Nimzowitsch Defense: Declined Variation
1. e4 Nc6 2. Nf3
The Nimzowitsch Defense: Declined Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO B00, reached after 1. e4 Nc6 2. Nf3. It is a line of the Nimzowitsch Defense. Black is to move. 4 named lines continue from this position.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 45,478 times by this move order. White won 51%, 4% were drawn and Black won 45%. The most popular continuation is 2… e5 (42% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.10 (Stockfish, depth 65; best line 2… e5 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. O-O Nxe4 5. Re1)
- ECO
- B00
- Moves
- 3 plies
- FEN
r1bqkbnr/pppppppp/2n5/8/4P3/5N2/PPPP1PPP/RNBQKB1R b KQkq - 2 2- PGN
1. e4 Nc6 2. Nf3
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 21,085 | |
| 1500-1999 | 19,492 | |
| 2000+ | 4,901 | |
| All | 45,478 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 2… e5 | 19,057 (42%) | |
| 2… d5 | 7,248 (16%) | |
| 2… d6 Williams Variation | 5,261 (12%) | |
| 2… Nf6 | 4,286 (9%) | |
| 2… e6 Franco-Nimzowitsch Variation | 2,764 (6%) | |
| 2… f5 Colorado Countergambit | 2,290 (5%) | |
| 2… b6 | 1,411 (3%) | |
| 2… g6 | 1,286 (3%) |
Master games
3,347 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 44%, draw 13%, Black 43%). The strongest:
- GM Liren Ding (2791) – GM Magnus Carlsen (2863) 1-0 · Carlsen Inv Prelim · 2020-04-30
- GM Levon Aronian (2773) – GM Magnus Carlsen (2863) 0-1 · Clutch Chess Showdown Int · 2020-06-12
- GM Fabiano Caruana (2835) – GM Daniil Dubov (2699) 1/2-1/2 · Titled Tuesday 14th July · 2020-07-14
- GM Sanan Sjugirov (2703) – GM Magnus Carlsen (2830) 1/2-1/2 · World Blitz 2023 · 2023-12-29
- GM Yi Wei (2755) – GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov (2766) 1-0 · Superbet POL Blitz 2024 · 2024-05-12
Search all games of the Nimzowitsch Defense: Declined Variation and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- Tempstream (2742) – IM Kostik_Mostik (2904) 1-0 · 2026-09-02 · 180 + 0s
- FleakyGorgoz (2871) – IM Jamorris94 (2773) 0-1 · 2026-09-03 · 180 + 0s
- Drogono (2848) – GrazyHunter (2692) 0-1 · 2026-09-07 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Nimzowitsch Defense (1. e4 Nc6) 1. e4 Nc6
Continuations
- Nimzowitsch Defense: Colorado Countergambit B00 · 1. e4 Nc6 2. Nf3 f5
- Nimzowitsch Defense: Franco-Nimzowitsch Variation B00 · 1. e4 Nc6 2. Nf3 e6
- Nimzowitsch Defense: Williams Variation B00 · 1. e4 Nc6 2. Nf3 d6
- Nimzowitsch Defense: El Columpio Defense B00 · 1. e4 Nc6 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. e5 Ng4
More Nimzowitsch Defense lines (all)
- Nimzowitsch Defense (1… Nc6 2. d4) B00
- Nimzowitsch Defense: Breyer Variation B00
- Nimzowitsch Defense: Colorado Countergambit Accepted B00
- Nimzowitsch Defense: El Columpio Defense, El Columpio Gambit B00
- Nimzowitsch Defense: El Columpio Defense, Exchange Variation B00
- Nimzowitsch Defense: El Columpio Defense, Pin Variation B00
- Nimzowitsch Defense: French Connection B00
- Nimzowitsch Defense: Hornung Gambit B00
- Nimzowitsch Defense: Kennedy Variation B00
- Nimzowitsch Defense: Kennedy Variation, Bielefelder Gambit B00
- Nimzowitsch Defense: Kennedy Variation, Hammer Gambit B00
- Nimzowitsch Defense: Kennedy Variation, Herford Gambit B00
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.