Nimzo-Indian Defense: Spielmann Variation, Stahlberg Variation (8… f5 9. g3)

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Qb3 c5 5. dxc5 Nc6 6. Nf3 Ne4 7. Bd2 Nxc5 8. Qc2 f5 9. g3

The Nimzo-Indian Defense: Spielmann Variation, Stahlberg 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 Nxc5 8. Qc2 f5 9. g3. It is a line of the Nimzo-Indian Defense. Black 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: +0.58 (Stockfish, depth 26; best line 9… d6 10. a3 Bxc3 11. Bxc3 O-O 12. Rd1)

ECO

E23

Moves

17 plies

FEN

r1bqk2r/pp1p2pp/2n1p3/2n2p2/1bP5/2N2NP1/PPQBPP1P/R3KB1R b KQkq - 0 9

PGN

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Qb3 c5 5. dxc5 Nc6 6. Nf3 Ne4 7. Bd2 Nxc5 8. Qc2 f5 9. g3

Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess

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.