French Defense: Réti-Spielmann Attack
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Statistics from Lichess
625,240 games: White 47.2% / Draw 5.2% / Black 47.6%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 421,354421K | ||
| 45,52546K | ||
| 37,99538K | ||
| 32,26932K | ||
| 23,45123K | ||
| 11,64212K | ||
| 9,3269,326 | ||
| 7,8397,839 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 22, 2026
Engine evaluation
−0.06 The position is about equal
Best play: 2... d5 3. e5 c5 4. Nf3 f6 5. c3 Nc6 6. d4 cxd4 7. cxd4
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 50% both under 1400 and at 2200 and up (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 266K | |
| 1400–1799 | 447K | |
| 1800–2199 | 348K | |
| 2200 and up | 28K | |
| Masters, over the board | 87 |
Master games
- Artemiev, V. – Ivanchuk, V.
- Carlsen, M. – Rodriguez Vila, A.
- Munoz Pantoja, M. – Peralta, F.
- Munoz Pantoja, M. – Cornette, M.
- Kozak, A. – Tomczak, J.
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
French Defense: Réti-Spielmann Attack (ECO C00, Open Games) is a variation of the French Defense, reached after 1. e4 e6 2. g3 (2 moves).
In 625,240 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 47.2%, Black 47.6% and 5.2% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 2…d5, in 67% of those games.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to play against the French Defense: Réti-Spielmann Attack
The most played answer, 2…d5, also scores best for Black: 51.5%, with Black winning 48.7% and White 45.8% of 421K games. Of the main answers, 2…b6 scores lowest: 47.7%. Stockfish's first choice is also 2…d5.
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 French Defense: Réti-Spielmann Attack has lost ground since 2016: 0.022% of Lichess games in 2025, down from 0.031%.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.031% | 11,050 |
| 2017 | 0.031% | 17,030 |
| 2018 | 0.032% | 25,354 |
| 2019 | 0.03% | 37,610 |
| 2020 | 0.027% | 79,105 |
| 2021 | 0.024% | 94,464 |
| 2022 | 0.024% | 90,380 |
| 2023 | 0.023% | 85,585 |
| 2024 | 0.021% | 75,391 |
| 2025 | 0.022% | 75,396 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.021% | 22,820 |
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
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “French Defense: Réti-Spielmann Attack (C00)”. Lichess data as of 22 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/french-defense-reti-spielmann-attack