Philidor Defense: Nimzowitsch Variation, Klein Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
287,990 games: White 54.4% / Draw 4.1% / Black 41.6%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 148,227148K | ||
| 33,61934K | ||
| 32,78733K | ||
| 26,13726K | ||
| Italian Game: Scotch Invitation Declined | 16,29016K | |
| 9,4359,435 | ||
| 7,1177,117 | ||
| 6,6616,661 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 10, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.18 The position is about equal
Best play: 4... exd4 5. Qxd4 Be7 6. Nc3 a6 7. O-O b5 8. Be2 O-O 9. a4
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 White: White scores 56% under 1400, 52% at 2200 and up (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 318K | |
| 1400–1799 | 359K | |
| 1800–2199 | 116K | |
| 2200 and up | 4,046 | |
| Masters, over the board | 14 |
Master games
- Sveshnikov, E. – Tseshkovsky, V.
- Hansen, L. B. – Pedersen, S.
- Grinberg, R. – Rubinetti, J. A.
- Sedlak, N. – Schaefer, M.
- Naimanye, A. – Summerscale, 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
Philidor Defense: Nimzowitsch Variation, Klein Variation (ECO C41, Open Games) is a variation of the Philidor Defense: Nimzowitsch Variation, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Nf6 4. Bc4 (4 moves).
In 287,990 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 54.4%, Black 41.6% and 4.1% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 4…exd4, in 51% 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 Philidor Defense: Nimzowitsch Variation, Klein Variation
The most played answer, 4…exd4, also scores best for Black: 47.5%, with Black winning 45.5% and White 50.4% of 148K games. Of the main answers, 4…Nxe4 scores lowest: 37.2%. Stockfish's first choice is also 4…exd4.
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 Philidor Defense: Nimzowitsch Variation, Klein Variation has lost ground since 2016: 0.01% of Lichess games in 2025, down from 0.014%.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.014% | 4,991 |
| 2017 | 0.012% | 6,486 |
| 2018 | 0.01% | 8,209 |
| 2019 | 0.011% | 13,215 |
| 2020 | 0.011% | 33,233 |
| 2021 | 0.012% | 47,721 |
| 2022 | 0.012% | 44,427 |
| 2023 | 0.011% | 41,514 |
| 2024 | 0.011% | 37,659 |
| 2025 | 0.01% | 35,114 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.0099% | 10,815 |
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. “Philidor Defense: Nimzowitsch Variation, Klein Variation (C41)”. Lichess data as of 10 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/philidor-defense-nimzowitsch-variation-klein-variation