Nimzowitsch Defense: Scandinavian Variation, Bogoljubow Variation 3. Nc3 dxe4
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Statistics from Lichess
477,242 games: White 49.2% / Draw 4.4% / Black 46.4%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Van Geet Opening: Berlin Gambit | 209,860210K | |
| 91,29191K | ||
| 84,64685K | ||
| 42,77643K | ||
| 36,44836K | ||
| 4,2184,218 | ||
| 3,9973,997 | ||
| 1,6171,617 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 30, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.21 The position is about equal
Best play: 4. d5 Nb8 5. Nxe4 c6 6. Bc4 cxd5 7. Qxd5 Qxd5 8. Bxd5 e6
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 52% under 1400, 48% at 2200 and up (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 590K | |
| 1400–1799 | 521K | |
| 1800–2199 | 212K | |
| 2200 and up | 24K | |
| Masters, over the board | 187 |
Master games
- Jobava, B. – Oleksienko, M.
- Heimann, A. – Jovanovic, Z. C.
- Peng, L. M. – Li, D.
- Christiansen, L. – Root, D.
- Espinosa Aranda, A. – Ibarra Jerez, 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: Scandinavian Variation, Bogoljubow Variation (ECO B00, Semi-Open Games) is a variation of the Nimzowitsch Defense: Scandinavian Variation, Bogoljubow Variation, reached after 1. e4 Nc6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 (3 moves).
In 477,242 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 49.2%, Black 46.4% and 4.4% were drawn. White's most played move here is 4. d5, in 44% of those games.
It continues into one named variation, Van Geet Opening: Berlin Gambit. In all, 3 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 answer 3…dxe4
The most played answer, 4. d5 (Van Geet Opening: Berlin Gambit), also scores best for White: 56.8%, with White winning 54.5% and Black 41.0% of 210K games. Of the main answers, 4. Nxe4 scores lowest: 44.1%. Stockfish's first choice is also 4. 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
This line dipped to 0.016% of Lichess games in 2018 and has recovered since: 0.022% in 2025.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.02% | 7,014 |
| 2017 | 0.017% | 9,605 |
| 2018 | 0.016% | 12,249 |
| 2019 | 0.017% | 20,956 |
| 2020 | 0.017% | 50,342 |
| 2021 | 0.017% | 68,043 |
| 2022 | 0.016% | 61,401 |
| 2023 | 0.017% | 65,332 |
| 2024 | 0.021% | 75,570 |
| 2025 | 0.022% | 75,376 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.021% | 22,958 |
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 (1)
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-2