Englund Gambit: Main Line
2.2M games from Lichess · Updated January 2026
Black expected score · All ratings · All speeds
50.4%
the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. Its best is the same figure — the band is too tight to plot.
Measured over 2.2M games at this level and clock.
Roughly even — the middlegame decides more than this opening choice does.
Outcomes for Black
Draw 3.2 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 2.2M games
- Rank among the families Black can choose here
- not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
- Games in this context
- 2.2M
- Best context
- 55.8% at 0-999 Bullet
- Worst context
- 39.1% at 2500+ Blitz
- Average game length
- 30 moves
- Games that end decisively
- 96.8%
- Draws
- 3.2%
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: 53.6% at 0-999, 45.8% 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: 50.0% expected score (50 games)
- 0-999 rating, Bullet: 55.8% expected score (24,575 games)
- 0-999 rating, Blitz: 54.4% expected score (26,878 games)
- 0-999 rating, Rapid: 52.4% expected score (8,226 games)
- 0-999 rating, Classical: 55.5% expected score (53 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 52.9% expected score (103 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 53.1% expected score (67,481 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 55.0% expected score (81,974 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 54.8% expected score (23,403 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 45.2% expected score (215 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 46.8% expected score (170 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 52.4% expected score (115,959 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 53.5% expected score (181,904 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 55.1% expected score (55,443 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 54.5% expected score (941 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 42.8% expected score (241 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 50.8% expected score (148,350 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 51.2% expected score (268,688 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 53.2% expected score (93,370 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 54.0% expected score (2,649 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 42.7% expected score (163 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 49.6% expected score (154,682 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 49.6% expected score (258,723 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 50.9% expected score (91,111 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 51.0% expected score (3,441 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 40.0% expected score (128 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 48.3% expected score (127,957 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 47.7% expected score (175,577 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 47.3% expected score (53,101 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 43.3% expected score (1,406 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 35.1% expected score (32 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 46.9% expected score (86,484 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 44.6% expected score (70,488 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 43.2% expected score (12,247 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 33.3% expected score (187 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 55.3% expected score (8 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 45.0% expected score (56,394 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 40.7% expected score (16,503 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 39.4% expected score (1,423 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 21.0% expected score (14 games)
- 2500+ rating, UltraBullet: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
- 2500+ rating, Bullet: 41.2% expected score (9,452 games)
- 2500+ rating, Blitz: 39.1% expected score (591 games)
- 2500+ rating, Rapid: 32.9% expected score (19 games)
Related Openings
Methodology
Across every rating and clock, the Englund Gambit: Main Line scores 50.4% for Black — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 50.3% and 50.4% — from 2.2M 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
- 2.2M+ 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 Englund Gambit: Main Line win rate?
Playing the Englund Gambit: Main Line, Black wins 48.8%, 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 2.2M rated games from Lichess.
At what rating does the Englund Gambit: Main Line perform best?
The Englund Gambit: Main Line performs best for Black at 0-999, with an Expected Score of 54.7% (60K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.
Is the Englund Gambit: Main Line better in blitz or rapid?
For Black, the Englund Gambit: Main Line scores higher in Rapid: an Expected Score of 50.4% in Blitz (1.1M games) against 51.6% in Rapid (338K games).
How sharp is the Englund Gambit: Main Line?
The Englund Gambit: Main Line has a sharpness score of 96.8 (very decisive), meaning 96.8% of games end decisively. Average game length is 30 moves.
What is the Englund Gambit: Main Line win rate at 0-999?
At 0-999, Black wins 53.4%, draws 2.5% and loses 44.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.7%. It rests on 60K Lichess games, which average 23 moves.
What is the Englund Gambit: Main Line win rate at 1000-1199?
At 1000-1199, Black wins 53.0%, draws 2.3% and loses 44.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.2%. It rests on 173K Lichess games, which average 25 moves.
What is the Englund Gambit: Main Line win rate at 1200-1399?
At 1200-1399, Black wins 52.1%, draws 2.5% and loses 45.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.4%. It rests on 354K Lichess games, which average 27 moves.
What is the Englund Gambit: Main Line win rate at 1400-1599?
At 1400-1599, Black wins 50.0%, draws 2.9% and loses 47.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.5%. It rests on 513K Lichess games, which average 29 moves.
What is the Englund Gambit: Main Line win rate at 1600-1799?
At 1600-1799, Black wins 48.2%, draws 3.4% and loses 48.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.9%. It rests on 508K Lichess games, which average 31 moves.
What is the Englund Gambit: Main Line win rate at 1800-1999?
At 1800-1999, Black wins 45.9%, draws 3.9% and loses 50.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.8%. It rests on 358K Lichess games, which average 33 moves.
What is the Englund Gambit: Main Line win rate at 2000-2199?
At 2000-2199, Black wins 43.5%, draws 4.3% and loses 52.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 45.7%. It rests on 169K Lichess games, which average 34 moves.
What is the Englund Gambit: Main Line win rate at 2200-2499?
At 2200-2499, Black wins 41.6%, draws 4.6% and loses 53.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 43.9%. It rests on 74K Lichess games, which average 35 moves.
What is the Englund Gambit: Main Line win rate at 2500+?
At 2500+, Black wins 38.3%, draws 5.3% and loses 56.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 41.0%. It rests on 10K Lichess games, which average 38 moves.
What is the Englund Gambit: Main Line win rate in UltraBullet?
In UltraBullet, Black wins 43.8%, draws 1.4% and loses 54.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 44.5%. It rests on 896 Lichess games.
What is the Englund Gambit: Main Line win rate in Bullet?
In Bullet, Black wins 48.6%, draws 2.4% and loses 49.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.8%. It rests on 791K Lichess games.
What is the Englund Gambit: Main Line win rate in Blitz?
In Blitz, Black wins 48.6%, draws 3.6% and loses 47.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.4%. It rests on 1.1M Lichess games.
What is the Englund Gambit: Main Line win rate in Rapid?
In Rapid, Black wins 49.7%, draws 3.8% and loses 46.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.6%. It rests on 338K Lichess games.
What is the Englund Gambit: Main Line win rate in Classical?
In Classical, Black wins 48.1%, draws 4.7% and loses 47.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.5%. It rests on 8.9K Lichess games.
Is the Englund Gambit: Main Line a good opening?
The Englund Gambit: Main Line is about level. Across all ratings, Black wins 48.8% of its games and loses 48.0%. It performs best at 0-999. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.