Skip to content
TrueEloPlay what wins.
Score a position

Queen's Gambit Declined: Pseudo-Tarrasch Variation

41K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

8
7
6
5
4
3
2
a1
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
5.cxd5
Analyze this line move by move

White expected score · All ratings · All speeds

51.3%

45%55%
Floor50.9%

the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 51.7%.

Measured over 41K 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 White

Draw 4.5 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 41K games

Rank among the families White can choose here
not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
Games in this context
41K
Best context
55.2% at 2000-2199 Rapid
Worst context
48.8% at 1200-1399 Blitz
Average game length
32 moves
Games that end decisively
95.5%
Draws
4.5%

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: +5.3% · Breakpoint: 0-999

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: 44.0% at 0-999, 58.2% 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, Bullet: 46.7% expected score (118 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 42.9% expected score (83 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 42.4% expected score (5 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 50.7% expected score (531 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 51.7% expected score (447 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 57.5% expected score (65 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 16.7% expected score (3 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 52.5% expected score (1,490 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 48.8% expected score (1,793 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 53.4% expected score (248 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 60.6% expected score (8 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 83.4% expected score (3 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 49.2% expected score (2,422 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 51.7% expected score (4,130 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 51.0% expected score (913 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 40.4% expected score (35 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 50.0% expected score (6 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 50.2% expected score (2,950 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 50.7% expected score (5,813 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 50.1% expected score (1,704 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 49.5% expected score (101 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 54.8% expected score (9 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 51.3% expected score (2,755 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 50.8% expected score (5,190 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 52.3% expected score (1,647 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 66.4% expected score (81 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 52.9% expected score (1,956 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 54.2% expected score (2,296 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 55.2% expected score (650 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 63.4% expected score (21 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 50.4% expected score (1,258 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 50.8% expected score (1,211 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 62.8% expected score (124 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (6 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 58.5% expected score (337 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 51.8% expected score (170 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 44.0% expected score (15 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Classical: 78.6% 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 (2)
Queen's Gambit Declined: Pseudo-Tarrasch Variation, Primitive Pillsbury Variation
45.8%
Queen's Gambit Declined: Pseudo-Tarrasch Variation, Canal Variation
36.6%
Analyze Queen's Gambit Declined: Pseudo-Tarrasch Variation PositionsSee what each move is worth at your rating, move by move

Methodology

Across every rating and clock, the Queen's Gambit Declined: Pseudo-Tarrasch Variation scores 51.3% for White — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 50.9% and 51.7% — from 41K 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
41K+ 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: Pseudo-Tarrasch Variation win rate?

Playing the Queen's Gambit Declined: Pseudo-Tarrasch Variation, White wins 49.0%, draws 4.5% and loses 46.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.3%. It rests on 41K rated games from Lichess.

At what rating does the Queen's Gambit Declined: Pseudo-Tarrasch Variation perform best?

The Queen's Gambit Declined: Pseudo-Tarrasch Variation performs best for White at 2000-2199, with an Expected Score of 53.9% (4.9K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.

Is the Queen's Gambit Declined: Pseudo-Tarrasch Variation better in blitz or rapid?

For White, the Queen's Gambit Declined: Pseudo-Tarrasch Variation scores about the same in both: an Expected Score of 51.2% in Blitz (21K games) against 52.1% in Rapid (5.4K games).

How sharp is the Queen's Gambit Declined: Pseudo-Tarrasch Variation?

The Queen's Gambit Declined: Pseudo-Tarrasch Variation has a sharpness score of 95.5 (very decisive), meaning 95.5% of games end decisively. Average game length is 32 moves.

What is the Queen's Gambit Declined: Pseudo-Tarrasch Variation win rate at 0-999?

At 0-999, White wins 44.1%, draws 1.7% and loses 54.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 45.0%. It rests on 206 Lichess games, which average 24 moves.

What is the Queen's Gambit Declined: Pseudo-Tarrasch Variation win rate at 1000-1199?

At 1000-1199, White wins 50.2%, draws 2.6% and loses 47.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.5%. It rests on 1.0K Lichess games, which average 26 moves.

What is the Queen's Gambit Declined: Pseudo-Tarrasch Variation win rate at 1200-1399?

At 1200-1399, White wins 49.2%, draws 2.9% and loses 47.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.7%. It rests on 3.5K Lichess games, which average 28 moves.

What is the Queen's Gambit Declined: Pseudo-Tarrasch Variation win rate at 1400-1599?

At 1400-1599, White wins 48.9%, draws 3.7% and loses 47.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.8%. It rests on 7.5K Lichess games, which average 30 moves.

What is the Queen's Gambit Declined: Pseudo-Tarrasch Variation win rate at 1600-1799?

At 1600-1799, White wins 48.4%, draws 4.2% and loses 47.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.5%. It rests on 11K Lichess games, which average 32 moves.

What is the Queen's Gambit Declined: Pseudo-Tarrasch Variation win rate at 1800-1999?

At 1800-1999, White wins 48.9%, draws 4.9% and loses 46.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.4%. It rests on 9.7K Lichess games, which average 33 moves.

What is the Queen's Gambit Declined: Pseudo-Tarrasch Variation win rate at 2000-2199?

At 2000-2199, White wins 51.2%, draws 5.3% and loses 43.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.9%. It rests on 4.9K Lichess games, which average 34 moves.

What is the Queen's Gambit Declined: Pseudo-Tarrasch Variation win rate at 2200-2499?

At 2200-2499, White wins 48.0%, draws 6.4% and loses 45.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.2%. It rests on 2.6K Lichess games, which average 36 moves.

What is the Queen's Gambit Declined: Pseudo-Tarrasch Variation win rate at 2500+?

At 2500+, White wins 48.0%, draws 15.9% and loses 36.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 56.0%. It rests on 524 Lichess games, which average 46 moves.

What is the Queen's Gambit Declined: Pseudo-Tarrasch Variation win rate in Bullet?

In Bullet, White wins 49.3%, draws 3.5% and loses 47.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.1%. It rests on 14K Lichess games.

What is the Queen's Gambit Declined: Pseudo-Tarrasch Variation win rate in Blitz?

In Blitz, White wins 48.7%, draws 4.9% and loses 46.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.2%. It rests on 21K Lichess games.

What is the Queen's Gambit Declined: Pseudo-Tarrasch Variation win rate in Rapid?

In Rapid, White wins 49.2%, draws 5.7% and loses 45.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.1%. It rests on 5.4K Lichess games.

What is the Queen's Gambit Declined: Pseudo-Tarrasch Variation win rate in Classical?

In Classical, White wins 52.3%, draws 6.8% and loses 40.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 55.7%. It rests on 254 Lichess games.

Is the Queen's Gambit Declined: Pseudo-Tarrasch Variation a good opening?

The Queen's Gambit Declined: Pseudo-Tarrasch Variation is about level. Across all ratings, White wins 49.0% of its games and loses 46.5%. It performs best at 2000-2199. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.