Queen's Gambit Accepted: Classical Defense

47K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

5...c5

Analyze this line move by move

Black expected score · All ratings · All speeds

50.5%

45%55%

Floor50.1%

the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 50.9%.

Measured over 47K 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

47.2%6.5%46.3%

Win

Draw

Loss

Draw 6.5 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 47K games

Rank among the families Black can choose here: not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
Games in this context: 47K
Best context: 53.0% at 1600-1799 Rapid
Worst context: 47.3% at 1000-1199 Blitz
Average game length: 37 moves
Games that end decisively: 93.5%
Draws: 6.5%

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.

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: 58.8% at 0-999, 40.0% at 2500+.

Rating	UB	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: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
0-999 rating, Bullet: 57.5% expected score (173 games)
0-999 rating, Blitz: 51.3% expected score (265 games)
0-999 rating, Rapid: 56.4% expected score (69 games)
1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 61.2% expected score (3 games)
1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 52.0% expected score (536 games)
1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 47.3% expected score (657 games)
1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 44.4% expected score (203 games)
1000-1199 rating, Classical: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 46.6% expected score (13 games)
1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 51.9% expected score (1,209 games)
1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 48.3% expected score (1,301 games)
1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 48.1% expected score (385 games)
1200-1399 rating, Classical: 52.9% expected score (16 games)
1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 59.2% expected score (86 games)
1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 51.1% expected score (2,228 games)
1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 50.7% expected score (2,428 games)
1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 49.7% expected score (606 games)
1400-1599 rating, Classical: 46.3% expected score (39 games)
1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 51.3% expected score (120 games)
1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 50.9% expected score (3,747 games)
1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 52.1% expected score (3,599 games)
1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 53.0% expected score (803 games)
1600-1799 rating, Classical: 56.4% expected score (69 games)
1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 54.7% expected score (41 games)
1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 50.0% expected score (4,727 games)
1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 49.4% expected score (4,183 games)
1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 52.1% expected score (928 games)
1800-1999 rating, Classical: 54.7% expected score (73 games)
2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 50.0% expected score (16 games)
2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 50.5% expected score (4,725 games)
2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 52.1% expected score (3,818 games)
2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 49.6% expected score (627 games)
2000-2199 rating, Classical: 35.4% expected score (36 games)
2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 63.4% expected score (6 games)
2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 49.7% expected score (4,035 games)
2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 49.7% expected score (3,034 games)
2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 53.2% expected score (352 games)
2200-2499 rating, Classical: 27.8% expected score (12 games)
2500+ rating, Bullet: 49.7% expected score (1,087 games)
2500+ rating, Blitz: 44.6% expected score (491 games)
2500+ rating, Rapid: 38.5% expected score (42 games)
2500+ rating, Classical: 27.0% expected score (5 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 (9)

Queen's Gambit Accepted: Classical Defense, Main Line

44.8%

Queen's Gambit Accepted: Classical Defense, Rubinstein Variation

44.3%

Queen's Gambit Accepted: Classical Defense, Steinitz Variation, Development Variation

46.4%

Queen's Gambit Accepted: Classical Defense, Steinitz Variation, Exchange Variation

47.0%

Queen's Gambit Accepted: Classical Defense, Normal Line

47.6%

Queen's Gambit Accepted: Classical Defense, Alekhine System

47.1%

Queen's Gambit Accepted: Classical Defense, Alekhine System, Main Line

45.1%

Queen's Gambit Accepted: Classical Defense, Russian Gambit

46.6%

Queen's Gambit Accepted: Classical Defense, Alekhine System, Smyslov Variation

42.6%

Analyze Queen's Gambit Accepted: Classical Defense PositionsSee what each move is worth at your rating, move by move

Methodology

Across every rating and clock, the Queen's Gambit Accepted: Classical Defense scores 50.5% for Black — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 50.1% and 50.9% — from 47K 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: 47K+ 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: Classical Defense win rate?

Playing the Queen's Gambit Accepted: Classical Defense, Black wins 47.2%, draws 6.5% and loses 46.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.5%. It rests on 47K rated games from Lichess.

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

The Queen's Gambit Accepted: Classical Defense performs best for Black at 1600-1799, with an Expected Score of 51.7% (8.3K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.

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

For Black, the Queen's Gambit Accepted: Classical Defense scores about the same in both: an Expected Score of 50.4% in Blitz (20K games) against 50.8% in Rapid (4.0K games).

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

The Queen's Gambit Accepted: Classical Defense has a sharpness score of 93.5 (decisive), meaning 93.5% of games end decisively. Average game length is 37 moves.

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

At 0-999, Black wins 52.5%, draws 3.4% and loses 44.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.2%. It rests on 508 Lichess games, which average 28 moves.

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

At 1000-1199, Black wins 46.8%, draws 3.9% and loses 49.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.8%. It rests on 1.4K Lichess games, which average 30 moves.

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

At 1200-1399, Black wins 47.7%, draws 4.1% and loses 48.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.8%. It rests on 2.9K Lichess games, which average 32 moves.

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

At 1400-1599, Black wins 48.5%, draws 4.7% and loses 46.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.9%. It rests on 5.4K Lichess games, which average 34 moves.

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

At 1600-1799, Black wins 49.1%, draws 5.1% and loses 45.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.7%. It rests on 8.3K Lichess games, which average 36 moves.

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

At 1800-1999, Black wins 46.7%, draws 6.5% and loses 46.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.0%. It rests on 10.0K Lichess games, which average 38 moves.

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

At 2000-2199, Black wins 47.3%, draws 7.5% and loses 45.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.1%. It rests on 9.2K Lichess games, which average 39 moves.

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

At 2200-2499, Black wins 45.6%, draws 8.4% and loses 46.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.8%. It rests on 7.4K Lichess games, which average 41 moves.

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

At 2500+, Black wins 41.8%, draws 11.8% and loses 46.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.8%. It rests on 1.6K Lichess games, which average 44 moves.

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

In UltraBullet, Black wins 53.0%, draws 3.0% and loses 44.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.5%. It rests on 286 Lichess games.

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

In Bullet, Black wins 47.9%, draws 5.1% and loses 47.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.5%. It rests on 22K Lichess games.

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

In Blitz, Black wins 46.5%, draws 7.7% and loses 45.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.4%. It rests on 20K Lichess games.

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

In Rapid, Black wins 46.6%, draws 8.2% and loses 45.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.8%. It rests on 4.0K Lichess games.

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

In Classical, Black wins 44.2%, draws 9.7% and loses 46.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.1%. It rests on 251 Lichess games.

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

The Queen's Gambit Accepted: Classical Defense is about level. Across all ratings, Black wins 47.2% of its games and loses 46.3%. It performs best at 1600-1799. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.