Nimzo-Larsen Attack: Classical Variation 1…d5 2. b3
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Statistics from Lichess
1,683,279 games: White 51.1% / Draw 5.8% / Black 43.1%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 415,281415K | ||
| 383,615384K | ||
| 286,234286K | ||
| 147,583148K | ||
| 123,653124K | ||
| 113,463113K | ||
| 90,80391K | ||
| 29,28229K |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 28, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.04 The position is about equal
Best play: 2... Bf5 3. Bb2 Nf6 4. Nh4 Bd7 5. g3 e6 6. Bg2 c5 7. c4
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
By rating
Rating changes little here: White scores 52% under 1400, 53% at 2200 and up and 53% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 289K | |
| 1400–1799 | 742K | |
| 1800–2199 | 969K | |
| 2200 and up | 269K | |
| Masters, over the board | 3,859 |
Master games
- Topalov, V. – Carlsen, M.
- Carlsen, M. – Anand, V.
- Carlsen, M. – Giri, A.
- Topalov, V. – Aronian, L.
- So, W. – Caruana, F.
Rated blitz, rapid and classical Lichess games by rating band, and over-the-board games of players rated 2200+ from the Lichess masters database, updated Sep 27, 2026
Overview
Nimzo-Larsen Attack: Classical Variation (ECO A06, Flank Openings) is a variation of the Zukertort Opening, reached after 1. Nf3 d5 2. b3 (2 moves).
In 1,683,279 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 51.1%, Black 43.1% and 5.8% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 2…Nf6, in 25% of those games.
It branches into 4 named variations; the most played are Réti Opening: Anglo-Slav Variation, Bled Variation and Nimzo-Larsen Attack: Norfolk Gambit.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to answer 2. b3
2…c6 scores best for Black: 47.5%, with Black winning 44.0% and White 49.1% of 124K games. The most played, 2…Nf6, scores 46.8% in 415K games, and 2…Nc6 scores lowest: 44.0%. Stockfish's first choice is 2…Bf5.
Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: Black's wins plus half the draws, in rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500. How to play against other popular openings
Popularity by year
This line has gained ground since 2016: 0.068% of Lichess games in 2025, up from 0.048%.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.048% | 17,153 |
| 2017 | 0.053% | 29,002 |
| 2018 | 0.06% | 46,944 |
| 2019 | 0.074% | 92,501 |
| 2020 | 0.07% | 206,180 |
| 2021 | 0.061% | 237,762 |
| 2022 | 0.066% | 248,155 |
| 2023 | 0.062% | 234,719 |
| 2024 | 0.067% | 240,335 |
| 2025 | 0.068% | 234,533 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.064% | 70,495 |
Share of rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500 (blitz, rapid and classical) that reach this position, by year; 2026: January to April. Which openings are rising and falling
Variations (4)
Transpositions
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Nimzo-Larsen Attack: Classical Variation (A06)”. Lichess data as of 28 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/nimzo-larsen-attack-classical-variation-2