Nimzowitsch-Indian Defense

Nimzowitsch-Indian Defense
a b c d e f G H   8th 8th 7th 7th 6th 6th 5 5 4th 4th 3 3 2 2 1 1   a b c d e f G H
other names	Nimzowitsch Indian, Nimzo Indian
Trains	1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4
ECO key	E20-E59
Named after	Aaron Nimzowitsch
Oldest source	Aaron Nimzowitsch: My System , 1925
Played first	1914
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The Nimzo-Indian Defense (also Nimzo-Indian Defense ) is an open system of chess . It is one of the closed games and is classified in the ECO codes under the keys E20 to E59 .

The Nimzowitsch Indian Defense begins with the moves:

1. d2-d4 Ng8-f6

2. c2-c4 e7-e6

3. Nb1-c3 Bf8-b4

history

This opening system is one of the most important legacies of the great theorist and strategist Aaron Nimzowitsch to the chess world. The Nimzowitsch Indian Defense had its debut in 1914. In the tournaments of the 1920s, it gradually matured into the widely ramified opening system of today.

Basic strategic idea

According to its basic idea, the black defense idea is a typical child of the 20th century: Instead of directly occupying the center with pawns, black inhibits and blocks it by other means, from the wings . The bishop on b4 ties and neutralizes the white knight, who could otherwise support a pawn advance in the center. The pawn on e6 and the knight on f6 inhibit the further advance of the white queen's pawn, and the knight on f6 inhibits the further occupation of the center by e2 – e4.

Black seeks asymmetry, the active, independent counterplay. Later in the game he will try, depending on the game situation, to attack the inhibited white center directly or to attack and break through on one of the two wings.

A frequently occurring asymmetrical twist is the exchange of the b4 bishop for the c3 knight in order to create a double pawn there. White then has the advantage of the bishop pair , but the disadvantage that his pawn position has lost its elasticity.

Nimzowitsch himself called the opening Ideal Queen's Gambit . He probably wanted to express that the white center is inhibited as effectively as if the black queen's pawn were in the center, but without the disadvantages that Black naturally has as a trailing player in the symmetrical pawn formation of the queen's gambit .

Systems within the Nimzowitsch-Indian Defense

Classic system

	a	b	c	d	e	f	G	H
8th									8th
7th									7th
6th									6th
5									5
4th									4th
3									3
2									2
1									1
	a	b	c	d	e	f	G	H

Classic system: position after 4. Qc2

In the classic system that José Raúl Capablanca liked to use and that was popular in the 1930s and 1940s, white initially plays on security. It is marked by the move 4. Qd1 – c2 , with which White initially prevents a double pawn.

For many years, this system was considered boring and draws, but new ideas , including from former world champion Garry Kasparov , combined with sharp attacks among victims , revived it and made it one of the most popular options for white again.

Rubinstein system

	a	b	c	d	e	f	G	H
8th									8th
7th									7th
6th									6th
5									5
4th									4th
3									3
2									2
1									1
	a	b	c	d	e	f	G	H

Rubenstein system: position after 4. e3

Akiba Rubinstein's move 4. e2 – e3 fixes the center. Combined with 5. Ng1 – e2, it prevents White's double pawn from coming about on c3 and secures White's development from the kingside in the long term. The disadvantage here is that Black is not put under pressure from the start and thus has the opportunity to calmly build his own game.

Possible variants in the Rubinstein system are, for example:

• 4. e2 – e3 0–0
  • the so-called modern variant 5. Ng1 – f3 d7 – d5 6. Bf1 – d3 c7 – c5 7. 0–0 Nb8 – c6 (d5xc4 8. Bd3xc4) 8. a2 – a3
  • 5. Ng1 – e2 d7 – d5 6. a2 – a3 Bb4 – e7 7. c4xd5 e6xd5 8. Ne2 – f4 a5 9. Bf1 – d3 c7 – c6 10. 0–0 Nb8 – a6 11. f2 – f3 Sa6 – c7 or 8. g2 – g3 and Bf1 – g2, 0–0, f2 – f3, e3 – e4

On 4.… d7 – d5, 5. a2 – a3 happens as in the famous game Botvinnik - Capablanca, Rotterdam 1938 .

The Rubinstein system has enjoyed a consistently good reputation since the 1920s. It is a very good option for players who prefer a long-term positional advantage with White rather than a sharp attacking game. For example, it is a popular weapon used by ex- world champion Anatoly Karpov .

Huebner system

In the 1970s Robert Huebner developed a blockade system on the black squares as an antidote to the Rubinstein system , which after the black counter-move 4.… c7 – c5 only through the moves 5. Bf1 – d3 Nb8 – c6 6. Ng1– f3 Bb4xc3 + 7. b2xc3 d7 – d6 is introduced. With 8. e3 – e4 e6 – e5 9. d4 – d5 Nc6 – e7 the center would be blocked. For the desirable lever f2 – f4, White now has to pull away the Nf3 that has just been developed there and thereby loses tempo . This legitimizes the voluntary Bb4xc3 +. In the Samisch system , White has used up the extra tempo a2 – a3, but can draw f2 – f4 immediately with such a blockade.

Chamois system

Friedrich Sämisch's move 4. a2 – a3 immediately challenges the bishop on b4. With 4.… Bb4xc3 + 5. b2xc3 Black exchanges the white knight for the bishop. White gets a compact center and the pair of bishops, which he tries to use for a sharp attacking game in the ensuing fight. Here are examples of games by Friedrich Sämisch and Andor Lilienthal . White has the disadvantage of a double pawn on c3. Black tries to take advantage of this by quickly developing his pieces and further inhibiting and actively attacking White's center with moves like c7 – c5 and d7 – d5. After 5.… c7 – c5 6. d4xc5 White receives a triple pawn , which is easy to attack with 6.… Qd8 – a5. There is a threat of Qa5xc3 + and Qa5xc5. Black wins the pawn back and White still has problems with the isolated double pawn on the c-file.

Leningrad system

	a	b	c	d	e	f	G	H
8th									8th
7th									7th
6th									6th
5									5
4th									4th
3									3
2									2
1									1
	a	b	c	d	e	f	G	H

Leningrad system

In the Leningrad system White answers his knight's pin with the counter pin 4. Bc1 – g5 . It is an interesting way to throw Black off track because the game develops very differently than in the other systems of the Nimzowitsch-Indian Defense. Black has a chance to push off White's bishop with 4.… h7 – h6 5. Bg5 – h4 and then try to attack on the queenside. White usually answers c7 – c5 with d4 – d5.

In the game Spasski - Tal (Tallinn 1973) Tal answered after 4.… h7 – h6 5. Bg5 – h4 c7 – c5 6. d4 – d5 in the spirit of the Blumenfeld Gambit with 6.… b7 – b5.

This variant got its name because it was often used by masters from Leningrad (today Saint Petersburg ), such as Sak , Spassky , Korchnoi and Tolush .

Other systems

Among other things, the following alternatives are available:

• The "three-knight system" ( E21 ) introduced with 4. Ng1 – f3 became popular again after it was successfully used several times in 1985 by former world champion Kasparov in the World Championship match against Karpov . After an immediate d7 – d5, the opening goes into the Ragosin variant of the Queen's Gambit .
• The “ Fianchetto ” system 4. g2 – g3 introduced by Oleh Romanyschyn has gone out of fashion and is waiting to be revived with new ideas. After 4.… c7 – c5 5. Ng1 – f3 c5xd4 6. Nf3xd4 it leads to the English symmetry variant .
• Rudolf Spielmann was an attacking player who took risks. His move 4. Qd1 – b3 is an interesting option for players who want to play in his mind. It is related to 4. Qd1 – c2, with the apparent advantage over the latter that Bb4 is under direct attack. A move like 4.… Bb4xc3 + would be bad. White would have saved a2 – a3 compared to the classic variant . 4.… Nb8 – c6 5. Ng1 – f3 leads to the Ragosin variant of the Queen's Gambit . The best answer 4.… c7 – c5 leads White to 5. d4xc5 . Nb8 – c6 is now safe. The black-squared bishop has the central retreat square c5. In addition, after 6. a2 – a3 the queen would be distracted from covering Nc3 by Nc6 – d4 because of 7. Qb3xb4 Nd4 – c2 +. So after 6. a2 – a3 Nc6 – d4 the result will be Bb4xc3 + along with bxc3 and an isolated double pawn on the c- file . The defense of Nc6 – d4 would result in Nf6 – e4 with pressure on c3 and c5. 4. Qd1 – c2 also covers the central square e4 and is therefore more important than 4. Qd1 – b3.

• 4. f2 – f3 often leads to the Samisch system after 5. a2 – a3 4. a2 – a3. For example in the 9th game of the 2013 World Chess Championship .
• 4. Qd1 – d3 is the Mikenas variant.
• 4. e2 – e4 is the rare Dilworth gambit. After the fourth ... Sf6xe4 5. Dd1-g4 Se4xc3 6. a2-a3 Bb4-e7 7. b2xc3 0-0 White hopes on his castling attack .

literature

• Nick de Firmian : Batsford's Modern Chess Openings. 14th edition, completely revised. BT Batsford, London 2000, ISBN 0-7134-8656-2 , pp. 511 ff.
• Aaron Nimzowitsch: My system. 3. Edition. Schachzentrale Rattmann - Das Schacharchiv, Ginsheim-Gustavsburg 2002, ISBN 3-88086-073-4 .
• Chris Ward: Offbeat Nimzo-Indian (= Everyman Chess. ). Gloucester Publishers, London a. a. 2005, ISBN 1-85744-369-1 .