English Defense: Poli Gambit
541 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 60.4%.
Measured over 541 games at this level and clock.
A strong choice for Black at this level and clock.
Outcomes for Black
Draw 4.1 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 541 games
- Rank among the families Black can choose here
- not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
- Games in this context
- 541
- Best context
- not measured yet
- Average game length
- 33 moves
- Games that end decisively
- 95.9%
- Draws
- 4.1%
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 gets better as the rating rises: 30.0% at 1000-1199, 50.3% 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
- 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 38.9% expected score (3 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 61.2% expected score (3 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 55.9% expected score (7 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 53.5% expected score (13 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 54.3% expected score (22 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 61.3% expected score (123 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 63.4% expected score (6 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 55.6% expected score (61 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 57.4% expected score (202 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 56.5% expected score (14 games)
- 2500+ rating, Bullet: 52.3% expected score (43 games)
- 2500+ rating, Blitz: 48.7% expected score (37 games)
- 2500+ rating, Rapid: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
Related Openings
Methodology
Across every rating and clock, the English Defense: Poli Gambit scores 56.9% for Black — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 53.4% and 60.4% — from 541 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
- 541+ 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: Poli Gambit win rate?
Playing the English Defense: Poli Gambit, Black wins 54.8%, draws 4.1% and loses 41.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 56.9%. It rests on 541 rated games from Lichess.
At what rating does the English Defense: Poli Gambit perform best?
The English Defense: Poli Gambit performs best for Black at 2000-2199, with an Expected Score of 60.5% (151 games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.
How sharp is the English Defense: Poli Gambit?
The English Defense: Poli Gambit has a sharpness score of 95.9 (very decisive), meaning 95.9% of games end decisively. Average game length is 33 moves.
What is the English Defense: Poli Gambit win rate at 2000-2199?
At 2000-2199, Black wins 58.0%, draws 4.9% and loses 37.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 60.5%. It rests on 151 Lichess games, which average 31 moves.
What is the English Defense: Poli Gambit win rate at 2200-2499?
At 2200-2499, Black wins 55.1%, draws 3.8% and loses 41.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 57.0%. It rests on 277 Lichess games, which average 34 moves.
What is the English Defense: Poli Gambit win rate in Bullet?
In Bullet, Black wins 52.0%, draws 5.5% and loses 42.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.8%. It rests on 134 Lichess games.
What is the English Defense: Poli Gambit win rate in Blitz?
In Blitz, Black wins 55.3%, draws 4.0% and loses 40.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 57.3%. It rests on 383 Lichess games.
Is the English Defense: Poli Gambit a good opening?
The English Defense: Poli Gambit is good for Black. Across all ratings, Black wins 54.8% of its games and loses 41.0%. It performs best at 2000-2199. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.