Réti Opening: Anglo-Slav Variation, Gurevich System
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Statistics from Lichess
709,939 games: White 51.4% / Draw 6.5% / Black 42.1%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 427,113427K | ||
| 98,97099K | ||
| 79,61580K | ||
| 41,63842K | ||
| 21,23521K | ||
| 15,20215K | ||
| 8,3958,395 | ||
| 4,8414,841 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 28, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.25 The position is about equal
Best play: 3... Nf6 4. d4 Bf5 5. Nc3 e6 6. Nh4 Be4 7. f3 Bg6 8. Bd2
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 53% under 1400, 55% at 2200 and up and 60% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 50K | |
| 1400–1799 | 172K | |
| 1800–2199 | 399K | |
| 2200 and up | 201K | |
| Masters, over the board | 5,640 |
Master games
- Kramnik, V. – Aronian, L.
- Nepomniachtchi, I. – Nakamura, H.
- Aronian, L. – Nakamura, H.
- Grischuk, A. – Kramnik, V.
- Kramnik, V. – Aronian, L.
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, Gurevich System (ECO A11, Flank Openings) is a variation of the English Opening: Caro-Kann Defensive System, reached after 1. c4 c6 2. Nf3 d5 3. e3 (3 moves).
In 709,939 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 51.4%, Black 42.1% and 6.5% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 3…Nf6, in 60% of those games.
It branches into 4 named variations.
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, Gurevich System
The most played answer, 3…Nf6, also scores best for Black: 46.4%, with Black winning 42.8% and White 50.1% of 427K games. Of the main answers, 3…Bg4 scores lowest: 42.9%. Stockfish's first choice is also 3…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 Réti Opening: Anglo-Slav Variation, Gurevich System has gained ground since 2016: 0.031% of Lichess games in 2025, up from 0.023%.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.023% | 8,178 |
| 2017 | 0.027% | 14,830 |
| 2018 | 0.031% | 24,188 |
| 2019 | 0.028% | 35,274 |
| 2020 | 0.026% | 77,039 |
| 2021 | 0.023% | 91,585 |
| 2022 | 0.025% | 93,852 |
| 2023 | 0.027% | 101,447 |
| 2024 | 0.029% | 105,010 |
| 2025 | 0.031% | 109,247 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.033% | 35,966 |
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 (4)
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Réti Opening: Anglo-Slav Variation, Gurevich System (A11)”. Lichess data as of 28 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/reti-opening-anglo-slav-variation-gurevich-system