Richter-Veresov Attack
You play White · 5 variations
Mixed practice
The machine picks a different variation every time.
Take a quiz
10 positions: find the next theory move in each. No take-backs, no hints.
Main variations · 3
Other variations · 2
What is the Richter-Veresov Attack?
The Richter-Veresov Attack arises after 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nc3 d5 3.Bg5, or by the move order 1.d4 d5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Bg5. You develop the queen's knight in front of the c-pawn, pin or pressure the f6-knight, and aim for f3 and e4 to build a big centre. The character is aggressive, often with opposite-side castling after Qd2 and O-O-O. It is a sound but offbeat system, more common in club play than at the top, and it lets you avoid the large body of Queen's Gambit theory.
Main ideas and plans
Your main ideas are Bxf6 to damage Black's pawn structure, Qd2 with long castling, and the e4 push prepared by f3. Against the popular 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nc3 d5 3.Bg5 Bf5 you choose between the Richter Variation, 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nc3 d5 3.Bg5 Bf5 4.f3, preparing e4 even at the cost of a pawn, and the Veresov Variation, 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nc3 d5 3.Bg5 Bf5 4.Bxf6, giving up the bishop to double Black's pawns, usually followed by e3, Bd3 and Qf3 or Nge2. The Two Knights System, 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nc3 d5 3.Bg5 Nbd7 4.Nf3, meets the solid ...Nbd7 with natural development, and against the Grünfeld-style ...g6 the play becomes slower and more positional.
Black's main ideas are to strike back in the centre and challenge the bishop. The Boyce Defense, 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nc3 d5 3.Bg5 Ne4, hits the bishop and the c3-knight at once, and the Malich Gambit, 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nc3 d5 3.Bg5 c5 4.Bxf6 gxf6 5.e4 dxe4 6.d5, shows how sharp the play can get when Black answers with ...c5. After 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nc3 d5 3.Bg5 e6 4.e4 the game turns into a French Defense, so decide in advance how you will handle that. Because the knight on c3 blocks your c-pawn you rarely play c4; your central break is e4, and your pieces should be ready for it.
Who is it for?
The Richter-Veresov suits attacking players who want an unusual queen's pawn system with clear plans and opposite-side castling, without the heavy theory of the Queen's Gambit. Its downside is that Black can equalise with simple, solid moves such as ...Nbd7 and ...c5 or ...c6, and the knight on c3 removes the c4 break, so everything depends on making e4 work. First learn the lines with ...Bf5 and ...Nbd7, which you will meet most often.