Tree path 2 levels Queen's Pawn Game › Horwitz Defense
- Caissa Codex
- Queen's Pawn Game A40
- Horwitz Defense A40 you are here
Horwitz Defense
Overview
Horwitz Defense is a named branch in the Flank Openings group of chess theory, classified under ECO A40.
The Flank Openings group covers flank openings — systems that delay the central pawn break and instead develop pieces and pawns on the wings.
It is reached after 2 plies of play, with the move sequence 1. d4 e6.
It branches immediately from Queen's Pawn Game in the opening tree.
4 named variations grow from this line, including Benoni Defense: Franco-Sicilian Hybrid, English Defense, Zilbermints Gambit, and others.
In total, the branch covers 7 sub-variations across all depths.
Use the board to walk through every move, check how the position has scored on Lichess, or take it head-to-head against Stockfish.
- ECO code
- A40
- Group
- Flank Openings (A)
- Plies
- 2
- Parent
- Queen's Pawn Game
- Direct variations
- 4
- Total in subtree
- 7
This overview is generated automatically from the opening's metadata. Know this line well? Write a description — submissions are reviewed before publishing.
Statistics from Lichess
62,943,597 games · White 51.0% / Draw 4.8% / Black 44.2%
| Moves | Games | W / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| c4 | 25,468,295 | |
| Nf3 | 10,945,592 | |
| Bf4 | 9,678,248 | |
| e4 | 7,619,886 | |
| e3 | 4,109,950 | |
| Nc3 | 2,339,786 | |
| c3 | 753,575 | |
| g3 | 522,512 |
Source: Lichess Opening Explorer · cached 2026-09-26 00:49:03
Write a description
Markdown supported (headings ###, bold, lists, links).
Submissions are reviewed before publishing.