London System, with Be2
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Statistics from Lichess
682,813 games: White 49.5% / Draw 6.0% / Black 44.5%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 472,844473K | ||
| 66,06366K | ||
| 35,62436K | ||
| 25,97526K | ||
| 17,37817K | ||
| 16,25516K | ||
| 12,98313K | ||
| 9,4609,460 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 29, 2026
Engine evaluation
0.00 The position is about equal
Best play: 5... Nh5 6. Bg5 h6 7. Bh4 c5 8. c3 g5 9. Bg3 Qc7 10. O-O
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
By rating
The stronger the players, the better this line does for White: White scores 50% under 1400, 53% at 2200 and up and 51% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 44K | |
| 1400–1799 | 250K | |
| 1800–2199 | 444K | |
| 2200 and up | 72K | |
| Masters, over the board | 398 |
Master games
- Carlsen, M. – Vachier Lagrave, M.
- Le Quang Liem – Howell, D.
- Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son – Wang Hao
- Bocharov, D. – Nepomniachtchi, I.
- Tristan, L. – Caruana, F.
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
London System, with Be2 (ECO A48, Flank Openings) is a variation of the London System, reached after 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. Bf4 Bg7 4. e3 d6 5. Be2 (5 moves).
In 682,813 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 49.5%, Black 44.5% and 6.0% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 5…O-O, in 69% of those games.
It continues into one named variation.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to play against the London System, with Be2
5…Nh5 scores best for Black: 48.2%, with Black winning 45.4% and White 49.1% of 36K games. The most played, 5…O-O, scores 47.9% in 473K games, and 5…Nbd7 scores lowest: 46.4%. Stockfish's first choice is also 5…Nh5.
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 London System, with Be2 has gained ground since 2016: 0.022% of Lichess games in 2025, up from 0.018% (its peak: 0.039% in 2020).
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.018% | 6,258 |
| 2017 | 0.027% | 14,758 |
| 2018 | 0.035% | 27,808 |
| 2019 | 0.034% | 42,630 |
| 2020 | 0.039% | 112,795 |
| 2021 | 0.028% | 109,962 |
| 2022 | 0.025% | 93,654 |
| 2023 | 0.023% | 86,988 |
| 2024 | 0.022% | 80,523 |
| 2025 | 0.022% | 75,713 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.022% | 23,974 |
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 (1)
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “London System, with Be2 (A48)”. Lichess data as of 29 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/london-system-with-be2