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Bird Opening: Siegener Gambit

White Gambit

Source Lichess

You play
Playablewins about as often as it loses at this level
All Ratings
Edge at worst−0.1%

White isn't shown winning more often than losing at this level

how far wins run ahead of losses, 90% confident

Rating TrendPeak: +5.6% at 2000-2199
1600-17992000-2199
Win%52.6%
Games397
Breakpoint1600-1799first rating it isn't shown winning more than losing
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Rating
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Time Control
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Does Bird Opening: Siegener Gambit work for White at All Ratings?

Snapshot

At All Ratings, Bird Opening: Siegener Gambit keeps White's wins running −0.1% ahead of its losses at worst, 90% confident, from 397 Lichess games. The games don't show this gambit paying at this level. Win rate, draw rate and loss rate come from games played December 2023 to November 2025.

RatingEdge at worstWhite WinDrawWhite LossGames
1600-1799−28.2%42.7%2.5%54.8%98
1800-1999−13.0%49.8%3.3%47.0%106
2000-2199+5.6%58.6%4.4%36.9%100
Full Opening StatsSee rating/time-control breakdowns for White on the opening stats page
Analyze Bird Opening: Siegener Gambit PositionsGet move-by-move win rates with the TrueElo analyzer

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Bird Opening: Siegener Gambit sound?

At some ratings. White comes out ahead at 2000-2199; at the other ratings we can see, the games do not show it paying.

What is the Bird Opening: Siegener Gambit win rate?

White wins 52.6% of Bird Opening: Siegener Gambit games, draws 2.9% and loses 44.5%. That rests on 397 games from Lichess.

What is the best rating to play the Bird Opening: Siegener Gambit?

2000-2199. There White wins at least 5.6 more of every 100 games than it loses (90% confident), its highest Edge at worst.

Does the Bird Opening: Siegener Gambit breakpoint vary by time control?

Of Bullet, Blitz, Rapid and Classical, only Bullet has enough games to read by rating. The first rating where the games do not show White coming out ahead is 1600-1799 in Bullet.

How sharp is the Bird Opening: Siegener Gambit?

The Bird Opening: Siegener Gambit is extremely sharp: 2.9% of its games are drawn, so 97.1% end with a winner.

Should I play the Bird Opening: Siegener Gambit?

At 2000-2199, where White comes out ahead. At the other ratings we can see, the games do not show it paying.

How do I defend against the Bird Opening: Siegener Gambit?

As Black, take the material, then develop fast, castle early, and trade pieces. Give the material back when doing so kills the attack. At 2000-2199, White still comes out ahead in these games; at the other ratings we can see, the games do not show the gambit paying.

How reliable is the Bird Opening: Siegener Gambit data?

This rests on 397 games from Lichess. Every figure carries the range it is in, 90% confident, and the table above shows how many games sit behind each rating and each clock — the fewer there are, the wider that range.