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King's Gambit Accepted: Dodo Variation

8.7K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

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3.Qg4
Analyze this line move by move

White expected score · All ratings · All speeds

42.8%

35%55%
Floor42.0%

the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 43.7%.

Measured over 8.7K games at this level and clock.

Tough Sellloses more often than it wins at this level

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

Outcomes for White

Draw 3.3 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 8.7K games

Rank among the families White can choose here
not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
Games in this context
8.7K
Best context
46.5% at 1200-1399 Blitz
Worst context
37.6% at 0-999 Rapid
Average game length
28 moves
Games that end decisively
96.7%
Draws
3.3%

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.

Extra Analysis

Deep-dive datasets for this opening

Gambit BreakpointWhite

Peak: −10.5% · Breakpoint: 0-999

Where it holds · White score by rating × clock

Green is clearly ahead for White, grey is around even, red is behind. Tap a cell to measure there, and again to clear. It gets better as the rating rises: 34.2% at 0-999, 50.0% at 2500+.

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: 18.5% expected score (8 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Bullet: 41.1% expected score (471 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 41.2% expected score (1,259 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 37.6% expected score (503 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Classical: 32.6% expected score (10 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 42.4% expected score (5 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 44.6% expected score (407 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 44.1% expected score (1,346 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 39.2% expected score (509 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 36.5% expected score (17 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 81.6% expected score (8 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 45.5% expected score (332 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 46.5% expected score (1,250 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 46.9% expected score (463 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 45.6% expected score (21 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 11.5% expected score (5 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 37.8% expected score (228 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 40.4% expected score (590 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 36.0% expected score (354 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 46.0% expected score (23 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 42.0% expected score (141 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 49.5% expected score (283 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 35.1% expected score (153 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 62.0% expected score (11 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 45.4% expected score (53 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 51.7% expected score (153 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 44.1% expected score (57 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 55.7% expected score (16 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 53.5% expected score (13 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 50.0% expected score (8 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 73.1% expected score (5 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 50.0% expected score (4 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 70.0% expected score (1 games)

Related Openings

Parent
King's Gambit Accepted
43.1%
Variations (5)
King's Gambit Accepted: MacLeod Defense
53.4%
King's Gambit Accepted: Fischer Defense
52.1%
King's Gambit Accepted: King's Knight's Gambit
55.3%
King's Gambit Accepted: Modern Defense
51.3%
King's Gambit Accepted: Schallopp Defense
53.3%
Analyze King's Gambit Accepted: Dodo Variation PositionsSee what each move is worth at your rating, move by move

Methodology

Across every rating and clock, the King's Gambit Accepted: Dodo Variation scores 42.8% for White — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 42.0% and 43.7% — from 8.7K 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
8.7K+ 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 King's Gambit Accepted: Dodo Variation win rate?

Playing the King's Gambit Accepted: Dodo Variation, White wins 41.2%, draws 3.3% and loses 55.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 42.8%. It rests on 8.7K rated games from Lichess.

At what rating does the King's Gambit Accepted: Dodo Variation perform best?

The King's Gambit Accepted: Dodo Variation performs best for White at 1200-1399, with an Expected Score of 46.6% (2.1K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.

Is the King's Gambit Accepted: Dodo Variation better in blitz or rapid?

For White, the King's Gambit Accepted: Dodo Variation scores higher in Blitz: an Expected Score of 44.1% in Blitz (4.9K games) against 39.9% in Rapid (2.1K games).

How sharp is the King's Gambit Accepted: Dodo Variation?

The King's Gambit Accepted: Dodo Variation has a sharpness score of 96.7 (very decisive), meaning 96.7% of games end decisively. Average game length is 28 moves.

What is the King's Gambit Accepted: Dodo Variation win rate at 0-999?

At 0-999, White wins 38.3%, draws 3.8% and loses 57.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 40.2%. It rests on 2.3K Lichess games, which average 25 moves.

What is the King's Gambit Accepted: Dodo Variation win rate at 1000-1199?

At 1000-1199, White wins 41.4%, draws 3.2% and loses 55.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 43.0%. It rests on 2.3K Lichess games, which average 27 moves.

What is the King's Gambit Accepted: Dodo Variation win rate at 1200-1399?

At 1200-1399, White wins 45.0%, draws 3.1% and loses 51.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.6%. It rests on 2.1K Lichess games, which average 29 moves.

What is the King's Gambit Accepted: Dodo Variation win rate at 1400-1599?

At 1400-1599, White wins 37.0%, draws 3.0% and loses 60.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 38.5%. It rests on 1.2K Lichess games, which average 28 moves.

What is the King's Gambit Accepted: Dodo Variation win rate at 1600-1799?

At 1600-1799, White wins 42.6%, draws 3.0% and loses 54.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 44.1%. It rests on 589 Lichess games, which average 32 moves.

What is the King's Gambit Accepted: Dodo Variation win rate at 1800-1999?

At 1800-1999, White wins 47.1%, draws 3.2% and loses 49.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.7%. It rests on 263 Lichess games, which average 32 moves.

What is the King's Gambit Accepted: Dodo Variation win rate in Bullet?

In Bullet, White wins 42.0%, draws 1.6% and loses 56.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 42.8%. It rests on 1.7K Lichess games.

What is the King's Gambit Accepted: Dodo Variation win rate in Blitz?

In Blitz, White wins 42.3%, draws 3.5% and loses 54.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 44.1%. It rests on 4.9K Lichess games.

What is the King's Gambit Accepted: Dodo Variation win rate in Rapid?

In Rapid, White wins 37.9%, draws 4.0% and loses 58.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 39.9%. It rests on 2.1K Lichess games.

Is the King's Gambit Accepted: Dodo Variation a good opening?

The King's Gambit Accepted: Dodo Variation is hard work for White — it favours Black. Across all ratings, White wins 41.2% of its games and loses 55.6%. It performs best at 1200-1399. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.