Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Gligoric System, Keres Variation
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 O-O 5. Bd3 d5 6. Nf3 c5 7. O-O b6
The Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Gligoric System, Keres Variation 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 b6. 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: +0.13 (Stockfish, depth 50; best line 8. cxd5 exd5 9. dxc5 bxc5 10. Qc2 Nc6)
- ECO
- E53
- Moves
- 14 plies
- FEN
rnbq1rk1/p4ppp/1p2pn2/2pp4/1bPP4/2NBPN2/PP3PPP/R1BQ1RK1 w - - 0 8- PGN
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 O-O 5. Bd3 d5 6. Nf3 c5 7. O-O b6
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Master games
40 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 40%, draw 30%, Black 30%). The strongest:
- GM Markus Ragger (2680) – GM Sergei Zhigalko (2664) 1/2-1/2 · Lake Sevan 2013 · 2013-09-12
- GM Radoslaw Wojtaszek (2713) – GM Tomasz Markowski (2566) 1/2-1/2 · ch-POL 2014 · 2014-03-27
- GM Hrant Melkumyan (2656) – GM Arman Pashikian (2607) 1-0 · 73rd ch-ARM 2013 · 2013-01-19
- GM Grzegorz Gajewski (2629) – GM Tomasz Markowski (2566) 1-0 · ch-POL 2014 · 2014-03-31
- GM Fernando Peralta (2556) – GM Erwin L'Ami (2635) 1/2-1/2 · 6th Rabat Blitz Marathon · 2015-05-16
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.