Nimzo-Larsen Attack: Modern Variation (2… Nc6 3. e3)
1. b3 e5 2. Bb2 Nc6 3. e3
The Nimzo-Larsen Attack: Modern Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO A01, reached after 1. b3 e5 2. Bb2 Nc6 3. e3. It is a line of the Nimzo-Larsen Attack. Black is to move.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 12,457 times by this move order. White won 52%, 4% were drawn and Black won 44%. The most popular continuation is 3… d5 (51% of games).
Engine evaluation: 0.00 (Stockfish, depth 60; best line 3… d5 4. Bb5 Bd6 5. f4 Qh4+ 6. g3)
- ECO
- A01
- Moves
- 5 plies
- FEN
r1bqkbnr/pppp1ppp/2n5/4p3/8/1P2P3/PBPP1PPP/RN1QKBNR b KQkq - 0 3- PGN
1. b3 e5 2. Bb2 Nc6 3. e3
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 3,963 | |
| 1500-1999 | 6,506 | |
| 2000+ | 1,988 | |
| All | 12,457 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 3… d5 | 6,330 (51%) | |
| 3… Nf6 | 2,447 (20%) | |
| 3… Bc5 | 1,215 (10%) | |
| 3… d6 | 748 (6%) | |
| 3… a6 | 577 (5%) | |
| 3… f5 | 249 (2%) | |
| 3… g6 | 219 (2%) | |
| 3… Bb4 | 215 (2%) |
Master games
6,484 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 45%, draw 18%, Black 37%). The strongest:
- LCZero 0.31-dag-c93c6a8-BT4-61 (3652) – Stockfish dev-20250118-8e3e22b (3683) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 27 Theory Bonus · 2025-01-25
- Stockfish dev-20250118-8e3e22b (3683) – LCZero 0.31-dag-c93c6a8-BT4-61 (3652) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 27 Theory Bonus · 2025-01-25
- LCZero 0.31-dag-5350a2e-BT4-61 (3631) – Stockfish dev-20240728-2343f71 (3662) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 26 Balanced Lines · 2024-08-04
- Stockfish dev-20240728-2343f71 (3662) – LCZero 0.31-dag-5350a2e-BT4-61 (3631) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 26 Balanced Lines · 2024-08-04
- GM Hikaru Nakamura (2802) – GM Magnus Carlsen (2831) 1/2-1/2 · TechM GCL 2024 · 2024-10-09
Search all games of the Nimzo-Larsen Attack: Modern Variation and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- KnightCheckShadow (3001) – spartak20 (2720) 1-0 · 2026-09-04 · 180 + 0s
- AlwaysLookingForMore (2703) – Juplt3rLlk3 (2739) 1-0 · 2026-09-05 · 180 + 0s
- IM nickVet (2722) – SmoovE1258502 (2703) 1-0 · 2026-09-04 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Nimzo-Larsen Attack: Modern Variation (2. Bb2 Nc6) 1. b3 e5 2. Bb2 Nc6
More Nimzo-Larsen Attack lines (all)
- Nimzo-Larsen Attack A01
- Nimzo-Larsen Attack: Classical Variation (1. b3 d5) A01
- Nimzo-Larsen Attack: Dutch Variation A01
- Nimzo-Larsen Attack: English Variation A01
- Nimzo-Larsen Attack: Graz Attack A01
- Nimzo-Larsen Attack: Indian Variation A01
- Nimzo-Larsen Attack: Modern Variation (1. b3 e5) A01
- Nimzo-Larsen Attack: Modern Variation (3. c4 Nf6) A01
- Nimzo-Larsen Attack: Pachman Gambit A01
- Nimzo-Larsen Attack: Polish Variation A01
- Nimzo-Larsen Attack: Ringelbach Gambit A01
- Nimzo-Larsen Attack: Spike Variation A01
Opening names and moves from the Lichess openings dataset; statistics from the Lichess open database, 2026-09 (CC0), sample of 12.6 million games, bots excluded; evaluations from Lichess cloud analysis (all CC0). Master games from The Week in Chess #920–#1664 by Mark Crowther, used with permission.