Nimzo-Indian Defense: St. Petersburg Variation, Romanishin–Psakhis Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
10,413 games: White 49.4% / Draw 6.9% / Black 43.6%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 5,4415,441 | ||
| 2,1392,139 | ||
| 779779 | ||
| 465465 | ||
| 454454 | ||
| 284284 | ||
| 229229 | ||
| 213213 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 30, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.44 White is slightly better
Best play: 7. Rb1 Na6 8. g3 Bb7 9. d5 b5 10. b3 exd5 11. Bg2 Ne4
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, Romanishin–Psakhis Variation (ECO E44, 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. Ne2 c5 6. a3 Ba5 (6 moves).
In 10,413 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 49.4%, Black 43.6% and 6.9% were drawn. White's most played move here is 7. Rb1, in 52% of those games.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to play against the Nimzo-Indian Defense: St. Petersburg Variation, Romanishin–Psakhis Variation
The most played answer, 7. Rb1, also scores best for White: 55.6%, with White winning 52.1% and Black 40.9% of 5,441 games. Of the main answers, 7. Bd2 scores lowest: 52.3%. Stockfish's first choice is also 7. Rb1.
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, Romanishin–Psakhis Variation (E44)”. Lichess data as of 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/nimzo-indian-defense-st-petersburg-variation-romanishin-psakhis-variation