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Nimzo-Indian Defense: Ragozin Defense

21K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

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Analyze this line move by move

White expected score · All ratings · All speeds

55.7%

45%60%
Floor55.2%

the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 56.3%.

Measured over 21K games at this level and clock.

Play Thiswins clearly more often than it loses at this level

A strong choice for White at this level and clock.

Outcomes for White

Draw 3.1 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 21K games

Rank among the families White can choose here
not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
Games in this context
21K
Best context
59.0% at 1800-1999 Rapid
Worst context
52.8% at 2000-2199 Bullet
Average game length
33 moves
Games that end decisively
96.9%
Draws
3.1%

Best and worst are the strongest and weakest squares with at least 500 games behind them. The table further down shows every square, including thinner ones.

Where it holds · White score by rating × clock

Green is clearly ahead for White, grey is around even, red is behind. Tap a cell to measure there, and again to clear. It falls away as the rating rises: 58.4% at 0-999, 51.2% at 2500+.

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: 55.0% expected score (148 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 54.9% expected score (297 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 53.7% expected score (149 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Classical: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 57.1% expected score (423 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 54.1% expected score (734 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 53.7% expected score (339 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 38.9% expected score (3 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 56.2% expected score (840 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 55.4% expected score (1,661 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 58.3% expected score (517 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 47.7% expected score (20 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 56.4% expected score (1,022 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 54.1% expected score (2,367 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 56.6% expected score (695 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 54.4% expected score (33 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 56.4% expected score (1,230 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 54.7% expected score (2,932 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 55.9% expected score (871 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 54.7% expected score (52 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 54.5% expected score (972 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 55.9% expected score (2,596 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 59.0% expected score (721 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 80.5% expected score (28 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 52.8% expected score (629 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 58.7% expected score (998 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 61.3% expected score (283 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 80.5% expected score (10 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 59.4% expected score (314 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 50.8% expected score (269 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 67.9% expected score (46 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 48.9% expected score (44 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 53.5% expected score (27 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: Ragozin Defense PositionsSee what each move is worth at your rating, move by move

Methodology

Across every rating and clock, the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Ragozin Defense scores 55.7% for White — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 55.2% and 56.3% — from 21K Lichess games. Win rate, draw rate and loss rate come from games played December 2023 to November 2025.

How the figures are made
Whose games these are
21K+ rated games played on Lichess (2023-12 to 2025-11). The games are Lichess’s and free for anyone to use. What is ours is the reading of them. Last rebuilt January 2026.
Which games we count
  • Rated games only — nothing casual.
  • Both players within 200 rating points of each other. A mismatch tells you about the gap, not about the opening.
  • At least 2 moves played.
  • A game is filed under White’s rating.
Why every number comes with a range
A number off a few hundred games is a guess. The same number off millions is a fact. The range is what tells them apart, and it is what the lists rank on — so an opening cannot reach the top on a lucky run of forty games. The more games behind a figure, the narrower its range.
How much we need before we say anything
An opening page needs 100 games. A gambit needs 50 games at a rating before we will say whether it pays there. The chaos and trap lists need 500 games overall and 250 games at one rating or clock.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Ragozin Defense win rate?

Playing the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Ragozin Defense, White wins 54.2%, draws 3.1% and loses 42.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 55.7%. It rests on 21K rated games from Lichess.

At what rating does the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Ragozin Defense perform best?

The Nimzo-Indian Defense: Ragozin Defense performs best for White at 2000-2199, with an Expected Score of 57.3% (1.9K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.

Is the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Ragozin Defense better in blitz or rapid?

For White, the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Ragozin Defense scores higher in Rapid: an Expected Score of 55.2% in Blitz (12K games) against 57.3% in Rapid (3.6K games).

How sharp is the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Ragozin Defense?

The Nimzo-Indian Defense: Ragozin Defense has a sharpness score of 96.9 (very decisive), meaning 96.9% of games end decisively. Average game length is 33 moves.

What is the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Ragozin Defense win rate at 0-999?

At 0-999, White wins 53.1%, draws 3.3% and loses 43.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.7%. It rests on 595 Lichess games, which average 28 moves.

What is the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Ragozin Defense win rate at 1000-1199?

At 1000-1199, White wins 53.7%, draws 2.2% and loses 44.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.8%. It rests on 1.5K Lichess games, which average 29 moves.

What is the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Ragozin Defense win rate at 1200-1399?

At 1200-1399, White wins 54.7%, draws 2.6% and loses 42.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 56.0%. It rests on 3.0K Lichess games, which average 30 moves.

What is the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Ragozin Defense win rate at 1400-1599?

At 1400-1599, White wins 53.7%, draws 2.9% and loses 43.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 55.1%. It rests on 4.1K Lichess games, which average 31 moves.

What is the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Ragozin Defense win rate at 1600-1799?

At 1600-1799, White wins 53.9%, draws 2.8% and loses 43.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 55.3%. It rests on 5.1K Lichess games, which average 33 moves.

What is the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Ragozin Defense win rate at 1800-1999?

At 1800-1999, White wins 54.4%, draws 3.6% and loses 41.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 56.3%. It rests on 4.3K Lichess games, which average 36 moves.

What is the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Ragozin Defense win rate at 2000-2199?

At 2000-2199, White wins 55.3%, draws 3.9% and loses 40.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 57.3%. It rests on 1.9K Lichess games, which average 37 moves.

What is the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Ragozin Defense win rate at 2200-2499?

At 2200-2499, White wins 53.4%, draws 5.6% and loses 40.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 56.3%. It rests on 630 Lichess games, which average 40 moves.

What is the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Ragozin Defense win rate in Bullet?

In Bullet, White wins 54.8%, draws 1.8% and loses 43.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 55.8%. It rests on 5.6K Lichess games.

What is the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Ragozin Defense win rate in Blitz?

In Blitz, White wins 53.5%, draws 3.3% and loses 43.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 55.2%. It rests on 12K Lichess games.

What is the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Ragozin Defense win rate in Rapid?

In Rapid, White wins 55.1%, draws 4.3% and loses 40.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 57.3%. It rests on 3.6K Lichess games.

What is the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Ragozin Defense win rate in Classical?

In Classical, White wins 57.9%, draws 5.0% and loses 37.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 60.4%. It rests on 148 Lichess games.

Is the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Ragozin Defense a good opening?

The Nimzo-Indian Defense: Ragozin Defense is good for White. Across all ratings, White wins 54.2% of its games and loses 42.8%. It performs best at 2000-2199. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.