Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Gligoric System (7. O-O Nbd7)
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 O-O 5. Bd3 d5 6. Nf3 c5 7. O-O Nbd7
The Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Gligoric System is a chess opening classified as ECO E53, reached after 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 O-O 5. Bd3 d5 6. Nf3 c5 7. O-O Nbd7. It is a line of the Nimzo-Indian Defense. White is to move.
This exact move order didn't appear in our sample of 12.6 million Lichess games: it's a rare line.
Engine evaluation: +0.29 (Stockfish, depth 34; best line 8. a3 Ba5 9. Qc2 Bxc3 10. bxc3 b6)
- ECO
- E53
- Moves
- 14 plies
- FEN
r1bq1rk1/pp1n1ppp/4pn2/2pp4/1bPP4/2NBPN2/PP3PPP/R1BQ1RK1 w - - 2 8- PGN
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 O-O 5. Bd3 d5 6. Nf3 c5 7. O-O Nbd7
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Master games
3 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 33%, draw 0%, Black 67%). The strongest:
- IM Ataberk Eren (2409) – GM Cemil Can Ali Marandi (2515) 0-1 · TCh-TUR Super League 2024 · 2024-07-24
- IM Dan Cramling (2358) – GM Eduardas Rozentalis (2522) 0-1 · 34th ECC Open 2018 · 2018-10-15
- Yago Labussiere (2101) – Frank Lo Kim Lin (1823) 1-0 · 14th American Continental · 2019-07-08
Comes from
Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Gligoric System (6. Nf3 c5) 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 O-O 5. Bd3 d5 6. Nf3 c5
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.