Nimzowitsch Defense: Franco-Nimzowitsch Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
1,164,723 games: White 52.1% / Draw 4.3% / Black 43.6%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 634,077634K | ||
| 139,004139K | ||
| 128,584129K | ||
| 126,356126K | ||
| 43,76244K | ||
| 21,48221K | ||
| 21,14721K | ||
| 12,74613K |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 30, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.97 White is better
Best play: 3. d4 d6 4. c4 g6 5. Nc3 Bg7 6. Be3 Nf6 7. h3 O-O
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 47% under 1400, 46% at 2200 and up (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 1.7M | |
| 1400–1799 | 1.7M | |
| 1800–2199 | 428K | |
| 2200 and up | 25K | |
| Masters, over the board | 145 |
Master games
- Svidler, P. – Aronian, L.
- Maze, S. – Bauer, C.
- Haddouche, M. – Bauer, C.
- Sutovsky, E. – Sipila, V.
- Lanka, Z. – Wojtkiewicz, A.
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: Franco-Nimzowitsch Variation (ECO B00, Semi-Open Games) is a variation of the Nimzowitsch Defense: Declined Variation, reached after 1. e4 Nc6 2. Nf3 e6 (2 moves).
In 1,164,723 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 52.1%, Black 43.6% and 4.3% were drawn. White's most played move here is 3. d4, in 54% of those games.
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: Franco-Nimzowitsch Variation
The most played answer, 3. d4, also scores best for White: 55.7%, with White winning 53.6% and Black 42.2% of 634K games. Of the main answers, 3. Bc4 scores lowest: 51.0%. Stockfish's first choice is also 3. d4.
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: Franco-Nimzowitsch Variation has lost ground since 2016: 0.039% of Lichess games in 2025, down from 0.061%.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.061% | 21,813 |
| 2017 | 0.052% | 28,704 |
| 2018 | 0.043% | 34,029 |
| 2019 | 0.045% | 56,205 |
| 2020 | 0.048% | 141,196 |
| 2021 | 0.051% | 199,320 |
| 2022 | 0.046% | 172,617 |
| 2023 | 0.044% | 164,052 |
| 2024 | 0.042% | 151,042 |
| 2025 | 0.039% | 136,061 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.038% | 42,047 |
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
Transpositions
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Nimzowitsch Defense: Franco-Nimzowitsch Variation (B00)”. Lichess data as of 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/nimzowitsch-defense-franco-nimzowitsch-variation