- ECO code
- A01
- Moves
- 1.b3 e5 2.Bb2 Nc6
- Family
- Nimzo-Larsen Attack
- To move
- White
- Master games
- 416
- Average game length
- 46 moves
- Years covered
- 1859–2026
Nimzo-Larsen Attack: Modern Variation is the opening filed under ECO code A01, reached after 1.b3 e5 2.Bb2 Nc6. It belongs to the Nimzo-Larsen Attack family and is known as the Modern Variation; in the resulting position it is White to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 416 games on this line — the 242nd most played opening in the collection. The oldest game on this line is from 1859 and the most recent from 2026. The busiest decade in this collection is the 2020s, with 285 games. An average game here lasts 46 moves.
White wins 57% of those games, 17% end in a draw, and Black wins 26%. That is close to the collection average (White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28%). Draws are less common here than usual, by 18 points.
From this position the most popular move is 3.e3, played in 308 games, followed by 3.c4 (75) and 3.Nf3 (26). 3.e3 leads into Nimzo-Larsen Attack: Modern Variation (A01). After 3.e3 White scores 58% and Black 26%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Nakamura,Hi (116 games); on the Black side, Firouzja,Alireza (15).
1 named variation branch off this position and have their own page here, among them Nimzo-Larsen Attack: Modern Variation (A01).
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Results in master games
- White 57% (237)
- Draws 17% (69)
- Black 26% (110)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.e3 | 308 | 58/16/26 | Nimzo-Larsen Attack: Modern Variation (A01) |
| 3.c4 | 75 | 59/17/24 | — |
| 3.Nf3 | 26 | 50/15/35 | — |
| 3.g3 | 5 | 40/20/40 | — |
| 3.a3 | 1 | 0/0/100 | — |
| 3.e4 | 1 | 0/100/0 | — |
Variations from this position
- Modern Variation (A01) · 3.e3 · 308 games
How the position is reached
- Nimzo-Larsen Attack · 1.b3 · 1,532 games
- Nimzo-Larsen Attack: Modern Variation · 1.b3 e5 · 466 games
Played most often by
As White
- Nakamura,Hi 116
- Erigaisi,Arjun 35
- So,W 28
As Black
- Firouzja,Alireza 15
- Karjakin,Sergey 15
- Kramnik,V 14
Games per decade
- 1850s 1
- 1900s 1
- 1960s 1
- 1970s 14
- 1980s 2
- 1990s 3
- 2000s 5
- 2010s 104
- 2020s 285
Master games on this line
| White | Black | Result | Year | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nakamura,Hi | Suyarov,Mukhammadzokhid | 1-0 | 2026 | 1st 3-0 Thu 22nd Jan 2026 |
| Martinez Alcantara,Jose Eduardo | Nakamura,Hi | 0-1 | 2026 | 2nd 3-0 Thu 22nd Jan 2026 |
| Vachier Lagrave,M | Aradhya,Garg | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | Titled Tue 13th Jan 2026 |
| Duda,J | Gukesh,D | 0-1 | 2026 | GCT Super Blitz Poland |
| Nakamura,Hi | Daneshvar,Bardiya | 1-0 | 2026 | 1st 3-0 Thu 11th Jun 2026 |
| So,W | Quispe Arteaga,Gabriel | 0-1 | 2026 | Titled Tue 30th Jun 2026 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the Nimzo-Larsen Attack: Modern Variation?
It is the opening with ECO code A01, reached after 1.b3 e5 2.Bb2 Nc6. It belongs to the Nimzo-Larsen Attack family.
Is the Nimzo-Larsen Attack: Modern Variation good for White or for Black?
In 416 master games on this line White wins 57%, 17% are drawn and Black wins 26%. 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: Modern Variation?
3.e3 — played in 308 of the master games on this line, which leads into Nimzo-Larsen Attack: Modern Variation (A01).
Which grandmasters play the Nimzo-Larsen Attack: Modern Variation?
On the White side Nakamura,Hi (116), Erigaisi,Arjun (35), So,W (28); on the Black side Firouzja,Alireza (15), Karjakin,Sergey (15), Kramnik,V (14).
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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