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English Opening: Four Knights System, Nimzowitsch Variation

346K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

Playable
White Expected Score51.5%Range (90% confident): 51.4% – 51.6%Based on 346K games
0%51.5%100%
Range (90% confident): 51.4% – 51.6%
Outcome Distribution
46.1%10.7%43.2%
Win
Draw
Loss
4.e4
English Opening: Four Knights System, Nimzowitsch Variation
Analyzen=346K
Avg Length36 moves
Sharpness89%
Draw Rate10.7%

What is the English Opening: Four Knights System, Nimzowitsch Variation expected score for White?

Snapshot

At all ratings, the English Opening: Four Knights System, Nimzowitsch Variation has a 51.5% expected score for White (we're 90% confident it's between 51.4% and 51.6%), based on 346K Lichess games.

Extra Analysis

Deep-dive datasets for this opening

Time-Control Swing

Max swing: 8.2% · UltraBullet best · Classical worst

White Win% by Rating

Declines with rating: 46% → 17%

0
1000
1200
1400
1600
1800
2000
2200
2500+

  • 0-999: 45.8% win rate (27,591 games)
  • 1000-1199: 48.1% win rate (45,491 games)
  • 1200-1399: 48.1% win rate (53,358 games)
  • 1400-1599: 48.4% win rate (55,343 games)
  • 1600-1799: 49.2% win rate (46,491 games)
  • 1800-1999: 49.5% win rate (34,724 games)
  • 2000-2199: 51.4% win rate (25,155 games)
  • 2200-2499: 53.2% win rate (26,750 games)
  • 2500+: 16.9% win rate (30,613 games)

White Win% by Time Control

Best in UltraBullet (51%), worst in Classical (43%)

UltraBullet
Bullet
Blitz
Rapid
Classical

  • UltraBullet: 51.1% win rate (164 games)
  • Bullet: 43.5% win rate (81,156 games)
  • Blitz: 47.2% win rate (178,357 games)
  • Rapid: 46.4% win rate (81,224 games)
  • Classical: 42.9% win rate (4,615 games)

White% by Rating × Time Control

Click any cell to filter. Green = above 50%, Red = below 50%.

RatingUBBulleBlitzRapidClass
0-999
1000-1199
1200-1399
1400-1599
1600-1799
1800-1999
2000-2199
2200-2499
2500+

Expected score matrix by rating bracket and time control

  • 0-999 rating, UltraBullet: 37.1% expected score (14 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Bullet: 47.4% expected score (5,389 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 48.8% expected score (14,335 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 45.8% expected score (7,784 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Classical: 41.5% expected score (69 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 45.4% expected score (20 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 51.5% expected score (9,152 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 49.9% expected score (23,572 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 48.9% expected score (12,431 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 48.5% expected score (316 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 56.4% expected score (30 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 51.2% expected score (9,412 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 50.2% expected score (26,636 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 49.3% expected score (16,512 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 46.6% expected score (768 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 63.8% expected score (53 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 51.1% expected score (10,013 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 50.6% expected score (27,820 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 49.9% expected score (16,090 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 48.3% expected score (1,367 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 46.6% expected score (13 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 52.0% expected score (8,674 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 51.7% expected score (24,364 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 50.8% expected score (12,531 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 50.5% expected score (909 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 40.5% expected score (9 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 51.5% expected score (7,325 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 52.4% expected score (18,897 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 52.3% expected score (8,080 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 53.1% expected score (413 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 39.5% expected score (8 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 53.3% expected score (6,558 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 55.3% expected score (14,927 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 53.1% expected score (3,452 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 64.0% expected score (210 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 50.0% expected score (14 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 55.5% expected score (8,204 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 57.1% expected score (16,246 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 58.1% expected score (2,211 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 60.5% expected score (75 games)
  • 2500+ rating, UltraBullet: 16.7% expected score (3 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 54.0% expected score (16,429 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 53.9% expected score (11,560 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 52.5% expected score (2,133 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Classical: 55.5% expected score (488 games)

Related Openings

Parent
English Opening
50.4%
Variations (5)
English Opening: Achilles-Omega Gambit
46.3%
English Opening: Adorjan Defense
47.2%
English Opening: Agincourt Defense
50.2%
English Opening: Agincourt Defense, Bogoljubov Defense
51.6%
English Opening: Agincourt Defense, Bogoljubow Defense
51.8%
Analyze English Opening: Four Knights System, Nimzowitsch Variation PositionsGet move-by-move win rates with the TrueElo analyzer

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the English Opening: Four Knights System, Nimzowitsch Variation win rate?

The English Opening: Four Knights System, Nimzowitsch Variation has a 46.1% (90% CI: 46.0%-46.3%) win rate for white, based on 346K rated games from Lichess.

At what rating does the English Opening: Four Knights System, Nimzowitsch Variation perform best?

The English Opening: Four Knights System, Nimzowitsch Variation performs best at 2200-2499 Elo with a 53.2% win rate for white (27K games). Win rate tends to decline at higher ratings as opponents know the theory better.

Is the English Opening: Four Knights System, Nimzowitsch Variation better in blitz or rapid?

Blitz (47.2%) outperforms Classical (42.9%) by 4.3%. Choose your time control wisely.

How sharp is the English Opening: Four Knights System, Nimzowitsch Variation?

The English Opening: Four Knights System, Nimzowitsch Variation has a sharpness score of 89.3 (moderately decisive), meaning 89.3% of games end decisively. Average game length is 36 moves.

What is the English Opening: Four Knights System, Nimzowitsch Variation win rate at 0-999 Elo?

At 0-999 Elo, the English Opening: Four Knights System, Nimzowitsch Variation has a 45.8% (90% CI: 45.3%-46.3%) win rate for white, based on 28K Lichess games. Average game length is 28 moves with a 3.6% draw rate.

What is the English Opening: Four Knights System, Nimzowitsch Variation win rate at 1000-1199 Elo?

At 1000-1199 Elo, the English Opening: Four Knights System, Nimzowitsch Variation has a 48.1% (90% CI: 47.7%-48.5%) win rate for white, based on 45K Lichess games. Average game length is 30 moves with a 3.7% draw rate.

What is the English Opening: Four Knights System, Nimzowitsch Variation win rate at 1200-1399 Elo?

At 1200-1399 Elo, the English Opening: Four Knights System, Nimzowitsch Variation has a 48.1% (90% CI: 47.7%-48.5%) win rate for white, based on 53K Lichess games. Average game length is 32 moves with a 3.8% draw rate.

What is the English Opening: Four Knights System, Nimzowitsch Variation win rate at 1400-1599 Elo?

At 1400-1599 Elo, the English Opening: Four Knights System, Nimzowitsch Variation has a 48.4% (90% CI: 48.1%-48.8%) win rate for white, based on 55K Lichess games. Average game length is 34 moves with a 4.0% draw rate.

What is the English Opening: Four Knights System, Nimzowitsch Variation win rate at 1600-1799 Elo?

At 1600-1799 Elo, the English Opening: Four Knights System, Nimzowitsch Variation has a 49.2% (90% CI: 48.8%-49.6%) win rate for white, based on 46K Lichess games. Average game length is 36 moves with a 4.5% draw rate.

What is the English Opening: Four Knights System, Nimzowitsch Variation win rate at 1800-1999 Elo?

At 1800-1999 Elo, the English Opening: Four Knights System, Nimzowitsch Variation has a 49.5% (90% CI: 49.1%-49.9%) win rate for white, based on 35K Lichess games. Average game length is 37 moves with a 5.3% draw rate.

What is the English Opening: Four Knights System, Nimzowitsch Variation win rate at 2000-2199 Elo?

At 2000-2199 Elo, the English Opening: Four Knights System, Nimzowitsch Variation has a 51.4% (90% CI: 50.9%-51.9%) win rate for white, based on 25K Lichess games. Average game length is 37 moves with a 6.2% draw rate.

What is the English Opening: Four Knights System, Nimzowitsch Variation win rate at 2200-2499 Elo?

At 2200-2499 Elo, the English Opening: Four Knights System, Nimzowitsch Variation has a 53.2% (90% CI: 52.7%-53.7%) win rate for white, based on 27K Lichess games. Average game length is 38 moves with a 7.0% draw rate.

What is the English Opening: Four Knights System, Nimzowitsch Variation win rate at 2500+ Elo?

At 2500+ Elo, the English Opening: Four Knights System, Nimzowitsch Variation has a 16.9% (90% CI: 16.6%-17.3%) win rate for white, based on 31K Lichess games. Average game length is 57 moves with a 73.9% draw rate.

What is the English Opening: Four Knights System, Nimzowitsch Variation win rate in UltraBullet?

In UltraBullet games, the English Opening: Four Knights System, Nimzowitsch Variation has a 51.1% (90% CI: 44.7%-57.4%) win rate for white (164 Lichess games). Draw rate is 0.9%.

What is the English Opening: Four Knights System, Nimzowitsch Variation win rate in Bullet?

In Bullet games, the English Opening: Four Knights System, Nimzowitsch Variation has a 43.5% (90% CI: 43.2%-43.8%) win rate for white (81K Lichess games). Draw rate is 17.4%.

What is the English Opening: Four Knights System, Nimzowitsch Variation win rate in Blitz?

In Blitz games, the English Opening: Four Knights System, Nimzowitsch Variation has a 47.2% (90% CI: 47.1%-47.4%) win rate for white (178K Lichess games). Draw rate is 9.1%.

What is the English Opening: Four Knights System, Nimzowitsch Variation win rate in Rapid?

In Rapid games, the English Opening: Four Knights System, Nimzowitsch Variation has a 46.4% (90% CI: 46.2%-46.7%) win rate for white (81K Lichess games). Draw rate is 7.1%.

What is the English Opening: Four Knights System, Nimzowitsch Variation win rate in Classical?

In Classical games, the English Opening: Four Knights System, Nimzowitsch Variation has a 42.9% (90% CI: 41.7%-44.1%) win rate for white (4.6K Lichess games). Draw rate is 15.0%.

Is the English Opening: Four Knights System, Nimzowitsch Variation a good opening?

The English Opening: Four Knights System, Nimzowitsch Variation is statistically balanced with a 46.1% (90% CI: 46.0%-46.3%) win rate across all ratings. It performs best at 2200-2499 Elo. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.