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Torre Attack: Classical Defense, Nimzowitsch Variation

93K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

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Analyze this line move by move

Black expected score · All ratings · All speeds

48.1%

40%55%
Floor47.8%

the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 48.4%.

Measured over 93K games at this level and clock.

Tough Sellloses more often than it wins at this level

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

Outcomes for Black

Draw 5.4 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 93K games

Rank among the families Black can choose here
not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
Games in this context
93K
Best context
52.6% at 0-999 Blitz
Worst context
45.5% at 1800-1999 Rapid
Average game length
37 moves
Games that end decisively
94.6%
Draws
5.4%

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.

Extra Analysis

Deep-dive datasets for this opening

Time-Control Swing

Max swing: 16.4% · UltraBullet best · Classical worst

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 falls away as the rating rises: 49.2% at 0-999, 46.1% 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, Bullet: 46.1% expected score (317 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 52.6% expected score (1,107 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 48.2% expected score (621 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (6 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 47.8% expected score (762 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 47.0% expected score (1,769 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 50.0% expected score (765 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 57.0% expected score (20 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 18.5% expected score (8 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 47.9% expected score (1,523 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 47.9% expected score (3,622 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 50.2% expected score (1,262 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 58.9% expected score (55 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 29.1% expected score (20 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 48.9% expected score (2,757 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 48.0% expected score (5,548 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 48.5% expected score (2,021 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 56.5% expected score (146 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 34.3% expected score (24 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 47.8% expected score (3,590 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 48.1% expected score (7,610 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 47.9% expected score (2,354 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 51.5% expected score (134 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 50.0% expected score (21 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 48.8% expected score (4,400 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 46.7% expected score (8,797 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 45.5% expected score (2,207 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 52.1% expected score (146 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 56.1% expected score (23 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 47.3% expected score (4,938 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 48.3% expected score (10,294 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 46.2% expected score (1,573 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 45.5% expected score (97 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 50.0% expected score (4 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 48.9% expected score (5,782 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 49.3% expected score (11,550 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 45.9% expected score (791 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 48.7% expected score (36 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 47.7% expected score (2,826 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 47.3% expected score (3,048 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 39.6% expected score (66 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (6 games)

Related Openings

Variations (5)
Torre Attack: Classical Defense
50.1%
Torre Attack: Fianchetto Defense
48.7%
Torre Attack: Wagner Gambit
46.6%
Torre Attack: Fianchetto Defense, Euwe Variation
48.7%
Torre Attack: Classical Defense, Petrosian Gambit
54.3%
Analyze Torre Attack: Classical Defense, Nimzowitsch Variation PositionsSee what each move is worth at your rating, move by move

Methodology

Across every rating and clock, the Torre Attack: Classical Defense, Nimzowitsch Variation scores 48.1% for Black — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 47.8% and 48.4% — from 93K 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
93K+ 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 Torre Attack: Classical Defense, Nimzowitsch Variation win rate?

Playing the Torre Attack: Classical Defense, Nimzowitsch Variation, Black wins 45.4%, draws 5.4% and loses 49.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.1%. It rests on 93K rated games from Lichess.

At what rating does the Torre Attack: Classical Defense, Nimzowitsch Variation perform best?

The Torre Attack: Classical Defense, Nimzowitsch Variation performs best for Black at 0-999, with an Expected Score of 50.2% (2.1K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.

Is the Torre Attack: Classical Defense, Nimzowitsch Variation better in blitz or rapid?

For Black, the Torre Attack: Classical Defense, Nimzowitsch Variation scores about the same in both: an Expected Score of 48.2% in Blitz (53K games) against 47.5% in Rapid (12K games).

How sharp is the Torre Attack: Classical Defense, Nimzowitsch Variation?

The Torre Attack: Classical Defense, Nimzowitsch Variation has a sharpness score of 94.6 (decisive), meaning 94.6% of games end decisively. Average game length is 37 moves.

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

At 0-999, Black wins 48.0%, draws 4.4% and loses 47.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.2%. It rests on 2.1K Lichess games, which average 29 moves.

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

At 1000-1199, Black wins 46.3%, draws 3.1% and loses 50.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.9%. It rests on 3.3K Lichess games, which average 30 moves.

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

At 1200-1399, Black wins 46.5%, draws 3.7% and loses 49.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.4%. It rests on 6.5K Lichess games, which average 33 moves.

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

At 1400-1599, Black wins 46.7%, draws 3.3% and loses 50.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.4%. It rests on 10K Lichess games, which average 34 moves.

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

At 1600-1799, Black wins 45.8%, draws 4.3% and loses 49.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.0%. It rests on 14K Lichess games, which average 36 moves.

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

At 1800-1999, Black wins 44.8%, draws 4.8% and loses 50.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.2%. It rests on 16K Lichess games, which average 37 moves.

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

At 2000-2199, Black wins 44.8%, draws 6.0% and loses 49.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.8%. It rests on 17K Lichess games, which average 39 moves.

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

At 2200-2499, Black wins 45.5%, draws 7.0% and loses 47.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.0%. It rests on 18K Lichess games, which average 40 moves.

What is the Torre Attack: Classical Defense, Nimzowitsch Variation win rate at 2500+?

At 2500+, Black wins 42.3%, draws 10.3% and loses 47.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.5%. It rests on 5.9K Lichess games, which average 44 moves.

What is the Torre Attack: Classical Defense, Nimzowitsch Variation win rate in UltraBullet?

In UltraBullet, Black wins 39.1%, draws 2.4% and loses 58.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 40.3%. It rests on 102 Lichess games.

What is the Torre Attack: Classical Defense, Nimzowitsch Variation win rate in Bullet?

In Bullet, Black wins 46.2%, draws 3.9% and loses 49.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.2%. It rests on 27K Lichess games.

What is the Torre Attack: Classical Defense, Nimzowitsch Variation win rate in Blitz?

In Blitz, Black wins 45.1%, draws 6.1% and loses 48.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.2%. It rests on 53K Lichess games.

What is the Torre Attack: Classical Defense, Nimzowitsch Variation win rate in Rapid?

In Rapid, Black wins 44.6%, draws 5.7% and loses 49.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.5%. It rests on 12K Lichess games.

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

In Classical, Black wins 47.0%, draws 10.9% and loses 42.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.5%. It rests on 646 Lichess games.

Is the Torre Attack: Classical Defense, Nimzowitsch Variation a good opening?

The Torre Attack: Classical Defense, Nimzowitsch Variation is hard work for Black — it favours White. Across all ratings, Black wins 45.4% of its games and loses 49.2%. It performs best at 0-999. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.