Starting from 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e3 b6, players enter the Nimzo-Indian Defence: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4... b6 — ECO E43. Lichess records 294,460 games in this line, which gives us a reliable view of how it actually performs in practice.
History and Notable Players
It arises from the Nimzo-Indian Defence: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4... 4.e3. On the White side, Svetozar Gligoric (55 games), Aleksej Aleksandrov (26 games), Vladimir Georgiev (26 games) top the database. Notable Black exponents: Nick E De Firmian (41 games), Oleg M Romanishin (31 games), Chris G Ward (27 games).
Performance Across Rating Levels
The picture changes a lot as you climb the rating ladder. Among 1200-rated players, it appears in 0.00% of games — 5,446 of them on record — with White winning 48% and Black 48.2%. By 1800, popularity is 0.01% and White's score is 47% to Black's 48.1%. At the top end (2500+ Elo), popularity is 0.08% with 9% draws — a clear sign of how much theory rules the line at master level. Positions also become less sharp as level rises (sharpness 0.96 → 0.91).
Move Diversity and Theory Depth
Looking at move selection shows how forcing — or not — the position really is. At 1200 Elo, the top reply is Bd2, played 34.1% of the time. There are 5 other moves seeing meaningful share, and 73.6% of games stick to established theory. Entropy: 2.56. By 2500, Ne2 dominates at 55.3% of replies; only 4 viable alternatives remain and 90.9% of moves are theory. Entropy drops to 1.75. The narrowing is significant — strong players consolidate around a small set of best moves, while amateurs scatter across many plausible-looking options.
Historical Trends
Long-term, the trajectory of this opening is informative. Adoption peaked in 2015 at 0.01% (2,492 games). By 2025 it sits at 0.01% — a 14% shift overall, leaving the line on the rise.
Main Lines and Variations
From the position after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e3 b6, 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 78.4% — versus 84.7% at 2000. The most popular deviation is a3 (played 23.4% of the time at 400, much less so up top). It looks fine but quietly hands the better-prepared side an edge.
- Neglecting development — Extra pawn moves in the opening are tempting, especially when you "know the moves". Developing a piece each turn is the simple correction.
- 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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