Nimzowitsch Defense
1.e4 Nc6
Black develops the queen's knight first, an unusual but playable way to avoid main-line theory.
As White: 52% score in 183 games (89 wins, 13 draws, 81 losses).
As Black: 64% score in 395 games (244 wins, 19 draws, 132 losses).
Who plays it most
- GM David Anton Guijarro: 59 games as Black, scores 75%
- GM Mahel Boyer: 43 games as Black, scores 51%
- GM Daniel Semcesen: 34 games as Black, scores 57%
- WGM Samantha Ross: 30 games as White, scores 30%
- GM Jayson Gonzales: 26 games as Black, scores 50%
- GM Leonid Yudasin: 25 games as White, scores 44%
- GM Mihail Nikitenko: 22 games as Black, scores 82%
- WGM Priyanka Nutakki: 18 games as Black, scores 50%
- WGM Anna Burtasova: 17 games as White, scores 65%
- GM o: 16 games as Black, scores 72%
- GM Li Min Peng: 16 games as Black, scores 75%
- GM chessweebs: 15 games as Black, scores 73%
- GM Max Illingworth: 14 games as Black, scores 100%
- GM Denes Boros: 14 games as Black, scores 71%
- GM silent-observer: 12 games as Black, scores 33%
From the recent public Chess.com games of 96 players on the top players list, updated about once a week. Score = wins plus half the draws.