- ECO code
- E40
- Moves
- 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e3
- Family
- Nimzo-Indian Defense
- To move
- Black
- Master games
- 1,893
- Average game length
- 44 moves
- Years covered
- 1914–2026
Nimzo-Indian Defense: Rubinstein System is the opening filed under ECO code E40, reached after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e3. It belongs to the Nimzo-Indian Defense family and is known as the Rubinstein System; in the resulting position it is Black to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 1,893 games on this line — the 62nd most played opening in the collection. The oldest game on this line is from 1914 and the most recent from 2026. The busiest decade in this collection is the 2020s, with 707 games. An average game here lasts 44 moves.
White wins 30% of those games, 43% end in a draw, and Black wins 27%. That is close to the collection average (White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28%). Draws are more common here than usual, by 8 points.
From this position the most popular move is 4...O-O, played in 1,218 games, followed by 4...c5 (356) and 4...b6 (223). 4...O-O leads into Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation. After 4...O-O White scores 29% and Black 27%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Caruana,F (89 games); on the Black side, Kortschnoj, Viktor (62).
4 named variations branch off this position and have their own page here, among them Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation; Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation; Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Classical Defense.
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Results in master games
- White 30% (577)
- Draws 43% (808)
- Black 27% (508)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4...O-O | 1,218 | 29/44/27 | Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation |
| 4...c5 | 356 | 30/48/22 | Nimzo-Indian Defense: Rubinstein System (E41) |
| 4...b6 | 223 | 32/35/33 | — |
| 4...d5 | 65 | 46/31/23 | — |
| 4...Nc6 | 16 | 31/50/19 | — |
| 4...Bxc3+ | 6 | 66/17/17 | — |
| 4...d6 | 4 | 100/0/0 | — |
| 4...Ne4 | 3 | 33/0/67 | — |
Variations from this position
- Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation · 4...O-O · 1,218 games
- Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation · 4...O-O 5.Bd3 · 742 games
- Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Classical Defense · 4...O-O 5.Bd3 d5 · 481 games
- Rubinstein System (E41) · 4...c5 · 356 games
How the position is reached
- Queen's Pawn Game · 1.d4 · 45,810 games
- Indian Defense · 1.d4 Nf6 · 29,631 games
- Indian Defense: Normal Variation · 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 · 22,243 games
- Nimzo-Indian Defense · 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 · 4,729 games
Played most often by
As White
- Caruana,F 89
- Kortschnoj, Viktor 88
- Grischuk,A 66
As Black
- Kortschnoj, Viktor 62
- Caruana,F 60
- Smyslov, Vassily 57
Games per decade
- 1910s 2
- 1920s 7
- 1930s 27
- 1940s 35
- 1950s 182
- 1960s 170
- 1970s 133
- 1980s 98
- 1990s 128
- 2000s 157
- 2010s 247
- 2020s 707
Master games on this line
| White | Black | Result | Year | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caruana,F | Durarbayli,Vasif | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | Naroditsky Mem Blitz 2026 |
| Yu Yangyi | So,W | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | Chess.com Open PlayIn2 KO |
| Nosach,Roman Al | Nepomniachtchi,I | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | 1st 3-0 Thu 29th Jan 2026 |
| Duda,J | Carlsen,M | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | Chess.com Open Playoffs |
| Nepomniachtchi,I | Vidit,S | 1-0 | 2026 | 3rd UzChess Cup Masters |
| Shuvalova,Polina | Abdusattorov,Nodirbek | 0-1 | 2026 | Titled Tue 19th May 2026 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Rubinstein System?
It is the opening with ECO code E40, reached after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e3. It belongs to the Nimzo-Indian Defense family.
Is the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Rubinstein System good for White or for Black?
In 1,893 master games on this line White wins 30%, 43% are drawn and Black wins 27%. 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-Indian Defense: Rubinstein System?
4...O-O — played in 1,218 of the master games on this line, which leads into Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation.
Which grandmasters play the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Rubinstein System?
On the White side Caruana,F (89), Kortschnoj, Viktor (88), Grischuk,A (66); on the Black side Kortschnoj, Viktor (62), Caruana,F (60), Smyslov, Vassily (57).
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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