Source Lichess
Black isn't shown winning more often than losing at this level
how far wins run ahead of losses, 90% confident
At All Ratings, Nimzowitsch Defense: Kennedy Variation, Hammer Gambit keeps Black's wins running −8.2% ahead of its losses at worst, 90% confident, from 32K 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.
| Rating | Edge at worst | Black Win | Draw | Black Loss | Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0-999 | −8.6% | 45.6% | 3.8% | 50.6% | 2.2K |
| 1000-1199 | −8.1% | 46.2% | 2.3% | 51.4% | 3.1K |
| 1200-1399 | −10.4% | 44.7% | 2.8% | 52.4% | 3.9K |
| 1400-1599 | −13.1% | 43.2% | 3.1% | 53.7% | 4.0K |
| 1600-1799 | −9.4% | 45.0% | 3.0% | 51.9% | 4.2K |
| 1800-1999 | −9.4% | 44.8% | 3.2% | 52.0% | 5.3K |
| 2000-2199 | −9.7% | 44.7% | 3.1% | 52.2% | 5.2K |
| 2200-2499 | −9.7% | 44.7% | 3.8% | 51.5% | 3.2K |
| 2500+ | −11.7% | 44.4% | 5.5% | 50.2% | 759 |
Not shown to be. Black does not come out ahead at any rating we can see: its best Edge at worst, at 1000-1199, is −8.1%.
Black wins 44.8% of Nimzowitsch Defense: Kennedy Variation, Hammer Gambit games, draws 3.1% and loses 52.1%. That rests on 32K games from Lichess.
No rating in these games shows it paying. Black's Edge at worst is highest at 1000-1199: −8.1%, how far wins run ahead of losses, 90% confident.
Blitz. For Black, the Edge at worst — how far wins run ahead of losses, 90% confident — is −10.2% in Blitz (14K games) and −15.3% in Rapid (4.3K games). In neither do the games show Black winning more than losing.
Yes. The first rating where the games do not show Black coming out ahead is 0-999 in Bullet, 0-999 in Blitz and 0-999 in Rapid. In Classical, only 1400-1599 has enough games, and there the games do not show Black coming out ahead.
The Nimzowitsch Defense: Kennedy Variation, Hammer Gambit is extremely sharp: 3.1% of its games are drawn, so 96.9% end with a winner.
Not for the results: Black does not come out ahead at any rating we can see.
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.
This rests on 32K 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.