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King's Gambit Accepted: Kieseritzky Gambit, Berlin Defense

10K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

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Analyze this line move by move

Black expected score · All ratings · All speeds

58.1%

45%65%
Floor57.3%

the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 58.9%.

Measured over 10K games at this level and clock.

Play Thiswins clearly more often than it loses at this level

A strong choice for Black at this level and clock.

Outcomes for Black

Draw 4.1 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 10K games

Rank among the families Black can choose here
not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
Games in this context
10K
Best context
61.4% at 1800-1999 Rapid
Worst context
47.8% at 2200-2499 Blitz
Average game length
29 moves
Games that end decisively
95.9%
Draws
4.1%

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 falls away as the rating rises: 65.2% at 0-999, 59.0% 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, Bullet: 64.0% expected score (20 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 68.2% expected score (15 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 63.4% expected score (6 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 52.0% expected score (50 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 64.6% expected score (57 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 62.2% expected score (19 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 53.7% expected score (107 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 55.1% expected score (203 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 60.6% expected score (65 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 58.7% expected score (229 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 56.2% expected score (550 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 63.8% expected score (198 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 64.3% expected score (9 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 59.5% expected score (455 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 58.3% expected score (1,213 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 65.6% expected score (415 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 63.1% expected score (33 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 56.7% expected score (474 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 58.3% expected score (1,796 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 61.4% expected score (594 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 71.1% expected score (34 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 55.6% expected score (360 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 57.6% expected score (1,634 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 60.9% expected score (609 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 56.1% expected score (23 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 58.5% expected score (199 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 47.8% expected score (674 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 61.0% expected score (194 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 42.4% expected score (5 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 50.6% expected score (84 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 56.6% expected score (60 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 78.6% expected score (9 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Classical: 50.0% 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%
Continuations (2)
King's Gambit Accepted: Kieseritzky Gambit, Berlin Defense, Rubinstein Variation
43.5%
King's Gambit Accepted: Kieseritzky Gambit, Berlin Defense, de Riviere Variation
40.1%
Analyze King's Gambit Accepted: Kieseritzky Gambit, Berlin Defense PositionsSee what each move is worth at your rating, move by move

Methodology

Across every rating and clock, the King's Gambit Accepted: Kieseritzky Gambit, Berlin Defense scores 58.1% for Black — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 57.3% and 58.9% — from 10K 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
10K+ 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: Kieseritzky Gambit, Berlin Defense win rate?

Playing the King's Gambit Accepted: Kieseritzky Gambit, Berlin Defense, Black wins 56.0%, draws 4.1% and loses 39.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 58.1%. It rests on 10K rated games from Lichess.

At what rating does the King's Gambit Accepted: Kieseritzky Gambit, Berlin Defense perform best?

The King's Gambit Accepted: Kieseritzky Gambit, Berlin Defense performs best for Black at 1600-1799, with an Expected Score of 60.1% (2.1K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.

Is the King's Gambit Accepted: Kieseritzky Gambit, Berlin Defense better in blitz or rapid?

For Black, the King's Gambit Accepted: Kieseritzky Gambit, Berlin Defense scores higher in Rapid: an Expected Score of 56.8% in Blitz (6.2K games) against 62.4% in Rapid (2.1K games).

How sharp is the King's Gambit Accepted: Kieseritzky Gambit, Berlin Defense?

The King's Gambit Accepted: Kieseritzky Gambit, Berlin Defense has a sharpness score of 95.9 (very decisive), meaning 95.9% of games end decisively. Average game length is 29 moves.

What is the King's Gambit Accepted: Kieseritzky Gambit, Berlin Defense win rate at 1000-1199?

At 1000-1199, Black wins 57.6%, draws 3.5% and loses 38.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 59.4%. It rests on 126 Lichess games, which average 22 moves.

What is the King's Gambit Accepted: Kieseritzky Gambit, Berlin Defense win rate at 1200-1399?

At 1200-1399, Black wins 54.6%, draws 2.2% and loses 43.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 55.7%. It rests on 377 Lichess games, which average 24 moves.

What is the King's Gambit Accepted: Kieseritzky Gambit, Berlin Defense win rate at 1400-1599?

At 1400-1599, Black wins 57.8%, draws 1.3% and loses 41.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 58.4%. It rests on 986 Lichess games, which average 25 moves.

What is the King's Gambit Accepted: Kieseritzky Gambit, Berlin Defense win rate at 1600-1799?

At 1600-1799, Black wins 58.6%, draws 2.9% and loses 38.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 60.1%. It rests on 2.1K Lichess games, which average 27 moves.

What is the King's Gambit Accepted: Kieseritzky Gambit, Berlin Defense win rate at 1800-1999?

At 1800-1999, Black wins 57.0%, draws 3.5% and loses 39.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 58.8%. It rests on 2.9K Lichess games, which average 29 moves.

What is the King's Gambit Accepted: Kieseritzky Gambit, Berlin Defense win rate at 2000-2199?

At 2000-2199, Black wins 56.5%, draws 3.1% and loses 40.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 58.1%. It rests on 2.6K Lichess games, which average 30 moves.

What is the King's Gambit Accepted: Kieseritzky Gambit, Berlin Defense win rate at 2200-2499?

At 2200-2499, Black wins 49.2%, draws 5.8% and loses 44.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.2%. It rests on 1.1K Lichess games, which average 32 moves.

What is the King's Gambit Accepted: Kieseritzky Gambit, Berlin Defense win rate at 2500+?

At 2500+, Black wins 24.1%, draws 61.4% and loses 14.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.8%. It rests on 154 Lichess games, which average 47 moves.

What is the King's Gambit Accepted: Kieseritzky Gambit, Berlin Defense win rate in Bullet?

In Bullet, Black wins 54.5%, draws 5.2% and loses 40.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 57.1%. It rests on 2.0K Lichess games.

What is the King's Gambit Accepted: Kieseritzky Gambit, Berlin Defense win rate in Blitz?

In Blitz, Black wins 54.9%, draws 3.7% and loses 41.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 56.8%. It rests on 6.2K Lichess games.

What is the King's Gambit Accepted: Kieseritzky Gambit, Berlin Defense win rate in Rapid?

In Rapid, Black wins 60.2%, draws 4.4% and loses 35.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 62.4%. It rests on 2.1K Lichess games.

What is the King's Gambit Accepted: Kieseritzky Gambit, Berlin Defense win rate in Classical?

In Classical, Black wins 61.3%, draws 4.1% and loses 34.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 63.4%. It rests on 107 Lichess games.

Is the King's Gambit Accepted: Kieseritzky Gambit, Berlin Defense a good opening?

The King's Gambit Accepted: Kieseritzky Gambit, Berlin Defense is good for Black. Across all ratings, Black wins 56.0% of its games and loses 39.9%. It performs best at 1600-1799. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.