Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Bernstein Defense, Exchange Line
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Statistics from Lichess
30,686 games: White 48.6% / Draw 6.0% / Black 45.4%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 10,03310K | ||
| 7,4127,412 | ||
| 4,4884,488 | ||
| 2,3762,376 | ||
| 1,7771,777 | ||
| 967967 | ||
| 898898 | ||
| 830830 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 24, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.19 The position is about equal
Best play: 9... Qc7 10. Re1 Na5 11. cxd5 exd5 12. Ne5 Be6 13. a4 Rfe8 14. f3
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Bernstein Defense, Exchange Line (ECO E58, Indian Defenses) is a variation of the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Gligoric System, Bernstein Defense, reached after 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 O-O 5. Bd3 d5 6. Nf3 c5 7. O-O Nc6 8. a3 Bxc3 9. bxc3 (9 moves).
In 30,686 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 48.6%, Black 45.4% and 6.0% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 9…dxc4, in 33% of those games.
It continues into one named variation, Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Bernstein Defense.
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: Normal Variation, Bernstein Defense, Exchange Line
9…Qc7 scores best for Black: 52.7%, with Black winning 49.2% and White 43.8% of 2,376 games. The most played, 9…dxc4, scores 49.1% in 10K games, and 9…cxd4 scores lowest: 43.7%. Stockfish's first choice is also 9…Qc7.
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
Variations (1)
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Bernstein Defense, Exchange Line (E58)”. Lichess data as of 24 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/nimzo-indian-defense-normal-variation-bernstein-defense-exchange-line