Richter-Veresov Attack: what should Black play?

In this critical position of the Richter-Veresov Attack, Black's most statistically successful and engine-recommended response is dxe4. This move, played in 54.2% of the 103,000 recorded games, challenges the center immediately and leads to a slight engine evaluation of -0.36. By capturing on e4, Black forces White to address the central tension, typically resulting in a dynamic struggle where Black maintains solid equality.

The main line with dxe4

The move dxe4 is the most frequent choice at the master level, appearing in 61,000 games. The standard continuation follows the line dxe4 Nxe4 g6 Bc4 Bg7 Nf3, where Black prepares a kingside fianchetto to pressure the long diagonal. White scores 48.7% from this position, suggesting that Black achieves comfortable play by neutralizing White's early central aggression.

The pinning alternative Bb4

The second most popular choice is Bb4, occurring in 25.0% of recorded encounters. This move develops the dark-squared bishop and pins the c3, leading to the sequence Bb4 exd5 Qxd5 Qe2+ Be6 Qb5+. While the engine evaluation remains close to equality at -0.32, White’s win rate drops to 45.3%, making this a statistically potent weapon for Black to disrupt White's coordination.

Solidifying the center with c6

Players seeking a more restrained setup often opt for c6, which has been played in 8.7% of games. This move supports the d5 pawn but allows White a slight edge of +0.15 according to engine analysis. The main continuation c6 exd5 cxd5 Qf3 Be6 O-O-O often leads to sharp positions with opposite-side castling, where White scores 52.5%. Other less common tries include Qe7 and f5, though these are considered less accurate, yielding evaluations of +0.61 and +0.78 respectively.