Zukertort Opening: Tennison Gambit, Brigg's Trap
44K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026
Black expected score · All ratings · All speeds
26.4%
the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 26.7%.
Measured over 44K games at this level and clock.
Black comes out behind here — there are better weapons in the list.
Outcomes for Black
Draw 2.2 · 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
- 37.1% at 1000-1199 Bullet
- Worst context
- 16.3% at 1800-1999 Rapid
- Average game length
- 26 moves
- Games that end decisively
- 97.8%
- Draws
- 2.2%
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
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: 41.6% at 0-999, 24.7% at 2500+.
| 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: 37.9% expected score (160 games)
- 0-999 rating, Blitz: 44.4% expected score (43 games)
- 0-999 rating, Rapid: 42.6% expected score (12 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 37.1% expected score (798 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 38.2% expected score (257 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 43.6% expected score (37 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 61.2% expected score (3 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 34.3% expected score (2,081 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 31.0% expected score (1,091 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 31.5% expected score (123 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 42.4% expected score (5 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 32.1% expected score (3,684 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 29.4% expected score (3,486 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 28.6% expected score (448 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 42.4% expected score (5 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 21.5% expected score (2 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 29.6% expected score (4,936 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 23.1% expected score (7,354 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 21.2% expected score (1,048 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 32.6% expected score (33 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 29.7% expected score (4,750 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 18.1% expected score (5,974 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 16.3% expected score (931 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 30.0% expected score (21 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 26.8% expected score (2,896 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 17.8% expected score (1,344 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 12.5% expected score (261 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 16.7% expected score (3 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 28.6% expected score (1,515 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 17.0% expected score (135 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 44.2% expected score (7 games)
- 2500+ rating, Bullet: 26.6% expected score (169 games)
- 2500+ rating, Blitz: 22.8% expected score (4 games)
Related Openings
Methodology
Across every rating and clock, the Zukertort Opening: Tennison Gambit, Brigg's Trap scores 26.4% for Black — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 26.0% and 26.7% — 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 Zukertort Opening: Tennison Gambit, Brigg's Trap win rate?
Playing the Zukertort Opening: Tennison Gambit, Brigg's Trap, Black wins 25.3%, draws 2.2% and loses 72.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 26.4%. It rests on 44K rated games from Lichess.
At what rating does the Zukertort Opening: Tennison Gambit, Brigg's Trap perform best?
The Zukertort Opening: Tennison Gambit, Brigg's Trap performs best for Black at 1000-1199, with an Expected Score of 37.6% (1.1K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.
Is the Zukertort Opening: Tennison Gambit, Brigg's Trap better in blitz or rapid?
For Black, the Zukertort Opening: Tennison Gambit, Brigg's Trap scores higher in Blitz: an Expected Score of 23.0% in Blitz (20K games) against 20.7% in Rapid (2.9K games).
How sharp is the Zukertort Opening: Tennison Gambit, Brigg's Trap?
The Zukertort Opening: Tennison Gambit, Brigg's Trap has a sharpness score of 97.8 (very decisive), meaning 97.8% of games end decisively. Average game length is 26 moves.
What is the Zukertort Opening: Tennison Gambit, Brigg's Trap win rate at 0-999?
At 0-999, Black wins 37.2%, draws 4.4% and loses 58.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 39.4%. It rests on 215 Lichess games, which average 19 moves.
What is the Zukertort Opening: Tennison Gambit, Brigg's Trap win rate at 1000-1199?
At 1000-1199, Black wins 36.5%, draws 2.2% and loses 61.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 37.6%. It rests on 1.1K Lichess games, which average 21 moves.
What is the Zukertort Opening: Tennison Gambit, Brigg's Trap win rate at 1200-1399?
At 1200-1399, Black wins 32.2%, draws 1.9% and loses 66.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 33.1%. It rests on 3.3K Lichess games, which average 23 moves.
What is the Zukertort Opening: Tennison Gambit, Brigg's Trap win rate at 1400-1599?
At 1400-1599, Black wins 29.5%, draws 2.3% and loses 68.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 30.7%. It rests on 7.6K Lichess games, which average 25 moves.
What is the Zukertort Opening: Tennison Gambit, Brigg's Trap win rate at 1600-1799?
At 1600-1799, Black wins 24.2%, draws 2.3% and loses 73.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 25.4%. It rests on 13K Lichess games, which average 26 moves.
What is the Zukertort Opening: Tennison Gambit, Brigg's Trap win rate at 1800-1999?
At 1800-1999, Black wins 21.7%, draws 2.0% and loses 76.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 22.7%. It rests on 12K Lichess games, which average 26 moves.
What is the Zukertort Opening: Tennison Gambit, Brigg's Trap win rate at 2000-2199?
At 2000-2199, Black wins 22.0%, draws 2.3% and loses 75.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 23.2%. It rests on 4.5K Lichess games, which average 27 moves.
What is the Zukertort Opening: Tennison Gambit, Brigg's Trap win rate at 2200-2499?
At 2200-2499, Black wins 26.5%, draws 2.3% and loses 71.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 27.6%. It rests on 1.7K Lichess games, which average 28 moves.
What is the Zukertort Opening: Tennison Gambit, Brigg's Trap win rate at 2500+?
At 2500+, Black wins 24.9%, draws 2.6% and loses 72.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 26.2%. It rests on 173 Lichess games, which average 28 moves.
What is the Zukertort Opening: Tennison Gambit, Brigg's Trap win rate in Bullet?
In Bullet, Black wins 29.3%, draws 2.1% and loses 68.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 30.4%. It rests on 21K Lichess games.
What is the Zukertort Opening: Tennison Gambit, Brigg's Trap win rate in Blitz?
In Blitz, Black wins 21.8%, draws 2.3% and loses 75.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 23.0%. It rests on 20K Lichess games.
What is the Zukertort Opening: Tennison Gambit, Brigg's Trap win rate in Rapid?
In Rapid, Black wins 19.6%, draws 2.1% and loses 78.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 20.7%. It rests on 2.9K Lichess games.
Is the Zukertort Opening: Tennison Gambit, Brigg's Trap a good opening?
The Zukertort Opening: Tennison Gambit, Brigg's Trap is hard work for Black — it favours White. Across all ratings, Black wins 25.3% of its games and loses 72.5%. It performs best at 1000-1199. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.