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Nimzowitsch Defense: Pseudo-Spanish Variation

345K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

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Analyze this line move by move

White expected score · All ratings · All speeds

50.9%

45%55%
Floor50.8%

the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 51.1%.

Measured over 345K games at this level and clock.

Playablewins about as often as it loses at this level

Roughly even — the middlegame decides more than this opening choice does.

Outcomes for White

Draw 4.3 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 345K games

Rank among the families White can choose here
not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
Games in this context
345K
Best context
55.7% at 2500+ Bullet
Worst context
47.7% at 0-999 Bullet
Average game length
34 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: 43.9% at 0-999, 64.1% 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: 27.4% expected score (56 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Bullet: 47.7% expected score (5,854 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 50.0% expected score (20,789 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 49.7% expected score (10,839 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Classical: 44.9% expected score (145 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 42.3% expected score (109 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 49.5% expected score (8,071 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 51.5% expected score (31,641 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 51.7% expected score (12,054 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 49.7% expected score (339 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 42.9% expected score (153 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 49.9% expected score (10,863 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 51.4% expected score (43,602 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 52.0% expected score (16,923 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 51.3% expected score (852 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 38.9% expected score (231 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 49.1% expected score (12,167 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 51.2% expected score (46,508 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 51.3% expected score (18,601 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 50.8% expected score (1,155 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 53.2% expected score (204 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 49.8% expected score (10,065 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 51.2% expected score (33,964 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 51.7% expected score (12,290 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 52.0% expected score (673 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 48.4% expected score (118 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 50.0% expected score (7,526 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 50.7% expected score (17,753 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 51.2% expected score (4,659 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 47.5% expected score (138 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 62.0% expected score (36 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 51.9% expected score (3,723 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 51.5% expected score (6,045 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 48.8% expected score (947 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 43.1% expected score (13 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 44.2% expected score (7 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 50.1% expected score (2,335 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 54.5% expected score (2,351 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 51.7% expected score (87 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 78.6% expected score (2 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 55.7% expected score (638 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 59.9% expected score (251 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 76.7% expected score (6 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: Pseudo-Spanish Variation PositionsSee what each move is worth at your rating, move by move

Methodology

Across every rating and clock, the Nimzowitsch Defense: Pseudo-Spanish Variation scores 50.9% for White — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 50.8% and 51.1% — from 345K 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
345K+ 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: Pseudo-Spanish Variation win rate?

Playing the Nimzowitsch Defense: Pseudo-Spanish Variation, White wins 48.7%, draws 4.3% and loses 47.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.9%. It rests on 345K rated games from Lichess.

At what rating does the Nimzowitsch Defense: Pseudo-Spanish Variation perform best?

The Nimzowitsch Defense: Pseudo-Spanish Variation performs best for White at 2500+, with an Expected Score of 57.0% (895 games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.

Is the Nimzowitsch Defense: Pseudo-Spanish Variation better in blitz or rapid?

For White, the Nimzowitsch Defense: Pseudo-Spanish Variation scores about the same in both: an Expected Score of 51.2% in Blitz (203K games) against 51.3% in Rapid (76K games).

How sharp is the Nimzowitsch Defense: Pseudo-Spanish Variation?

The Nimzowitsch Defense: Pseudo-Spanish Variation has a sharpness score of 95.7 (very decisive), meaning 95.7% of games end decisively. Average game length is 34 moves.

What is the Nimzowitsch Defense: Pseudo-Spanish Variation win rate at 0-999?

At 0-999, White wins 46.9%, draws 5.1% and loses 48.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.5%. It rests on 38K Lichess games, which average 29 moves.

What is the Nimzowitsch Defense: Pseudo-Spanish Variation win rate at 1000-1199?

At 1000-1199, White wins 49.1%, draws 4.1% and loses 46.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.2%. It rests on 52K Lichess games, which average 32 moves.

What is the Nimzowitsch Defense: Pseudo-Spanish Variation win rate at 1200-1399?

At 1200-1399, White wins 49.2%, draws 4.1% and loses 46.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.3%. It rests on 72K Lichess games, which average 34 moves.

What is the Nimzowitsch Defense: Pseudo-Spanish Variation win rate at 1400-1599?

At 1400-1599, White wins 48.7%, draws 4.1% and loses 47.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.8%. It rests on 79K Lichess games, which average 35 moves.

What is the Nimzowitsch Defense: Pseudo-Spanish Variation win rate at 1600-1799?

At 1600-1799, White wins 48.9%, draws 4.3% and loses 46.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.1%. It rests on 57K Lichess games, which average 37 moves.

What is the Nimzowitsch Defense: Pseudo-Spanish Variation win rate at 1800-1999?

At 1800-1999, White wins 48.3%, draws 4.5% and loses 47.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.6%. It rests on 30K Lichess games, which average 38 moves.

What is the Nimzowitsch Defense: Pseudo-Spanish Variation win rate at 2000-2199?

At 2000-2199, White wins 49.0%, draws 4.8% and loses 46.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.4%. It rests on 11K Lichess games, which average 38 moves.

What is the Nimzowitsch Defense: Pseudo-Spanish Variation win rate at 2200-2499?

At 2200-2499, White wins 49.8%, draws 5.0% and loses 45.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.3%. It rests on 4.8K Lichess games, which average 38 moves.

What is the Nimzowitsch Defense: Pseudo-Spanish Variation win rate at 2500+?

At 2500+, White wins 52.9%, draws 8.2% and loses 38.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 57.0%. It rests on 895 Lichess games, which average 41 moves.

What is the Nimzowitsch Defense: Pseudo-Spanish Variation win rate in UltraBullet?

In UltraBullet, White wins 43.5%, draws 2.0% and loses 54.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 44.5%. It rests on 914 Lichess games.

What is the Nimzowitsch Defense: Pseudo-Spanish Variation win rate in Bullet?

In Bullet, White wins 48.3%, draws 2.7% and loses 49.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.7%. It rests on 61K Lichess games.

What is the Nimzowitsch Defense: Pseudo-Spanish Variation win rate in Blitz?

In Blitz, White wins 48.9%, draws 4.5% and loses 46.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.2%. It rests on 203K Lichess games.

What is the Nimzowitsch Defense: Pseudo-Spanish Variation win rate in Rapid?

In Rapid, White wins 48.7%, draws 5.2% and loses 46.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.3%. It rests on 76K Lichess games.

What is the Nimzowitsch Defense: Pseudo-Spanish Variation win rate in Classical?

In Classical, White wins 48.1%, draws 5.0% and loses 46.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.7%. It rests on 3.3K Lichess games.

Is the Nimzowitsch Defense: Pseudo-Spanish Variation a good opening?

The Nimzowitsch Defense: Pseudo-Spanish Variation is about level. Across all ratings, White wins 48.7% of its games and loses 47.0%. It performs best at 2500+. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.