Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Schlechter Defense
Play any move on the board to explore from there, or step through the line with ‹ › and the arrow keys.
Statistics from Lichess
37,400 games: White 48.8% / Draw 5.7% / Black 45.5%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 27,12927K | ||
| 6,5706,570 | ||
| 1,8211,821 | ||
| 795795 | ||
| 513513 | ||
| 108108 | ||
| 9595 | ||
| 7878 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 30, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.11 The position is about equal
Best play: 7. O-O c5 8. dxc5 dxc4 9. Bxc4 Qxd1 10. Rxd1 Bxc5 11. a3 Be7
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Schlechter Defense (ECO E52, Indian Defenses) is a variation of the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Classical Defense, reached after 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 O-O 5. Bd3 d5 6. Nf3 b6 (6 moves).
In 37,400 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 48.8%, Black 45.5% and 5.7% were drawn. White's most played move here is 7. O-O, in 73% of those games.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
Write a description or report a mistake
How to play against the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Schlechter Defense
7. cxd5 scores best for White: 53.9%, with White winning 51.2% and Black 43.4% of 6,570 games. The most played answer, 7. O-O, scores lowest: 51.5% in 27K games. Stockfish's first choice is 7. O-O.
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
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Schlechter Defense (E52)”. Lichess data as of 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/nimzo-indian-defense-normal-variation-schlechter-defense