Nimzo-Larsen Attack: g6 — A Dead-Level Start with Hidden Teeth

The Nimzo-Larsen Attack is a flank opening that aims to control the centre from the side. By fianchettoing your bishop to b2 on move two, you put immediate pressure on the dark squares — especially the e5 pawn if Black ever places one there. Your pawn on b3 also prepares to support a later c4 advance, challenging Black's central presence from the queenside. Against Black's g6 set-up, you're essentially saying: “I'll let you build a king's fianchetto, but my bishop on the long diagonal will be a monster in the middlegame.” The position is dead level at the start, but your bishop pair and flexible pawn structure give you plenty of room to outplay your opponent.

After 1.b3 g6 2.Bb2, it's Black's turn to choose a plan — and the statistics show that most players pick poorly. The engine's best move is Nf6, developing naturally and heading toward a normal fight. But in the Lichess database of almost 900,000 games, Black plays other moves far more often than you might expect. Here are the most popular replies and what they mean for you: - Nf6 (582,960 games, White scores 46.3%): The principled move. Black develops and keeps the balance. - f6 (197,962 games, White scores 51.4%): A mistake that costs Black about 1.2 pawns. - Bg7 (102,614 games, White scores 86.7%): A blunder losing roughly 5.9 pawns. - d6 (3,441 games, White scores 77.5%): Another blunder, losing about 3.7 pawns. - e5 (2,615 games, White scores 56.4%) and e6 (1,625 games, White scores 75.8%) are rarer but also score well for White.

Black's two biggest errors — Bg7 and d6 — are easy to miss if you're not looking for them. Here's why they're bad and how to capitalise: When Black plays Bg7: By bringing the bishop to g7, Black walks into a devastating discovered attack. Your bishop on b2 already eyes the long diagonal; with Black's king's bishop committed to g7, you can often win material by pushing your pawn to e4 or playing Nf3, threatening the g7 square. The 86.7% White win rate tells you this is close to resignable for Black. When Black plays d6: This blocks the dark-squared bishop's diagonal and weakens the e6 square, but the real problem is that Black neglects development. You can respond by playing e3, Nf3, and c4, seizing space in the centre. Black's bishop on c8 remains stuck, and you'll complete your development with a commanding lead.

When Black finds the best move — Nf6 — the engine recommends you continue with e3, preparing to develop your knight to f3 and shore up the d4 square. After e3, Black typically plays c5, and you answer with Nf3. From there, the game becomes a flexible positional struggle: you can follow up with c4, Be2, and 0-0, with your bishop on b2 exerting pressure along the long diagonal. Black's 46.3% score against you in this line shows that even when Black plays correctly, the game remains sharp and your chances are real. The drill will train you to find the right replies whether Black plays the principled Nf6 or one of the many inferior moves.

The Nimzo-Larsen Attack: g6 is perfect for players who want to avoid heavy theory while keeping the game strategically rich. You never memorise long forcing lines — instead, you rely on general principles (develop, control the centre, activate your bishop pair) and punish Black's impatience. The statistics back this up: across all games, Black wins only 43.6% of the time, and draws are rare at just 4.0%. That means you're entering a practical fight where your opponent is more likely to make the first mistake. If you enjoy openings where a single wrong move by Black leads to a huge advantage for you, this variation will serve you well.