Indian Defense: Tartakower Attack
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Statistics from Lichess
1,430,151 games: White 47.4% / Draw 5.8% / Black 46.8%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 461,375461K | ||
| 373,708374K | ||
| 319,689320K | ||
| 116,961117K | ||
| 66,10566K | ||
| 41,17041K | ||
| 15,78116K | ||
| 12,22112K |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 2, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.13 The position is about equal
Best play: 2... d5 3. Nf3 c5 4. Bg2 cxd4 5. O-O e6 6. Nxd4 e5 7. Nb3
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
By rating
Rating changes little here: White scores 51% under 1400, 50% at 2200 and up and 55% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 250K | |
| 1400–1799 | 739K | |
| 1800–2199 | 810K | |
| 2200 and up | 170K | |
| Masters, over the board | 3,650 |
Master games
- Ding Liren – Caruana, F.
- Ding Liren – Giri, A.
- Gukesh, D. – Caruana, F.
- Kramnik, V. – Giri, A.
- So, W. – Aronian, L.
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
Indian Defense: Tartakower Attack (ECO A45, Flank Openings) is a variation of the Indian Defense, reached after 1. d4 Nf6 2. g3 (2 moves).
In 1,430,151 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 47.4%, Black 46.8% and 5.8% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 2…g6, in 32% 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 Indian Defense: Tartakower Attack
2…c5 scores best for Black: 53.7%, with Black winning 50.8% and White 43.5% of 117K games. The most played, 2…g6, scores 50.0% in 461K games, and 2…e6 scores lowest: 48.6%. 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 Indian Defense: Tartakower Attack has lost ground since 2016: 0.048% of Lichess games in 2025, down from 0.078%.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.078% | 27,908 |
| 2017 | 0.073% | 40,082 |
| 2018 | 0.072% | 56,248 |
| 2019 | 0.071% | 88,631 |
| 2020 | 0.063% | 183,558 |
| 2021 | 0.054% | 211,388 |
| 2022 | 0.057% | 212,203 |
| 2023 | 0.051% | 191,782 |
| 2024 | 0.048% | 172,068 |
| 2025 | 0.048% | 167,692 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.048% | 52,249 |
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
Transpositions
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Indian Defense: Tartakower Attack (A45)”. Lichess data as of 2 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/indian-defense-tartakower-attack