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Queen's Gambit Declined: Pillsbury Attack

White Gambit

Source Lichess

You play
Playablewins about as often as it loses at this level
All Ratings
Edge at worst+0.7%

White wins at least 0.7 more of every 100 games than it loses

how far wins run ahead of losses, 90% confident

Rating TrendPeak: −0.1% at 2000-2199
1400-15992500+
Win%49.0%
Games2.6K
Breakpoint1400-1599first rating it isn't shown winning more than losing
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Does Queen's Gambit Declined: Pillsbury Attack work for White at All Ratings?

Snapshot

At All Ratings, Queen's Gambit Declined: Pillsbury Attack keeps White's wins running +0.7% ahead of its losses at worst, 90% confident, from 2.6K Lichess games. This gambit is playable but marginal. Win rate, draw rate and loss rate come from games played December 2023 to November 2025.

RatingEdge at worstWhite WinDrawWhite LossGames
1400-1599−19.4%48.1%1.7%50.3%89
1600-1799−7.7%48.8%4.5%46.7%276
1800-1999−5.7%48.3%4.3%47.5%644
2000-2199−0.1%49.1%7.2%43.7%861
2200-2499−2.0%48.5%7.6%43.8%595
2500+−6.6%52.5%7.9%39.6%68
Full Opening StatsSee rating/time-control breakdowns for White on the opening stats page
Analyze Queen's Gambit Declined: Pillsbury Attack PositionsGet move-by-move win rates with the TrueElo analyzer

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Queen's Gambit Declined: Pillsbury Attack sound?

Not shown to be. White does not come out ahead at any rating we can see: its best Edge at worst, at 2000-2199, is −0.1%.

What is the Queen's Gambit Declined: Pillsbury Attack win rate?

White wins 49.0% of Queen's Gambit Declined: Pillsbury Attack games, draws 5.9% and loses 45.1%. That rests on 2.6K games from Lichess.

What is the best rating to play the Queen's Gambit Declined: Pillsbury Attack?

No rating in these games shows it paying. White's Edge at worst is highest at 2000-2199: −0.1%, how far wins run ahead of losses, 90% confident.

Is the Queen's Gambit Declined: Pillsbury Attack better in blitz or rapid?

Blitz. For White, the Edge at worst — how far wins run ahead of losses, 90% confident — is +2.2% in Blitz (1.5K games) and −5.9% in Rapid (267 games).

Does the Queen's Gambit Declined: Pillsbury Attack breakpoint vary by time control?

Yes. The first rating where the games do not show White coming out ahead is 1600-1799 in Bullet, 1600-1799 in Blitz and 1800-1999 in Rapid.

How sharp is the Queen's Gambit Declined: Pillsbury Attack?

The Queen's Gambit Declined: Pillsbury Attack is very sharp: 5.9% of its games are drawn, so 94.1% end with a winner.

Should I play the Queen's Gambit Declined: Pillsbury Attack?

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 Declined: Pillsbury Attack?

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 Declined: Pillsbury Attack data?

This rests on 2.6K 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.