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King's Gambit Declined: Falkbeer Countergambit, Blackburne Attack

514K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

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Analyze this line move by move

White expected score · All ratings · All speeds

50.0%

45%55%
Floor49.8%

the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 50.1%.

Measured over 514K games at this level and clock.

Playablewins about as often as it loses at this level

Roughly even — the middlegame decides more than this opening choice does.

Outcomes for White

Draw 2.9 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 514K games

Rank among the families White can choose here
not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
Games in this context
514K
Best context
52.6% at 1000-1199 Bullet
Worst context
48.3% at 2000-2199 Bullet
Average game length
29 moves
Games that end decisively
97.1%
Draws
2.9%

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

Traps & Chaos

Complexity: 91.8 · Trap factor: +2.8 · 514K games

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 holds about the same all the way up, near 53.0%.

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: 61.4% expected score (47 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Bullet: 51.9% expected score (2,637 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 51.9% expected score (2,455 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 49.8% expected score (856 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 47.5% expected score (78 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 52.6% expected score (7,683 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 50.2% expected score (5,601 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 49.7% expected score (1,542 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 43.6% expected score (22 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 45.9% expected score (190 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 52.3% expected score (16,592 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 50.9% expected score (14,343 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 50.6% expected score (2,877 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 54.0% expected score (62 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 49.5% expected score (378 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 51.3% expected score (30,407 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 50.5% expected score (36,414 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 50.4% expected score (5,713 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 41.6% expected score (199 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 53.1% expected score (375 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 49.7% expected score (45,239 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 50.0% expected score (77,193 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 49.8% expected score (10,965 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 46.3% expected score (346 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 53.5% expected score (42 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 49.3% expected score (49,544 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 49.4% expected score (89,623 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 50.1% expected score (14,507 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 50.8% expected score (274 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 45.3% expected score (9 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 48.3% expected score (35,610 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 49.8% expected score (36,159 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 52.0% expected score (5,584 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 60.6% expected score (60 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 56.7% expected score (6 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 48.5% expected score (13,001 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 51.4% expected score (5,264 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 51.8% expected score (643 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (9 games)
  • 2500+ rating, UltraBullet: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 49.5% expected score (922 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 59.0% expected score (60 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 50.0% expected score (3 games)

Related Openings

Variations (5)
King's Gambit Declined: Queen's Knight Defense
50.8%
King's Gambit Declined: Classical Variation
49.4%
King's Gambit Declined: Petrov's Defense
50.6%
King's Gambit Declined: Falkbeer Countergambit Accepted
53.9%
King's Gambit Declined: Falkbeer Countergambit, Staunton Line
45.6%
Analyze King's Gambit Declined: Falkbeer Countergambit, Blackburne Attack PositionsSee what each move is worth at your rating, move by move

Methodology

Across every rating and clock, the King's Gambit Declined: Falkbeer Countergambit, Blackburne Attack scores 50.0% for White — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 49.8% and 50.1% — from 514K 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
514K+ 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 Declined: Falkbeer Countergambit, Blackburne Attack win rate?

Playing the King's Gambit Declined: Falkbeer Countergambit, Blackburne Attack, White wins 48.5%, draws 2.9% and loses 48.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.0%. It rests on 514K rated games from Lichess.

At what rating does the King's Gambit Declined: Falkbeer Countergambit, Blackburne Attack perform best?

The King's Gambit Declined: Falkbeer Countergambit, Blackburne Attack performs best for White at 1200-1399, with an Expected Score of 51.5% (34K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.

Is the King's Gambit Declined: Falkbeer Countergambit, Blackburne Attack better in blitz or rapid?

For White, the King's Gambit Declined: Falkbeer Countergambit, Blackburne Attack scores about the same in both: an Expected Score of 49.9% in Blitz (267K games) against 50.3% in Rapid (43K games).

How sharp is the King's Gambit Declined: Falkbeer Countergambit, Blackburne Attack?

The King's Gambit Declined: Falkbeer Countergambit, Blackburne Attack has a sharpness score of 97.1 (very decisive), meaning 97.1% of games end decisively. Average game length is 29 moves.

What is the King's Gambit Declined: Falkbeer Countergambit, Blackburne Attack win rate at 0-999?

At 0-999, White wins 50.4%, draws 2.5% and loses 47.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.7%. It rests on 6.0K Lichess games, which average 23 moves.

What is the King's Gambit Declined: Falkbeer Countergambit, Blackburne Attack win rate at 1000-1199?

At 1000-1199, White wins 50.4%, draws 1.8% and loses 47.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.3%. It rests on 15K Lichess games, which average 24 moves.

What is the King's Gambit Declined: Falkbeer Countergambit, Blackburne Attack win rate at 1200-1399?

At 1200-1399, White wins 50.6%, draws 1.9% and loses 47.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.5%. It rests on 34K Lichess games, which average 25 moves.

What is the King's Gambit Declined: Falkbeer Countergambit, Blackburne Attack win rate at 1400-1599?

At 1400-1599, White wins 49.7%, draws 2.2% and loses 48.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.8%. It rests on 73K Lichess games, which average 27 moves.

What is the King's Gambit Declined: Falkbeer Countergambit, Blackburne Attack win rate at 1600-1799?

At 1600-1799, White wins 48.6%, draws 2.6% and loses 48.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.9%. It rests on 134K Lichess games, which average 29 moves.

What is the King's Gambit Declined: Falkbeer Countergambit, Blackburne Attack win rate at 1800-1999?

At 1800-1999, White wins 47.8%, draws 3.3% and loses 49.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.4%. It rests on 154K Lichess games, which average 31 moves.

What is the King's Gambit Declined: Falkbeer Countergambit, Blackburne Attack win rate at 2000-2199?

At 2000-2199, White wins 47.3%, draws 3.9% and loses 48.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.3%. It rests on 77K Lichess games, which average 32 moves.

What is the King's Gambit Declined: Falkbeer Countergambit, Blackburne Attack win rate at 2200-2499?

At 2200-2499, White wins 47.3%, draws 4.2% and loses 48.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.4%. It rests on 19K Lichess games, which average 33 moves.

What is the King's Gambit Declined: Falkbeer Countergambit, Blackburne Attack win rate at 2500+?

At 2500+, White wins 46.7%, draws 6.7% and loses 46.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.1%. It rests on 987 Lichess games, which average 36 moves.

What is the King's Gambit Declined: Falkbeer Countergambit, Blackburne Attack win rate in UltraBullet?

In UltraBullet, White wins 50.0%, draws 1.1% and loses 48.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.6%. It rests on 1.1K Lichess games.

What is the King's Gambit Declined: Falkbeer Countergambit, Blackburne Attack win rate in Bullet?

In Bullet, White wins 48.8%, draws 2.1% and loses 49.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.9%. It rests on 202K Lichess games.

What is the King's Gambit Declined: Falkbeer Countergambit, Blackburne Attack win rate in Blitz?

In Blitz, White wins 48.2%, draws 3.4% and loses 48.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.9%. It rests on 267K Lichess games.

What is the King's Gambit Declined: Falkbeer Countergambit, Blackburne Attack win rate in Rapid?

In Rapid, White wins 48.3%, draws 4.0% and loses 47.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.3%. It rests on 43K Lichess games.

What is the King's Gambit Declined: Falkbeer Countergambit, Blackburne Attack win rate in Classical?

In Classical, White wins 45.6%, draws 4.7% and loses 49.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.9%. It rests on 974 Lichess games.

Is the King's Gambit Declined: Falkbeer Countergambit, Blackburne Attack a good opening?

The King's Gambit Declined: Falkbeer Countergambit, Blackburne Attack is about level. Across all ratings, White wins 48.5% of its games and loses 48.6%. It performs best at 1200-1399. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.