Latvian Gambit Accepted: Foltys Variation
1.5K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026
White expected score · All ratings · All speeds
51.8%
the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 54.0%.
Measured over 1.5K games at this level and clock.
Roughly even — the middlegame decides more than this opening choice does.
Outcomes for White
Draw 3.1 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 1.5K games
- Rank among the families White can choose here
- not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
- Games in this context
- 1.5K
- Best context
- not measured yet
- Average game length
- 30 moves
- Games that end decisively
- 96.9%
- Draws
- 3.1%
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 · 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 48.8%.
| Rating | UB | Bulle | Blitz | Rapid | Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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: 50.0% expected score (4 games)
- 0-999 rating, Blitz: 35.2% expected score (12 games)
- 0-999 rating, Rapid: 61.2% expected score (3 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 38.0% expected score (11 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 47.6% expected score (19 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 33.9% expected score (14 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 45.4% expected score (31 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 48.8% expected score (41 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 45.4% expected score (20 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 31.9% expected score (37 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 50.7% expected score (78 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 51.8% expected score (27 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 53.8% expected score (78 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 50.3% expected score (182 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 52.0% expected score (23 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 36.7% expected score (6 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 48.1% expected score (130 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 52.1% expected score (273 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 47.5% expected score (38 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 55.7% expected score (95 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 59.3% expected score (155 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 61.9% expected score (28 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 56.5% expected score (107 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 57.8% expected score (63 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 50.0% expected score (4 games)
- 2500+ rating, Bullet: 61.5% expected score (16 games)
- 2500+ rating, Blitz: 38.9% expected score (3 games)
Related Openings
Methodology
Across every rating and clock, the Latvian Gambit Accepted: Foltys Variation scores 51.8% for White — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 49.7% and 54.0% — from 1.5K 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
- 1.5K+ 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 Latvian Gambit Accepted: Foltys Variation win rate?
Playing the Latvian Gambit Accepted: Foltys Variation, White wins 50.2%, draws 3.1% and loses 46.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.8%. It rests on 1.5K rated games from Lichess.
At what rating does the Latvian Gambit Accepted: Foltys Variation perform best?
The Latvian Gambit Accepted: Foltys Variation performs best for White at 2000-2199, with an Expected Score of 58.4% (278 games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.
Is the Latvian Gambit Accepted: Foltys Variation better in blitz or rapid?
For White, the Latvian Gambit Accepted: Foltys Variation scores higher in Blitz: an Expected Score of 52.7% in Blitz (826 games) against 50.3% in Rapid (157 games).
How sharp is the Latvian Gambit Accepted: Foltys Variation?
The Latvian Gambit Accepted: Foltys Variation has a sharpness score of 96.9 (very decisive), meaning 96.9% of games end decisively. Average game length is 30 moves.
What is the Latvian Gambit Accepted: Foltys Variation win rate at 1400-1599?
At 1400-1599, White wins 45.3%, draws 1.7% and loses 52.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.2%. It rests on 143 Lichess games, which average 26 moves.
What is the Latvian Gambit Accepted: Foltys Variation win rate at 1600-1799?
At 1600-1799, White wins 49.4%, draws 3.3% and loses 47.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.1%. It rests on 289 Lichess games, which average 29 moves.
What is the Latvian Gambit Accepted: Foltys Variation win rate at 1800-1999?
At 1800-1999, White wins 48.9%, draws 3.0% and loses 48.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.5%. It rests on 443 Lichess games, which average 31 moves.
What is the Latvian Gambit Accepted: Foltys Variation win rate at 2000-2199?
At 2000-2199, White wins 56.7%, draws 3.4% and loses 39.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 58.4%. It rests on 278 Lichess games, which average 31 moves.
What is the Latvian Gambit Accepted: Foltys Variation win rate at 2200-2499?
At 2200-2499, White wins 55.0%, draws 3.7% and loses 41.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 56.9%. It rests on 174 Lichess games, which average 36 moves.
What is the Latvian Gambit Accepted: Foltys Variation win rate in Bullet?
In Bullet, White wins 50.2%, draws 1.5% and loses 48.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.0%. It rests on 509 Lichess games.
What is the Latvian Gambit Accepted: Foltys Variation win rate in Blitz?
In Blitz, White wins 50.9%, draws 3.6% and loses 45.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.7%. It rests on 826 Lichess games.
What is the Latvian Gambit Accepted: Foltys Variation win rate in Rapid?
In Rapid, White wins 47.0%, draws 6.6% and loses 46.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.3%. It rests on 157 Lichess games.
Is the Latvian Gambit Accepted: Foltys Variation a good opening?
The Latvian Gambit Accepted: Foltys Variation is about level. Across all ratings, White wins 50.2% of its games and loses 46.7%. It performs best at 2000-2199. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.