Nimzo-Indian Defense: Spielmann Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
399,605 games: White 47.9% / Draw 5.5% / Black 46.6%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 160,287160K | ||
| 125,330125K | ||
| 53,12053K | ||
| 39,11039K | ||
| 11,05211K | ||
| 4,7434,743 | ||
| 2,0282,028 | ||
| 1,7071,707 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 29, 2026
Engine evaluation
−0.02 The position is about equal
Best play: 4... c5 5. Nf3 O-O 6. Bg5 Nc6 7. e3 cxd4 8. Nxd4 Nxd4 9. exd4
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
By rating
Rating changes little here: White scores 51% both under 1400 and at 2200 and up, and 52% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 16K | |
| 1400–1799 | 115K | |
| 1800–2199 | 246K | |
| 2200 and up | 77K | |
| Masters, over the board | 469 |
Master games
- Christiansen, L. M. – Karpov, A.
- Piket, J. – Gelfand, B.
- Zhou Jianchao – Bu Xiangzhi
- Van Wely, L. – Bologan, V.
- Piket, J. – Karpov, A.
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: Spielmann Variation (ECO E22, Indian Defenses) is a variation of the Nimzo-Indian Defense, reached after 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Qb3 (4 moves).
In 399,605 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 47.9%, Black 46.6% and 5.5% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 4…c5, in 40% of those games.
It continues into one named variation, Nimzo-Indian Defense: Spielmann Variation, Romanovsky Gambit. In all, 4 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 play against the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Spielmann Variation
The most played answer, 4…c5, also scores best for Black: 51.3%, with Black winning 48.4% and White 45.7% of 160K games. Of the main answers, 4…a5 scores lowest: 46.8%. Stockfish's first choice is also 4…c5.
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: Spielmann Variation peaked in 2018 at 0.019% of Lichess games and has slipped since: 0.015% in 2025.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.016% | 5,714 |
| 2017 | 0.017% | 9,345 |
| 2018 | 0.019% | 15,218 |
| 2019 | 0.016% | 19,800 |
| 2020 | 0.015% | 43,292 |
| 2021 | 0.014% | 55,228 |
| 2022 | 0.016% | 58,366 |
| 2023 | 0.016% | 60,353 |
| 2024 | 0.015% | 54,899 |
| 2025 | 0.015% | 53,611 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.015% | 16,584 |
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: Spielmann Variation (E22)”. Lichess data as of 29 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/nimzo-indian-defense-spielmann-variation