Richter-Veresov Attack: Richter Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
195,931 games: White 55.9% / Draw 4.6% / Black 39.5%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 75,26775K | ||
| 44,59945K | ||
| 33,90434K | ||
| 14,20214K | ||
| 9,3919,391 | ||
| 8,4878,487 | ||
| 8,0318,031 | ||
| 428428 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 30, 2026
Engine evaluation
−0.21 The position is about equal
Best play: 4... Nbd7 5. e3 Bg6 6. Nge2 c6 7. Nf4 Qb6 8. Qd2 e5 9. Nxg6
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 52% under 1400, 56% at 2200 and up (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 37K | |
| 1400–1799 | 66K | |
| 1800–2199 | 115K | |
| 2200 and up | 44K | |
| Masters, over the board | 227 |
Master games
- Shimanov, A. – Ovetchkin, R.
- Agamaliev, G. – Sakaev, K.
- Feygin, M. – Bartel, M.
- Pogromsky, M. – Motylev, A.
- Ulibin, M. – Shishkin, V. U.
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
Richter-Veresov Attack: Richter Variation (ECO D01, Closed & Semi-Closed Games) is a variation of the Richter-Veresov Attack, reached after 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nc3 d5 3. Bg5 Bf5 4. f3 (4 moves).
In 195,931 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 55.9%, Black 39.5% and 4.6% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 4…e6, in 38% of those games.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to play against the Richter-Veresov Attack: Richter Variation
4…c6 scores best for Black: 50.6%, with Black winning 47.8% and White 46.7% of 14K games. The most played answer, 4…e6, scores lowest: 30.3% in 75K games. Stockfish's first choice is 4…Nbd7.
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 Richter-Veresov Attack: Richter Variation has stayed between 0.0063% and 0.008% of Lichess games a year since 2016 (0.0076% in 2025).
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.0063% | 2,261 |
| 2017 | 0.0066% | 3,630 |
| 2018 | 0.008% | 6,309 |
| 2019 | 0.008% | 9,972 |
| 2020 | 0.0079% | 23,098 |
| 2021 | 0.0072% | 28,288 |
| 2022 | 0.0074% | 27,970 |
| 2023 | 0.0075% | 28,100 |
| 2024 | 0.008% | 28,519 |
| 2025 | 0.0076% | 26,333 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.0079% | 8,633 |
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
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Richter-Veresov Attack: Richter Variation (D01)”. Lichess data as of 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/richter-veresov-attack-richter-variation