Nimzo-Indian Defense: Rubinstein System, Hübner Variation (8. O-O O-O)
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 c5 5. Bd3 Nc6 6. Nf3 Bxc3+ 7. bxc3 d6 8. O-O O-O
The Nimzo-Indian Defense: Rubinstein System, Hübner Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO E41, reached after 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 c5 5. Bd3 Nc6 6. Nf3 Bxc3+ 7. bxc3 d6 8. O-O O-O. 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: +0.31 (Stockfish, depth 36; best line 9. e4 e5 10. h3 h6 11. Re1 b6)
- ECO
- E41
- Moves
- 16 plies
- FEN
r1bq1rk1/pp3ppp/2nppn2/2p5/2PP4/2PBPN2/P4PPP/R1BQ1RK1 w - - 2 9- PGN
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 c5 5. Bd3 Nc6 6. Nf3 Bxc3+ 7. bxc3 d6 8. O-O O-O
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Master games
12 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 33%, draw 25%, Black 42%). The strongest:
- GM Aleksej Aleksandrov (2608) – GM Pavel Eljanov (2672) 1/2-1/2 · PNWCC Online Blitz JP 12 · 2020-06-06
- Ioannis Stathopoulos (2216) – IM Grigoriy Oparin (2488) 0-1 · 51st World Juniors · 2012-08-02
- IM Stepan Zilka (2517) – Martin Blahynka (2145) 0-1 · Olomouc Summer Open · 2012-08-07
- IM Geert Van der Stricht (2380) – IM Herman Grooten (2250) 0-1 · 36th Geraardsbergen Open · 2021-08-12
- FM Andrei-Theodor Dolana (2341) – Catalin-Lucian Patrascu (2234) 1-0 · Romanian Open 2016 · 2016-03-18
Comes from
Nimzo-Indian Defense: Rubinstein System, Hübner Variation (7. bxc3 d6) 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 c5 5. Bd3 Nc6 6. Nf3 Bxc3+ 7. bxc3 d6
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.