King's Gambit Declined win rate
White scored 50.9% (margin 1.1 points) in 8,392 rated games of the King's Gambit Declined, ECO C30, played between players within 100 rating points on 1 September 2026. It ranked number 38 of 117 openings by popularity and made up 0.5% of all games.
- White wins 49.3%
- Draws 3.2%
- Black wins 47.5%
8,392 games
How often does White win in the King's Gambit Declined?
White won 49.3% of the 8,392 games, 3.1% were drawn and Black won 47.5%. White's score of 50.9% is no clear difference from White's score across all openings (51.9%): the gap of 1.0 points is inside the margin of 1.1 points.
| Result | Games | Share |
|---|---|---|
| White wins | 4,140 | 49.3% |
| Draws | 264 | 3.1% |
| Black wins | 3,988 | 47.5% |
Does the King's Gambit Declined score differently at different ratings?
White's score is highest at 1200 to 1599 (50.8%) and lowest at 1600 to 1999 (50.3%). That spread of 0.4 points is inside the two margins added together, so the data show no clear difference between the bands.
Players rated 1600 to 1999 choose the King's Gambit Declined most often relative to their other openings, in 0.7 percent of their games.
| Rating band | Games | Share of the band | White score | Margin (points) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1200 to 1599 | 2,919 | 0.5% | 50.8% | 1.8 |
| 1600 to 1999 | 4,202 | 0.7% | 50.3% | 1.5 |
How does the King's Gambit Declined 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.
| Time control | Games | White score | Margin (points) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blitz | 6,685 | 50.9% | 1.2 |
| Rapid | 1,668 | 50.5% | 2.4 |
What are the most played lines of the King's Gambit Declined?
The most played named line is the Queen's Knight Defense, with 4,439 games and a White score of 51.7%. The table lists the ten most played lines that reached 300 games; a line below that is counted in the last row.
| Line | Games | White score | Margin (points) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Queen's Knight Defense | 4,439 | 51.7% | 1.4 |
| Classical Variation | 715 | 48.0% | 3.6 |
| Falkbeer Countergambit Accepted | 410 | 59.3% | 4.7 |
| Falkbeer Countergambit, Blackburne Attack | 396 | 50.8% | 4.8 |
| Falkbeer Countergambit, Staunton Line | 372 | 45.7% | 5.0 |
| Petrov's Defense | 306 | 54.7% | 5.5 |
| Main line and less played lines | 1,754 | 48.5% | 2.3 |
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 King's Gambit Declined?
White won 49.3%, drew 3.1% and lost 47.5% of 8,392 games, a White score of 50.9% with a margin of 1.1 points. These are games on Lichess on 1 September 2026.
Is the King's Gambit Declined 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 1.0 points is inside the margin of 1.1 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 King's Gambit Declined?
The Queen's Knight Defense was the most played named line, with 4,439 games, which is 52.9% of the King's Gambit Declined games.
Sources
Related guides and tools
- Dutch Defense win rate and statistics
- Rat Defense win rate and statistics
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- Blackmar-Diemer Gambit win rate and statistics
- Center Game win rate and statistics
- Nimzo-Indian Defense win rate and statistics
- Chess opening statistics for players rated under 1200
- Chess opening statistics for players rated 1200 to 1599
- Chess opening statistics for players rated 1600 to 1999
- Chess opening statistics for players rated 2000 and above
- Most popular chess openings and win rates
- Chess terms glossary
- Book your first lesson
Last updated 2026-10-22.
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