Richter-Veresov Attack: Boyce Defense
91K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026
Black expected score · All ratings · All speeds
46.5%
the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 46.8%.
Measured over 91K games at this level and clock.
Black comes out behind here — there are better weapons in the list.
Outcomes for Black
Draw 4.2 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 91K games
- Rank among the families Black can choose here
- not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
- Games in this context
- 91K
- Best context
- 52.4% at 0-999 Rapid
- Worst context
- 41.0% at 2200-2499 Blitz
- Average game length
- 34 moves
- Games that end decisively
- 95.8%
- Draws
- 4.2%
Best and worst are the strongest and weakest squares with at least 500 games behind them. The table further down shows every square, including thinner ones.
Where it holds · Black score by rating × clock
Green is clearly ahead for Black, grey is around even, red is behind. Tap a cell to measure there, and again to clear. It falls away as the rating rises: 53.2% at 0-999, 38.1% at 2500+.
| Rating | UB | Bulle | Blitz | Rapid | Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0-999 | — | ||||
| 1000-1199 | |||||
| 1200-1399 | |||||
| 1400-1599 | |||||
| 1600-1799 | |||||
| 1800-1999 | |||||
| 2000-2199 | |||||
| 2200-2499 | |||||
| 2500+ | — | — |
Expected score matrix by rating bracket and time control
- 0-999 rating, Bullet: 50.9% expected score (467 games)
- 0-999 rating, Blitz: 50.3% expected score (2,345 games)
- 0-999 rating, Rapid: 52.4% expected score (1,279 games)
- 0-999 rating, Classical: 59.1% expected score (15 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 61.2% expected score (3 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 46.8% expected score (672 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 47.6% expected score (4,063 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 48.3% expected score (2,329 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 65.1% expected score (45 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 20.6% expected score (7 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 47.1% expected score (1,010 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 46.6% expected score (5,281 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 45.9% expected score (3,338 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 47.7% expected score (151 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 57.7% expected score (5 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 49.3% expected score (1,442 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 47.0% expected score (5,430 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 46.0% expected score (2,981 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 46.0% expected score (261 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 54.0% expected score (11 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 50.1% expected score (2,354 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 48.5% expected score (6,198 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 47.2% expected score (2,203 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 42.7% expected score (156 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 58.4% expected score (40 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 47.9% expected score (2,527 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 48.0% expected score (7,576 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 49.0% expected score (1,466 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 53.8% expected score (78 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 42.7% expected score (19 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 48.4% expected score (4,336 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 45.4% expected score (10,636 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 46.7% expected score (1,067 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 35.4% expected score (19 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 63.1% expected score (10 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 46.0% expected score (7,836 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 41.0% expected score (8,610 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 41.2% expected score (527 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 68.2% expected score (4 games)
- 2500+ rating, Bullet: 42.8% expected score (3,449 games)
- 2500+ rating, Blitz: 39.2% expected score (441 games)
- 2500+ rating, Rapid: 32.4% expected score (7 games)
Related Openings
Methodology
Across every rating and clock, the Richter-Veresov Attack: Boyce Defense scores 46.5% for Black — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 46.2% and 46.8% — from 91K Lichess games. Win rate, draw rate and loss rate come from games played December 2023 to November 2025.
How the figures are made
- Whose games these are
- 91K+ rated games played on Lichess (2023-12 to 2025-11). The games are Lichess’s and free for anyone to use. What is ours is the reading of them. Last rebuilt January 2026.
- Which games we count
- Rated games only — nothing casual.
- Both players within 200 rating points of each other. A mismatch tells you about the gap, not about the opening.
- At least 2 moves played.
- A game is filed under White’s rating.
- Why every number comes with a range
- A number off a few hundred games is a guess. The same number off millions is a fact. The range is what tells them apart, and it is what the lists rank on — so an opening cannot reach the top on a lucky run of forty games. The more games behind a figure, the narrower its range.
- How much we need before we say anything
- An opening page needs 100 games. A gambit needs 50 games at a rating before we will say whether it pays there. The chaos and trap lists need 500 games overall and 250 games at one rating or clock.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Richter-Veresov Attack: Boyce Defense win rate?
Playing the Richter-Veresov Attack: Boyce Defense, Black wins 44.4%, draws 4.2% and loses 51.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.5%. It rests on 91K rated games from Lichess.
At what rating does the Richter-Veresov Attack: Boyce Defense perform best?
The Richter-Veresov Attack: Boyce Defense performs best for Black at 0-999, with an Expected Score of 51.1% (4.1K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.
Is the Richter-Veresov Attack: Boyce Defense better in blitz or rapid?
For Black, the Richter-Veresov Attack: Boyce Defense scores higher in Rapid: an Expected Score of 46.1% in Blitz (51K games) against 47.2% in Rapid (15K games).
How sharp is the Richter-Veresov Attack: Boyce Defense?
The Richter-Veresov Attack: Boyce Defense has a sharpness score of 95.8 (very decisive), meaning 95.8% of games end decisively. Average game length is 34 moves.
What is the Richter-Veresov Attack: Boyce Defense win rate at 0-999?
At 0-999, Black wins 48.9%, draws 4.3% and loses 46.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.1%. It rests on 4.1K Lichess games, which average 28 moves.
What is the Richter-Veresov Attack: Boyce Defense win rate at 1000-1199?
At 1000-1199, Black wins 45.7%, draws 4.4% and loses 49.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.9%. It rests on 7.1K Lichess games, which average 31 moves.
What is the Richter-Veresov Attack: Boyce Defense win rate at 1200-1399?
At 1200-1399, Black wins 44.5%, draws 3.8% and loses 51.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.4%. It rests on 9.8K Lichess games, which average 32 moves.
What is the Richter-Veresov Attack: Boyce Defense win rate at 1400-1599?
At 1400-1599, Black wins 45.2%, draws 3.5% and loses 51.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.0%. It rests on 10K Lichess games, which average 33 moves.
What is the Richter-Veresov Attack: Boyce Defense win rate at 1600-1799?
At 1600-1799, Black wins 46.7%, draws 3.4% and loses 49.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.5%. It rests on 11K Lichess games, which average 33 moves.
What is the Richter-Veresov Attack: Boyce Defense win rate at 1800-1999?
At 1800-1999, Black wins 46.1%, draws 4.0% and loses 49.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.1%. It rests on 12K Lichess games, which average 34 moves.
What is the Richter-Veresov Attack: Boyce Defense win rate at 2000-2199?
At 2000-2199, Black wins 43.8%, draws 4.9% and loses 51.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.3%. It rests on 16K Lichess games, which average 35 moves.
What is the Richter-Veresov Attack: Boyce Defense win rate at 2200-2499?
At 2200-2499, Black wins 40.9%, draws 4.8% and loses 54.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 43.3%. It rests on 17K Lichess games, which average 36 moves.
What is the Richter-Veresov Attack: Boyce Defense win rate at 2500+?
At 2500+, Black wins 39.8%, draws 5.0% and loses 55.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 42.3%. It rests on 3.9K Lichess games, which average 39 moves.
What is the Richter-Veresov Attack: Boyce Defense win rate in Bullet?
In Bullet, Black wins 45.3%, draws 3.1% and loses 51.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.9%. It rests on 24K Lichess games.
What is the Richter-Veresov Attack: Boyce Defense win rate in Blitz?
In Blitz, Black wins 43.7%, draws 4.7% and loses 51.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.1%. It rests on 51K Lichess games.
What is the Richter-Veresov Attack: Boyce Defense win rate in Rapid?
In Rapid, Black wins 44.9%, draws 4.6% and loses 50.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.2%. It rests on 15K Lichess games.
What is the Richter-Veresov Attack: Boyce Defense win rate in Classical?
In Classical, Black wins 45.1%, draws 5.4% and loses 49.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.8%. It rests on 729 Lichess games.
Is the Richter-Veresov Attack: Boyce Defense a good opening?
The Richter-Veresov Attack: Boyce Defense is hard work for Black — it favours White. Across all ratings, Black wins 44.4% of its games and loses 51.4%. It performs best at 0-999. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.