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Petrov's Defense: Moody Gambit

White Gambit

Source Lichess

You play
Tough Sellloses more often than it wins at this level
All Ratings
Edge at worst−7.2%

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

how far wins run ahead of losses, 90% confident

Rating TrendPeak: +12.4% at 2200-2499
0-9992500+
Win%45.9%
Games5.2K
Breakpoint0-999first rating it isn't shown winning more than losing
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Does Petrov's Defense: Moody Gambit work for White at All Ratings?

Snapshot

At All Ratings, Petrov's Defense: Moody Gambit keeps White's wins running −7.2% ahead of its losses at worst, 90% confident, from 5.2K 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
0-999−11.6%44.1%3.9%52.0%1.9K
1000-1199−7.2%47.0%3.2%49.8%1.4K
1200-1399−16.6%43.5%2.8%53.7%655
1400-1599−23.0%41.0%3.1%55.9%407
1600-1799−28.2%40.4%3.2%56.4%173
1800-1999−1.5%53.4%1.7%44.9%267
2000-2199+6.7%58.5%1.3%40.3%196
2200-2499+12.4%61.4%5.6%33.0%97
2500+−13.3%48.7%3.3%48.0%135
Full Opening StatsSee rating/time-control breakdowns for White on the opening stats page
Analyze Petrov's Defense: Moody Gambit PositionsGet move-by-move win rates with the TrueElo analyzer

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Petrov's Defense: Moody Gambit sound?

At some ratings. White comes out ahead at 2000-2499; at the other ratings we can see, the games do not show it paying.

What is the Petrov's Defense: Moody Gambit win rate?

White wins 45.9% of Petrov's Defense: Moody Gambit games, draws 3.2% and loses 50.9%. That rests on 5.2K games from Lichess.

What is the best rating to play the Petrov's Defense: Moody Gambit?

2200-2499. There White wins at least 12.4 more of every 100 games than it loses (90% confident), its highest Edge at worst.

Is the Petrov's Defense: Moody Gambit better in blitz or rapid?

Blitz. For White, the Edge at worst — how far wins run ahead of losses, 90% confident — is −6.1% in Blitz (2.3K games) and −16.8% in Rapid (1.5K games). In neither do the games show White winning more than losing.

Does the Petrov's Defense: Moody Gambit breakpoint vary by time control?

No. The first rating where the games do not show White coming out ahead is 0-999 in Bullet, 0-999 in Blitz and 0-999 in Rapid.

How sharp is the Petrov's Defense: Moody Gambit?

The Petrov's Defense: Moody Gambit is extremely sharp: 3.2% of its games are drawn, so 96.8% end with a winner.

Should I play the Petrov's Defense: Moody Gambit?

At 2000-2499, where White comes out ahead. At the other ratings we can see, the games do not show it paying.

How do I defend against the Petrov's Defense: Moody Gambit?

As Black, take the material, then develop fast, castle early, and trade pieces. Give the material back when doing so kills the attack. At 2000-2499, White 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 Petrov's Defense: Moody Gambit data?

This rests on 5.2K 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.