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Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense: Cunningham Defense

44K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

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Analyze this line move by move

Black expected score · All ratings · All speeds

53.3%

45%60%
Floor52.9%

the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 53.7%.

Measured over 44K games at this level and clock.

Play Thiswins clearly more often than it loses at this level

A strong choice for Black at this level and clock.

Outcomes for Black

Draw 2.8 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 44K games

Rank among the families Black can choose here
not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
Games in this context
44K
Best context
57.8% at 1400-1599 Rapid
Worst context
43.2% at 2200-2499 Blitz
Average game length
30 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: +6.5% · 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: 49.4% at 0-999, 35.5% 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, Bullet: 54.2% expected score (132 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 48.6% expected score (108 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 45.4% expected score (53 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 61.2% expected score (3 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 50.7% expected score (552 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 60.1% expected score (331 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 52.9% expected score (103 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 27.0% expected score (5 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 54.3% expected score (1,463 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 55.7% expected score (1,413 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 58.9% expected score (312 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (6 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 54.8% expected score (2,455 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 54.7% expected score (3,680 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 57.8% expected score (772 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 46.1% expected score (24 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 42.4% expected score (5 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 52.5% expected score (3,676 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 54.1% expected score (6,070 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 55.7% expected score (1,523 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 56.4% expected score (54 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 21.5% expected score (2 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 53.7% expected score (4,124 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 52.0% expected score (6,479 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 52.5% expected score (1,501 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 44.8% expected score (56 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 50.0% expected score (6 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 55.3% expected score (3,104 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 50.0% expected score (2,991 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 47.0% expected score (622 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 63.8% expected score (13 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 53.4% expected score (1,666 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 43.2% expected score (570 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 45.6% expected score (44 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 2500+ rating, UltraBullet: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 51.1% expected score (178 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 31.0% expected score (9 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 30.0% expected score (1 games)

Related Openings

Parent
Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense
52.9%
Variations (5)
Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense: Knight Variation
52.8%
Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense: Steinitz Gambit
52.0%
Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense: Pierce Gambit
46.2%
Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense: Hamppe-Muzio Gambit
56.7%
Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense: Hamppe-Allgaier Gambit
54.7%
Analyze Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense: Cunningham Defense PositionsSee what each move is worth at your rating, move by move

Methodology

Across every rating and clock, the Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense: Cunningham Defense scores 53.3% for Black — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 52.9% and 53.7% — from 44K 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
44K+ 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 Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense: Cunningham Defense win rate?

Playing the Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense: Cunningham Defense, Black wins 51.9%, draws 2.8% and loses 45.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.3%. It rests on 44K rated games from Lichess.

At what rating does the Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense: Cunningham Defense perform best?

The Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense: Cunningham Defense performs best for Black at 1400-1599, with an Expected Score of 55.1% (6.9K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.

Is the Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense: Cunningham Defense better in blitz or rapid?

For Black, the Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense: Cunningham Defense scores higher in Rapid: an Expected Score of 52.9% in Blitz (22K games) against 53.9% in Rapid (4.9K games).

How sharp is the Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense: Cunningham Defense?

The Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense: Cunningham Defense has a sharpness score of 97.2 (very decisive), meaning 97.2% of games end decisively. Average game length is 30 moves.

What is the Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense: Cunningham Defense win rate at 0-999?

At 0-999, Black wins 49.1%, draws 2.9% and loses 48.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.6%. It rests on 293 Lichess games, which average 23 moves.

What is the Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense: Cunningham Defense win rate at 1000-1199?

At 1000-1199, Black wins 53.0%, draws 2.2% and loses 44.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.1%. It rests on 990 Lichess games, which average 25 moves.

What is the Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense: Cunningham Defense win rate at 1200-1399?

At 1200-1399, Black wins 54.4%, draws 1.8% and loses 43.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 55.3%. It rests on 3.2K Lichess games, which average 26 moves.

What is the Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense: Cunningham Defense win rate at 1400-1599?

At 1400-1599, Black wins 54.1%, draws 2.0% and loses 44.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 55.1%. It rests on 6.9K Lichess games, which average 27 moves.

What is the Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense: Cunningham Defense win rate at 1600-1799?

At 1600-1799, Black wins 52.5%, draws 2.6% and loses 44.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.8%. It rests on 11K Lichess games, which average 29 moves.

What is the Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense: Cunningham Defense win rate at 1800-1999?

At 1800-1999, Black wins 50.9%, draws 3.3% and loses 45.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.6%. It rests on 12K Lichess games, which average 32 moves.

What is the Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense: Cunningham Defense win rate at 2000-2199?

At 2000-2199, Black wins 50.4%, draws 3.5% and loses 46.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.2%. It rests on 6.7K Lichess games, which average 33 moves.

What is the Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense: Cunningham Defense win rate at 2200-2499?

At 2200-2499, Black wins 48.8%, draws 3.7% and loses 47.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.6%. It rests on 2.3K Lichess games, which average 35 moves.

What is the Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense: Cunningham Defense win rate at 2500+?

At 2500+, Black wins 46.5%, draws 6.0% and loses 47.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.5%. It rests on 189 Lichess games, which average 37 moves.

What is the Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense: Cunningham Defense win rate in Bullet?

In Bullet, Black wins 52.7%, draws 2.1% and loses 45.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.8%. It rests on 17K Lichess games.

What is the Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense: Cunningham Defense win rate in Blitz?

In Blitz, Black wins 51.2%, draws 3.2% and loses 45.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.9%. It rests on 22K Lichess games.

What is the Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense: Cunningham Defense win rate in Rapid?

In Rapid, Black wins 52.0%, draws 3.7% and loses 44.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.9%. It rests on 4.9K Lichess games.

What is the Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense: Cunningham Defense win rate in Classical?

In Classical, Black wins 48.9%, draws 2.9% and loses 48.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.4%. It rests on 155 Lichess games.

Is the Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense: Cunningham Defense a good opening?

The Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense: Cunningham Defense is good for Black. Across all ratings, Black wins 51.9% of its games and loses 45.3%. It performs best at 1400-1599. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.