Does Danish Gambit Accepted work for White at All Ratings?
Snapshot
At All Ratings, Danish Gambit Accepted gives White a +15.0% minimum advantage (90% confidence). This gambit is effective.
Danish Gambit Accepted
White GambitSource Lichess
View As
Play This+15%All Ratings
Minimum Advantage+15.0%
White wins at least 15.0% more often than loses
Rating TrendPeak: +15.8% at 1600-1799
Win%56.1%
Games2.1M
Breakpoint (Overall)Never
3...dxc3
Danish Gambit AcceptedWhite Gambit
Rating
Time Control
| Rating | Min Adv | White Win | Draw | White Loss | Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0-999 | +7.1% | 52.5% | 2.7% | 44.8% | 64K |
| 1000-1199 | +13.1% | 55.5% | 2.4% | 42.0% | 163K |
| 1200-1399 | +14.4% | 56.1% | 2.5% | 41.4% | 350K |
| 1400-1599 | +15.2% | 56.4% | 2.7% | 40.9% | 503K |
| 1600-1799 | +15.8% | 56.5% | 3.0% | 40.5% | 528K |
| 1800-1999 | +15.7% | 56.3% | 3.3% | 40.3% | 365K |
| 2000-2199 | +14.8% | 55.7% | 3.8% | 40.5% | 130K |
| 2200-2499 | +11.3% | 54.1% | 4.1% | 41.8% | 30K |
| 2500+ | +11.9% | 54.7% | 5.7% | 39.6% | 2.6K |
Full Opening StatsSee rating/time-control breakdowns for White on the opening stats page
Analyze Danish Gambit Accepted PositionsGet move-by-move win rates with the TrueElo analyzer
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Danish Gambit Accepted sound?
The Danish Gambit Accepted has no overall breakpoint in Lichess data, meaning White wins more than loses even at the highest rating brackets across all time controls. This is a statistically sound gambit at all levels analyzed.
What is the Danish Gambit Accepted win rate?
The Danish Gambit Accepted has a 56.1% (90% CI: 56.0%-56.2%) win rate for White overall, with a 2.9% draw rate and 41.0% loss rate. This is based on 2.1M games from Lichess.
What is the best rating to play the Danish Gambit Accepted?
The Danish Gambit Accepted performs best at 1600-1799, where White has a minimum advantage of +15.8%. This means we're 90% confident White wins at least 15.8 percentage points more than they lose at this rating.
Is the Danish Gambit Accepted better in blitz or rapid?
UltraBullet (+21.1% edge) outperforms Classical (+11.4% edge) by 9.7 percentage points. Faster time controls typically favor gambits because opponents have less time to find accurate defenses.
Does the Danish Gambit Accepted breakpoint vary by time control?
Yes, significantly. Breakpoints by time control: Bullet: Never, Blitz: Never, Rapid: Never, Classical: 0-999. "Never" means the gambit remains viable through all rating brackets in that time control. Faster time controls typically extend viability.
How sharp is the Danish Gambit Accepted?
The Danish Gambit Accepted is extremely sharp with only 2.9% draws—97.1% 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 Danish Gambit Accepted?
The Danish Gambit Accepted is viable at all rating levels in Lichess data. White maintains a statistical edge throughout. It's an excellent choice if you enjoy sharp, initiative-based play.
How do I defend against the Danish Gambit Accepted?
The Danish Gambit Accepted is statistically challenging to defend at all levels. As Black, focus on quick development, early castling, and piece trades. Don't get greedy with extra material. Consider declining the gambit or finding a transposition if you're uncomfortable with sharp positions.
How reliable is the Danish Gambit Accepted data?
This analysis is based on 2.1M 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.