Nimzo-Indian Defense: Spielmann Variation, Carlsbad Variation
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Qb3 c5 5. dxc5 Nc6 6. Nf3 Ne4 7. Bd2 Nxd2
The Nimzo-Indian Defense: Spielmann Variation, Carlsbad Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO E23, reached after 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Qb3 c5 5. dxc5 Nc6 6. Nf3 Ne4 7. Bd2 Nxd2. It is a line of the Nimzo-Indian Defense. White is to move.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 12 times by this move order. White won 58%, 0% were drawn and Black won 42%. The most popular continuation is 8. Nxd2 (100% of games).
Engine evaluation: −0.08 (Stockfish, depth 38; best line 8. Nxd2 Bxc5 9. g3 Qb6 10. Qxb6 Bxb6)
- ECO
- E23
- Moves
- 14 plies
- FEN
r1bqk2r/pp1p1ppp/2n1p3/2P5/1bP5/1QN2N2/PP1nPPPP/R3KB1R w KQkq - 0 8- PGN
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Qb3 c5 5. dxc5 Nc6 6. Nf3 Ne4 7. Bd2 Nxd2
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 1500-1999 | 4 | |
| 2000+ | 8 | |
| All | 12 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 8. Nxd2 | 12 (100%) |
Master games
97 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 32%, draw 36%, Black 32%). The strongest:
- GM Paulius Pultinevicius (2587) – GM Radoslaw Wojtaszek (2681) 1/2-1/2 · 45th Olympiad 2024 · 2024-09-14
- IM Leon Livaic (2582) – GM Kirill Alekseenko (2687) 1-0 · TCh-AUT 2022-23 · 2022-11-03
- GM Gergely Aczel (2553) – GM Ferenc Berkes (2680) 1/2-1/2 · 69th ch-HUN 2021 · 2021-12-09
- GM Kacper Piorun (2579) – GM Rasmus Svane (2626) 1-0 · TCh-POL Ekstraliga 2025 · 2025-06-08
- FM Alexandros Papasimakopoulos (2379) – GM Vladimir Kramnik (2753) 1/2-1/2 · Titled Tue 19th Nov Early · 2024-11-19
Highest-rated Lichess games
- fapasimovic (2570) – Barselona_forever5 (2508) 0-1 · 2026-09-02 · 180 + 0s
- jackalgambit (2353) – IvlivsCaesar (2232) 0-1 · 2026-09-07 · 180 + 2s
- chessgosch2023 (2276) – cusilva (2218) 0-1 · 2026-09-03 · 300 + 0s
Comes from
Nimzo-Indian Defense: Spielmann Variation, Romanovsky Gambit 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Qb3 c5 5. dxc5 Nc6
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.