Polish Opening: Baltic Defense
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Statistics from Lichess
275,026 games: White 52.0% / Draw 4.5% / Black 43.5%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 163,330163K | ||
| 60,86961K | ||
| 12,87113K | ||
| 11,97712K | ||
| 7,3077,307 | ||
| 5,2935,293 | ||
| 3,6843,684 | ||
| 3,5403,540 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 6, 2026
Engine evaluation
−0.12 The position is about equal
Best play: 3. e3 Nf6 4. a3 e6 5. c4 Be7 6. Nf3 O-O 7. cxd5 exd5
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
By rating
Rating changes little here: Black scores 48% under 1400, 50% at 2200 and up (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 46K | |
| 1400–1799 | 200K | |
| 1800–2199 | 144K | |
| 2200 and up | 8,223 | |
| Masters, over the board | 25 |
Master games
- Larsen, B. – Browne, W. S.
- Morovic Fernandez, I. – Obregon Rivero, J. C.
- Zilberman, Y. – Kogan, A.
- Bach, M. – Berg, E.
- Gashimov, V. – Zulfugarli, 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
Polish Opening: Baltic Defense (ECO A00, Flank Openings) is a variation of the Polish Opening, with d5, reached after 1. b4 d5 2. Bb2 Bf5 (2 moves).
In 275,026 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 52.0%, Black 43.5% and 4.5% were drawn. White's most played move here is 3. e3, in 59% 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 Polish Opening: Baltic Defense
3. Nf3 scores best for White: 55.1%, with White winning 52.8% and Black 42.5% of 61K games. The most played answer, 3. e3, scores lowest: 54.9% in 163K games. Stockfish's first choice is 3. e3.
Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: White'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 Polish Opening: Baltic Defense dipped to 0.0095% of Lichess games in 2020 and has recovered since: 0.011% in 2025.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.012% | 4,213 |
| 2017 | 0.012% | 6,400 |
| 2018 | 0.01% | 8,214 |
| 2019 | 0.011% | 13,161 |
| 2020 | 0.0095% | 27,938 |
| 2021 | 0.01% | 39,764 |
| 2022 | 0.011% | 40,358 |
| 2023 | 0.011% | 40,356 |
| 2024 | 0.011% | 39,320 |
| 2025 | 0.011% | 38,492 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.011% | 12,200 |
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
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Polish Opening: Baltic Defense (A00)”. Lichess data as of 6 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/polish-opening-baltic-defense