Nimzo-Indian Defense: Classical Variation, Noa Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
557,609 games: White 50.4% / Draw 6.1% / Black 43.5%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 133,982134K | ||
| 108,471108K | ||
| 106,027106K | ||
| E36 | 100,543101K | |
| 80,14680K | ||
| 9,3569,356 | ||
| 6,1056,105 | ||
| 5,3715,371 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 4, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.14 The position is about equal
Best play: 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. Qxc3 O-O 7. Bg5 c5 8. dxc5 d4 9. Qf3 e5
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 45% under 1400, 47% at 2200 and up and 47% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 28K | |
| 1400–1799 | 186K | |
| 1800–2199 | 323K | |
| 2200 and up | 113K | |
| Masters, over the board | 5,331 |
Master games
- Mamedyarov, S. – Carlsen, M.
- Kasparov, G. – Kramnik, V.
- Mamedyarov, S. – Carlsen, M.
- So, W. – Carlsen, M.
- So, W. – Carlsen, M.
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
Nimzo-Indian Defense: Classical Variation, Noa Variation (ECO E34, Indian Defenses) is a variation of the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Classical Variation, reached after 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Qc2 d5 (4 moves).
In 557,609 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 50.4%, Black 43.5% and 6.1% were drawn. White's most played move here is 5. cxd5, in 24% of those games.
It branches into 3 named variations; the most played is Nimzo-Indian Defense: Classical Variation, Belyavsky Gambit. In all, 9 named lines continue from it.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to play against the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Classical Variation, Noa Variation
The most played answer, 5. cxd5, also scores best for White: 55.2%, with White winning 51.7% and Black 41.3% of 134K games. Of the main answers, 5. e3 scores lowest: 52.0%. Stockfish's first choice is 5. a3.
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 Nimzo-Indian Defense: Classical Variation, Noa Variation has lost ground since 2016: 0.018% of Lichess games in 2025, down from 0.025% (its peak: 0.032% in 2018).
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.025% | 8,876 |
| 2017 | 0.029% | 15,810 |
| 2018 | 0.032% | 25,209 |
| 2019 | 0.027% | 34,128 |
| 2020 | 0.024% | 69,261 |
| 2021 | 0.02% | 78,438 |
| 2022 | 0.022% | 80,972 |
| 2023 | 0.021% | 80,369 |
| 2024 | 0.02% | 70,416 |
| 2025 | 0.018% | 64,163 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.019% | 21,086 |
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
Variations (3)
All 9 named lines that continue from here
- E34 Nimzo-Indian Defense: Classical Variation, Belyavsky Gambit 7 moves
- E35 Noa Variation 5 moves
- E36 Noa Variation 5 moves
- E36 Botvinnik Variation 6 moves
- E36 Main Line 6 moves
- E36 Nimzo-Indian Defense: Classical Variation, Romanishin Gambit 6 moves
- E37 Nimzo-Indian Defense: Classical Variation, Noa Variation 7 moves
- E37 Nimzo-Indian Defense: Classical Variation, Modern Variation 7 moves
- E37 San Remo Variation 8 moves
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Nimzo-Indian Defense: Classical Variation, Noa Variation (E34)”. Lichess data as of 4 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/nimzo-indian-defense-classical-variation-noa-variation