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French Defense: Winawer Variation, Alekhine Gambit Accepted

Black Gambit

Source Lichess

You play
Tough Sellloses more often than it wins at this level
All Ratings
Edge at worst−17.6%

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

how far wins run ahead of losses, 90% confident

Rating TrendPeak: −12.0% at 1400-1599
0-9992500+
Win%39.0%
Games26K
Breakpoint0-999first rating it isn't shown winning more than losing
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Does French Defense: Winawer Variation, Alekhine Gambit Accepted work for Black at All Ratings?

Snapshot

At All Ratings, French Defense: Winawer Variation, Alekhine Gambit Accepted keeps Black's wins running −17.6% ahead of its losses at worst, 90% confident, from 26K 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
0-999−20.8%46.9%2.8%50.3%87
1000-1199−19.2%43.1%3.6%53.2%315
1200-1399−14.6%43.7%4.0%52.3%741
1400-1599−12.0%44.3%4.0%51.7%1.3K
1600-1799−15.5%41.9%3.9%54.2%2.5K
1800-1999−19.3%39.2%4.5%56.3%5.5K
2000-2199−21.4%37.5%5.4%57.1%8.2K
2200-2499−20.9%37.1%7.0%55.9%6.2K
2500+−12.5%42.8%6.8%50.4%1.2K
Full Opening StatsSee rating/time-control breakdowns for Black on the opening stats page
Analyze French Defense: Winawer Variation, Alekhine Gambit Accepted PositionsGet move-by-move win rates with the TrueElo analyzer

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the French Defense: Winawer Variation, Alekhine Gambit Accepted sound?

Not shown to be. Black does not come out ahead at any rating we can see: its best Edge at worst, at 1400-1599, is −12.0%.

What is the French Defense: Winawer Variation, Alekhine Gambit Accepted win rate?

Black wins 39.0% of French Defense: Winawer Variation, Alekhine Gambit Accepted games, draws 5.4% and loses 55.6%. That rests on 26K games from Lichess.

What is the best rating to play the French Defense: Winawer Variation, Alekhine Gambit Accepted?

No rating in these games shows it paying. Black's Edge at worst is highest at 1400-1599: −12.0%, how far wins run ahead of losses, 90% confident.

Is the French Defense: Winawer Variation, Alekhine Gambit Accepted better in blitz or rapid?

About the same. For Black, the Edge at worst — how far wins run ahead of losses, 90% confident — is −18.6% in Blitz (16K games) and −18.5% in Rapid (3.3K games). In neither do the games show Black winning more than losing.

Does the French Defense: Winawer Variation, Alekhine Gambit Accepted breakpoint vary by time control?

Yes. The first rating where the games do not show Black coming out ahead is 1000-1199 in Bullet, 0-999 in Blitz and 1000-1199 in Rapid. In Classical, only 1800-1999 has enough games, and there the games do not show Black coming out ahead.

How sharp is the French Defense: Winawer Variation, Alekhine Gambit Accepted?

The French Defense: Winawer Variation, Alekhine Gambit Accepted is very sharp: 5.4% of its games are drawn, so 94.6% end with a winner.

Should I play the French Defense: Winawer Variation, Alekhine Gambit Accepted?

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

How do I defend against the French Defense: Winawer Variation, Alekhine Gambit Accepted?

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 French Defense: Winawer Variation, Alekhine Gambit Accepted data?

This rests on 26K 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.