Richter-Veresov Attack: Veresov Variation
66K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026
White expected score · All ratings · All speeds
51.8%
the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 52.1%.
Measured over 66K games at this level and clock.
Roughly even — the middlegame decides more than this opening choice does.
Outcomes for White
Draw 4.5 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 66K games
- Rank among the families White can choose here
- not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
- Games in this context
- 66K
- Best context
- 57.4% at 2500+ Bullet
- Worst context
- 47.5% at 0-999 Rapid
- Average game length
- 34 moves
- Games that end decisively
- 95.5%
- Draws
- 4.5%
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 · White score by rating × clock
Green is clearly ahead for White, grey is around even, red is behind. Tap a cell to measure there, and again to clear. It gets better as the rating rises: 50.5% at 0-999, 58.6% 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, UltraBullet: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
- 0-999 rating, Bullet: 48.9% expected score (662 games)
- 0-999 rating, Blitz: 49.2% expected score (2,132 games)
- 0-999 rating, Rapid: 47.5% expected score (892 games)
- 0-999 rating, Classical: 36.7% expected score (6 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 68.2% expected score (4 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 51.2% expected score (1,149 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 50.6% expected score (4,210 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 49.5% expected score (2,176 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (34 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 62.0% expected score (11 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 52.9% expected score (1,867 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 52.8% expected score (6,079 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 49.8% expected score (3,355 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 54.8% expected score (104 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 45.3% expected score (9 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 50.1% expected score (2,056 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 52.0% expected score (6,873 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 49.3% expected score (3,298 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 46.9% expected score (225 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 41.9% expected score (17 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 51.0% expected score (2,768 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 51.4% expected score (6,331 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 53.0% expected score (2,382 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 46.9% expected score (158 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 37.8% expected score (23 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 53.0% expected score (1,997 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 52.2% expected score (4,560 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 50.3% expected score (1,275 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 51.0% expected score (103 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 57.7% expected score (5 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 52.6% expected score (1,916 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 53.9% expected score (2,887 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 53.3% expected score (659 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 61.2% expected score (12 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 53.5% expected score (1,452 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 56.5% expected score (2,679 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 53.4% expected score (380 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 56.7% expected score (6 games)
- 2500+ rating, Bullet: 57.4% expected score (528 games)
- 2500+ rating, Blitz: 56.6% expected score (318 games)
- 2500+ rating, Rapid: 61.8% expected score (7 games)
Related Openings
Methodology
Across every rating and clock, the Richter-Veresov Attack: Veresov Variation scores 51.8% for White — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 51.4% and 52.1% — from 66K 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
- 66K+ 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: Veresov Variation win rate?
Playing the Richter-Veresov Attack: Veresov Variation, White wins 49.5%, draws 4.5% and loses 46.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.8%. It rests on 66K rated games from Lichess.
At what rating does the Richter-Veresov Attack: Veresov Variation perform best?
The Richter-Veresov Attack: Veresov Variation performs best for White at 2500+, with an Expected Score of 57.1% (853 games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.
Is the Richter-Veresov Attack: Veresov Variation better in blitz or rapid?
For White, the Richter-Veresov Attack: Veresov Variation scores higher in Blitz: an Expected Score of 52.3% in Blitz (36K games) against 50.3% in Rapid (14K games).
How sharp is the Richter-Veresov Attack: Veresov Variation?
The Richter-Veresov Attack: Veresov Variation has a sharpness score of 95.5 (very decisive), meaning 95.5% of games end decisively. Average game length is 34 moves.
What is the Richter-Veresov Attack: Veresov Variation win rate at 0-999?
At 0-999, White wins 46.6%, draws 4.3% and loses 49.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.7%. It rests on 3.7K Lichess games, which average 29 moves.
What is the Richter-Veresov Attack: Veresov Variation win rate at 1000-1199?
At 1000-1199, White wins 48.1%, draws 4.4% and loses 47.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.4%. It rests on 7.6K Lichess games, which average 31 moves.
What is the Richter-Veresov Attack: Veresov Variation win rate at 1200-1399?
At 1200-1399, White wins 50.0%, draws 3.9% and loses 46.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.0%. It rests on 11K Lichess games, which average 33 moves.
What is the Richter-Veresov Attack: Veresov Variation win rate at 1400-1599?
At 1400-1599, White wins 48.8%, draws 4.1% and loses 47.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.9%. It rests on 12K Lichess games, which average 34 moves.
What is the Richter-Veresov Attack: Veresov Variation win rate at 1600-1799?
At 1600-1799, White wins 49.3%, draws 4.4% and loses 46.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.6%. It rests on 12K Lichess games, which average 36 moves.
What is the Richter-Veresov Attack: Veresov Variation win rate at 1800-1999?
At 1800-1999, White wins 49.9%, draws 4.3% and loses 45.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.1%. It rests on 8.0K Lichess games, which average 36 moves.
What is the Richter-Veresov Attack: Veresov Variation win rate at 2000-2199?
At 2000-2199, White wins 50.7%, draws 5.4% and loses 44.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.4%. It rests on 5.5K Lichess games, which average 37 moves.
What is the Richter-Veresov Attack: Veresov Variation win rate at 2200-2499?
At 2200-2499, White wins 52.0%, draws 6.5% and loses 41.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 55.3%. It rests on 4.5K Lichess games, which average 37 moves.
What is the Richter-Veresov Attack: Veresov Variation win rate at 2500+?
At 2500+, White wins 53.5%, draws 7.2% and loses 39.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 57.1%. It rests on 853 Lichess games, which average 39 moves.
What is the Richter-Veresov Attack: Veresov Variation win rate in Bullet?
In Bullet, White wins 50.4%, draws 3.1% and loses 46.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.0%. It rests on 14K Lichess games.
What is the Richter-Veresov Attack: Veresov Variation win rate in Blitz?
In Blitz, White wins 49.9%, draws 4.6% and loses 45.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.3%. It rests on 36K Lichess games.
What is the Richter-Veresov Attack: Veresov Variation win rate in Rapid?
In Rapid, White wins 47.5%, draws 5.5% and loses 46.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.3%. It rests on 14K Lichess games.
What is the Richter-Veresov Attack: Veresov Variation win rate in Classical?
In Classical, White wins 46.3%, draws 5.9% and loses 47.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.3%. It rests on 648 Lichess games.
Is the Richter-Veresov Attack: Veresov Variation a good opening?
The Richter-Veresov Attack: Veresov Variation is about level. Across all ratings, White wins 49.5% of its games and loses 46.0%. It performs best at 2500+. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.