Nimzo-Indian Defense: Sämisch Variation, Capablanca Variation
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 c5 5. Bd3 Nc6 6. a3 Bxc3+ 7. bxc3 O-O 8. Ne2 b6 9. e4 Ne8
The Nimzo-Indian Defense: Sämisch Variation, Capablanca Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO E29, reached after 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 c5 5. Bd3 Nc6 6. a3 Bxc3+ 7. bxc3 O-O 8. Ne2 b6 9. e4 Ne8. 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: −0.02 (Stockfish, depth 36; best line 10. Ng3 cxd4 11. cxd4 Nxd4 12. Bb2 e5)
- ECO
- E29
- Moves
- 18 plies
- FEN
r1bqnrk1/p2p1ppp/1pn1p3/2p5/2PPP3/P1PB4/4NPPP/R1BQK2R w KQ - 1 10- PGN
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 c5 5. Bd3 Nc6 6. a3 Bxc3+ 7. bxc3 O-O 8. Ne2 b6 9. e4 Ne8
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Master games
1 over-the-board game is classified under this line (White 100%, draw 0%, Black 0%). The strongest:
- GM Aleksej Aleksandrov (2615) – Klavs Stabulnieks (2025) 1-0 · European Rapid 2015 · 2015-12-19
Comes from
Nimzo-Indian Defense: Sämisch Variation (7. bxc3 O-O) 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 c5 5. Bd3 Nc6 6. a3 Bxc3+ 7. bxc3 O-O
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.