Nimzo-Indian Defense: Three Knights Variation, Shocron Gambit
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 Bb4+ 4. Nc3 c5 5. d5 b5
The Nimzo-Indian Defense: Three Knights Variation, Shocron Gambit is a chess opening classified as ECO E21, reached after 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 Bb4+ 4. Nc3 c5 5. d5 b5. 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: +0.40 (Stockfish, depth 29; best line 6. dxe6 fxe6 7. cxb5 Ne4 8. Qc2 Bb7)
- ECO
- E21
- Moves
- 10 plies
- FEN
rnbqk2r/p2p1ppp/4pn2/1ppP4/1bP5/2N2N2/PP2PPPP/R1BQKB1R w KQkq - 0 6- PGN
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 Bb4+ 4. Nc3 c5 5. d5 b5
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Master games
1 over-the-board game is classified under this line (White 0%, draw 0%, Black 100%). The strongest:
- Hristo Kosturkov (1664) – Theodoros Theodoulidis (2106) 0-1 · 2nd Holy Spirit Open 2015 · 2015-05-29
Comes from
Bogo-Indian Defense 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 Bb4+
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: Spielmann Variation E22
- Nimzo-Indian Defense: Spielmann Variation, Carlsbad Variation E23
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.