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Queen's Gambit Declined: Cambridge Springs Defense

112K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

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Analyze this line move by move

Black expected score · All ratings · All speeds

53.7%

45%60%
Floor53.4%

the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 53.9%.

Measured over 112K games at this level and clock.

Play Thiswins clearly more often than it loses at this level

A strong choice for Black at this level and clock.

Outcomes for Black

Draw 4.4 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 112K games

Rank among the families Black can choose here
not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
Games in this context
112K
Best context
63.9% at 1400-1599 Rapid
Worst context
42.0% at 2500+ Blitz
Average game length
34 moves
Games that end decisively
95.6%
Draws
4.4%

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: 10.2% · Bullet best · Classical 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 falls away as the rating rises: 49.4% at 0-999, 41.4% 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: 48.6% expected score (35 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 41.9% expected score (17 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 57.7% expected score (5 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 53.3% expected score (359 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 56.2% expected score (128 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 64.2% expected score (41 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 56.2% expected score (1,107 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 56.5% expected score (811 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 55.2% expected score (143 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (4 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 55.3% expected score (3,022 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 57.6% expected score (3,910 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 63.9% expected score (595 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 66.4% expected score (26 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 53.6% expected score (6,437 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 58.7% expected score (12,564 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 59.0% expected score (1,771 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 60.9% expected score (95 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 51.3% expected score (7,311 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 55.0% expected score (22,141 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 59.3% expected score (4,328 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 61.1% expected score (256 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 50.1% expected score (6,227 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 51.4% expected score (18,604 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 56.9% expected score (4,262 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 52.6% expected score (115 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 49.3% expected score (5,269 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 48.5% expected score (8,894 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 50.8% expected score (1,291 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 43.1% expected score (20 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 48.5% expected score (1,594 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 42.0% expected score (688 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 39.5% expected score (46 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Classical: 35.7% expected score (2 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 (6)
Queen's Gambit Declined: Cambridge Springs Defense, Capablanca Variation
50.7%
Queen's Gambit Declined: Cambridge Springs Defense, Bogoljubow Variation
50.9%
Queen's Gambit Declined: Cambridge Springs Defense, Yugoslav Variation
50.5%
Queen's Gambit Declined: Cambridge Springs Defense, Rubinstein Variation
48.0%
Queen's Gambit Declined: Cambridge Springs Defense, Bogoljubov Variation
48.6%
Queen's Gambit Declined: Cambridge Springs Defense, Argentine Variation
54.9%
Analyze Queen's Gambit Declined: Cambridge Springs Defense PositionsSee what each move is worth at your rating, move by move

Methodology

Across every rating and clock, the Queen's Gambit Declined: Cambridge Springs Defense scores 53.7% for Black — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 53.4% and 53.9% — from 112K 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
112K+ 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: Cambridge Springs Defense win rate?

Playing the Queen's Gambit Declined: Cambridge Springs Defense, Black wins 51.5%, draws 4.4% and loses 44.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.7%. It rests on 112K rated games from Lichess.

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

The Queen's Gambit Declined: Cambridge Springs Defense performs best for Black at 1600-1799, with an Expected Score of 57.1% (21K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.

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

For Black, the Queen's Gambit Declined: Cambridge Springs Defense scores higher in Rapid: an Expected Score of 53.9% in Blitz (68K games) against 57.7% in Rapid (12K games).

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

The Queen's Gambit Declined: Cambridge Springs Defense has a sharpness score of 95.6 (very decisive), meaning 95.6% of games end decisively. Average game length is 34 moves.

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

At 1000-1199, Black wins 54.3%, draws 1.2% and loses 44.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.9%. It rests on 528 Lichess games, which average 25 moves.

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

At 1200-1399, Black wins 55.2%, draws 2.2% and loses 42.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 56.3%. It rests on 2.1K Lichess games, which average 28 moves.

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

At 1400-1599, Black wins 55.7%, draws 3.0% and loses 41.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 57.2%. It rests on 7.6K Lichess games, which average 30 moves.

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

At 1600-1799, Black wins 55.4%, draws 3.4% and loses 41.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 57.1%. It rests on 21K Lichess games, which average 32 moves.

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

At 1800-1999, Black wins 52.7%, draws 4.1% and loses 43.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.8%. It rests on 34K Lichess games, which average 34 moves.

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

At 2000-2199, Black wins 49.3%, draws 5.2% and loses 45.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.9%. It rests on 29K Lichess games, which average 36 moves.

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

At 2200-2499, Black wins 46.0%, draws 5.9% and loses 48.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.0%. It rests on 15K Lichess games, which average 38 moves.

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

At 2500+, Black wins 42.7%, draws 7.3% and loses 50.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.4%. It rests on 2.3K Lichess games, which average 42 moves.

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

In Bullet, Black wins 50.2%, draws 2.9% and loses 46.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.7%. It rests on 31K Lichess games.

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

In Blitz, Black wins 51.4%, draws 4.8% and loses 43.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.9%. It rests on 68K Lichess games.

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

In Rapid, Black wins 54.6%, draws 6.1% and loses 39.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 57.7%. It rests on 12K Lichess games.

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

In Classical, Black wins 53.8%, draws 9.5% and loses 36.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 58.6%. It rests on 518 Lichess games.

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

The Queen's Gambit Declined: Cambridge Springs Defense is good for Black. Across all ratings, Black wins 51.5% of its games and loses 44.1%. It performs best at 1600-1799. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.