Nimzowitsch Defense: Mikenas Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
1,022,267 games: White 52.6% / Draw 4.3% / Black 43.2%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 292,758293K | ||
| 253,577254K | ||
| 126,238126K | ||
| 87,71388K | ||
| 66,29566K | ||
| 53,56854K | ||
| 51,24451K | ||
| 38,92939K |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 30, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.88 White is better
Best play: 3. d5 Nb8 4. Nc3 g6 5. Be3 Nf6 6. Qd2 c6 7. O-O-O Nbd7
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 better this line does for Black: Black scores 43% under 1400, 48% at 2200 and up (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 716K | |
| 1400–1799 | 834K | |
| 1800–2199 | 545K | |
| 2200 and up | 55K | |
| Masters, over the board | 293 |
Master games
- Pridorozhni, A. – Ponkratov, P.
- Plat, V. – Ponkratov, P.
- Glek, I. V. – Milov, V.
- Dubov, D. – Vakhlamov, I.
- Perez Ponsa, F. – Shabalov, 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: Mikenas Variation (ECO B00, Semi-Open Games) is a variation of the Nimzowitsch Defense, reached after 1. e4 Nc6 2. d4 d6 (2 moves).
In 1,022,267 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 52.6%, Black 43.2% and 4.3% were drawn. White's most played move here is 3. Nf3, in 29% 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: Mikenas Variation
3. Nc3 scores best for White: 57.1%, with White winning 54.9% and Black 40.6% of 126K games. The most played, 3. Nf3, scores 53.9% in 293K games, and 3. Bb5 scores lowest: 53.1%. Stockfish's first choice is 3. d5.
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: Mikenas Variation has stayed between 0.038% and 0.043% of Lichess games a year since 2016 (0.039% in 2025).
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.041% | 14,733 |
| 2017 | 0.04% | 22,274 |
| 2018 | 0.043% | 33,559 |
| 2019 | 0.043% | 53,622 |
| 2020 | 0.041% | 118,855 |
| 2021 | 0.038% | 147,995 |
| 2022 | 0.04% | 149,698 |
| 2023 | 0.04% | 149,755 |
| 2024 | 0.039% | 141,054 |
| 2025 | 0.039% | 134,701 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.037% | 40,726 |
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: Mikenas Variation (B00)”. Lichess data as of 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/nimzowitsch-defense-mikenas-variation