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Nimzowitsch Defense: Scandinavian Variation, Bogoljubov Variation, Vehre Variation

8.0K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

No move sequence recorded for this opening

White expected score · All ratings · All speeds

51.3%

45%60%
Floor50.4%

the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 52.2%.

Measured over 8.0K 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 4.0 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 8.0K games

Rank among the families White can choose here
not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
Games in this context
8.0K
Best context
51.4% at 1000-1199 Blitz
Worst context
51.1% at 0-999 Blitz
Average game length
31 moves
Games that end decisively
96.0%
Draws
4.0%

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 · 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: 47.4% at 0-999, 62.1% 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: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Bullet: 43.9% expected score (235 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 51.1% expected score (805 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 50.6% expected score (467 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Classical: 61.2% expected score (3 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 76.7% expected score (6 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 46.9% expected score (254 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 51.4% expected score (576 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 54.3% expected score (401 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 37.0% expected score (10 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 31.9% expected score (4 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 48.2% expected score (306 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 51.2% expected score (504 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 56.5% expected score (321 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 52.8% expected score (17 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 73.1% expected score (5 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 49.4% expected score (333 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 49.7% expected score (494 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 56.3% expected score (237 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 46.4% expected score (26 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 60.6% expected score (8 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 51.8% expected score (389 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 51.2% expected score (418 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 45.1% expected score (139 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 38.9% expected score (12 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 49.5% expected score (396 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 50.9% expected score (343 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 54.7% expected score (84 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 57.7% expected score (5 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 78.6% expected score (2 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 53.6% expected score (311 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 54.7% expected score (312 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 41.0% expected score (37 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 51.6% expected score (259 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 53.9% expected score (192 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 77.1% expected score (17 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 52.2% expected score (68 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 64.0% expected score (20 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 70.0% expected score (1 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%

Methodology

Across every rating and clock, the Nimzowitsch Defense: Scandinavian Variation, Bogoljubov Variation, Vehre Variation scores 51.3% for White — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 50.4% and 52.2% — from 8.0K 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
8.0K+ 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: Scandinavian Variation, Bogoljubov Variation, Vehre Variation win rate?

Playing the Nimzowitsch Defense: Scandinavian Variation, Bogoljubov Variation, Vehre Variation, White wins 49.3%, draws 4.0% and loses 46.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.3%. It rests on 8.0K rated games from Lichess.

At what rating does the Nimzowitsch Defense: Scandinavian Variation, Bogoljubov Variation, Vehre Variation perform best?

The Nimzowitsch Defense: Scandinavian Variation, Bogoljubov Variation, Vehre Variation performs best for White at 2000-2199, with an Expected Score of 53.5% (662 games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.

Is the Nimzowitsch Defense: Scandinavian Variation, Bogoljubov Variation, Vehre Variation better in blitz or rapid?

For White, the Nimzowitsch Defense: Scandinavian Variation, Bogoljubov Variation, Vehre Variation scores higher in Rapid: an Expected Score of 51.5% in Blitz (3.7K games) against 53.2% in Rapid (1.7K games).

How sharp is the Nimzowitsch Defense: Scandinavian Variation, Bogoljubov Variation, Vehre Variation?

The Nimzowitsch Defense: Scandinavian Variation, Bogoljubov Variation, Vehre Variation has a sharpness score of 96.0 (very decisive), meaning 96.0% of games end decisively. Average game length is 31 moves.

What is the Nimzowitsch Defense: Scandinavian Variation, Bogoljubov Variation, Vehre Variation win rate at 0-999?

At 0-999, White wins 47.6%, draws 4.3% and loses 48.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.8%. It rests on 1.5K Lichess games, which average 27 moves.

What is the Nimzowitsch Defense: Scandinavian Variation, Bogoljubov Variation, Vehre Variation win rate at 1000-1199?

At 1000-1199, White wins 49.3%, draws 4.2% and loses 46.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.4%. It rests on 1.2K Lichess games, which average 28 moves.

What is the Nimzowitsch Defense: Scandinavian Variation, Bogoljubov Variation, Vehre Variation win rate at 1200-1399?

At 1200-1399, White wins 50.4%, draws 2.8% and loses 46.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.8%. It rests on 1.2K Lichess games, which average 30 moves.

What is the Nimzowitsch Defense: Scandinavian Variation, Bogoljubov Variation, Vehre Variation win rate at 1400-1599?

At 1400-1599, White wins 49.5%, draws 3.2% and loses 47.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.1%. It rests on 1.1K Lichess games, which average 31 moves.

What is the Nimzowitsch Defense: Scandinavian Variation, Bogoljubov Variation, Vehre Variation win rate at 1600-1799?

At 1600-1799, White wins 47.9%, draws 5.1% and loses 47.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.5%. It rests on 966 Lichess games, which average 36 moves.

What is the Nimzowitsch Defense: Scandinavian Variation, Bogoljubov Variation, Vehre Variation win rate at 1800-1999?

At 1800-1999, White wins 48.5%, draws 4.5% and loses 47.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.8%. It rests on 829 Lichess games, which average 34 moves.

What is the Nimzowitsch Defense: Scandinavian Variation, Bogoljubov Variation, Vehre Variation win rate at 2000-2199?

At 2000-2199, White wins 51.3%, draws 4.3% and loses 44.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.5%. It rests on 662 Lichess games, which average 35 moves.

What is the Nimzowitsch Defense: Scandinavian Variation, Bogoljubov Variation, Vehre Variation win rate at 2200-2499?

At 2200-2499, White wins 51.2%, draws 4.6% and loses 44.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.5%. It rests on 468 Lichess games, which average 38 moves.

What is the Nimzowitsch Defense: Scandinavian Variation, Bogoljubov Variation, Vehre Variation win rate in Bullet?

In Bullet, White wins 48.0%, draws 3.3% and loses 48.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.7%. It rests on 2.6K Lichess games.

What is the Nimzowitsch Defense: Scandinavian Variation, Bogoljubov Variation, Vehre Variation win rate in Blitz?

In Blitz, White wins 49.3%, draws 4.4% and loses 46.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.5%. It rests on 3.7K Lichess games.

What is the Nimzowitsch Defense: Scandinavian Variation, Bogoljubov Variation, Vehre Variation win rate in Rapid?

In Rapid, White wins 51.0%, draws 4.4% and loses 44.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.2%. It rests on 1.7K Lichess games.

Is the Nimzowitsch Defense: Scandinavian Variation, Bogoljubov Variation, Vehre Variation a good opening?

The Nimzowitsch Defense: Scandinavian Variation, Bogoljubov Variation, Vehre Variation is about level. Across all ratings, White wins 49.3% of its games and loses 46.7%. It performs best at 2000-2199. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.