Queen's Gambit
177 variations · 76M games from Lichess · Updated January 2026
White expected score · Overall
54.1%
the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. Its best is the same figure — the band is too tight to plot.
Measured over 76M games at this level and clock.
A strong opening choice for White at this level and clock.
Outcomes for White
Draw 4.1 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 76M games
- Rank among the families White can choose here
- #6 of 56
- Games in this context
- 76M
- Best context
- 58.1% at 2000-2199 Classical
- Worst context
- 51.1% at 0-999 UltraBullet
- Variations measured
- 177
- Average game length
- 34 moves
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 gets better as the rating rises: 53.5% at 0-999, 57.1% 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, UltraBullet: 51.1% expected score (3,108 games)
- 0-999 rating, Bullet: 53.4% expected score (634,987 games)
- 0-999 rating, Blitz: 53.9% expected score (1,052,262 games)
- 0-999 rating, Rapid: 54.6% expected score (374,467 games)
- 0-999 rating, Classical: 54.5% expected score (2,118 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 55.6% expected score (7,790 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 54.6% expected score (1,621,078 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 54.9% expected score (2,460,868 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 55.5% expected score (858,944 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 58.0% expected score (12,982 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 54.1% expected score (18,464 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 54.3% expected score (2,934,339 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 54.6% expected score (4,497,287 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 55.4% expected score (1,503,717 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 57.0% expected score (50,461 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 54.0% expected score (46,327 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 54.0% expected score (4,378,252 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 54.3% expected score (6,882,480 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 55.1% expected score (2,176,880 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 57.3% expected score (105,423 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 54.5% expected score (47,138 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 53.7% expected score (5,548,979 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 53.8% expected score (8,460,717 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 54.5% expected score (2,368,754 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 56.1% expected score (123,767 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 55.4% expected score (20,823 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 53.4% expected score (5,541,955 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 53.7% expected score (7,637,516 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 54.4% expected score (1,919,180 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 56.2% expected score (85,580 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 55.6% expected score (7,713 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 53.4% expected score (3,956,182 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 53.8% expected score (4,100,775 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 55.0% expected score (822,947 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 58.1% expected score (23,890 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 55.5% expected score (2,711 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 53.4% expected score (2,444,232 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 54.4% expected score (1,805,013 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 56.5% expected score (209,997 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 58.0% expected score (4,537 games)
- 2500+ rating, UltraBullet: 62.1% expected score (190 games)
- 2500+ rating, Bullet: 54.6% expected score (633,098 games)
- 2500+ rating, Blitz: 55.9% expected score (246,074 games)
- 2500+ rating, Rapid: 56.0% expected score (18,522 games)
- 2500+ rating, Classical: 57.1% expected score (3,685 games)
177 variations · ranked by floor
Floor — the worst score you would still get, 90% confident.
Every Queen's Gambit variation, by name177
- Queen's Gambit
- Queen's Gambit Accepted
- Queen's Gambit Accepted: Accelerated Mannheim Variation
- Queen's Gambit Accepted: Alekhine Defense
- Queen's Gambit Accepted: Alekhine Defense, Borisenko-Furman Variation
- Queen's Gambit Accepted: Alekhine Defense, Haberditz Variation
- Queen's Gambit Accepted: Bogoljubov Defense
- Queen's Gambit Accepted: Bogoljubow Defense
- Queen's Gambit Accepted: Central Variation, Alekhine System
- Queen's Gambit Accepted: Central Variation, Greco Variation
- Queen's Gambit Accepted: Central Variation, McDonnell Defense
- Queen's Gambit Accepted: Central Variation, McDonnell Defense, Somov Gambit
- Queen's Gambit Accepted: Central Variation, Modern Defense
- Queen's Gambit Accepted: Central Variation, Rubinstein Defense
- Queen's Gambit Accepted: Central Variation, Rubinstein Defense, Yefimov Gambit
- Queen's Gambit Accepted: Classical Defense
- Queen's Gambit Accepted: Classical Defense, Alekhine System
- Queen's Gambit Accepted: Classical Defense, Alekhine System, Main Line
- Queen's Gambit Accepted: Classical Defense, Alekhine System, Smyslov Variation
- Queen's Gambit Accepted: Classical Defense, Main Line
- Queen's Gambit Accepted: Classical Defense, Normal Line
- Queen's Gambit Accepted: Classical Defense, Rubinstein Variation
- Queen's Gambit Accepted: Classical Defense, Russian Gambit
- Queen's Gambit Accepted: Classical Defense, Steinitz Variation, Development Variation
- Queen's Gambit Accepted: Classical Defense, Steinitz Variation, Exchange Variation
- Queen's Gambit Accepted: Furman Variation
- Queen's Gambit Accepted: Godes Variation
- Queen's Gambit Accepted: Gunsberg Defense
- Queen's Gambit Accepted: Gunsberg Defense, Prianishenmo Gambit
- Queen's Gambit Accepted: Janowski-Larsen Variation
- Queen's Gambit Accepted: Linares Variation
- Queen's Gambit Accepted: Mannheim Variation
- Queen's Gambit Accepted: Normal Variation
- Queen's Gambit Accepted: Normal Variation, Traditional System
- Queen's Gambit Accepted: Old Variation
- Queen's Gambit Accepted: Old Variation, Billinger Gambit
- Queen's Gambit Accepted: Old Variation, Christensen Gambit
- Queen's Gambit Accepted: Rosenthal Variation
- Queen's Gambit Accepted: Saduleto Variation
- Queen's Gambit Accepted: Schwartz Defense
- Queen's Gambit Accepted: Showalter Variation
- Queen's Gambit Accepted: Slav Gambit
- Queen's Gambit Accepted: Smyslov Variation
- Queen's Gambit Accepted: Winawer Defense
- Queen's Gambit Declined
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Alapin Variation
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Albin Countergambit
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Albin Countergambit, Balogh Variation
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Albin Countergambit, Fianchetto Variation
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Albin Countergambit, Fianchetto Variation, Be6 Line
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Albin Countergambit, Fianchetto Variation, Bf5 Line
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Albin Countergambit, Fianchetto Variation, Bg4 Line
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Albin Countergambit, Janowski Variation
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Albin Countergambit, Krenosz Variation
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Albin Countergambit, Lasker Trap
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Albin Countergambit, Modern Line
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Albin Countergambit, Normal Line
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Albin Countergambit, Tartakower Defense
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Alekhine Variation
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Anti-Tartakower Variation
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Anti-Tartakower Variation, Petrosian Variation
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Austrian Attack, Salvio Countergambit
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Austrian Defense
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Austrian Defense, Gusev Countergambit
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Austrian Defense, Haberditz Variation
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Baltic Defense
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Baltic Defense, Argentinian Gambit
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Baltic Defense, Pseudo-Chigorin
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Baltic Defense, Pseudo-Slav
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Baltic Defense, Queen Attack
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Baltic Defense, Queen Attack Deferred
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Barmen Variation
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Been-Koomen Variation
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Cambridge Springs Defense
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Cambridge Springs Defense, Argentine Variation
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Cambridge Springs Defense, Bogoljubov Variation
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Cambridge Springs Defense, Bogoljubow Variation
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Cambridge Springs Defense, Capablanca Variation
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Cambridge Springs Defense, Rubinstein Variation
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Cambridge Springs Defense, Yugoslav Variation
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Capablanca Variation
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Capablanca Variation, Anti-Cambridge Springs Variation
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Charousek Variation
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Charousek Variation, Miladinovic Gambit
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Chigorin Defense
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Chigorin Defense, Exchange Variation
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Chigorin Defense, Exchange Variation, Costa's Line
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Chigorin Defense, Janowski Variation
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Chigorin Defense, Lazard Gambit
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Chigorin Defense, Main Line
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Chigorin Defense, Main Line, Alekhine Variation
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Chigorin Defense, Modern Gambit
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Chigorin Defense, Tartakower Gambit
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Exchange Variation
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Exchange Variation, Chameleon Variation
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Exchange Variation, Positional Variation
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Exchange Variation, Reshevsky Variation
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Exchange Variation, Sämisch Variation
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Harrwitz Attack
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Harrwitz Attack, Fianchetto Defense
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Harrwitz Attack, Main Line
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Harrwitz Attack, Orthodox Defense
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Harrwitz Attack, Two Knights Defense
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Harrwitz Attack, Two Knights Defense, Blockade Line
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Hastings Variation
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Janowski Variation
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Knight Defense, Alekhine Gambit
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Lasker Defense
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Lasker Defense, Bernstein Variation, Mar del Plata Gambit
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Lasker Defense, Main Line
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Lasker Defense, Teichmann Variation
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Manhattan Variation
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Marshall Defense
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Marshall Defense, Tan Gambit
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Miles Variation
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Modern Variation
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Modern Variation, Heral Variation
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Modern Variation, Knight Defense
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Modern Variation, Normal Line
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Neo-Orthodox Variation
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Neo-Orthodox Variation, Main Line
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Normal Defense
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Orthodox Defense
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Orthodox Defense, Alekhine Variation
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Orthodox Defense, Bd3 Line
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Orthodox Defense, Botvinnik Variation
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Orthodox Defense, Capablanca System
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Orthodox Defense, Capablanca Variation
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Orthodox Defense, Classical Variation
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Orthodox Defense, Fianchetto Variation
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Orthodox Defense, Henneberger Variation
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Orthodox Defense, Janowski Variation
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Orthodox Defense, Main Line
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Orthodox Defense, Pillsbury Variation
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Orthodox Defense, Rauzer Variation
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Orthodox Defense, Rubinstein Attack
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Orthodox Defense, Rubinstein Variation
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Orthodox Defense, Rubinstein Variation, Flohr Line
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Orthodox Defense, Swiss, Carlsbad Variation
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Orthodox Defense, Swiss, Karlsbad Variation
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Pillsbury Attack
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Pseudo-Tarrasch Variation
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Pseudo-Tarrasch Variation, Canal Variation
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Pseudo-Tarrasch Variation, Primitive Pillsbury Variation
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Queen's Knight Variation
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Ragozin Defense
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Ragozin Defense, Alekhine Variation
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Ragozin Defense, Vienna Variation
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Rochlin Variation
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Semi-Slav, Abrahams Variation
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Semi-Slav, Junge Variation
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Semi-Slav, Koomen Variation
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Semi-Tarrasch Defense
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Semi-Tarrasch Defense, Exchange Variation
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Semi-Tarrasch Defense, Kmoch Variation
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Semi-Tarrasch Defense, Main Line
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Semi-Tarrasch Defense, Pillsbury Variation
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Semi-Tarrasch Defense, San Sebastian Variation
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Semi-Tarrasch Defense, Symmetrical Variation
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Semmering Variation
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Spielmann Variation
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Stonewall Variation
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Tarrasch Defense
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Tarrasch Defense, Pseudo-Tarrasch
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Tarrasch Defense, Pseudo-Tarrasch Bishop Attack
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Tarrasch Defense, Stoltz Variation
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Tartakower Defense
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Tartakower Defense, Exchange Variation
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Tartakower Defense, Makogonov Exchange Variation
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Three Knights Variation
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Three Knights, Vienna Variation
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Traditional Variation
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Uhlmann Variation
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Vienna Variation
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Vienna Variation, Quiet Variation
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Westphalian Variation
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Zilbermints Gambit
Methodology
Across every rating and clock, the Queen's Gambit family scores 54.1% for White — we are 90% confident it is 54.1% — from 76M Lichess games across 177 variations. 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
- 76M+ 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 Queen's Gambit win rate?
Across the Queen's Gambit's 177 variations, White wins 52.0%, draws 4.1% and loses 43.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.1%. It rests on 76M rated games from Lichess.
How many Queen's Gambit variations are there?
177 Queen's Gambit variations have a page of their own, each broken down by rating and by clock.
At what rating does the Queen's Gambit perform best?
The Queen's Gambit family performs best for White at 1000-1199, with an Expected Score of 54.9% (5.0M games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read. Performance may vary by specific variation.
Is the Queen's Gambit better in blitz or rapid?
For White, the Queen's Gambit scores about the same in both: an Expected Score of 54.1% in Blitz (37M games) against 54.9% in Rapid (10M games).
How sharp is the Queen's Gambit?
Queen's Gambit games are 95.9% decisive (non-draws), with an average length of 34 moves. Sharpness varies by specific variation.
Is the Queen's Gambit a good opening family?
The Queen's Gambit family is good for White overall. Across its games, White wins 52.0% and loses 43.9%. Results differ between its 177 variations, so open the one you play for its own figures.