Bogo-Indian Defense: Nimzowitsch Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
375,197 games: White 46.3% / Draw 7.8% / Black 45.9%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 150,276150K | ||
| 101,712102K | ||
| 62,78463K | ||
| 38,45038K | ||
| 8,6068,606 | ||
| 6,9826,982 | ||
| 3,9163,916 | ||
| 893893 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 25, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.26 The position is about equal
Best play: 5. g3 Bxd2+ 6. Qxd2 Nc6 7. a3 d5 8. Bg2 O-O 9. O-O dxc4
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
By rating
Rating changes little here: Black scores 48% under 1400, 49% at 2200 and up and 44% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 3,674 | |
| 1400–1799 | 34K | |
| 1800–2199 | 200K | |
| 2200 and up | 150K | |
| Masters, over the board | 6,254 |
Master games
- Mamedyarov, S. – Rapport, R.
- Giri, A. – Anand, V.
- Grischuk, A. – Ivanchuk, V.
- Le Quang Liem – Anand, V.
- Carlsen, M. – Papaioannou, I.
Rated blitz, rapid and classical Lichess games by rating band, and over-the-board games of players rated 2200+ from the Lichess masters database, updated Sep 27, 2026
Overview
Bogo-Indian Defense: Nimzowitsch Variation (ECO E11, Indian Defenses) is a variation of the Bogo-Indian Defense, reached after 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 Bb4+ 4. Bd2 Qe7 (4 moves).
In 375,197 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 46.3%, Black 45.9% and 7.8% were drawn. White's most played move here is 5. g3, in 40% of those games.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to play against the Bogo-Indian Defense: Nimzowitsch Variation
The most played answer, 5. g3, also scores best for White: 52.8%, with White winning 48.6% and Black 43.0% of 150K games. Of the main answers, 5. a3 scores lowest: 47.0%. Stockfish's first choice is also 5. g3.
Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: White's wins plus half the draws, in rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500. How to play against other popular openings
Popularity by year
The Bogo-Indian Defense: Nimzowitsch Variation has lost ground since 2016: 0.013% of Lichess games in 2025, down from 0.02%.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.02% | 7,307 |
| 2017 | 0.02% | 11,276 |
| 2018 | 0.022% | 17,636 |
| 2019 | 0.019% | 23,979 |
| 2020 | 0.017% | 49,736 |
| 2021 | 0.013% | 51,260 |
| 2022 | 0.013% | 49,921 |
| 2023 | 0.013% | 49,291 |
| 2024 | 0.013% | 46,567 |
| 2025 | 0.013% | 46,102 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.014% | 15,160 |
Share of rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500 (blitz, rapid and classical) that reach this position, by year; 2026: January to April. Which openings are rising and falling
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Bogo-Indian Defense: Nimzowitsch Variation (E11)”. Lichess data as of 25 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/bogo-indian-defense-nimzowitsch-variation