Nimzowitsch Defense: Pseudo-Spanish Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
368,514 games: White 47.2% / Draw 4.6% / Black 48.2%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 113,750114K | ||
| 76,96677K | ||
| 51,27951K | ||
| 28,87529K | ||
| 25,54426K | ||
| 19,26319K | ||
| 16,44416K | ||
| 15,37015K |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 23, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.01 The position is about equal
Best play: 2... d5 3. Bxc6+ bxc6 4. Qe2 dxe4 5. Qxe4 Qd5 6. Nc3 Qxe4+ 7. Nxe4
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 52% under 1400, 54% at 2200 and up (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 554K | |
| 1400–1799 | 522K | |
| 1800–2199 | 138K | |
| 2200 and up | 13K | |
| Masters, over the board | 50 |
Master games
- David, A. – Lagarde, M.
- Vitiugov, N. – Vlassov, N.
- Gormally, D. – Hebden, M.
- Mista, A. – Pruijssers, R.
- Van den Doel, E. – Kogan, 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: Pseudo-Spanish Variation (ECO B00, Semi-Open Games) is a variation of the Nimzowitsch Defense, reached after 1. e4 Nc6 2. Bb5 (2 moves).
In 368,514 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 47.2%, Black 48.2% and 4.6% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 2…e5, in 31% 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: Pseudo-Spanish Variation
2…d5 scores best for Black: 55.7%, with Black winning 53.2% and White 41.8% of 26K games. The most played, 2…e5, scores 50.1% in 114K games, and 2…a6 scores lowest: 49.0%. Stockfish's first choice is also 2…d5.
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: Pseudo-Spanish Variation has lost ground since 2016: 0.013% of Lichess games in 2025, down from 0.025%.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.025% | 8,977 |
| 2017 | 0.019% | 10,387 |
| 2018 | 0.015% | 12,097 |
| 2019 | 0.016% | 19,707 |
| 2020 | 0.014% | 42,277 |
| 2021 | 0.014% | 55,904 |
| 2022 | 0.014% | 51,454 |
| 2023 | 0.014% | 50,863 |
| 2024 | 0.014% | 50,157 |
| 2025 | 0.013% | 46,710 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.013% | 14,141 |
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: Pseudo-Spanish Variation (B00)”. Lichess data as of 23 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/nimzowitsch-defense-pseudo-spanish-variation