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Queen's Gambit Accepted: Central Variation, McDonnell Defense, Somov Gambit

White Gambit

Source Lichess

You play
Playablewins about as often as it loses at this level
All Ratings
Edge at worst−1.3%

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

how far wins run ahead of losses, 90% confident

Rating TrendPeak: −0.5% at 1000-1199
0-9992500+
Win%47.7%
Games56K
Breakpoint0-999first rating it isn't shown winning more than losing
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Time Control
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Does Queen's Gambit Accepted: Central Variation, McDonnell Defense, Somov Gambit work for White at All Ratings?

Snapshot

At All Ratings, Queen's Gambit Accepted: Central Variation, McDonnell Defense, Somov Gambit keeps White's wins running −1.3% ahead of its losses at worst, 90% confident, from 56K 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
0-999−0.6%49.0%3.7%47.3%4.9K
1000-1199−0.5%48.7%3.9%47.4%8.7K
1200-1399−1.2%48.3%3.6%48.1%11K
1400-1599−4.6%46.1%4.6%49.3%12K
1600-1799−2.8%47.5%3.9%48.6%9.2K
1800-1999−4.8%46.6%4.1%49.3%5.9K
2000-2199−2.3%48.3%4.3%47.4%2.7K
2200-2499−2.2%48.9%5.2%45.9%991
2500+−16.6%45.6%7.1%47.3%118
Full Opening StatsSee rating/time-control breakdowns for White on the opening stats page
Analyze Queen's Gambit Accepted: Central Variation, McDonnell Defense, Somov Gambit PositionsGet move-by-move win rates with the TrueElo analyzer

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Queen's Gambit Accepted: Central Variation, McDonnell Defense, Somov Gambit sound?

Not shown to be. White does not come out ahead at any rating we can see: its best Edge at worst, at 1000-1199, is −0.5%.

What is the Queen's Gambit Accepted: Central Variation, McDonnell Defense, Somov Gambit win rate?

White wins 47.7% of Queen's Gambit Accepted: Central Variation, McDonnell Defense, Somov Gambit games, draws 4.0% and loses 48.3%. That rests on 56K games from Lichess.

What is the best rating to play the Queen's Gambit Accepted: Central Variation, McDonnell Defense, Somov Gambit?

No rating in these games shows it paying. White's Edge at worst is highest at 1000-1199: −0.5%, how far wins run ahead of losses, 90% confident.

Is the Queen's Gambit Accepted: Central Variation, McDonnell Defense, Somov Gambit better in blitz or rapid?

About the same. For White, the Edge at worst — how far wins run ahead of losses, 90% confident — is −1.9% in Blitz (29K games) and −2.3% in Rapid (14K games). In neither do the games show White winning more than losing.

Does the Queen's Gambit Accepted: Central Variation, McDonnell Defense, Somov Gambit 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, 1200-1399 in Rapid and 1000-1199 in Classical.

How sharp is the Queen's Gambit Accepted: Central Variation, McDonnell Defense, Somov Gambit?

The Queen's Gambit Accepted: Central Variation, McDonnell Defense, Somov Gambit is extremely sharp: 4.0% of its games are drawn, so 96.0% end with a winner.

Should I play the Queen's Gambit Accepted: Central Variation, McDonnell Defense, Somov Gambit?

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

How do I defend against the Queen's Gambit Accepted: Central Variation, McDonnell Defense, Somov Gambit?

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 Queen's Gambit Accepted: Central Variation, McDonnell Defense, Somov Gambit data?

This rests on 56K 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.