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Italian Game: Scotch Gambit, Max Lange Attack, Spielmann Defense

206K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

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Analyze this line move by move

Black expected score · All ratings · All speeds

41.0%

35%55%
Floor40.8%

the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 41.2%.

Measured over 206K games at this level and clock.

Tough Sellloses more often than it wins at this level

Black comes out behind here — there are better weapons in the list.

Outcomes for Black

Draw 2.5 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 206K games

Rank among the families Black can choose here
not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
Games in this context
206K
Best context
42.9% at 1000-1199 Blitz
Worst context
37.7% at 2000-2199 Rapid
Average game length
28 moves
Games that end decisively
97.5%
Draws
2.5%

Best and worst are the strongest and weakest squares with at least 500 games behind them. The table further down shows every square, including thinner ones.

Where it holds · Black score by rating × clock

Green is clearly ahead for Black, grey is around even, red is behind. Tap a cell to measure there, and again to clear. It holds about the same all the way up, near 46.7%.

RatingUBBulleBlitzRapidClass
0-999
1000-1199
1200-1399
1400-1599
1600-1799
1800-1999
2000-2199—
2200-2499—
2500+——

Expected score matrix by rating bracket and time control

  • 0-999 rating, UltraBullet: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Bullet: 42.5% expected score (1,096 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 39.9% expected score (634 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 43.3% expected score (395 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Classical: 57.7% expected score (5 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 40.0% expected score (4,053 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 42.9% expected score (3,413 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 41.1% expected score (1,279 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 36.1% expected score (20 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 45.3% expected score (9 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 39.7% expected score (8,908 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 42.9% expected score (11,953 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 42.7% expected score (3,943 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 37.3% expected score (97 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 36.7% expected score (6 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 40.4% expected score (12,185 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 42.0% expected score (25,112 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 42.1% expected score (8,322 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 33.6% expected score (422 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 39.9% expected score (14,663 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 41.2% expected score (33,734 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 40.8% expected score (12,576 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 38.0% expected score (681 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 40.1% expected score (10,636 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 40.4% expected score (23,703 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 40.7% expected score (9,901 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 40.0% expected score (406 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 41.1% expected score (5,351 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 41.1% expected score (6,337 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 37.7% expected score (2,599 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 33.0% expected score (75 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 41.6% expected score (1,979 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 42.3% expected score (875 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 35.7% expected score (201 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 61.2% expected score (3 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 47.3% expected score (222 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 31.1% expected score (17 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 64.3% expected score (2 games)

Related Openings

Parent
Italian Game
55.0%
Variations (5)
Italian Game: Anti-Fried Liver Defense
51.3%
Italian Game: Paris Defense
50.2%
Italian Game: Giuoco Piano
47.0%
Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Modern Bishop's Opening
50.6%
Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo, Normal
49.3%
Analyze Italian Game: Scotch Gambit, Max Lange Attack, Spielmann Defense PositionsSee what each move is worth at your rating, move by move

Methodology

Across every rating and clock, the Italian Game: Scotch Gambit, Max Lange Attack, Spielmann Defense scores 41.0% for Black — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 40.8% and 41.2% — from 206K Lichess games. Win rate, draw rate and loss rate come from games played December 2023 to November 2025.

How the figures are made
Whose games these are
206K+ rated games played on Lichess (2023-12 to 2025-11). The games are Lichess’s and free for anyone to use. What is ours is the reading of them. Last rebuilt January 2026.
Which games we count
  • Rated games only — nothing casual.
  • Both players within 200 rating points of each other. A mismatch tells you about the gap, not about the opening.
  • At least 2 moves played.
  • A game is filed under White’s rating.
Why every number comes with a range
A number off a few hundred games is a guess. The same number off millions is a fact. The range is what tells them apart, and it is what the lists rank on — so an opening cannot reach the top on a lucky run of forty games. The more games behind a figure, the narrower its range.
How much we need before we say anything
An opening page needs 100 games. A gambit needs 50 games at a rating before we will say whether it pays there. The chaos and trap lists need 500 games overall and 250 games at one rating or clock.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Italian Game: Scotch Gambit, Max Lange Attack, Spielmann Defense win rate?

Playing the Italian Game: Scotch Gambit, Max Lange Attack, Spielmann Defense, Black wins 39.7%, draws 2.5% and loses 57.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 41.0%. It rests on 206K rated games from Lichess.

At what rating does the Italian Game: Scotch Gambit, Max Lange Attack, Spielmann Defense perform best?

The Italian Game: Scotch Gambit, Max Lange Attack, Spielmann Defense performs best for Black at 1200-1399, with an Expected Score of 41.7% (25K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.

Is the Italian Game: Scotch Gambit, Max Lange Attack, Spielmann Defense better in blitz or rapid?

For Black, the Italian Game: Scotch Gambit, Max Lange Attack, Spielmann Defense scores about the same in both: an Expected Score of 41.4% in Blitz (106K games) against 41.0% in Rapid (39K games).

How sharp is the Italian Game: Scotch Gambit, Max Lange Attack, Spielmann Defense?

The Italian Game: Scotch Gambit, Max Lange Attack, Spielmann Defense has a sharpness score of 97.5 (very decisive), meaning 97.5% of games end decisively. Average game length is 28 moves.

What is the Italian Game: Scotch Gambit, Max Lange Attack, Spielmann Defense win rate at 0-999?

At 0-999, Black wins 41.1%, draws 1.5% and loses 57.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 41.9%. It rests on 2.1K Lichess games, which average 21 moves.

What is the Italian Game: Scotch Gambit, Max Lange Attack, Spielmann Defense win rate at 1000-1199?

At 1000-1199, Black wins 40.4%, draws 1.6% and loses 58.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 41.2%. It rests on 8.8K Lichess games, which average 23 moves.

What is the Italian Game: Scotch Gambit, Max Lange Attack, Spielmann Defense win rate at 1200-1399?

At 1200-1399, Black wins 40.7%, draws 1.8% and loses 57.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 41.7%. It rests on 25K Lichess games, which average 25 moves.

What is the Italian Game: Scotch Gambit, Max Lange Attack, Spielmann Defense win rate at 1400-1599?

At 1400-1599, Black wins 40.4%, draws 2.1% and loses 57.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 41.5%. It rests on 46K Lichess games, which average 27 moves.

What is the Italian Game: Scotch Gambit, Max Lange Attack, Spielmann Defense win rate at 1600-1799?

At 1600-1799, Black wins 39.6%, draws 2.4% and loses 58.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 40.8%. It rests on 62K Lichess games, which average 28 moves.

What is the Italian Game: Scotch Gambit, Max Lange Attack, Spielmann Defense win rate at 1800-1999?

At 1800-1999, Black wins 38.8%, draws 3.0% and loses 58.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 40.3%. It rests on 45K Lichess games, which average 30 moves.

What is the Italian Game: Scotch Gambit, Max Lange Attack, Spielmann Defense win rate at 2000-2199?

At 2000-2199, Black wins 38.8%, draws 3.3% and loses 57.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 40.5%. It rests on 14K Lichess games, which average 31 moves.

What is the Italian Game: Scotch Gambit, Max Lange Attack, Spielmann Defense win rate at 2200-2499?

At 2200-2499, Black wins 39.6%, draws 3.6% and loses 56.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 41.4%. It rests on 3.1K Lichess games, which average 32 moves.

What is the Italian Game: Scotch Gambit, Max Lange Attack, Spielmann Defense win rate at 2500+?

At 2500+, Black wins 42.7%, draws 7.2% and loses 50.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.3%. It rests on 241 Lichess games, which average 36 moves.

What is the Italian Game: Scotch Gambit, Max Lange Attack, Spielmann Defense win rate in Bullet?

In Bullet, Black wins 39.3%, draws 1.7% and loses 58.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 40.2%. It rests on 59K Lichess games.

What is the Italian Game: Scotch Gambit, Max Lange Attack, Spielmann Defense win rate in Blitz?

In Blitz, Black wins 40.1%, draws 2.6% and loses 57.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 41.4%. It rests on 106K Lichess games.

What is the Italian Game: Scotch Gambit, Max Lange Attack, Spielmann Defense win rate in Rapid?

In Rapid, Black wins 39.5%, draws 3.0% and loses 57.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 41.0%. It rests on 39K Lichess games.

What is the Italian Game: Scotch Gambit, Max Lange Attack, Spielmann Defense win rate in Classical?

In Classical, Black wins 35.3%, draws 3.5% and loses 61.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 37.1%. It rests on 1.7K Lichess games.

Is the Italian Game: Scotch Gambit, Max Lange Attack, Spielmann Defense a good opening?

The Italian Game: Scotch Gambit, Max Lange Attack, Spielmann Defense is hard work for Black — it favours White. Across all ratings, Black wins 39.7% of its games and loses 57.8%. It performs best at 1200-1399. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.