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Dutch Defense: Janzen-Korchnoi Gambit

White Gambit

Source Lichess

You play
Play Thiswins clearly more often than it loses at this level
All Ratings
Edge at worst+18.7%

White wins at least 18.7 more of every 100 games than it loses

how far wins run ahead of losses, 90% confident

Rating TrendPeak: +22.4% at 1600-1799
0-9992500+
Win%58.1%
Games33K
Breakpoint0-999first rating it isn't shown winning more than losing
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Does Dutch Defense: Janzen-Korchnoi Gambit work for White at All Ratings?

Snapshot

At All Ratings, Dutch Defense: Janzen-Korchnoi Gambit keeps White's wins running +18.7% ahead of its losses at worst, 90% confident, from 33K Lichess games. This gambit is effective. Win rate, draw rate and loss rate come from games played December 2023 to November 2025.

RatingEdge at worstWhite WinDrawWhite LossGames
0-999−21.5%43.6%6.2%50.2%119
1000-1199−9.0%49.6%4.4%46.0%169
1200-1399+7.8%57.5%1.2%41.3%377
1400-1599+13.8%58.2%2.5%39.3%1.0K
1600-1799+22.4%61.2%2.4%36.4%4.6K
1800-1999+21.9%60.3%2.9%36.8%11K
2000-2199+15.5%56.8%3.5%39.7%10K
2200-2499+11.6%54.5%4.8%40.7%5.0K
2500++1.1%52.0%4.0%44.0%557
Full Opening StatsSee rating/time-control breakdowns for White on the opening stats page
Analyze Dutch Defense: Janzen-Korchnoi Gambit PositionsGet move-by-move win rates with the TrueElo analyzer

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Dutch Defense: Janzen-Korchnoi Gambit sound?

At some ratings. White comes out ahead at 1200+; at the other ratings we can see, the games do not show it paying. Where it pays changes with the clock, so set yours above and look again.

What is the Dutch Defense: Janzen-Korchnoi Gambit win rate?

White wins 58.1% of Dutch Defense: Janzen-Korchnoi Gambit games, draws 3.3% and loses 38.6%. That rests on 33K games from Lichess.

What is the best rating to play the Dutch Defense: Janzen-Korchnoi Gambit?

1600-1799. There White wins at least 22.4 more of every 100 games than it loses (90% confident), its highest Edge at worst.

Is the Dutch Defense: Janzen-Korchnoi Gambit better in blitz or rapid?

Rapid. For White, the Edge at worst — how far wins run ahead of losses, 90% confident — is +19.3% in Blitz (21K games) and +24.8% in Rapid (2.4K games).

Does the Dutch Defense: Janzen-Korchnoi Gambit breakpoint vary by time control?

Yes. The first rating where the games do not show White coming out ahead is 1000-1199 in Bullet, 0-999 in Blitz and 1400-1599 in Rapid.

How sharp is the Dutch Defense: Janzen-Korchnoi Gambit?

The Dutch Defense: Janzen-Korchnoi Gambit is extremely sharp: 3.3% of its games are drawn, so 96.7% end with a winner.

Should I play the Dutch Defense: Janzen-Korchnoi Gambit?

At 1200+, where White comes out ahead. At the other ratings we can see, the games do not show it paying. Where it pays changes with the clock, so set yours above and look again.

How do I defend against the Dutch Defense: Janzen-Korchnoi 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 1200+, 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 Dutch Defense: Janzen-Korchnoi Gambit data?

This rests on 33K 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.