French Defense: Horwitz Attack
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Statistics from Lichess
1,361,169 games: White 49.4% / Draw 4.6% / Black 46.0%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 984,283984K | ||
| 90,58991K | ||
| 63,88364K | ||
| 48,84349K | ||
| 41,98442K | ||
| 26,96427K | ||
| 16,89217K | ||
| 14,75815K |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 30, 2026
Engine evaluation
−0.20 The position is about equal
Best play: 2... d5 3. exd5 exd5 4. d4 Bd6 5. Bd3 Nc6 6. Ne2 Nb4 7. O-O
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
By rating
The stronger the players, the better this line does for White: White scores 50% under 1400, 53% at 2200 and up and 52% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 242K | |
| 1400–1799 | 664K | |
| 1800–2199 | 793K | |
| 2200 and up | 161K | |
| Masters, over the board | 721 |
Master games
- Van Foreest, J. – Duda, J.
- Vallejo Pons, F. – Santos Latasa, J.
- Dardha, D. – Bluebaum, M.
- Van Foreest, J. – Meier, G.
- Paichadze, L. – Martirosyan, H. M.
Rated blitz, rapid and classical Lichess games by rating band, and over-the-board games of players rated 2200+ from the Lichess masters database, updated Sep 27, 2026
Overview
French Defense: Horwitz Attack (ECO C00, Open Games) is a variation of the French Defense, reached after 1. e4 e6 2. b3 (2 moves).
In 1,361,169 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 49.4%, Black 46.0% and 4.6% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 2…d5, in 72% of those games.
It continues into one named variation, French Defense: Horwitz Attack, Papa-Ticulat Gambit.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to play against the French Defense: Horwitz Attack
2…c5 scores best for Black: 49.7%, with Black winning 47.5% and White 48.0% of 91K games. The most played answer, 2…d5, scores lowest: 48.6% in 984K games. Stockfish's first choice is 2…d5.
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
Popularity by year
The French Defense: Horwitz Attack dipped to 0.046% of Lichess games in 2021 and has recovered since: 0.06% in 2025.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.071% | 25,243 |
| 2017 | 0.067% | 37,135 |
| 2018 | 0.067% | 52,289 |
| 2019 | 0.056% | 70,102 |
| 2020 | 0.051% | 149,633 |
| 2021 | 0.046% | 179,194 |
| 2022 | 0.046% | 172,627 |
| 2023 | 0.048% | 180,989 |
| 2024 | 0.054% | 192,168 |
| 2025 | 0.06% | 207,268 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.061% | 67,094 |
Share of rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500 (blitz, rapid and classical) that reach this position, by year; 2026: January to April. Which openings are rising and falling
Variations (1)
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “French Defense: Horwitz Attack (C00)”. Lichess data as of 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/french-defense-horwitz-attack