Polish Opening: Rooks Swap Line
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Statistics from Lichess
44,940 games: White 48.1% / Draw 8.1% / Black 43.9%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 15,60416K | ||
| 12,42712K | ||
| 4,6174,617 | ||
| 4,5244,524 | ||
| 3,8503,850 | ||
| 1,2601,260 | ||
| 870870 | ||
| 734734 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 28, 2026
Engine evaluation
−0.03 The position is about equal
Best play: 6... c6 7. e3 Be7 8. Nf3 O-O 9. Be2 d5 10. bxc6 bxc6 11. c4
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Polish Opening: Rooks Swap Line (ECO A00, Flank Openings) is a variation of the Polish Opening: Queenside Defense, reached after 1. b4 e6 2. Bb2 Nf6 3. b5 a6 4. a4 axb5 5. axb5 Rxa1 6. Bxa1 (6 moves).
In 44,940 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 48.1%, Black 43.9% and 8.1% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 6…c6, in 35% 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: Rooks Swap Line
6…b6 scores best for Black: 49.4%, with Black winning 45.1% and White 46.3% of 4,524 games. The most played, 6…c6, scores 47.0% in 16K games, and 6…Bc5 scores lowest: 46.0%. Stockfish's first choice is 6…c6.
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
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Polish Opening: Rooks Swap Line (A00)”. Lichess data as of 28 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/polish-opening-rooks-swap-line