Nimzo-Indian Defense: Sämisch Variation, Keres Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
13,283 games: White 46.7% / Draw 9.0% / Black 44.3%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 8,9048,904 | ||
| Nimzo-Indian Defense: Sämisch Variation, Romanovsky Variation | 2,7622,762 | |
| 802802 | ||
| 351351 | ||
| 183183 | ||
| 109109 | ||
| 6262 | ||
| 4545 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 1, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.11 The position is about equal
Best play: 8... Qa5 9. e4 Ne7 10. Be3 O-O 11. Qd2 Rd8 12. Qb2 Nec6 13. Nh3
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Nimzo-Indian Defense: Sämisch Variation, Keres Variation (ECO E25, Indian Defenses) is a variation of the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Sämisch Variation, reached after 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. f3 d5 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 c5 7. cxd5 Nxd5 8. dxc5 (8 moves).
In 13,283 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 46.7%, Black 44.3% and 9.0% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 8…Qa5, in 67% of those games.
It continues into one named variation, Nimzo-Indian Defense: Sämisch Variation, Romanovsky Variation.
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How to play against the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Sämisch Variation, Keres Variation
8…f5 (Nimzo-Indian Defense: Sämisch Variation, Romanovsky Variation) scores best for Black: 51.8%, with Black winning 47.8% and White 44.1% of 2,762 games. The most played, 8…Qa5, scores 49.0% in 8,904 games, and 8…O-O scores lowest: 40.7%. Stockfish's first choice is 8…Qa5.
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
Variations (1)
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Nimzo-Indian Defense: Sämisch Variation, Keres Variation (E25)”. Lichess data as of 1 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/nimzo-indian-defense-samisch-variation-keres-variation