Nimzo-Indian Defense: Rubinstein System
88K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026
White expected score · All ratings · All speeds
53.3%
the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 53.6%.
Measured over 88K games at this level and clock.
A strong choice for White at this level and clock.
Outcomes for White
Draw 4.3 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 88K games
- Rank among the families White can choose here
- not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
- Games in this context
- 88K
- Best context
- 61.8% at 2500+ Blitz
- Worst context
- 49.1% at 1000-1199 Bullet
- Average game length
- 35 moves
- Games that end decisively
- 95.7%
- Draws
- 4.3%
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 gets better as the rating rises: 42.0% at 0-999, 62.4% at 2500+.
| Rating | UB | Bulle | Blitz | Rapid | Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
- 0-999 rating, Bullet: 47.4% expected score (190 games)
- 0-999 rating, Blitz: 48.5% expected score (190 games)
- 0-999 rating, Rapid: 54.3% expected score (45 games)
- 0-999 rating, Classical: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 63.4% expected score (6 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 49.1% expected score (709 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 51.7% expected score (691 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 52.6% expected score (136 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 16.7% expected score (3 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 38.0% expected score (11 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 55.1% expected score (1,607 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 53.4% expected score (2,103 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 46.8% expected score (375 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 71.8% expected score (10 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 65.0% expected score (52 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 54.2% expected score (3,182 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 52.8% expected score (4,622 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 50.6% expected score (941 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 58.3% expected score (35 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 51.2% expected score (125 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 52.7% expected score (5,477 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 54.6% expected score (8,369 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 54.7% expected score (1,708 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 58.2% expected score (102 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 39.0% expected score (62 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 52.2% expected score (6,974 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 52.7% expected score (11,704 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 54.0% expected score (2,285 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 60.8% expected score (147 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 44.3% expected score (16 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 51.1% expected score (6,641 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 53.9% expected score (10,171 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 54.4% expected score (1,751 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 59.1% expected score (76 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 27.8% expected score (3 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 51.7% expected score (5,754 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 54.1% expected score (7,513 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 58.3% expected score (764 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 45.7% expected score (10 games)
- 2500+ rating, Bullet: 55.6% expected score (2,206 games)
- 2500+ rating, Blitz: 61.8% expected score (1,252 games)
- 2500+ rating, Rapid: 67.8% expected score (49 games)
- 2500+ rating, Classical: 64.3% expected score (2 games)
Related Openings
Methodology
Across every rating and clock, the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Rubinstein System scores 53.3% for White — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 53.0% and 53.6% — from 88K 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
- 88K+ 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: Rubinstein System win rate?
Playing the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Rubinstein System, White wins 51.1%, draws 4.3% and loses 44.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.3%. It rests on 88K rated games from Lichess.
At what rating does the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Rubinstein System perform best?
The Nimzo-Indian Defense: Rubinstein System performs best for White at 2500+, with an Expected Score of 58.0% (3.5K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.
Is the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Rubinstein System better in blitz or rapid?
For White, the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Rubinstein System scores about the same in both: an Expected Score of 53.8% in Blitz (47K games) against 54.0% in Rapid (8.1K games).
How sharp is the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Rubinstein System?
The Nimzo-Indian Defense: Rubinstein System has a sharpness score of 95.7 (very decisive), meaning 95.7% of games end decisively. Average game length is 35 moves.
What is the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Rubinstein System win rate at 0-999?
At 0-999, White wins 47.3%, draws 2.2% and loses 50.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.4%. It rests on 427 Lichess games, which average 26 moves.
What is the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Rubinstein System win rate at 1000-1199?
At 1000-1199, White wins 49.4%, draws 2.2% and loses 48.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.5%. It rests on 1.5K Lichess games, which average 28 moves.
What is the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Rubinstein System win rate at 1200-1399?
At 1200-1399, White wins 52.1%, draws 2.6% and loses 45.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.4%. It rests on 4.1K Lichess games, which average 30 moves.
What is the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Rubinstein System win rate at 1400-1599?
At 1400-1599, White wins 51.4%, draws 3.4% and loses 45.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.1%. It rests on 8.8K Lichess games, which average 32 moves.
What is the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Rubinstein System win rate at 1600-1799?
At 1600-1799, White wins 52.2%, draws 3.5% and loses 44.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.9%. It rests on 16K Lichess games, which average 33 moves.
What is the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Rubinstein System win rate at 1800-1999?
At 1800-1999, White wins 50.6%, draws 4.0% and loses 45.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.7%. It rests on 21K Lichess games, which average 35 moves.
What is the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Rubinstein System win rate at 2000-2199?
At 2000-2199, White wins 50.6%, draws 4.7% and loses 44.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.0%. It rests on 19K Lichess games, which average 36 moves.
What is the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Rubinstein System win rate at 2200-2499?
At 2200-2499, White wins 50.4%, draws 5.8% and loses 43.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.3%. It rests on 14K Lichess games, which average 38 moves.
What is the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Rubinstein System win rate at 2500+?
At 2500+, White wins 54.6%, draws 6.8% and loses 38.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 58.0%. It rests on 3.5K Lichess games, which average 41 moves.
What is the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Rubinstein System win rate in UltraBullet?
In UltraBullet, White wins 48.5%, draws 2.7% and loses 48.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.9%. It rests on 276 Lichess games.
What is the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Rubinstein System win rate in Bullet?
In Bullet, White wins 50.9%, draws 3.0% and loses 46.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.4%. It rests on 33K Lichess games.
What is the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Rubinstein System win rate in Blitz?
In Blitz, White wins 51.3%, draws 4.9% and loses 43.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.8%. It rests on 47K Lichess games.
What is the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Rubinstein System win rate in Rapid?
In Rapid, White wins 51.0%, draws 5.9% and loses 43.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.0%. It rests on 8.1K Lichess games.
What is the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Rubinstein System win rate in Classical?
In Classical, White wins 55.4%, draws 7.4% and loses 37.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 59.1%. It rests on 386 Lichess games.
Is the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Rubinstein System a good opening?
The Nimzo-Indian Defense: Rubinstein System is good for White. Across all ratings, White wins 51.1% of its games and loses 44.6%. It performs best at 2500+. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.