at 1800-1999 Bullet
- Average game length
- 31 moves
- Games that end decisively
- 97.3%
- Draws
- 2.7%
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 · White score by rating × clock
Green is clearly ahead for White, grey is around even, red is behind. Tap a cell to measure there, and again to clear. It gets better as the rating rises: 38.2% at 0-999, 51.7% 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, Bullet: 23.4% expected score (6 games)
- 0-999 rating, Blitz: 41.3% expected score (27 games)
- 0-999 rating, Rapid: 50.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 45.6% expected score (32 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 46.1% expected score (49 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 31.9% expected score (4 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 56.0% expected score (82 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 55.7% expected score (69 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 54.1% expected score (23 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 23.4% expected score (6 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 49.6% expected score (127 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 46.1% expected score (162 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 52.2% expected score (21 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 78.6% expected score (2 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 48.5% expected score (262 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 44.9% expected score (163 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 56.9% expected score (35 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 46.1% expected score (712 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 49.3% expected score (223 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 44.9% expected score (18 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 44.8% expected score (287 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 45.9% expected score (108 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 68.2% expected score (4 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 46.3% expected score (188 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 55.7% expected score (16 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 61.2% expected score (3 games)
- 2500+ rating, Bullet: 53.4% expected score (28 games)
- 2500+ rating, Blitz: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
Related Openings
Methodology
Across every rating and clock, the English Defense: Hartlaub Gambit Declined scores 47.5% for White — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 45.9% and 49.1% — from 2.7K 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
- 2.7K+ 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: Hartlaub Gambit Declined win rate?
Playing the English Defense: Hartlaub Gambit Declined, White wins 46.1%, draws 2.7% and loses 51.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.5%. It rests on 2.7K rated games from Lichess.
At what rating does the English Defense: Hartlaub Gambit Declined perform best?
The English Defense: Hartlaub Gambit Declined performs best for White at 1200-1399, with an Expected Score of 56.0% (175 games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.
Is the English Defense: Hartlaub Gambit Declined better in blitz or rapid?
For White, the English Defense: Hartlaub Gambit Declined scores higher in Rapid: an Expected Score of 47.5% in Blitz (819 games) against 53.2% in Rapid (109 games).
How sharp is the English Defense: Hartlaub Gambit Declined?
The English Defense: Hartlaub Gambit Declined has a sharpness score of 97.3 (very decisive), meaning 97.3% of games end decisively. Average game length is 31 moves.
What is the English Defense: Hartlaub Gambit Declined win rate at 1200-1399?
At 1200-1399, White wins 54.1%, draws 3.7% and loses 42.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 56.0%. It rests on 175 Lichess games, which average 29 moves.
What is the English Defense: Hartlaub Gambit Declined win rate at 1400-1599?
At 1400-1599, White wins 46.6%, draws 1.7% and loses 51.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.5%. It rests on 317 Lichess games, which average 28 moves.
What is the English Defense: Hartlaub Gambit Declined win rate at 1600-1799?
At 1600-1799, White wins 47.4%, draws 1.4% and loses 51.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.1%. It rests on 464 Lichess games, which average 30 moves.
What is the English Defense: Hartlaub Gambit Declined win rate at 1800-1999?
At 1800-1999, White wins 45.1%, draws 3.4% and loses 51.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.8%. It rests on 955 Lichess games, which average 31 moves.
What is the English Defense: Hartlaub Gambit Declined win rate at 2000-2199?
At 2000-2199, White wins 44.0%, draws 3.1% and loses 52.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 45.6%. It rests on 400 Lichess games, which average 33 moves.
What is the English Defense: Hartlaub Gambit Declined win rate at 2200-2499?
At 2200-2499, White wins 45.8%, draws 3.1% and loses 51.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.4%. It rests on 207 Lichess games, which average 35 moves.
What is the English Defense: Hartlaub Gambit Declined win rate in Bullet?
In Bullet, White wins 45.5%, draws 2.9% and loses 51.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.0%. It rests on 1.7K Lichess games.
What is the English Defense: Hartlaub Gambit Declined win rate in Blitz?
In Blitz, White wins 46.4%, draws 2.3% and loses 51.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.5%. It rests on 819 Lichess games.
What is the English Defense: Hartlaub Gambit Declined win rate in Rapid?
In Rapid, White wins 51.1%, draws 4.1% and loses 44.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.2%. It rests on 109 Lichess games.
Is the English Defense: Hartlaub Gambit Declined a good opening?
The English Defense: Hartlaub Gambit Declined is hard work for White — it favours Black. Across all ratings, White wins 46.1% of its games and loses 51.2%. It performs best at 1200-1399. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.