Nimzo-Indian Defense
Nimzo-Indian Defense (E20) starts 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4. In 35,454 games between strong players, White wins 45%, 15% are drawn and Black wins 41%; the most played move is 4.e3 (40%).
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4
- ECO
- E20
- Games between strong players
- 35,454
- To move
- White
White wins, draws and Black wins, from this position.
What strong players play next
The moves played most from this position in over-the-board broadcasts and the Lichess Elite Database, how often, and how the games ended.
| Move | Played | Results | Leads to |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.e3 | 40% (14,286) | Nimzo-Indian Defense: Rubinstein System | |
| 4.Qc2 | 22% (7,699) | Nimzo-Indian Defense: Classical Variation | |
| 4.f3 | 11% (3,776) | Nimzo-Indian Defense: Kmoch Variation | |
| 4.Nf3 | 10% (3,438) | Nimzo-Indian Defense: Three Knights Variation | |
| 4.a3 | 7% (2,564) | Nimzo-Indian Defense: Sämisch Variation | |
| 4.Bd2 | 5% (1,585) | – |
Where it comes from and where it goes
Branches from Indian Defense: Normal Variation 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4
- Nimzo-Indian Defense: Rubinstein System 14,290 games
- Nimzo-Indian Defense: Classical Variation 7,699 games
- Nimzo-Indian Defense: Three Knights Variation 3,900 games
- Nimzo-Indian Defense: Kmoch Variation 3,777 games
- Nimzo-Indian Defense: Sämisch Variation 2,564 games
- Nimzo-Indian Defense: Spielmann Variation 683 games
- Nimzo-Indian Defense: Romanishin Variation 679 games
- Nimzo-Indian Defense: Leningrad Variation 678 games
Top players' games in the Nimzo-Indian Defense, reviewed
- Pa Iniyan vs Narayanan S L1st Chola Chess Open International Grandmasters Chess Tournament 2026, round 5, 3 November 20261/2-1/2Accuracy 97.5 and 99.312.Bxc6
- gurelediz vs HikaruChess.com blitz, 24 October 20261-0Accuracy 80.3 and 72.026…Qg7
- MagnusCarlsen vs KodandaPrimeChess.com blitz, 23 October 20261-0Accuracy 83.9 and 81.214.Nxd5
- Samuel Sevian vs Wesley SoU.S. Chess Championships 2026, Open, round 11, 21 October 20261-0Accuracy 89.8 and 88.012…Bxc3
- mishanick vs Sina-MovahedChess.com blitz, 20 October 20260-1Accuracy 82.0 and 88.816…f6
Every Nimzo-Indian Defense line
- Nimzo-Indian Defense: Rubinstein System 14,290 games
- Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation 9,432 games
- Nimzo-Indian Defense: Classical Variation 7,699 games
- Nimzo-Indian Defense: Three Knights Variation 3,900 games
- Nimzo-Indian Defense: Kmoch Variation 3,777 games
- Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Classical Defense 3,653 games
- Nimzo-Indian Defense: Sämisch Variation 2,564 games
- Nimzo-Indian Defense: St. Petersburg Variation 2,069 games
- Nimzo-Indian Defense: Classical Variation, Noa Variation 1,766 games
- Nimzo-Indian Defense: Reshevsky Variation 1,529 games
- Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Ragozin Variation 1,307 games
- Nimzo-Indian Defense: Classical Variation, Berlin Variation 1,306 games
- Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Botvinnik System 1,095 games
- Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Gligoric System, Exchange Variation 881 games
- Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Gligoric System 792 games
- Nimzo-Indian Defense: Rubinstein System, Rubinstein Variation 785 games
- Nimzo-Indian Defense: Spielmann Variation 683 games
- Nimzo-Indian Defense: Romanishin Variation 679 games
- Nimzo-Indian Defense: Leningrad Variation 678 games
- Nimzo-Indian Defense: Classical Variation, Keres Defense 503 games
- Nimzo-Indian Defense: St. Petersburg Variation, Fischer Variation 489 games
- Nimzo-Indian Defense: Classical Variation, Berlin Variation, Pirc Variation 441 games
- Nimzo-Indian Defense: Classical Variation, Zurich Variation 428 games
- Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Schlechter Defense 279 games
- Nimzo-Indian Defense: Classical Variation, Milner-Barry Variation 277 games
- Nimzo-Indian Defense: St. Petersburg Variation, American Variation 274 games
- Nimzo-Indian Defense: Sämisch Variation, Keres Variation 258 games
- Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Gligoric System, Bernstein Defense 233 games
- Nimzo-Indian Defense: St. Petersburg Variation, with Ne4 187 games
- Nimzo-Indian Defense: Simagin Variation 171 games
- Nimzo-Indian Defense: Rubinstein System, Rubinstein Variation, Main Line 164 games
- Nimzo-Indian Defense: St. Petersburg Variation, Romanishin-Psakhis Variation 160 games
- Nimzo-Indian Defense: Spielmann Variation, Romanovsky Gambit 131 games
- Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Bernstein Defense, Exchange Line 128 games
- Nimzo-Indian Defense: Rubinstein System, Hübner Variation 126 games
- Nimzo-Indian Defense: Rubinstein System, Taimanov Variation 120 games
- Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Gligoric System, Keres Variation 100 games
- Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Bernstein Defense 99 games
- Nimzo-Indian Defense: Sämisch Variation, Capablanca Variation 99 games
- Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Sämisch Deferred 93 games
- Nimzo-Indian Defense: Sämisch Variation, O'Kelly Variation 93 games
- Nimzo-Indian Defense: Three Knights Variation, Korchnoi Variation 78 games
- Nimzo-Indian Defense: Spielmann Variation, Carlsbad Variation 72 games
- Nimzo-Indian Defense: Romanishin Variation, English Hybrid 66 games
- Nimzo-Indian Defense: Classical Variation, Berlin Variation, Macieja System 57 games
- Nimzo-Indian Defense: Classical Variation, Noa Variation, Main Line 56 games
- Nimzo-Indian Defense: Classical Variation, Vitolins-Adorjan Gambit 54 games
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