Dutch Defense: Raphael Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
1,342,936 games: White 51.1% / Draw 4.7% / Black 44.2%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 1,001,9271M | ||
| 167,864168K | ||
| Queen's Pawn Game: Veresov Attack, Dutch System | 89,24289K | |
| 46,24246K | ||
| 16,25616K | ||
| 7,0977,097 | ||
| 5,5435,543 | ||
| 2,4442,444 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 26, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.42 White is slightly better
Best play: 2... Nf6 3. Bf4 e6 4. g4 Bb4 5. gxf5 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 exf5 7. e3
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 54% under 1400, 55% at 2200 and up and 56% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 468K | |
| 1400–1799 | 763K | |
| 1800–2199 | 749K | |
| 2200 and up | 166K | |
| Masters, over the board | 3,278 |
Master games
- So, W. – Carlsen, M.
- Giri, A. – Caruana, F.
- Aronian, L. – Giri, A.
- Gelfand, B. – Caruana, F.
- Aronian, L. – Nepomniachtchi, I.
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
Dutch Defense: Raphael Variation (ECO A80, Flank Openings) is a variation of the Dutch Defense, reached after 1. d4 f5 2. Nc3 (2 moves).
In 1,342,936 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 51.1%, Black 44.2% and 4.7% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 2…Nf6, in 75% of those games.
It branches into 2 named variations; the most played are Queen's Pawn Game: Veresov Attack, Dutch System and Dutch Defense: Spielmann Gambit. In all, 3 named lines continue from it.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to play against the Dutch Defense: Raphael Variation
2…d5 (Queen's Pawn Game: Veresov Attack, Dutch System) scores best for Black: 48.5%, with Black winning 45.6% and White 48.6% of 89K games. The most played, 2…Nf6, scores 46.8% in 1M games, and 2…e6 scores lowest: 45.8%. Stockfish's first choice is 2…Nf6.
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 Dutch Defense: Raphael Variation dipped to 0.046% of Lichess games in 2021 and has recovered since: 0.06% in 2025.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.051% | 18,222 |
| 2017 | 0.052% | 28,621 |
| 2018 | 0.052% | 40,480 |
| 2019 | 0.051% | 64,175 |
| 2020 | 0.05% | 146,644 |
| 2021 | 0.046% | 179,968 |
| 2022 | 0.048% | 178,960 |
| 2023 | 0.049% | 182,961 |
| 2024 | 0.055% | 196,042 |
| 2025 | 0.06% | 209,332 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.066% | 71,970 |
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 (2)
All 3 named lines that continue from here
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Dutch Defense: Raphael Variation (A80)”. Lichess data as of 26 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/dutch-defense-raphael-variation