London System, with Be2 5…c5 6. Be2
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Statistics from Lichess
3,507 games: White 51.4% / Draw 6.0% / Black 42.6%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 1,1661,166 | ||
| 901901 | ||
| 564564 | ||
| 505505 | ||
| 112112 | ||
| 8686 | ||
| 6262 | ||
| 2525 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 29, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.18 The position is about equal
Best play: 6... Qb6 7. Qc1 Nc6 8. c3 Be6 9. O-O Rc8 10. dxc5 Qxc5 11. Nbd2
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
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. h3 c5 6. Be2 (6 moves).
In 3,507 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 51.4%, Black 42.6% and 6.0% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 6…cxd4, in 33% of those games.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to answer 6. Be2
6…Qb6 scores best for Black: 50.0%, with Black winning 46.5% and White 46.5% of 564 games. The most played, 6…cxd4, scores 44.3% in 1,166 games, and 6…Nc6 scores lowest: 43.6%. Stockfish's first choice is also 6…Qb6.
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
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “London System, with Be2 (A48)”. Lichess data as of 29 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/london-system-with-be2-3