Nimzowitsch Defense: Colorado Countergambit
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Statistics from Lichess
924,050 games: White 45.6% / Draw 4.1% / Black 50.3%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Nimzowitsch Defense: Colorado Countergambit Accepted | 515,265515K | |
| 241,349241K | ||
| 68,72569K | ||
| 39,19139K | ||
| 19,35419K | ||
| 18,11818K | ||
| 9,9859,985 | ||
| 5,3285,328 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 8, 2026
Engine evaluation
+1.36 White is better
Best play: 3. exf5 d5 4. Bb5 Bxf5 5. Ne5 Bd7 6. Bxc6 Bxc6 7. d4 Nf6
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
By rating
Rating changes little here: Black scores 50% under 1400, 49% at 2200 and up (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 70K | |
| 1400–1799 | 369K | |
| 1800–2199 | 594K | |
| 2200 and up | 76K | |
| Masters, over the board | 150 |
Master games
- Movsesian, S. – Schneider, I.
- Bologan, V. – Schneider, I.
- Guseinov, G. – Teske, H.
- Zvjaginsev, V. – Schneider, I.
- Grandelius, N. – Hector, J.
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
Nimzowitsch Defense: Colorado Countergambit (ECO B00, Semi-Open Games) is a gambit in the Nimzowitsch Defense: Declined Variation, reached after 1. e4 Nc6 2. Nf3 f5 (2 moves).
In 924,050 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 45.6%, Black 50.3% and 4.1% were drawn. White's most played move here is 3. exf5, in 56% of those games.
It continues into one named variation, Nimzowitsch Defense: Colorado Countergambit Accepted.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to play against the Nimzowitsch Defense: Colorado Countergambit
The most played answer, 3. exf5 (Nimzowitsch Defense: Colorado Countergambit Accepted), also scores best for White: 48.7%, with White winning 46.6% and Black 49.2% of 515K games. Of the main answers, 3. Nc3 scores lowest: 45.9%. Stockfish's first choice is also 3. exf5.
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
The Nimzowitsch Defense: Colorado Countergambit is played less than half as often as in 2016: 0.024% of Lichess games in 2025, down from 0.065%.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.065% | 23,167 |
| 2017 | 0.069% | 37,869 |
| 2018 | 0.064% | 50,459 |
| 2019 | 0.07% | 87,397 |
| 2020 | 0.052% | 152,566 |
| 2021 | 0.038% | 147,661 |
| 2022 | 0.032% | 118,734 |
| 2023 | 0.026% | 99,553 |
| 2024 | 0.025% | 90,393 |
| 2025 | 0.024% | 81,794 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.022% | 23,711 |
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. “Nimzowitsch Defense: Colorado Countergambit (B00)”. Lichess data as of 8 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/nimzowitsch-defense-colorado-countergambit