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Italian Game: Scotch Gambit, Double Gambit Accepted

Black Gambit

Source Lichess

You play
Playablewins about as often as it loses at this level
All Ratings
Edge at worst+3.7%

Black wins at least 3.7 more of every 100 games than it loses

how far wins run ahead of losses, 90% confident

Rating TrendPeak: +15.4% at 2000-2199
0-9992500+
Win%50.5%
Games91K
Breakpoint0-999first rating it isn't shown winning more than losing
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Time Control
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Does Italian Game: Scotch Gambit, Double Gambit Accepted work for Black at All Ratings?

Snapshot

At All Ratings, Italian Game: Scotch Gambit, Double Gambit Accepted keeps Black's wins running +3.7% ahead of its losses at worst, 90% confident, from 91K 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 worstBlack WinDrawBlack LossGames
0-999−15.8%42.1%2.4%55.5%4.9K
1000-1199−12.0%43.7%2.2%54.1%9.9K
1200-1399−6.9%46.1%2.4%51.6%13K
1400-1599−2.9%48.0%2.5%49.5%13K
1600-1799+7.8%53.0%3.2%43.8%13K
1800-1999+14.4%56.0%3.6%40.3%15K
2000-2199+15.4%56.1%4.6%39.3%14K
2200-2499+8.5%52.9%4.7%42.4%7.0K
2500+−20.1%40.1%4.4%55.5%1.2K
Full Opening StatsSee rating/time-control breakdowns for Black on the opening stats page
Analyze Italian Game: Scotch Gambit, Double Gambit Accepted PositionsGet move-by-move win rates with the TrueElo analyzer

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Italian Game: Scotch Gambit, Double Gambit Accepted sound?

At some ratings. Black comes out ahead at 1600-2499; 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 Italian Game: Scotch Gambit, Double Gambit Accepted win rate?

Black wins 50.5% of Italian Game: Scotch Gambit, Double Gambit Accepted games, draws 3.2% and loses 46.3%. That rests on 91K games from Lichess.

What is the best rating to play the Italian Game: Scotch Gambit, Double Gambit Accepted?

2000-2199. There Black wins at least 15.4 more of every 100 games than it loses (90% confident), its highest Edge at worst.

Is the Italian Game: Scotch Gambit, Double Gambit Accepted better in blitz or rapid?

Blitz. For Black, the Edge at worst — how far wins run ahead of losses, 90% confident — is +5.4% in Blitz (45K games) and +3.4% in Rapid (19K games).

Does the Italian Game: Scotch Gambit, Double Gambit Accepted 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 1000-1199 in Classical.

How sharp is the Italian Game: Scotch Gambit, Double Gambit Accepted?

The Italian Game: Scotch Gambit, Double Gambit Accepted is extremely sharp: 3.2% of its games are drawn, so 96.8% end with a winner.

Should I play the Italian Game: Scotch Gambit, Double Gambit Accepted?

At 1600-2499, where Black 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 Italian Game: Scotch Gambit, Double 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. At 1600-2499, Black 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 Italian Game: Scotch Gambit, Double Gambit Accepted data?

This rests on 91K 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.