Nimzo-Indian Defense: Spielmann Variation, Stahlberg Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
622 games: White 55.9% / Draw 6.3% / Black 37.8%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 597597 | ||
| 1414 | ||
| 55 | ||
| 22 | ||
| 22 | ||
| 22 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 27, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.42 White is slightly better
Best play: 8. Qc2 O-O 9. a3 Bxc3 10. Bxc3 a5 11. e3 a4 12. Rd1 b6
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Nimzo-Indian Defense: Spielmann Variation, Stahlberg Variation (ECO E23, Indian Defenses) is a variation of the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Spielmann Variation, Romanovsky Gambit, reached after 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Qb3 c5 5. dxc5 Nc6 6. Nf3 Ne4 7. Bd2 Nxc5 (7 moves).
In 622 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 55.9%, Black 37.8% and 6.3% were drawn. White's most played move here is 8. Qc2, in 96% of those games.
It continues into one named variation.
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Variations (1)
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Nimzo-Indian Defense: Spielmann Variation, Stahlberg Variation (E23)”. Lichess data as of 27 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/nimzo-indian-defense-spielmann-variation-stahlberg-variation