Trompowsky Attack: Edge Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
508,814 games: White 48.9% / Draw 4.6% / Black 46.5%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 194,265194K | ||
| 152,975153K | ||
| 99,795100K | ||
| 32,75533K | ||
| 9,5229,522 | ||
| 5,2415,241 | ||
| 3,2443,244 | ||
| 2,4082,408 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 28, 2026
Engine evaluation
−0.19 The position is about equal
Best play: 3... g5 4. f3 gxh4 5. fxe4 c5 6. e3 Bh6 7. Nc3 Bxe3 8. dxc5
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
By rating
Rating changes little here: White scores 54% under 1400, 53% at 2200 and up and 51% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 17K | |
| 1400–1799 | 135K | |
| 1800–2199 | 324K | |
| 2200 and up | 89K | |
| Masters, over the board | 699 |
Master games
- Morozevich, A. – Gelfand, B.
- Harikrishna, P. – Duda, J. K.
- Mamedyarov, S. – Polgar, J.
- Ivanchuk, V. – Polgar, J.
- Ivanchuk, V. – Areshchenko, 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
Trompowsky Attack: Edge Variation (ECO A45, Flank Openings) is a variation of the Trompowsky Attack, reached after 1. d4 Nf6 2. Bg5 Ne4 3. Bh4 (3 moves).
In 508,814 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 48.9%, Black 46.5% and 4.6% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 3…g5, in 38% of those games.
It branches into 2 named variations; the most played are Trompowsky Attack: Edge Variation, Hergert Gambit and Trompowsky Attack: Edge Variation, Hergert 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 Trompowsky Attack: Edge Variation
3…c5 scores best for Black: 52.2%, with Black winning 49.8% and White 45.4% of 100K games. The most played answer, 3…g5, scores lowest: 48.1% in 194K games. Stockfish's first choice is 3…g5.
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 Trompowsky Attack: Edge Variation has lost ground since 2016: 0.019% of Lichess games in 2025, down from 0.023% (its peak: 0.029% in 2018).
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.023% | 8,078 |
| 2017 | 0.029% | 15,694 |
| 2018 | 0.029% | 22,539 |
| 2019 | 0.027% | 33,842 |
| 2020 | 0.021% | 61,267 |
| 2021 | 0.018% | 69,358 |
| 2022 | 0.018% | 67,198 |
| 2023 | 0.019% | 70,575 |
| 2024 | 0.018% | 66,192 |
| 2025 | 0.019% | 64,386 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.018% | 20,271 |
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 (2)
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Trompowsky Attack: Edge Variation (A45)”. Lichess data as of 28 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/trompowsky-attack-edge-variation