Nimzo-Larsen Attack: Norfolk Gambit (2… c5 3. e4)
1. Nf3 d5 2. b3 c5 3. e4
The Nimzo-Larsen Attack: Norfolk Gambit is a chess opening classified as ECO A06, reached after 1. Nf3 d5 2. b3 c5 3. e4. 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 31 times by this move order. White won 52%, 6% were drawn and Black won 42%. The most popular continuation is 3… dxe4 (61% of games).
Engine evaluation: −0.45 (Stockfish, depth 44; best line 3… dxe4 4. Ne5 a6 5. d3 Nf6 6. Bb2)
- ECO
- A06
- Moves
- 5 plies
- FEN
rnbqkbnr/pp2pppp/8/2pp4/4P3/1P3N2/P1PP1PPP/RNBQKB1R b KQkq - 0 3- PGN
1. Nf3 d5 2. b3 c5 3. e4
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 3 | |
| 1500-1999 | 16 | |
| 2000+ | 12 | |
| All | 31 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 3… dxe4 | 19 (61%) | |
| 3… d4 | 9 (29%) | |
| 3… Nc6 | 2 (6%) | |
| 3… e6 | 1 (3%) |
Master games
11 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 27%, draw 18%, Black 55%). The strongest:
- GM Magnus Carlsen (2872) – GM Viswanathan Anand (2773) 1-0 · Zurich CC Blitz 2014 · 2014-01-29
- GM Gawain C B Maroroa Jones (2640) – GM Etienne Bacrot (2722) 1-0 · PRO League Group Stage · 2018-03-07
- FM Radek Londyn (2404) – IM Novak Cabarkapa (2449) 1/2-1/2 · 2nd Bundesliga Ost 19-20 · 2019-11-24
- GM Danyyil Dvirnyy (2485) – GM Kenneth Terence Solomon (2355) 1/2-1/2 · Carnevale Master Open · 2021-02-14
- IM Robert Ris (2416) – IM Thomas Fiebig (2405) 0-1 · Bundesliga 2013-14 · 2014-04-04
Search all games of the Nimzo-Larsen Attack: Norfolk Gambit and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- richard77b (2327) – Sibarit49 (2400) 1/2-1/2 · 2026-09-06 · 180 + 2s
- blumfontein (2300) – cantorypoeta (2370) 0-1 · 2026-09-04 · 300 + 0s
- blumfontein (2313) – nahucan (2278) 0-1 · 2026-09-04 · 300 + 0s
Comes from
Nimzo-Larsen Attack: Classical Variation (1… d5 2. b3) 1. Nf3 d5 2. b3
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 (2. Bb2 Nc6) A01
- Nimzo-Larsen Attack: Modern Variation (2… Nc6 3. e3) A01
- Nimzo-Larsen Attack: Modern Variation (3. c4 Nf6) A01
- Nimzo-Larsen Attack: Pachman Gambit A01
- Nimzo-Larsen Attack: Polish 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.