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Zukertort Opening: Queen's Gambit Invitation

Black Gambit

Source Lichess

You play
Tough Sellloses more often than it wins at this level
All Ratings
Edge at worst−7.6%

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

how far wins run ahead of losses, 90% confident

Rating TrendPeak: −5.1% at 1000-1199
0-9992500+
Win%44.2%
Games4.2M
Breakpoint0-999first rating it isn't shown winning more than losing
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Does Zukertort Opening: Queen's Gambit Invitation work for Black at All Ratings?

Snapshot

At All Ratings, Zukertort Opening: Queen's Gambit Invitation keeps Black's wins running −7.6% ahead of its losses at worst, 90% confident, from 4.2M 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 worstBlack WinDrawBlack LossGames
0-999−5.5%45.4%4.2%50.5%183K
1000-1199−5.1%45.9%3.5%50.7%247K
1200-1399−6.3%45.3%3.3%51.4%383K
1400-1599−7.4%44.7%3.3%51.9%558K
1600-1799−8.1%44.3%3.6%52.2%695K
1800-1999−8.4%43.9%4.0%52.1%776K
2000-2199−8.7%43.5%4.6%52.0%687K
2200-2499−9.0%43.1%5.1%51.9%528K
2500+−5.9%43.8%6.9%49.3%140K
Full Opening StatsSee rating/time-control breakdowns for Black on the opening stats page
Analyze Zukertort Opening: Queen's Gambit Invitation PositionsGet move-by-move win rates with the TrueElo analyzer

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Zukertort Opening: Queen's Gambit Invitation sound?

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 −5.1%.

What is the Zukertort Opening: Queen's Gambit Invitation win rate?

Black wins 44.2% of Zukertort Opening: Queen's Gambit Invitation games, draws 4.1% and loses 51.7%. That rests on 4.2M games from Lichess.

What is the best rating to play the Zukertort Opening: Queen's Gambit Invitation?

No rating in these games shows it paying. Black's Edge at worst is highest at 1000-1199: −5.1%, how far wins run ahead of losses, 90% confident.

Is the Zukertort Opening: Queen's Gambit Invitation better in blitz or rapid?

About the same. For Black, the Edge at worst — how far wins run ahead of losses, 90% confident — is −6.9% in Blitz (1.4M games) and −6.8% in Rapid (342K games). In neither do the games show Black winning more than losing.

Does the Zukertort Opening: Queen's Gambit Invitation breakpoint vary by time control?

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

How sharp is the Zukertort Opening: Queen's Gambit Invitation?

The Zukertort Opening: Queen's Gambit Invitation is extremely sharp: 4.1% of its games are drawn, so 95.9% end with a winner.

Should I play the Zukertort Opening: Queen's Gambit Invitation?

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

How do I defend against the Zukertort Opening: Queen's Gambit Invitation?

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.

How reliable is the Zukertort Opening: Queen's Gambit Invitation data?

This rests on 4.2M 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.