Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation

Main line

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e3 O-O 5.Ne2 d5 6.a3 Be7 7.cxd5 exd5

Diagram shows the position after 6 half-moves of the main line. On SpeakChess you can drill this line move by move — the trainer plays the other side and corrects you instantly, then spaced repetition schedules each variation so you review it right before you would forget it.

Move by move

The first 12 moves of the main line, explained one at a time. Every move of every variation is annotated like this inside the trainer — this page shows the opening moves so you can judge the explanations before signing up.

1. 1.d4 White advances the pawn to d4, claiming the center right away and opening lines for the bishop and queen to develop later.
2. 1...Nf6 Black brings the knight to f6, a very active square. It attacks the d5 square and gets a piece into the game quickly.
3. 2.c4 White pushes the pawn to c4, building a strong pawn duo in the center. This is the English opening move combined with d4 to control lots of space.
4. 2...e6 Black steps the pawn to e6, making room for the bishop on f8 to come out and keeping a solid pawn structure in the middle.
5. 3.Nc3 The knight hops to c3, a great central square. It supports the d4 and c4 pawns and prepares to fight for control of the middle of the board.
6. 3...Bb4 Black develops the bishop all the way to b4, putting pressure on the knight on c3. This is the famous Nimzo-Indian Defense, a very smart opening choice!
7. 4.e3 White advances the pawn to e3, giving the dark-squared bishop a path to come out and keeping the center pawns safe and solid.
8. 4...O-O Black castles kingside, moving the king safely behind the pawns on g8 and bringing the rook to f8 where it can become active.
9. 5.Ne2 The knight moves to e2 instead of f3, which is a clever idea. This keeps the c1 bishop's diagonal open and the knight can later jump to f4 or g3.
10. 5...d5 Black pushes the pawn to d5, challenging White's strong center with two pawns. Both sides now have central pawns facing each other.
11. 6.a3 White pushes the pawn to a3, nudging the bishop on b4 to make a decision. This is a common trick to gain space and make Black choose a square.
12. 6...Be7 The bishop retreats to e7, a safe and solid square. It steps out of trouble and keeps the bishop as an active defender on the kingside.

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Win rates by rating

Results from real online games, measured after the line shown in each row. Most opening sites show one aggregate number — how an opening scores depends heavily on who is playing it.

Most played continuations (2200-2400 rating)

After 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e3 O-O 5.Ne2 d5 6.a3 Be7:

• cxd5 — played 42.6% of the time (White wins 38.3%, draws 11.1%, Black wins 50.6%)
• Nf4 — played 26.3% of the time (White wins 56%, draws 2%, Black wins 42%)
• Ng3 — played 20.5% of the time (White wins 41%, draws 7.7%, Black wins 51.3%)

Related openings

• Nimzo-Indian Defense
• Nimzo-Indian Defense: Classical Variation
• Nimzo-Indian Defense: Three Knights Variation
• Nimzo-Indian Defense: Rubinstein System

Frequently asked questions

What does 5.Ne2 achieve?

It prepares a3 without allowing damage: if Black takes on c3, White recaptures with the knight and keeps a clean structure. The downside is that the knight blocks the f1 bishop for a while and the setup is slow. It is a typical Nimzo trade-off — White spends time to avoid a structural concession Black has been aiming at since move three.

Why is the Nimzo-Indian considered so reliable?

Because Black's core idea is strategic rather than tactical: pin the knight, exchange it for the bishop, and play against the resulting pawn structure. That plan does not depend on White cooperating or on memorised sequences, so it holds up against strong preparation. It has been in top-level repertoires continuously since the 1920s.

Which structures come out of 4.e3?

Frequently an isolated queen's pawn for White after the centre pawns trade, or a locked centre where White plays for e4 and Black blockades on d5 and c4. Both reward understanding over memory. Learning to play against an isolated pawn — blockade the square, trade pieces, target the pawn in the endgame — covers a large share of these positions.