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English Opening: King's English Variation, Bellon 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: −4.3% at 2200-2499
1400-15992500+
Win%45.2%
Games5.1K
Breakpoint1400-1599first rating it isn't shown winning more than losing
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Does English Opening: King's English Variation, Bellon Gambit work for Black at All Ratings?

Snapshot

At All Ratings, English Opening: King's English Variation, Bellon Gambit keeps Black's wins running −7.0% ahead of its losses at worst, 90% confident, from 5.1K 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
1400-1599−27.8%43.4%2.9%53.8%85
1600-1799−16.8%44.7%4.2%51.1%248
1800-1999−10.2%46.6%2.4%51.0%780
2000-2199−14.2%42.6%4.6%52.8%1.7K
2200-2499−4.3%46.4%6.5%47.1%1.9K
2500+−7.6%47.6%6.2%46.1%327
Full Opening StatsSee rating/time-control breakdowns for Black on the opening stats page
Analyze English Opening: King's English Variation, Bellon Gambit PositionsGet move-by-move win rates with the TrueElo analyzer

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the English Opening: King's English Variation, Bellon Gambit sound?

Not shown to be. Black does not come out ahead at any rating we can see: its best Edge at worst, at 2200-2499, is −4.3%.

What is the English Opening: King's English Variation, Bellon Gambit win rate?

Black wins 45.2% of English Opening: King's English Variation, Bellon Gambit games, draws 5.0% and loses 49.9%. That rests on 5.1K games from Lichess.

What is the best rating to play the English Opening: King's English Variation, Bellon Gambit?

No rating in these games shows it paying. Black's Edge at worst is highest at 2200-2499: −4.3%, how far wins run ahead of losses, 90% confident.

Is the English Opening: King's English Variation, Bellon Gambit better in blitz or rapid?

Blitz. For Black, the Edge at worst — how far wins run ahead of losses, 90% confident — is −6.5% in Blitz (3.4K games) and −14.6% in Rapid (383 games). In neither do the games show Black winning more than losing.

Does the English Opening: King's English Variation, Bellon Gambit breakpoint vary by time control?

Yes. The first rating where the games do not show Black coming out ahead is 1600-1799 in Bullet, 1400-1599 in Blitz and 1800-1999 in Rapid.

How sharp is the English Opening: King's English Variation, Bellon Gambit?

The English Opening: King's English Variation, Bellon Gambit is extremely sharp: 5.0% of its games are drawn, so 95.0% end with a winner.

Should I play the English Opening: King's English Variation, Bellon 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: King's English Variation, Bellon 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: King's English Variation, Bellon Gambit data?

This rests on 5.1K 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.