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King's Pawn Game: La Bourdonnais Gambit

14K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

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Analyze this line move by move

White expected score · All ratings · All speeds

55.7%

45%60%
Floor55.1%

the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 56.4%.

Measured over 14K 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 2.4 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 14K games

Rank among the families White can choose here
not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
Games in this context
14K
Best context
61.9% at 1000-1199 Rapid
Worst context
42.5% at 1600-1799 Blitz
Average game length
28 moves
Games that end decisively
97.6%
Draws
2.4%

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: +18.5% · Breakpoint: 1400-1599

Time-Control Swing

Max swing: 10.1% · Classical best · Bullet 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: 59.1% at 0-999, 35.8% at 2200-2499.

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: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Bullet: 59.0% expected score (206 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 58.9% expected score (1,505 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 61.3% expected score (843 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Classical: 86.4% expected score (4 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 55.1% expected score (264 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 60.3% expected score (2,202 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 61.9% expected score (1,393 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 62.2% expected score (19 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 53.8% expected score (414 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 53.7% expected score (1,573 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 59.8% expected score (1,317 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 60.5% expected score (94 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 52.4% expected score (342 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 43.5% expected score (1,075 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 58.5% expected score (866 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 60.8% expected score (77 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 21.5% expected score (2 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 47.8% expected score (202 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 42.5% expected score (955 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 53.3% expected score (422 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 61.4% expected score (47 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 45.1% expected score (231 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 58.2% expected score (54 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 47.3% expected score (197 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 91.2% expected score (7 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 48.4% expected score (29 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 61.6% expected score (20 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 21.5% expected score (2 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 50.0% expected score (2 games)

Related Openings

Parent
King's Pawn Game
47.9%
Variations (5)
King's Pawn Game: Leonardis Variation
48.7%
King's Pawn Game: Wayward Queen Attack
51.8%
King's Pawn Game: Busch-Gass Gambit
50.9%
King's Pawn Game: McConnell Defense
50.0%
King's Pawn Game: Napoleon Attack
50.5%
Analyze King's Pawn Game: La Bourdonnais Gambit PositionsSee what each move is worth at your rating, move by move

Methodology

Across every rating and clock, the King's Pawn Game: La Bourdonnais Gambit scores 55.7% for White — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 55.1% and 56.4% — from 14K 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
14K+ 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 Pawn Game: La Bourdonnais Gambit win rate?

Playing the King's Pawn Game: La Bourdonnais Gambit, White wins 54.5%, draws 2.4% and loses 43.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 55.7%. It rests on 14K rated games from Lichess.

At what rating does the King's Pawn Game: La Bourdonnais Gambit perform best?

The King's Pawn Game: La Bourdonnais Gambit performs best for White at 1000-1199, with an Expected Score of 60.6% (3.9K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.

Is the King's Pawn Game: La Bourdonnais Gambit better in blitz or rapid?

For White, the King's Pawn Game: La Bourdonnais Gambit scores higher in Rapid: an Expected Score of 53.8% in Blitz (7.4K games) against 59.4% in Rapid (5.1K games).

How sharp is the King's Pawn Game: La Bourdonnais Gambit?

The King's Pawn Game: La Bourdonnais Gambit has a sharpness score of 97.6 (very decisive), meaning 97.6% of games end decisively. Average game length is 28 moves.

What is the King's Pawn Game: La Bourdonnais Gambit win rate at 0-999?

At 0-999, White wins 58.3%, draws 2.8% and loses 38.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 59.7%. It rests on 2.6K Lichess games, which average 24 moves.

What is the King's Pawn Game: La Bourdonnais Gambit win rate at 1000-1199?

At 1000-1199, White wins 59.4%, draws 2.3% and loses 38.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 60.6%. It rests on 3.9K Lichess games, which average 27 moves.

What is the King's Pawn Game: La Bourdonnais Gambit win rate at 1200-1399?

At 1200-1399, White wins 55.1%, draws 2.3% and loses 42.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 56.3%. It rests on 3.4K Lichess games, which average 29 moves.

What is the King's Pawn Game: La Bourdonnais Gambit win rate at 1400-1599?

At 1400-1599, White wins 49.8%, draws 2.1% and loses 48.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.9%. It rests on 2.4K Lichess games, which average 30 moves.

What is the King's Pawn Game: La Bourdonnais Gambit win rate at 1600-1799?

At 1600-1799, White wins 44.8%, draws 3.4% and loses 51.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.5%. It rests on 1.6K Lichess games, which average 32 moves.

What is the King's Pawn Game: La Bourdonnais Gambit win rate at 1800-1999?

At 1800-1999, White wins 47.6%, draws 1.1% and loses 51.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.2%. It rests on 489 Lichess games, which average 31 moves.

What is the King's Pawn Game: La Bourdonnais Gambit win rate in Bullet?

In Bullet, White wins 51.6%, draws 1.3% and loses 47.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.3%. It rests on 1.7K Lichess games.

What is the King's Pawn Game: La Bourdonnais Gambit win rate in Blitz?

In Blitz, White wins 52.5%, draws 2.6% and loses 44.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.8%. It rests on 7.4K Lichess games.

What is the King's Pawn Game: La Bourdonnais Gambit win rate in Rapid?

In Rapid, White wins 58.1%, draws 2.6% and loses 39.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 59.4%. It rests on 5.1K Lichess games.

What is the King's Pawn Game: La Bourdonnais Gambit win rate in Classical?

In Classical, White wins 61.7%, draws 1.8% and loses 36.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 62.6%. It rests on 249 Lichess games.

Is the King's Pawn Game: La Bourdonnais Gambit a good opening?

The King's Pawn Game: La Bourdonnais Gambit is good for White. Across all ratings, White wins 54.5% of its games and loses 43.1%. It performs best at 1000-1199. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.