Tree path 2 levels King's Pawn Game › Nimzowitsch Defense
- Chess Codex
- King's Pawn Game B00
- Nimzowitsch Defense B00 you are here
Nimzowitsch Defense
Overview
Nimzowitsch Defense is a named branch in the Semi-Open Games group of chess theory, classified under ECO B00.
The Semi-Open Games group covers semi-open games — replies to 1.e4 where Black declines the symmetrical 1…e5 in favour of an asymmetric pawn structure.
It is reached after 2 plies of play, with the move sequence 1. e4 Nc6.
It branches immediately from King's Pawn Game in the opening tree.
7 distinct sub-variations branch from this opening; prominent examples include Nimzowitsch Defense, Breyer Variation, Declined Variation, and others.
Below the direct variations, the full subtree contains 43 documented sub-variations.
Use the board to walk through every move, check how the position has scored on Lichess, or take it head-to-head against Stockfish.
- ECO code
- B00
- Group
- Semi-Open Games (B)
- Plies
- 2
- Parent
- King's Pawn Game
- Direct variations
- 7
- Total in subtree
- 43
This overview is generated automatically from the opening's metadata. Know this line well? Write a description — submissions are reviewed before publishing.
Statistics from Lichess
21,684,521 games · White 48.6% / Draw 4.3% / Black 47.1%
| Moves | Games | W / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Nf3 | 8,479,092 | |
| d4 | 7,850,055 | |
| Nc3 | 1,483,119 | |
| Bc4 | 1,359,916 | |
| f4 | 1,095,445 | |
| d3 | 383,506 | |
| Bb5 | 368,841 | |
| c3 | 209,275 |
Source: Lichess Opening Explorer · cached 2026-09-26 00:49:51
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Variations (7)
Show all 43 sub-variations (full subtree)
- B00 Nimzowitsch Defense 3-ply
- B00 Breyer Variation 6-ply
- B00 Declined Variation 3-ply
- B00 French Connection 4-ply
- B00 Pirc Connection 4-ply
- B00 Pseudo-Spanish Variation 3-ply
- B00 Wheeler Gambit 3-ply
- B00 Nimzowitsch Defense: Colorado Countergambit 4-ply
- B00 Nimzowitsch Defense: El Columpio Defense 6-ply
- B00 Nimzowitsch Defense: Franco-Nimzowitsch Variation 4-ply
- B00 Kennedy Variation 4-ply
- B00 Mikenas Variation 4-ply
- B00 Neo-Mongoloid Defense 4-ply
- B00 Scandinavian Variation 4-ply
- B00 Nimzowitsch Defense: Williams Variation 4-ply
- B00 Woodchuck Variation 4-ply
- B00 Nimzowitsch Defense: Colorado Countergambit Accepted 5-ply
- B00 El Columpio Gambit 11-ply
- B00 Exchange Variation 11-ply
- B00 Pin Variation 11-ply
- B00 Nimzowitsch Defense: Hornung Gambit 5-ply
- B00 Bielefelder Gambit 6-ply
- B00 de Smet Gambit 6-ply
- B00 Hammer Gambit 6-ply
- B00 Herford Gambit 6-ply
- B00 Keres Attack 7-ply
- B00 Linksspringer Variation 5-ply
- B00 Main Line 8-ply
- B00 Paulsen Attack 7-ply
- B00 Riemann Defense 8-ply
- B00 Aachen Gambit 6-ply
- B00 Advance Variation 5-ply
- B00 Bogoljubow Variation 5-ply
- B00 Exchange Variation 6-ply
- B00 Nimzowitsch Defense: Scandinavian Variation, Bogoljubow Variation 6-ply
- B00 Brandics Gambit 6-ply
- B00 Erben Gambit 6-ply
- B00 Heinola-Deppe Gambit 6-ply
- B00 Vehre Variation 6-ply
- B00 Marshall Gambit 7-ply
- B00 Van Geet Opening: Berlin Gambit 7-ply
- B00 Nimzowitsch Defense: Scandinavian Variation, Bogoljubow Variation, Nimzowitsch Gambit 8-ply
- B00 Nimzowitsch Defense: Scandinavian Variation, Bogoljubow Variation, Richter Gambit 9-ply