Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Ragozin Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
611,150 games: White 50.5% / Draw 5.2% / Black 44.3%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 257,474257K | ||
| Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Sämisch Deferred | 85,21785K | |
| 79,24679K | ||
| 67,11167K | ||
| 50,54651K | ||
| 41,83442K | ||
| 13,52314K | ||
| 7,4147,414 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 7, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.10 The position is about equal
Best play: 6. Bd2 b6 7. Rc1 Be7 8. cxd5 exd5 9. Bd3 c5 10. Ne5 Bb7
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 Black: Black scores 46% under 1400, 50% at 2200 and up and 48% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 70K | |
| 1400–1799 | 318K | |
| 1800–2199 | 353K | |
| 2200 and up | 60K | |
| Masters, over the board | 2,442 |
Master games
- Aronian, L. – Carlsen, M.
- Caruana, F. – Nepomniachtchi, I.
- Caruana, F. – Dominguez Perez, L.
- Kramnik, V. – Morozevich, A.
- Kramnik, V. – Morozevich, A.
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: Normal Variation, Ragozin Variation (ECO E51, Indian Defenses) is a variation of the Nimzo-Indian Defense, reached after 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 O-O 5. Nf3 d5 (5 moves).
In 611,150 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 50.5%, Black 44.3% and 5.2% were drawn. White's most played move here is 6. Bd3, in 42% of those games.
It continues into one named variation, Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Sämisch Deferred.
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, Ragozin Variation
6. Qc2 scores best for White: 54.2%, with White winning 51.7% and Black 43.3% of 42K games. The most played, 6. Bd3, scores 53.8% in 257K games, and 6. cxd5 scores lowest: 51.9%. Stockfish's first choice is 6. Bd2.
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: Normal Variation, Ragozin Variation has lost ground since 2016: 0.019% 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% | 9,048 |
| 2017 | 0.031% | 16,820 |
| 2018 | 0.032% | 25,239 |
| 2019 | 0.03% | 37,114 |
| 2020 | 0.028% | 81,275 |
| 2021 | 0.024% | 94,431 |
| 2022 | 0.024% | 89,269 |
| 2023 | 0.023% | 86,847 |
| 2024 | 0.021% | 74,115 |
| 2025 | 0.019% | 67,016 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.019% | 20,522 |
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 (1)
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Ragozin Variation (E51)”. Lichess data as of 7 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/nimzo-indian-defense-normal-variation-ragozin-variation