Nimzowitsch Defense: Scandinavian Variation, Bogoljubow Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
452,089 games: White 50.0% / Draw 4.5% / Black 45.6%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 287,943288K | ||
| French Defense: Hecht-Reefschläger Variation | 79,89380K | |
| Vehre Variation | 52,78753K | |
| Heinola-Deppe Gambit | 21,69822K | |
| 1,9211,921 | ||
| Brandics Gambit | 1,6701,670 | |
| 1,1541,154 | ||
| Erben Gambit | 931931 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 30, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.19 The position is about equal
Best play: 3... dxe4 4. d5 Nb8 5. Nxe4 c6 6. Bc4 cxd5 7. Qxd5 Qxd5 8. Bxd5
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 51% under 1400, 52% at 2200 and up and 55% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 838K | |
| 1400–1799 | 463K | |
| 1800–2199 | 212K | |
| 2200 and up | 45K | |
| Masters, over the board | 464 |
Master games
- Jobava, B. – Oleksienko, M.
- Milov, V. – Bauer, C.
- Ponomariov, R. – Vlassov, N.
- Akopian, V. – Schneider, I.
- Heimann, A. – Jovanovic, Z. 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: Scandinavian Variation, Bogoljubow Variation (ECO B00, Semi-Open Games) is a variation of the Nimzowitsch Defense: Scandinavian Variation, reached after 1. e4 Nc6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 (3 moves).
In 452,089 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 50.0%, Black 45.6% and 4.5% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 3…dxe4, in 64% of those games.
It branches into 5 named variations; the most played are Nimzowitsch Defense: Scandinavian Variation, Bogoljubow Variation, Vehre Variation and Nimzowitsch Defense: Scandinavian Variation, Bogoljubow Variation, Heinola-Deppe Gambit. In all, 8 named lines continue from it.
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: Scandinavian Variation, Bogoljubow Variation
The most played answer, 3…dxe4, also scores best for Black: 49.0%, with Black winning 46.7% and White 48.7% of 288K games. Of the main answers, 3…e6 scores lowest: 45.6%. Stockfish's first choice is also 3…dxe4.
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: Scandinavian Variation, Bogoljubow Variation dipped to 0.015% of Lichess games in 2022 and has recovered since: 0.02% in 2025.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.023% | 8,091 |
| 2017 | 0.02% | 10,899 |
| 2018 | 0.018% | 13,794 |
| 2019 | 0.017% | 21,502 |
| 2020 | 0.017% | 48,655 |
| 2021 | 0.016% | 63,602 |
| 2022 | 0.015% | 57,117 |
| 2023 | 0.016% | 61,206 |
| 2024 | 0.019% | 68,651 |
| 2025 | 0.02% | 69,022 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.019% | 21,293 |
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
Variations (5)
Transpositions
All 8 named lines that continue from here
- B00 Bogoljubow Variation 3 moves
- B00 Brandics Gambit 3 moves
- B00 Erben Gambit 3 moves
- B00 Heinola-Deppe Gambit 3 moves
- B00 Vehre Variation 3 moves
- B00 Van Geet Opening: Berlin Gambit 4 moves
- B00 Nimzowitsch Defense: Scandinavian Variation, Bogoljubow Variation, Nimzowitsch Gambit 4 moves
- B00 Nimzowitsch Defense: Scandinavian Variation, Bogoljubow Variation, Richter Gambit 5 moves
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Nimzowitsch Defense: Scandinavian Variation, Bogoljubow Variation (B00)”. Lichess data as of 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/nimzowitsch-defense-scandinavian-variation-bogoljubow-variation