Réti Opening: Anglo-Slav Variation, with g3
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Statistics from Lichess
722,540 games: White 50.9% / Draw 7.4% / Black 41.7%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 217,415217K | ||
| English Opening: Agincourt Defense, Catalan Defense, Semi-Slav Defense | 132,967133K | |
| 125,887126K | ||
| 101,925102K | ||
| 80,14480K | ||
| 30,03130K | ||
| 12,11612K | ||
| 6,9716,971 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 28, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.10 The position is about equal
Best play: 4... dxc4 5. O-O Nbd7 6. Na3 Nb6 7. Qc2 Be6 8. Ne5 h5 9. Naxc4
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 55% both under 1400 and at 2200 and up, and 58% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 6,167 | |
| 1400–1799 | 49K | |
| 1800–2199 | 387K | |
| 2200 and up | 297K | |
| Masters, over the board | 5,292 |
Master games
- Nepomniachtchi, I. – Carlsen, M.
- Aronian, L. – Carlsen, M.
- Aronian, L. – Carlsen, M.
- Aronian, L. – Caruana, F.
- Adams, M. – So, W.
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, with g3 (ECO A11, Flank Openings) is a variation of the English Opening: Caro-Kann Defensive System, reached after 1. c4 c6 2. Nf3 d5 3. g3 Nf6 4. Bg2 (4 moves).
In 722,540 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 50.9%, Black 41.7% and 7.4% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 4…Bf5, in 30% 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, with g3
4…g6 scores best for Black: 46.9%, with Black winning 42.7% and White 48.9% of 102K games. The most played, 4…Bf5, scores 46.3% in 217K games, and 4…e6 scores lowest: 43.1%. Stockfish's first choice is 4…dxc4.
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, with g3 has gained ground since 2016: 0.031% of Lichess games in 2025, up from 0.025% (its peak: 0.035% in 2018).
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.025% | 8,799 |
| 2017 | 0.031% | 17,199 |
| 2018 | 0.035% | 27,807 |
| 2019 | 0.032% | 39,653 |
| 2020 | 0.03% | 88,650 |
| 2021 | 0.025% | 96,942 |
| 2022 | 0.025% | 92,866 |
| 2023 | 0.025% | 94,888 |
| 2024 | 0.028% | 101,153 |
| 2025 | 0.031% | 106,530 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.032% | 34,918 |
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)
Transpositions
All 3 named lines that continue from here
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Réti Opening: Anglo-Slav Variation, with g3 (A11)”. Lichess data as of 28 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/reti-opening-anglo-slav-variation-with-g3