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Queen's Gambit Accepted: Schwartz Defense

24K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

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Analyze this line move by move

Black expected score · All ratings · All speeds

41.9%

35%55%
Floor41.4%

the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 42.4%.

Measured over 24K 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 3.3 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 24K games

Rank among the families Black can choose here
not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
Games in this context
24K
Best context
45.2% at 0-999 Rapid
Worst context
36.4% at 1400-1599 Rapid
Average game length
28 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

Traps & Chaos

Complexity: 93.2 · Trap factor: +2.0 · 24K games

Time-Control Swing

Max swing: 9.0% · Classical best · Blitz 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: 39.8% at 0-999, 50.0% 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: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Bullet: 42.6% expected score (751 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 44.3% expected score (2,875 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 45.2% expected score (1,458 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Classical: 16.7% expected score (9 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 44.4% expected score (794 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 43.2% expected score (3,492 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 40.8% expected score (2,641 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 41.3% expected score (50 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 42.6% expected score (634 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 42.2% expected score (2,621 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 40.3% expected score (2,035 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 39.3% expected score (143 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 21.5% expected score (2 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 43.0% expected score (404 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 41.9% expected score (1,569 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 36.4% expected score (1,290 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 32.6% expected score (116 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 39.5% expected score (289 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 40.9% expected score (909 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 39.9% expected score (484 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 21.6% expected score (39 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 38.9% expected score (188 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 41.2% expected score (446 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 37.0% expected score (164 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 11.5% expected score (5 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 38.2% expected score (58 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 43.5% expected score (91 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 33.1% expected score (28 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 23.9% expected score (10 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 46.6% expected score (13 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 78.6% expected score (2 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 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%
Analyze Queen's Gambit Accepted: Schwartz Defense PositionsSee what each move is worth at your rating, move by move

Methodology

Across every rating and clock, the Queen's Gambit Accepted: Schwartz Defense scores 41.9% for Black — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 41.4% and 42.4% — from 24K 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
24K+ 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: Schwartz Defense win rate?

Playing the Queen's Gambit Accepted: Schwartz Defense, Black wins 40.2%, draws 3.3% and loses 56.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 41.9%. It rests on 24K rated games from Lichess.

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

The Queen's Gambit Accepted: Schwartz Defense performs best for Black at 0-999, with an Expected Score of 44.2% (5.1K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.

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

For Black, the Queen's Gambit Accepted: Schwartz Defense scores higher in Blitz: an Expected Score of 42.8% in Blitz (12K games) against 40.6% in Rapid (8.1K games).

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

The Queen's Gambit Accepted: Schwartz Defense has a sharpness score of 96.7 (very decisive), meaning 96.7% of games end decisively. Average game length is 28 moves.

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

At 0-999, Black wins 42.3%, draws 3.8% and loses 53.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 44.2%. It rests on 5.1K Lichess games, which average 26 moves.

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

At 1000-1199, Black wins 40.7%, draws 3.4% and loses 55.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 42.4%. It rests on 7.0K Lichess games, which average 27 moves.

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

At 1200-1399, Black wins 40.0%, draws 2.8% and loses 57.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 41.4%. It rests on 5.4K Lichess games, which average 28 moves.

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

At 1400-1599, Black wins 38.0%, draws 3.2% and loses 58.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 39.6%. It rests on 3.4K Lichess games, which average 29 moves.

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

At 1600-1799, Black wins 38.2%, draws 3.5% and loses 58.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 39.9%. It rests on 1.7K Lichess games, which average 31 moves.

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

At 1800-1999, Black wins 37.8%, draws 3.3% and loses 58.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 39.5%. It rests on 803 Lichess games, which average 33 moves.

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

At 2000-2199, Black wins 38.4%, draws 3.1% and loses 58.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 40.0%. It rests on 177 Lichess games, which average 33 moves.

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

In Bullet, Black wins 41.6%, draws 1.5% and loses 56.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 42.4%. It rests on 3.1K Lichess games.

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

In Blitz, Black wins 41.1%, draws 3.4% and loses 55.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 42.8%. It rests on 12K Lichess games.

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

In Rapid, Black wins 38.7%, draws 3.9% and loses 57.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 40.6%. It rests on 8.1K Lichess games.

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

In Classical, Black wins 32.6%, draws 2.9% and loses 64.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 34.1%. It rests on 362 Lichess games.

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

The Queen's Gambit Accepted: Schwartz Defense is hard work for Black — it favours White. Across all ratings, Black wins 40.2% of its games and loses 56.5%. It performs best at 0-999. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.