Trompowsky Attack: Raptor Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
295,120 games: White 50.2% / Draw 5.8% / Black 44.0%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 90,72591K | ||
| 68,49268K | ||
| 64,98365K | ||
| 55,22855K | ||
| 4,7984,798 | ||
| 3,8463,846 | ||
| 3,6723,672 | ||
| 1,4951,495 |
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: 3... d5 4. Nd2 Bf5 5. Nxe4 Bxe4 6. Bf4 h6 7. e3 e6 8. Ne2
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 53% under 1400, 54% at 2200 and up and 55% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 9,950 | |
| 1400–1799 | 43K | |
| 1800–2199 | 159K | |
| 2200 and up | 107K | |
| Masters, over the board | 699 |
Master games
- Mamedyarov, S. – Vachier Lagrave, M.
- Korobov, A. – Areshchenko, A.
- Artemiev, V. – Rakhmanov, A.
- Mamedyarov, S. – Safarli, E.
- Rapport, R. – Kokarev, D.
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: Raptor Variation (ECO A45, Flank Openings) is a variation of the Trompowsky Attack, reached after 1. d4 Nf6 2. Bg5 Ne4 3. h4 (3 moves).
In 295,120 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 50.2%, Black 44.0% and 5.8% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 3…Nxg5, in 31% of those games.
It continues into one named variation, Trompowsky Attack: Raptor 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: Raptor Variation
3…d5 scores best for Black: 48.7%, with Black winning 45.4% and White 48.0% of 55K games. The most played answer, 3…Nxg5, scores lowest: 44.5% in 91K games. Stockfish's first choice is also 3…d5.
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: Raptor Variation has gained ground since 2016: 0.011% of Lichess games in 2025, up from 0.0088% (its peak: 0.013% in 2020).
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.0088% | 3,159 |
| 2017 | 0.009% | 4,962 |
| 2018 | 0.0096% | 7,535 |
| 2019 | 0.011% | 14,035 |
| 2020 | 0.013% | 37,851 |
| 2021 | 0.011% | 43,569 |
| 2022 | 0.011% | 43,157 |
| 2023 | 0.011% | 41,890 |
| 2024 | 0.011% | 41,027 |
| 2025 | 0.011% | 39,671 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.012% | 13,371 |
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)
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Trompowsky Attack: Raptor Variation (A45)”. Lichess data as of 28 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/trompowsky-attack-raptor-variation