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Queen's Gambit Declined: Baltic Defense, Pseudo-Slav

779K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

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Analyze this line move by move

Black expected score · All ratings · All speeds

48.6%

45%55%
Floor48.5%

the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 48.7%.

Measured over 779K 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

Draw 4.3 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 779K games

Rank among the families Black can choose here
not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
Games in this context
779K
Best context
52.1% at 0-999 Blitz
Worst context
39.8% at 2500+ Blitz
Average game length
35 moves
Games that end decisively
95.7%
Draws
4.3%

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.

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: 59.1% at 0-999, 41.2% 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: 73.1% expected score (5 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Bullet: 51.9% expected score (2,867 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 52.1% expected score (2,877 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 50.3% expected score (595 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Classical: 68.2% expected score (4 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 64.3% expected score (9 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 50.4% expected score (11,844 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 50.6% expected score (12,037 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 50.1% expected score (2,788 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 52.1% expected score (22 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 40.2% expected score (29 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 50.1% expected score (28,306 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 50.3% expected score (35,698 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 49.2% expected score (8,163 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 45.8% expected score (127 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 39.9% expected score (53 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 49.4% expected score (48,141 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 50.1% expected score (73,316 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 49.7% expected score (17,576 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 48.1% expected score (438 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 41.9% expected score (48 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 49.4% expected score (64,863 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 48.9% expected score (104,623 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 49.0% expected score (25,172 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 49.2% expected score (876 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 40.4% expected score (40 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 48.7% expected score (67,622 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 47.8% expected score (97,561 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 47.7% expected score (21,738 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 44.9% expected score (674 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 44.0% expected score (15 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 47.3% expected score (45,344 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 46.2% expected score (50,159 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 44.8% expected score (8,664 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 41.9% expected score (178 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 38.9% expected score (3 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 46.8% expected score (23,009 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 43.8% expected score (15,966 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 41.1% expected score (1,502 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 43.0% expected score (34 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 44.4% expected score (4,918 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 39.8% expected score (744 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 42.2% expected score (24 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Classical: 38.3% expected score (7 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%
Analyze Queen's Gambit Declined: Baltic Defense, Pseudo-Slav PositionsSee what each move is worth at your rating, move by move

Methodology

Across every rating and clock, the Queen's Gambit Declined: Baltic Defense, Pseudo-Slav scores 48.6% for Black — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 48.5% and 48.7% — from 779K 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
779K+ 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: Baltic Defense, Pseudo-Slav win rate?

Playing the Queen's Gambit Declined: Baltic Defense, Pseudo-Slav, Black wins 46.4%, draws 4.3% and loses 49.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.6%. It rests on 779K rated games from Lichess.

At what rating does the Queen's Gambit Declined: Baltic Defense, Pseudo-Slav perform best?

The Queen's Gambit Declined: Baltic Defense, Pseudo-Slav performs best for Black at 0-999, with an Expected Score of 51.9% (6.3K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.

Is the Queen's Gambit Declined: Baltic Defense, Pseudo-Slav better in blitz or rapid?

For Black, the Queen's Gambit Declined: Baltic Defense, Pseudo-Slav scores about the same in both: an Expected Score of 48.5% in Blitz (393K games) against 48.3% in Rapid (86K games).

How sharp is the Queen's Gambit Declined: Baltic Defense, Pseudo-Slav?

The Queen's Gambit Declined: Baltic Defense, Pseudo-Slav has a sharpness score of 95.7 (very decisive), meaning 95.7% of games end decisively. Average game length is 35 moves.

What is the Queen's Gambit Declined: Baltic Defense, Pseudo-Slav win rate at 0-999?

At 0-999, Black wins 50.8%, draws 2.1% and loses 47.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.9%. It rests on 6.3K Lichess games, which average 26 moves.

What is the Queen's Gambit Declined: Baltic Defense, Pseudo-Slav win rate at 1000-1199?

At 1000-1199, Black wins 49.2%, draws 2.6% and loses 48.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.5%. It rests on 27K Lichess games, which average 29 moves.

What is the Queen's Gambit Declined: Baltic Defense, Pseudo-Slav win rate at 1200-1399?

At 1200-1399, Black wins 48.7%, draws 2.8% and loses 48.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.1%. It rests on 72K Lichess games, which average 31 moves.

What is the Queen's Gambit Declined: Baltic Defense, Pseudo-Slav win rate at 1400-1599?

At 1400-1599, Black wins 48.0%, draws 3.5% and loses 48.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.8%. It rests on 140K Lichess games, which average 33 moves.

What is the Queen's Gambit Declined: Baltic Defense, Pseudo-Slav win rate at 1600-1799?

At 1600-1799, Black wins 47.0%, draws 4.1% and loses 48.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.1%. It rests on 196K Lichess games, which average 35 moves.

What is the Queen's Gambit Declined: Baltic Defense, Pseudo-Slav win rate at 1800-1999?

At 1800-1999, Black wins 45.7%, draws 4.8% and loses 49.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.1%. It rests on 188K Lichess games, which average 37 moves.

What is the Queen's Gambit Declined: Baltic Defense, Pseudo-Slav win rate at 2000-2199?

At 2000-2199, Black wins 43.7%, draws 5.6% and loses 50.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.5%. It rests on 104K Lichess games, which average 39 moves.

What is the Queen's Gambit Declined: Baltic Defense, Pseudo-Slav win rate at 2200-2499?

At 2200-2499, Black wins 42.3%, draws 6.2% and loses 51.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 45.4%. It rests on 41K Lichess games, which average 40 moves.

What is the Queen's Gambit Declined: Baltic Defense, Pseudo-Slav win rate at 2500+?

At 2500+, Black wins 39.7%, draws 8.0% and loses 52.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 43.7%. It rests on 5.7K Lichess games, which average 44 moves.

What is the Queen's Gambit Declined: Baltic Defense, Pseudo-Slav win rate in UltraBullet?

In UltraBullet, Black wins 41.5%, draws 2.2% and loses 56.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 42.6%. It rests on 202 Lichess games.

What is the Queen's Gambit Declined: Baltic Defense, Pseudo-Slav win rate in Bullet?

In Bullet, Black wins 47.2%, draws 3.1% and loses 49.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.8%. It rests on 297K Lichess games.

What is the Queen's Gambit Declined: Baltic Defense, Pseudo-Slav win rate in Blitz?

In Blitz, Black wins 46.0%, draws 5.0% and loses 49.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.5%. It rests on 393K Lichess games.

What is the Queen's Gambit Declined: Baltic Defense, Pseudo-Slav win rate in Rapid?

In Rapid, Black wins 45.6%, draws 5.4% and loses 49.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.3%. It rests on 86K Lichess games.

What is the Queen's Gambit Declined: Baltic Defense, Pseudo-Slav win rate in Classical?

In Classical, Black wins 43.5%, draws 6.9% and loses 49.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.0%. It rests on 2.4K Lichess games.

Is the Queen's Gambit Declined: Baltic Defense, Pseudo-Slav a good opening?

The Queen's Gambit Declined: Baltic Defense, Pseudo-Slav is about level. Across all ratings, Black wins 46.4% of its games and loses 49.3%. It performs best at 0-999. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.