Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation (4… O-O 5. Bd3)
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 O-O 5. Bd3
The Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO E47, reached after 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 O-O 5. Bd3. It is a line of the Nimzo-Indian Defense. Black is to move. 2 named lines continue from this position.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 753 times by this move order. White won 50%, 6% were drawn and Black won 44%. The most popular continuation is 5… d5 (51% of games).
Engine evaluation: 0.00 (Stockfish, depth 50; best line 5… d5 6. a3 Bxc3+ 7. bxc3 dxc4 8. Bxc4)
- ECO
- E47
- Moves
- 9 plies
- FEN
rnbq1rk1/pppp1ppp/4pn2/8/1bPP4/2NBP3/PP3PPP/R1BQK1NR b KQ - 2 5- PGN
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 O-O 5. Bd3
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 10 | |
| 1500-1999 | 192 | |
| 2000+ | 551 | |
| All | 753 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 5… d5 Normal Variation, Classical Defense | 381 (51%) | |
| 5… c5 | 155 (21%) | |
| 5… b6 | 104 (14%) | |
| 5… Re8 | 50 (7%) | |
| 5… d6 | 29 (4%) | |
| 5… Bxc3+ | 16 (2%) | |
| 5… h6 | 7 (1%) | |
| 5… Nc6 | 4 (1%) |
Master games
3,774 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 38%, draw 28%, Black 34%). The strongest:
- LCZero 0.31-dag-5350a2e-BT4-61 (3631) – Stockfish dev-20240728-2343f71 (3662) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 26 Balanced Lines · 2024-08-03
- Stockfish 20210113 (3601) – LCZero 0.27.0d-Tilps-dje-magic_JH.94-100 (3586) 1-0 · TCEC 20 Superfinal 2020 · 2021-01-17
- LCZero 0.27.0d-Tilps-dje-magic_JH.94-100 (3586) – Stockfish 20210113 (3601) 1-0 · TCEC 20 Superfinal 2020 · 2021-01-17
- Stockfish dev16_202209170930 (3611) – KomodoDragon 2970.00 (3568) 1-0 · TCEC 23 Premier 2022 · 2022-10-19
- KomodoDragon 2970.00 (3568) – Stockfish dev16_202209170930 (3611) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 23 Premier 2022 · 2022-09-30
Search all games of the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- GM cutemouse83 (2968) – tsunami10 (2810) 0-1 · 2026-09-01 · 180 + 0s
- GM cutemouse83 (2944) – feeblad (2830) 1/2-1/2 · 2026-09-06 · 180 + 0s
- GM cutemouse83 (2958) – NameTheGame (2701) 1-0 · 2026-09-02 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation (4. e3 O-O) 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 O-O
Continuations
- Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Classical Defense E48 · 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 O-O 5. Bd3 d5
- Nimzo-Indian Defense: St. Petersburg Variation (8. Na4 Qe7) E43 · 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 O-O 5. Bd3 c5 6. Nf3 b6 7. O-O Bb7 8. Na4 Qe7
More Nimzo-Indian Defense lines (all)
- Nimzo-Indian Defense (3. Nc3 Bb4) E20
- Nimzo-Indian Defense: Dilworth Gambit E20
- Nimzo-Indian Defense: Kmoch Variation E20
- Nimzo-Indian Defense: Mikenas Attack E20
- Nimzo-Indian Defense: Romanishin Variation (3… Bb4 4. g3) E20
- Nimzo-Indian Defense: Romanishin Variation (5… O-O 6. Bg2) E20
- Nimzo-Indian Defense: Romanishin Variation, English Hybrid E20
- Nimzo-Indian Defense: Three Knights Variation E21
- Nimzo-Indian Defense: Three Knights Variation, Euwe Variation E21
- Nimzo-Indian Defense: Three Knights Variation, Korchnoi Variation E21
- Nimzo-Indian Defense: Three Knights Variation, Shocron Gambit E21
- Nimzo-Indian Defense: Spielmann Variation E22
Opening names and moves from the Lichess openings dataset; statistics from the Lichess open database, 2026-09 (CC0), sample of 12.6 million games, bots excluded; evaluations from Lichess cloud analysis (all CC0). Master games from The Week in Chess #920–#1664 by Mark Crowther, used with permission.