English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense, Nimzo-English
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Statistics from Lichess
152,397 games: White 50.5% / Draw 5.8% / Black 43.8%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 45,26545K | ||
| 32,62133K | ||
| Nimzo-Indian Defense: Three Knights Variation | 19,51620K | |
| 14,89415K | ||
| 12,58813K | ||
| 12,45412K | ||
| 8,0508,050 | ||
| 2,3772,377 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 27, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.28 The position is about equal
Best play: 4. Qc2 O-O 5. a3 Bxc3 6. Qxc3 d6 7. b4 e5 8. Bb2 Re8
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense, Nimzo-English (ECO A17, Flank Openings) is a variation of the English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense, Hedgehog System, reached after 1. c4 Nf6 2. Nc3 e6 3. Nf3 Bb4 (3 moves).
In 152,397 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 50.5%, Black 43.8% and 5.8% were drawn. White's most played move here is 4. g3, in 30% 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 English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense, Nimzo-English
4. Qc2 scores best for White: 54.8%, with White winning 51.5% and Black 41.9% of 33K games. The most played, 4. g3, scores 53.8% in 45K games, and 4. a3 scores lowest: 50.5%. Stockfish's first choice is also 4. Qc2.
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
Transpositions
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense, Nimzo-English (A17)”. Lichess data as of 27 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/english-opening-anglo-indian-defense-nimzo-english