Nimzo-Indian Defense: St. Petersburg Variation 5…Ne4 6. Qc2
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Statistics from Lichess
6,080 games: White 46.2% / Draw 5.2% / Black 48.6%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 3,7593,759 | ||
| 1,0511,051 | ||
| 703703 | ||
| 403403 | ||
| 112112 | ||
| 2424 | ||
| 77 | ||
| 55 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 13, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.17 The position is about equal
Best play: 6... f5 7. Bd3 Bb7 8. O-O Bxc3 9. bxc3 O-O 10. Nd2 Nxd2 11. Bxd2
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Nimzo-Indian Defense: St. Petersburg Variation (ECO E43, Indian Defenses) is a variation of the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Three Knights Variation, reached after 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Nf3 b6 5. e3 Ne4 6. Qc2 (6 moves).
In 6,080 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 46.2%, Black 48.6% and 5.2% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 6…Bb7, in 62% of those games.
It continues into one named variation.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to answer 6. Qc2
6…Bxc3+ scores best for Black: 54.6%, with Black winning 51.8% and White 42.5% of 703 games. The most played, 6…Bb7, scores 52.5% in 3,759 games, and 6…Nxc3 scores lowest: 42.1%. Stockfish's first choice is 6…f5.
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: St. Petersburg Variation (E43)”. Lichess data as of 13 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/nimzo-indian-defense-st-petersburg-variation-3