Skip to content
TrueEloPlay what wins.
Score a position

Queen's Gambit Accepted: Alekhine Defense

43K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
h8
g
f
e
d
c
b
a
3...a6
Analyze this line move by move

Black expected score · All ratings · All speeds

46.8%

40%55%
Floor46.5%

the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 47.2%.

Measured over 43K games at this level and clock.

Tough Sellloses more often than it wins at this level

Black comes out behind here — there are better weapons in the list.

Outcomes for Black

Draw 4.8 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 43K games

Rank among the families Black can choose here
not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
Games in this context
43K
Best context
50.3% at 2200-2499 Blitz
Worst context
42.7% at 1600-1799 Rapid
Average game length
35 moves
Games that end decisively
95.2%
Draws
4.8%

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 · 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: 52.6% at 0-999, 46.6% 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: 59.6% expected score (119 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 48.1% expected score (104 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 50.0% expected score (13 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 40.8% expected score (454 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 46.7% expected score (561 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 50.0% expected score (96 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 46.9% expected score (970 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 46.1% expected score (1,576 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 43.9% expected score (308 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 55.3% expected score (8 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 38.9% expected score (3 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 43.3% expected score (1,515 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 46.5% expected score (2,927 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 43.9% expected score (825 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 55.5% expected score (35 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 31.9% expected score (4 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 44.6% expected score (1,982 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 45.1% expected score (3,681 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 42.7% expected score (1,191 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 49.0% expected score (50 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 83.4% expected score (3 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 46.2% expected score (2,370 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 46.3% expected score (4,188 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 46.6% expected score (1,115 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 42.8% expected score (33 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 47.0% expected score (2,224 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 48.9% expected score (5,473 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 44.1% expected score (778 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 42.2% expected score (24 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 48.1% expected score (2,768 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 50.3% expected score (5,620 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 48.3% expected score (448 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (11 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 45.7% expected score (1,042 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 46.0% expected score (898 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 44.7% expected score (46 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (2 games)

Related Openings

Parent
Queen's Gambit Accepted
53.1%
Variations (5)
Queen's Gambit Accepted: Old Variation
54.9%
Queen's Gambit Accepted: Saduleto Variation
55.4%
Queen's Gambit Accepted: Central Variation, Greco Variation
52.2%
Queen's Gambit Accepted: Normal Variation
55.4%
Queen's Gambit Accepted: Central Variation, Alekhine System
53.6%
Continuations (2)
Queen's Gambit Accepted: Alekhine Defense, Haberditz Variation
53.0%
Queen's Gambit Accepted: Alekhine Defense, Borisenko-Furman Variation
49.2%
Analyze Queen's Gambit Accepted: Alekhine Defense PositionsSee what each move is worth at your rating, move by move

Methodology

Across every rating and clock, the Queen's Gambit Accepted: Alekhine Defense scores 46.8% for Black — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 46.5% and 47.2% — from 43K 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
43K+ 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 Accepted: Alekhine Defense win rate?

Playing the Queen's Gambit Accepted: Alekhine Defense, Black wins 44.4%, draws 4.8% and loses 50.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.8%. It rests on 43K rated games from Lichess.

At what rating does the Queen's Gambit Accepted: Alekhine Defense perform best?

The Queen's Gambit Accepted: Alekhine Defense performs best for Black at 0-999, with an Expected Score of 54.0% (236 games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.

Is the Queen's Gambit Accepted: Alekhine Defense better in blitz or rapid?

For Black, the Queen's Gambit Accepted: Alekhine Defense scores higher in Blitz: an Expected Score of 47.6% in Blitz (25K games) against 44.8% in Rapid (4.8K games).

How sharp is the Queen's Gambit Accepted: Alekhine Defense?

The Queen's Gambit Accepted: Alekhine Defense has a sharpness score of 95.2 (very decisive), meaning 95.2% of games end decisively. Average game length is 35 moves.

What is the Queen's Gambit Accepted: Alekhine Defense win rate at 0-999?

At 0-999, Black wins 52.4%, draws 3.2% and loses 44.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.0%. It rests on 236 Lichess games, which average 26 moves.

What is the Queen's Gambit Accepted: Alekhine Defense win rate at 1000-1199?

At 1000-1199, Black wins 43.6%, draws 2.0% and loses 54.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 44.6%. It rests on 1.1K Lichess games, which average 30 moves.

What is the Queen's Gambit Accepted: Alekhine Defense win rate at 1200-1399?

At 1200-1399, Black wins 44.4%, draws 3.4% and loses 52.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.1%. It rests on 2.9K Lichess games, which average 31 moves.

What is the Queen's Gambit Accepted: Alekhine Defense win rate at 1400-1599?

At 1400-1599, Black wins 43.3%, draws 3.8% and loses 52.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 45.2%. It rests on 5.3K Lichess games, which average 33 moves.

What is the Queen's Gambit Accepted: Alekhine Defense win rate at 1600-1799?

At 1600-1799, Black wins 42.5%, draws 4.0% and loses 53.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 44.5%. It rests on 6.9K Lichess games, which average 34 moves.

What is the Queen's Gambit Accepted: Alekhine Defense win rate at 1800-1999?

At 1800-1999, Black wins 44.2%, draws 4.2% and loses 51.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.3%. It rests on 7.7K Lichess games, which average 34 moves.

What is the Queen's Gambit Accepted: Alekhine Defense win rate at 2000-2199?

At 2000-2199, Black wins 45.4%, draws 5.1% and loses 49.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.0%. It rests on 8.5K Lichess games, which average 35 moves.

What is the Queen's Gambit Accepted: Alekhine Defense win rate at 2200-2499?

At 2200-2499, Black wins 46.5%, draws 6.0% and loses 47.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.5%. It rests on 8.8K Lichess games, which average 37 moves.

What is the Queen's Gambit Accepted: Alekhine Defense win rate at 2500+?

At 2500+, Black wins 41.3%, draws 8.9% and loses 49.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 45.8%. It rests on 2.0K Lichess games, which average 41 moves.

What is the Queen's Gambit Accepted: Alekhine Defense win rate in Bullet?

In Bullet, Black wins 44.3%, draws 3.6% and loses 52.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.1%. It rests on 13K Lichess games.

What is the Queen's Gambit Accepted: Alekhine Defense win rate in Blitz?

In Blitz, Black wins 45.1%, draws 5.0% and loses 49.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.6%. It rests on 25K Lichess games.

What is the Queen's Gambit Accepted: Alekhine Defense win rate in Rapid?

In Rapid, Black wins 41.5%, draws 6.5% and loses 51.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 44.8%. It rests on 4.8K Lichess games.

What is the Queen's Gambit Accepted: Alekhine Defense win rate in Classical?

In Classical, Black wins 44.4%, draws 8.8% and loses 46.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.8%. It rests on 164 Lichess games.

Is the Queen's Gambit Accepted: Alekhine Defense a good opening?

The Queen's Gambit Accepted: Alekhine Defense is hard work for Black — it favours White. Across all ratings, Black wins 44.4% of its games and loses 50.8%. It performs best at 0-999. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.