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Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense: Steinitz Gambit, Zukertort Defense

2.5K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

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Analyze this line move by move

Black expected score · All ratings · All speeds

53.9%

45%60%
Floor52.3%

the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 55.6%.

Measured over 2.5K 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 · 2.5K games

Rank among the families Black can choose here
not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
Games in this context
2.5K
Best context
not measured yet
Average game length
28 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

Traps & Chaos

Complexity: 96.3 · Trap factor: −10.8 · 2.5K games

Time-Control Swing

Max swing: 9.2% · Bullet best · Rapid worst

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: 66.9% at 0-999, 51.4% 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: 57.7% expected score (5 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 73.1% expected score (5 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 46.0% expected score (11 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 37.7% expected score (35 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 54.0% expected score (11 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 53.5% expected score (41 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 52.8% expected score (70 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 43.9% expected score (31 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 41.0% expected score (54 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 59.2% expected score (135 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 65.4% expected score (70 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 13.7% expected score (4 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 48.7% expected score (112 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 56.2% expected score (226 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 50.7% expected score (79 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 68.2% expected score (4 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 50.8% expected score (139 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 52.2% expected score (251 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 66.3% expected score (60 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 38.9% expected score (3 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 53.2% expected score (202 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 52.5% expected score (309 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 71.7% expected score (40 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 51.0% expected score (202 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 59.2% expected score (228 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 53.3% expected score (14 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 54.4% expected score (101 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 48.4% expected score (29 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: Cunningham Defense
45.3%
Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense: Hamppe-Muzio Gambit
56.7%
Analyze Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense: Steinitz Gambit, Zukertort 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: Steinitz Gambit, Zukertort Defense scores 53.9% for Black — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 52.3% and 55.6% — from 2.5K 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
2.5K+ 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: Steinitz Gambit, Zukertort Defense win rate?

Playing the Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense: Steinitz Gambit, Zukertort Defense, Black wins 52.5%, draws 2.8% and loses 44.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.9%. It rests on 2.5K rated games from Lichess.

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

The Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense: Steinitz Gambit, Zukertort Defense performs best for Black at 2200-2499, with an Expected Score of 55.4% (445 games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.

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

For Black, the Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense: Steinitz Gambit, Zukertort Defense scores higher in Rapid: an Expected Score of 54.6% in Blitz (1.3K games) against 59.8% in Rapid (306 games).

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

The Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense: Steinitz Gambit, Zukertort Defense has a sharpness score of 97.2 (very decisive), meaning 97.2% of games end decisively. Average game length is 28 moves.

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

At 1200-1399, Black wins 49.8%, draws 2.4% and loses 47.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.1%. It rests on 142 Lichess games, which average 26 moves.

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

At 1400-1599, Black wins 55.0%, draws 2.5% and loses 42.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 56.3%. It rests on 263 Lichess games, which average 25 moves.

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

At 1600-1799, Black wins 52.7%, draws 1.3% and loses 46.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.4%. It rests on 421 Lichess games, which average 26 moves.

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

At 1800-1999, Black wins 52.5%, draws 2.1% and loses 45.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.6%. It rests on 453 Lichess games, which average 28 moves.

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

At 2000-2199, Black wins 52.2%, draws 3.9% and loses 43.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.2%. It rests on 553 Lichess games, which average 29 moves.

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

At 2200-2499, Black wins 53.0%, draws 4.8% and loses 42.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 55.4%. It rests on 445 Lichess games, which average 31 moves.

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

At 2500+, Black wins 51.3%, draws 3.4% and loses 45.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.1%. It rests on 130 Lichess games, which average 34 moves.

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

In Bullet, Black wins 49.8%, draws 2.5% and loses 47.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.1%. It rests on 867 Lichess games.

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

In Blitz, Black wins 53.1%, draws 3.0% and loses 43.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.6%. It rests on 1.3K Lichess games.

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

In Rapid, Black wins 58.0%, draws 3.4% and loses 38.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 59.8%. It rests on 306 Lichess games.

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

The Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense: Steinitz Gambit, Zukertort Defense is good for Black. Across all ratings, Black wins 52.5% of its games and loses 44.7%. It performs best at 2200-2499. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.