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French Defense: La Bourdonnais Variation, Reuter Gambit

166K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

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3...dxe4
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 166K 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 2.6 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 166K games

Rank among the families Black can choose here
not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
Games in this context
166K
Best context
60.1% at 0-999 Blitz
Worst context
49.6% at 1400-1599 Bullet
Average game length
30 moves
Games that end decisively
97.4%
Draws
2.6%

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: +6.8% · Breakpoint: Never

Time-Control Swing

Max swing: 12.6% · Bullet 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: 62.0% at 0-999, 54.8% 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, UltraBullet: 75.3% expected score (46 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Bullet: 54.8% expected score (1,425 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 60.1% expected score (1,026 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 58.4% expected score (256 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Classical: 61.2% expected score (3 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 54.0% expected score (111 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 50.0% expected score (5,057 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 55.2% expected score (2,417 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 60.3% expected score (374 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 64.3% expected score (9 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 54.3% expected score (278 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 50.8% expected score (10,837 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 53.4% expected score (5,928 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 58.2% expected score (799 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 69.0% expected score (17 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 52.8% expected score (530 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 49.6% expected score (19,075 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 52.5% expected score (12,576 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 58.0% expected score (1,459 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 74.7% expected score (37 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 52.5% expected score (347 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 50.1% expected score (24,102 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 52.4% expected score (19,627 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 54.7% expected score (2,024 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 54.0% expected score (73 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 50.0% expected score (106 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 50.3% expected score (23,037 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 53.1% expected score (13,961 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 53.5% expected score (1,634 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 64.8% expected score (29 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 71.1% expected score (8 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 49.7% expected score (11,192 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 50.8% expected score (3,720 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 52.6% expected score (377 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 36.2% expected score (13 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 50.2% expected score (2,994 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 54.2% expected score (318 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 48.9% expected score (41 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 2500+ rating, UltraBullet: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 50.0% expected score (212 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 64.3% expected score (2 games)

Related Openings

Parent
French Defense
45.7%
Variations (5)
French Defense: Knight Variation
48.3%
French Defense: Exchange Variation
47.7%
French Defense: Normal Variation
50.3%
French Defense: Advance Variation
48.0%
French Defense: Queen's Knight
48.5%
Analyze French Defense: La Bourdonnais Variation, Reuter Gambit PositionsSee what each move is worth at your rating, move by move

Methodology

Across every rating and clock, the French Defense: La Bourdonnais Variation, Reuter Gambit scores 51.4% for Black — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 51.2% and 51.6% — from 166K 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
166K+ 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 French Defense: La Bourdonnais Variation, Reuter Gambit win rate?

Playing the French Defense: La Bourdonnais Variation, Reuter Gambit, Black wins 50.1%, draws 2.6% and loses 47.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.4%. It rests on 166K rated games from Lichess.

At what rating does the French Defense: La Bourdonnais Variation, Reuter Gambit perform best?

The French Defense: La Bourdonnais Variation, Reuter Gambit performs best for Black at 0-999, with an Expected Score of 57.5% (2.8K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.

Is the French Defense: La Bourdonnais Variation, Reuter Gambit better in blitz or rapid?

For Black, the French Defense: La Bourdonnais Variation, Reuter Gambit scores higher in Rapid: an Expected Score of 52.8% in Blitz (60K games) against 55.8% in Rapid (7.0K games).

How sharp is the French Defense: La Bourdonnais Variation, Reuter Gambit?

The French Defense: La Bourdonnais Variation, Reuter Gambit has a sharpness score of 97.4 (very decisive), meaning 97.4% of games end decisively. Average game length is 30 moves.

What is the French Defense: La Bourdonnais Variation, Reuter Gambit win rate at 0-999?

At 0-999, Black wins 56.4%, draws 2.1% and loses 41.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 57.5%. It rests on 2.8K Lichess games, which average 23 moves.

What is the French Defense: La Bourdonnais Variation, Reuter Gambit win rate at 1000-1199?

At 1000-1199, Black wins 51.3%, draws 1.6% and loses 47.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.1%. It rests on 8.0K Lichess games, which average 25 moves.

What is the French Defense: La Bourdonnais Variation, Reuter Gambit win rate at 1200-1399?

At 1200-1399, Black wins 51.0%, draws 2.0% and loses 47.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.0%. It rests on 18K Lichess games, which average 27 moves.

What is the French Defense: La Bourdonnais Variation, Reuter Gambit win rate at 1400-1599?

At 1400-1599, Black wins 50.0%, draws 2.2% and loses 47.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.1%. It rests on 34K Lichess games, which average 29 moves.

What is the French Defense: La Bourdonnais Variation, Reuter Gambit win rate at 1600-1799?

At 1600-1799, Black wins 50.0%, draws 2.6% and loses 47.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.3%. It rests on 46K Lichess games, which average 31 moves.

What is the French Defense: La Bourdonnais Variation, Reuter Gambit win rate at 1800-1999?

At 1800-1999, Black wins 49.9%, draws 3.1% and loses 47.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.5%. It rests on 39K Lichess games, which average 32 moves.

What is the French Defense: La Bourdonnais Variation, Reuter Gambit win rate at 2000-2199?

At 2000-2199, Black wins 48.4%, draws 3.3% and loses 48.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.1%. It rests on 15K Lichess games, which average 34 moves.

What is the French Defense: La Bourdonnais Variation, Reuter Gambit win rate at 2200-2499?

At 2200-2499, Black wins 48.2%, draws 4.5% and loses 47.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.5%. It rests on 3.4K Lichess games, which average 35 moves.

What is the French Defense: La Bourdonnais Variation, Reuter Gambit win rate at 2500+?

At 2500+, Black wins 47.6%, draws 5.3% and loses 47.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.3%. It rests on 216 Lichess games, which average 40 moves.

What is the French Defense: La Bourdonnais Variation, Reuter Gambit win rate in UltraBullet?

In UltraBullet, Black wins 52.9%, draws 1.5% and loses 45.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.7%. It rests on 1.4K Lichess games.

What is the French Defense: La Bourdonnais Variation, Reuter Gambit win rate in Bullet?

In Bullet, Black wins 49.0%, draws 2.2% and loses 48.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.1%. It rests on 98K Lichess games.

What is the French Defense: La Bourdonnais Variation, Reuter Gambit win rate in Blitz?

In Blitz, Black wins 51.2%, draws 3.2% and loses 45.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.8%. It rests on 60K Lichess games.

What is the French Defense: La Bourdonnais Variation, Reuter Gambit win rate in Rapid?

In Rapid, Black wins 53.9%, draws 3.6% and loses 42.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 55.8%. It rests on 7.0K Lichess games.

What is the French Defense: La Bourdonnais Variation, Reuter Gambit win rate in Classical?

In Classical, Black wins 61.7%, draws 2.0% and loses 36.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 62.8%. It rests on 171 Lichess games.

Is the French Defense: La Bourdonnais Variation, Reuter Gambit a good opening?

The French Defense: La Bourdonnais Variation, Reuter Gambit is about level. Across all ratings, Black wins 50.1% of its games and loses 47.3%. It performs best at 0-999. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.