French Defense: Horwitz Attack
385K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026
White expected score · All ratings · All speeds
50.0%
the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 50.1%.
Measured over 385K games at this level and clock.
Roughly even — the middlegame decides more than this opening choice does.
Outcomes for White
Draw 3.8 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 385K games
- Rank among the families White can choose here
- not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
- Games in this context
- 385K
- Best context
- 54.3% at 2500+ Bullet
- Worst context
- 45.5% at 0-999 Bullet
- Average game length
- 34 moves
- Games that end decisively
- 96.2%
- Draws
- 3.8%
Best and worst are the strongest and weakest squares with at least 500 games behind them. The table further down shows every square, including thinner ones.
Where it holds · White score by rating × clock
Green is clearly ahead for White, grey is around even, red is behind. Tap a cell to measure there, and again to clear. It gets better as the rating rises: 41.4% at 0-999, 48.4% at 2500+.
| Rating | UB | Bulle | Blitz | Rapid | Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0-999 | |||||
| 1000-1199 | |||||
| 1200-1399 | |||||
| 1400-1599 | |||||
| 1600-1799 | |||||
| 1800-1999 | |||||
| 2000-2199 | |||||
| 2200-2499 | |||||
| 2500+ | — |
Expected score matrix by rating bracket and time control
- 0-999 rating, UltraBullet: 21.5% expected score (2 games)
- 0-999 rating, Bullet: 45.5% expected score (1,910 games)
- 0-999 rating, Blitz: 48.3% expected score (6,608 games)
- 0-999 rating, Rapid: 47.8% expected score (2,862 games)
- 0-999 rating, Classical: 43.7% expected score (30 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 45.1% expected score (29 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 50.1% expected score (5,163 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 51.3% expected score (11,532 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 50.2% expected score (4,385 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 47.3% expected score (109 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 38.2% expected score (104 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 49.4% expected score (9,831 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 50.1% expected score (21,282 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 50.0% expected score (6,355 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 46.5% expected score (279 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 46.9% expected score (220 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 49.0% expected score (15,115 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 50.2% expected score (36,207 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 49.6% expected score (11,480 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 46.4% expected score (589 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 53.2% expected score (218 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 48.5% expected score (21,133 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 49.9% expected score (53,344 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 50.3% expected score (16,851 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 47.3% expected score (933 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 44.3% expected score (138 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 50.2% expected score (20,928 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 49.7% expected score (46,580 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 50.1% expected score (14,495 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 49.7% expected score (619 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 59.8% expected score (24 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 50.3% expected score (21,758 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 50.2% expected score (25,149 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 50.4% expected score (5,555 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 48.0% expected score (123 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 30.0% expected score (11 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 51.6% expected score (12,542 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 51.7% expected score (6,327 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 51.4% expected score (785 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 47.3% expected score (17 games)
- 2500+ rating, UltraBullet: 21.5% expected score (2 games)
- 2500+ rating, Bullet: 54.3% expected score (2,648 games)
- 2500+ rating, Blitz: 56.9% expected score (435 games)
- 2500+ rating, Rapid: 61.1% expected score (12 games)
Related Openings
Methodology
Across every rating and clock, the French Defense: Horwitz Attack scores 50.0% for White — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 49.8% and 50.1% — from 385K Lichess games. Win rate, draw rate and loss rate come from games played December 2023 to November 2025.
How the figures are made
- Whose games these are
- 385K+ rated games played on Lichess (2023-12 to 2025-11). The games are Lichess’s and free for anyone to use. What is ours is the reading of them. Last rebuilt January 2026.
- Which games we count
- Rated games only — nothing casual.
- Both players within 200 rating points of each other. A mismatch tells you about the gap, not about the opening.
- At least 2 moves played.
- A game is filed under White’s rating.
- Why every number comes with a range
- A number off a few hundred games is a guess. The same number off millions is a fact. The range is what tells them apart, and it is what the lists rank on — so an opening cannot reach the top on a lucky run of forty games. The more games behind a figure, the narrower its range.
- How much we need before we say anything
- An opening page needs 100 games. A gambit needs 50 games at a rating before we will say whether it pays there. The chaos and trap lists need 500 games overall and 250 games at one rating or clock.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the French Defense: Horwitz Attack win rate?
Playing the French Defense: Horwitz Attack, White wins 48.1%, draws 3.8% and loses 48.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.0%. It rests on 385K rated games from Lichess.
At what rating does the French Defense: Horwitz Attack perform best?
The French Defense: Horwitz Attack performs best for White at 2500+, with an Expected Score of 54.7% (3.1K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.
Is the French Defense: Horwitz Attack better in blitz or rapid?
For White, the French Defense: Horwitz Attack scores about the same in both: an Expected Score of 50.1% in Blitz (207K games) against 50.0% in Rapid (63K games).
How sharp is the French Defense: Horwitz Attack?
The French Defense: Horwitz Attack has a sharpness score of 96.2 (very decisive), meaning 96.2% of games end decisively. Average game length is 34 moves.
What is the French Defense: Horwitz Attack win rate at 0-999?
At 0-999, White wins 45.8%, draws 3.7% and loses 50.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.7%. It rests on 11K Lichess games, which average 27 moves.
What is the French Defense: Horwitz Attack win rate at 1000-1199?
At 1000-1199, White wins 49.3%, draws 2.8% and loses 47.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.7%. It rests on 21K Lichess games, which average 29 moves.
What is the French Defense: Horwitz Attack win rate at 1200-1399?
At 1200-1399, White wins 48.4%, draws 2.8% and loses 48.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.8%. It rests on 38K Lichess games, which average 31 moves.
What is the French Defense: Horwitz Attack win rate at 1400-1599?
At 1400-1599, White wins 48.2%, draws 3.2% and loses 48.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.8%. It rests on 64K Lichess games, which average 33 moves.
What is the French Defense: Horwitz Attack win rate at 1600-1799?
At 1600-1799, White wins 47.7%, draws 3.8% and loses 48.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.6%. It rests on 92K Lichess games, which average 35 moves.
What is the French Defense: Horwitz Attack win rate at 1800-1999?
At 1800-1999, White wins 47.7%, draws 4.2% and loses 48.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.8%. It rests on 83K Lichess games, which average 36 moves.
What is the French Defense: Horwitz Attack win rate at 2000-2199?
At 2000-2199, White wins 48.1%, draws 4.3% and loses 47.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.3%. It rests on 53K Lichess games, which average 36 moves.
What is the French Defense: Horwitz Attack win rate at 2200-2499?
At 2200-2499, White wins 49.2%, draws 4.7% and loses 46.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.6%. It rests on 20K Lichess games, which average 37 moves.
What is the French Defense: Horwitz Attack win rate at 2500+?
At 2500+, White wins 51.4%, draws 6.5% and loses 42.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.7%. It rests on 3.1K Lichess games, which average 40 moves.
What is the French Defense: Horwitz Attack win rate in UltraBullet?
In UltraBullet, White wins 46.0%, draws 1.7% and loses 52.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.8%. It rests on 748 Lichess games.
What is the French Defense: Horwitz Attack win rate in Bullet?
In Bullet, White wins 48.5%, draws 2.6% and loses 48.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.8%. It rests on 111K Lichess games.
What is the French Defense: Horwitz Attack win rate in Blitz?
In Blitz, White wins 48.0%, draws 4.1% and loses 47.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.1%. It rests on 207K Lichess games.
What is the French Defense: Horwitz Attack win rate in Rapid?
In Rapid, White wins 47.7%, draws 4.5% and loses 47.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.0%. It rests on 63K Lichess games.
What is the French Defense: Horwitz Attack win rate in Classical?
In Classical, White wins 45.0%, draws 5.0% and loses 50.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.5%. It rests on 2.7K Lichess games.
Is the French Defense: Horwitz Attack a good opening?
The French Defense: Horwitz Attack is about level. Across all ratings, White wins 48.1% of its games and loses 48.2%. It performs best at 2500+. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.