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English Opening: Anglo-Scandinavian Defense, Schulz Gambit

Black Gambit

Source Lichess

You play
Tough Sellloses more often than it wins at this level
All Ratings
Edge at worst−7.0%

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

how far wins run ahead of losses, 90% confident

Rating TrendPeak: −5.2% at 1000-1199
0-9992500+
Win%44.7%
Games449K
Breakpoint0-999first rating it isn't shown winning more than losing
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Does English Opening: Anglo-Scandinavian Defense, Schulz Gambit work for Black at All Ratings?

Snapshot

At All Ratings, English Opening: Anglo-Scandinavian Defense, Schulz Gambit keeps Black's wins running −7.0% ahead of its losses at worst, 90% confident, from 449K 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 worstBlack WinDrawBlack LossGames
0-999−7.2%46.4%2.7%50.9%3.8K
1000-1199−5.2%46.9%2.6%50.5%11K
1200-1399−6.0%46.2%2.6%51.2%29K
1400-1599−6.4%45.7%2.9%51.4%61K
1600-1799−7.1%44.9%3.5%51.6%99K
1800-1999−8.1%44.2%3.9%51.9%120K
2000-2199−8.3%43.9%4.3%51.7%84K
2200-2499−7.3%44.3%4.9%50.8%37K
2500+−8.3%43.7%6.7%49.6%4.7K
Full Opening StatsSee rating/time-control breakdowns for Black on the opening stats page
Analyze English Opening: Anglo-Scandinavian Defense, Schulz Gambit PositionsGet move-by-move win rates with the TrueElo analyzer

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the English Opening: Anglo-Scandinavian Defense, Schulz Gambit sound?

Not shown to be. Black does not come out ahead at any rating we can see: its best Edge at worst, at 1000-1199, is −5.2%.

What is the English Opening: Anglo-Scandinavian Defense, Schulz Gambit win rate?

Black wins 44.7% of English Opening: Anglo-Scandinavian Defense, Schulz Gambit games, draws 3.7% and loses 51.5%. That rests on 449K games from Lichess.

What is the best rating to play the English Opening: Anglo-Scandinavian Defense, Schulz Gambit?

No rating in these games shows it paying. Black's Edge at worst is highest at 1000-1199: −5.2%, how far wins run ahead of losses, 90% confident.

Is the English Opening: Anglo-Scandinavian Defense, Schulz Gambit better in blitz or rapid?

Blitz. For Black, the Edge at worst — how far wins run ahead of losses, 90% confident — is −7.6% in Blitz (191K games) and −10.3% in Rapid (35K games). In neither do the games show Black winning more than losing.

Does the English Opening: Anglo-Scandinavian Defense, Schulz Gambit breakpoint vary by time control?

Yes. The first rating where the games do not show Black coming out ahead is 0-999 in Bullet, 0-999 in Blitz, 0-999 in Rapid and 1200-1399 in Classical.

How sharp is the English Opening: Anglo-Scandinavian Defense, Schulz Gambit?

The English Opening: Anglo-Scandinavian Defense, Schulz Gambit is extremely sharp: 3.7% of its games are drawn, so 96.3% end with a winner.

Should I play the English Opening: Anglo-Scandinavian Defense, Schulz Gambit?

Not for the results: Black does not come out ahead at any rating we can see.

How do I defend against the English Opening: Anglo-Scandinavian Defense, Schulz Gambit?

As White, take the material, then develop fast, castle early, and trade pieces. Give the material back when doing so kills the attack. Black does not come out ahead with it at any rating we can see.

How reliable is the English Opening: Anglo-Scandinavian Defense, Schulz Gambit data?

This rests on 449K 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.