- ECO code
- A01
- Moves
- 1.b3
- Family
- Nimzo-Larsen Attack
- To move
- Black
- Master games
- 1,532
- Average game length
- 46 moves
- Years covered
- 1859–2026
Nimzo-Larsen Attack is the opening filed under ECO code A01, reached after 1.b3. It belongs to the Nimzo-Larsen Attack family; in the resulting position it is Black to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 1,532 games on this line — the 78th 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 1,141 games. An average game here lasts 46 moves.
White wins 60% of those games, 17% end in a draw, and Black wins 23%. Compared with the collection average (White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28%), Black scores worse here by 5 percentage points. Draws are less common here than usual, by 18 points.
From this position the most popular move is 1...d5, played in 532 games, followed by 1...e5 (466) and 1...Nf6 (286). 1...d5 leads into Nimzo-Larsen Attack: Classical Variation. After 1...d5 White scores 64% and Black 18%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Nakamura,Hi (476 games); on the Black side, Carlsen,M (46).
4 named variations branch off this position and have their own page here, among them Nimzo-Larsen Attack: Classical Variation; Nimzo-Larsen Attack: Modern Variation; Nimzo-Larsen Attack: Modern Variation.
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Results in master games
- White 60% (912)
- Draws 17% (266)
- Black 23% (354)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1...d5 | 532 | 64/18/18 | Nimzo-Larsen Attack: Classical Variation |
| 1...e5 | 466 | 57/17/26 | Nimzo-Larsen Attack: Modern Variation |
| 1...Nf6 | 286 | 63/16/21 | — |
| 1...b6 | 64 | 54/16/30 | — |
| 1...c5 | 63 | 46/22/32 | — |
| 1...g6 | 56 | 46/29/25 | — |
| 1...d6 | 21 | 62/5/33 | — |
| 1...a5 | 15 | 40/13/47 | — |
Variations from this position
- Classical Variation · 1...d5 · 532 games
- Modern Variation · 1...e5 · 466 games
- Modern Variation · 1...e5 2.Bb2 Nc6 · 416 games
- Modern Variation · 1...e5 2.Bb2 Nc6 3.e3 · 308 games
Played most often by
As White
- Nakamura,Hi 476
- Erigaisi,Arjun 148
- So,W 89
As Black
- Carlsen,M 46
- Firouzja,Alireza 36
- Nakamura,Hi 35
Games per decade
- 1850s 1
- 1890s 1
- 1900s 1
- 1920s 3
- 1960s 15
- 1970s 36
- 1980s 3
- 1990s 18
- 2000s 22
- 2010s 291
- 2020s 1,141
Master games on this line
| White | Black | Result | Year | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duda,J | Caruana,F | 1-0 | 2026 | Titled Tue 10th Feb 2026 |
| Nakamura,Hi | Khanbutaev,Artemii | 1-0 | 2026 | 1st 3-0 Thu 18th Jun 2026 |
| Firouzja,Alireza | Ghoreishi Amiri,Seyed Kian | 1-0 | 2026 | Titled Tue 9th Jun 2026 |
| Nakamura,Hi | Suyarov,Mukhammadzokhid | 1-0 | 2026 | 1st 3-0 Thu 22nd Jan 2026 |
| Nosach,Roman Al | Erigaisi,Arjun | 1-0 | 2026 | Titled Tue 17th Mar 2026 |
| Martinez Alcantara,Jose Eduardo | Nakamura,Hi | 0-1 | 2026 | 2nd 3-0 Thu 22nd Jan 2026 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the Nimzo-Larsen Attack?
It is the opening with ECO code A01, reached after 1.b3. It belongs to the Nimzo-Larsen Attack family.
Is the Nimzo-Larsen Attack good for White or for Black?
In 1,532 master games on this line White wins 60%, 17% are drawn and Black wins 23%. 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?
1...d5 — played in 532 of the master games on this line, which leads into Nimzo-Larsen Attack: Classical Variation.
Which grandmasters play the Nimzo-Larsen Attack?
On the White side Nakamura,Hi (476), Erigaisi,Arjun (148), So,W (89); on the Black side Carlsen,M (46), Firouzja,Alireza (36), Nakamura,Hi (35).
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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