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Queen's Gambit Declined: Chigorin Defense, Janowski Variation

659K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

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Analyze this line move by move

White expected score · All ratings · All speeds

56.4%

45%60%
Floor56.3%

the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 56.5%.

Measured over 659K games at this level and clock.

Play Thiswins clearly more often than it loses at this level

A strong choice for White at this level and clock.

Outcomes for White

Draw 3.4 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 659K games

Rank among the families White can choose here
not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
Games in this context
659K
Best context
65.5% at 1400-1599 Classical
Worst context
54.9% at 1600-1799 Bullet
Average game length
31 moves
Games that end decisively
96.6%
Draws
3.4%

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

Gambit BreakpointWhite

Peak: +15.0% · Breakpoint: Never

Time-Control Swing

Max swing: 11.5% · UltraBullet best · Bullet worst

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 gets better as the rating rises: 56.5% at 0-999, 62.3% 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: 58.8% expected score (129 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Bullet: 55.5% expected score (10,398 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 56.5% expected score (14,425 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 57.7% expected score (4,499 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Classical: 54.0% expected score (11 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 69.9% expected score (124 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 56.5% expected score (28,699 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 57.8% expected score (30,182 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 59.6% expected score (9,876 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 55.4% expected score (120 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 67.6% expected score (240 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 56.1% expected score (47,375 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 56.9% expected score (48,132 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 59.3% expected score (13,845 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 61.2% expected score (534 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 70.1% expected score (414 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 55.3% expected score (59,503 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 56.2% expected score (65,363 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 58.6% expected score (16,904 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 65.5% expected score (732 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 61.8% expected score (231 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 54.9% expected score (67,218 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 56.2% expected score (64,173 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 58.2% expected score (15,141 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 61.7% expected score (649 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 63.0% expected score (118 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 55.0% expected score (57,732 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 56.4% expected score (39,847 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 58.8% expected score (8,657 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 68.4% expected score (249 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 68.6% expected score (20 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 55.7% expected score (29,074 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 58.8% expected score (10,786 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 60.8% expected score (1,799 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 56.2% expected score (31 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 50.0% expected score (6 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 57.4% expected score (9,103 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 63.6% expected score (1,525 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 63.2% expected score (128 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (4 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 57.0% expected score (768 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 59.8% expected score (96 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 70.0% 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%
Analyze Queen's Gambit Declined: Chigorin Defense, Janowski Variation PositionsSee what each move is worth at your rating, move by move

Methodology

Across every rating and clock, the Queen's Gambit Declined: Chigorin Defense, Janowski Variation scores 56.4% for White — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 56.3% and 56.5% — from 659K 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
659K+ 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: Chigorin Defense, Janowski Variation win rate?

Playing the Queen's Gambit Declined: Chigorin Defense, Janowski Variation, White wins 54.7%, draws 3.4% and loses 41.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 56.4%. It rests on 659K rated games from Lichess.

At what rating does the Queen's Gambit Declined: Chigorin Defense, Janowski Variation perform best?

The Queen's Gambit Declined: Chigorin Defense, Janowski Variation performs best for White at 2200-2499, with an Expected Score of 58.3% (11K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.

Is the Queen's Gambit Declined: Chigorin Defense, Janowski Variation better in blitz or rapid?

For White, the Queen's Gambit Declined: Chigorin Defense, Janowski Variation scores higher in Rapid: an Expected Score of 56.7% in Blitz (275K games) against 58.8% in Rapid (71K games).

How sharp is the Queen's Gambit Declined: Chigorin Defense, Janowski Variation?

The Queen's Gambit Declined: Chigorin Defense, Janowski Variation has a sharpness score of 96.6 (very decisive), meaning 96.6% of games end decisively. Average game length is 31 moves.

What is the Queen's Gambit Declined: Chigorin Defense, Janowski Variation win rate at 0-999?

At 0-999, White wins 54.8%, draws 3.0% and loses 42.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 56.3%. It rests on 29K Lichess games, which average 26 moves.

What is the Queen's Gambit Declined: Chigorin Defense, Janowski Variation win rate at 1000-1199?

At 1000-1199, White wins 56.0%, draws 2.9% and loses 41.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 57.5%. It rests on 69K Lichess games, which average 28 moves.

What is the Queen's Gambit Declined: Chigorin Defense, Janowski Variation win rate at 1200-1399?

At 1200-1399, White wins 55.4%, draws 2.9% and loses 41.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 56.9%. It rests on 110K Lichess games, which average 29 moves.

What is the Queen's Gambit Declined: Chigorin Defense, Janowski Variation win rate at 1400-1599?

At 1400-1599, White wins 54.6%, draws 3.2% and loses 42.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 56.2%. It rests on 143K Lichess games, which average 31 moves.

What is the Queen's Gambit Declined: Chigorin Defense, Janowski Variation win rate at 1600-1799?

At 1600-1799, White wins 54.1%, draws 3.5% and loses 42.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 55.9%. It rests on 147K Lichess games, which average 33 moves.

What is the Queen's Gambit Declined: Chigorin Defense, Janowski Variation win rate at 1800-1999?

At 1800-1999, White wins 53.9%, draws 3.9% and loses 42.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 55.9%. It rests on 107K Lichess games, which average 34 moves.

What is the Queen's Gambit Declined: Chigorin Defense, Janowski Variation win rate at 2000-2199?

At 2000-2199, White wins 54.6%, draws 4.2% and loses 41.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 56.8%. It rests on 42K Lichess games, which average 35 moves.

What is the Queen's Gambit Declined: Chigorin Defense, Janowski Variation win rate at 2200-2499?

At 2200-2499, White wins 56.2%, draws 4.2% and loses 39.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 58.3%. It rests on 11K Lichess games, which average 36 moves.

What is the Queen's Gambit Declined: Chigorin Defense, Janowski Variation win rate at 2500+?

At 2500+, White wins 54.9%, draws 4.9% and loses 40.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 57.4%. It rests on 865 Lichess games, which average 39 moves.

What is the Queen's Gambit Declined: Chigorin Defense, Janowski Variation win rate in UltraBullet?

In UltraBullet, White wins 65.7%, draws 1.2% and loses 33.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 66.3%. It rests on 1.3K Lichess games.

What is the Queen's Gambit Declined: Chigorin Defense, Janowski Variation win rate in Bullet?

In Bullet, White wins 54.2%, draws 2.6% and loses 43.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 55.5%. It rests on 310K Lichess games.

What is the Queen's Gambit Declined: Chigorin Defense, Janowski Variation win rate in Blitz?

In Blitz, White wins 54.7%, draws 4.0% and loses 41.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 56.7%. It rests on 275K Lichess games.

What is the Queen's Gambit Declined: Chigorin Defense, Janowski Variation win rate in Rapid?

In Rapid, White wins 56.6%, draws 4.3% and loses 39.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 58.8%. It rests on 71K Lichess games.

What is the Queen's Gambit Declined: Chigorin Defense, Janowski Variation win rate in Classical?

In Classical, White wins 60.7%, draws 4.8% and loses 34.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 63.1%. It rests on 2.3K Lichess games.

Is the Queen's Gambit Declined: Chigorin Defense, Janowski Variation a good opening?

The Queen's Gambit Declined: Chigorin Defense, Janowski Variation is good for White. Across all ratings, White wins 54.7% of its games and loses 41.9%. It performs best at 2200-2499. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.