Horwitz Defense

2 variations · 28M games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

Key Finding

Horwitz Defense gives White a 53.0% expected score — a strong opening choice.

With a minimum advantage of 5.9%, this opening reliably outperforms the baseline 50% expected score.

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Rating

Time

White Expected Score0.0%Range (90% confident): 53.0% – 53.0%Aggregated from 2 variations

0%53.0%100%

Range (90% confident): 53.0% – 53.0%

ContextOverall · n=28M

Outcome Distribution

51.2%3.7%45.2%

Win

Draw

Loss

1...e6

Horwitz Defense

Variations2

Games (Context)28M

Avg Length35 moves

Draw Rate3.7%

What Should I Play?

Player-controlled continuations for White · Overall · limited data

No continuation list is available for this context yet (needs more games).

Continuations show the most common variations from this opening. Higher expected scores indicate better statistical outcomes, but familiarity and playstyle matter too.

Snapshot

Overall, the Horwitz Defense family has a 53.0% expected score for White (we're 90% confident it's between 53.0% and 53.0%), aggregated from 2 variations and 28M Lichess games.

White Win% by Rating

Improves with rating: 49% → 53%

1000

1200

1400

1600

1800

2000

2200

2500+

White Win% by Time Control

Similar across time controls (~52%)

UltraBullet

Bullet

Blitz

Rapid

Classical

Rating vs Time Control Matrix

Click cells to filter · White expected scores

White% by Rating × Time Control

Click any cell to filter. Green = above 50%, Red = below 50%.

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: 42.3% expected score (3,402 games)
0-999 rating, Bullet: 50.6% expected score (296,321 games)
0-999 rating, Blitz: 51.3% expected score (662,941 games)
0-999 rating, Rapid: 51.9% expected score (308,643 games)
0-999 rating, Classical: 47.8% expected score (3,457 games)
1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 46.3% expected score (9,625 games)
1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 52.2% expected score (637,156 games)
1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 52.8% expected score (1,028,511 games)
1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 53.4% expected score (355,964 games)
1000-1199 rating, Classical: 51.2% expected score (9,670 games)
1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 49.7% expected score (27,650 games)
1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 52.3% expected score (1,191,548 games)
1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 52.7% expected score (1,749,039 games)
1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 53.1% expected score (488,820 games)
1200-1399 rating, Classical: 54.1% expected score (20,622 games)
1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 50.4% expected score (63,890 games)
1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 52.6% expected score (1,793,643 games)
1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 52.8% expected score (2,477,129 games)
1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 52.8% expected score (663,528 games)
1400-1599 rating, Classical: 52.5% expected score (32,681 games)
1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 51.6% expected score (88,082 games)
1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 53.0% expected score (2,338,995 games)
1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 52.9% expected score (2,716,517 games)
1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 53.2% expected score (682,426 games)
1600-1799 rating, Classical: 55.1% expected score (26,935 games)
1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 54.3% expected score (61,202 games)
1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 53.2% expected score (2,531,973 games)
1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 53.2% expected score (2,201,918 games)
1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 53.9% expected score (467,907 games)
1800-1999 rating, Classical: 56.0% expected score (14,379 games)
2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 57.1% expected score (24,582 games)
2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 53.3% expected score (2,065,924 games)
2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 54.1% expected score (1,039,247 games)
2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 55.8% expected score (135,324 games)
2000-2199 rating, Classical: 59.3% expected score (2,448 games)
2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 58.2% expected score (8,589 games)
2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 53.9% expected score (1,295,925 games)
2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 55.4% expected score (284,014 games)
2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 57.8% expected score (20,415 games)
2200-2499 rating, Classical: 61.9% expected score (255 games)
2500+ rating, UltraBullet: 63.1% expected score (353 games)
2500+ rating, Bullet: 55.5% expected score (235,748 games)
2500+ rating, Blitz: 57.3% expected score (15,819 games)
2500+ rating, Rapid: 55.8% expected score (318 games)
2500+ rating, Classical: 69.1% expected score (9 games)

Matrix view reveals how performance varies across rating brackets and time controls. Green indicates favorable, red indicates challenging contexts.

Variations (2)

Horwitz Defense: Zilbermints Gambit9.6K games

Winning57.8%

Horwitz Defense28M games

Winning53.0%

Analyze Horwitz Defense PositionsGet move-by-move win rates with the TrueElo analyzer

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Horwitz Defense win rate?

The Horwitz Defense family has a 51.2% (90% CI: 51.1%-51.2%) win rate for white, aggregated from 2 variations and 28M rated games from Lichess.

How many Horwitz Defense variations are there?

This analysis covers 2 Horwitz Defense variations with sufficient game data. Each variation has its own statistics page with detailed win rates by rating and time control.

At what rating does the Horwitz Defense perform best?

The Horwitz Defense family performs best at 2500+ Elo with a 52.5% win rate for white (252K games). Performance may vary by specific variation.

Is the Horwitz Defense better in blitz or rapid?

Bullet (51.6%) outperforms Blitz (50.8%) by 0.8% across all Horwitz Defense variations.

How sharp is the Horwitz Defense?

Horwitz Defense games are 96.3% decisive (non-draws), with an average length of 35 moves. Sharpness varies by specific variation.

Is the Horwitz Defense a good opening family?

The Horwitz Defense family is statistically favors white overall with a 51.2% (90% CI: 51.1%-51.2%) aggregated win rate. However, win rates vary significantly between the 2 variations—explore individual lines to find the best fit for your style.