Vienna Game: Vienna Gambit, Kaufmann Variation
2.6K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026
White expected score · All ratings · All speeds
59.3%
the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 60.9%.
Measured over 2.6K games at this level and clock.
A strong choice for White at this level and clock.
Outcomes for White
Draw 4.7 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 2.6K games
- Rank among the families White can choose here
- not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
- Games in this context
- 2.6K
- Best context
- 61.0% at 1800-1999 Blitz
- Worst context
- 55.1% at 2000-2199 Blitz
- Average game length
- 30 moves
- Games that end decisively
- 95.3%
- Draws
- 4.7%
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 58.5%.
| 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: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
- 0-999 rating, Blitz: 44.2% expected score (7 games)
- 0-999 rating, Rapid: 61.2% expected score (3 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 63.4% expected score (6 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 91.2% expected score (7 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 71.1% expected score (8 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 45.7% expected score (10 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 62.3% expected score (23 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 40.9% expected score (15 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 44.4% expected score (25 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 58.7% expected score (85 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 62.9% expected score (49 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 21.5% expected score (2 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 48.2% expected score (53 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 61.7% expected score (200 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 61.4% expected score (78 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 44.3% expected score (16 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 54.4% expected score (67 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 61.0% expected score (601 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 63.8% expected score (133 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 29.0% expected score (8 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 57.8% expected score (128 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 55.1% expected score (555 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 69.6% expected score (93 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 78.6% expected score (9 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 56.3% expected score (62 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 61.5% expected score (243 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 81.4% expected score (24 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 35.7% expected score (2 games)
- 2500+ rating, Bullet: 53.8% expected score (25 games)
- 2500+ rating, Blitz: 57.4% expected score (12 games)
- 2500+ rating, Rapid: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
Related Openings
Methodology
Across every rating and clock, the Vienna Game: Vienna Gambit, Kaufmann Variation scores 59.3% for White — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 57.7% and 60.9% — from 2.6K 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
- 2.6K+ 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 Game: Vienna Gambit, Kaufmann Variation win rate?
Playing the Vienna Game: Vienna Gambit, Kaufmann Variation, White wins 56.9%, draws 4.7% and loses 38.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 59.3%. It rests on 2.6K rated games from Lichess.
At what rating does the Vienna Game: Vienna Gambit, Kaufmann Variation perform best?
The Vienna Game: Vienna Gambit, Kaufmann Variation performs best for White at 1800-1999, with an Expected Score of 60.6% (809 games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.
Is the Vienna Game: Vienna Gambit, Kaufmann Variation better in blitz or rapid?
For White, the Vienna Game: Vienna Gambit, Kaufmann Variation scores higher in Rapid: an Expected Score of 59.3% in Blitz (1.7K games) against 65.3% in Rapid (404 games).
How sharp is the Vienna Game: Vienna Gambit, Kaufmann Variation?
The Vienna Game: Vienna Gambit, Kaufmann Variation has a sharpness score of 95.3 (very decisive), meaning 95.3% of games end decisively. Average game length is 30 moves.
What is the Vienna Game: Vienna Gambit, Kaufmann Variation win rate at 1400-1599?
At 1400-1599, White wins 55.1%, draws 4.0% and loses 40.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 57.1%. It rests on 161 Lichess games, which average 27 moves.
What is the Vienna Game: Vienna Gambit, Kaufmann Variation win rate at 1600-1799?
At 1600-1799, White wins 56.7%, draws 4.2% and loses 39.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 58.8%. It rests on 347 Lichess games, which average 28 moves.
What is the Vienna Game: Vienna Gambit, Kaufmann Variation win rate at 1800-1999?
At 1800-1999, White wins 58.4%, draws 4.3% and loses 37.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 60.6%. It rests on 809 Lichess games, which average 30 moves.
What is the Vienna Game: Vienna Gambit, Kaufmann Variation win rate at 2000-2199?
At 2000-2199, White wins 55.4%, draws 4.5% and loses 40.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 57.7%. It rests on 785 Lichess games, which average 31 moves.
What is the Vienna Game: Vienna Gambit, Kaufmann Variation win rate at 2200-2499?
At 2200-2499, White wins 57.9%, draws 8.0% and loses 34.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 61.9%. It rests on 331 Lichess games, which average 33 moves.
What is the Vienna Game: Vienna Gambit, Kaufmann Variation win rate in Bullet?
In Bullet, White wins 52.4%, draws 3.8% and loses 43.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.4%. It rests on 377 Lichess games.
What is the Vienna Game: Vienna Gambit, Kaufmann Variation win rate in Blitz?
In Blitz, White wins 56.9%, draws 4.8% and loses 38.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 59.3%. It rests on 1.7K Lichess games.
What is the Vienna Game: Vienna Gambit, Kaufmann Variation win rate in Rapid?
In Rapid, White wins 62.5%, draws 5.5% and loses 31.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 65.3%. It rests on 404 Lichess games.
Is the Vienna Game: Vienna Gambit, Kaufmann Variation a good opening?
The Vienna Game: Vienna Gambit, Kaufmann Variation is good for White. Across all ratings, White wins 56.9% of its games and loses 38.3%. It performs best at 1800-1999. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.