Zukertort Opening: Nimzo-Larsen Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
1,149,066 games: White 48.8% / Draw 6.9% / Black 44.3%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 520,984521K | ||
| 224,446224K | ||
| 134,563135K | ||
| 89,16889K | ||
| 56,30856K | ||
| 46,93047K | ||
| 43,90544K | ||
| 10,57511K |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 31, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.06 The position is about equal
Best play: 2... d5 3. e3 Bf5 4. Be2 c5 5. Bb2 e6 6. O-O Nc6 7. Nh4
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, 53% at 2200 and up and 53% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 71K | |
| 1400–1799 | 266K | |
| 1800–2199 | 657K | |
| 2200 and up | 318K | |
| Masters, over the board | 4,475 |
Master games
- So, W. – Carlsen, M.
- So, W. – Carlsen, M.
- Caruana, F. – Nakamura, H.
- Nakamura, H. – Caruana, F.
- Nakamura, H. – Caruana, F.
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
Zukertort Opening: Nimzo-Larsen Variation (ECO A05, Flank Openings) is a variation of the Zukertort Opening, reached after 1. Nf3 Nf6 2. b3 (2 moves).
In 1,149,066 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 48.8%, Black 44.3% and 6.9% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 2…g6, in 45% 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 Zukertort Opening: Nimzo-Larsen Variation
The most played answer, 2…g6, also scores best for Black: 48.7%, with Black winning 45.0% and White 47.7% of 521K games. Of the main answers, 2…e6 scores lowest: 46.7%. Stockfish's first choice is 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 Zukertort Opening: Nimzo-Larsen Variation has gained ground since 2016: 0.045% of Lichess games in 2025, up from 0.029% (its peak: 0.055% in 2019).
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.029% | 10,526 |
| 2017 | 0.036% | 19,942 |
| 2018 | 0.045% | 35,139 |
| 2019 | 0.055% | 68,958 |
| 2020 | 0.054% | 158,646 |
| 2021 | 0.041% | 161,281 |
| 2022 | 0.043% | 160,670 |
| 2023 | 0.042% | 156,979 |
| 2024 | 0.043% | 155,828 |
| 2025 | 0.045% | 155,342 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.044% | 48,617 |
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. “Zukertort Opening: Nimzo-Larsen Variation (A05)”. Lichess data as of 31 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/zukertort-opening-nimzo-larsen-variation