Openings 1.d4 d5: closed games

Richter-Veresov Attack (3.Bg5): Lines and Stats by Rating

2.Nc3 and 3.Bg5 aim for e4 with pieces instead of c4 with a pawn. White often doubles Black’s pawns with Bxf6, castles long and attacks. It sidesteps Queen’s Gambit theory and leads to unbalanced positions.

For White1.d4 d5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Bg5Seen in <0.1% of rated games

Lichess rating

D01Richter-Veresov Attack

Games from this position (1600–1999): 4,694

Played	Games	White · Draw · Black
40%	1,888	49%47%
15%	708	45%50%
11%	509	47%48%
8%	365	42%52%
6%	295	48%46%
6%	277	45%51%
5%	237	46%49%
3%	159	45%52%
3%	135	43%49%
2%	73	49%51%
0.7%	31	55%42%
0.2%	9	56%33%

Practice as White Practice as Black

Plans for both sides

White

Against 3...e6, 4.e4 reaches a French Classical (the 4.Bg5 line) and avoids the Winawer and other French systems.
Against 3...Bf5, 4.f3 prepares e4; 4.Bxf6 doubles the pawns at once.
f3, e4, Qd2 and O-O-O is the aggressive plan when Black allows it.

Black

3...e6 is the most common reply; after 4.e4, 4...Be7 or 4...dxe4 keeps things solid.
3...Bf5 develops first; if White plays Bxf6, take back with the e- or g-pawn and use the bishop pair.
3...Nbd7 prepares ...c5 or ...h6 and keeps the pawns healthy if White takes on f6.

Richter-Veresov Attack at each rating

How often the position after 1.d4 d5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Bg5 comes up in rated Lichess games, how it scores and what players answer next.

Rating	Games (Share of games)	White · Draw · Black	Top next move
<1200	2,723<0.1%	48%47%	3...e626%
1200–1599	5,066<0.1%	50%46%	3...e638%
1600–1999	4,694<0.1%	47%48%	3...e640%
2000+	2,8060.1%	48%45%	3...e629%
All	15k<0.1%	48%47%	3...e635%

What usually comes next

The most played moves from here, all ratings together. Thicker line = played more often.

Main variations

This is a French Classical by another move order, and White has avoided all the other French lines.
3,681 games from this position (all ratings, any move order). White won 52%, 5% were drawn, Black won 43%.
Show on the board: 1.d4 d5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Bg5 e6 4.e4 Be7 5.e5 Nfd7
White prepares e4 to hit the bishop; White scores about 59% after 4.f3 here.
123 games from this position (all ratings, any move order). White won 74%, 7% were drawn, Black won 20%.
Show on the board: 1.d4 d5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Bg5 Bf5 4.f3 e6
Black’s pawns are doubled, but the bishop pair and open lines make up for it.
Too rare in our data for numbers.
Show on the board: 1.d4 d5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Bg5 Bf5 4.Bxf6 exf6 5.e3
Black keeps the pawns healthy; White builds with f3 and e4 anyway.
Too rare in our data for numbers.
Show on the board: 1.d4 d5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Bg5 Nbd7 4.f3 h6 5.Bh4 c6

At club level

Below 1200, 3...Nc6 and 3...h6 are common replies, and three in five White players answer 3...Bf5 with 4.Bxf6. At 2000+ three in four answer 3...e6 with 4.e4, and half meet 3...Bf5 with 4.f3. White scores about 51% overall.

Practice it

The trainer answers with the replies people at your rating choose, in the same proportions, and brings back your mistakes on a schedule.

Practice as White Practice as Black

Related openings

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