Yusupov-Rubinstein System
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Statistics from Lichess
2,885,756 games: White 49.2% / Draw 5.6% / Black 45.3%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Queen's Pawn Game: Colle System | 1,369,4571.4M | |
| 610,764611K | ||
| 506,342506K | ||
| 179,550180K | ||
| 67,12467K | ||
| 36,63937K | ||
| 32,15632K | ||
| 28,20528K |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 8, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.09 The position is about equal
Best play: 3... d5 4. b3 b6 5. Bb5+ c6 6. Bd3 c5 7. O-O Bd6 8. c4
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 52% both under 1400 and at 2200 and up, and 51% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 573K | |
| 1400–1799 | 1.6M | |
| 1800–2199 | 1.6M | |
| 2200 and up | 344K | |
| Masters, over the board | 7,564 |
Master games
- Aronian, L. – Carlsen, M.
- So, W. – Carlsen, M.
- Nakamura, H. – Carlsen, M.
- Nakamura, H. – Carlsen, M.
- Mamedyarov, S. – 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 26, 2026
Overview
Yusupov-Rubinstein System (ECO A46, Flank Openings) is a variation of the Indian Defense: Knights Variation, reached after 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 e6 3. e3 (3 moves).
In 2,885,756 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 49.2%, Black 45.3% and 5.6% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 3…d5, in 47% 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 Yusupov-Rubinstein System
3…b6 scores best for Black: 50.9%, with Black winning 47.8% and White 46.0% of 506K games. The most played answer, 3…d5, scores lowest: 47.1% in 1.4M games. Stockfish's first choice is 3…d5.
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 Yusupov-Rubinstein System dipped to 0.097% of Lichess games in 2021 and has recovered since: 0.12% in 2025.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.12% | 42,138 |
| 2017 | 0.12% | 65,562 |
| 2018 | 0.13% | 99,369 |
| 2019 | 0.11% | 141,443 |
| 2020 | 0.11% | 330,421 |
| 2021 | 0.097% | 378,640 |
| 2022 | 0.11% | 413,238 |
| 2023 | 0.11% | 422,754 |
| 2024 | 0.12% | 412,310 |
| 2025 | 0.12% | 401,112 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.12% | 127,261 |
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
Transpositions
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Yusupov-Rubinstein System (A46)”. Lichess data as of 8 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/yusupov-rubinstein-system