Nimzo-Larsen Attack: Indian Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
3,740,745 games: White 47.6% / Draw 5.6% / Black 46.8%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 3,530,4583.5M | ||
| 59,12159K | ||
| 33,71734K | ||
| 26,01126K | ||
| 22,66123K | ||
| Zukertort Opening: Nimzo-Larsen Variation | 18,47018K | |
| 9,3459,345 | ||
| 8,6858,685 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 6, 2026
Engine evaluation
0.00 The position is about equal
Best play: 2. Nf3 c5 3. Bb2 Nc6 4. c4 d5 5. cxd5 Nxd5 6. Nc3 Nxc3
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
By rating
The stronger the players, the worse this line does for Black: Black scores 51% under 1400, 47% at 2200 and up and 46% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 550K | |
| 1400–1799 | 1.7M | |
| 1800–2199 | 2.2M | |
| 2200 and up | 520K | |
| Masters, over the board | 1,685 |
Master games
- Nakamura, H. – Carlsen, M.
- Nakamura, H. – Carlsen, M.
- Nakamura, H. – Carlsen, M.
- Nakamura, H. – Vachier Lagrave, M.
- Nakamura, H. – Vachier Lagrave, M.
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 26, 2026
Overview
Nimzo-Larsen Attack: Indian Variation (ECO A01, Flank Openings) is a variation of the Nimzo-Larsen Attack, reached after 1. b3 Nf6 (1 move).
In 3,740,745 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 47.6%, Black 46.8% and 5.6% were drawn. White's most played move here is 2. Bb2, in 94% of those games.
It continues into one named variation, Nimzo-Larsen Attack: Spike Variation.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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Popularity by year
The Nimzo-Larsen Attack: Indian Variation has gained ground since 2016: 0.15% of Lichess games in 2025, up from 0.097%.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.097% | 34,681 |
| 2017 | 0.13% | 69,435 |
| 2018 | 0.15% | 114,925 |
| 2019 | 0.15% | 186,071 |
| 2020 | 0.14% | 415,164 |
| 2021 | 0.13% | 527,943 |
| 2022 | 0.14% | 532,541 |
| 2023 | 0.15% | 564,236 |
| 2024 | 0.15% | 533,696 |
| 2025 | 0.15% | 531,213 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.16% | 173,543 |
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 (1)
Transpositions
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Nimzo-Larsen Attack: Indian Variation (A01)”. Lichess data as of 6 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/nimzo-larsen-attack-indian-variation