1. e4 b6
Shown from Black's side. ECO B00.
Opening guide · an opening for Black
Owen Defense
The Owen Defense starts 1. e4 b6. Black prepares to put the bishop on b7, where it attacks the e4 pawn along the long diagonal. White is allowed a full pawn centre with d4. It is an offbeat choice, and it has one well-known trap for Black: an early ...f5 that loses to a queen check on h5.
- Games in our sample
- 33,673
- White wins
- 49.7%
- Draws
- 4.0%
- Black wins
- 46.3%
How the Owen Defense scores at each rating
Each row is one rating band. The share is how much of all the games in that band started with this opening.
| Rating | Games | Share | White wins | Draws | Black wins | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| under 1000 | 1,566 | 0.7% | 51.0% | 3.7% | 45.3% | |
| 1000 to 1199 | 2,893 | 0.9% | 49.0% | 3.2% | 47.7% | |
| 1200 to 1399 | 5,102 | 1.1% | 50.0% | 3.9% | 46.1% | |
| 1400 to 1599 | 8,203 | 1.3% | 48.3% | 3.5% | 48.2% | |
| 1600 to 1799 | 8,472 | 1.3% | 49.6% | 4.2% | 46.2% | |
| 1800 to 1999 | 5,422 | 1.1% | 50.7% | 4.8% | 44.5% | |
| 2000 to 2199 | 1,609 | 0.6% | 53.9% | 4.4% | 41.6% | |
| 2200 and over | 406 | 0.4% | 48.5% | 7.1% | 44.3% | |
| All ratings | 33,673 | 1.1% | 49.7% | 4.0% | 46.3% |
Counted from 3,156,949 rated blitz, rapid and classical games played on Lichess from 2026-10-01 to 2026-10-02 (the first 5,000,000 games of the month's public file; bullet and unrated games left out). The rating is the average of the two players' Lichess ratings. Source: the Lichess open database (public domain).
Main lines
The named lines of the Owen Defense that were played most in our sample, each with the position it reaches.
Smith Gambit
1. e4 b6 2. d4 Bb7 3. Nf3
959 games · White 49.2% · draws 2.7% · Black 48.1%
Analyse this positionGuatemala Defense
1. e4 b6 2. d4 Ba6
279 games · White 56.6% · draws 5.0% · Black 38.4%
Analyse this position
Ideas for White
- Defend e4 with Bd3 and a knight on c3 or d2, and keep the big centre.
Ideas for Black
- Put pressure on e4 with ...Bb7 and ...Nf6, and challenge d4 with ...e6 and ...c5.
- After 2. d4 Bb7 3. Bd3 do not play 3...f5: 4. exf5 Bxg2 5. Qh5+ wins for White.
Questions
- What are the moves of the Owen Defense?
- 1. e4 b6. In the ECO classification it is filed under B00.
- How does the Owen Defense score?
- In 33,673 games with it in our sample, White won 49.7%, 4.0% were drawn and Black won 46.3%.
- At which ratings is the Owen Defense played most?
- Among players rated 1400 to 1599 it is 1.3% of all games in our sample, its highest share. Its lowest share, 0.4%, is among players rated 2200 and over.
- Which line of the Owen Defense is played most?
- Owen Defense: Smith Gambit (1. e4 b6 2. d4 Bb7 3. Nf3), with 959 games in our sample.