Nimzo-Larsen Attack: Modern Variation 3. c4 Nf6
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Statistics from Lichess
204,739 games: White 48.7% / Draw 4.9% / Black 46.4%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 80,74481K | ||
| 41,16341K | ||
| 35,25635K | ||
| 23,34223K | ||
| 10,22010K | ||
| 8,4288,428 | ||
| 1,3991,399 | ||
| 904904 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 31, 2026
Engine evaluation
0.00 The position is about equal
Best play: 4. Nf3 e4 5. Nd4 Bc5 6. Nf5 d5 7. Nxg7+ Kf8 8. cxd5 Bd4
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, 48% at 2200 and up and 45% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 53K | |
| 1400–1799 | 110K | |
| 1800–2199 | 106K | |
| 2200 and up | 39K | |
| Masters, over the board | 517 |
Master games
- Carlsen, M. – Grischuk, A.
- Topalov, V. – Aronian, L.
- Mamedyarov, S. – Giri, A.
- Navara, D. – Ding Liren
- Rapport, R. – Navara, D.
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: 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. c4 Nf6 (3 moves).
In 204,739 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 48.7%, Black 46.4% and 4.9% were drawn. White's most played move here is 4. e3, in 39% 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…Nf6
4. Nf3 scores best for White: 52.7%, with White winning 49.9% and Black 44.5% of 23K games. The most played, 4. e3, scores 52.3% in 81K games, and 4. Nc3 scores lowest: 49.8%. Stockfish's first choice is also 4. Nf3.
Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: White'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 stayed between 0.0074% and 0.0086% of Lichess games a year since 2016 (0.0077% in 2025).
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.0074% | 2,656 |
| 2017 | 0.0081% | 4,432 |
| 2018 | 0.0086% | 6,769 |
| 2019 | 0.0083% | 10,403 |
| 2020 | 0.0077% | 22,590 |
| 2021 | 0.0084% | 32,847 |
| 2022 | 0.0079% | 29,525 |
| 2023 | 0.008% | 30,086 |
| 2024 | 0.0075% | 26,968 |
| 2025 | 0.0077% | 26,669 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.0074% | 8,061 |
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 31 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/nimzo-larsen-attack-modern-variation-4