Scotch Game: Scotch Gambit, Cochrane-Anderssen Variation
121K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026
Black expected score · All ratings · All speeds
56.7%
the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 56.9%.
Measured over 121K games at this level and clock.
A strong choice for Black at this level and clock.
Outcomes for Black
Draw 3.1 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 121K games
- Rank among the families Black can choose here
- not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
- Games in this context
- 121K
- Best context
- 58.5% at 2000-2199 Bullet
- Worst context
- 50.6% at 1000-1199 Rapid
- Average game length
- 30 moves
- Games that end decisively
- 96.9%
- Draws
- 3.1%
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: 60.8% at 0-999, 52.1% 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: 78.6% expected score (2 games)
- 0-999 rating, Bullet: 54.6% expected score (690 games)
- 0-999 rating, Blitz: 56.1% expected score (603 games)
- 0-999 rating, Rapid: 53.7% expected score (273 games)
- 0-999 rating, Classical: 61.2% expected score (3 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 16.7% expected score (3 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 54.4% expected score (2,108 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 52.8% expected score (2,291 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 50.6% expected score (649 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 64.3% expected score (9 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 63.4% expected score (6 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 56.6% expected score (4,497 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 55.5% expected score (6,299 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 56.6% expected score (1,549 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 48.3% expected score (28 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 27.0% expected score (5 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 57.1% expected score (7,769 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 55.5% expected score (12,577 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 56.5% expected score (3,257 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 61.5% expected score (81 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 61.2% expected score (3 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 56.9% expected score (8,867 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 57.0% expected score (18,852 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 56.0% expected score (4,384 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 65.6% expected score (143 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 50.0% expected score (4 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 58.3% expected score (7,821 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 57.8% expected score (16,534 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 55.4% expected score (3,836 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 63.1% expected score (129 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 58.5% expected score (5,503 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 56.0% expected score (5,684 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 57.3% expected score (1,139 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 52.9% expected score (16 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 56.1% expected score (3,178 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 54.5% expected score (1,114 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 50.4% expected score (137 games)
- 2500+ rating, Bullet: 55.2% expected score (607 games)
- 2500+ rating, Blitz: 51.2% expected score (84 games)
- 2500+ rating, Rapid: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
Related Openings
Methodology
Across every rating and clock, the Scotch Game: Scotch Gambit, Cochrane-Anderssen Variation scores 56.7% for Black — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 56.4% and 56.9% — from 121K 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
- 121K+ 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 Scotch Game: Scotch Gambit, Cochrane-Anderssen Variation win rate?
Playing the Scotch Game: Scotch Gambit, Cochrane-Anderssen Variation, Black wins 55.1%, draws 3.1% and loses 41.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 56.7%. It rests on 121K rated games from Lichess.
At what rating does the Scotch Game: Scotch Gambit, Cochrane-Anderssen Variation perform best?
The Scotch Game: Scotch Gambit, Cochrane-Anderssen Variation performs best for Black at 1800-1999, with an Expected Score of 57.6% (28K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.
Is the Scotch Game: Scotch Gambit, Cochrane-Anderssen Variation better in blitz or rapid?
For Black, the Scotch Game: Scotch Gambit, Cochrane-Anderssen Variation scores about the same in both: an Expected Score of 56.4% in Blitz (64K games) against 55.8% in Rapid (15K games).
How sharp is the Scotch Game: Scotch Gambit, Cochrane-Anderssen Variation?
The Scotch Game: Scotch Gambit, Cochrane-Anderssen Variation has a sharpness score of 96.9 (very decisive), meaning 96.9% of games end decisively. Average game length is 30 moves.
What is the Scotch Game: Scotch Gambit, Cochrane-Anderssen Variation win rate at 0-999?
At 0-999, Black wins 53.8%, draws 2.5% and loses 43.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 55.1%. It rests on 1.6K Lichess games, which average 24 moves.
What is the Scotch Game: Scotch Gambit, Cochrane-Anderssen Variation win rate at 1000-1199?
At 1000-1199, Black wins 52.1%, draws 2.1% and loses 45.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.2%. It rests on 5.1K Lichess games, which average 25 moves.
What is the Scotch Game: Scotch Gambit, Cochrane-Anderssen Variation win rate at 1200-1399?
At 1200-1399, Black wins 54.8%, draws 2.4% and loses 42.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 56.0%. It rests on 12K Lichess games, which average 27 moves.
What is the Scotch Game: Scotch Gambit, Cochrane-Anderssen Variation win rate at 1400-1599?
At 1400-1599, Black wins 54.8%, draws 2.7% and loses 42.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 56.2%. It rests on 24K Lichess games, which average 29 moves.
What is the Scotch Game: Scotch Gambit, Cochrane-Anderssen Variation win rate at 1600-1799?
At 1600-1799, Black wins 55.3%, draws 3.2% and loses 41.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 56.9%. It rests on 32K Lichess games, which average 31 moves.
What is the Scotch Game: Scotch Gambit, Cochrane-Anderssen Variation win rate at 1800-1999?
At 1800-1999, Black wins 55.9%, draws 3.4% and loses 40.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 57.6%. It rests on 28K Lichess games, which average 32 moves.
What is the Scotch Game: Scotch Gambit, Cochrane-Anderssen Variation win rate at 2000-2199?
At 2000-2199, Black wins 55.4%, draws 3.7% and loses 40.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 57.3%. It rests on 12K Lichess games, which average 33 moves.
What is the Scotch Game: Scotch Gambit, Cochrane-Anderssen Variation win rate at 2200-2499?
At 2200-2499, Black wins 53.1%, draws 4.7% and loses 42.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 55.5%. It rests on 4.4K Lichess games, which average 34 moves.
What is the Scotch Game: Scotch Gambit, Cochrane-Anderssen Variation win rate at 2500+?
At 2500+, Black wins 52.2%, draws 5.0% and loses 42.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.7%. It rests on 693 Lichess games, which average 39 moves.
What is the Scotch Game: Scotch Gambit, Cochrane-Anderssen Variation win rate in Bullet?
In Bullet, Black wins 55.9%, draws 2.3% and loses 41.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 57.1%. It rests on 41K Lichess games.
What is the Scotch Game: Scotch Gambit, Cochrane-Anderssen Variation win rate in Blitz?
In Blitz, Black wins 54.7%, draws 3.4% and loses 41.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 56.4%. It rests on 64K Lichess games.
What is the Scotch Game: Scotch Gambit, Cochrane-Anderssen Variation win rate in Rapid?
In Rapid, Black wins 53.8%, draws 4.0% and loses 42.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 55.8%. It rests on 15K Lichess games.
What is the Scotch Game: Scotch Gambit, Cochrane-Anderssen Variation win rate in Classical?
In Classical, Black wins 60.3%, draws 4.3% and loses 35.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 62.5%. It rests on 409 Lichess games.
Is the Scotch Game: Scotch Gambit, Cochrane-Anderssen Variation a good opening?
The Scotch Game: Scotch Gambit, Cochrane-Anderssen Variation is good for Black. Across all ratings, Black wins 55.1% of its games and loses 41.8%. It performs best at 1800-1999. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.