Nimzo-Indian Defense:Classical Variation

Also called the Capablanca Variation: 4. Qc2 avoids doubled pawns after ...Bxc3.

It is reached after 7 moves: 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Qc2. It is a line of the Nimzo-Indian Defense.

Black is to move and has 33 legal moves. Over the next four moves — two for each side — the game can branch into 1,229,069 different games. Those games reach 390,162 different positions: most positions can be reached in more than one way, 3.2 on average.

The Lichess opening list names 22 further lines after this position, such as Noa Variation (4... d5) and Zurich Variation (4... Nc6).

The same moves can be played in 21 different legal orders that all reach this position. For example 1. c4 Nf6 2. d4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Qc2, which starts as the English Opening.