Nimzowitsch Defense: Kennedy Variation, Paulsen Attack
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Statistics from Lichess
354,883 games: White 53.5% / Draw 5.4% / Black 41.0%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 171,497171K | ||
| 64,53565K | ||
| 33,75034K | ||
| 24,92725K | ||
| 20,96421K | ||
| 15,69616K | ||
| 11,26511K | ||
| 4,1214,121 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 30, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.44 White is slightly better
Best play: 4... d6 5. Nc3 Nf6 6. Bf4 Ng6 7. Bg3 Be7 8. Qd2 O-O 9. O-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: White scores 56% under 1400, 57% at 2200 and up (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 370K | |
| 1400–1799 | 271K | |
| 1800–2199 | 197K | |
| 2200 and up | 37K | |
| Masters, over the board | 159 |
Master games
- So, W. – Carlsen, M.
- So, W. – Vachier Lagrave, M.
- Huebner, R. – Hort, V.
- Kudrin, S. – Miles, A. J.
- Garcia, G. – Miles, A. 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: Kennedy Variation, Paulsen Attack (ECO B00, Semi-Open Games) is a variation of the Nimzowitsch Defense: Kennedy Variation, reached after 1. e4 Nc6 2. d4 e5 3. dxe5 Nxe5 4. Nf3 (4 moves).
In 354,883 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 53.5%, Black 41.0% and 5.4% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 4…Nxf3+, in 48% 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: Kennedy Variation, Paulsen Attack
4…Qf6 scores best for Black: 47.2%, with Black winning 44.5% and White 50.0% of 34K games. The most played, 4…Nxf3+, scores 43.5% in 171K games, and 4…Nc6 scores lowest: 43.1%. Stockfish's first choice is 4…d6.
Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: Black'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: Kennedy Variation, Paulsen Attack has gained ground since 2016: 0.015% of Lichess games in 2025, up from 0.01%.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.01% | 3,711 |
| 2017 | 0.011% | 6,038 |
| 2018 | 0.012% | 9,293 |
| 2019 | 0.013% | 16,102 |
| 2020 | 0.013% | 37,225 |
| 2021 | 0.013% | 52,609 |
| 2022 | 0.014% | 50,961 |
| 2023 | 0.014% | 52,228 |
| 2024 | 0.015% | 52,992 |
| 2025 | 0.015% | 51,321 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.015% | 16,694 |
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. “Nimzowitsch Defense: Kennedy Variation, Paulsen Attack (B00)”. Lichess data as of 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/nimzowitsch-defense-kennedy-variation-paulsen-attack