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King's Gambit Declined: Miles Defense

145K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

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Analyze this line move by move

Black expected score · All ratings · All speeds

55.4%

45%60%
Floor55.1%

the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 55.6%.

Measured over 145K 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 2.6 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 145K games

Rank among the families Black can choose here
not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
Games in this context
145K
Best context
58.7% at 2000-2199 Bullet
Worst context
48.3% at 0-999 Blitz
Average game length
29 moves
Games that end decisively
97.4%
Draws
2.6%

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: 61.5% at 0-999, 41.4% 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: 86.4% expected score (4 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Bullet: 51.3% expected score (890 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 48.3% expected score (626 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 51.4% expected score (183 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Classical: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 50.0% expected score (4 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 48.7% expected score (2,109 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 49.4% expected score (1,702 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 43.4% expected score (430 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 39.5% expected score (8 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 35.2% expected score (12 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 50.6% expected score (3,624 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 50.2% expected score (4,142 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 50.2% expected score (914 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 38.6% expected score (16 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 53.4% expected score (28 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 52.5% expected score (6,399 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 51.0% expected score (8,751 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 48.4% expected score (1,707 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 51.1% expected score (45 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 37.1% expected score (14 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 53.9% expected score (10,109 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 55.7% expected score (16,946 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 52.2% expected score (2,299 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 60.9% expected score (72 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 55.6% expected score (14,445 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 57.8% expected score (24,164 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 58.5% expected score (3,490 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 52.0% expected score (76 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 58.7% expected score (11,404 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 58.4% expected score (15,666 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 57.8% expected score (2,340 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 51.6% expected score (29 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 57.0% expected score (6,048 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 54.2% expected score (4,621 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 52.1% expected score (358 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 40.9% expected score (4 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 55.7% expected score (894 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 46.9% expected score (267 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 21.5% expected score (2 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, Blackburne Attack
48.5%
King's Gambit Declined: Falkbeer Countergambit Accepted
53.9%
Analyze King's Gambit Declined: Miles Defense PositionsSee what each move is worth at your rating, move by move

Methodology

Across every rating and clock, the King's Gambit Declined: Miles Defense scores 55.4% for Black — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 55.1% and 55.6% — from 145K 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
145K+ 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: Miles Defense win rate?

Playing the King's Gambit Declined: Miles Defense, Black wins 54.0%, draws 2.6% and loses 43.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 55.4%. It rests on 145K rated games from Lichess.

At what rating does the King's Gambit Declined: Miles Defense perform best?

The King's Gambit Declined: Miles Defense performs best for Black at 2000-2199, with an Expected Score of 58.5% (29K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.

Is the King's Gambit Declined: Miles Defense better in blitz or rapid?

For Black, the King's Gambit Declined: Miles Defense scores higher in Blitz: an Expected Score of 55.8% in Blitz (77K games) against 54.1% in Rapid (12K games).

How sharp is the King's Gambit Declined: Miles Defense?

The King's Gambit Declined: Miles Defense has a sharpness score of 97.4 (very decisive), meaning 97.4% of games end decisively. Average game length is 29 moves.

What is the King's Gambit Declined: Miles Defense win rate at 0-999?

At 0-999, Black wins 49.8%, draws 1.1% and loses 49.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.4%. It rests on 1.7K Lichess games, which average 22 moves.

What is the King's Gambit Declined: Miles Defense win rate at 1000-1199?

At 1000-1199, Black wins 47.5%, draws 1.7% and loses 50.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.4%. It rests on 4.3K Lichess games, which average 24 moves.

What is the King's Gambit Declined: Miles Defense win rate at 1200-1399?

At 1200-1399, Black wins 49.5%, draws 1.6% and loses 48.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.3%. It rests on 8.7K Lichess games, which average 26 moves.

What is the King's Gambit Declined: Miles Defense win rate at 1400-1599?

At 1400-1599, Black wins 50.2%, draws 2.1% and loses 47.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.3%. It rests on 17K Lichess games, which average 27 moves.

What is the King's Gambit Declined: Miles Defense win rate at 1600-1799?

At 1600-1799, Black wins 53.7%, draws 2.1% and loses 44.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.8%. It rests on 29K Lichess games, which average 28 moves.

What is the King's Gambit Declined: Miles Defense win rate at 1800-1999?

At 1800-1999, Black wins 55.7%, draws 2.8% and loses 41.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 57.1%. It rests on 42K Lichess games, which average 29 moves.

What is the King's Gambit Declined: Miles Defense win rate at 2000-2199?

At 2000-2199, Black wins 56.9%, draws 3.1% and loses 40.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 58.5%. It rests on 29K Lichess games, which average 30 moves.

What is the King's Gambit Declined: Miles Defense win rate at 2200-2499?

At 2200-2499, Black wins 53.5%, draws 4.1% and loses 42.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 55.6%. It rests on 11K Lichess games, which average 32 moves.

What is the King's Gambit Declined: Miles Defense win rate at 2500+?

At 2500+, Black wins 50.4%, draws 6.3% and loses 43.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.6%. It rests on 1.2K Lichess games, which average 35 moves.

What is the King's Gambit Declined: Miles Defense win rate in Bullet?

In Bullet, Black wins 54.1%, draws 1.9% and loses 44.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 55.1%. It rests on 56K Lichess games.

What is the King's Gambit Declined: Miles Defense win rate in Blitz?

In Blitz, Black wins 54.2%, draws 3.1% and loses 42.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 55.8%. It rests on 77K Lichess games.

What is the King's Gambit Declined: Miles Defense win rate in Rapid?

In Rapid, Black wins 52.4%, draws 3.4% and loses 44.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.1%. It rests on 12K Lichess games.

What is the King's Gambit Declined: Miles Defense win rate in Classical?

In Classical, Black wins 50.9%, draws 4.2% and loses 45.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.0%. It rests on 251 Lichess games.

Is the King's Gambit Declined: Miles Defense a good opening?

The King's Gambit Declined: Miles Defense is good for Black. Across all ratings, Black wins 54.0% of its games and loses 43.3%. It performs best at 2000-2199. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.