Nimzowitsch Defense: Kennedy Variation, de Smet Gambit
1. e4 Nc6 2. d4 e5 3. dxe5 d6
The Nimzowitsch Defense: Kennedy Variation, de Smet Gambit is a chess opening classified as ECO B00, reached after 1. e4 Nc6 2. d4 e5 3. dxe5 d6. It is a line of the Nimzowitsch Defense. White 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 61%, 0% were drawn and Black won 39%. The most popular continuation is 4. exd6 (71% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.87 (Stockfish, depth 52; best line 4. exd6 Bxd6 5. Bd3 Qe7 6. Nc3 Nf6)
- ECO
- B00
- Moves
- 6 plies
- FEN
r1bqkbnr/ppp2ppp/2np4/4P3/4P3/8/PPP2PPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - 0 4- PGN
1. e4 Nc6 2. d4 e5 3. dxe5 d6
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 2 | |
| 1500-1999 | 11 | |
| 2000+ | 18 | |
| All | 31 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 4. exd6 | 22 (71%) | |
| 4. Bb5 | 3 (10%) | |
| 4. Nf3 | 2 (6%) | |
| 4. f4 | 2 (6%) | |
| 4. Nc3 | 1 (3%) | |
| 4. Qd4 | 1 (3%) |
Highest-rated Lichess games
- The_Armour_Of_God (2352) – XadrezOurense (2303) 1-0 · 2026-09-02 · 180 + 0s
- Mashmalo4 (2246) – XadrezOurense (2313) 0-1 · 2026-09-03 · 180 + 0s
- joseprizo (2238) – princeNephi (2292) 1-0 · 2026-09-01 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Nimzowitsch Defense: Kennedy Variation 1. e4 Nc6 2. d4 e5
More Nimzowitsch Defense lines (all)
- Nimzowitsch Defense (1. e4 Nc6) B00
- Nimzowitsch Defense (1… Nc6 2. d4) B00
- Nimzowitsch Defense: Breyer Variation B00
- Nimzowitsch Defense: Colorado Countergambit B00
- Nimzowitsch Defense: Colorado Countergambit Accepted B00
- Nimzowitsch Defense: Declined Variation B00
- Nimzowitsch Defense: El Columpio Defense 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: Franco-Nimzowitsch Variation B00
- Nimzowitsch Defense: French Connection 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.