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King's Pawn Game: Bavarian Gambit

Black Gambit

Source Lichess

You play
Tough Sellloses more often than it wins at this level
All Ratings
Edge at worst−4.1%

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

how far wins run ahead of losses, 90% confident

Rating TrendPeak: +9.9% at 2200-2499
0-9992200-2499
Win%46.5%
Games23K
Breakpoint0-999first rating it isn't shown winning more than losing
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Does King's Pawn Game: Bavarian Gambit work for Black at All Ratings?

Snapshot

At All Ratings, King's Pawn Game: Bavarian Gambit keeps Black's wins running −4.1% ahead of its losses at worst, 90% confident, from 23K 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
0-999−7.8%44.4%5.8%49.9%4.8K
1000-1199−5.6%46.2%4.6%49.2%3.8K
1200-1399−7.8%45.9%3.2%50.9%3.4K
1400-1599−9.4%45.0%3.6%51.5%3.1K
1600-1799−7.0%46.4%3.2%50.3%2.7K
1800-1999−0.5%49.8%3.2%47.0%2.6K
2000-2199−4.0%48.3%3.4%48.3%1.7K
2200-2499+9.9%56.8%2.9%40.2%601
Full Opening StatsSee rating/time-control breakdowns for Black on the opening stats page
Analyze King's Pawn Game: Bavarian Gambit PositionsGet move-by-move win rates with the TrueElo analyzer

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the King's Pawn Game: Bavarian Gambit sound?

At some ratings. Black comes out ahead at 2200-2499; 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 King's Pawn Game: Bavarian Gambit win rate?

Black wins 46.5% of King's Pawn Game: Bavarian Gambit games, draws 4.0% and loses 49.5%. That rests on 23K games from Lichess.

What is the best rating to play the King's Pawn Game: Bavarian Gambit?

2200-2499. There Black wins at least 9.9 more of every 100 games than it loses (90% confident), its highest Edge at worst.

Is the King's Pawn Game: Bavarian Gambit better in blitz or rapid?

Blitz. For Black, the Edge at worst — how far wins run ahead of losses, 90% confident — is −6.2% in Blitz (9.6K games) and −13.3% in Rapid (4.3K games). In neither do the games show Black winning more than losing.

Does the King's Pawn Game: Bavarian Gambit 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 1200-1399 in Classical.

How sharp is the King's Pawn Game: Bavarian Gambit?

The King's Pawn Game: Bavarian Gambit is extremely sharp: 4.0% of its games are drawn, so 96.0% end with a winner.

Should I play the King's Pawn Game: Bavarian Gambit?

At 2200-2499, 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 King's Pawn Game: Bavarian Gambit?

As White, take the material, then develop fast, castle early, and trade pieces. Give the material back when doing so kills the attack. At 2200-2499, 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 King's Pawn Game: Bavarian Gambit data?

This rests on 23K 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.