Nimzo-Indian Defense: Reshevsky Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
180,863 games: White 48.3% / Draw 7.3% / Black 44.4%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 74,35274K | ||
| 27,80528K | ||
| 27,11627K | ||
| 23,93624K | ||
| 17,24617K | ||
| 5,5465,546 | ||
| 2,2702,270 | ||
| 912912 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 30, 2026
Engine evaluation
−0.08 The position is about equal
Best play: 5... d5 6. a3 Be7 7. Ng3 c5 8. dxc5 dxc4 9. Qxd8 Rxd8 10. Bxc4
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
By rating
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 1,843 | |
| 1400–1799 | 12K | |
| 1800–2199 | 72K | |
| 2200 and up | 101K | |
| Masters, over the board | 5,080 |
Master games
- Carlsen, M. – Anand, V.
- Nakamura, H. – Carlsen, M.
- Nakamura, H. – Carlsen, M.
- Caruana, F. – Ding, L.
- Carlsen, M. – So, W.
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: Reshevsky Variation (ECO E46, Indian Defenses) is a variation of the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation, reached after 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 O-O 5. Ne2 (5 moves).
In 180,863 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 48.3%, Black 44.4% and 7.3% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 5…d5, in 41% of those games.
It continues into one named variation, Nimzo-Indian Defense: Simagin Variation.
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: Reshevsky Variation
5…c6 scores best for Black: 53.2%, with Black winning 49.6% and White 43.2% of 17K games. The most played, 5…d5, scores 48.6% in 74K games, and 5…c5 scores lowest: 44.1%. Stockfish's first choice is 5…d5.
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: Reshevsky Variation has lost ground since 2016: 0.0057% of Lichess games in 2025, down from 0.01% (its peak: 0.012% in 2018).
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.01% | 3,696 |
| 2017 | 0.01% | 5,559 |
| 2018 | 0.012% | 9,662 |
| 2019 | 0.01% | 12,754 |
| 2020 | 0.0095% | 27,757 |
| 2021 | 0.0066% | 25,638 |
| 2022 | 0.0061% | 23,013 |
| 2023 | 0.0062% | 23,426 |
| 2024 | 0.0059% | 21,032 |
| 2025 | 0.0057% | 19,667 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.0055% | 6,018 |
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: Reshevsky Variation (E46)”. Lichess data as of 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/nimzo-indian-defense-reshevsky-variation