Queen's Pawn Game: Zurich Gambit
35K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026
White expected score · All ratings · All speeds
39.0%
the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 39.4%.
Measured over 35K games at this level and clock.
White comes out behind here — there are better weapons in the list.
Outcomes for White
Draw 4.8 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 35K games
- Rank among the families White can choose here
- not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
- Games in this context
- 35K
- Best context
- 56.7% at 2500+ Bullet
- Worst context
- 26.3% at 1400-1599 Rapid
- Average game length
- 30 moves
- Games that end decisively
- 95.2%
- Draws
- 4.8%
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.
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 36.9%.
| 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
- 0-999 rating, UltraBullet: 44.2% expected score (7 games)
- 0-999 rating, Bullet: 36.4% expected score (1,534 games)
- 0-999 rating, Blitz: 39.0% expected score (5,265 games)
- 0-999 rating, Rapid: 37.1% expected score (4,231 games)
- 0-999 rating, Classical: 28.0% expected score (94 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 13.7% expected score (4 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 40.1% expected score (914 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 40.2% expected score (2,602 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 35.2% expected score (1,935 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 24.7% expected score (135 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 57.5% expected score (12 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 40.2% expected score (839 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 38.8% expected score (2,102 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 35.4% expected score (1,383 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 32.7% expected score (134 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 38.1% expected score (32 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 28.1% expected score (1,253 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 34.9% expected score (2,176 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 26.3% expected score (1,251 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 20.4% expected score (257 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 42.3% expected score (174 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 42.9% expected score (743 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 41.1% expected score (1,476 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 38.9% expected score (504 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 24.6% expected score (30 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 45.3% expected score (30 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 45.3% expected score (824 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 44.9% expected score (859 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 41.0% expected score (259 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 30.7% expected score (14 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 56.5% expected score (207 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 49.7% expected score (977 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 44.0% expected score (417 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 50.8% expected score (67 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 47.3% expected score (17 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 54.3% expected score (1,470 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 52.8% expected score (127 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 53.5% expected score (13 games)
- 2500+ rating, UltraBullet: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
- 2500+ rating, Bullet: 56.7% expected score (598 games)
- 2500+ rating, Blitz: 19.0% expected score (34 games)
Related Openings
Methodology
Across every rating and clock, the Queen's Pawn Game: Zurich Gambit scores 39.0% for White — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 38.6% and 39.4% — from 35K 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
- 35K+ 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 Pawn Game: Zurich Gambit win rate?
Playing the Queen's Pawn Game: Zurich Gambit, White wins 36.6%, draws 4.8% and loses 58.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 39.0%. It rests on 35K rated games from Lichess.
At what rating does the Queen's Pawn Game: Zurich Gambit perform best?
The Queen's Pawn Game: Zurich Gambit performs best for White at 2200-2499, with an Expected Score of 54.0% (1.6K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.
Is the Queen's Pawn Game: Zurich Gambit better in blitz or rapid?
For White, the Queen's Pawn Game: Zurich Gambit scores higher in Blitz: an Expected Score of 39.3% in Blitz (15K games) against 35.4% in Rapid (9.6K games).
How sharp is the Queen's Pawn Game: Zurich Gambit?
The Queen's Pawn Game: Zurich Gambit has a sharpness score of 95.2 (very decisive), meaning 95.2% of games end decisively. Average game length is 30 moves.
What is the Queen's Pawn Game: Zurich Gambit win rate at 0-999?
At 0-999, White wins 34.3%, draws 6.9% and loses 58.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 37.8%. It rests on 11K Lichess games, which average 28 moves.
What is the Queen's Pawn Game: Zurich Gambit win rate at 1000-1199?
At 1000-1199, White wins 35.8%, draws 4.5% and loses 59.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 38.1%. It rests on 5.6K Lichess games, which average 29 moves.
What is the Queen's Pawn Game: Zurich Gambit win rate at 1200-1399?
At 1200-1399, White wins 35.9%, draws 3.9% and loses 60.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 37.9%. It rests on 4.5K Lichess games, which average 30 moves.
What is the Queen's Pawn Game: Zurich Gambit win rate at 1400-1599?
At 1400-1599, White wins 28.3%, draws 3.8% and loses 67.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 30.3%. It rests on 5.0K Lichess games, which average 28 moves.
What is the Queen's Pawn Game: Zurich Gambit win rate at 1600-1799?
At 1600-1799, White wins 39.4%, draws 3.3% and loses 57.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 41.0%. It rests on 2.9K Lichess games, which average 32 moves.
What is the Queen's Pawn Game: Zurich Gambit win rate at 1800-1999?
At 1800-1999, White wins 42.8%, draws 3.1% and loses 54.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 44.4%. It rests on 2.0K Lichess games, which average 33 moves.
What is the Queen's Pawn Game: Zurich Gambit win rate at 2000-2199?
At 2000-2199, White wins 47.3%, draws 3.7% and loses 49.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.2%. It rests on 1.7K Lichess games, which average 35 moves.
What is the Queen's Pawn Game: Zurich Gambit win rate at 2200-2499?
At 2200-2499, White wins 52.5%, draws 3.0% and loses 44.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.0%. It rests on 1.6K Lichess games, which average 36 moves.
What is the Queen's Pawn Game: Zurich Gambit win rate at 2500+?
At 2500+, White wins 52.4%, draws 4.2% and loses 43.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.5%. It rests on 633 Lichess games, which average 40 moves.
What is the Queen's Pawn Game: Zurich Gambit win rate in UltraBullet?
In UltraBullet, White wins 47.3%, draws 2.2% and loses 50.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.4%. It rests on 484 Lichess games.
What is the Queen's Pawn Game: Zurich Gambit win rate in Bullet?
In Bullet, White wins 41.7%, draws 2.3% and loses 56.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 42.9%. It rests on 9.2K Lichess games.
What is the Queen's Pawn Game: Zurich Gambit win rate in Blitz?
In Blitz, White wins 36.7%, draws 5.2% and loses 58.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 39.3%. It rests on 15K Lichess games.
What is the Queen's Pawn Game: Zurich Gambit win rate in Rapid?
In Rapid, White wins 32.1%, draws 6.6% and loses 61.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 35.4%. It rests on 9.6K Lichess games.
What is the Queen's Pawn Game: Zurich Gambit win rate in Classical?
In Classical, White wins 22.2%, draws 5.6% and loses 72.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 25.0%. It rests on 664 Lichess games.
Is the Queen's Pawn Game: Zurich Gambit a good opening?
The Queen's Pawn Game: Zurich Gambit is hard work for White — it favours Black. Across all ratings, White wins 36.6% of its games and loses 58.6%. It performs best at 2200-2499. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.