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Nimzowitsch Defense: Kennedy Variation, Keres Attack

215K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

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Analyze this line move by move

White expected score · All ratings · All speeds

54.4%

45%60%
Floor54.2%

the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 54.6%.

Measured over 215K 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 3.7 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 215K games

Rank among the families White can choose here
not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
Games in this context
215K
Best context
59.2% at 2500+ Bullet
Worst context
49.7% at 0-999 Bullet
Average game length
32 moves
Games that end decisively
96.3%
Draws
3.7%

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: 47.8% at 0-999, 63.1% 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, UltraBullet: 36.2% expected score (42 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Bullet: 49.7% expected score (4,861 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 53.3% expected score (6,738 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 52.2% expected score (3,379 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Classical: 47.8% expected score (21 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 53.6% expected score (124 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 53.4% expected score (9,747 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 55.2% expected score (10,425 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 56.3% expected score (4,100 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (85 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 50.9% expected score (176 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 52.6% expected score (14,738 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 54.4% expected score (14,574 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 56.6% expected score (4,795 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 59.1% expected score (191 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 55.3% expected score (302 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 53.0% expected score (15,274 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 54.5% expected score (17,698 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 55.3% expected score (5,136 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 54.6% expected score (216 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 54.2% expected score (370 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 54.2% expected score (14,778 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 53.9% expected score (15,964 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 56.2% expected score (4,939 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 59.2% expected score (174 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 57.0% expected score (107 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 54.8% expected score (13,056 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 54.6% expected score (14,118 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 54.1% expected score (3,155 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 66.1% expected score (104 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 67.9% expected score (32 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 54.7% expected score (10,382 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 54.9% expected score (8,819 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 52.6% expected score (1,212 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 68.2% expected score (15 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 53.4% expected score (28 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 56.5% expected score (10,044 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 59.0% expected score (2,849 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 58.7% expected score (166 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 73.1% expected score (5 games)
  • 2500+ rating, UltraBullet: 70.0% expected score (6 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 59.2% expected score (2,036 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 59.1% expected score (163 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 64.3% expected score (2 games)

Related Openings

Parent
Nimzowitsch Defense
50.3%
Variations (5)
Nimzowitsch Defense: Kennedy Variation, Linksspringer Variation
50.3%
Nimzowitsch Defense: Scandinavian Variation, Advance Variation
50.2%
Nimzowitsch Defense: Declined Variation
49.6%
Nimzowitsch Defense: Scandinavian Variation, Exchange Variation
48.7%
Nimzowitsch Defense: Franco-Nimzowitsch Variation
50.9%
Analyze Nimzowitsch Defense: Kennedy Variation, Keres Attack PositionsSee what each move is worth at your rating, move by move

Methodology

Across every rating and clock, the Nimzowitsch Defense: Kennedy Variation, Keres Attack scores 54.4% for White — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 54.2% and 54.6% — from 215K 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
215K+ 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 Nimzowitsch Defense: Kennedy Variation, Keres Attack win rate?

Playing the Nimzowitsch Defense: Kennedy Variation, Keres Attack, White wins 52.5%, draws 3.7% and loses 43.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.4%. It rests on 215K rated games from Lichess.

At what rating does the Nimzowitsch Defense: Kennedy Variation, Keres Attack perform best?

The Nimzowitsch Defense: Kennedy Variation, Keres Attack performs best for White at 2500+, with an Expected Score of 59.3% (2.2K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.

Is the Nimzowitsch Defense: Kennedy Variation, Keres Attack better in blitz or rapid?

For White, the Nimzowitsch Defense: Kennedy Variation, Keres Attack scores about the same in both: an Expected Score of 54.6% in Blitz (91K games) against 55.2% in Rapid (27K games).

How sharp is the Nimzowitsch Defense: Kennedy Variation, Keres Attack?

The Nimzowitsch Defense: Kennedy Variation, Keres Attack has a sharpness score of 96.3 (very decisive), meaning 96.3% of games end decisively. Average game length is 32 moves.

What is the Nimzowitsch Defense: Kennedy Variation, Keres Attack win rate at 0-999?

At 0-999, White wins 49.9%, draws 3.9% and loses 46.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.8%. It rests on 15K Lichess games, which average 27 moves.

What is the Nimzowitsch Defense: Kennedy Variation, Keres Attack win rate at 1000-1199?

At 1000-1199, White wins 52.9%, draws 3.4% and loses 43.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.6%. It rests on 24K Lichess games, which average 29 moves.

What is the Nimzowitsch Defense: Kennedy Variation, Keres Attack win rate at 1200-1399?

At 1200-1399, White wins 52.3%, draws 3.3% and loses 44.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.0%. It rests on 34K Lichess games, which average 30 moves.

What is the Nimzowitsch Defense: Kennedy Variation, Keres Attack win rate at 1400-1599?

At 1400-1599, White wins 52.2%, draws 3.6% and loses 44.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.0%. It rests on 39K Lichess games, which average 31 moves.

What is the Nimzowitsch Defense: Kennedy Variation, Keres Attack win rate at 1600-1799?

At 1600-1799, White wins 52.5%, draws 3.6% and loses 43.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.3%. It rests on 36K Lichess games, which average 33 moves.

What is the Nimzowitsch Defense: Kennedy Variation, Keres Attack win rate at 1800-1999?

At 1800-1999, White wins 52.6%, draws 4.1% and loses 43.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.7%. It rests on 31K Lichess games, which average 34 moves.

What is the Nimzowitsch Defense: Kennedy Variation, Keres Attack win rate at 2000-2199?

At 2000-2199, White wins 52.5%, draws 4.3% and loses 43.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.7%. It rests on 20K Lichess games, which average 35 moves.

What is the Nimzowitsch Defense: Kennedy Variation, Keres Attack win rate at 2200-2499?

At 2200-2499, White wins 55.0%, draws 4.2% and loses 40.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 57.1%. It rests on 13K Lichess games, which average 36 moves.

What is the Nimzowitsch Defense: Kennedy Variation, Keres Attack win rate at 2500+?

At 2500+, White wins 56.3%, draws 6.0% and loses 37.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 59.3%. It rests on 2.2K Lichess games, which average 38 moves.

What is the Nimzowitsch Defense: Kennedy Variation, Keres Attack win rate in UltraBullet?

In UltraBullet, White wins 53.2%, draws 1.6% and loses 45.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.0%. It rests on 1.2K Lichess games.

What is the Nimzowitsch Defense: Kennedy Variation, Keres Attack win rate in Bullet?

In Bullet, White wins 52.4%, draws 3.0% and loses 44.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.9%. It rests on 95K Lichess games.

What is the Nimzowitsch Defense: Kennedy Variation, Keres Attack win rate in Blitz?

In Blitz, White wins 52.4%, draws 4.2% and loses 43.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.6%. It rests on 91K Lichess games.

What is the Nimzowitsch Defense: Kennedy Variation, Keres Attack win rate in Rapid?

In Rapid, White wins 52.8%, draws 4.7% and loses 42.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 55.2%. It rests on 27K Lichess games.

What is the Nimzowitsch Defense: Kennedy Variation, Keres Attack win rate in Classical?

In Classical, White wins 56.2%, draws 3.5% and loses 40.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 58.0%. It rests on 811 Lichess games.

Is the Nimzowitsch Defense: Kennedy Variation, Keres Attack a good opening?

The Nimzowitsch Defense: Kennedy Variation, Keres Attack is good for White. Across all ratings, White wins 52.5% of its games and loses 43.8%. It performs best at 2500+. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.