Scandinavian Defense: Kloosterboer Gambit
429K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026
Black expected score · All ratings · All speeds
53.2%
the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 53.3%.
Measured over 429K games at this level and clock.
A strong choice for Black at this level and clock.
Outcomes for Black
Draw 2.8 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 429K games
- Rank among the families Black can choose here
- not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
- Games in this context
- 429K
- Best context
- 57.1% at 1000-1199 Bullet
- Worst context
- 46.3% at 2500+ 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
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: 58.1% at 0-999, 38.6% at 2500+.
| 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: 68.2% expected score (4 games)
- 0-999 rating, Bullet: 54.6% expected score (962 games)
- 0-999 rating, Blitz: 51.0% expected score (1,482 games)
- 0-999 rating, Rapid: 48.3% expected score (494 games)
- 0-999 rating, Classical: 68.2% expected score (4 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 61.8% expected score (24 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 57.1% expected score (3,580 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 52.8% expected score (5,627 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 51.9% expected score (1,552 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 53.0% expected score (15 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 46.6% expected score (13 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 56.3% expected score (9,458 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 53.3% expected score (16,726 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 51.9% expected score (4,933 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 42.5% expected score (72 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 65.2% expected score (15 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 55.7% expected score (13,666 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 54.4% expected score (42,362 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 53.1% expected score (8,594 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 49.8% expected score (233 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 41.5% expected score (22 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 56.6% expected score (23,024 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 53.8% expected score (75,501 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 52.3% expected score (14,152 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 46.1% expected score (294 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 78.6% expected score (2 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 54.8% expected score (25,129 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 53.0% expected score (80,662 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 49.2% expected score (10,543 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 48.7% expected score (149 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 57.7% expected score (5 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 53.7% expected score (18,770 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 51.3% expected score (43,041 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 49.2% expected score (3,874 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 47.8% expected score (43 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 50.7% expected score (12,553 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 46.6% expected score (10,049 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 42.7% expected score (496 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (1 games)
- 2500+ rating, Bullet: 46.3% expected score (1,162 games)
- 2500+ rating, Blitz: 37.0% expected score (191 games)
- 2500+ rating, Rapid: 32.4% expected score (7 games)
Related Openings
Methodology
Across every rating and clock, the Scandinavian Defense: Kloosterboer Gambit scores 53.2% for Black — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 53.1% and 53.3% — from 429K 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
- 429K+ 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 Scandinavian Defense: Kloosterboer Gambit win rate?
Playing the Scandinavian Defense: Kloosterboer Gambit, Black wins 51.8%, draws 2.8% and loses 45.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.2%. It rests on 429K rated games from Lichess.
At what rating does the Scandinavian Defense: Kloosterboer Gambit perform best?
The Scandinavian Defense: Kloosterboer Gambit performs best for Black at 1400-1599, with an Expected Score of 54.5% (65K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.
Is the Scandinavian Defense: Kloosterboer Gambit better in blitz or rapid?
For Black, the Scandinavian Defense: Kloosterboer Gambit scores higher in Blitz: an Expected Score of 53.0% in Blitz (276K games) against 51.2% in Rapid (45K games).
How sharp is the Scandinavian Defense: Kloosterboer Gambit?
The Scandinavian Defense: Kloosterboer 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 Scandinavian Defense: Kloosterboer Gambit win rate at 0-999?
At 0-999, Black wins 50.3%, draws 3.0% and loses 46.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.8%. It rests on 2.9K Lichess games, which average 24 moves.
What is the Scandinavian Defense: Kloosterboer Gambit win rate at 1000-1199?
At 1000-1199, Black wins 53.2%, draws 2.0% and loses 44.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.2%. It rests on 11K Lichess games, which average 25 moves.
What is the Scandinavian Defense: Kloosterboer Gambit win rate at 1200-1399?
At 1200-1399, Black wins 52.8%, draws 2.3% and loses 44.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.0%. It rests on 31K Lichess games, which average 27 moves.
What is the Scandinavian Defense: Kloosterboer Gambit win rate at 1400-1599?
At 1400-1599, Black wins 53.2%, draws 2.5% and loses 44.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.5%. It rests on 65K Lichess games, which average 29 moves.
What is the Scandinavian Defense: Kloosterboer Gambit win rate at 1600-1799?
At 1600-1799, Black wins 52.9%, draws 2.5% and loses 44.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.2%. It rests on 113K Lichess games, which average 31 moves.
What is the Scandinavian Defense: Kloosterboer Gambit win rate at 1800-1999?
At 1800-1999, Black wins 51.5%, draws 3.0% and loses 45.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.0%. It rests on 116K Lichess games, which average 33 moves.
What is the Scandinavian Defense: Kloosterboer Gambit win rate at 2000-2199?
At 2000-2199, Black wins 50.1%, draws 3.4% and loses 46.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.8%. It rests on 66K Lichess games, which average 34 moves.
What is the Scandinavian Defense: Kloosterboer Gambit win rate at 2200-2499?
At 2200-2499, Black wins 46.7%, draws 3.9% and loses 49.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.7%. It rests on 23K Lichess games, which average 35 moves.
What is the Scandinavian Defense: Kloosterboer Gambit win rate at 2500+?
At 2500+, Black wins 41.9%, draws 5.9% and loses 52.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 44.9%. It rests on 1.4K Lichess games, which average 37 moves.
What is the Scandinavian Defense: Kloosterboer Gambit win rate in Bullet?
In Bullet, Black wins 53.7%, draws 2.0% and loses 44.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.7%. It rests on 108K Lichess games.
What is the Scandinavian Defense: Kloosterboer Gambit win rate in Blitz?
In Blitz, Black wins 51.4%, draws 3.1% and loses 45.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.0%. It rests on 276K Lichess games.
What is the Scandinavian Defense: Kloosterboer Gambit win rate in Rapid?
In Rapid, Black wins 49.6%, draws 3.1% and loses 47.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.2%. It rests on 45K Lichess games.
What is the Scandinavian Defense: Kloosterboer Gambit win rate in Classical?
In Classical, Black wins 46.5%, draws 2.4% and loses 51.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.7%. It rests on 811 Lichess games.
Is the Scandinavian Defense: Kloosterboer Gambit a good opening?
The Scandinavian Defense: Kloosterboer Gambit is good for Black. Across all ratings, Black wins 51.8% of its games and loses 45.4%. It performs best at 1400-1599. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.