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Queen's Gambit Accepted: Classical Defense, Rubinstein Variation

White Gambit

Source Lichess

You play
Playablewins about as often as it loses at this level
All Ratings
Edge at worst−2.8%

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

how far wins run ahead of losses, 90% confident

Rating TrendPeak: −0.4% at 2500+
1200-13992500+
Win%44.3%
Games31K
Breakpoint1200-1399first rating it isn't shown winning more than losing
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Does Queen's Gambit Accepted: Classical Defense, Rubinstein Variation work for White at All Ratings?

Snapshot

At All Ratings, Queen's Gambit Accepted: Classical Defense, Rubinstein Variation keeps White's wins running −2.8% ahead of its losses at worst, 90% confident, from 31K 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
1200-1399−12.6%49.6%8.4%42.0%64
1400-1599−17.1%42.3%9.2%48.5%222
1600-1799−9.9%44.5%7.1%48.4%741
1800-1999−6.1%44.3%8.1%47.6%3.2K
2000-2199−5.0%44.0%8.6%47.4%9.7K
2200-2499−2.5%44.7%9.5%45.8%14K
2500+−0.4%43.5%15.6%40.9%3.1K
Full Opening StatsSee rating/time-control breakdowns for White on the opening stats page
Analyze Queen's Gambit Accepted: Classical Defense, Rubinstein Variation PositionsGet move-by-move win rates with the TrueElo analyzer

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Queen's Gambit Accepted: Classical Defense, Rubinstein Variation 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 −0.4%.

What is the Queen's Gambit Accepted: Classical Defense, Rubinstein Variation win rate?

White wins 44.3% of Queen's Gambit Accepted: Classical Defense, Rubinstein Variation games, draws 9.6% and loses 46.1%. That rests on 31K games from Lichess.

What is the best rating to play the Queen's Gambit Accepted: Classical Defense, Rubinstein Variation?

No rating in these games shows it paying. White's Edge at worst is highest at 2500+: −0.4%, how far wins run ahead of losses, 90% confident.

Is the Queen's Gambit Accepted: Classical Defense, Rubinstein Variation better in blitz or rapid?

Blitz. For White, the Edge at worst — how far wins run ahead of losses, 90% confident — is −2.4% in Blitz (21K games) and −8.1% in Rapid (2.4K games). In neither do the games show White winning more than losing.

Does the Queen's Gambit Accepted: Classical Defense, Rubinstein Variation breakpoint vary by time control?

Yes. The first rating where the games do not show White coming out ahead is 1400-1599 in Bullet, 1400-1599 in Blitz and 1600-1799 in Rapid. In Classical, only 2000-2199 has enough games, and there the games do not show White coming out ahead.

How sharp is the Queen's Gambit Accepted: Classical Defense, Rubinstein Variation?

The Queen's Gambit Accepted: Classical Defense, Rubinstein Variation is very sharp: 9.6% of its games are drawn, so 90.4% end with a winner.

Should I play the Queen's Gambit Accepted: Classical Defense, Rubinstein Variation?

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: Classical Defense, Rubinstein Variation?

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: Classical Defense, Rubinstein Variation data?

This rests on 31K 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.