Skip to content
TrueEloPlay what wins.
Score a position

Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Traxler Counterattack, King March Line

White Gambit

Source Lichess

You play
Tough Sellloses more often than it wins at this level
All Ratings
Edge at worst−12.6%

White 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 2500+
0-9992500+
Win%43.1%
Games71K
Breakpoint0-999first rating it isn't shown winning more than losing
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
a1
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
7.Ke3
Rating
Rating
Time Control
Time

Does Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Traxler Counterattack, King March Line work for White at All Ratings?

Snapshot

At All Ratings, Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Traxler Counterattack, King March Line keeps White's wins running −12.6% ahead of its losses at worst, 90% confident, from 71K 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 worstWhite WinDrawWhite LossGames
0-999−16.3%41.9%1.7%56.4%7.7K
1000-1199−14.1%42.6%1.9%55.5%17K
1200-1399−11.8%43.8%1.8%54.4%19K
1400-1599−12.1%43.8%1.8%54.4%13K
1600-1799−15.2%42.5%1.7%55.8%7.2K
1800-1999−18.7%40.9%1.9%57.1%4.1K
2000-2199−14.0%43.7%2.8%53.5%1.5K
2200-2499−5.9%49.5%2.4%48.1%509
2500+−5.2%49.8%9.4%40.8%132
Full Opening StatsSee rating/time-control breakdowns for White on the opening stats page
Analyze Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Traxler Counterattack, King March Line PositionsGet move-by-move win rates with the TrueElo analyzer

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Traxler Counterattack, King March Line sound?

Not shown to be. White does not come out ahead at any rating we can see: its best Edge at worst, at 2500+, is −5.2%.

What is the Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Traxler Counterattack, King March Line win rate?

White wins 43.1% of Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Traxler Counterattack, King March Line games, draws 1.8% and loses 55.1%. That rests on 71K games from Lichess.

What is the best rating to play the Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Traxler Counterattack, King March Line?

No rating in these games shows it paying. White's Edge at worst is highest at 2500+: −5.2%, how far wins run ahead of losses, 90% confident.

Is the Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Traxler Counterattack, King March Line better in blitz or rapid?

Blitz. For White, the Edge at worst — how far wins run ahead of losses, 90% confident — is −13.4% in Blitz (31K games) and −18.8% in Rapid (20K games). In neither do the games show White winning more than losing.

Does the Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Traxler Counterattack, King March Line 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 1000-1199 in Classical.

How sharp is the Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Traxler Counterattack, King March Line?

The Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Traxler Counterattack, King March Line is extremely sharp: 1.8% of its games are drawn, so 98.2% end with a winner.

Should I play the Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Traxler Counterattack, King March Line?

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

How do I defend against the Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Traxler Counterattack, King March Line?

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

How reliable is the Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Traxler Counterattack, King March Line data?

This rests on 71K 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.