Richter-Veresov Attack: Two Knights System, Grünfeld Defense
Play any move on the board to explore from there, or step through the line with ‹ › and the arrow keys.
Statistics from Lichess
15,580 games: White 42.3% / Draw 6.3% / Black 51.4%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 7,5287,528 | ||
| 2,9822,982 | ||
| 1,8381,838 | ||
| 779779 | ||
| 646646 | ||
| 527527 | ||
| 391391 | ||
| 368368 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 28, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.08 The position is about equal
Best play: 5. e3 Bg7 6. Be2 O-O 7. O-O c6 8. h3 b5 9. Bf4 a5
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Richter-Veresov Attack: Two Knights System, Grünfeld Defense (ECO D01, Closed & Semi-Closed Games) is a variation of the Richter-Veresov Attack: Two Knights System, reached after 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nc3 d5 3. Bg5 Nbd7 4. Nf3 g6 (4 moves).
In 15,580 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 42.3%, Black 51.4% and 6.3% were drawn. White's most played move here is 5. e3, in 48% of those games.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
Write a description or report a mistake
How to play against the Richter-Veresov Attack: Two Knights System, Grünfeld Defense
5. Qd2 scores best for White: 48.0%, with White winning 44.8% and Black 48.7% of 2,982 games. The most played, 5. e3, scores 45.9% in 7,528 games, and 5. Ne5 scores lowest: 42.5%. Stockfish's first choice is 5. e3.
Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: White'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. “Richter-Veresov Attack: Two Knights System, Grünfeld Defense (D01)”. Lichess data as of 28 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/richter-veresov-attack-two-knights-system-grunfeld-defense