Games - Nimzo-Indian Defence

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	Games - Nimzo-Indian Defence

The Nimzo-Indian Defence is a chess opening characterised by the moves (in algebraic notation) 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 (other move orders, such as 1.c4 e6 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.d4 Bb4 are also feasible). In the Encyclopedia of Chess Openings scheme, the Nimzo-Indian is classified as E20-E59.

This hypermodern opening was developed by Grandmaster Aron Nimzowitsch who introduced it to master-level chess in the early 20th century. Unlike most Indian openings the Nimzo-Indian does not involve an immediate fianchetto, although Black often follows up with ...b6 and ...Bb7. By pinning White's knight Black prevents the threatened 4.e4 and seeks to inflict doubled pawns on White. White will attempt to create a pawn centre and develop his pieces to prepare for an assault on the Black position.

Black's delay in committing to a pawn structure makes the Nimzo-Indian (sometimes colloquially referred to as the "Nimzo") a very flexible defence to 1.d4. It can also transpose into lines of the Queen's Gambit or Queen's Indian Defence. The Nimzo-Indian is a very popular and well-respected defense to 1.d4, and has been played by every world champion since Capablanca. Indeed, White often plays 3.Nf3 to avoid the Nimzo-Indian, allowing him to meet 3...Bb4+ (the Bogo-Indian Defence) with 4.Bd2 or 4.Nbd2 rather than 4.Nc3.

General Considerations

In the Nimzo-Indian, Black is often prepared to concede the bishop pair by playing ...Bxc3. In compensation, he doubles White's c-pawns, which represent a static weakness. Black will aim to close the position so that White's bishops have little scope. To this end, Black must blockade the white pawn centre from advancing and neutralize White's attacking chances on the kingside. An example of Black's strategy carried out successfully is the classic game Mikhail Botvinnik - Samuel Reshevsky from the 1948 World Championship Match-Tournament, which reached the position in the diagram after White's 24th move.

Earlier in the game, Reshevsky was able to block White's kingside attack by playing ...Nf6-e8 and ...f7-f5. Now, both White's bishops are reduced to passive defence, and White's queen must go to the miserable a2-square to defend both the pawns on a3 and c4. Without any prospects for counterplay, White's game is strategically hopeless, and Black ultimately traded queens and won the endgame.

Rubinstein System 4.e3

The Rubinstein System (named after Akiba Rubinstein) is White's most common method of combating the Nimzo-Indian. White continues his development before committing to a definite plan of action. In reply, Black has three main moves to choose from: 4...0-0, 4...c5, and 4...b6. In addition, Black sometimes plays 4...d5 or 4...Nc6.

4...d5 can transpose to lines arising from 4...0-0, but White has the extra option of 5.a3 (known as the Botvinnik Variation). This forces Black to retreat the bishop to e7 or take on c3, which transposes to a line of the Sämisch Variation that does fairly well for White because he can undouble his pawns at some point by playing cxd5, and then prepare the e4 pawn break. 4...Nc6 is the Taimanov Variation, named after Russian GM Mark Taimanov. Black prepares to play ...e5, which may be preceded by...d5 and ...dxc4, or ...d6. The variation was tried several times by the young Bobby Fischer, and has long been favoured by GM Nukhim Rashkovsky.

4...0-0

This is Black's most flexible and frequently played response. The main line continues 5.Bd3 d5 6.Nf3 c5 7.0-0, reaching the position in the diagram.

White has completed his kingside development, while Black has claimed his share of the centre. At this point, the most important continuations are:

:7...dxc4 8.Bxc4 Nbd7 (Parma Variation) :7...dxc4 8.Bxc4 cxd4 9.exd4 b6 (Karpov Variation) :7...dxc4 8.Bxc4 Nc6 9.a3 Ba5 (Larsen Variation) :7...Nc6 8.a3 Bxc3 9.bxc3 dxc4 10.Bxc4 Qc7 (Main Variation) :7...Nc6 8.a3 Bxc3 9.bxc3 Qc7 (Khasin Variation) :7...Nbd7 (Averbakh Variation)

The Parma Variation (7...dxc4 8.Bxc4 Nbd7) is named after Slovenian grandmaster Bruno Parma, and can sometimes transpose to the Karpov Variation if pawns are exchanged on d4. White usually continues with 9.Qe2, clearing the d1-square for the rook, which will assist in the advance of the d-pawn. Black then faces an important decision. He may play 9...b6, with the intention of playing ...cxd4 at some point to isolate the d-pawn and blockade it, or exchange on c3 as well to play against the isolated c3-d4 pawn couple. Or, he can consider 9...a6 to grab space on the queenside with ...b5. In this case, Black will usually retain his dark-squared bishop. Black also has two rare alternatives on his eighth move worth mentioning: 8...Qe7 intending ...Rd8 is the Smyslov Variation, invented by former World Champion Vasily Smyslov, and 8...Bd7 followed by ...Bc6 is the Bronstein Variation, the brainchild of two-time world championship finalist David Bronstein.

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