Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Gligoric System, Smyslov Variation
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 O-O 5. Bd3 d5 6. Nf3 c5 7. O-O dxc4 8. Bxc4 Qe7
The Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Gligoric System, Smyslov Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO E54, reached after 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 O-O 5. Bd3 d5 6. Nf3 c5 7. O-O dxc4 8. Bxc4 Qe7. 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: +0.27 (Stockfish, depth 28; best line 9. a3 Ba5 10. Qc2 Bd7 11. dxc5 Qxc5)
- ECO
- E54
- Moves
- 16 plies
- FEN
rnb2rk1/pp2qppp/4pn2/2p5/1bBP4/2N1PN2/PP3PPP/R1BQ1RK1 w - - 1 9- PGN
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 O-O 5. Bd3 d5 6. Nf3 c5 7. O-O dxc4 8. Bxc4 Qe7
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Master games
8 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 25%, draw 0%, Black 75%). The strongest:
- IM Dusan Lekic (2430) – GM Gil Popilski (2506) 0-1 · 5th Rethymno Open · 2013-08-01
- FM Christopher Wallis (2348) – GM Kaido Kulaots (2567) 0-1 · Riga Tech Open A 2014 · 2014-08-18
- GM Anton Korobov (2651) – IM Codrut-Constantin Florescu (2245) 1-0 · Titled Tue 31st Jan Early · 2023-01-31
- FM Konstantinos Nikolaidis (2218) – GM Hristos Banikas (2618) 0-1 · 3rd Isthmia Open · 2013-08-19
- FM Mohammadreza Afshari (2084) – GM Morteza Mahjoob Zardast (2412) 0-1 · 2nd Behin Cup 2014 · 2014-11-17
Comes from
Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Gligoric System, Exchange Variation (7… dxc4 8. Bxc4) 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 O-O 5. Bd3 d5 6. Nf3 c5 7. O-O dxc4 8. Bxc4
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.