Nimzo-Indian Defense: Rubinstein System 4. e3 c5
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Statistics from Lichess
343,039 games: White 49.1% / Draw 6.1% / Black 44.8%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Rubinstein Variation | 94,21194K | |
| 92,28792K | ||
| 74,32874K | ||
| 42,26442K | ||
| 13,47113K | ||
| 11,97412K | ||
| 7,7427,742 | ||
| 3,5693,569 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 30, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.22 The position is about equal
Best play: 5. Ne2 d5 6. a3 Ba5 7. dxc5 dxc4 8. Bd2 O-O 9. Ng3 b6
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
By rating
Rating changes little here: Black scores 48% under 1400, 47% at 2200 and up and 47% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 5,182 | |
| 1400–1799 | 65K | |
| 1800–2199 | 194K | |
| 2200 and up | 100K | |
| Masters, over the board | 6,801 |
Master games
- Carlsen, M. – So, W.
- Carlsen, M. – Duda, J.
- Nepomniachtchi, I. – Carlsen, M.
- Caruana, F. – Nepomniachtchi, I.
- Gelfand, B. – Anand, V.
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: Rubinstein System (ECO E41, Indian Defenses) is a variation of the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Rubinstein System, reached after 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 c5 (4 moves).
In 343,039 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 49.1%, Black 44.8% and 6.1% were drawn. White's most played move here is 5. Ne2, in 27% of those games.
It branches into 3 named variations; the most played are Nimzo-Indian Defense: Rubinstein System, Rubinstein Variation and Nimzo-Indian Defense: Sämisch Variation. In all, 7 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 answer 4…c5
The most played answer, 5. Ne2 (Rubinstein Variation), also scores best for White: 54.9%, with White winning 51.1% and Black 41.4% of 94K games. Of the main answers, 5. a3 scores lowest: 50.0%. Stockfish's first choice is also 5. Ne2.
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
This line has lost ground since 2016: 0.012% of Lichess games in 2025, down from 0.02% (its peak: 0.022% in 2018).
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.02% | 7,015 |
| 2017 | 0.021% | 11,517 |
| 2018 | 0.022% | 17,429 |
| 2019 | 0.018% | 22,155 |
| 2020 | 0.015% | 44,805 |
| 2021 | 0.012% | 47,528 |
| 2022 | 0.012% | 43,873 |
| 2023 | 0.012% | 46,603 |
| 2024 | 0.012% | 41,952 |
| 2025 | 0.012% | 40,539 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.012% | 13,118 |
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 (3)
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Nimzo-Indian Defense: Rubinstein System (E41)”. Lichess data as of 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/nimzo-indian-defense-rubinstein-system-2