Nimzo-Indian Defense: Three Knights Variation, Euwe Variation
Play any move on the board to explore from there, or step through the line with ‹ › and the arrow keys.
Statistics from Lichess
4,450 games: White 49.8% / Draw 4.3% / Black 45.9%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 2,6152,615 | ||
| 1,2951,295 | ||
| 257257 | ||
| 193193 | ||
| 4242 | ||
| 1010 | ||
| 99 | ||
| 66 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 29, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.13 The position is about equal
Best play: 6. Qd3 f5 7. Nd2 Nxc3 8. bxc3 Qf6 9. Bb2 Ba5 10. g4 d6
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Nimzo-Indian Defense: Three Knights Variation, Euwe Variation (ECO E21, Indian Defenses) is a variation of the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Three Knights Variation, Korchnoi Variation, reached after 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Nf3 c5 5. d5 Ne4 (5 moves).
In 4,450 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 49.8%, Black 45.9% and 4.3% were drawn. White's most played move here is 6. Qc2, in 59% of those games.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
Write a description or report a mistake
How to play against the Nimzo-Indian Defense: Three Knights Variation, Euwe Variation
6. Qd3 scores best for White: 56.4%, with White winning 54.9% and Black 42.0% of 257 games. The most played, 6. Qc2, scores 52.8% in 2,615 games, and 6. Bd2 scores lowest: 50.6%. Stockfish's first choice is also 6. Qd3.
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: Three Knights Variation, Euwe Variation (E21)”. Lichess data as of 29 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/nimzo-indian-defense-three-knights-variation-euwe-variation