French Defense: Morphy Gambit
2.1K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026
White expected score · All ratings · All speeds
42.0%
the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 43.8%.
Measured over 2.1K games at this level and clock.
White comes out behind here — there are better weapons in the list.
Outcomes for White
Draw 3.7 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 2.1K games
- Rank among the families White can choose here
- not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
- Games in this context
- 2.1K
- Best context
- not measured yet
- Average game length
- 28 moves
- Games that end decisively
- 96.3%
- Draws
- 3.7%
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: 51.9% at 0-999, 83.4% 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: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
- 0-999 rating, Bullet: 41.9% expected score (127 games)
- 0-999 rating, Blitz: 45.5% expected score (391 games)
- 0-999 rating, Rapid: 41.1% expected score (278 games)
- 0-999 rating, Classical: 61.2% expected score (3 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 61.2% expected score (3 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 39.3% expected score (59 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 42.4% expected score (188 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 40.1% expected score (200 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 46.0% expected score (11 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 24.8% expected score (46 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 45.2% expected score (152 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 46.5% expected score (128 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 46.6% expected score (13 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 36.7% expected score (6 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 26.6% expected score (54 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 46.3% expected score (106 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 45.1% expected score (90 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 21.1% expected score (21 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 37.3% expected score (26 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 45.8% expected score (46 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 37.1% expected score (45 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 41.1% expected score (32 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 32.7% expected score (36 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 46.3% expected score (25 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 15.2% expected score (10 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 43.3% expected score (21 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 50.0% expected score (3 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 50.0% expected score (6 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 83.4% expected score (3 games)
- 2500+ rating, Bullet: 83.4% expected score (3 games)
Related Openings
Methodology
Across every rating and clock, the French Defense: Morphy Gambit scores 42.0% for White — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 40.3% and 43.8% — from 2.1K 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
- 2.1K+ 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: Morphy Gambit win rate?
Playing the French Defense: Morphy Gambit, White wins 40.1%, draws 3.7% and loses 56.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 42.0%. It rests on 2.1K rated games from Lichess.
At what rating does the French Defense: Morphy Gambit perform best?
The French Defense: Morphy Gambit performs best for White at 0-999, with an Expected Score of 43.6% (800 games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.
Is the French Defense: Morphy Gambit better in blitz or rapid?
For White, the French Defense: Morphy Gambit scores higher in Blitz: an Expected Score of 44.5% in Blitz (943 games) against 42.1% in Rapid (769 games).
How sharp is the French Defense: Morphy Gambit?
The French Defense: Morphy Gambit has a sharpness score of 96.3 (very decisive), meaning 96.3% of games end decisively. Average game length is 28 moves.
What is the French Defense: Morphy Gambit win rate at 0-999?
At 0-999, White wins 41.4%, draws 4.3% and loses 54.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 43.6%. It rests on 800 Lichess games, which average 27 moves.
What is the French Defense: Morphy Gambit win rate at 1000-1199?
At 1000-1199, White wins 39.5%, draws 3.4% and loses 57.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 41.2%. It rests on 461 Lichess games, which average 29 moves.
What is the French Defense: Morphy Gambit win rate at 1200-1399?
At 1200-1399, White wins 41.0%, draws 3.6% and loses 55.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 42.9%. It rests on 341 Lichess games, which average 28 moves.
What is the French Defense: Morphy Gambit win rate at 1400-1599?
At 1400-1599, White wins 37.5%, draws 4.1% and loses 58.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 39.6%. It rests on 277 Lichess games, which average 29 moves.
What is the French Defense: Morphy Gambit win rate at 1600-1799?
At 1600-1799, White wins 38.1%, draws 3.8% and loses 58.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 40.0%. It rests on 118 Lichess games, which average 31 moves.
What is the French Defense: Morphy Gambit win rate in Bullet?
In Bullet, White wins 35.5%, draws 1.0% and loses 63.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 36.0%. It rests on 363 Lichess games.
What is the French Defense: Morphy Gambit win rate in Blitz?
In Blitz, White wins 42.6%, draws 3.8% and loses 53.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 44.5%. It rests on 943 Lichess games.
What is the French Defense: Morphy Gambit win rate in Rapid?
In Rapid, White wins 39.4%, draws 5.4% and loses 55.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 42.1%. It rests on 769 Lichess games.
Is the French Defense: Morphy Gambit a good opening?
The French Defense: Morphy Gambit is hard work for White — it favours Black. Across all ratings, White wins 40.1% of its games and loses 56.1%. It performs best at 0-999. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.