1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e3 0-0 5.Nf3 d5 6.Bd3 c5 opens the Nimzo-Indian Defence: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4... c5, ECO E53. With 157,759 games on record, the patterns below come from the largest practical sample available.
History and Notable Players
It arises from the Nimzo-Indian Defence: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4... d5. Among the most prolific White practitioners are Svetozar Gligoric (150 games), Jan Hein Donner (90 games), Rainer Knaak (69 games). Black-side regulars include Wolfgang Unzicker (47 games), Aleksandar Matanovic (36 games), Lev Polugaevsky (32 games).
Performance Across Rating Levels
How well the Nimzo-Indian Defence: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4... c5 works depends on what level you're playing at. The 1200 bracket has 1,946 games (0.00% of all games at that level); White wins 49.8%, Black 47.6%, 2.6% are drawn. Move up to 1800 Elo and the share shifts to 0.01%, with White winning 49.3% versus Black's 45.8%. At 2500, 0.04% of games go into this opening; draws sit at 11% — the line is well-mapped at this level. White's edge erodes by 4.5pp from 1200 to 2500 Elo, suggesting Black's counterplay is easier to find with experience.
Move Diversity and Theory Depth
What players actually play after the opening moves depends heavily on rating. At 1200 Elo, the top reply is O-O, played 55.7% of the time. There are 4 other moves seeing meaningful share, and 83% of games stick to established theory. Entropy: 2.04. By 2500, O-O dominates at 74.5% of replies; only 2 viable alternatives remain and 99% of moves are theory. Entropy drops to 1.06. That entropy collapse is the signature of a line where preparation pays off: at the top, players know the best move and play it.
Main Lines and Variations
From the position after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e3 0-0 5.Nf3 d5 6.Bd3 c5, the recognised continuations are:
Each branch leads to a different middlegame character — the resulting pawn structure decides what kind of game you get.
Common Mistakes
- Drifting away from main theory — At 400 Elo, theory adherence sits at 73% — versus 94.6% at 2000. The most popular deviation is a3 (played 12.2% of the time at 400, much less so up top). It looks fine but quietly hands the better-prepared side an edge.
- Neglecting development — It can feel productive to make extra pawn moves early, but falling behind in piece development is what loses most amateur games — especially in open positions where active pieces find squares fast.
- Letting White own the centre — Hypermodern openings concede central space on purpose, but only if you strike back in time. Delay the counter-blow and you end up squeezed.
Practice on Chessiverse
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