The Richter-Veresov Attack starts 1. 2. 3.. Your knight on c3 blocks the c-pawn, so you fight for the center with a different break: e4, backed up by a pawn on f3. The bishop on g5 leans on the f6 knight, which guards d5 and covers e4, the square your pawn is heading for. In N = 23,262 Lichess games between 900 and 1700 (September 2026), you score 51.2% as White. Players rated 2200+ online score 52%.
Lichess games from September 2026 (30,577,162 rated 900 to 1700) and 31,791 over-the-board games rated 2300+ from the last 12 months. Data updated: October 14, 2026.
7 named lines in this family; 1 with their own page.
The opening's share in each Lichess rating band.
After 3., 35 out of 100 opponents at your level play , 15 go , and 14 put the question to your bishop with . Next come , at 12, and , at 6. Your score barely moves: 51 out of 100 against , 52 against , 50 against , while holds you to 49. Players rated 2200+ online prefer (26 out of 100), which only 5 in 100 choose at your level. Against it, players at your level mostly go 4. (35 out of 100), and you score 51 with it; with 4. you score 55. Most games reach this position through the move order 1. 2. 3..
| Move | Lichess 900–1700 | White's score | Online, 2200+ | Over the board, 2300+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 35.3% | 50.9% | 22.6% | no data | |
| 15.0% | 51.1% | no data | no data | |
| 13.6% | 52.1% | no data | no data | |
| 11.9% | 49.9% | 11.5% | no data | |
| 6.2% | 48.7% | 10.8% | no data | |
| 5.2% | 51.6% | 25.6% | no data | |
| no data | no data | 8.9% | no data | |
| no data | no data | 8.3% | no data |
| Move | Lichess 900–1700 | White's score | Online, 2200+ | Over the board, 2300+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 34.8% | 51.1% | 23.3% | no data | |
| 27.1% | 55.1% | 20.7% | no data | |
| 19.1% | 46.7% | no data | no data | |
| 7.0% | 54.2% | 38.2% | no data | |
| 4.1% | 55.1% | 6.0% | no data | |
| 3.5% | 51.2% | 4.2% | no data | |
| no data | no data | 7.1% | no data |
The strong players' line is 4. 5. 6. . It all revolves around e4. You want your e-pawn on that square, hitting d5 a second time and opening the center. Your opponent covers e4 with the d5 pawn and the f6 knight; at first you only have the knight on c3. The g5 bishop and the f3 pawn are there to change that count.
is how strong players meet your bishop. The d7 knight adds a third defender to f6, alongside the e7 and g7 pawns: if you trade with 4., your opponent takes back with the knight and d5 stays protected. The cost is that this knight blocks the queen's file, so d5 is left with the f6 knight as its sole defender. At your level, 19 out of 100 trade with 4., and you score 47 when you do.
4. prepares e4 with a pawn. Now the f3 pawn and the c3 knight cover that square, two against two. In return, your g1 knight loses f3. This is the move that most separates strong players from your peers: 38 out of 100 players rated 2200+ online choose it, against 7 out of 100 players at your level. You score 54 with it.
asks the bishop whether it will trade or retreat. 5. steps back without letting go of the f6 knight, which is still attacked from h4. That is what 84 out of 100 strong players do.
is the counterattack. While you prepare e4, your opponent goes after d4, which only your queen defends. 6. carries on with the plan, as 63 out of 100 strong players do. Your pawn hits d5 together with the c3 knight, and d5 has only the f6 knight to defend it. At the same time, e4 is attacked by the d5 pawn and the f6 knight and defended by the c3 knight and the f3 pawn.
, chosen by 76 out of 100 strong players, swaps the c-pawn for your d-pawn. The pawn that lands on d4 attacks your c3 knight, one of the guards of e4, but nothing defends it and your queen is attacking it.
At your level almost nobody gets here: only 5 out of 100 opponents play . What you will see most is , and against it the idea is the same in a different order: 4. pushes the pawn without going through f3. Two of the mistakes below come from exactly there, from trading on f6 too early.
| Move | Strong games | Chosen by |
|---|---|---|
| 3,822 | 25.6% | |
| 953 | 38.2% | |
| 345 | 39.1% | |
| 131 | 84.0% | |
| 104 | 41.3% | |
| 41 | 63.4% | |
| 25 | 76.0% |
After 4. , 5. gives up your bishop, and after your opponent's bishop hits d4. With 6. 7. a second attacker arrives and 8. gives up the center. Better was 5., hitting the knight. 18 out of 100 play it, and you score 52, against 51 with 5.: at your level it rarely gets punished.
18 in 100 play it in this position. It gives away 0.8 pawns of advantage. It scores 52.0%; scores 51.0%.
After 4. , 5. leaves e4 with one defender, the c3 knight, and pins it to your king. After 6. 7. your c-pawns are doubled and you prop up e4 with 8.. Better was 5., guarding d4 against the c6 knight. 33 out of 100 play it; you score 46, against 52 with 5..
33 in 100 play it in this position. It gives away 1 pawn of advantage. It scores 46.3%; scores 51.7%.
After , 4. prepares e4 slowly, and hits d4, which only your queen defends. You hold it with 5., and your e-pawn never reaches e4. After 6. 7., your knight comes out via e2 because the pawn sits on f3. 3 out of 100 play it; you score 48, against 53 with 4..
3 in 100 play it in this position. It gives away 1.1 pawns of advantage. It scores 47.8%; scores 52.9%.
After 4. , 5. gives up your bishop before winning the pawn back. With 6. your knight retreats with 7., and aims at d4. Your opponent keeps the bishop pair. Better was 5.. 21 out of 100 play it, and you score 53, more than with 5.: at your level it almost never gets punished.
21 in 100 play it in this position. It gives away 0.7 pawns of advantage. It scores 52.9%; scores 49.9%.
After 4. , 5. clears e2 and leaves your f3 knight pinned to the queen. That knight defends your g5 bishop, and hits both the bishop and the c3 knight. After 6. 7. your opponent grabs space and hits d4. Better was 5., defending both pieces. 33 out of 100 play it; you score 50.
33 in 100 play it in this position. It gives away 0.6 pawns of advantage.
After 4. , 5. trades knights, and hits your f3 knight and opens the d-file toward d4. After 6. 7. 8., your opponent has won the d5 pawn, you are a pawn down, and the f3 knight is still attacked. Better was 5.. With the trade you score 49 out of 100.
100 in 100 play it in this position. It gives away 0.7 pawns of advantage.
| White | Black | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 5,953 | ||
| 4,681 | ||
| Not castled | Not castled | 2,770 |
| Not castled | 2,530 | |
| Not castled | 2,043 | |
| 1,559 |
| White | Black | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ||
| 1 | ||
| 1 |
1. 2. 3. 4. · D01
1,413 amateur games · White's score: 50.1%
1. 2. 3. · D01
1,178 amateur games · White's score: 54.3%
1. 2. 3. 4. · D01
1,009 amateur games · White's score: 53.1%
1. 2. 3. 4. · D01
710 amateur games · White's score: 49.6%
1. 2. 3. 4. · D01
64 amateur games · White's score: 45.3%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. · D01
2 amateur games · White's score: 50.0%