Nimzowitsch Defense: Kennedy Variation, Riemann Defense
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Statistics from Lichess
204,330 games: White 55.9% / Draw 3.9% / Black 40.2%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 122,342122K | ||
| 32,12732K | ||
| 31,00031K | ||
| 11,46011K | ||
| 2,2252,225 | ||
| 1,3781,378 | ||
| 1,1151,115 | ||
| 474474 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 30, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.69 White is slightly better
Best play: 5. Nc3 Bc5 6. Nf3 Nf6 7. e5 Ng4 8. Bc4 O-O 9. Ng5 d6
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
By rating
The stronger the players, the worse this line does for Black: Black scores 50% under 1400, 45% at 2200 and up (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 74K | |
| 1400–1799 | 83K | |
| 1800–2199 | 133K | |
| 2200 and up | 23K | |
| Masters, over the board | 38 |
Master games
- Lagarde, M. – Bauer, C.
- Huebner, R. – Hort, V.
- Lagarde, M. – Zubov, A. U.
- Lagarde, M. – Zubov, A. U.
- Milov, V. – 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, Riemann Defense (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. f4 Nc6 (4 moves).
In 204,330 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 55.9%, Black 40.2% and 3.9% were drawn. White's most played move here is 5. Nf3, in 60% 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, Riemann Defense
5. Bc4 scores best for White: 61.2%, with White winning 59.3% and Black 37.0% of 31K games. The most played, 5. Nf3, scores 57.2% in 122K games, and 5. Nc3 scores lowest: 56.9%. Stockfish's first choice is 5. Nc3.
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: Kennedy Variation, Riemann Defense has gained ground since 2016: 0.0092% of Lichess games in 2025, up from 0.0063%.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.0063% | 2,241 |
| 2017 | 0.0068% | 3,763 |
| 2018 | 0.0069% | 5,399 |
| 2019 | 0.0072% | 8,951 |
| 2020 | 0.0071% | 20,732 |
| 2021 | 0.0072% | 28,237 |
| 2022 | 0.0076% | 28,548 |
| 2023 | 0.008% | 29,950 |
| 2024 | 0.0088% | 31,462 |
| 2025 | 0.0092% | 31,987 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.0089% | 9,736 |
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, Riemann Defense (B00)”. Lichess data as of 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/nimzowitsch-defense-kennedy-variation-riemann-defense