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Queen's Gambit Declined: Austrian Defense

1.4M games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

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Analyze this line move by move

Black expected score · All ratings · All speeds

46.9%

40%55%
Floor46.8%

the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. Its best is the same figure — the band is too tight to plot.

Measured over 1.4M 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 4.1 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 1.4M games

Rank among the families Black can choose here
not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
Games in this context
1.4M
Best context
50.5% at 1800-1999 UltraBullet
Worst context
36.8% at 1200-1399 Classical
Average game length
33 moves
Games that end decisively
95.9%
Draws
4.1%

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

Time-Control Swing

Max swing: 9.1% · Classical best · UltraBullet 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 holds about the same all the way up, near 43.3%.

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: 47.8% expected score (88 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Bullet: 46.6% expected score (15,803 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 44.2% expected score (22,220 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 40.0% expected score (10,129 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Classical: 37.9% expected score (89 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 44.6% expected score (304 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 46.5% expected score (34,019 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 44.7% expected score (46,901 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 41.3% expected score (16,143 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 31.9% expected score (371 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 46.1% expected score (676 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 47.4% expected score (62,541 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 45.9% expected score (85,822 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 43.2% expected score (27,939 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 36.8% expected score (1,084 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 48.7% expected score (1,866 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 48.1% expected score (95,656 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 46.5% expected score (131,265 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 44.7% expected score (42,301 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 37.2% expected score (2,074 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 49.7% expected score (1,967 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 48.8% expected score (127,547 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 46.7% expected score (148,000 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 45.4% expected score (46,021 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 40.9% expected score (1,990 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 50.5% expected score (904 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 49.0% expected score (134,088 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 46.4% expected score (117,275 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 45.2% expected score (28,388 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 40.3% expected score (996 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 49.8% expected score (471 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 48.5% expected score (88,914 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 45.9% expected score (45,660 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 44.3% expected score (8,954 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 37.0% expected score (182 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 48.8% expected score (279 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 48.2% expected score (48,895 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 47.0% expected score (17,443 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 47.4% expected score (1,640 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 22.1% expected score (20 games)
  • 2500+ rating, UltraBullet: 50.0% expected score (28 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 47.2% expected score (9,001 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 47.4% expected score (2,638 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 49.4% expected score (81 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Classical: 30.0% expected score (1 games)

Related Openings

Parent
Queen's Gambit Declined
50.9%
Variations (5)
Queen's Gambit Declined: Marshall Defense
52.8%
Queen's Gambit Declined: Queen's Knight Variation
52.8%
Queen's Gambit Declined: Chigorin Defense
53.3%
Queen's Gambit Declined: Baltic Defense
52.3%
Queen's Gambit Declined: Normal Defense
50.4%
Continuations (2)
Queen's Gambit Declined: Austrian Defense, Gusev Countergambit
46.6%
Queen's Gambit Declined: Austrian Defense, Haberditz Variation
44.0%
Analyze Queen's Gambit Declined: Austrian Defense PositionsSee what each move is worth at your rating, move by move

Methodology

Across every rating and clock, the Queen's Gambit Declined: Austrian Defense scores 46.9% for Black — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 46.8% and 46.9% — from 1.4M 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
1.4M+ 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 Declined: Austrian Defense win rate?

Playing the Queen's Gambit Declined: Austrian Defense, Black wins 44.8%, draws 4.1% and loses 51.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.9%. It rests on 1.4M rated games from Lichess.

At what rating does the Queen's Gambit Declined: Austrian Defense perform best?

The Queen's Gambit Declined: Austrian Defense performs best for Black at 2200-2499, with an Expected Score of 47.9% (68K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.

Is the Queen's Gambit Declined: Austrian Defense better in blitz or rapid?

For Black, the Queen's Gambit Declined: Austrian Defense scores higher in Blitz: an Expected Score of 46.2% in Blitz (617K games) against 44.1% in Rapid (182K games).

How sharp is the Queen's Gambit Declined: Austrian Defense?

The Queen's Gambit Declined: Austrian Defense has a sharpness score of 95.9 (very decisive), meaning 95.9% of games end decisively. Average game length is 33 moves.

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

At 0-999, Black wins 42.2%, draws 3.8% and loses 54.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 44.1%. It rests on 48K Lichess games, which average 26 moves.

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

At 1000-1199, Black wins 43.1%, draws 3.2% and loses 53.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 44.7%. It rests on 98K Lichess games, which average 28 moves.

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

At 1200-1399, Black wins 44.3%, draws 3.2% and loses 52.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.0%. It rests on 178K Lichess games, which average 29 moves.

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

At 1400-1599, Black wins 44.9%, draws 3.6% and loses 51.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.7%. It rests on 273K Lichess games, which average 31 moves.

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

At 1600-1799, Black wins 45.3%, draws 3.9% and loses 50.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.3%. It rests on 326K Lichess games, which average 33 moves.

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

At 1800-1999, Black wins 45.3%, draws 4.5% and loses 50.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.5%. It rests on 282K Lichess games, which average 35 moves.

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

At 2000-2199, Black wins 44.9%, draws 5.0% and loses 50.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.4%. It rests on 144K Lichess games, which average 36 moves.

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

At 2200-2499, Black wins 44.9%, draws 6.1% and loses 49.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.9%. It rests on 68K Lichess games, which average 38 moves.

What is the Queen's Gambit Declined: Austrian Defense win rate at 2500+?

At 2500+, Black wins 41.8%, draws 10.8% and loses 47.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.2%. It rests on 12K Lichess games, which average 43 moves.

What is the Queen's Gambit Declined: Austrian Defense win rate in UltraBullet?

In UltraBullet, Black wins 47.6%, draws 2.5% and loses 49.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.9%. It rests on 6.6K Lichess games.

What is the Queen's Gambit Declined: Austrian Defense win rate in Bullet?

In Bullet, Black wins 46.7%, draws 3.2% and loses 50.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.3%. It rests on 616K Lichess games.

What is the Queen's Gambit Declined: Austrian Defense win rate in Blitz?

In Blitz, Black wins 43.8%, draws 4.7% and loses 51.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.2%. It rests on 617K Lichess games.

What is the Queen's Gambit Declined: Austrian Defense win rate in Rapid?

In Rapid, Black wins 41.6%, draws 5.0% and loses 53.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 44.1%. It rests on 182K Lichess games.

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

In Classical, Black wins 35.6%, draws 5.4% and loses 59.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 38.3%. It rests on 6.8K Lichess games.

Is the Queen's Gambit Declined: Austrian Defense a good opening?

The Queen's Gambit Declined: Austrian Defense is hard work for Black — it favours White. Across all ratings, Black wins 44.8% of its games and loses 51.1%. It performs best at 2200-2499. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.