Dutch Defense win rate

White scored 52.4% (margin 1.0 points) in 9,514 rated games of the Dutch Defense, ECO A80, played between players within 100 rating points on 1 September 2026. It ranked number 37 of 117 openings by popularity and made up 0.6% of all games.

50.3%

45.5%

White wins 50.3%
Draws 4.2%
Black wins 45.5%

9,514 games

How often does White win in the Dutch Defense?

White won 50.3% of the 9,514 games, 4.2% were drawn and Black won 45.5%. White's score of 52.4% is no clear difference from White's score across all openings (51.9%): the gap of 0.5 points is inside the margin of 1.0 points.

Results of 9,514 Dutch Defense games, 1 September 2026.
Result	Games	Share
White wins	4,784	50.3%
Draws	402	4.2%
Black wins	4,328	45.5%

Does the Dutch Defense score differently at different ratings?

White's score is highest at 1600 to 1999 (53.0%) and lowest at 1200 to 1599 (51.6%). That spread of 1.3 points is inside the two margins added together, so the data show no clear difference between the bands.

Players rated 2000 and above choose the Dutch Defense most often relative to their other openings, in 1.0 percent of their games.

White's score in the Dutch Defense by the lower rating of the two players, 1 September 2026.
Rating band	Games	Share of the band	White score	Margin (points)
1200 to 1599	2,645	0.5%	51.6%	1.9
1600 to 1999	4,474	0.7%	53.0%	1.4
2000 and above	1,567	1.0%	51.9%	2.4

How does the Dutch Defense do in blitz, rapid and classical?

The time control changes who tends to win, because the clock matters more in faster games. Rows with fewer than 1,500 games are left out.

White's score in the Dutch Defense by time control, 1 September 2026.
Time control	Games	White score	Margin (points)
Blitz	7,434	52.4%	1.1
Rapid	2,025	52.2%	2.1

What are the most played lines of the Dutch Defense?

The most played named line is the Queen's Knight Variation, with 1,298 games and a White score of 52.5%. The table lists the ten most played lines that reached 300 games; a line below that is counted in the last row.

Named lines of the Dutch Defense, most played first, 1 September 2026.
Line	Games	White score	Margin (points)
Queen's Knight Variation	1,298	52.5%	2.7
Raphael Variation	776	52.6%	3.4
Rubinstein Variation	750	50.7%	3.5
Classical Variation	489	51.7%	4.3
Normal Variation	449	52.1%	4.5
Hopton Attack	410	52.8%	4.7
Main line and less played lines	5,342	52.6%	1.3

How were these opening statistics measured?

Rated Blitz, Rapid and Classical games on 1 September 2026 between players within 100 rating points, banded by the lower rating. A score is wins plus half the draws, with a 95 percent margin. The hub page explains the method in full.

Frequently asked questions

What is the win rate of the Dutch Defense?

White won 50.3%, drew 4.2% and lost 45.5% of 9,514 games, a White score of 52.4% with a margin of 1.0 points. These are games on Lichess on 1 September 2026.

Is the Dutch Defense good for White?

At these ratings White's score was no clear difference from White's score across all openings (51.9%): the gap of 0.5 points is inside the margin of 1.0 points. A difference of a point or two is small, and the side that picks an opening also picks which games reach it, so the number describes what happened at these ratings and is not a ruling on the opening.

What is the most popular line of the Dutch Defense?

The Queen's Knight Variation was the most played named line, with 1,298 games, which is 13.6% of the Dutch Defense games.

Sources

Lichess open database, standard rated games (CC0), file for September 2026, read 2026-10-22

Related guides and tools

Last updated 2026-10-22.

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