Nimzo-Indian Defense: St. Petersburg Variation 7. O-O c5
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Statistics from Lichess
20,364 games: White 47.1% / Draw 5.6% / Black 47.4%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 8,6858,685 | ||
| 2,1452,145 | ||
| 1,5421,542 | ||
| 1,2711,271 | ||
| 1,2151,215 | ||
| 1,0891,089 | ||
| 954954 | ||
| 882882 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 13, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.15 The position is about equal
Best play: 8. Re1 d6 9. Bd2 Nbd7 10. Rc1 e5 11. dxe5 Nxe5 12. Nxe5 dxe5
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 c5 (7 moves).
In 20,364 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 47.1%, Black 47.4% and 5.6% were drawn. White's most played move here is 8. a3, in 43% 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 7…c5
8. Na4 scores best for White: 56.3%, with White winning 52.8% and Black 40.2% of 1,215 games. The most played, 8. a3, scores 50.1% in 8,685 games, and 8. Re1 scores lowest: 47.4%. Stockfish's first choice is 8. Re1.
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
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-8