Nimzowitsch Defense: Scandinavian Variation, Exchange Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
2,422,673 games: White 48.1% / Draw 4.7% / Black 47.2%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 1,478,6691.5M | ||
| 321,009321K | ||
| 292,487292K | ||
| Marshall Gambit | 229,802230K | |
| 72,39972K | ||
| 15,70516K | ||
| 2,9102,910 | ||
| 2,3282,328 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 10, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.15 The position is about equal
Best play: 4. Nf3 e5 5. Nc3 Bb4 6. Bd2 Bxc3 7. Bxc3 e4 8. Ne5 Nxe5
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 47% under 1400, 53% at 2200 and up (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 701K | |
| 1400–1799 | 1.6M | |
| 1800–2199 | 1.4M | |
| 2200 and up | 132K | |
| Masters, over the board | 256 |
Master games
- Malakhov, V. – Fressinet, L.
- Alekseev, E. – Fier, A.
- Potapov, P. – Artemiev, V.
- Leniart, A. – Motylev, A.
- Drazic, S. – Tiviakov, S.
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 26, 2026
Overview
Nimzowitsch Defense: Scandinavian Variation, Exchange Variation (ECO B00, Semi-Open Games) is a variation of the Nimzowitsch Defense: Scandinavian Variation, reached after 1. e4 Nc6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 Qxd5 (3 moves).
In 2,422,673 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 48.1%, Black 47.2% and 4.7% were drawn. White's most played move here is 4. Nf3, in 61% of those games.
It continues into one named variation, Nimzowitsch Defense: Scandinavian Variation, Exchange Variation, Marshall Gambit.
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, Exchange Variation
4. Be3 scores best for White: 53.1%, with White winning 51.0% and Black 44.8% of 321K games. The most played, 4. Nf3, scores 52.0% in 1.5M games, and 4. Nc3 scores lowest: 45.2%. Stockfish's first choice is 4. Nf3.
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: Scandinavian Variation, Exchange Variation has gained ground since 2016: 0.1% of Lichess games in 2025, up from 0.082%.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.082% | 29,295 |
| 2017 | 0.087% | 48,069 |
| 2018 | 0.088% | 69,175 |
| 2019 | 0.09% | 112,204 |
| 2020 | 0.085% | 250,084 |
| 2021 | 0.086% | 334,813 |
| 2022 | 0.09% | 337,191 |
| 2023 | 0.096% | 360,254 |
| 2024 | 0.1% | 371,880 |
| 2025 | 0.1% | 356,813 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.1% | 112,287 |
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, Exchange Variation (B00)”. Lichess data as of 10 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/nimzowitsch-defense-scandinavian-variation-exchange-variation