- ECO code
- A01
- Moves
- 1.b3 d5
- Family
- Nimzo-Larsen Attack
- To move
- White
- Master games
- 532
- Average game length
- 48 moves
- Years covered
- 1893–2026
Nimzo-Larsen Attack: Classical Variation is the opening filed under ECO code A01, reached after 1.b3 d5. It belongs to the Nimzo-Larsen Attack family and is known as the Classical Variation; in the resulting position it is White to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 532 games on this line — the 200th most played opening in the collection. The oldest game on this line is from 1893 and the most recent from 2026. The busiest decade in this collection is the 2020s, with 419 games. An average game here lasts 48 moves.
White wins 64% of those games, 18% end in a draw, and Black wins 18%. Compared with the collection average (White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28%), Black scores worse here by 10 percentage points. Draws are less common here than usual, by 17 points.
From this position the most popular move is 2.Bb2, played in 501 games, followed by 2.Nf3 (21) and 2.e3 (8). After 2.Bb2 White scores 63% and Black 19%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Nakamura,Hi (178 games); on the Black side, Grischuk,A (20).
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Results in master games
- White 64% (338)
- Draws 18% (96)
- Black 18% (98)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.Bb2 | 501 | 63/18/19 | — |
| 2.Nf3 | 21 | 76/24/0 | — |
| 2.e3 | 8 | 62/13/25 | — |
| 2.h4 | 1 | 100/0/0 | — |
| 2.Nc3 | 1 | 100/0/0 | — |
How the position is reached
- Nimzo-Larsen Attack · 1.b3 · 1,532 games
Played most often by
As White
- Nakamura,Hi 178
- Erigaisi,Arjun 53
- Carlsen,M 44
As Black
- Grischuk,A 20
- Aronian,L 17
- Giri,A 17
Games per decade
- 1890s 1
- 1920s 1
- 1960s 1
- 1970s 13
- 1990s 8
- 2000s 8
- 2010s 81
- 2020s 419
Master games on this line
| White | Black | Result | Year | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carlsen,M | Tin,Jingyao | 1-0 | 2026 | ASEAN E-Sports Final 2026 |
| So,W | Kukushkin,Ivan | 1-0 | 2026 | Titled Tue 27th Jan 2026 |
| Nakamura,Hi | Cieslak,Patryk | 1-0 | 2026 | 1st 3-0 Thu 11th Jun 2026 |
| Nakamura,Hi | Cieslak,Patryk | 1-0 | 2026 | 1st 3-0 Thu 5th Mar 2026 |
| Xiao,Tong(QD) | Aronian,L | 1-0 | 2026 | FIDE World Bl Team Final |
| Gkavardinas,Antonios | Vachier Lagrave,M | 0-1 | 2026 | Titled Tue 3rd Feb 2026 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the Nimzo-Larsen Attack: Classical Variation?
It is the opening with ECO code A01, reached after 1.b3 d5. It belongs to the Nimzo-Larsen Attack family.
Is the Nimzo-Larsen Attack: Classical Variation good for White or for Black?
In 532 master games on this line White wins 64%, 18% are drawn and Black wins 18%. The collection average is White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28% — so this line is no worse than usual for White than the field as a whole.
What is the main continuation of the Nimzo-Larsen Attack: Classical Variation?
2.Bb2 — played in 501 of the master games on this line.
Which grandmasters play the Nimzo-Larsen Attack: Classical Variation?
On the White side Nakamura,Hi (178), Erigaisi,Arjun (53), Carlsen,M (44); on the Black side Grischuk,A (20), Aronian,L (17), Giri,A (17).
Every number on this page is computed from Katuranga's master game collection; names and ECO codes follow the lichess opening book (CC0).
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