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Queen's Gambit Declined: Vienna Variation

58K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

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Analyze this line move by move

Black expected score · All ratings · All speeds

45.9%

40%55%
Floor45.6%

the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 46.2%.

Measured over 58K games at this level and clock.

Tough Sellloses more often than it wins at this level

Black comes out behind here — there are better weapons in the list.

Outcomes for Black

Draw 4.6 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 58K games

Rank among the families Black can choose here
not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
Games in this context
58K
Best context
50.5% at 2000-2199 Bullet
Worst context
42.1% at 2500+ Bullet
Average game length
35 moves
Games that end decisively
95.4%
Draws
4.6%

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: 13.6% · Bullet best · UltraBullet 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: 50.3% at 0-999, 42.2% 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: 44.0% expected score (188 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 42.6% expected score (280 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 44.7% expected score (111 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Classical: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 43.3% expected score (771 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 45.4% expected score (1,101 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 45.8% expected score (317 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 16.7% expected score (3 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 53.5% expected score (13 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 45.5% expected score (1,846 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 45.2% expected score (2,727 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 43.2% expected score (741 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 48.0% expected score (23 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 62.2% expected score (19 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 44.9% expected score (3,422 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 45.4% expected score (5,201 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 44.5% expected score (1,521 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 48.0% expected score (73 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 62.7% expected score (46 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 46.2% expected score (4,540 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 45.4% expected score (6,761 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 44.8% expected score (1,778 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 40.7% expected score (116 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 53.7% expected score (39 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 46.5% expected score (3,805 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 45.7% expected score (6,655 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 46.2% expected score (1,755 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 43.5% expected score (128 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 79.7% expected score (12 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 50.5% expected score (2,351 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 47.8% expected score (5,227 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 45.4% expected score (1,344 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 58.7% expected score (33 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 45.4% expected score (1,402 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 46.1% expected score (2,524 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 46.0% expected score (445 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 59.6% expected score (9 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 42.1% expected score (502 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 47.7% expected score (382 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 29.0% expected score (8 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Classical: 50.0% 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%
Continuations (1)
Queen's Gambit Declined: Vienna Variation, Quiet Variation
53.0%
Analyze Queen's Gambit Declined: Vienna Variation PositionsSee what each move is worth at your rating, move by move

Methodology

Across every rating and clock, the Queen's Gambit Declined: Vienna Variation scores 45.9% for Black — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 45.6% and 46.2% — from 58K 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
58K+ 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: Vienna Variation win rate?

Playing the Queen's Gambit Declined: Vienna Variation, Black wins 43.6%, draws 4.6% and loses 51.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 45.9%. It rests on 58K rated games from Lichess.

At what rating does the Queen's Gambit Declined: Vienna Variation perform best?

The Queen's Gambit Declined: Vienna Variation performs best for Black at 2000-2199, with an Expected Score of 48.3% (9.0K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.

Is the Queen's Gambit Declined: Vienna Variation better in blitz or rapid?

For Black, the Queen's Gambit Declined: Vienna Variation scores about the same in both: an Expected Score of 45.9% in Blitz (31K games) against 45.1% in Rapid (8.0K games).

How sharp is the Queen's Gambit Declined: Vienna Variation?

The Queen's Gambit Declined: Vienna Variation has a sharpness score of 95.4 (very decisive), meaning 95.4% of games end decisively. Average game length is 35 moves.

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

At 0-999, Black wins 41.7%, draws 3.5% and loses 54.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 43.5%. It rests on 580 Lichess games, which average 27 moves.

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

At 1000-1199, Black wins 42.9%, draws 3.4% and loses 53.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 44.6%. It rests on 2.2K Lichess games, which average 30 moves.

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

At 1200-1399, Black wins 43.7%, draws 2.8% and loses 53.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 45.1%. It rests on 5.3K Lichess games, which average 31 moves.

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

At 1400-1599, Black wins 43.4%, draws 3.3% and loses 53.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 45.1%. It rests on 10K Lichess games, which average 33 moves.

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

At 1600-1799, Black wins 43.5%, draws 4.1% and loses 52.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 45.6%. It rests on 13K Lichess games, which average 35 moves.

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

At 1800-1999, Black wins 43.5%, draws 5.0% and loses 51.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.0%. It rests on 12K Lichess games, which average 36 moves.

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

At 2000-2199, Black wins 45.2%, draws 6.1% and loses 48.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.3%. It rests on 9.0K Lichess games, which average 38 moves.

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

At 2200-2499, Black wins 42.3%, draws 7.2% and loses 50.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 45.9%. It rests on 4.4K Lichess games, which average 39 moves.

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

At 2500+, Black wins 39.1%, draws 10.5% and loses 50.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 44.3%. It rests on 893 Lichess games, which average 42 moves.

What is the Queen's Gambit Declined: Vienna Variation win rate in UltraBullet?

In UltraBullet, Black wins 59.6%, draws 1.9% and loses 38.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 60.5%. It rests on 132 Lichess games.

What is the Queen's Gambit Declined: Vienna Variation win rate in Bullet?

In Bullet, Black wins 44.4%, draws 3.4% and loses 52.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.1%. It rests on 19K Lichess games.

What is the Queen's Gambit Declined: Vienna Variation win rate in Blitz?

In Blitz, Black wins 43.4%, draws 5.0% and loses 51.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 45.9%. It rests on 31K Lichess games.

What is the Queen's Gambit Declined: Vienna Variation win rate in Rapid?

In Rapid, Black wins 42.0%, draws 6.2% and loses 51.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 45.1%. It rests on 8.0K Lichess games.

What is the Queen's Gambit Declined: Vienna Variation win rate in Classical?

In Classical, Black wins 41.8%, draws 6.8% and loses 51.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 45.2%. It rests on 387 Lichess games.

Is the Queen's Gambit Declined: Vienna Variation a good opening?

The Queen's Gambit Declined: Vienna Variation is hard work for Black — it favours White. Across all ratings, Black wins 43.6% of its games and loses 51.8%. It performs best at 2000-2199. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.