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Philidor Defense: Philidor Countergambit

276K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

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Analyze this line move by move

Black expected score · All ratings · All speeds

48.6%

45%55%
Floor48.5%

the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 48.8%.

Measured over 276K games at this level and clock.

Playablewins about as often as it loses at this level

Roughly even — the middlegame decides more than this opening choice does.

Outcomes for Black

Draw 3.3 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 276K games

Rank among the families Black can choose here
not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
Games in this context
276K
Best context
51.7% at 1800-1999 Bullet
Worst context
42.1% at 1600-1799 Rapid
Average game length
30 moves
Games that end decisively
96.7%
Draws
3.3%

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: +1.1% · Breakpoint: 0-999

Traps & Chaos

Complexity: 93.3 · Trap factor: +8.4 · 276K games

Time-Control Swing

Max swing: 10.0% · 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 falls away as the rating rises: 51.1% at 0-999, 44.0% 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: 54.8% expected score (9 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Bullet: 50.0% expected score (4,544 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 48.2% expected score (9,570 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 47.9% expected score (2,906 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Classical: 54.8% expected score (9 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 53.4% expected score (43 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 48.2% expected score (9,146 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 45.7% expected score (16,214 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 44.4% expected score (5,334 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 46.3% expected score (52 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 53.3% expected score (60 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 49.9% expected score (13,609 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 45.8% expected score (19,046 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 43.6% expected score (6,292 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 48.2% expected score (160 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 51.1% expected score (94 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 51.0% expected score (18,991 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 47.1% expected score (21,555 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 44.8% expected score (5,403 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 32.1% expected score (241 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 48.0% expected score (74 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 51.5% expected score (22,375 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 48.1% expected score (24,887 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 42.1% expected score (3,382 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 42.0% expected score (130 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 42.1% expected score (49 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 51.7% expected score (27,611 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 49.8% expected score (24,795 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 45.8% expected score (2,323 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 41.2% expected score (112 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 33.1% expected score (25 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 50.7% expected score (18,223 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 47.7% expected score (9,759 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 48.3% expected score (989 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 31.1% expected score (17 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 39.5% expected score (8 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 47.7% expected score (5,614 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 46.2% expected score (1,427 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 46.5% expected score (138 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 2500+ rating, UltraBullet: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 42.0% expected score (398 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 33.8% expected score (17 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 50.0% 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%
Continuations (3)
Philidor Defense: Philidor Countergambit, Zukertort Variation
54.2%
Philidor Defense: Philidor Countergambit, del Rio Attack
49.7%
Philidor Defense: Philidor Countergambit, Berger Variation
33.8%
Analyze Philidor Defense: Philidor Countergambit PositionsSee what each move is worth at your rating, move by move

Methodology

Across every rating and clock, the Philidor Defense: Philidor Countergambit scores 48.6% for Black — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 48.5% and 48.8% — from 276K 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
276K+ 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: Philidor Countergambit win rate?

Playing the Philidor Defense: Philidor Countergambit, Black wins 46.9%, draws 3.3% and loses 49.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.6%. It rests on 276K rated games from Lichess.

At what rating does the Philidor Defense: Philidor Countergambit perform best?

The Philidor Defense: Philidor Countergambit performs best for Black at 1800-1999, with an Expected Score of 50.5% (55K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.

Is the Philidor Defense: Philidor Countergambit better in blitz or rapid?

For Black, the Philidor Defense: Philidor Countergambit scores higher in Blitz: an Expected Score of 47.6% in Blitz (127K games) against 44.6% in Rapid (27K games).

How sharp is the Philidor Defense: Philidor Countergambit?

The Philidor Defense: Philidor Countergambit has a sharpness score of 96.7 (very decisive), meaning 96.7% of games end decisively. Average game length is 30 moves.

What is the Philidor Defense: Philidor Countergambit win rate at 0-999?

At 0-999, Black wins 46.7%, draws 3.8% and loses 49.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.6%. It rests on 17K Lichess games, which average 27 moves.

What is the Philidor Defense: Philidor Countergambit win rate at 1000-1199?

At 1000-1199, Black wins 44.4%, draws 3.5% and loses 52.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.2%. It rests on 31K Lichess games, which average 29 moves.

What is the Philidor Defense: Philidor Countergambit win rate at 1200-1399?

At 1200-1399, Black wins 45.3%, draws 3.1% and loses 51.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.9%. It rests on 39K Lichess games, which average 29 moves.

What is the Philidor Defense: Philidor Countergambit win rate at 1400-1599?

At 1400-1599, Black wins 46.9%, draws 3.0% and loses 50.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.4%. It rests on 46K Lichess games, which average 30 moves.

What is the Philidor Defense: Philidor Countergambit win rate at 1600-1799?

At 1600-1799, Black wins 47.6%, draws 3.2% and loses 49.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.2%. It rests on 51K Lichess games, which average 31 moves.

What is the Philidor Defense: Philidor Countergambit win rate at 1800-1999?

At 1800-1999, Black wins 48.9%, draws 3.2% and loses 47.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.5%. It rests on 55K Lichess games, which average 32 moves.

What is the Philidor Defense: Philidor Countergambit win rate at 2000-2199?

At 2000-2199, Black wins 47.8%, draws 3.5% and loses 48.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.6%. It rests on 29K Lichess games, which average 33 moves.

What is the Philidor Defense: Philidor Countergambit win rate at 2200-2499?

At 2200-2499, Black wins 45.0%, draws 4.6% and loses 50.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.4%. It rests on 7.2K Lichess games, which average 34 moves.

What is the Philidor Defense: Philidor Countergambit win rate at 2500+?

At 2500+, Black wins 39.9%, draws 3.7% and loses 56.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 41.8%. It rests on 421 Lichess games, which average 35 moves.

What is the Philidor Defense: Philidor Countergambit win rate in UltraBullet?

In UltraBullet, Black wins 47.7%, draws 1.2% and loses 51.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.4%. It rests on 364 Lichess games.

What is the Philidor Defense: Philidor Countergambit win rate in Bullet?

In Bullet, Black wins 49.3%, draws 2.6% and loses 48.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.6%. It rests on 121K Lichess games.

What is the Philidor Defense: Philidor Countergambit win rate in Blitz?

In Blitz, Black wins 45.7%, draws 3.7% and loses 50.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.6%. It rests on 127K Lichess games.

What is the Philidor Defense: Philidor Countergambit win rate in Rapid?

In Rapid, Black wins 42.5%, draws 4.2% and loses 53.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 44.6%. It rests on 27K Lichess games.

What is the Philidor Defense: Philidor Countergambit win rate in Classical?

In Classical, Black wins 38.1%, draws 3.8% and loses 58.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 40.0%. It rests on 722 Lichess games.

Is the Philidor Defense: Philidor Countergambit a good opening?

The Philidor Defense: Philidor Countergambit is about level. Across all ratings, Black wins 46.9% of its games and loses 49.8%. It performs best at 1800-1999. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.