- ECO code
- A01
- Moves
- 1.b3 e5
- Family
- Nimzo-Larsen Attack
- To move
- White
- Master games
- 466
- 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. 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 466 games on this line — the 223rd 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 313 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 2.Bb2, played in 463 games, followed by 2.e3 (2) and 2.c4 (1). After 2.Bb2 White scores 57% and Black 26%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Nakamura,Hi (128 games); on the Black side, Firouzja,Alireza (18).
2 named variations branch off this position and have their own page here, among them Nimzo-Larsen Attack: Modern Variation (A01); Nimzo-Larsen Attack: Modern Variation (A01).
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Results in master games
- White 57% (268)
- Draws 17% (79)
- Black 26% (119)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.Bb2 | 463 | 57/17/26 | — |
| 2.e3 | 2 | 50/50/0 | — |
| 2.c4 | 1 | 100/0/0 | — |
Variations from this position
- Modern Variation (A01) · 2.Bb2 Nc6 · 416 games
- Modern Variation (A01) · 2.Bb2 Nc6 3.e3 · 308 games
How the position is reached
- Nimzo-Larsen Attack · 1.b3 · 1,532 games
Played most often by
As White
- Nakamura,Hi 128
- Erigaisi,Arjun 45
- So,W 29
As Black
- Firouzja,Alireza 18
- Karjakin,Sergey 15
- Kramnik,V 14
Games per decade
- 1850s 1
- 1900s 1
- 1920s 1
- 1960s 6
- 1970s 16
- 1980s 2
- 1990s 6
- 2000s 6
- 2010s 114
- 2020s 313
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. It belongs to the Nimzo-Larsen Attack family.
Is the Nimzo-Larsen Attack: Modern Variation good for White or for Black?
In 466 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?
2.Bb2 — played in 463 of the master games on this line.
Which grandmasters play the Nimzo-Larsen Attack: Modern Variation?
On the White side Nakamura,Hi (128), Erigaisi,Arjun (45), So,W (29); on the Black side Firouzja,Alireza (18), 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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