Nimzo-Indian Defense: St. Petersburg Variation, with Ne4
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Statistics from Lichess
38,295 games: White 46.4% / Draw 5.9% / Black 47.7%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 20,84221K | ||
| 7,1927,192 | ||
| 5,1745,174 | ||
| 4,0854,085 | ||
| 827827 | ||
| 106106 | ||
| 1717 | ||
| 1515 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 25, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.41 White is slightly better
Best play: 7. O-O f5 8. Ne2 Bd6 9. a3 c5 10. b3 Qe7 11. Bb2 O-O
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, with Ne4 (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 Ne4 (6 moves).
In 38,295 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 46.4%, Black 47.7% and 5.9% were drawn. White's most played move here is 7. Qc2, in 54% of those games.
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How to play against the Nimzo-Indian Defense: St. Petersburg Variation, with Ne4
7. O-O scores best for White: 54.4%, with White winning 51.0% and Black 42.2% of 5,174 games. The most played, 7. Qc2, scores 49.2% in 21K games, and 7. Bxe4 scores lowest: 46.4%. Stockfish's first choice is also 7. 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, with Ne4 (E43)”. Lichess data as of 25 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/nimzo-indian-defense-st-petersburg-variation-with-ne4