Nimzo-Indian Defense: St. Petersburg Variation 7. Bd3 Bb7
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Statistics from Lichess
26,550 games: White 45.7% / Draw 5.5% / Black 48.8%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 19,76120K | ||
| 3,3833,383 | ||
| 1,7071,707 | ||
| 626626 | ||
| 408408 | ||
| 229229 | ||
| 171171 | ||
| 124124 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 13, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.22 The position is about equal
Best play: 8. O-O Bxc3 9. bxc3 O-O 10. Nd2 Qh4 11. f3 Nxd2 12. Bxd2 d6
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: Rubinstein System, reached after 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 Ne4 5. Qc2 f5 6. Nf3 b6 7. Bd3 Bb7 (7 moves).
In 26,550 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 45.7%, Black 48.8% and 5.5% were drawn. White's most played move here is 8. O-O, in 74% of those games.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to answer 7…Bb7
The most played answer, 8. O-O, also scores best for White: 49.8%, with White winning 47.0% and Black 47.5% of 20K games. Of the main answers, 8. a3 scores lowest: 42.0%. Stockfish's first choice is also 8. O-O.
Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: White's wins plus half the draws, in rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500. How to play against other popular openings
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-7