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Scotch Game: Scotch Gambit, Sarratt Variation

643K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

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5.Ng5
Analyze this line move by move

White expected score · All ratings · All speeds

55.2%

45%60%
Floor55.1%

the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 55.3%.

Measured over 643K games at this level and clock.

Play Thiswins clearly more often than it loses at this level

A strong choice for White at this level and clock.

Outcomes for White

Draw 3.2 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 643K games

Rank among the families White can choose here
not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
Games in this context
643K
Best context
63.3% at 2500+ Bullet
Worst context
49.9% at 0-999 Rapid
Average game length
30 moves
Games that end decisively
96.8%
Draws
3.2%

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 BreakpointWhite

Peak: +23.2% · Breakpoint: Never

Traps & Chaos

Complexity: 91.0 · Trap factor: +9.4 · 643K games

Time-Control Swing

Max swing: 11.1% · UltraBullet best · Rapid worst

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 gets better as the rating rises: 58.2% at 0-999, 67.5% 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: 73.1% expected score (5 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Bullet: 54.5% expected score (8,493 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 51.2% expected score (13,323 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 49.9% expected score (5,856 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Classical: 62.3% expected score (27 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 67.7% expected score (41 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 56.1% expected score (19,359 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 52.8% expected score (37,568 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 51.2% expected score (16,087 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 57.5% expected score (212 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 56.0% expected score (106 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 56.6% expected score (30,067 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 53.2% expected score (68,310 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 52.6% expected score (30,298 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 50.8% expected score (751 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 71.6% expected score (68 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 57.2% expected score (33,547 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 54.4% expected score (83,114 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 53.8% expected score (40,142 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 53.2% expected score (1,655 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 62.3% expected score (27 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 56.9% expected score (25,495 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 55.7% expected score (68,547 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 55.6% expected score (33,380 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 54.9% expected score (1,733 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 64.3% expected score (16 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 58.4% expected score (20,795 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 56.8% expected score (40,470 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 58.1% expected score (18,513 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 63.0% expected score (587 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 58.9% expected score (12,341 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 59.2% expected score (15,385 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 60.7% expected score (4,567 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 67.0% expected score (90 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 60.9% expected score (6,010 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 63.2% expected score (3,461 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 61.7% expected score (617 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 58.0% expected score (11 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 63.3% expected score (1,306 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 66.0% expected score (171 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 73.1% expected score (5 games)

Related Openings

Parent
Scotch Game
52.9%
Variations (5)
Scotch Game: Lolli Variation
53.8%
Scotch Game: Classical Variation
50.6%
Scotch Game: Scotch Gambit
54.2%
Scotch Game: Schmidt Variation
47.9%
Scotch Game: Haxo Gambit
55.7%
Analyze Scotch Game: Scotch Gambit, Sarratt Variation PositionsSee what each move is worth at your rating, move by move

Methodology

Across every rating and clock, the Scotch Game: Scotch Gambit, Sarratt Variation scores 55.2% for White — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 55.1% and 55.3% — from 643K 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
643K+ 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, Sarratt Variation win rate?

Playing the Scotch Game: Scotch Gambit, Sarratt Variation, White wins 53.6%, draws 3.2% and loses 43.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 55.2%. It rests on 643K rated games from Lichess.

At what rating does the Scotch Game: Scotch Gambit, Sarratt Variation perform best?

The Scotch Game: Scotch Gambit, Sarratt Variation performs best for White at 2500+, with an Expected Score of 63.7% (1.5K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.

Is the Scotch Game: Scotch Gambit, Sarratt Variation better in blitz or rapid?

For White, the Scotch Game: Scotch Gambit, Sarratt Variation scores about the same in both: an Expected Score of 54.7% in Blitz (330K games) against 54.3% in Rapid (149K games).

How sharp is the Scotch Game: Scotch Gambit, Sarratt Variation?

The Scotch Game: Scotch Gambit, Sarratt Variation has a sharpness score of 96.8 (very decisive), meaning 96.8% of games end decisively. Average game length is 30 moves.

What is the Scotch Game: Scotch Gambit, Sarratt Variation win rate at 0-999?

At 0-999, White wins 50.7%, draws 2.3% and loses 46.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.9%. It rests on 28K Lichess games, which average 23 moves.

What is the Scotch Game: Scotch Gambit, Sarratt Variation win rate at 1000-1199?

At 1000-1199, White wins 52.1%, draws 2.4% and loses 45.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.3%. It rests on 73K Lichess games, which average 26 moves.

What is the Scotch Game: Scotch Gambit, Sarratt Variation win rate at 1200-1399?

At 1200-1399, White wins 52.5%, draws 2.7% and loses 44.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.8%. It rests on 130K Lichess games, which average 28 moves.

What is the Scotch Game: Scotch Gambit, Sarratt Variation win rate at 1400-1599?

At 1400-1599, White wins 53.4%, draws 3.0% and loses 43.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.9%. It rests on 159K Lichess games, which average 30 moves.

What is the Scotch Game: Scotch Gambit, Sarratt Variation win rate at 1600-1799?

At 1600-1799, White wins 54.1%, draws 3.5% and loses 42.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 55.9%. It rests on 129K Lichess games, which average 32 moves.

What is the Scotch Game: Scotch Gambit, Sarratt Variation win rate at 1800-1999?

At 1800-1999, White wins 55.5%, draws 4.0% and loses 40.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 57.5%. It rests on 80K Lichess games, which average 34 moves.

What is the Scotch Game: Scotch Gambit, Sarratt Variation win rate at 2000-2199?

At 2000-2199, White wins 57.1%, draws 4.3% and loses 38.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 59.3%. It rests on 32K Lichess games, which average 35 moves.

What is the Scotch Game: Scotch Gambit, Sarratt Variation win rate at 2200-2499?

At 2200-2499, White wins 59.4%, draws 4.8% and loses 35.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 61.8%. It rests on 10K Lichess games, which average 36 moves.

What is the Scotch Game: Scotch Gambit, Sarratt Variation win rate at 2500+?

At 2500+, White wins 60.3%, draws 6.7% and loses 33.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 63.7%. It rests on 1.5K Lichess games, which average 40 moves.

What is the Scotch Game: Scotch Gambit, Sarratt Variation win rate in UltraBullet?

In UltraBullet, White wins 63.5%, draws 0.9% and loses 35.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 64.0%. It rests on 264 Lichess games.

What is the Scotch Game: Scotch Gambit, Sarratt Variation win rate in Bullet?

In Bullet, White wins 56.2%, draws 2.1% and loses 41.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 57.2%. It rests on 157K Lichess games.

What is the Scotch Game: Scotch Gambit, Sarratt Variation win rate in Blitz?

In Blitz, White wins 53.0%, draws 3.4% and loses 43.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.7%. It rests on 330K Lichess games.

What is the Scotch Game: Scotch Gambit, Sarratt Variation win rate in Rapid?

In Rapid, White wins 52.4%, draws 3.7% and loses 43.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.3%. It rests on 149K Lichess games.

What is the Scotch Game: Scotch Gambit, Sarratt Variation win rate in Classical?

In Classical, White wins 52.9%, draws 4.2% and loses 42.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 55.0%. It rests on 5.1K Lichess games.

Is the Scotch Game: Scotch Gambit, Sarratt Variation a good opening?

The Scotch Game: Scotch Gambit, Sarratt Variation is good for White. Across all ratings, White wins 53.6% of its games and loses 43.2%. It performs best at 2500+. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.