Nimzo-Larsen Attack: Modern Variation 2…Nc6 3. e3
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Statistics from Lichess
3,310,552 games: White 51.0% / Draw 4.6% / Black 44.4%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 1,567,8501.6M | ||
| 704,941705K | ||
| 302,710303K | ||
| 242,102242K | ||
| 163,462163K | ||
| 84,64585K | ||
| 75,58576K | ||
| 46,89247K |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 29, 2026
Engine evaluation
−0.05 The position is about equal
Best play: 3... d5 4. Bb5 Bd6 5. f4 Qh4+ 6. g3 Qe7 7. Nf3 f6 8. Nc3
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 53% under 1400, 51% at 2200 and up and 50% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 1.1M | |
| 1400–1799 | 2.6M | |
| 1800–2199 | 1.6M | |
| 2200 and up | 325K | |
| Masters, over the board | 3,012 |
Master games
- Nakamura, H. – Carlsen, M.
- Vachier Lagrave, M. – Caruana, F.
- Caruana, F. – Anand, V.
- Nakamura, H. – Caruana, F.
- Nakamura, H. – 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 26, 2026
Overview
Nimzo-Larsen Attack: Modern Variation (ECO A01, Flank Openings) is a variation of the Nimzo-Larsen Attack: Modern Variation, reached after 1. b3 e5 2. Bb2 Nc6 3. e3 (3 moves).
In 3,310,552 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 51.0%, Black 44.4% and 4.6% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 3…d5, in 47% of those games.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to answer 3. e3
3…Nf6 scores best for Black: 49.3%, with Black winning 46.7% and White 48.1% of 705K games. The most played, 3…d5, scores 45.4% in 1.6M games, and 3…Bc5 scores lowest: 44.0%. Stockfish's first choice is 3…d5.
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: 0.13% of Lichess games in 2025, up from 0.1%.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.1% | 36,619 |
| 2017 | 0.12% | 67,084 |
| 2018 | 0.12% | 93,268 |
| 2019 | 0.12% | 148,025 |
| 2020 | 0.12% | 343,304 |
| 2021 | 0.12% | 487,840 |
| 2022 | 0.13% | 488,307 |
| 2023 | 0.13% | 506,468 |
| 2024 | 0.13% | 476,787 |
| 2025 | 0.13% | 466,460 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.13% | 147,598 |
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
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Nimzo-Larsen Attack: Modern Variation (A01)”. Lichess data as of 29 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/nimzo-larsen-attack-modern-variation-3