TrueEloPlay what wins.
Analyzer

Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Classical Defense

20K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

Play This
White Expected Score52.7%Range (90% confident): 52.1% – 53.3%Based on 20K games
0%52.7%100%
Range (90% confident): 52.1% – 53.3%
Outcome Distribution
49.6%6.1%44.3%
Win
Draw
Loss
5...d5
Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Classical Defense
Analyzen=20K
Avg Length37 moves
Sharpness94%
Draw Rate6.1%

What is the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Classical Defense expected score for White?

Snapshot

At all ratings, the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Classical Defense has a 52.7% expected score for White (we're 90% confident it's between 52.1% and 53.3%), based on 20K Lichess games.

White Win% by Rating

Declines with rating: 55% → 47%

0
1000
1200
1400
1600
1800
2000
2200
2500+

  • 0-999: 54.8% win rate (56 games)
  • 1000-1199: 52.1% win rate (180 games)
  • 1200-1399: 51.3% win rate (588 games)
  • 1400-1599: 53.6% win rate (1,532 games)
  • 1600-1799: 52.6% win rate (2,473 games)
  • 1800-1999: 49.9% win rate (4,041 games)
  • 2000-2199: 47.5% win rate (3,978 games)
  • 2200-2499: 49.0% win rate (4,601 games)
  • 2500+: 47.1% win rate (2,191 games)

White Win% by Time Control

Best in Blitz (50%), worst in Classical (43%)

Bullet
Blitz
Rapid
Classical

  • Bullet: 49.2% win rate (4,590 games)
  • Blitz: 50.4% win rate (12,745 games)
  • Rapid: 46.7% win rate (2,176 games)
  • Classical: 42.5% win rate (129 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, Bullet: 60.4% expected score (13 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 51.5% expected score (33 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 58.7% expected score (10 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 55.2% expected score (47 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 50.5% expected score (102 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 60.8% expected score (31 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 53.8% expected score (208 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 53.0% expected score (299 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 48.7% expected score (73 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 39.5% expected score (8 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 56.2% expected score (450 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 54.6% expected score (865 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 52.2% expected score (212 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 57.7% expected score (5 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 52.7% expected score (548 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 54.6% expected score (1,595 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 53.5% expected score (315 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 53.1% expected score (15 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 53.1% expected score (718 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 52.0% expected score (2,695 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 52.2% expected score (572 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 46.6% expected score (56 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 50.5% expected score (660 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 50.9% expected score (2,760 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 46.4% expected score (524 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 52.8% expected score (34 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 49.6% expected score (1,029 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 53.5% expected score (3,231 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 49.1% expected score (335 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 30.0% expected score (6 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 51.5% expected score (917 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 59.2% expected score (1,165 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 59.0% expected score (104 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (5 games)

Related Openings

Parent
Nimzo-Indian Defense
48.4%
Variations (5)
Nimzo-Indian Defense: Classical Variation
50.5%
Nimzo-Indian Defense: Classical Variation, Berlin Variation
48.9%
Nimzo-Indian Defense: Classical Variation, Berlin Variation, Macieja System
54.8%
Nimzo-Indian Defense: Classical Variation, Berlin Variation, Pirc Variation
47.2%
Nimzo-Indian Defense: Classical Variation, Berlin Variation, Steiner Variation
46.2%
Analyze Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Classical Defense PositionsGet move-by-move win rates with the TrueElo analyzer

Frequently Asked Questions

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

The Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Classical Defense has a 49.6% (90% CI: 49.0%-50.2%) win rate for white, based on 20K rated games from Lichess.

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

The Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Classical Defense performs best at 1400-1599 Elo with a 53.6% win rate for white (1.5K games). Win rate tends to decline at higher ratings as opponents know the theory better.

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

Blitz (50.4%) outperforms Classical (42.5%) by 7.9%. Choose your time control wisely.

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

The Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Classical Defense has a sharpness score of 93.9 (decisive), meaning 93.9% of games end decisively. Average game length is 37 moves.

What is the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Classical Defense win rate at 1000-1199 Elo?

At 1000-1199 Elo, the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Classical Defense has a 52.1% (90% CI: 46.0%-58.1%) win rate for white, based on 180 Lichess games. Average game length is 31 moves with a 3.0% draw rate.

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

At 1200-1399 Elo, the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Classical Defense has a 51.3% (90% CI: 47.9%-54.7%) win rate for white, based on 588 Lichess games. Average game length is 30 moves with a 2.5% draw rate.

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

At 1400-1599 Elo, the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Classical Defense has a 53.6% (90% CI: 51.5%-55.7%) win rate for white, based on 1.5K Lichess games. Average game length is 31 moves with a 2.2% draw rate.

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

At 1600-1799 Elo, the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Classical Defense has a 52.6% (90% CI: 50.9%-54.2%) win rate for white, based on 2.5K Lichess games. Average game length is 33 moves with a 2.8% draw rate.

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

At 1800-1999 Elo, the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Classical Defense has a 49.9% (90% CI: 48.6%-51.2%) win rate for white, based on 4.0K Lichess games. Average game length is 36 moves with a 4.5% draw rate.

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

At 2000-2199 Elo, the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Classical Defense has a 47.5% (90% CI: 46.2%-48.8%) win rate for white, based on 4.0K Lichess games. Average game length is 37 moves with a 5.4% draw rate.

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

At 2200-2499 Elo, the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Classical Defense has a 49.0% (90% CI: 47.8%-50.2%) win rate for white, based on 4.6K Lichess games. Average game length is 38 moves with a 6.4% draw rate.

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

At 2500+ Elo, the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Classical Defense has a 47.1% (90% CI: 45.3%-48.8%) win rate for white, based on 2.2K Lichess games. Average game length is 46 moves with a 17.7% draw rate.

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

In Bullet games, the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Classical Defense has a 49.2% (90% CI: 48.0%-50.4%) win rate for white (4.6K Lichess games). Draw rate is 5.6%.

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

In Blitz games, the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Classical Defense has a 50.4% (90% CI: 49.6%-51.1%) win rate for white (13K Lichess games). Draw rate is 5.9%.

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

In Rapid games, the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Classical Defense has a 46.7% (90% CI: 44.9%-48.4%) win rate for white (2.2K Lichess games). Draw rate is 8.4%.

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

In Classical games, the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Classical Defense has a 42.5% (90% CI: 35.5%-49.7%) win rate for white (129 Lichess games). Draw rate is 11.1%.

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

The Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Classical Defense is statistically favors white with a 49.6% (90% CI: 49.0%-50.2%) win rate across all ratings. It performs best at 1400-1599 Elo. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.