French Defense: Perseus Gambit
617K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026
White expected score · All ratings · All speeds
48.5%
the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 48.6%.
Measured over 617K games at this level and clock.
Roughly even — the middlegame decides more than this opening choice does.
Outcomes for White
Draw 3.0 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 617K games
- Rank among the families White can choose here
- not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
- Games in this context
- 617K
- Best context
- 56.8% at 2000-2199 UltraBullet
- Worst context
- 32.7% at 1400-1599 Classical
- Average game length
- 31 moves
- Games that end decisively
- 97.0%
- Draws
- 3.0%
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: 45.7% at 0-999, 55.5% 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: 46.1% expected score (279 games)
- 0-999 rating, Bullet: 48.2% expected score (12,477 games)
- 0-999 rating, Blitz: 45.9% expected score (14,069 games)
- 0-999 rating, Rapid: 42.7% expected score (6,978 games)
- 0-999 rating, Classical: 45.8% expected score (69 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 48.7% expected score (947 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 50.2% expected score (25,241 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 47.0% expected score (17,227 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 45.2% expected score (6,790 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 45.1% expected score (183 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 46.5% expected score (2,181 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 50.3% expected score (43,244 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 46.8% expected score (24,262 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 45.8% expected score (7,791 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 43.0% expected score (297 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 43.7% expected score (2,984 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 49.3% expected score (68,204 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 46.7% expected score (35,781 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 42.3% expected score (8,517 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 32.7% expected score (512 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 49.5% expected score (2,217 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 49.8% expected score (78,072 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 47.4% expected score (45,070 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 45.3% expected score (7,312 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 37.2% expected score (279 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 55.7% expected score (1,190 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 49.6% expected score (71,278 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 47.1% expected score (38,295 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 45.0% expected score (5,352 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 36.1% expected score (110 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 56.8% expected score (519 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 49.6% expected score (44,668 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 47.3% expected score (14,026 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 46.0% expected score (1,463 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 39.7% expected score (13 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 52.2% expected score (230 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 50.6% expected score (23,103 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 47.4% expected score (1,847 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 45.0% expected score (139 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
- 2500+ rating, UltraBullet: 32.8% expected score (13 games)
- 2500+ rating, Bullet: 53.9% expected score (3,530 games)
- 2500+ rating, Blitz: 56.9% expected score (42 games)
- 2500+ rating, Rapid: 78.6% expected score (2 games)
Related Openings
Methodology
Across every rating and clock, the French Defense: Perseus Gambit scores 48.5% for White — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 48.3% and 48.6% — from 617K 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
- 617K+ 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 before we will say where it stops working. The chaos and trap lists need 500 games.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the French Defense: Perseus Gambit win rate?
The French Defense: Perseus Gambit scores 48.5% (range, 90% confident: 48.3% – 48.6%) for White, based on 617K rated games from Lichess.
At what rating does the French Defense: Perseus Gambit perform best?
The French Defense: Perseus Gambit performs best at 2500+, where it scores 53.9% for White (3.6K games). It tends to score less at higher ratings as opponents know the theory better.
Is the French Defense: Perseus Gambit better in blitz or rapid?
For White, Bullet (49.8%) outperforms Classical (38.1%). Choose your time control wisely.
How sharp is the French Defense: Perseus Gambit?
The French Defense: Perseus Gambit has a sharpness score of 97.0 (very decisive), meaning 97.0% of games end decisively. Average game length is 31 moves.
What is the French Defense: Perseus Gambit win rate at 0-999?
At 0-999, the French Defense: Perseus Gambit scores 46.1% (range, 90% confident: 45.6% – 46.5%) for White, based on 34K Lichess games. Average game length is 26 moves with a 3.2% draw rate.
What is the French Defense: Perseus Gambit win rate at 1000-1199?
At 1000-1199, the French Defense: Perseus Gambit scores 48.4% (range, 90% confident: 48.0% – 48.7%) for White, based on 50K Lichess games. Average game length is 27 moves with a 2.6% draw rate.
What is the French Defense: Perseus Gambit win rate at 1200-1399?
At 1200-1399, the French Defense: Perseus Gambit scores 48.6% (range, 90% confident: 48.3% – 48.9%) for White, based on 78K Lichess games. Average game length is 28 moves with a 2.4% draw rate.
What is the French Defense: Perseus Gambit win rate at 1400-1599?
At 1400-1599, the French Defense: Perseus Gambit scores 47.8% (range, 90% confident: 47.6% – 48.1%) for White, based on 116K Lichess games. Average game length is 30 moves with a 2.5% draw rate.
What is the French Defense: Perseus Gambit win rate at 1600-1799?
At 1600-1799, the French Defense: Perseus Gambit scores 48.7% (range, 90% confident: 48.4% – 48.9%) for White, based on 133K Lichess games. Average game length is 32 moves with a 3.0% draw rate.
What is the French Defense: Perseus Gambit win rate at 1800-1999?
At 1800-1999, the French Defense: Perseus Gambit scores 48.6% (range, 90% confident: 48.4% – 48.8%) for White, based on 116K Lichess games. Average game length is 33 moves with a 3.4% draw rate.
What is the French Defense: Perseus Gambit win rate at 2000-2199?
At 2000-2199, the French Defense: Perseus Gambit scores 49.0% (range, 90% confident: 48.7% – 49.4%) for White, based on 61K Lichess games. Average game length is 35 moves with a 3.7% draw rate.
What is the French Defense: Perseus Gambit win rate at 2200-2499?
At 2200-2499, the French Defense: Perseus Gambit scores 50.3% (range, 90% confident: 49.8% – 50.8%) for White, based on 25K Lichess games. Average game length is 37 moves with a 4.2% draw rate.
What is the French Defense: Perseus Gambit win rate at 2500+?
At 2500+, the French Defense: Perseus Gambit scores 53.9% (range, 90% confident: 52.5% – 55.3%) for White, based on 3.6K Lichess games. Average game length is 40 moves with a 5.2% draw rate.
What is the French Defense: Perseus Gambit win rate in UltraBullet?
In UltraBullet games, the French Defense: Perseus Gambit scores 48.2% (range, 90% confident: 47.4% – 49.0%) for White (11K Lichess games). Draw rate is 1.5%.
What is the French Defense: Perseus Gambit win rate in Bullet?
In Bullet games, the French Defense: Perseus Gambit scores 49.8% (range, 90% confident: 49.6% – 49.9%) for White (370K Lichess games). Draw rate is 2.6%.
What is the French Defense: Perseus Gambit win rate in Blitz?
In Blitz games, the French Defense: Perseus Gambit scores 47.0% (range, 90% confident: 46.8% – 47.2%) for White (191K Lichess games). Draw rate is 3.7%.
What is the French Defense: Perseus Gambit win rate in Rapid?
In Rapid games, the French Defense: Perseus Gambit scores 44.4% (range, 90% confident: 44.0% – 44.8%) for White (44K Lichess games). Draw rate is 4.3%.
What is the French Defense: Perseus Gambit win rate in Classical?
In Classical games, the French Defense: Perseus Gambit scores 38.1% (range, 90% confident: 36.0% – 40.2%) for White (1.5K Lichess games). Draw rate is 4.3%.
Is the French Defense: Perseus Gambit a good opening?
The French Defense: Perseus Gambit is about level with a 46.9% (range, 90% confident: 46.8% – 47.0%) win rate across all ratings. It performs best at 2500+. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.