Nimzowitsch Defense: French Connection
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Statistics from Lichess
303,543 games: White 50.8% / Draw 4.6% / Black 44.7%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 98,46098K | ||
| 76,74077K | ||
| 37,90938K | ||
| 31,22531K | ||
| 15,23615K | ||
| 14,25614K | ||
| 13,37513K | ||
| 6,3056,305 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 30, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.68 White is slightly better
Best play: 3. d4 Bb4 4. Qd3 d5 5. e5 Bd7 6. a3 Ba5 7. f4 f6
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 48% both under 1400 and at 2200 and up (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 414K | |
| 1400–1799 | 317K | |
| 1800–2199 | 138K | |
| 2200 and up | 26K | |
| Masters, over the board | 132 |
Master games
- Fedorov, A. – Conquest, S.
- Tilicheev, V. – Bauer, C.
- Hector, J. – Miles, A. J.
- Libiszewski, F. – Bauer, C.
- Bailet, P. – Bauer, C.
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: French Connection (ECO B00, Semi-Open Games) is a variation of the Nimzowitsch Defense, reached after 1. e4 Nc6 2. Nc3 e6 (2 moves).
In 303,543 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 50.8%, Black 44.7% and 4.6% were drawn. White's most played move here is 3. Nf3, in 32% 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: French Connection
3. d4 scores best for White: 55.6%, with White winning 53.3% and Black 42.1% of 77K games. The most played, 3. Nf3, scores 52.8% in 98K games, and 3. Bc4 scores lowest: 50.4%. 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: French Connection dipped to 0.01% of Lichess games in 2018 and has recovered since: 0.012% in 2025.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.013% | 4,597 |
| 2017 | 0.011% | 6,113 |
| 2018 | 0.01% | 8,205 |
| 2019 | 0.011% | 13,131 |
| 2020 | 0.01% | 30,702 |
| 2021 | 0.012% | 46,472 |
| 2022 | 0.012% | 43,540 |
| 2023 | 0.012% | 44,717 |
| 2024 | 0.012% | 44,146 |
| 2025 | 0.012% | 43,206 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.012% | 13,707 |
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: French Connection (B00)”. Lichess data as of 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/nimzowitsch-defense-french-connection