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King's Gambit Accepted: King's Knight's Gambit

1.9M games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

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Analyze this line move by move

White expected score · All ratings · All speeds

56.7%

45%60%
Floor56.7%

the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. Its best is the same figure — the band is too tight to plot.

Measured over 1.9M games at this level and clock.

Play Thiswins clearly more often than it loses at this level

A strong choice for White at this level and clock.

Outcomes for White

Draw 2.7 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 1.9M games

Rank among the families White can choose here
not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
Games in this context
1.9M
Best context
60.8% at 1800-1999 Classical
Worst context
52.7% at 2200-2499 Bullet
Average game length
30 moves
Games that end decisively
97.3%
Draws
2.7%

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: +16.9% · Breakpoint: 2500+

Time-Control Swing

Max swing: 8.1% · UltraBullet best · Blitz worst

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 falls away as the rating rises: 56.9% at 0-999, 52.4% 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: 61.7% expected score (97 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Bullet: 58.2% expected score (20,932 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 57.2% expected score (37,436 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 57.4% expected score (13,398 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (86 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 72.2% expected score (84 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 59.0% expected score (40,785 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 58.5% expected score (95,369 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 58.7% expected score (29,193 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 62.7% expected score (382 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 66.5% expected score (153 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 58.4% expected score (60,209 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 58.4% expected score (187,833 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 58.9% expected score (56,662 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 59.8% expected score (1,624 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 75.5% expected score (128 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 57.4% expected score (69,813 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 57.6% expected score (295,390 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 58.8% expected score (99,208 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 60.2% expected score (4,272 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 51.4% expected score (183 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 55.3% expected score (66,492 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 55.7% expected score (321,499 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 57.0% expected score (121,451 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 60.5% expected score (5,057 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 51.3% expected score (36 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 53.5% expected score (42,947 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 53.8% expected score (203,925 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 55.7% expected score (80,744 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 60.8% expected score (1,765 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 50.0% expected score (4 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 53.4% expected score (16,647 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 53.6% expected score (41,988 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 56.2% expected score (15,281 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 57.3% expected score (150 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 52.7% expected score (3,755 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 56.5% expected score (3,503 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 54.0% expected score (868 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 59.6% expected score (9 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 44.9% expected score (222 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 46.0% expected score (86 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 68.6% expected score (12 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (2 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: Modern Defense
51.3%
King's Gambit Accepted: Schallopp Defense
53.3%
King's Gambit Accepted: Cunningham Defense
46.0%
Analyze King's Gambit Accepted: King's Knight's Gambit PositionsSee what each move is worth at your rating, move by move

Methodology

Across every rating and clock, the King's Gambit Accepted: King's Knight's Gambit scores 56.7% for White — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 56.7% and 56.8% — from 1.9M 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
1.9M+ 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: King's Knight's Gambit win rate?

Playing the King's Gambit Accepted: King's Knight's Gambit, White wins 55.3%, draws 2.7% and loses 41.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 56.7%. It rests on 1.9M rated games from Lichess.

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

The King's Gambit Accepted: King's Knight's Gambit performs best for White at 1000-1199, with an Expected Score of 58.7% (166K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.

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

For White, the King's Gambit Accepted: King's Knight's Gambit scores higher in Rapid: an Expected Score of 56.5% in Blitz (1.2M games) against 57.5% in Rapid (417K games).

How sharp is the King's Gambit Accepted: King's Knight's Gambit?

The King's Gambit Accepted: King's Knight's Gambit has a sharpness score of 97.3 (very decisive), meaning 97.3% of games end decisively. Average game length is 30 moves.

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

At 0-999, White wins 56.2%, draws 2.6% and loses 41.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 57.5%. It rests on 72K Lichess games, which average 24 moves.

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

At 1000-1199, White wins 57.5%, draws 2.3% and loses 40.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 58.7%. It rests on 166K Lichess games, which average 26 moves.

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

At 1200-1399, White wins 57.4%, draws 2.3% and loses 40.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 58.5%. It rests on 306K Lichess games, which average 28 moves.

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

At 1400-1599, White wins 56.5%, draws 2.5% and loses 40.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 57.8%. It rests on 469K Lichess games, which average 29 moves.

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

At 1600-1799, White wins 54.5%, draws 2.9% and loses 42.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 56.0%. It rests on 515K Lichess games, which average 31 moves.

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

At 1800-1999, White wins 52.6%, draws 3.3% and loses 44.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.3%. It rests on 329K Lichess games, which average 33 moves.

What is the King's Gambit Accepted: King's Knight's Gambit win rate at 2000-2199?

At 2000-2199, White wins 52.3%, draws 3.5% and loses 44.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.1%. It rests on 74K Lichess games, which average 34 moves.

What is the King's Gambit Accepted: King's Knight's Gambit win rate at 2200-2499?

At 2200-2499, White wins 52.5%, draws 3.9% and loses 43.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.5%. It rests on 8.1K Lichess games, which average 34 moves.

What is the King's Gambit Accepted: King's Knight's Gambit win rate at 2500+?

At 2500+, White wins 42.5%, draws 7.3% and loses 50.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.2%. It rests on 322 Lichess games, which average 37 moves.

What is the King's Gambit Accepted: King's Knight's Gambit win rate in UltraBullet?

In UltraBullet, White wins 63.1%, draws 0.5% and loses 36.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 63.4%. It rests on 685 Lichess games.

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

In Bullet, White wins 55.8%, draws 1.6% and loses 42.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 56.6%. It rests on 322K Lichess games.

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

In Blitz, White wins 55.0%, draws 2.8% and loses 42.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 56.5%. It rests on 1.2M Lichess games.

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

In Rapid, White wins 55.8%, draws 3.3% and loses 40.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 57.5%. It rests on 417K Lichess games.

What is the King's Gambit Accepted: King's Knight's Gambit win rate in Classical?

In Classical, White wins 58.6%, draws 3.4% and loses 38.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 60.3%. It rests on 13K Lichess games.

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

The King's Gambit Accepted: King's Knight's Gambit is good for White. Across all ratings, White wins 55.3% of its games and loses 41.9%. It performs best at 1000-1199. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.