Nimzo-Larsen Attack win rate

White scored 52.0% (margin 0.7 points) in 17,468 rated games of the Nimzo-Larsen Attack, ECO A01, played between players within 100 rating points on 1 September 2026. It ranked number 26 of 117 openings by popularity and made up 1.1% of all games.

49.7%

45.8%

White wins 49.7%
Draws 4.5%
Black wins 45.8%

17,468 games

How often does White win in the Nimzo-Larsen Attack?

White won 49.7% of the 17,468 games, 4.5% were drawn and Black won 45.8%. White's score of 52.0% is no clear difference from White's score across all openings (51.9%): the gap of 0.1 points is inside the margin of 0.7 points.

Results of 17,468 Nimzo-Larsen Attack games, 1 September 2026.
Result	Games	Share
White wins	8,683	49.7%
Draws	788	4.5%
Black wins	7,997	45.8%

Does the Nimzo-Larsen Attack score differently at different ratings?

White's score is highest at 2000 and above (52.9%) and lowest at 1600 to 1999 (51.5%). That spread of 1.4 points is inside the two margins added together, so the data show no clear difference between the bands.

Players rated 2000 and above choose the Nimzo-Larsen Attack most often relative to their other openings, in 1.3 percent of their games.

White's score in the Nimzo-Larsen Attack by the lower rating of the two players, 1 September 2026.
Rating band	Games	Share of the band	White score	Margin (points)
under 1200	2,167	0.8%	52.5%	2.1
1200 to 1599	5,890	1.0%	52.0%	1.3
1600 to 1999	7,373	1.2%	51.5%	1.1
2000 and above	2,038	1.3%	52.9%	2.1

How does the Nimzo-Larsen Attack do in blitz, rapid and classical?

The time control changes who tends to win, because the clock matters more in faster games. Rows with fewer than 1,500 games are left out.

White's score in the Nimzo-Larsen Attack by time control, 1 September 2026.
Time control	Games	White score	Margin (points)
Blitz	14,310	51.7%	0.8
Rapid	3,092	53.1%	1.7

What are the most played lines of the Nimzo-Larsen Attack?

The most played named line is the Modern Variation, with 6,001 games and a White score of 51.6%. The table lists the ten most played lines that reached 300 games; a line below that is counted in the last row.

Named lines of the Nimzo-Larsen Attack, most played first, 1 September 2026.
Line	Games	White score	Margin (points)
Modern Variation	6,001	51.6%	1.2
Classical Variation	4,991	52.1%	1.4
Indian Variation	1,622	52.0%	2.4
English Variation	843	52.1%	3.3
Symmetrical Variation	405	54.1%	4.7
Main line and less played lines	3,606	52.0%	1.6

How were these opening statistics measured?

Rated Blitz, Rapid and Classical games on 1 September 2026 between players within 100 rating points, banded by the lower rating. A score is wins plus half the draws, with a 95 percent margin. The hub page explains the method in full.

Frequently asked questions

What is the win rate of the Nimzo-Larsen Attack?

White won 49.7%, drew 4.5% and lost 45.8% of 17,468 games, a White score of 52.0% with a margin of 0.7 points. These are games on Lichess on 1 September 2026.

Is the Nimzo-Larsen Attack good for White?

At these ratings White's score was no clear difference from White's score across all openings (51.9%): the gap of 0.1 points is inside the margin of 0.7 points. A difference of a point or two is small, and the side that picks an opening also picks which games reach it, so the number describes what happened at these ratings and is not a ruling on the opening.

What is the most popular line of the Nimzo-Larsen Attack?

The Modern Variation was the most played named line, with 6,001 games, which is 34.4% of the Nimzo-Larsen Attack games.

Sources

Lichess open database, standard rated games (CC0), file for September 2026, read 2026-10-22

Related guides and tools

Last updated 2026-10-22.

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