Scandinavian Defense: Portuguese Gambit, Banker Variation
80K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026
White expected score · All ratings · All speeds
39.1%
the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 39.4%.
Measured over 80K games at this level and clock.
White comes out behind here — there are better weapons in the list.
Outcomes for White
Draw 2.7 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 80K games
- Rank among the families White can choose here
- not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
- Games in this context
- 80K
- Best context
- 45.5% at 2500+ Bullet
- Worst context
- 35.2% at 2000-2199 Rapid
- Average game length
- 29 moves
- Games that end decisively
- 97.3%
- Draws
- 2.7%
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 · 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 falls away as the rating rises: 54.0% at 0-999, 47.9% 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, Bullet: 39.3% expected score (31 games)
- 0-999 rating, Blitz: 62.2% expected score (19 games)
- 0-999 rating, Rapid: 60.6% expected score (8 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 49.4% expected score (80 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 53.8% expected score (51 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 50.0% expected score (13 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 61.2% expected score (3 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 21.5% expected score (2 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 45.2% expected score (344 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 51.3% expected score (237 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 57.1% expected score (34 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 21.5% expected score (2 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 44.8% expected score (1,384 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 44.1% expected score (1,244 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 42.3% expected score (161 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 23.9% expected score (10 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 11.5% expected score (5 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 38.9% expected score (3,571 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 41.1% expected score (5,537 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 44.4% expected score (780 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 37.7% expected score (31 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 31.9% expected score (4 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 39.2% expected score (6,369 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 36.0% expected score (16,482 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 37.0% expected score (2,409 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 32.3% expected score (176 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 61.2% expected score (3 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 40.6% expected score (7,323 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 37.2% expected score (15,667 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 35.2% expected score (3,530 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 36.1% expected score (81 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 21.5% expected score (2 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 43.9% expected score (5,386 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 41.9% expected score (6,094 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 41.6% expected score (1,105 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 54.3% expected score (22 games)
- 2500+ rating, Bullet: 45.5% expected score (1,316 games)
- 2500+ rating, Blitz: 40.9% expected score (453 games)
- 2500+ rating, Rapid: 57.3% expected score (19 games)
Related Openings
Methodology
Across every rating and clock, the Scandinavian Defense: Portuguese Gambit, Banker Variation scores 39.1% for White — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 38.8% and 39.4% — from 80K 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
- 80K+ 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: Portuguese Gambit, Banker Variation win rate?
Playing the Scandinavian Defense: Portuguese Gambit, Banker Variation, White wins 37.7%, draws 2.7% and loses 59.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 39.1%. It rests on 80K rated games from Lichess.
At what rating does the Scandinavian Defense: Portuguese Gambit, Banker Variation perform best?
The Scandinavian Defense: Portuguese Gambit, Banker Variation performs best for White at 1000-1199, with an Expected Score of 51.4% (147 games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.
Is the Scandinavian Defense: Portuguese Gambit, Banker Variation better in blitz or rapid?
For White, the Scandinavian Defense: Portuguese Gambit, Banker Variation scores about the same in both: an Expected Score of 38.2% in Blitz (46K games) against 37.8% in Rapid (8.1K games).
How sharp is the Scandinavian Defense: Portuguese Gambit, Banker Variation?
The Scandinavian Defense: Portuguese Gambit, Banker Variation has a sharpness score of 97.3 (very decisive), meaning 97.3% of games end decisively. Average game length is 29 moves.
What is the Scandinavian Defense: Portuguese Gambit, Banker Variation win rate at 1000-1199?
At 1000-1199, White wins 49.5%, draws 3.7% and loses 46.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.4%. It rests on 147 Lichess games, which average 25 moves.
What is the Scandinavian Defense: Portuguese Gambit, Banker Variation win rate at 1200-1399?
At 1200-1399, White wins 47.1%, draws 1.9% and loses 51.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.0%. It rests on 618 Lichess games, which average 26 moves.
What is the Scandinavian Defense: Portuguese Gambit, Banker Variation win rate at 1400-1599?
At 1400-1599, White wins 43.2%, draws 1.8% and loses 54.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 44.2%. It rests on 2.8K Lichess games, which average 27 moves.
What is the Scandinavian Defense: Portuguese Gambit, Banker Variation win rate at 1600-1799?
At 1600-1799, White wins 39.4%, draws 2.3% and loses 58.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 40.5%. It rests on 9.9K Lichess games, which average 28 moves.
What is the Scandinavian Defense: Portuguese Gambit, Banker Variation win rate at 1800-1999?
At 1800-1999, White wins 35.7%, draws 2.4% and loses 62.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 36.9%. It rests on 25K Lichess games, which average 28 moves.
What is the Scandinavian Defense: Portuguese Gambit, Banker Variation win rate at 2000-2199?
At 2000-2199, White wins 36.4%, draws 2.8% and loses 60.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 37.8%. It rests on 27K Lichess games, which average 29 moves.
What is the Scandinavian Defense: Portuguese Gambit, Banker Variation win rate at 2200-2499?
At 2200-2499, White wins 40.9%, draws 3.6% and loses 55.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 42.7%. It rests on 13K Lichess games, which average 31 moves.
What is the Scandinavian Defense: Portuguese Gambit, Banker Variation win rate at 2500+?
At 2500+, White wins 41.7%, draws 5.6% and loses 52.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 44.5%. It rests on 1.8K Lichess games, which average 36 moves.
What is the Scandinavian Defense: Portuguese Gambit, Banker Variation win rate in Bullet?
In Bullet, White wins 40.1%, draws 2.2% and loses 57.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 41.2%. It rests on 26K Lichess games.
What is the Scandinavian Defense: Portuguese Gambit, Banker Variation win rate in Blitz?
In Blitz, White wins 36.7%, draws 3.0% and loses 60.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 38.2%. It rests on 46K Lichess games.
What is the Scandinavian Defense: Portuguese Gambit, Banker Variation win rate in Rapid?
In Rapid, White wins 36.3%, draws 3.0% and loses 60.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 37.8%. It rests on 8.1K Lichess games.
What is the Scandinavian Defense: Portuguese Gambit, Banker Variation win rate in Classical?
In Classical, White wins 32.4%, draws 5.1% and loses 62.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 35.0%. It rests on 324 Lichess games.
Is the Scandinavian Defense: Portuguese Gambit, Banker Variation a good opening?
The Scandinavian Defense: Portuguese Gambit, Banker Variation is hard work for White — it favours Black. Across all ratings, White wins 37.7% of its games and loses 59.5%. It performs best at 1000-1199. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.