Chess opening · ECO A40

Horwitz Defense

The Horwitz Defense starts 1. d4 e6. It ranks #19 of the 174 openings on this site by how often rated players on Lichess reach it.

The position after 1. d4 e6. White to move.

Move by move

  1. 1. d4White pushes the d-pawn two squares to d4, staking a claim in the center.
  2. 1... e6Black advances the e-pawn to e6.

What players choose next, by rating

The three most common White moves from this position in rated Lichess games, grouped by the rating of the player making the move. Among players rated under 1200, the most popular next move is e4; among players rated 2000 and up, it is c4.

RatingMost commonSecondThird
Under 1200e4 32%c4 17%Nf3 14%
1200–1399e4 27%c4 24%e3 14%
1400–1599c4 34%e4 21%Nf3 12%
1600–1799c4 46%e4 16%Nf3 13%
1800–1999c4 53%Nf3 15%e4 13%
2000 and upc4 57%Nf3 21%e4 15%

Related openings

Queen's Pawn GameThe line this one grows from

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