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Rat Defense: English Rat, Pounds Gambit

9.0K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

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Analyze this line move by move

Black expected score · All ratings · All speeds

51.4%

45%60%
Floor50.5%

the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 52.3%.

Measured over 9.0K 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 2.8 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 9.0K games

Rank among the families Black can choose here
not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
Games in this context
9.0K
Best context
54.5% at 1600-1799 Blitz
Worst context
51.1% at 2000-2199 Bullet
Average game length
31 moves
Games that end decisively
97.2%
Draws
2.8%

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

Gambit BreakpointBlack

Peak: +1.7% · Breakpoint: 0-999

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: 40.3% at 0-999, 30.0% 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: 21.5% expected score (2 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Bullet: 46.4% expected score (82 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 50.9% expected score (114 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 42.5% expected score (25 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 29.0% expected score (8 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 53.8% expected score (275 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 42.2% expected score (229 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 41.4% expected score (62 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 48.2% expected score (25 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 51.5% expected score (591 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 50.2% expected score (314 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 49.6% expected score (123 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 23.4% expected score (6 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 43.9% expected score (23 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 51.7% expected score (938 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 54.9% expected score (453 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 48.7% expected score (148 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 39.5% expected score (8 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 73.1% expected score (5 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 52.6% expected score (1,388 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 54.5% expected score (605 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 50.5% expected score (105 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 34.9% expected score (15 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 52.4% expected score (1,419 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 50.4% expected score (421 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 47.5% expected score (58 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 57.7% expected score (5 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 51.1% expected score (1,261 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 50.0% expected score (43 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 38.3% expected score (7 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 21.5% expected score (2 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 49.3% expected score (275 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 30.0% expected score (1 games)

Related Openings

Variations (5)
Rat Defense: Small Center Defense
50.2%
Rat Defense: Harmonist
51.1%
Rat Defense: Antal Defense
48.5%
Rat Defense: English Rat
47.8%
Rat Defense: Balogh Defense
51.0%
Analyze Rat Defense: English Rat, Pounds Gambit PositionsSee what each move is worth at your rating, move by move

Methodology

Across every rating and clock, the Rat Defense: English Rat, Pounds Gambit scores 51.4% for Black — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 50.5% and 52.3% — from 9.0K 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
9.0K+ 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 Rat Defense: English Rat, Pounds Gambit win rate?

Playing the Rat Defense: English Rat, Pounds Gambit, Black wins 50.0%, draws 2.8% and loses 47.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.4%. It rests on 9.0K rated games from Lichess.

At what rating does the Rat Defense: English Rat, Pounds Gambit perform best?

The Rat Defense: English Rat, Pounds Gambit performs best for Black at 1600-1799, with an Expected Score of 52.9% (2.1K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.

Is the Rat Defense: English Rat, Pounds Gambit better in blitz or rapid?

For Black, the Rat Defense: English Rat, Pounds Gambit scores higher in Blitz: an Expected Score of 51.6% in Blitz (2.2K games) against 47.7% in Rapid (528 games).

How sharp is the Rat Defense: English Rat, Pounds Gambit?

The Rat Defense: English Rat, Pounds Gambit has a sharpness score of 97.2 (very decisive), meaning 97.2% of games end decisively. Average game length is 31 moves.

What is the Rat Defense: English Rat, Pounds Gambit win rate at 0-999?

At 0-999, Black wins 46.1%, draws 3.3% and loses 50.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.8%. It rests on 223 Lichess games, which average 26 moves.

What is the Rat Defense: English Rat, Pounds Gambit win rate at 1000-1199?

At 1000-1199, Black wins 46.4%, draws 2.2% and loses 51.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.5%. It rests on 575 Lichess games, which average 28 moves.

What is the Rat Defense: English Rat, Pounds Gambit win rate at 1200-1399?

At 1200-1399, Black wins 49.3%, draws 2.6% and loses 48.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.6%. It rests on 1.1K Lichess games, which average 28 moves.

What is the Rat Defense: English Rat, Pounds Gambit win rate at 1400-1599?

At 1400-1599, Black wins 50.9%, draws 2.5% and loses 46.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.2%. It rests on 1.6K Lichess games, which average 30 moves.

What is the Rat Defense: English Rat, Pounds Gambit win rate at 1600-1799?

At 1600-1799, Black wins 51.4%, draws 3.1% and loses 45.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.9%. It rests on 2.1K Lichess games, which average 31 moves.

What is the Rat Defense: English Rat, Pounds Gambit win rate at 1800-1999?

At 1800-1999, Black wins 50.5%, draws 2.6% and loses 46.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.8%. It rests on 1.9K Lichess games, which average 32 moves.

What is the Rat Defense: English Rat, Pounds Gambit win rate at 2000-2199?

At 2000-2199, Black wins 49.5%, draws 2.9% and loses 47.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.9%. It rests on 1.3K Lichess games, which average 31 moves.

What is the Rat Defense: English Rat, Pounds Gambit win rate at 2200-2499?

At 2200-2499, Black wins 47.0%, draws 4.9% and loses 48.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.5%. It rests on 276 Lichess games, which average 36 moves.

What is the Rat Defense: English Rat, Pounds Gambit win rate in Bullet?

In Bullet, Black wins 50.6%, draws 2.4% and loses 47.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.8%. It rests on 6.2K Lichess games.

What is the Rat Defense: English Rat, Pounds Gambit win rate in Blitz?

In Blitz, Black wins 49.9%, draws 3.3% and loses 46.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.6%. It rests on 2.2K Lichess games.

What is the Rat Defense: English Rat, Pounds Gambit win rate in Rapid?

In Rapid, Black wins 45.2%, draws 5.0% and loses 49.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.7%. It rests on 528 Lichess games.

Is the Rat Defense: English Rat, Pounds Gambit a good opening?

The Rat Defense: English Rat, Pounds Gambit is about level. Across all ratings, Black wins 50.0% of its games and loses 47.2%. It performs best at 1600-1799. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.