Sicilian Defense: Nimzowitsch Variation
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nf6
The Sicilian Defense: Nimzowitsch Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO B29, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nf6. It is a line of the Sicilian Defense. White is to move. 2 named lines continue from this position.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 5,566 times by this move order. White won 48%, 5% were drawn and Black won 47%. The most popular continuation is 3. Nc3 (37% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.57 (Stockfish, depth 50; best line 3. e5 Nd5 4. Nc3 e6 5. Ne4 d6)
- ECO
- B29
- Moves
- 4 plies
- FEN
rnbqkb1r/pp1ppppp/5n2/2p5/4P3/5N2/PPPP1PPP/RNBQKB1R w KQkq - 2 3- PGN
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nf6
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 1,889 | |
| 1500-1999 | 2,242 | |
| 2000+ | 1,435 | |
| All | 5,566 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 3. Nc3 Nimzowitsch Variation, Closed Variation | 2,051 (37%) | |
| 3. e5 Nimzowitsch Variation, Advance Variation | 1,773 (32%) | |
| 3. d4 | 616 (11%) | |
| 3. Bc4 | 512 (9%) | |
| 3. d3 | 338 (6%) | |
| 3. c3 | 127 (2%) | |
| 3. Bd3 | 38 (1%) | |
| 3. Bb5 | 25 (0%) |
Master games
346 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 33%, draw 11%, Black 56%). The strongest:
- GM Hikaru Nakamura (2745) – GM Jan-Krzysztof Duda (2730) 1/2-1/2 · chess.com Speed 2019 · 2019-12-04
- GM Samuel Sevian (2687) – GM Naroditsky, D. (2619) 0-1 · Bullet Chess Winners 2024 · 2024-06-11
- GM Samuel Sevian (2687) – GM Naroditsky, D. (2619) 0-1 · Bullet Chess Winners 2024 · 2024-06-11
- GM Mikhail Kobalia (2628) – GM Aleksandr Rakhmanov (2667) 0-1 · European Blitz 2016 · 2016-12-18
- GM Hikaru Nakamura (2760) – IM Tuan Minh Le (2527) 1-0 · Titled Tue 12th Jul Early · 2022-07-12
Search all games of the Sicilian Defense: Nimzowitsch Variation and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- kuhmft (2840) – FM Squoznyak (2863) 0-1 · 2026-09-06 · 180 + 0s
- Sunrise34 (2892) – simple_hunter (2713) 1-0 · 2026-09-07 · 180 + 0s
- IM Hripach007 (2708) – FM Squoznyak (2883) 0-1 · 2026-09-06 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Sicilian Defense (1… c5 2. Nf3) 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3
Continuations
- Sicilian Defense: Nimzowitsch Variation, Advance Variation B29 · 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. e5
- Sicilian Defense: Nimzowitsch Variation, Closed Variation B29 · 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nc3
More Sicilian Defense lines (all)
- Sicilian Defense (1. e4 c5) B20
- Sicilian Defense: Amazon Attack B20
- Sicilian Defense: Big Clamp Formation B20
- Sicilian Defense: Bowdler Attack B20
- Sicilian Defense: Brick Variation B20
- Sicilian Defense: Czerniak Attack B20
- Sicilian Defense: Czerniak Attack, Queen Fianchetto Variation B20
- Sicilian Defense: Euwe Attack, Prins Gambit B20
- Sicilian Defense: Gloria Variation B20
- Sicilian Defense: Grob Variation B20
- Sicilian Defense: Keres Variation B20
- Sicilian Defense: King David's Opening B20
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.