Scotch Game: Horwitz Attack
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Statistics from Lichess
42,680 games: White 56.4% / Draw 4.4% / Black 39.2%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 27,12727K | ||
| 6,0836,083 | ||
| 5,3815,381 | ||
| 1,9151,915 | ||
| 1,1961,196 | ||
| 591591 | ||
| 316316 | ||
| 3737 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 31, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.31 White is slightly better
Best play: 5... Bb4+ 6. Bd2 Qxe4+ 7. Be2 Kd8 8. O-O Bxd2 9. Nxd2 Qf5 10. Bd3
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Scotch Game: Horwitz Attack (ECO C45, Open Games) is a variation of the Scotch Game: Steinitz Variation, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Qh4 5. Nb5 (5 moves).
In 42,680 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 56.4%, Black 39.2% and 4.4% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 5…Qxe4+, in 64% of those games.
It continues into one named variation, Scotch Game. In all, 3 named lines continue from it.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to play against the Scotch Game: Horwitz Attack
5…Bc5 scores best for Black: 52.9%, with Black winning 49.8% and White 43.9% of 5,381 games. The most played answer, 5…Qxe4+, scores lowest: 37.2% in 27K games. Stockfish's first choice is 5…Bb4+.
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
Variations (1)
All 3 named lines that continue from here
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Scotch Game: Horwitz Attack (C45)”. Lichess data as of 31 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/scotch-game-horwitz-attack