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Queen's Gambit Declined: Westphalian Variation

22K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

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Analyze this line move by move

Black expected score · All ratings · All speeds

51.1%

45%55%
Floor50.6%

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

Measured over 22K 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 Black

Draw 5.8 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 22K games

Rank among the families Black can choose here
not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
Games in this context
22K
Best context
53.3% at 2200-2499 Bullet
Worst context
45.2% at 2500+ Blitz
Average game length
36 moves
Games that end decisively
94.2%
Draws
5.8%

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.

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: 64.1% at 0-999, 39.6% 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: 38.9% expected score (3 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 83.4% expected score (3 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 46.4% expected score (68 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 44.8% expected score (27 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 44.2% expected score (7 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 49.2% expected score (194 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 52.1% expected score (193 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 48.4% expected score (30 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 52.2% expected score (432 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 45.4% expected score (671 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 49.2% expected score (117 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 31.9% expected score (4 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 50.1% expected score (798 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 47.6% expected score (1,812 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 53.1% expected score (292 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 67.2% expected score (16 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 51.6% expected score (1,108 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 52.3% expected score (2,866 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 48.4% expected score (447 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 40.6% expected score (25 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 50.5% expected score (1,367 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 52.5% expected score (3,404 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 47.2% expected score (389 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 32.4% expected score (7 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 53.3% expected score (1,731 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 53.3% expected score (4,319 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 48.0% expected score (217 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 50.8% expected score (992 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 45.2% expected score (826 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 41.9% expected score (23 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Classical: 20.6% expected score (7 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: Westphalian Variation PositionsSee what each move is worth at your rating, move by move

Methodology

Across every rating and clock, the Queen's Gambit Declined: Westphalian Variation scores 51.1% for Black — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 50.6% and 51.7% — from 22K 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
22K+ 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: Westphalian Variation win rate?

Playing the Queen's Gambit Declined: Westphalian Variation, Black wins 48.2%, draws 5.8% and loses 46.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.1%. It rests on 22K rated games from Lichess.

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

The Queen's Gambit Declined: Westphalian Variation performs best for Black at 2200-2499, with an Expected Score of 53.1% (6.3K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.

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

For Black, the Queen's Gambit Declined: Westphalian Variation scores higher in Blitz: an Expected Score of 51.3% in Blitz (14K games) against 48.9% in Rapid (1.5K games).

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

The Queen's Gambit Declined: Westphalian Variation has a sharpness score of 94.2 (decisive), meaning 94.2% of games end decisively. Average game length is 36 moves.

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

At 1000-1199, Black wins 44.9%, draws 1.4% and loses 53.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 45.7%. It rests on 102 Lichess games, which average 27 moves.

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

At 1200-1399, Black wins 49.2%, draws 2.7% and loses 48.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.6%. It rests on 418 Lichess games, which average 28 moves.

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

At 1400-1599, Black wins 46.5%, draws 3.2% and loses 50.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.1%. It rests on 1.2K Lichess games, which average 32 moves.

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

At 1600-1799, Black wins 46.8%, draws 4.3% and loses 48.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.0%. It rests on 2.9K Lichess games, which average 33 moves.

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

At 1800-1999, Black wins 49.3%, draws 4.6% and loses 46.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.6%. It rests on 4.4K Lichess games, which average 35 moves.

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

At 2000-2199, Black wins 48.5%, draws 6.0% and loses 45.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.5%. It rests on 5.2K Lichess games, which average 36 moves.

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

At 2200-2499, Black wins 49.5%, draws 7.2% and loses 43.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.1%. It rests on 6.3K Lichess games, which average 38 moves.

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

At 2500+, Black wins 43.9%, draws 8.3% and loses 47.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.1%. It rests on 1.8K Lichess games, which average 42 moves.

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

In Bullet, Black wins 49.3%, draws 4.2% and loses 46.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.4%. It rests on 6.7K Lichess games.

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

In Blitz, Black wins 48.1%, draws 6.4% and loses 45.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.3%. It rests on 14K Lichess games.

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

In Rapid, Black wins 45.3%, draws 7.1% and loses 47.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.9%. It rests on 1.5K Lichess games.

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

The Queen's Gambit Declined: Westphalian Variation is about level. Across all ratings, Black wins 48.2% of its games and loses 46.0%. It performs best at 2200-2499. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.