Latvian Gambit: Behting Variation
1.2K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026
Black expected score · All ratings · All speeds
68.0%
the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 70.2%.
Measured over 1.2K games at this level and clock.
A strong choice for Black at this level and clock.
Outcomes for Black
Draw 2.5 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 1.2K games
- Rank among the families Black can choose here
- not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
- Games in this context
- 1.2K
- Best context
- not measured yet
- Average game length
- 26 moves
- Games that end decisively
- 97.5%
- Draws
- 2.5%
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
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 gets better as the rating rises: 70.0% at 0-999, 73.0% at 2500+.
| 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, Blitz: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
- 0-999 rating, Rapid: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 76.7% expected score (6 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 71.3% expected score (22 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 56.7% expected score (6 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 64.3% expected score (9 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 69.0% expected score (46 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 70.2% expected score (43 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 93.5% expected score (10 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 71.4% expected score (113 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 60.7% expected score (111 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 58.2% expected score (17 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 66.4% expected score (200 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 70.9% expected score (236 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 55.3% expected score (8 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 68.8% expected score (129 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 67.0% expected score (134 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 66.0% expected score (11 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 61.1% expected score (57 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 57.3% expected score (26 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 50.0% expected score (1 games)
- 2500+ rating, Bullet: 76.0% expected score (12 games)
- 2500+ rating, Blitz: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
Related Openings
Methodology
Across every rating and clock, the Latvian Gambit: Behting Variation scores 68.0% for Black — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 65.7% and 70.2% — from 1.2K 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
- 1.2K+ 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: Behting Variation win rate?
Playing the Latvian Gambit: Behting Variation, Black wins 66.7%, draws 2.5% and loses 30.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 68.0%. It rests on 1.2K rated games from Lichess.
At what rating does the Latvian Gambit: Behting Variation perform best?
The Latvian Gambit: Behting Variation performs best for Black at 1400-1599, with an Expected Score of 72.9% (99 games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.
Is the Latvian Gambit: Behting Variation better in blitz or rapid?
For Black, the Latvian Gambit: Behting Variation scores higher in Rapid: an Expected Score of 67.2% in Blitz (559 games) against 69.4% in Rapid (58 games).
How sharp is the Latvian Gambit: Behting Variation?
The Latvian Gambit: Behting Variation has a sharpness score of 97.5 (very decisive), meaning 97.5% of games end decisively. Average game length is 26 moves.
What is the Latvian Gambit: Behting Variation win rate at 1600-1799?
At 1600-1799, Black wins 64.5%, draws 2.3% and loses 33.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 65.7%. It rests on 241 Lichess games, which average 23 moves.
What is the Latvian Gambit: Behting Variation win rate at 1800-1999?
At 1800-1999, Black wins 67.7%, draws 1.9% and loses 30.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 68.7%. It rests on 444 Lichess games, which average 26 moves.
What is the Latvian Gambit: Behting Variation win rate at 2000-2199?
At 2000-2199, Black wins 65.9%, draws 4.2% and loses 29.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 68.0%. It rests on 274 Lichess games, which average 28 moves.
What is the Latvian Gambit: Behting Variation win rate in Bullet?
In Bullet, Black wins 67.4%, draws 2.0% and loses 30.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 68.4%. It rests on 585 Lichess games.
What is the Latvian Gambit: Behting Variation win rate in Blitz?
In Blitz, Black wins 65.7%, draws 2.9% and loses 31.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 67.2%. It rests on 559 Lichess games.
Is the Latvian Gambit: Behting Variation a good opening?
The Latvian Gambit: Behting Variation is good for Black. Across all ratings, Black wins 66.7% of its games and loses 30.8%. It performs best at 1400-1599. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.