Nimzo-Indian Defense: Rubinstein System, Hübner Variation
3.1K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026
Black expected score · All ratings · All speeds
53.8%
the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 55.3%.
Measured over 3.1K games at this level and clock.
A strong choice for Black at this level and clock.
Outcomes for Black
Draw 6.0 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 3.1K games
- Rank among the families Black can choose here
- not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
- Games in this context
- 3.1K
- Best context
- 53.0% at 2000-2199 Blitz
- Worst context
- 51.7% at 2200-2499 Blitz
- Average game length
- 39 moves
- Games that end decisively
- 94.0%
- Draws
- 6.0%
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 · Black score by rating × clock
Green is clearly ahead for Black, grey is around even, red is behind. Tap a cell to measure there, and again to clear. It gets better as the rating rises: 30.0% at 0-999, 53.3% 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, Bullet: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 61.2% expected score (3 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 27.0% expected score (5 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 69.4% expected score (14 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 54.4% expected score (10 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 57.7% expected score (5 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 54.0% expected score (36 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 57.6% expected score (111 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 61.2% expected score (3 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 51.3% expected score (114 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 61.2% expected score (356 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 61.3% expected score (34 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 61.2% expected score (3 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 55.2% expected score (219 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 53.0% expected score (646 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 47.8% expected score (65 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (6 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 51.5% expected score (330 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 51.7% expected score (774 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 55.3% expected score (55 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 22.8% expected score (4 games)
- 2500+ rating, Bullet: 47.8% expected score (110 games)
- 2500+ rating, Blitz: 56.2% expected score (200 games)
- 2500+ rating, Rapid: 55.9% expected score (7 games)
Related Openings
Methodology
Across every rating and clock, the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Rubinstein System, Hübner Variation scores 53.8% for Black — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 52.4% and 55.3% — from 3.1K 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
- 3.1K+ 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, Hübner Variation win rate?
Playing the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Rubinstein System, Hübner Variation, Black wins 50.8%, draws 6.0% and loses 43.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.8%. It rests on 3.1K rated games from Lichess.
At what rating does the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Rubinstein System, Hübner Variation perform best?
The Nimzo-Indian Defense: Rubinstein System, Hübner Variation performs best for Black at 1800-1999, with an Expected Score of 59.0% (507 games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.
Is the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Rubinstein System, Hübner Variation better in blitz or rapid?
For Black, the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Rubinstein System, Hübner Variation scores about the same in both: an Expected Score of 54.4% in Blitz (2.1K games) against 54.1% in Rapid (169 games).
How sharp is the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Rubinstein System, Hübner Variation?
The Nimzo-Indian Defense: Rubinstein System, Hübner Variation has a sharpness score of 94.0 (decisive), meaning 94.0% of games end decisively. Average game length is 39 moves.
What is the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Rubinstein System, Hübner Variation win rate at 1600-1799?
At 1600-1799, Black wins 55.4%, draws 2.3% and loses 42.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 56.6%. It rests on 151 Lichess games, which average 35 moves.
What is the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Rubinstein System, Hübner Variation win rate at 1800-1999?
At 1800-1999, Black wins 56.1%, draws 5.8% and loses 38.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 59.0%. It rests on 507 Lichess games, which average 37 moves.
What is the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Rubinstein System, Hübner Variation win rate at 2000-2199?
At 2000-2199, Black wins 50.6%, draws 5.1% and loses 44.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.2%. It rests on 936 Lichess games, which average 38 moves.
What is the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Rubinstein System, Hübner Variation win rate at 2200-2499?
At 2200-2499, Black wins 48.3%, draws 6.7% and loses 45.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.7%. It rests on 1.2K Lichess games, which average 39 moves.
What is the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Rubinstein System, Hübner Variation win rate at 2500+?
At 2500+, Black wins 48.5%, draws 9.6% and loses 41.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.3%. It rests on 317 Lichess games, which average 44 moves.
What is the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Rubinstein System, Hübner Variation win rate in Bullet?
In Bullet, Black wins 51.1%, draws 2.8% and loses 46.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.5%. It rests on 828 Lichess games.
What is the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Rubinstein System, Hübner Variation win rate in Blitz?
In Blitz, Black wins 50.9%, draws 6.9% and loses 42.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.4%. It rests on 2.1K Lichess games.
What is the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Rubinstein System, Hübner Variation win rate in Rapid?
In Rapid, Black wins 48.4%, draws 11.4% and loses 40.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.1%. It rests on 169 Lichess games.
Is the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Rubinstein System, Hübner Variation a good opening?
The Nimzo-Indian Defense: Rubinstein System, Hübner Variation is good for Black. Across all ratings, Black wins 50.8% of its games and loses 43.2%. It performs best at 1800-1999. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.