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Philidor Defense: Albin-Blackburne Gambit

36K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

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Analyze this line move by move

Black expected score · All ratings · All speeds

53.5%

45%60%
Floor53.1%

the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 54.0%.

Measured over 36K 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 4.5 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 36K games

Rank among the families Black can choose here
not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
Games in this context
36K
Best context
65.4% at 2000-2199 Bullet
Worst context
44.4% at 2500+ Blitz
Average game length
33 moves
Games that end decisively
95.5%
Draws
4.5%

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

Gambit BreakpointBlack

Peak: +15.7% · Breakpoint: 0-999

Time-Control Swing

Max swing: 13.1% · Classical best · Bullet worst

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: 45.5% at 0-999, 47.5% 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, Bullet: 43.7% expected score (38 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 60.0% expected score (114 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 32.7% expected score (36 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 43.0% expected score (184 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 49.9% expected score (388 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 38.5% expected score (120 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 19.3% expected score (5 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 61.2% expected score (3 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 51.0% expected score (841 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 46.7% expected score (1,116 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 47.8% expected score (396 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (10 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 54.2% expected score (1,059 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 49.1% expected score (2,735 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 44.5% expected score (815 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 33.1% expected score (28 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 50.0% expected score (4 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 55.7% expected score (752 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 50.4% expected score (3,937 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 46.9% expected score (1,117 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 48.1% expected score (52 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 38.9% expected score (3 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 57.9% expected score (696 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 53.7% expected score (4,883 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 50.6% expected score (972 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (36 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 65.4% expected score (1,104 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 56.2% expected score (5,526 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 52.4% expected score (500 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 45.4% expected score (20 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 61.6% expected score (1,833 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 56.7% expected score (4,815 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 48.7% expected score (147 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (7 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 57.2% expected score (803 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 44.4% expected score (643 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 40.9% expected score (4 games)

Related Openings

Parent
Philidor Defense
50.2%
Variations (5)
Philidor Defense: Exchange Variation
50.5%
Philidor Defense: Lion Variation
45.8%
Philidor Defense: Hanham Variation
46.9%
Philidor Defense: Nimzowitsch Variation
53.4%
Philidor Defense: Morphy Gambit
51.7%
Analyze Philidor Defense: Albin-Blackburne Gambit PositionsSee what each move is worth at your rating, move by move

Methodology

Across every rating and clock, the Philidor Defense: Albin-Blackburne Gambit scores 53.5% for Black — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 53.1% and 54.0% — from 36K 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
36K+ 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 Philidor Defense: Albin-Blackburne Gambit win rate?

Playing the Philidor Defense: Albin-Blackburne Gambit, Black wins 51.2%, draws 4.5% and loses 44.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.5%. It rests on 36K rated games from Lichess.

At what rating does the Philidor Defense: Albin-Blackburne Gambit perform best?

The Philidor Defense: Albin-Blackburne Gambit performs best for Black at 2200-2499, with an Expected Score of 57.9% (6.8K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.

Is the Philidor Defense: Albin-Blackburne Gambit better in blitz or rapid?

For Black, the Philidor Defense: Albin-Blackburne Gambit scores higher in Blitz: an Expected Score of 53.2% in Blitz (24K games) against 47.8% in Rapid (4.1K games).

How sharp is the Philidor Defense: Albin-Blackburne Gambit?

The Philidor Defense: Albin-Blackburne Gambit has a sharpness score of 95.5 (very decisive), meaning 95.5% of games end decisively. Average game length is 33 moves.

What is the Philidor Defense: Albin-Blackburne Gambit win rate at 0-999?

At 0-999, Black wins 49.9%, draws 2.9% and loses 47.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.4%. It rests on 188 Lichess games, which average 26 moves.

What is the Philidor Defense: Albin-Blackburne Gambit win rate at 1000-1199?

At 1000-1199, Black wins 44.2%, draws 3.2% and loses 52.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 45.9%. It rests on 698 Lichess games, which average 30 moves.

What is the Philidor Defense: Albin-Blackburne Gambit win rate at 1200-1399?

At 1200-1399, Black wins 46.9%, draws 3.1% and loses 50.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.5%. It rests on 2.4K Lichess games, which average 30 moves.

What is the Philidor Defense: Albin-Blackburne Gambit win rate at 1400-1599?

At 1400-1599, Black wins 47.5%, draws 3.8% and loses 48.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.4%. It rests on 4.6K Lichess games, which average 32 moves.

What is the Philidor Defense: Albin-Blackburne Gambit win rate at 1600-1799?

At 1600-1799, Black wins 48.6%, draws 3.5% and loses 47.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.4%. It rests on 5.9K Lichess games, which average 33 moves.

What is the Philidor Defense: Albin-Blackburne Gambit win rate at 1800-1999?

At 1800-1999, Black wins 51.3%, draws 4.6% and loses 44.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.6%. It rests on 6.6K Lichess games, which average 34 moves.

What is the Philidor Defense: Albin-Blackburne Gambit win rate at 2000-2199?

At 2000-2199, Black wins 55.0%, draws 4.5% and loses 40.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 57.3%. It rests on 7.2K Lichess games, which average 32 moves.

What is the Philidor Defense: Albin-Blackburne Gambit win rate at 2200-2499?

At 2200-2499, Black wins 54.8%, draws 6.0% and loses 39.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 57.9%. It rests on 6.8K Lichess games, which average 35 moves.

What is the Philidor Defense: Albin-Blackburne Gambit win rate at 2500+?

At 2500+, Black wins 48.0%, draws 7.0% and loses 45.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.5%. It rests on 1.4K Lichess games, which average 38 moves.

What is the Philidor Defense: Albin-Blackburne Gambit win rate in Bullet?

In Bullet, Black wins 56.3%, draws 3.2% and loses 40.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 57.9%. It rests on 7.3K Lichess games.

What is the Philidor Defense: Albin-Blackburne Gambit win rate in Blitz?

In Blitz, Black wins 50.7%, draws 4.9% and loses 44.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.2%. It rests on 24K Lichess games.

What is the Philidor Defense: Albin-Blackburne Gambit win rate in Rapid?

In Rapid, Black wins 45.4%, draws 4.7% and loses 49.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.8%. It rests on 4.1K Lichess games.

What is the Philidor Defense: Albin-Blackburne Gambit win rate in Classical?

In Classical, Black wins 42.3%, draws 4.1% and loses 53.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 44.4%. It rests on 158 Lichess games.

Is the Philidor Defense: Albin-Blackburne Gambit a good opening?

The Philidor Defense: Albin-Blackburne Gambit is good for Black. Across all ratings, Black wins 51.2% of its games and loses 44.3%. It performs best at 2200-2499. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.