Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense: Pierce Gambit
68K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026
White expected score · All ratings · All speeds
47.6%
the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 47.9%.
Measured over 68K games at this level and clock.
White comes out behind here — there are better weapons in the list.
Outcomes for White
Draw 2.6 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 68K games
- Rank among the families White can choose here
- not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
- Games in this context
- 68K
- Best context
- 53.1% at 1000-1199 Blitz
- Worst context
- 41.3% at 2000-2199 Rapid
- Average game length
- 30 moves
- Games that end decisively
- 97.4%
- Draws
- 2.6%
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
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 52.6%.
| 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: 48.8% expected score (431 games)
- 0-999 rating, Blitz: 54.6% expected score (476 games)
- 0-999 rating, Rapid: 54.3% expected score (104 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 52.3% expected score (1,299 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 53.1% expected score (1,474 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 49.9% expected score (348 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 61.2% expected score (3 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 50.9% expected score (2,878 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 52.8% expected score (2,484 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 50.9% expected score (743 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 37.8% expected score (19 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 63.4% expected score (6 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 49.9% expected score (4,024 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 50.1% expected score (3,798 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 49.5% expected score (970 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 45.3% expected score (41 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 39.5% expected score (8 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 49.0% expected score (5,167 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 46.4% expected score (5,300 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 43.7% expected score (1,133 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 48.8% expected score (41 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 16.7% expected score (3 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 47.9% expected score (6,832 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 45.1% expected score (6,992 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 41.5% expected score (975 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 38.5% expected score (42 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 61.2% expected score (3 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 46.9% expected score (6,616 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 44.9% expected score (5,194 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 41.3% expected score (532 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (6 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 45.2% expected score (6,653 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 47.1% expected score (1,922 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 42.0% expected score (79 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 61.2% expected score (3 games)
- 2500+ rating, UltraBullet: 78.6% expected score (2 games)
- 2500+ rating, Bullet: 47.2% expected score (1,664 games)
- 2500+ rating, Blitz: 45.3% expected score (93 games)
- 2500+ rating, Rapid: 42.4% expected score (5 games)
Related Openings
Methodology
Across every rating and clock, the Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense: Pierce Gambit scores 47.6% for White — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 47.3% and 47.9% — from 68K 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
- 68K+ 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: Pierce Gambit win rate?
Playing the Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense: Pierce Gambit, White wins 46.2%, draws 2.6% and loses 51.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.6%. It rests on 68K rated games from Lichess.
At what rating does the Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense: Pierce Gambit perform best?
The Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense: Pierce Gambit performs best for White at 1000-1199, with an Expected Score of 52.4% (3.1K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.
Is the Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense: Pierce Gambit better in blitz or rapid?
For White, the Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense: Pierce Gambit scores higher in Blitz: an Expected Score of 47.4% in Blitz (28K games) against 45.9% in Rapid (4.9K games).
How sharp is the Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense: Pierce Gambit?
The Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense: Pierce Gambit has a sharpness score of 97.4 (very decisive), meaning 97.4% of games end decisively. Average game length is 30 moves.
What is the Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense: Pierce Gambit win rate at 0-999?
At 0-999, White wins 51.2%, draws 1.8% and loses 47.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.1%. It rests on 1.0K Lichess games, which average 24 moves.
What is the Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense: Pierce Gambit win rate at 1000-1199?
At 1000-1199, White wins 51.2%, draws 2.3% and loses 46.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.4%. It rests on 3.1K Lichess games, which average 26 moves.
What is the Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense: Pierce Gambit win rate at 1200-1399?
At 1200-1399, White wins 50.5%, draws 2.1% and loses 47.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.6%. It rests on 6.1K Lichess games, which average 27 moves.
What is the Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense: Pierce Gambit win rate at 1400-1599?
At 1400-1599, White wins 48.8%, draws 2.1% and loses 49.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.9%. It rests on 8.8K Lichess games, which average 28 moves.
What is the Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense: Pierce Gambit win rate at 1600-1799?
At 1600-1799, White wins 46.1%, draws 2.3% and loses 51.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.3%. It rests on 12K Lichess games, which average 29 moves.
What is the Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense: Pierce Gambit win rate at 1800-1999?
At 1800-1999, White wins 44.8%, draws 2.6% and loses 52.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.1%. It rests on 15K Lichess games, which average 30 moves.
What is the Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense: Pierce Gambit win rate at 2000-2199?
At 2000-2199, White wins 44.4%, draws 2.8% and loses 52.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 45.8%. It rests on 12K Lichess games, which average 31 moves.
What is the Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense: Pierce Gambit win rate at 2200-2499?
At 2200-2499, White wins 43.7%, draws 3.7% and loses 52.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 45.6%. It rests on 8.7K Lichess games, which average 32 moves.
What is the Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense: Pierce Gambit win rate at 2500+?
At 2500+, White wins 45.1%, draws 4.0% and loses 50.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.1%. It rests on 1.8K Lichess games, which average 34 moves.
What is the Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense: Pierce Gambit win rate in Bullet?
In Bullet, White wins 46.8%, draws 2.3% and loses 50.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.0%. It rests on 36K Lichess games.
What is the Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense: Pierce Gambit win rate in Blitz?
In Blitz, White wins 45.9%, draws 3.0% and loses 51.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.4%. It rests on 28K Lichess games.
What is the Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense: Pierce Gambit win rate in Rapid?
In Rapid, White wins 44.1%, draws 3.5% and loses 52.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 45.9%. It rests on 4.9K Lichess games.
What is the Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense: Pierce Gambit win rate in Classical?
In Classical, White wins 43.0%, draws 2.3% and loses 54.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 44.2%. It rests on 153 Lichess games.
Is the Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense: Pierce Gambit a good opening?
The Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense: Pierce Gambit is hard work for White — it favours Black. Across all ratings, White wins 46.2% of its games and loses 51.1%. It performs best at 1000-1199. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.