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Nimzo-Indian Defense: Classical Variation, Keres Defense

16K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

Playable
Black Expected Score49.2%Range (90% confident): 48.5% – 49.8%Based on 16K games
0%49.2%100%
Range (90% confident): 48.5% – 49.8%
Outcome Distribution
43.9%10.6%45.5%
Win
Draw
Loss
6...b6
Nimzo-Indian Defense: Classical Variation, Keres Defense
Analyzen=16K
Avg Length42 moves
Sharpness89%
Draw Rate10.6%

What is the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Classical Variation, Keres Defense expected score for Black?

Snapshot

At all ratings, the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Classical Variation, Keres Defense has a 49.2% expected score for Black (we're 90% confident it's between 48.5% and 49.8%), based on 16K Lichess games.

Black Win% by Rating

Declines with rating: 73% → 34%

0
1000
1200
1400
1600
1800
2000
2200
2500+

  • 0-999: 73.3% win rate (6 games)
  • 1000-1199: 35.1% win rate (37 games)
  • 1200-1399: 52.8% win rate (132 games)
  • 1400-1599: 50.3% win rate (403 games)
  • 1600-1799: 46.1% win rate (981 games)
  • 1800-1999: 47.4% win rate (2,420 games)
  • 2000-2199: 47.7% win rate (3,856 games)
  • 2200-2499: 42.9% win rate (5,505 games)
  • 2500+: 33.5% win rate (2,316 games)

Black Win% by Time Control

Best in UltraBullet (60%), worst in Classical (42%)

UltraBullet
Bullet
Blitz
Rapid
Classical

  • UltraBullet: 60.0% win rate (1 games)
  • Bullet: 43.2% win rate (3,702 games)
  • Blitz: 44.3% win rate (10,204 games)
  • Rapid: 43.0% win rate (1,564 games)
  • Classical: 41.6% win rate (185 games)

Black% 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, Bullet: 73.1% expected score (5 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 35.7% expected score (16 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 39.2% expected score (17 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 50.0% expected score (4 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 58.9% expected score (38 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 51.8% expected score (81 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 50.0% expected score (13 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 55.2% expected score (105 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 53.1% expected score (240 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 52.8% expected score (53 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 57.7% expected score (5 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 46.1% expected score (204 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 48.4% expected score (641 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 52.4% expected score (128 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (8 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 51.8% expected score (448 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 50.4% expected score (1,597 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 55.4% expected score (317 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 44.1% expected score (57 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 54.4% expected score (652 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 51.3% expected score (2,656 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 51.5% expected score (485 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 62.4% expected score (63 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 46.6% expected score (1,209 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 48.1% expected score (3,825 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 47.8% expected score (438 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 48.6% expected score (33 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 47.7% expected score (1,025 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 43.5% expected score (1,146 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 40.6% expected score (126 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Classical: 40.2% expected score (19 games)

Related Openings

Parent
Nimzo-Indian Defense
48.4%
Variations (5)
Nimzo-Indian Defense: Three Knights Variation
50.0%
Nimzo-Indian Defense: Leningrad Variation
48.8%
Nimzo-Indian Defense: Classical Variation
50.5%
Nimzo-Indian Defense: Sämisch Variation
49.5%
Nimzo-Indian Defense: Kmoch Variation
51.8%
Analyze Nimzo-Indian Defense: Classical Variation, Keres Defense PositionsGet move-by-move win rates with the TrueElo analyzer

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Classical Variation, Keres Defense win rate?

The Nimzo-Indian Defense: Classical Variation, Keres Defense has a 45.5% (90% CI: 44.9%-46.2%) win rate for white, based on 16K rated games from Lichess.

At what rating does the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Classical Variation, Keres Defense perform best?

The Nimzo-Indian Defense: Classical Variation, Keres Defense performs best at 1600-1799 Elo with a 49.1% win rate for white (981 games). Win rate tends to decline at higher ratings as opponents know the theory better.

Is the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Classical Variation, Keres Defense better in blitz or rapid?

Blitz (46.5%) outperforms Classical (38.9%) by 7.6%. Choose your time control wisely.

How sharp is the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Classical Variation, Keres Defense?

The Nimzo-Indian Defense: Classical Variation, Keres Defense has a sharpness score of 89.4 (moderately decisive), meaning 89.4% of games end decisively. Average game length is 42 moves.

What is the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Classical Variation, Keres Defense win rate at 1200-1399 Elo?

At 1200-1399 Elo, the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Classical Variation, Keres Defense has a 45.3% (90% CI: 38.3%-52.4%) win rate for white, based on 132 Lichess games. Average game length is 32 moves with a 1.9% draw rate.

What is the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Classical Variation, Keres Defense win rate at 1400-1599 Elo?

At 1400-1599 Elo, the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Classical Variation, Keres Defense has a 42.9% (90% CI: 38.9%-47.0%) win rate for white, based on 403 Lichess games. Average game length is 34 moves with a 6.8% draw rate.

What is the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Classical Variation, Keres Defense win rate at 1600-1799 Elo?

At 1600-1799 Elo, the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Classical Variation, Keres Defense has a 49.1% (90% CI: 46.5%-51.7%) win rate for white, based on 981 Lichess games. Average game length is 36 moves with a 4.8% draw rate.

What is the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Classical Variation, Keres Defense win rate at 1800-1999 Elo?

At 1800-1999 Elo, the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Classical Variation, Keres Defense has a 45.0% (90% CI: 43.4%-46.7%) win rate for white, based on 2.4K Lichess games. Average game length is 39 moves with a 7.6% draw rate.

What is the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Classical Variation, Keres Defense win rate at 2000-2199 Elo?

At 2000-2199 Elo, the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Classical Variation, Keres Defense has a 43.6% (90% CI: 42.3%-45.0%) win rate for white, based on 3.9K Lichess games. Average game length is 41 moves with a 8.7% draw rate.

What is the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Classical Variation, Keres Defense win rate at 2200-2499 Elo?

At 2200-2499 Elo, the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Classical Variation, Keres Defense has a 47.5% (90% CI: 46.4%-48.6%) win rate for white, based on 5.5K Lichess games. Average game length is 43 moves with a 9.6% draw rate.

What is the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Classical Variation, Keres Defense win rate at 2500+ Elo?

At 2500+ Elo, the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Classical Variation, Keres Defense has a 43.2% (90% CI: 41.5%-44.9%) win rate for white, based on 2.3K Lichess games. Average game length is 49 moves with a 23.3% draw rate.

What is the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Classical Variation, Keres Defense win rate in Bullet?

In Bullet games, the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Classical Variation, Keres Defense has a 44.7% (90% CI: 43.4%-46.1%) win rate for white (3.7K Lichess games). Draw rate is 12.1%.

What is the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Classical Variation, Keres Defense win rate in Blitz?

In Blitz games, the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Classical Variation, Keres Defense has a 46.5% (90% CI: 45.6%-47.3%) win rate for white (10K Lichess games). Draw rate is 9.2%.

What is the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Classical Variation, Keres Defense win rate in Rapid?

In Rapid games, the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Classical Variation, Keres Defense has a 42.0% (90% CI: 40.0%-44.1%) win rate for white (1.6K Lichess games). Draw rate is 15.0%.

What is the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Classical Variation, Keres Defense win rate in Classical?

In Classical games, the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Classical Variation, Keres Defense has a 38.9% (90% CI: 33.1%-44.8%) win rate for white (185 Lichess games). Draw rate is 19.6%.

Is the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Classical Variation, Keres Defense a good opening?

The Nimzo-Indian Defense: Classical Variation, Keres Defense is statistically balanced with a 45.5% (90% CI: 44.9%-46.2%) win rate across all ratings. It performs best at 1600-1799 Elo. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.