Polish Opening: Outflank Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
484,593 games: White 47.8% / Draw 5.2% / Black 47.0%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 408,272408K | ||
| 27,06927K | ||
| 15,05215K | ||
| 11,91912K | ||
| 9,3559,355 | ||
| 3,7203,720 | ||
| 2,4942,494 | ||
| Caro-Kann Defense: Labahn Attack | 2,0762,076 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 28, 2026
Engine evaluation
−0.01 The position is about equal
Best play: 2. e3 d5 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. c4 Bg4 5. Bb2 Nbd7 6. a3 e6
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 50% under 1400, 52% at 2200 and up (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 88K | |
| 1400–1799 | 274K | |
| 1800–2199 | 283K | |
| 2200 and up | 31K | |
| Masters, over the board | 204 |
Master games
- Bauer, C. – Wagner, D.
- Meijers, V. – Naiditsch, A.
- Yudasin, L. – Epishin, V.
- Campora, D. H. – Cheparinov, I.
- Campora, D. H. – Rodriguez Vila, A.
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: Outflank Variation (ECO A00, Flank Openings) is a variation of the Polish Opening, reached after 1. b4 c6 (1 move).
In 484,593 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 47.8%, Black 47.0% and 5.2% were drawn. White's most played move here is 2. Bb2, in 84% of those games.
It continues into one named variation, Polish Opening: Schuehler 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 Polish Opening: Outflank Variation
2. c4 scores best for White: 51.5%, with White winning 48.7% and Black 45.6% of 27K games. The most played answer, 2. Bb2, scores lowest: 50.5% in 408K games. Stockfish's first choice is 2. 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: Outflank Variation dipped to 0.016% of Lichess games in 2020 and has recovered since: 0.02% in 2025.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.018% | 6,605 |
| 2017 | 0.02% | 11,230 |
| 2018 | 0.021% | 16,423 |
| 2019 | 0.019% | 24,020 |
| 2020 | 0.016% | 47,739 |
| 2021 | 0.017% | 65,018 |
| 2022 | 0.018% | 69,148 |
| 2023 | 0.019% | 70,787 |
| 2024 | 0.02% | 71,819 |
| 2025 | 0.02% | 70,674 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.02% | 22,322 |
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)
Transpositions
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Polish Opening: Outflank Variation (A00)”. Lichess data as of 28 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/polish-opening-outflank-variation