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French Defense: Diemer-Duhm Gambit

White Gambit

Source Lichess

You play
Playablewins about as often as it loses at this level
All Ratings
Edge at worst+3.6%

White wins at least 3.6 more of every 100 games than it loses

how far wins run ahead of losses, 90% confident

Rating TrendPeak: +5.7% at 1800-1999
0-9992500+
Win%50.4%
Games119K
Breakpoint0-999first rating it isn't shown winning more than losing
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Does French Defense: Diemer-Duhm Gambit work for White at All Ratings?

Snapshot

At All Ratings, French Defense: Diemer-Duhm Gambit keeps White's wins running +3.6% ahead of its losses at worst, 90% confident, from 119K Lichess games. This gambit is playable but marginal. Win rate, draw rate and loss rate come from games played December 2023 to November 2025.

RatingEdge at worstWhite WinDrawWhite LossGames
0-999−5.5%46.4%3.6%50.0%7.6K
1000-1199−0.7%49.0%2.9%48.1%12K
1200-1399+1.6%50.0%2.8%47.2%17K
1400-1599+1.4%49.7%3.1%47.2%21K
1600-1799+4.6%51.1%3.4%45.5%23K
1800-1999+5.7%51.7%3.3%44.9%21K
2000-2199+5.7%51.7%3.7%44.5%12K
2200-2499+5.7%52.1%3.7%44.2%5.9K
2500+−6.2%48.0%6.6%45.4%339
Full Opening StatsSee rating/time-control breakdowns for White on the opening stats page
Analyze French Defense: Diemer-Duhm Gambit PositionsGet move-by-move win rates with the TrueElo analyzer

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the French Defense: Diemer-Duhm Gambit sound?

At some ratings. White comes out ahead at 1200-2499; 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 French Defense: Diemer-Duhm Gambit win rate?

White wins 50.4% of French Defense: Diemer-Duhm Gambit games, draws 3.3% and loses 46.3%. That rests on 119K games from Lichess.

What is the best rating to play the French Defense: Diemer-Duhm Gambit?

1800-1999. There White wins at least 5.7 more of every 100 games than it loses (90% confident), its highest Edge at worst.

Is the French Defense: Diemer-Duhm Gambit better in blitz or rapid?

Blitz. For White, the Edge at worst — how far wins run ahead of losses, 90% confident — is +4.1% in Blitz (52K games) and −1.6% in Rapid (16K games).

Does the French Defense: Diemer-Duhm Gambit breakpoint vary by time control?

Yes. The first rating where the games do not show White 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 French Defense: Diemer-Duhm Gambit?

The French Defense: Diemer-Duhm Gambit is extremely sharp: 3.3% of its games are drawn, so 96.7% end with a winner.

Should I play the French Defense: Diemer-Duhm Gambit?

At 1200-2499, 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 French Defense: Diemer-Duhm 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 1200-2499, 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 French Defense: Diemer-Duhm Gambit data?

This rests on 119K 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.