- ECO code
- E20
- Moves
- 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4
- Family
- Nimzo-Indian Defense
- To move
- White
- Master games
- 4,729
- Average game length
- 43 moves
- Years covered
- 1914–2026
Nimzo-Indian Defense is the opening filed under ECO code E20, reached after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4. It belongs to the Nimzo-Indian Defense family; in the resulting position it is White to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 4,729 games on this line — the 32nd 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 1,632 games. An average game here lasts 43 moves.
White wins 31% of those games, 44% end in a draw, and Black wins 25%. Compared with the collection average (White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28%), Black scores worse here by 3 percentage points. Draws are more common here than usual, by 9 points.
From this position the most popular move is 4.e3, played in 1,893 games, followed by 4.Qc2 (1,555) and 4.Nf3 (562). 4.e3 leads into Nimzo-Indian Defense: Rubinstein System. After 4.e3 White scores 30% and Black 27%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Mamedyarov,S (294 games); on the Black side, Nakamura,Hi (145).
9 named variations branch off this position and have their own page here, among them Nimzo-Indian Defense: Rubinstein System; Nimzo-Indian Defense: Classical Variation; Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation.
Reading about an opening is not the same as knowing it. Play this line against the Katuranga bot, then let the engine mark your brilliant moves, mistakes and blunders in Analysis — the fastest way to find out which of these moves you actually understand.
Results in master games
- White 31% (1,486)
- Draws 44% (2,056)
- Black 25% (1,187)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.e3 | 1,893 | 30/43/27 | Nimzo-Indian Defense: Rubinstein System |
| 4.Qc2 | 1,555 | 29/48/23 | Nimzo-Indian Defense: Classical Variation |
| 4.Nf3 | 562 | 31/48/21 | Nimzo-Indian Defense: Three Knights Variation |
| 4.f3 | 309 | 35/37/28 | Nimzo-Indian Defense: Kmoch Variation |
| 4.a3 | 151 | 36/32/32 | — |
| 4.g3 | 84 | 52/27/21 | — |
| 4.Bg5 | 83 | 41/39/20 | — |
| 4.Qb3 | 56 | 44/38/18 | — |
Variations from this position
- Rubinstein System · 4.e3 · 1,893 games
- Classical Variation · 4.Qc2 · 1,555 games
- Normal Variation · 4.e3 O-O · 1,218 games
- Normal Variation · 4.e3 O-O 5.Bd3 · 742 games
- Three Knights Variation · 4.Nf3 · 562 games
- Normal Variation, Classical Defense · 4.e3 O-O 5.Bd3 d5 · 481 games
- Classical Variation, Noa Variation · 4.Qc2 d5 · 434 games
- Rubinstein System · 4.e3 c5 · 356 games
- Kmoch Variation · 4.f3 · 309 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
Played most often by
As White
- Mamedyarov,S 294
- So,W 157
- Kortschnoj, Viktor 131
As Black
- Nakamura,Hi 145
- Aronian,L 137
- Karjakin,Sergey 135
Games per decade
- 1910s 3
- 1920s 79
- 1930s 150
- 1940s 113
- 1950s 284
- 1960s 253
- 1970s 183
- 1980s 193
- 1990s 375
- 2000s 628
- 2010s 836
- 2020s 1,632
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?
It is the opening with ECO code E20, reached after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4. It belongs to the Nimzo-Indian Defense family.
Is the Nimzo-Indian Defense good for White or for Black?
In 4,729 master games on this line White wins 31%, 44% are drawn and Black wins 25%. 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?
4.e3 — played in 1,893 of the master games on this line, which leads into Nimzo-Indian Defense: Rubinstein System.
Which grandmasters play the Nimzo-Indian Defense?
On the White side Mamedyarov,S (294), So,W (157), Kortschnoj, Viktor (131); on the Black side Nakamura,Hi (145), Aronian,L (137), Karjakin,Sergey (135).
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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