Queen's Gambit Declined: Cambridge Springs Defense, Argentine Variation
794 games from Lichess · Updated January 2026
White expected score · All ratings · All speeds
57.0%
the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 59.9%.
Measured over 794 games at this level and clock.
A strong choice for White at this level and clock.
Outcomes for White
Draw 4.2 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 794 games
- Rank among the families White can choose here
- not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
- Games in this context
- 794
- Best context
- not measured yet
- Average game length
- 38 moves
- Games that end decisively
- 95.8%
- Draws
- 4.2%
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
Where it holds · White score by rating × clock
Green is clearly ahead for White, 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 53.9%.
| Rating | UB | Bulle | Blitz | Rapid | 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
- 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 39.5% expected score (8 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 68.2% expected score (4 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 50.0% expected score (8 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 49.3% expected score (64 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 31.9% expected score (4 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 62.1% expected score (44 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 60.3% expected score (291 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 52.7% expected score (17 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 45.8% expected score (34 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 54.0% expected score (250 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 75.4% expected score (30 games)
- 2500+ rating, Bullet: 65.0% expected score (32 games)
- 2500+ rating, Blitz: 44.2% expected score (7 games)
- 2500+ rating, Rapid: 50.0% expected score (1 games)
Related Openings
Methodology
Across every rating and clock, the Queen's Gambit Declined: Cambridge Springs Defense, Argentine Variation scores 57.0% for White — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 54.1% and 59.9% — from 794 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
- 794+ 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, Argentine Variation win rate?
Playing the Queen's Gambit Declined: Cambridge Springs Defense, Argentine Variation, White wins 54.9%, draws 4.2% and loses 40.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 57.0%. It rests on 794 rated games from Lichess.
At what rating does the Queen's Gambit Declined: Cambridge Springs Defense, Argentine Variation perform best?
The Queen's Gambit Declined: Cambridge Springs Defense, Argentine Variation performs best for White at 2000-2199, with an Expected Score of 60.2% (352 games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.
Is the Queen's Gambit Declined: Cambridge Springs Defense, Argentine Variation better in blitz or rapid?
For White, the Queen's Gambit Declined: Cambridge Springs Defense, Argentine Variation scores higher in Rapid: an Expected Score of 56.5% in Blitz (616 games) against 64.1% in Rapid (52 games).
How sharp is the Queen's Gambit Declined: Cambridge Springs Defense, Argentine Variation?
The Queen's Gambit Declined: Cambridge Springs Defense, Argentine Variation has a sharpness score of 95.8 (very decisive), meaning 95.8% of games end decisively. Average game length is 38 moves.
What is the Queen's Gambit Declined: Cambridge Springs Defense, Argentine Variation win rate at 2000-2199?
At 2000-2199, White wins 58.7%, draws 3.0% and loses 38.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 60.2%. It rests on 352 Lichess games, which average 38 moves.
What is the Queen's Gambit Declined: Cambridge Springs Defense, Argentine Variation win rate at 2200-2499?
At 2200-2499, White wins 51.8%, draws 6.8% and loses 41.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 55.2%. It rests on 314 Lichess games, which average 39 moves.
What is the Queen's Gambit Declined: Cambridge Springs Defense, Argentine Variation win rate in Bullet?
In Bullet, White wins 55.3%, draws 2.0% and loses 42.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 56.3%. It rests on 126 Lichess games.
What is the Queen's Gambit Declined: Cambridge Springs Defense, Argentine Variation win rate in Blitz?
In Blitz, White wins 54.3%, draws 4.3% and loses 41.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 56.5%. It rests on 616 Lichess games.
Is the Queen's Gambit Declined: Cambridge Springs Defense, Argentine Variation a good opening?
The Queen's Gambit Declined: Cambridge Springs Defense, Argentine Variation is good for White. Across all ratings, White wins 54.9% of its games and loses 40.9%. It performs best at 2000-2199. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.