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Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense: Knight Variation

637K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

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4.Nf3
Analyze this line move by move

White expected score · All ratings · All speeds

54.4%

45%60%
Floor54.3%

the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 54.5%.

Measured over 637K 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 · 637K games

Rank among the families White can choose here
not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
Games in this context
637K
Best context
58.7% at 1600-1799 Classical
Worst context
52.4% at 2000-2199 Bullet
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: +10.5% · Breakpoint: Never

Time-Control Swing

Max swing: 8.4% · UltraBullet best · Blitz 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 holds about the same all the way up, near 57.3%.

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: 60.2% expected score (28 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Bullet: 54.0% expected score (8,034 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 53.1% expected score (10,516 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 53.8% expected score (3,835 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Classical: 65.4% expected score (18 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 48.5% expected score (64 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 56.2% expected score (20,909 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 55.5% expected score (24,174 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 54.5% expected score (8,212 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 59.1% expected score (92 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 64.4% expected score (92 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 56.0% expected score (37,244 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 55.2% expected score (40,031 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 55.4% expected score (13,873 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 57.9% expected score (226 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 64.2% expected score (115 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 55.7% expected score (45,647 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 55.1% expected score (53,990 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 55.4% expected score (16,565 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 53.0% expected score (603 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 61.7% expected score (195 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 55.4% expected score (48,740 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 54.3% expected score (55,580 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 55.6% expected score (15,562 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 58.7% expected score (632 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 64.1% expected score (59 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 54.1% expected score (49,424 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 53.1% expected score (51,228 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 54.7% expected score (9,821 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 56.6% expected score (328 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 54.6% expected score (31 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 52.4% expected score (41,017 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 52.5% expected score (29,382 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 52.9% expected score (4,162 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 59.8% expected score (70 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 80.5% expected score (10 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 52.4% expected score (29,532 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 54.2% expected score (9,768 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 54.1% expected score (607 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 63.4% expected score (6 games)
  • 2500+ rating, UltraBullet: 68.2% expected score (4 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 52.4% expected score (5,790 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 59.1% expected score (466 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 66.0% expected score (11 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (1 games)

Related Openings

Parent
Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense
52.9%
Variations (5)
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: Cunningham Defense
45.3%
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: Knight Variation 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: Knight Variation scores 54.4% for White — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 54.3% and 54.5% — from 637K 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
637K+ 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: Knight Variation win rate?

Playing the Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense: Knight Variation, White wins 52.8%, draws 3.2% and loses 44.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.4%. It rests on 637K rated games from Lichess.

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

The Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense: Knight Variation performs best for White at 1000-1199, with an Expected Score of 55.7% (53K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.

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

For White, the Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense: Knight Variation scores about the same in both: an Expected Score of 54.2% in Blitz (275K games) against 55.0% in Rapid (73K games).

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

The Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense: Knight 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 Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense: Knight Variation win rate at 0-999?

At 0-999, White wins 52.1%, draws 2.8% and loses 45.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.5%. It rests on 22K Lichess games, which average 25 moves.

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

At 1000-1199, White wins 54.3%, draws 2.7% and loses 43.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 55.7%. It rests on 53K Lichess games, which average 27 moves.

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

At 1200-1399, White wins 54.2%, draws 2.7% and loses 43.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 55.5%. It rests on 91K Lichess games, which average 28 moves.

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

At 1400-1599, White wins 53.9%, draws 2.9% and loses 43.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 55.4%. It rests on 117K Lichess games, which average 29 moves.

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

At 1600-1799, White wins 53.4%, draws 3.0% and loses 43.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.9%. It rests on 121K Lichess games, which average 31 moves.

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

At 1800-1999, White wins 51.9%, draws 3.4% and loses 44.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.7%. It rests on 111K Lichess games, which average 32 moves.

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

At 2000-2199, White wins 50.6%, draws 3.8% and loses 45.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.5%. It rests on 75K Lichess games, which average 33 moves.

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

At 2200-2499, White wins 50.7%, draws 4.4% and loses 44.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.9%. It rests on 40K Lichess games, which average 35 moves.

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

At 2500+, White wins 50.2%, draws 5.4% and loses 44.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.9%. It rests on 6.3K Lichess games, which average 38 moves.

What is the Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense: Knight Variation win rate in UltraBullet?

In UltraBullet, White wins 60.8%, draws 1.6% and loses 37.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 61.6%. It rests on 598 Lichess games.

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

In Bullet, White wins 53.2%, draws 2.6% and loses 44.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.5%. It rests on 286K Lichess games.

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

In Blitz, White wins 52.4%, draws 3.6% and loses 44.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.2%. It rests on 275K Lichess games.

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

In Rapid, White wins 53.1%, draws 3.8% and loses 43.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 55.0%. It rests on 73K Lichess games.

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

In Classical, White wins 54.5%, draws 4.4% and loses 41.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 56.7%. It rests on 2.0K Lichess games.

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

The Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense: Knight Variation is good for White. Across all ratings, White wins 52.8% of its games and loses 44.0%. It performs best at 1000-1199. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.