Formation: Shy Attack
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Statistics from Lichess
576 games: White 49.8% / Draw 4.5% / Black 45.7%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 210210 | ||
| 137137 | ||
| 4646 | ||
| 3232 | ||
| 2727 | ||
| 2727 | ||
| 2222 | ||
| 1616 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 31, 2026
Engine evaluation
−0.84 Black is better
Best play: 7... Be6 8. b4 a5 9. b5 Na7 10. c4 dxc4 11. dxc4 c6 12. bxc6
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Formation: Shy Attack (ECO A00, Flank Openings) is a variation of Anderssen's Opening, reached after 1. a3 e5 2. g3 d5 3. Bg2 Nf6 4. d3 Nc6 5. Nd2 Bd6 6. e3 O-O 7. h3 (7 moves).
In 576 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 49.8%, Black 45.7% and 4.5% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 7…Be6, in 36% of those games.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to play against the Formation: Shy Attack
7…Re8 scores best for Black: 51.1%, with Black winning 48.9% and White 46.7% of 137 games. The most played answer, 7…Be6, scores lowest: 46.0% in 210 games. Stockfish's first choice is 7…Be6.
Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: Black's wins plus half the draws, in rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500. How to play against other popular openings
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Formation: Shy Attack (A00)”. Lichess data as of 31 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/formation-shy-attack