Nimzo-Indian Defense: St. Petersburg Variation 6…O-O 7. O-O
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Statistics from Lichess
90,614 games: White 47.3% / Draw 5.5% / Black 47.2%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 37,21237K | ||
| Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Schlechter Defense | 23,04723K | |
| 12,25112K | ||
| 10,87811K | ||
| 1,9631,963 | ||
| 1,5531,553 | ||
| 857857 | ||
| 823823 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 25, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.20 The position is about equal
Best play: 7... c5 8. Na4 cxd4 9. exd4 Re8 10. a3 Bf8 11. b4 d6 12. Nc3
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: St. Petersburg Variation, reached after 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 b6 5. Bd3 Bb7 6. Nf3 O-O 7. O-O (7 moves).
In 90,614 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 47.3%, Black 47.2% and 5.5% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 7…Bxc3, in 41% of those games.
It branches into 2 named variations; the most played is Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Schlechter Defense. In all, 3 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 answer 7. O-O
The most played answer, 7…Bxc3, also scores best for Black: 51.3%, with Black winning 48.4% and White 45.9% of 37K games. Of the main answers, 7…d5 scores lowest: 49.3%. Stockfish's first choice is 7…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
Variations (2)
All 3 named lines that continue from here
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Nimzo-Indian Defense: St. Petersburg Variation (E43)”. Lichess data as of 25 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/nimzo-indian-defense-st-petersburg-variation-6