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NimzoIndianDefence
FromWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

TheNimzoIndianDefenceisachessopening
characterisedbythemoves:

NimzoIndianDefence

1.d4Nf6

2.c4e6

3.Nc3Bb4

Othermoveorders,suchas1.c4e62.Nc3Nf63.d4Bb4,
arealsofeasible.IntheEncyclopaediaofChess
Openings,theNimzoIndianisclassifiedasE20E59.
Thishypermodernopeningwasdevelopedby
GrandmasterAronNimzowitschwhointroduceditto
masterlevelchessintheearly20thcentury.Unlikemost
Indianopenings,theNimzoIndiandoesnotinvolvean
immediatefianchetto,althoughBlackoftenfollowsup
with...b6and...Bb7.BypinningWhite'sknightBlack
preventsthethreatened4.e4andseekstoinflictdoubled
pawnsonWhite.Whitewillattempttocreateapawn
centreanddevelophispiecestoprepareforanassaulton
theBlackposition.

Moves

1.d4Nf62.c4e63.Nc3Bb4

ECO

E20E59

Origin

EnglischBlackburne,London1883

Namedafter AronNimzowitsch

Black'sdelayincommittingtoapawnstructuremakes
Parent
IndianDefence
theNimzoIndian(sometimescolloquiallyreferredtoas
the"Nimzo")averyflexibledefenceto1.d4.Itcanalso
transposeintolinesoftheQueen'sGambitorQueen'sIndianDefence.TheNimzoIndianisahighly
respecteddefenceto1.d4,isplayedatalllevelsandhasbeenplayedbyeveryworldchampionsince
Capablanca.Whiteoftenplays3.g3or3.Nf3toavoidtheNimzoIndian,allowinghimtomeet3.Nf3Bb4+
(theBogoIndianDefence)with4.Bd2or4.Nbd2,ratherthan4.Nc3.

Contents
1Generalconsiderations
2RubinsteinSystem:4.e3
2.14...00Mainline:4.e3005.Bd3d56.Nf3c57.00
2.24...00:lineswithNe2
2.34...c5
2.44...b6
3ClassicalVariation:4.Qc2
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4KasparovVariation:4.Nf3
5Othervariations
6ECOcodes
7Seealso
8References
9Furtherreading

Generalconsiderations
IntheNimzoIndian,Blackisgenerallypreparedtoconcedethe
bishoppairbyplayingBxc3.Asdynamiccompensation,he
oftendoublesWhite'scpawns,whichrepresentastatic
weakness,andgainsplayagainstthecentrallightsquaresd5
ande4,eveninthoseinstanceswhereWhiteisabletorecapture
withapieceafter...Bxc3.Blackwillaimtoclosethepositionto
reducethescopeofWhite'sbishops.Tothisend,Blackmust
blockadethewhitepawncentrefromadvancingandneutralise
White'sattackingchancesonthekingside.Anexampleof
Black'sstrategycarriedoutsuccessfullyisthegame
(http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1032174)
MikhailBotvinnikversusSamuelReshevskyfromthe1948
WorldChessChampionship,whichreachedthepositioninthe
diagramafterWhite's24thmove.

Botvinnikvs.Reshevsky,Moscow1948
a

1
a

Positionafter24.Qe2a2
Earlierinthegame,ReshevskywasabletoblockWhite's
kingsideattackbyplayingNf6e8andf7f5.Now,both
White'sbishopsarereducedtodefence,andWhite'squeenisreducedtopassivityatthea2squaretodefend
thepawnsona3andc4.Withoutprospectsforcounterplay,White'sgameisstrategicallyhopeless,and
Blackultimatelyexchangedqueensandwontheendgame.

RubinsteinSystem:4.e3
TheRubinsteinSystem(namedafterAkibaRubinstein)isWhite'smostcommonmethodofcombatingthe
NimzoIndian.SvetozarGligoriandLajosPortischmadegreatcontributionstothetheoryandpracticeof
thislineattoplevelduringtheircareers.Whitecontinueshisdevelopmentbeforecommittingtoadefinite
planofaction.Inreply,Blackhasthreemainmovestochoosefrom:4...00,4...c5,and4...b6.
Inaddition,Blacksometimesplays4...d5or4...Nc6.4...d5cantransposetolinesarisingfrom4...00,but
Whitehastheextraoptionof5.a3(knownastheBotvinnikVariation).ThisforcesBlacktoretreatthe
bishoptoe7orcaptureonc3,whichtransposestoalineoftheSmischVariationlongconsideredgoodfor
Whitebecausehewillundoublehispawnsatsomepointbyplayingcxd5,eliminatingtheweakpawnon
c4,thenpreparethee4pawnbreak,backedbythebishoppair,whichwillgainforceinthemoreopentype
ofpositionwhichwillensue.4...Nc6istheTaimanovVariation,namedafterRussianGMMark
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Taimanov.Blackpreparestoplay...e5,whichmaybepreceded
by...d5and...dxc4,or...d6.Thevariationwastriedseveraltimes
bytheyoungBobbyFischer,andhaslongbeenfavouredbyGM
NukhimRashkovsky.

4...00Mainline:4.e3005.Bd3d56.Nf3c57.00

Black'smostflexibleandfrequentlyplayedresponseis4...00.
Themainlinecontinues5.Bd3d56.Nf3c57.00,reachingthe
positioninthediagram.

Whitehascompletedhiskingsidedevelopment,whileBlackhas
claimedhisshareofthecentre.Atthispoint,themostimportant
continuationsare:
7...dxc48.Bxc4Nbd7(ParmaVariation)
7...dxc48.Bxc4cxd49.exd4b6(KarpovVariation)
7...dxc48.Bxc4Nc69.a3Ba5(LarsenVariation)
7...Nc68.a3Bxc39.bxc3dxc410.Bxc4Qc7(Main
Variation)
7...Nc68.a3Bxc39.bxc3Qc7(KhasinVariation)
7...Nbd7(AverbakhVariation)
TheParmaVariation(7...dxc48.Bxc4Nbd7)isnamed
afterSloveniangrandmasterBrunoParma,andcan

Positionafter4.e3

sometimestransposetotheKarpovVariationifpawnsare
exchangedond4.Whiteusuallycontinueswith9.Qe2,

c3d4pawncouple.Or,hecanconsider9...a6tograb

spaceonthequeensidewith...b5.Inthiscase,Blackwill

usuallyretainhisdarksquaredbishop.Blackalsohastwo

clearingthed1squarefortherook,whichwillassistinthe
advanceofthedpawn.Blackthenfacesanimportant
decision.Hemayplay9...b6,withtheintentionofplaying
...cxd4atsomepointtoisolatethedpawnandblockade
it,orexchangeonc3aswelltoplayagainsttheisolated

rarealternativesonhiseighthmoveworthmentioning:
8...Qe7intending...Rd8istheSmyslovVariation,

Positionafter4.e3005.Bd3d56.Nf3c5
7.00

inventedbyformerWorldChampionVasilySmyslov,and
8...Bd7followedby...Bc6istheBronsteinVariation,thebrainchildoftwotimeworldchampionship
finalistDavidBronstein.
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TheKarpovVariation,(7...dxc48.Bxc4cxd49.exd4b6)namedafterformerWorldChampion
AnatolyKarpov,isoneofBlack'smostreliabledefencestotheRubinsteinSystem.Forthemoment,
Whitehasanisolatedpawninthedfile,evenso,Blackplanstoplay...Bxc3atsomepointand
followupwith...Bb7,...Nbd7,...R(a)c8and...Qc7torestrainWhite'scanddpawns.After7...dxc4
8.Bxc4cxd49.exd4b6thegameusuallycontinues10.Bg5Bb7,when11.Ne5,11.Re1,11.Rc1and
11.Qe2areallgoodmovesforWhite.
TheLarsenVariation(namedafterGMBentLarsen)canbereachedbyeither7...dxc48.Bxc4Nc6
9.a3Ba5or7...Nc68.a3dxc49.Bxc4Ba5,butthelattermoveordergivesWhitetheextraoptionof
9.axb4.TheideaistowaituntilWhiteplaysdxc5beforeplaying...Bxc3.IfWhitedoesnotoblige,
thenBlackwillplay...Bb6withpressureonthedpawn.Thepointofinserting...dxc4before...Ba5is
topreventWhitefrominflictinganisolatedqueen'spawn(IQP)onBlackbyplayingcxd5.
TheMainVariationwasenormouslypopularinthe1950s,butthenamehasbecomeincreasingly
inappropriateeversince.ThisisnotbecausethelineisbadforBlackonthecontrary,Black
equalisesinallvariationsbutbecauseWhitehasahugeselectionofmovestochoosefrom,and
Blackmustbefamiliarwithallofthem.After7...Nc68.a3Bxc39.bxc3dxc410.Bxc4Qc7,White
hastried11.Be2,11.Bd3,11.Ba2,11.Bb2,11.Bb5(tryingtoprovoke...a6beforeretreatingthe
bishop),11.h3,11.a4,11.Re1,11.Qc2,and11.Qe2.Regardlessofthemovechosen,however,the
basicstrategicideasremainsimilar:Blackwillplayaquick...e5topressurized4.IfWhitehasa
bishopond3,thenBlackalsothreatens...e4forkingitandtheknightonf3.Whitewilltrytoadvance
hiscentrepawnstofreehisbishops:c4,d5,andf3followedbye4areallpossible.IfBlackcan
preventWhitefromachievingthis,thenhewillenjoythebettergame.Thereareseveralmoveorders
toreachtheMainVariationbesidestheonegivenabove4.e3005.Bd3d56.a3Bxc3+7.bxc3dxc4
8.Bxc4c59.Nf3Nc610.00isoneworthnoting,becauseWhitemaytry9.Ne2instead.
7...Nc68.a3Bxc39.bxc3Qc7istheKhasinVariation,namedafterInternationalMasterAbram
Khasin.10.cxd5exd5istheusualcontinuation.Whitewilltrytobuildupastrongcentrewithf3and
e4,orhemayplayforakingsideattackwithf3andg4.BlackwilltrytorestrainWhite'scentreas
wellashecan,ideallyblockadingit,beforemobilisinghisqueensidepawnmajority.
TheAverbakhVariation(7...Nbd7)waspopularizedbyGrandmastersViacheslavRagozinandYuri
Averbakh.Theideaistoexchangepawnsonc4andd4andthenbringthed7knighttob6andd5.
Thesameknightmayalsomovetof8todefendtheblackking.Thislinehasgoneoutoffashion
sincethe1960sduetoGMSvetozarGligori'sgambitidea8.cxd5exd59.a3Ba510.b4!cxb4
11.Nb5!withpressurealongthequeensidefilesandapotentialsquarefortheknightond6.

4...00:lineswithNe2
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Ingeneral,themainlineoftheRubinsteinhasheldupverywellfor
Black,sosincethe1980sWhitehasbeguntolookelsewherefor
chancesofobtaininganadvantage.IntheRubinstein,Whitehas
oftenresortedtoplayingNe2ratherthanNf3atsomepointtobe
abletorecaptureonc3withtheknight,thusavoidingthedoubled
pawns.TwolineswhereWhitedoesthis(following4.e300)are:
5.Nge2(ReshevskyVariation)
5.Bd3d56.Ne2(ModernVariation)
TheReshevskyVariationwasaspecialtyofGMSamuel
Reshevsky.Whitewillfirstplaya3tokickthebishopaway,
beforemovinghisknightone2toamoreactivesquare.The
mainlineruns5.Ne2d56.a3Be77.cxd5,whenboth7...exd5
and7...Nxd5arepossible,thelattermoveleadingtolivelier

AbramKhasin,1995

play.GMMikhailGurevichiscurrentlytheforemostexpert
intheReshevskyVariation.
5.Bd3d56.Ne2andthecloselyrelatedvariant5.Bd3d56.cxd5exd57.Ne2werecollectivelydubbed
theModernVariationbyFMCarstenHanseninhisbookontheRubinsteinNimzoIndian.[1]White
againavoidsthedoubledpawns,butdevelopshisbishoptod3firstsothatitisn'tblockedinbythe
knightone2.Blackusuallycontinues6...c5,puttingmorepressureonWhite'scentre.While7.a3and
7.00areplayable,themainlineis7.cxd5cxd48.exd4Nxd59.00Nc6,leadingtoanIQPposition
withWhite'sknightone2ratherthanf3,asisnormallythecase.ThisgivesBlackthepossibilityof
playing...e5atsomepointtocompletelyliquidatethecentre,althoughtheresultingpositionsare
ratherdrawish.White'smainoptionsonhistenthmoveare10.a3,puttingthequestiontothebishop,
and10.Bc2,intending11.Qd3withanattackonh7.

4...c5
Blackputspressureond4andleavesopentheoptionofplaying...d5,or...d6and...e5.Thegamecanstill
transposetothemainlinementionedaboveaftermovessuchas5.Bd3d56.Nf3007.00,buttherearetwo
majorvariationsparticularto4...c5:
5.Bd3Nc66.Nf3(6.Ne2willlikelytransposetotheModernVariation)6...Bxc3+7.bxc3d6isthe
HbnerVariation,popularizedbyGMRobertHbnerinthelate1960sand'70sandutilisedby
BobbyFischerinhisworldchampionshipmatchwithBorisSpasskyin1972withgreateffectin
Game5.ItisslightlyunusualinthatBlackcapturesonc3withoutwaitingforWhitetoplaya3,but
thisisbecauseBlackintendstoimmediatelysetupablockadeonthedarksquareswith...d6and
...e5.ThisisfeasiblebecauseWhite'sknightisonf3ifitwereone2(asinsomelinesofthe
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Smisch),Whitecouldquicklyadvancehiskingside

pawns,butinthecurrentlinetheknightmustbemoved
awayfirst.Byclosingtheposition,Blackisabletomake

hisknightssuperiortoWhite'sbishops,andthedoubledc
pawnsdepriveWhiteofanypawnbreaksonthe
queenside.Itwasthesuccessofthisvariationthat
motivatedthecurrenttendencyforWhiteplayersto
chooselineswherethedoubledpawnsareavoided.When
hedoesplayintothisline,Whitehastwomainsetupsto
choosefrom:hemayimmediatelyclosethecentreby
playing8.e4e59.d5Ne7,orplaymoreflexiblywith8.00
e59.Nd200,butBlackhasfullequalityinbothlines.
5.Ne2theRubinsteinVariation(thisiswhy4.e3is
properlyreferredtoastheRubinstein"system"or
"complex"toavoidconfusion)issimilarinspirittothe
ReshevskyVariation:WhitepreventsBlackfrom
doublinghispawns.After5.Ne2,Blackopensapathof
retreatforhisbishopwith5...cxd46.exd4,andnow
choosesbetween6...d5and6...00.6...d5allows7.c5,a

Positionafter4.e3c5

typicalcontinuationbeing7...Ne48.Bd2Nxd29.Qxd2a5
10.a3Bxc311.Nxc3a4.White'sc4c5pushcreatedaqueensidepawnmajority,whichBlack
neutralizedbyplayinga7a5a4.BlackwillnowtrytodestroytherestofWhite'spawnformationby
playing...b6or...e5,whileWhitewilltrytousehisleadindevelopmenttocreateattackingchances
onthekingside.Thealternativeis6...007.a3Be7.HereKasparovplayed8.d5exd59.cxd5afew
timesearlyinhiscareer,increasinghisspaceadvantagefurtherbutfallingbehindindevelopment.A
safermoveforWhiteis8.Nf4.

4...b6
FavouredbyNimzowitsch,4...b6isamoveinaccordancewiththespiritoftheNimzoIndian:Black
fianchettoeshislightsquaredbishoptoincreasehiscontrolovere4.Whiteusuallycontinues5.Ne2,
avoidingthedoubledpawns,or5.Bd3,continuinghisdevelopment(5.Nf3usuallytransposesto5.Bd3).
Themainvariationsemergingfromthismoveare:
5.Ne2Ba6(FischerVariation)
5.Ne2c5(RomanishinPsakhisVariation)
5.Ne2Ne4(AmericanVariation)
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5.Ne2Bb7

5.Bd3Bb76.Nf3007.00d5(ClassicalFianchetto
VariationorTalVariation)

5.Bd3Bb76.Nf3007.00c5(KeresVariation)
5.Bd3Bb76.Nf3Ne4(DutchVariation)
TheFischerVariation(5.Ne2Ba6)aimstoexchange
lightsquaredbishopsafter...d5sothatBlackcanplayon
thelightsquares.Keres,BronsteinandSmyslovwere
earlycontributorstothetheoryofthisline,andFischer
useditseveraltimessuccessfully.Whitemayplay6.a3,
whichwasfavouredbyBotvinnikandasksthebishopon
b4toclarifyitsintentions,or6.Ng3,whichwasinvented
byReshevskyandpreparese4.
5.Ne2c56.a3Ba5!?wasdubbedtheRomanishin
PsakhisVariationbyCarstenHansen[1]becauseOleg
RomanishinandLevPsakhiswerethetwograndmasters
whowereprimarilyresponsibleforrevivingthelineand
infusingitwithnewideas.Itcanalsoariseviathemove
order4.e3c55.Ne2b66.a3Ba5.BlackdaresWhitetotry

Positionafter4.e3b6

andtrapthebishopona5,achallengeWhiteusuallytakes
up,butrarelysuccessfully.
TheAmericanVariationisanothernameinventedbyHansen[1]fortheline5.Ne2Ne4,asitwas
pioneeredbyGMIsaacKashdanandthendevelopedbyGMBisguier,IMAnthonySantasiereand
currentlyGMNickdeFirmian.Blackwillexchangeofftwominorpiecesandplay...f5tokeepe4
undercontrol.
5.Ne2Bb7isaratherpassiveline:Whiteseemstoobtainaslightadvantagebycontinuing6.a3Be7
7.d5,blockinginthebishoponb7andmakinge3e4possible.
TheClassicalFianchettoVariation,alsoknownastheTalVariation,canbereachedthroughtwo
moveorders:4.e3b65.Bd3Bb76.Nf3007.00d5or4.e3005.Bd3d56.Nf3b67.00Bb7.Itisa
solidvariationwhereWhiteoftenholdstheinitiativeearlyon,butBlackusuallyequalisesintheend.
WhitehastwowaystoattackBlack'ssetup.Thefirstistoplay8.cxd5exd59.Ne5followedby10.f4
andtransferringthequeenorf1rooktoh3viaf3.Thisformation,knownasthePillsburyAttack,
blocksinthedarksquaredbishopandappearsrathercrude,butisactuallyquitedangerous.Black
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mustcreateimmediatepressureonWhite'scentrebyplaying...c5,and...Ne4maybeahandymove
atsomepointtoblocktheb1h7diagonalandperhapsexchangesomepieces.Themainalternative
forWhiteis8.a3Bd69.cxd5exd510.b4,whichgainsspaceonthequeensideandmakesitharderfor
Blacktofreehispositionwith...c5.
TheKeresVariation,characterisedbythemoves5.Bd3Bb76.Nf3007.00c5,isnamedafter
EstonianGMPaulKeres,althoughSmyslovandBronsteinwerealsoearlypractitionersofthisline.If
allowed,Blackwillplay...cxd4and...d5inthehopeofleavingWhitewithanisolatedqueen'spawn.
Nowadays,White'smosttestingcontinuationisreckonedtobe8.Na4,duckingtheexchangeonc3
andthreatening9.a3.Theknightwilloftenstayona4forquitesometimetoassistinapotentialc4
c5push.After8...cxd49.exd4,BlackoftensetsupaHedgehogformation(pawnsona6,b6,d6and
e6),whileWhitewilltrytopursueastrategyofgainingqueensidespacewithb4andc5.
TheDutchVariationissocalledbecauseafter5.Bd3Bb76.Nf3Ne4,Blackusuallyfollowsupwith
7...f5,withapositionthatresemblestheDutchDefence(1.d4f5).Itisnotaverycommonline,
probablybecauseWhiteobtainsgoodchancesbyplaying7.00f58.d5,sacrificingapawntoopenup
linesforhisbishops.

ClassicalVariation:4.Qc2
TheClassicalorCapablancaVariationwaspopularinthe
earlydaysoftheNimzoIndian,andthougheventually
supersededby4.e3itwasrevivedinthe1990sitisnowjustas
popularastheRubinstein.Whiteaimstoacquirethetwobishops
withoutcompromisinghispawnstructure.Thedrawbackisthat
thequeenwillmoveatleasttwicewithintheopeningmovesand
thatWhite'skingsidedevelopmentisdelayed.Thus,eventhough
Whitepossessesthebishoppair,itisusuallyadvisableforBlack
toopenthegamequicklytoexploithisleadindevelopment.
Blackhasfourcommonrepliesto4.Qc2.Theseinclude4...00,
4...c5,4...d5,and4...Nc6(4...d6intending...Nbd7and...e5isa
rarerfifthoption).
4...005.a3Bxc3+6.Qxc3b67.Bg5isnowadaysthe
mainlineoftheClassicalVariation(although6...b5!?isa

1
a

Positionafter4.Qc2

gambitinventedbyAlvisVitolin).Black'susualchoiceis
7...Bb7,but7...Ba6isalsopossibletotargetthecpawn,and7...h68.Bh4c5and7...c5aresometimes
playedaswell.After7...Bb7,White'smoststraightforwardmoveis8.f3preparinge4,butBlackcan
counterwith8...h69.Bh4d5,whenthepawngrab10.cxd5exd511.Bxf6Qxf612.Qxc7Ba6isvery
dangerousforWhitebecauseofBlack'sbetterdevelopment.Therefore,Whitehassometimestried
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8.e3instead,whenafter8...h69.Bh4d5?!10.cxd5exd5?11.Bxf6Qxf612.Qxc7Ba6Whitehas
13.Bxa6Nxa614.Qb7.ThusBlackshouldprefer8.e3d6,planning...Nbd7and...c5.
Bothplayerscandeviatefromthemainline.Insteadof7.Bg5,Whitecanplay7.Nf3Bb78.e3,
intendingtodevelopthedarksquaredbishoptob2.Anotherpossibilityis4.Qc2005.e4,although
thisissomewhatinconsistentwith4.Qc2asBlackmightbeabletodoubleWhite'scpawnsatsome
point(thequeenmustguarde4),something4.Qc2wassupposedtoprevent.After5.a3Bxc3+
6.Qxc3,Blackcanalsotry6...Ne47.Qc2f5,whichissimilartotheDutchVariation(see4.e3b6),but
withoutthedoubledpawnsforWhite.
4...c5exploitsthefactthatonc2,thequeennolongerdefendsthedpawn.IfWhitedefendsthe
pawn,thenBlackgetsaneasygamebykeepingthepressureond4,soWhitealmostalwaysplays
5.dxc5.Blackcanchoosetorecaptureonc5withthebishop(e.g.5...Bxc5or5...006.a3Bxc5),or
withtheknight(after5...Na6or5...006.Nf3Na6).Intheformercase,thebishopwilleventually
retreattoe7andBlackwillsetupaHedgehogformation(pawnsona6,b6,d6ande6).IfBlack
recaptureswiththeknight,hewilloftenhavetogiveupthebishoppairatsomepointwith...Bxc3,
buttheknightisusefulonc5andcanlatergotoe4,attackingthequeenonc3.4...c55.dxc500(the
PircVariation)wasoneofthereasonswhy4.Qc2wasnotpopularduringthemid20thcentury,
becausethelineswhereBlackeventuallyrecaptureswiththeknightwasreckonedtogiveBlackeasy
equality,whilethelinewhichpreventedthismaneuver,6.a3Bxc57.Nf3Nc68.Bg5Nd49.Nxd4
Bxd410.e3Qa511.exd4Qxg5,lefttheBlackqueenactive,whileWhitestillneedstosecurethe
king.Itwasthediscoveryof12.Qd2!whichrevivedthislineforWhite,becausetheendgameafter
12...Qxd2+13.Kxd2offersWhiteaslightedge.Indeed,EdmarMednis'sremarkwasthattheentire
PircVariationhadbecomeunplayableatthehighestlevel,[2]whileModernChessOpenings(MCO)
citesthisvariationasthemainproblemwith4...c5.However,playerslikeKramnikhavebeenwilling
todefendtheBlacksideofthislineagainstplayerslikeKasparov.[3]
4...d5isanothermovethatstrikesimmediatelyinthecentre,andwasafavouriteofMikhail
Botvinnik.After5.cxd5,Blackcaneitherrecapturewiththequeenorpawn.5...Qxd5isthe
RomanishinSystem:theideaisthatafter6.Nf3Qf57.Qxf5exf5,Blackstrengthenshisgripone4
andmakese6availableforthebishop,whichisenoughforhimtoobtainequality.Whitecanavoid
thiswith6.e3sothat6...Qf5canbemetwith7.Bd3,butthee3pawnblocksinWhite'sc1bishop.
Theolderalternativeis5...exd56.Bg5h6,whichtendstobearathersharpline.After4...d5,White
canalsoplay5.a3Bxc3+6.Qxc3Ne47.Qc2,whenBlackmayplay7...c5or7...Nc6intending...e5.
EventhoughWhitepossessesthepairofbishops,Blackstillstrivesforaquickopeningofthe
positiontoexploithisleadindevelopment.Theusualresultofthisisadynamicallybalanced
position.
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4...Nc6istheZrichorMilnerBarryVariation(namedafterBritishchessplayerStuartMilner
Barry).Blackgivesupthedarksquaredbishop,butplaceshiscentralpawnsond6ande5sothathis
remainingbishopisunimpeded.Toavoidmovinghisqueen,WhitewillplayBd2atsomepointso
thatwhenBlacktakestheknight,Whitecanrecapturewiththebishop.4...Nc6isoutoffashion
becausemostplayersprefertoavoidblockingtheircpawn.Atopicallinewouldgo1.d4Nf62.c4e6
3.Nc3Bb44.Qc2Nc65.Nf3(betterthan5.e3)d6,withtheideaofplayinge5.Blackoftenprepares
thiswithcastlingand...Re8orbyplayingQe7.AfterBlackplays...e5,Whiteusuallyrespondswith
d5.BlackiswillingtoloseatempomovingtheKnightbacktob8(ore7,whichisoftenbetter)
becausethepositionisclosed.WhiteusuallyplaysontheQueensideinthisvariation,whileBlack
willtrytoplayontheKingsidewith...f5andpossiblytransferringthec6KnightovertotheKingside
afterWhite'sd5.Today,thelinearisesquiteoftenbytranspositionfromtheBlackKnightsTango,
e.g.1.d4Nf62.c4Nc63.Nf3e64.Nc3Bb45.Qc2.

KasparovVariation:4.Nf3
4.Nf3isknownastheKasparovVariation,sinceGarry
KasparovusedittogreateffectagainstAnatolyKarpovintheir
1985WorldChampionshipmatch.Kasparovplayed4.Nf3six
times,scoringthreewinsandthreedraws.[4]TodayasWhite,
thisisafavouriteweaponofGMAlexeiBarsovandformer
Women'sChampionNonaGaprindashvili.

Whitedevelopstheknighttoanaturalsquareandwaitstosee
4
Black'sreply.4...d5transposestotheRagozinDefenceofthe
3
Queen'sGambitDeclinedand4...b65.Bg5Bb7transposestothe
2
Nimzo/Queen'sIndianhybridline,so4...c5isthemostcommon
movethatstayswithinNimzoIndianterritory.Now5.e3
1
transposestotheRubinsteinSystem,butthemainmoveis5.g3,
a b
c d
e
f
g
whichleadstoapositionthatalsoarisesfromtheFianchetto
Positionafter4.Nf3
Variation.5.g3cxd46.Nxd4007.Bg2d58.cxd5Nxd5canbe
consideredthemainline.BlackhasdissolvedWhite'scentre,but
thebishopong2exertspressureontheblackqueenside,whichWhitemayaugmentwith9.Qb3.

4
3
2
1
h

ThislinecanalsoarisefromtheBogoIndianDefence(1.d4Nf62.c4e63.Nf3Bb4+)ifWhiteblocksthe
checkwith4.Nc3.[5]

Othervariations
4.f3Thislinehasnogenerallyacceptedname,soisusuallyjustreferredtoasthe4.f3Variation.It
haspreviouslybeencalledtheGheorghiuVariation(anamegivenbyGligori),namedafterFlorin
Gheorghiuwhooftenplayeditearlyinhiscareer,evendefeatingFischer,andsometimestheShirov
Variation,afterAlexeiShirovwhouseditwithgreatsuccessintheearly1990s,beforehelostthree
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consecutivegameswiththelineandabandonedit.Accordingto365chess.comitiscalledtheKmoch
Variation.Itisastraightforwardattempttoseizecontrolofe4,thoughatthecostofdelaying
development,andthereforeattemptstorefuteBlack'splan,whichhasbeentoplayforcontrolofthe
e4square.Blackcanplay...d5or...c5.After...d5,thegamemaygo5.a3Bxc3+6.bxc3c57.cxd5
Nxd5,apositionalsoreachedfromtheSmischVariation.Black'spressureonc3andd4compels
Whitetoplay8.dxc5,tryingtoopenthepositionforhistwobishops.Whitewillfollowupwithe4,
andBlackwillcounterwith...e5atsomepointtopreventWhitefrompushinghiseandfpawns
furtheruptheboard.AnotherapproachforBlackistoplay4...c5,afterwhichWhiteplays5.d5to
keephiscentralpawnstogetherreachesaBenonistyleposition,andBlack'smainrepliesare5...b5,
5...00,5...Bxc3+and5...Nh5.5.a3Bxc3+6.bxc3isadirecttranspositiontotheSmischVariation
below.
4.Bg5TheLeningradVariationreceiveditsnamebecauseitstheorywasdevelopedextensively
byplayersfromthatcity,suchasBorisSpassky.Blackcanplay...h6or...c5.After...h6,thegame
maygo5.Bh4c56.d5.NowBlackhassomechoices.Withmove...d6,follows7.e3Bxc3+8.bxc3
e5,whenBlackhasachievedaHbnerVariationlikeblockade,thedifferencebeingthatWhite's
darksquaredbishopisoutsidethepawnchain.Thepinonthef6knightisveryannoying,andBlack
oftenfindshimselfcompelledtobreakitbyplayingthedrasticg7g5,whichalsoclampsdownona
potentialf2f4breakbyWhite.ThismoveweakensBlack'skingside,soheoftenwillnotcastle,
walkinghiskingtoc7viad8.Analternativeto6...d6or...Bxc3+is6...b5,muchplayedinthe1970s
afterMikhailTalscoredacrushingwinoverSpasskyatTallinn1973.
4.a3TheSmischVariation(namedafterFritzSmisch)isadirectattempttorefuteBlack's
strategicconcept,asWhitegivesupatempoandconcedesdoubledcpawnstogainthebishoppair.
After4...Bxc3+5.bxc3,Blackhasseveralpossibilities,themostcommonofwhichisthathe
immediatelybeginstoblockadethedoubledpawnswith5....c5andappliesmorepressureonthe
(oftendoomed)pawnatc4withthemovesBa6,Nc6a5andRc8.Intheearlydaysofthisline,
5....d5wasfrequentlyplayed,thoughitwassoonrealisedthatthisenabledWhitetoliquidatethe
weaknessatc4,sotheideafellfromfavour,particularlyafterthegameBotvinnikversusCapablanca,
AVRO1938,andhasneverbeenrevivedattoplevel.Ascompensation,Whiteestablishesapowerful
centre,inordertoplayforakingsideattackbeforeBlackcanmakeuseofhisstaticadvantages.
Whitehastwomainoptionsforplaying:hecanmoveslowlyintothecentrewith6.e3,orhecanplay
6.f3,followedby7.e4totakeaquickholdinthecentre.Inpractice,however,Blackhas
demonstratedthatWhite'sstructuralweaknessesaremoreseriousthantheattackingchanceshegets,
sothisvariationisrarelyseennowadays.TheSmischVariationwasemployedfivetimesbyMikhail
BotvinnikagainstTalinthe1960WorldChessChampionship,withfivedrawsresulting,andoncein
the1961rematch,withawinforWhite.[6]
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4.g3TheFianchettoVariationresemblestheCatalanSystem,whereWhitefianchettoeshisking's
bishoptoputpressureonthecentresquaresfromtheflank.Blackcanplay4...c55.Nf3witha
positionalsoreachedfromtheKasparovVariation(seeabove),but4...d5ispossibleaswell.Thisis
consideredthestrongestresponse,sinceifallowed,Blackcantakethepawnonc4andoftenkeepit.
ThisisnotusuallypossibleintheCatalan,whereWhite'sknightisdevelopedtod2andcansimply
recaptureonc4.
4.Qb3TheSpielmannVariationisnamedafterRudolfSpielmannwhoplayeditatCarlsbad,
1929,andwasplayedatGMlevelintheearly1930s,thoughsooneclipsedinpopularityby4.Qc2.
LiketheClassicalVariation,itavoidsthedoublingofWhite'spawns.However,unlike4.Qc2,the
queenhasnocontrolovere4,whichBlackcanexploitbyplaying4...c55.dxc5Nc66.Nf3Ne4,for
example.Thus,despitetheoccasionalrevivalbyGMsVladimirAkopian,VladimirMalaniukand
JeroenPiket,thisvariationisalsounusual.
4.e4TheDilworthGambit,namedforVernonDilworth,whocontributedanarticleonthe
variationtotheMarch1949issueofCHESSmagazine.Dilworth'sideawas4...Nxe45.Qg4Nxc3
6.Bd2.However,White'scompensationforthepawnisnebulousatbest,andthelineaccordingly
neverdevelopedafollowingbeyondDilworthhimself.[1]
(http://www.chesshistory.com/winter/winter10.html)(No.3762)ChrisWardcalledthegambit
"critical,butbasicallyrubbish".[7]
4.Bd2,unpinningtheknight,isamovethatiscommonamongamateurswhohavenotheoretical
knowledgewhentheyfacetheNimzoIndian.Althoughthemoveisnotbad,itisunambitious.The
strategicaimofobtainingthebishoppairwithoutconcedingthedoubledpawnsfails,foraftere.g.,
4...Bxc35.Bxc3Ne4,Whitedoesnotgettokeepbothbishops,andfairtradesareusuallynotin
White'sinterestssinceWhitehasanadvantageinspace.[7]
4.Qd3TheMikenasVariationisnamedafterVladasMiknas.Itsupportstheknightandbrings
thequeentoacentrallocation,butthequeenisexposedond3,makingthisvariationrare.[7]

ECOcodes
IntheEncyclopaediaofChessOpenings,theNimzoIndianDefencehascodesE20toE59.Allcodesbegin
with1.d4Nf62.c4e63.Nc3Bb4,excludingE20,whichalsoincludesalternativesto3...Bb4apartfrom
3...d5(whichwouldbetheQueen'sGambitDeclined).
E201.d4Nf62.c4e63.Nc3(includesRomanishinVariation,4.f3VariationofNimzoIndian
excluding4.f3d55.a3Bxc3+,whichiscoveredunderE25)
E211.d4Nf62.c4e63.Nc3Bb44.Nf3(KasparovVariationexcluding4...c55.g3,whichiscovered
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underE20)
E224.Qb3(E22andE23covertheSpielmannVariation)
E234.Qb3c5
E244.a3(E24E29covertheSmischVariation)
E254.a3Bxc3+5.bxc3c5
E264.a3Bxc3+5.bxc3c56.e3
E274.a3Bxc3+5.bxc300
E284.a3Bxc3+5.bxc3006.e3
E294.a3Bxc3+5.bxc3006.e3c5
E304.Bg5(E30andE31covertheLeningradVariation)
E314.Bg5h66.Bh4c56.d5d6
E324.Qc2(includes4...00E32E39covertheClassical/CapablancaVariation)
E334.Qc2Nc6(Zrich/MilnerBarryVariation)
E344.Qc2d5
E354.Qc2d55.cxd5exd5
E364.Qc2d55.a3
E374.Qc2d55.a3Bxc3+6.Qxc3Ne4
E384.Qc2c5
E394.Qc2c55.dxc500
E404.e3(includesTaimanovVariationE40E59covertheRubinsteinSystem)
E414.e3c5(includesHbnerVariation)
E424.e3c55.Ne2(RubinsteinVariation,RomanishinPsakhisVariationvia5...b66.a3Ba5)
E434.e3b6(includesDutchVariation,KeresVariation)
E444.e3b65.Ne2(includesAmericanVariation,5...Bb7Variation)
E454.e3b65.Ne2Ba6(FischerVariation)
E464.e300(includesReshevskyVariation)
E474.e3005.Bd3
E484.e3005.Bd3d5(includesModernVariation)
E494.e3005.Bd3d56.a3
E504.e3005.Nf3
E514.e3005.Nf3d5
E524.e3005.Nf3d56.Bd3b6(ClassicalFianchetto/TalVariation)
E534.e3005.Nf3d56.Bd3c5(includesAverbakhVariation)
E544.e3005.Nf3d56.Bd3c57.00dxc48.Bxc4(includesKarpovVariation,Bronstein
Variation,SmyslovVariation)
E554.e3005.Nf3d56.Bd3c57.00dxc48.Bxc4Nbd7(ParmaVariation)
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E564.e3005.Nf3d56.Bd3c57.00Nc6(includesLarsenVariation)
E574.e3005.Nf3d56.Bd3c57.00Nc68.a3dxc49.Bxc4cxd4
E584.e3005.Nf3d56.Bd3c57.00Nc68.a3Bxc39.bxc3(includesKhasinVariation)
E594.e3005.Nf3d56.Bd3c57.00Nc68.a3Bxc39.bxc3dxc410.Bxc4(includesMain
Variation)

Seealso
Listofchessopenings
Listofchessopeningsnamedafterpeople

References
1. ^abcHansen,Carsten(2002).TheNimzoIndian:4e3.GambitPublicationsLtd.ISBN1901983587.
2. ^ChessLife,June1991,OpeningForum,EdmarMednis
3. ^KasparovKramnik(http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1070950)Tilburg1997
4. ^www.chessgames.com(http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chess.pl?tid=55016.com)
5. ^GambitGuidetotheBogoIndian,SteffenPedersen,GambitChess,1999,ISBN1901983048
6. ^ListoverBotvinnikTalgames(http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chess.pl?
yearcomp=exactly&year=&playercomp=white&pid=11207&player=&pid2=14380&player2=&movescomp=exactl
y&moves=&opening=&eco=&result=)chessgames.com
7. ^abcOffbeatNimzoIndian,ChrisWard.ch.8(VeryRareFourthMovesforWhite)

Furtherreading
Kosten,Tony(1998).MasteringtheNimzoIndian.B.T.
BatsfordLtd.ISBN0713483830.
Yakovich,Yuri(2004).PlayThe4f3NimzoIndian.Gambit

TheWikibookChess
OpeningTheoryhasapage
onthetopicof:Nimzo
IndianDefence

Publications.ISBN9781904600169.
Dearing,Edward(2005).PlaytheNimzoIndian.EverymanChess.ISBN1857444035.
Ward,Chris(2005).OffbeatNimzoIndian.EverymanChess.ISBN1857443691.
Komarov,DmitryDjuric,StefanPantaleoni,Claudio(2009).ChessOpeningEssentials,Vol.3:
IndianDefences.NewInChess.ISBN9789056912703.
Raphael,MichaelW.(2010).ReViewingChess:NimzoIndian,Volumes99.1109.1.AmazonKindle.
Retrievedfrom"http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=NimzoIndian_Defence&oldid=617755526"
Categories: Chessopenings
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