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Zukertort Opening: Nimzo-Larsen Variation

577K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

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Analyze this line move by move

White expected score · All ratings · All speeds

52.5%

45%60%
Floor52.4%

the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 52.6%.

Measured over 577K 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 6.0 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 577K games

Rank among the families White can choose here
not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
Games in this context
577K
Best context
57.2% at 2500+ Blitz
Worst context
47.4% at 1600-1799 Classical
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 · 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: 53.5% at 0-999, 56.0% 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: 63.4% expected score (6 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Bullet: 52.0% expected score (866 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 52.7% expected score (1,848 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 49.5% expected score (843 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (5 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 42.5% expected score (78 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 50.7% expected score (2,250 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 51.0% expected score (3,726 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 49.9% expected score (1,299 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 48.2% expected score (53 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 35.5% expected score (167 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 51.7% expected score (4,861 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 51.2% expected score (7,816 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 52.4% expected score (2,409 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 48.9% expected score (88 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 47.9% expected score (237 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 51.0% expected score (10,401 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 51.4% expected score (15,753 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 52.5% expected score (4,906 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 50.1% expected score (498 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 48.1% expected score (391 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 52.1% expected score (18,236 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 50.7% expected score (32,875 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 51.5% expected score (7,875 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 47.4% expected score (765 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 52.5% expected score (704 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 52.2% expected score (30,218 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 51.6% expected score (54,670 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 50.9% expected score (10,859 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 51.3% expected score (852 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 56.5% expected score (384 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 52.1% expected score (52,012 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 52.1% expected score (77,942 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 52.0% expected score (10,466 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 53.1% expected score (580 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 53.3% expected score (122 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 52.9% expected score (79,521 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 53.6% expected score (66,362 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 56.2% expected score (6,454 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 54.6% expected score (218 games)
  • 2500+ rating, UltraBullet: 58.6% expected score (16 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 54.9% expected score (54,970 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 57.2% expected score (11,454 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 57.4% expected score (429 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Classical: 51.7% expected score (28 games)

Related Openings

Parent
Zukertort Opening
49.5%
Variations (5)
Zukertort Opening: Tennison Gambit
48.2%
Zukertort Opening: Queen's Gambit Invitation
51.7%
Zukertort Opening: Sicilian Invitation
49.9%
Zukertort Opening: Kingside Fianchetto
49.3%
Zukertort Opening: Slav Invitation
50.4%
Analyze Zukertort Opening: Nimzo-Larsen Variation PositionsSee what each move is worth at your rating, move by move

Methodology

Across every rating and clock, the Zukertort Opening: Nimzo-Larsen Variation scores 52.5% for White — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 52.4% and 52.6% — from 577K 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
577K+ 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 Zukertort Opening: Nimzo-Larsen Variation win rate?

Playing the Zukertort Opening: Nimzo-Larsen Variation, White wins 49.5%, draws 6.0% and loses 44.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.5%. It rests on 577K rated games from Lichess.

At what rating does the Zukertort Opening: Nimzo-Larsen Variation perform best?

The Zukertort Opening: Nimzo-Larsen Variation performs best for White at 2500+, with an Expected Score of 55.3% (67K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.

Is the Zukertort Opening: Nimzo-Larsen Variation better in blitz or rapid?

For White, the Zukertort Opening: Nimzo-Larsen Variation scores about the same in both: an Expected Score of 52.3% in Blitz (272K games) against 52.3% in Rapid (46K games).

How sharp is the Zukertort Opening: Nimzo-Larsen Variation?

The Zukertort Opening: Nimzo-Larsen 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 Zukertort Opening: Nimzo-Larsen Variation win rate at 0-999?

At 0-999, White wins 49.7%, draws 4.1% and loses 46.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.8%. It rests on 3.6K Lichess games, which average 28 moves.

What is the Zukertort Opening: Nimzo-Larsen Variation win rate at 1000-1199?

At 1000-1199, White wins 48.7%, draws 3.8% and loses 47.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.6%. It rests on 7.4K Lichess games, which average 30 moves.

What is the Zukertort Opening: Nimzo-Larsen Variation win rate at 1200-1399?

At 1200-1399, White wins 49.6%, draws 3.5% and loses 46.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.4%. It rests on 15K Lichess games, which average 33 moves.

What is the Zukertort Opening: Nimzo-Larsen Variation win rate at 1400-1599?

At 1400-1599, White wins 49.5%, draws 3.8% and loses 46.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.4%. It rests on 32K Lichess games, which average 34 moves.

What is the Zukertort Opening: Nimzo-Larsen Variation win rate at 1600-1799?

At 1600-1799, White wins 49.0%, draws 4.4% and loses 46.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.2%. It rests on 60K Lichess games, which average 35 moves.

What is the Zukertort Opening: Nimzo-Larsen Variation win rate at 1800-1999?

At 1800-1999, White wins 49.2%, draws 5.0% and loses 45.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.7%. It rests on 97K Lichess games, which average 37 moves.

What is the Zukertort Opening: Nimzo-Larsen Variation win rate at 2000-2199?

At 2000-2199, White wins 49.1%, draws 6.0% and loses 45.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.1%. It rests on 141K Lichess games, which average 39 moves.

What is the Zukertort Opening: Nimzo-Larsen Variation win rate at 2200-2499?

At 2200-2499, White wins 49.8%, draws 7.0% and loses 43.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.3%. It rests on 153K Lichess games, which average 41 moves.

What is the Zukertort Opening: Nimzo-Larsen Variation win rate at 2500+?

At 2500+, White wins 51.0%, draws 8.6% and loses 40.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 55.3%. It rests on 67K Lichess games, which average 44 moves.

What is the Zukertort Opening: Nimzo-Larsen Variation win rate in UltraBullet?

In UltraBullet, White wins 48.9%, draws 2.8% and loses 48.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.3%. It rests on 2.1K Lichess games.

What is the Zukertort Opening: Nimzo-Larsen Variation win rate in Bullet?

In Bullet, White wins 50.4%, draws 5.0% and loses 44.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.9%. It rests on 253K Lichess games.

What is the Zukertort Opening: Nimzo-Larsen Variation win rate in Blitz?

In Blitz, White wins 48.9%, draws 6.7% and loses 44.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.3%. It rests on 272K Lichess games.

What is the Zukertort Opening: Nimzo-Larsen Variation win rate in Rapid?

In Rapid, White wins 48.5%, draws 7.5% and loses 44.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.3%. It rests on 46K Lichess games.

What is the Zukertort Opening: Nimzo-Larsen Variation win rate in Classical?

In Classical, White wins 45.5%, draws 10.1% and loses 44.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.6%. It rests on 3.1K Lichess games.

Is the Zukertort Opening: Nimzo-Larsen Variation a good opening?

The Zukertort Opening: Nimzo-Larsen Variation is good for White. Across all ratings, White wins 49.5% of its games and loses 44.5%. It performs best at 2500+. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.