Does Anderssen's Opening: Polish Gambit work for White at All Ratings?
Snapshot
At All Ratings, Anderssen's Opening: Polish Gambit gives White a +0.7% minimum advantage (90% confidence). This gambit is playable but marginal.
Anderssen's Opening: Polish Gambit
White GambitSource Lichess
View As
Playable+1%All Ratings
Minimum Advantage+0.7%
White wins at least 0.7% more often than loses
Rating TrendPeak: +19.8% at 2500+
Win%48.6%
Games7.4K
Breakpoint (Overall)0-999
2.b4
Anderssen's Opening: Polish GambitWhite Gambit
Rating
Time Control
| Rating | Min Adv | White Win | Draw | White Loss | Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0-999 | -8.3% | 44.3% | 10.4% | 45.3% | 501 |
| 1000-1199 | -5.0% | 48.8% | 5.8% | 45.4% | 385 |
| 1200-1399 | -12.5% | 45.6% | 4.5% | 49.9% | 410 |
| 1400-1599 | -14.6% | 43.6% | 4.4% | 51.9% | 685 |
| 1600-1799 | -13.0% | 44.3% | 4.9% | 50.8% | 643 |
| 1800-1999 | -9.3% | 45.9% | 4.0% | 50.1% | 1.0K |
| 2000-2199 | -2.7% | 49.0% | 3.9% | 47.1% | 1.3K |
| 2200-2499 | +4.4% | 51.3% | 5.8% | 43.0% | 1.7K |
| 2500+ | +19.8% | 58.8% | 8.2% | 32.9% | 674 |
Full Opening StatsSee rating/time-control breakdowns for White on the opening stats page
Analyze Anderssen's Opening: Polish Gambit PositionsGet move-by-move win rates with the TrueElo analyzer
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Anderssen's Opening: Polish Gambit sound?
The Anderssen's Opening: Polish Gambit breaks at 0-999 overall (all time controls)—the first rating bracket where White no longer statistically wins more than loses. Below this rating, the gambit is viable for White. Note: breakpoints vary by time control—use the filters above for specific data.
What is the Anderssen's Opening: Polish Gambit win rate?
The Anderssen's Opening: Polish Gambit has a 48.6% (90% CI: 47.6%-49.6%) win rate for White overall, with a 5.4% draw rate and 46.0% loss rate. This is based on 7.4K games from Lichess.
What is the best rating to play the Anderssen's Opening: Polish Gambit?
The Anderssen's Opening: Polish Gambit performs best at 2500+, where White has a minimum advantage of +19.8%. This means we're 90% confident White wins at least 19.8 percentage points more than they lose at this rating.
Is the Anderssen's Opening: Polish Gambit better in blitz or rapid?
UltraBullet (+11.4% edge) outperforms Rapid (+-13.8% edge) by 25.2 percentage points. Faster time controls typically favor gambits because opponents have less time to find accurate defenses.
Does the Anderssen's Opening: Polish Gambit breakpoint vary by time control?
Yes, significantly. Breakpoints by time control: Bullet: 0-999, Blitz: 0-999, Rapid: 0-999, Classical: Never. "Never" means the gambit remains viable through all rating brackets in that time control. Faster time controls typically extend viability.
How sharp is the Anderssen's Opening: Polish Gambit?
The Anderssen's Opening: Polish Gambit is very sharp with only 5.4% draws—94.6% of games end decisively. This makes it an excellent choice when you need to play for a win rather than accept a draw.
Should I play the Anderssen's Opening: Polish Gambit?
If you're below 0-999 overall, the Anderssen's Opening: Polish Gambit is statistically favorable for White. Above that rating, opponents defend better and the gambit's edge disappears. Consider your typical opponents' level and the time control—faster games extend the gambit's viability.
How do I defend against the Anderssen's Opening: Polish Gambit?
As Black, the Anderssen's Opening: Polish Gambit becomes easier to defend at 0-999 and above. Key principles: accept the material but develop quickly, castle early, trade pieces to reduce attacking potential, and return material at the right moment to neutralize the initiative. In faster time controls, the gambit is harder to defend—consider declining or transposing if you're not prepared.
How reliable is the Anderssen's Opening: Polish Gambit data?
This analysis is based on 7.4K games from Lichess. All statistics include 90% confidence intervals. Generally, 300+ games provide statistically meaningful results. Rating-specific and time-control-specific breakdowns have their own sample sizes shown in the table above.