Nimzo-Indian Defense: Sämisch Variation 7. bxc3 O-O
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Statistics from Lichess
16,376 games: White 49.7% / Draw 4.8% / Black 45.4%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 10,64211K | ||
| 3,6543,654 | ||
| 618618 | ||
| 306306 | ||
| 293293 | ||
| 235235 | ||
| 207207 | ||
| 7272 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 29, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.08 The position is about equal
Best play: 8. Nf3 d6 9. e4 e5 10. h3 h6 11. O-O Re8 12. Re1 b6
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Nimzo-Indian Defense: Sämisch Variation (ECO E29, 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 5. Bd3 Nc6 6. a3 Bxc3+ 7. bxc3 O-O (7 moves).
In 16,376 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 49.7%, Black 45.4% and 4.8% were drawn. White's most played move here is 8. Ne2, in 65% of those games.
It continues into one named variation, Nimzo-Indian Defense: Sämisch Variation, Capablanca Variation.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to answer 7…O-O
The most played answer, 8. Ne2, also scores best for White: 53.6%, with White winning 51.1% and Black 43.8% of 11K games. Of the main answers, 8. Nf3 scores lowest: 49.2%. Stockfish's first choice is 8. Nf3.
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
Variations (1)
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Nimzo-Indian Defense: Sämisch Variation (E29)”. Lichess data as of 29 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/nimzo-indian-defense-samisch-variation-6