2-[(Z)-4,7-Dichloro-3,3-dimethyl-2,3-dihydro-1H-indol-2-ylidene]-3-oxopropanenitrile

In the title compound, C13H10Cl2N2O, the ring N atom and its three attached atoms are essentially coplanar with angles adding to 359.8°, indicating conjugation with the 2-formylacrylonitrile subunit. The aldehyde group is oriented to place the carbonyl O atom 2.02 (3) from the N—H hydrogen atom. Intramolecular N—H...O and C—H...Cl interactions occur. The geometry of the exocyclic double bond is Z. In the crystal, weak C—H...N hydrogen bonds link the molecules into chains along [1overline10].