Paleface Attack
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Statistics from Lichess
803,958 games: White 46.0% / Draw 4.2% / Black 49.8%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 336,379336K | ||
| 177,221177K | ||
| 155,938156K | ||
| 60,95561K | ||
| 42,13642K | ||
| 8,1308,130 | ||
| 7,6357,635 | ||
| 6,5406,540 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 3, 2026
Engine evaluation
−0.57 Black is slightly better
Best play: 2... d5 3. Nc3 c5 4. e4 e6 5. exd5 Nxd5 6. Bb5+ Nc6 7. Nxd5
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 47% under 1400, 53% at 2200 and up (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 672K | |
| 1400–1799 | 613K | |
| 1800–2199 | 443K | |
| 2200 and up | 60K | |
| Masters, over the board | 104 |
Master games
- Benjamin, J. – Fedorowicz, J. P.
- Abbasifar, H. – Filippov, V.
- Schuster, P. – Helmer, J.
- Motta, P. – Duliba, D. E. P.
- Abbasifar, H. – Ghaem Maghami, E.
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
Paleface Attack (ECO A45, Flank Openings) is a variation of the Indian Defense, reached after 1. d4 Nf6 2. f3 (2 moves).
In 803,958 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 46.0%, Black 49.8% and 4.2% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 2…d5, in 42% of those games.
It branches into 3 named variations; the most played are Queen's Pawn Game: Veresov, Richter Attack and Indian Defense: Paleface Attack, Blackmar-Diemer Gambit Deferred.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to play against the Paleface Attack
2…c5 scores best for Black: 56.3%, with Black winning 54.1% and White 41.5% of 61K games. The most played, 2…d5, scores 51.8% in 336K games, and 2…d6 scores lowest: 50.8%. 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 Paleface Attack dipped to 0.024% of Lichess games in 2021 and has recovered since: 0.043% in 2025.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.037% | 13,295 |
| 2017 | 0.033% | 18,345 |
| 2018 | 0.03% | 23,573 |
| 2019 | 0.03% | 37,347 |
| 2020 | 0.025% | 74,597 |
| 2021 | 0.024% | 94,697 |
| 2022 | 0.026% | 98,287 |
| 2023 | 0.026% | 98,082 |
| 2024 | 0.035% | 125,841 |
| 2025 | 0.043% | 149,140 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.048% | 52,849 |
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 (3)
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Paleface Attack (A45)”. Lichess data as of 3 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/paleface-attack