Nimzo-Indian Defense: Kmoch Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
610,282 games: White 51.4% / Draw 5.1% / Black 43.5%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 244,041244K | ||
| 167,599168K | ||
| 92,14992K | ||
| 53,63154K | ||
| 25,67726K | ||
| 7,6557,655 | ||
| 7,1377,137 | ||
| 5,2705,270 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 31, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.06 The position is about equal
Best play: 4... c5 5. d5 d6 6. e4 O-O 7. Ne2 b5 8. Nf4 exd5 9. Nxd5
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
By rating
The stronger the players, the better this line does for White: White scores 51% under 1400, 54% at 2200 and up and 53% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 6,890 | |
| 1400–1799 | 65K | |
| 1800–2199 | 331K | |
| 2200 and up | 230K | |
| Masters, over the board | 8,050 |
Master games
- Caruana, F. – Carlsen, M.
- Nakamura, H. – Carlsen, M.
- Karjakin, S. – Carlsen, M.
- Nakamura, H. – Carlsen, M.
- Anand, V. – 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: Kmoch Variation (ECO E20, Indian Defenses) is a variation of the Nimzo-Indian Defense, reached after 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. f3 (4 moves).
In 610,282 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 51.4%, Black 43.5% and 5.1% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 4…d5, in 40% of those games.
It branches into 2 named variations; the most played are Nimzo-Indian Defense: Sämisch Variation and Nimzo-Indian Defense: Sämisch Variation, Botvinnik Variation. In all, 4 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: Kmoch Variation
4…c5 scores best for Black: 47.6%, with Black winning 44.9% and White 49.7% of 168K games. The most played, 4…d5, scores 46.3% in 244K games, and 4…Bxc3+ scores lowest: 42.2%. Stockfish's first choice is also 4…c5.
Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: Black'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: Kmoch Variation peaked in 2020 at 0.028% of Lichess games and has slipped since: 0.023% in 2025.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.026% | 9,372 |
| 2017 | 0.024% | 13,073 |
| 2018 | 0.027% | 21,100 |
| 2019 | 0.025% | 31,382 |
| 2020 | 0.028% | 80,643 |
| 2021 | 0.023% | 88,719 |
| 2022 | 0.023% | 85,784 |
| 2023 | 0.023% | 85,405 |
| 2024 | 0.022% | 78,780 |
| 2025 | 0.023% | 78,739 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.024% | 26,464 |
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 (2)
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Nimzo-Indian Defense: Kmoch Variation (E20)”. Lichess data as of 31 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/nimzo-indian-defense-kmoch-variation