Réti Opening: Anglo-Slav Variation, Bogoljubow Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
293,396 games: White 50.8% / Draw 6.6% / Black 42.6%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 176,890177K | ||
| 31,05331K | ||
| 27,62128K | ||
| 21,25721K | ||
| 14,74415K | ||
| 5,1935,193 | ||
| 5,1745,174 | ||
| 3,1683,168 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 30, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.02 The position is about equal
Best play: 3... Bf5 4. e3 e6 5. Bb2 Nd7 6. Nc3 a6 7. d4 Ngf6 8. Bd3
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 51% under 1400, 52% at 2200 and up and 50% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 12K | |
| 1400–1799 | 51K | |
| 1800–2199 | 182K | |
| 2200 and up | 77K | |
| Masters, over the board | 1,519 |
Master games
- Piorun, K. – Vitiugov, N.
- Akopian, V. – Dreev, A.
- Iturrizaga, E. – Dreev, A.
- Edouard, R. – Tregubov, P.
- Van Wely, L. – Agrest, E.
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
Réti Opening: Anglo-Slav Variation, Bogoljubow Variation (ECO A12, Flank Openings) is a variation of the Réti Opening, reached after 1. Nf3 d5 2. c4 c6 3. b3 (3 moves).
In 293,396 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 50.8%, Black 42.6% and 6.6% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 3…Nf6, in 60% of those games.
It branches into 2 named variations. 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 Réti Opening: Anglo-Slav Variation, Bogoljubow Variation
3…Bg4 scores best for Black: 48.0%, with Black winning 45.0% and White 49.1% of 21K games. The most played, 3…Nf6, scores 46.7% in 177K games, and 3…e6 scores lowest: 42.0%. Stockfish's first choice is 3…Bf5.
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 Réti Opening: Anglo-Slav Variation, Bogoljubow Variation peaked in 2018 at 0.015% of Lichess games and has slipped since: 0.011% in 2025.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.011% | 3,830 |
| 2017 | 0.014% | 7,551 |
| 2018 | 0.015% | 12,149 |
| 2019 | 0.015% | 18,467 |
| 2020 | 0.013% | 36,826 |
| 2021 | 0.01% | 41,025 |
| 2022 | 0.01% | 39,148 |
| 2023 | 0.011% | 39,751 |
| 2024 | 0.011% | 38,998 |
| 2025 | 0.011% | 37,999 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.011% | 12,224 |
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. “Réti Opening: Anglo-Slav Variation, Bogoljubow Variation (A12)”. Lichess data as of 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/reti-opening-anglo-slav-variation-bogoljubow-variation