The Nimzo-Indian Defence is a
chess opening
A chess opening or simply an opening is the initial stage of a chess game. It usually consists of established theory; the other phases are the middlegame and the endgame. Many opening sequences have standard names such as the "Sicilian Defens ...
characterised by the moves:
: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 ''
Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings
The ''Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings'' () is a reference work describing the state of opening theory in chess, originally published in five volumes from 1974 to 1979 by the Serbian company Šahovski Informator (Chess Informant). It is current ...
'', the Nimzo-Indian is classified as E20–E59.
This
hypermodern opening was developed by
Aron Nimzowitsch
Aron Nimzowitsch ( lv, Ārons Nimcovičs, russian: Аро́н Иса́евич Нимцо́вич, ''Aron Isayevich Nimtsovich''; 7 November 1886 – 16 March 1935) was a Latvian-born Danish chess player and writer. In the late 1920s, Nimz ...
who introduced it to master-level
chess
Chess is a board game for two players, called White and Black, each controlling an army of chess pieces in their color, with the objective to checkmate the opponent's king. It is sometimes called international chess or Western chess to disti ...
in the early 20th century. Unlike most
Indian openings, the Nimzo-Indian does not involve an immediate
fianchetto
In chess, the fianchetto ( or ; "little flank") is a pattern of wherein a bishop is developed to the second rank of the adjacent b- or g-, the having been moved one or two squares forward.
The fianchetto is a staple of many " hypermodern" ...
, although Black often follows up with ...b6 and ...Bb7. By pinning White's
knight
A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood finds origins in the Gr ...
, Black prevents the threatened 4.e4 and seeks to inflict
doubled pawns
In chess, doubled pawns are two pawn (chess), pawns of the same color residing on the same Chess terminology#File, file. Pawns can become doubled only when one pawn captures onto a file on which another friendly pawn resides. In the diagram, the w ...
on White. White will attempt to create a and develop their pieces to prepare for an assault on the Black position.
Black's delay in committing to a
pawn structure
In a game of chess, the pawn structure (sometimes known as the pawn skeleton) is the configuration of pawns on the chessboard. Because pawns are the least mobile of the chess pieces, the pawn structure is relatively static and thus plays a large ...
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
The Queen's Gambit is the chess opening that starts with the moves:
:1. d4 d5
:2. c4
It is one of the oldest openings and is still commonly played today. It is traditionally described as a ''gambit'' because White appears to sacrifice the c ...
or
Queen's Indian Defence
The Queen's Indian Defense (QID) is a chess opening defined by the moves:
:1. d4 Nf6
:2. c4 e6
:3. Nf3 b6
The opening is a solid defense to the Queen's Pawn Game. 3...b6 increases Black's control over the central light squares e4 and d5 by ...
. The Nimzo-Indian is a highly respected defence to 1.d4, is played at all levels and has been played by every world champion since
Capablanca. White often plays 3.g3 or 3.Nf3 to avoid the Nimzo-Indian, allowing him to meet 3.Nf3 Bb4+ (the
Bogo-Indian Defence) with 4.Bd2 or 4.Nbd2, rather than 4.Nc3.
General considerations
In the Nimzo-Indian, Black is generally prepared to concede the bishop pair by playing Bxc3. As dynamic compensation, they often double White's c-pawns, which represent a static weakness, and gains play against the central light squares d5 and e4, even in those instances where White is able to recapture with a piece after ...Bxc3. Black will aim to close the position to reduce the scope of White's bishops. To this end, Black must blockade the white pawn centre from advancing and neutralise White's attacking chances on the . An example of Black's strategy carried out successfully is the game
Mikhail Botvinnik
Mikhail Moiseyevich Botvinnik, ( – May 5, 1995) was a Soviet and Russian chess grandmaster. The sixth World Chess Champion, he also worked as an electrical engineer and computer scientist and was a pioneer in computer chess.
Botvinnik ...
–
Samuel Reshevsky
Samuel Herman Reshevsky (born Szmul Rzeszewski; November 26, 1911 – April 4, 1992) was a Polish chess prodigy and later a leading American chess grandmaster. He was a contender for the World Chess Championship from the mid-1930s to the mid-1960 ...
from the
1948 World Chess Championship, 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 defence, and White's queen is reduced to passivity at the a2-square to defend the pawns on a3 and c4. Without prospects for counterplay, White's game is strategically hopeless, and Black ultimately exchanged queens and won the
endgame
Endgame, Endgames, End Game, End Games, or similar variations may refer to:
Film
* ''The End of the Game'' (1919 film)
* ''The End of the Game'' (1975 film), short documentary U.S. film
* ''Endgame'' (1983 film), 1983 Italian post-apocalyptic f ...
.
Rubinstein System: 4.e3
The Rubinstein System (named after
Akiba Rubinstein
Akiba Kiwelowicz Rubinstein (1 December 1880 – 14 March 1961) was a Polish chess player. He is considered to have been one of the greatest players never to have become World Chess Champion. Rubinstein was granted the title Grandmaster (chess), ...
) is White's most common method of combating the Nimzo-Indian.
Svetozar Gligorić
Svetozar Gligorić (Serbian Cyrillic: Светозар Глигорић, 2 February 1923 – 14 August 2012) was a Serbian and Yugoslav chess grandmaster and musician. He won the championship of Yugoslavia a record twelve times, and is consider ...
and
Lajos Portisch
Lajos Portisch (born 4 April 1937) is a Hungarian chess Grandmaster, whose positional style earned him the nickname, the "Hungarian Botvinnik". One of the strongest non-Soviet players from the early 1960s into the late 1980s, he participated ...
made great contributions to the theory and practice of this line at top level during their careers. White continues their 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 capture on c3, which transposes to a line of the Sämisch Variation long considered good for White because they will undouble their pawns at some point by playing cxd5, eliminating the weak pawn on c4, then prepare the e4 pawn break, backed by the bishop pair (and in some cases with f3, since they haven't committed the knight to that square yet), which will gain force in the more open type of position which will ensue. 4...Nc6 is the Taimanov Variation, named after Russian GM
Mark Taimanov
Mark Evgenievich Taimanov (russian: Марк Евгеньевич Тайманов; 7 February 1926 – 28 November 2016) was one of the leading Soviet and Russian chess players, among the world's top 20 players from 1946 to 1971. A prolific ch ...
. 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
Robert James Fischer (March 9, 1943January 17, 2008) was an American chess grandmaster and the eleventh World Chess Champion. A chess prodigy, he won his first of a record eight US Championships at the age of 14. In 1964, he won with an 11 ...
, and has long been favoured by GM
Nukhim Rashkovsky
Nukhim (Naum) Nikolayevich Rashkovsky (born 18 April 1946, in Sverdlovsk) is a chess Grandmaster and coach from Russia.
Life
His first meaningful chess moves were played at the Sverdlovsk Palace of Pioneers, one of many training schools for t ...
.
4...0-0 Main line: 4.e3 0-0 5.Bd3 d5 6.Nf3 c5 7.0-0
Black's most flexible and frequently played response is 4...0-0. The main line continues 5.Bd3 d5 6.Nf3 c5 7.0-0, reaching the position in the diagram.
White has completed their kingside development, while Black has claimed their 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 (GM)
Bruno Parma
Bruno Parma (born December 30, 1941) is a Slovene- Yugoslav chess player and Grandmaster.
Parma was born in Ljubljana, in Italian-occupied Slovenia. He first played in the World Junior Chess Championship in 1959, sharing second place. Two ye ...
, 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. They 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, they can consider 9...a6 to grab space on the with ...b5. In this case, Black will usually retain their .
After 7...dxc4 8.Bxc4, Black also has two rare alternatives on their eighth move worth mentioning: 8...Qe7 intending ...Rd8 is the Smyslov Variation, invented by former world champion
Vasily Smyslov
Vasily Vasilyevich Smyslov ( rus, Васи́лий Васи́льевич Смысло́в, Vasíliy Vasíl'yevich Smyslóv; 24 March 1921 – 27 March 2010) was a Soviet and Russian chess grandmaster, who was World Chess Champion from 1957 to ...
, and 8...Bd7 followed by ...Bc6 is the Bronstein Variation, the brainchild of two-time world championship finalist
David Bronstein
David Ionovich Bronstein (russian: Дави́д Ио́нович Бронште́йн; February 19, 1924 – December 5, 2006) was a Soviet and Ukrainian chess player. Awarded the title of International Grandmaster by FIDE in 1950, he narr ...
.
* The Karpov Variation, (7...dxc4 8.Bxc4 cxd4 9.exd4 b6) named after former World Champion
Anatoly Karpov
Anatoly Yevgenyevich Karpov ( rus, links=no, Анато́лий Евге́ньевич Ка́рпов, p=ɐnɐˈtolʲɪj jɪvˈɡʲenʲjɪvʲɪtɕ ˈkarpəf; born May 23, 1951) is a Russian and former Soviet chess grandmaster, former World Ches ...
, is one of Black's most reliable defences to the Rubinstein System. For the moment, White has an
isolated pawn
In chess, an isolated pawn is a pawn that has no friendly pawn on an adjacent . Isolated pawns are usually a weakness because they cannot be protected by other pawns. The square in front of the pawn may become a good outpost or otherwise a good ...
in the d-file, even so, Black plans to play ...Bxc3 at some point and follow up with ...Bb7, ...Nbd7, ...R(a)c8 and ...Qc7 to restrain White's c- and d-pawns. After 7...dxc4 8.Bxc4 cxd4 9.exd4 b6 the game usually continues 10.Bg5 Bb7, when 11.Ne5, 11.Re1, 11.Rc1 and 11.Qe2 are all good moves for White.
* The Larsen Variation (named after GM
Bent Larsen
Jørgen Bent Larsen (4 March 1935 – 9 September 2010) was a Danish chess grandmaster and author. Known for his imaginative and unorthodox style of play, he was the second strongest non-Soviet player, behind Bobby Fischer, for much of the 196 ...
) can be reached by either 7...dxc4 8.Bxc4 Nc6 9.a3 Ba5 or 7...Nc6 8.a3 dxc4 9.Bxc4 Ba5, but the latter move order gives White the extra option of 9.axb4. The idea is to wait until White plays dxc5 before playing ...Bxc3. If White does not oblige, then Black will play ...Bb6 with pressure on the d-pawn. The point of inserting ...dxc4 before ...Ba5 is to prevent White from inflicting an isolated queen's pawn (IQP) on Black by playing cxd5.
* The Main Variation was enormously popular in the 1950s, but the name has become increasingly inappropriate ever since. This is not because the line is bad for Black – on the contrary, Black equalises in all variations – but because White has a huge selection of moves to choose from, and Black must be familiar with all of them. After 7...Nc6 8.a3 Bxc3 9.bxc3 dxc4 10.Bxc4 Qc7, White has tried 11.Be2, 11.Bd3, 11.Ba2, 11.Bb2, 11.Bb5 (trying to provoke ...a6 before retreating the bishop), 11.h3, 11.a4, 11.Re1, 11.Qc2, and 11.Qe2. Regardless of the move chosen, however, the basic strategic ideas remain similar: Black will play a quick ...e5 to pressurize d4. If White has a bishop on d3, then Black also threatens ...e4 forking it and the knight on f3. White will try to advance their centre pawns to free their bishops: c4, d5, and f3 followed by e4 are all possible. If Black can prevent White from achieving this, then they will enjoy the better game. There are several move orders to reach the Main Variation besides the one given above; 4.e3 0-0 5.Bd3 d5 6.a3 Bxc3+ 7.bxc3 dxc4 8.Bxc4 c5 9.Nf3 Nc6 10.0-0 is one worth noting, because White may try 9.Ne2 instead.
![Khasin 1995 Bad Liebenzell](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0c/Khasin_1995_Bad_Liebenzell.jpg)
* 7...Nc6 8.a3 Bxc3 9.bxc3 Qc7 is the Khasin Variation, named after
International Master
FIDE titles are awarded by the international chess governing body FIDE (''Fédération Internationale des Échecs'') for outstanding performance. The highest such title is Grandmaster (GM). Titles generally require a combination of Elo rating and ...
Abram Khasin
Abram Iosifovich Khasin (Russian: Абрам Иосифович Хасин; 15 February 1923 – 6 February 2022) was a Russian chess international master and correspondence grandmaster.
Biography
Khasin was born in Zaporizhia, and grew up in ...
. 10.cxd5 exd5 is the usual continuation. White will try to build up a strong centre with f3 and e4, or they may play for a kingside attack with f3 and g4. Black will try to restrain White's centre as well as they can, ideally blockading it, before mobilising their queenside pawn .
* The Averbakh Variation (7...Nbd7) was popularized by GMs
Viacheslav Ragozin
Viacheslav Vasilyevich Ragozin (russian: Вячесла́в Васи́льевич Раго́зин; 8 October 1908 – 11 March 1962) was a Soviet chess player, writer and editor. He was world champion in correspondence chess and held the title ...
and
Yuri Averbakh
Yuri Lvovich Averbakh (russian: Ю́рий Льво́вич Аверба́х; 8 February 1922 – 7 May 2022) was a Russian chess grandmaster and author. He was chairman of the USSR Chess Federation from 1973 to 1978. He was the first centenaria ...
. The idea is to exchange pawns on c4 and d4 and then bring the d7-knight to b6 and d5. The same knight may also move to f8 to defend the black king. This line has gone out of fashion since the 1960s due to GM
Svetozar Gligorić
Svetozar Gligorić (Serbian Cyrillic: Светозар Глигорић, 2 February 1923 – 14 August 2012) was a Serbian and Yugoslav chess grandmaster and musician. He won the championship of Yugoslavia a record twelve times, and is consider ...
's gambit idea 8.cxd5 exd5 9.a3 Ba5 10.b4 cxb4 11.Nb5! with pressure along the queenside files and a potential square for the knight on d6.
4...0-0: lines with Ne2
In general, the main line of the Rubinstein has held up very well for Black, so since the 1980s White has begun to look elsewhere for chances of obtaining an advantage. In the Rubinstein, White has often resorted to playing Ne2 rather than Nf3 at some point to be able to recapture on c3 with the knight, thus avoiding the doubled pawns. Two lines where White does this (following 4.e3 0-0) are:
:5.Ne2 (Reshevsky Variation)
:5.Bd3 d5 6.Ne2 (Modern Variation)
* The Reshevsky Variation was a specialty of GM
Samuel Reshevsky
Samuel Herman Reshevsky (born Szmul Rzeszewski; November 26, 1911 – April 4, 1992) was a Polish chess prodigy and later a leading American chess grandmaster. He was a contender for the World Chess Championship from the mid-1930s to the mid-1960 ...
. White will first play a3 to kick the bishop away, before moving their knight on e2 to a more active square. The main line runs 5.Ne2 d5 6.a3 Be7 7.cxd5, when both 7...exd5 and 7...Nxd5 are possible, the latter move leading to livelier play. GM
Mikhail Gurevich is currently the foremost expert in the Reshevsky Variation.
* 5.Bd3 d5 6.Ne2 and the closely related variant 5.Bd3 d5 6.cxd5 exd5 7.Ne2 were collectively dubbed the Modern Variation by FM Carsten Hansen in his book on the Rubinstein Nimzo-Indian.
White again avoids the doubled pawns, but develops their bishop to d3 first so that it isn't blocked in by the knight on e2. Black usually continues 6...c5, putting more pressure on White's centre. While 7.a3 and 7.0-0 are playable, the main line is 7.cxd5 cxd4 8.exd4 Nxd5 9.0-0 Nc6, leading to an IQP position with White's knight on e2 rather than f3, as is normally the case. This gives Black the possibility of playing ...e5 at some point to completely liquidate the centre, although the resulting positions are rather drawish. White's main options on their tenth move are 10.a3, putting the question to the bishop, and 10.Bc2, intending 11.Qd3 with an attack on h7.
4...c5
Black puts pressure on d4 and leaves open the option of playing ...d5, or ...d6 and ...e5. The game can still transpose to the main line mentioned above after moves such as 5.Bd3 d5 6.Nf3 0-0 7.0-0, but there are two major variations particular to 4...c5:
* 5.Bd3 Nc6 6.Nf3 (6.Ne2 will likely transpose to the Modern Variation) 6...Bxc3+ 7.bxc3 d6 is the Hübner Variation, popularized by GM
Robert Hübner
Robert Hübner (born November 6, 1948) is a German chess grandmaster, chess writer, and papyrologist. He was one of the world's leading players in the 1970s and early 1980s.
Chess career
At eighteen, he was joint winner of the West German Chess ...
in the late 1960s and '70s and utilised by
Bobby Fischer
Robert James Fischer (March 9, 1943January 17, 2008) was an American chess grandmaster and the eleventh World Chess Champion. A chess prodigy, he won his first of a record eight US Championships at the age of 14. In 1964, he won with an 11 ...
in his world championship match with
Boris Spassky
Boris Vasilievich Spassky ( rus, Бори́с Васи́льевич Спа́сский, Borís Vasíl'yevich Spásskiy; born January 30, 1937) is a Russian chess grandmaster who was the tenth World Chess Champion, holding the title from 1969 ...
in 1972 with great effect in
game 5. It is slightly unusual in that Black captures on c3 without waiting for White to play a3, but this is because Black intends to immediately set up a blockade on the dark squares with ...d6 and ...e5. This is feasible because White's knight is on f3; if it were on e2 (as in some lines of the Sämisch), White could quickly advance their kingside pawns, but in the current line the knight must be moved away first. By closing the position, Black is able to make their knights superior to White's bishops, and the doubled c-pawns deprive White of any pawn breaks on the queenside. It was the success of this variation that motivated the current tendency for White players to choose lines where the doubled pawns are avoided. When they do play into this line, White has two main setups to choose from: they may immediately close the centre by playing 8.e4 e5 9.d5 Ne7, or play more flexibly with 8.0-0 e5 9.Nd2 0-0, but Black has full equality in both lines.
* 5.Ne2 the Rubinstein Variation (this is why 4.e3 is properly referred to as the Rubinstein "system" or "complex" to avoid confusion) is similar in spirit to the Reshevsky Variation: White prevents Black from doubling their pawns. After 5.Ne2, Black opens a path of retreat for their bishop with 5...cxd4 6.exd4, and now chooses between 6...d5 and 6...0-0. 6...d5 allows 7.c5, a typical continuation being 7...Ne4 8.Bd2 Nxd2 9.Qxd2 a5 10.a3 Bxc3 11.Nxc3 a4. White's c4–c5 push created a queenside pawn majority, which Black neutralized by playing ...a7–a5–a4. Black will now try to destroy the rest of White's pawn formation by playing ...b6 or ...e5, while White will try to use their lead in development to create attacking chances on the kingside. The alternative is 6...0-0 7.a3 Be7. Here Kasparov played 8.d5 exd5 9.cxd5 a few times early in his career, increasing his space advantage further but falling behind in development. A safer move for White is 8.Nf4.
4...b6
Favoured by Nimzowitsch, 4...b6 is a move in accordance with the spirit of the Nimzo-Indian: Black
fianchetto
In chess, the fianchetto ( or ; "little flank") is a pattern of wherein a bishop is developed to the second rank of the adjacent b- or g-, the having been moved one or two squares forward.
The fianchetto is a staple of many " hypermodern" ...
es their light-squared bishop to increase their control over e4. White usually continues 5.Ne2, avoiding the doubled pawns, or 5.Bd3, continuing their development (5.Nf3 usually transposes to 5.Bd3). The main variations emerging from these moves are:
:5.Ne2 Ba6 (Fischer Variation)
:5.Ne2 c5 (Romanishin–Psakhis Variation)
:5.Ne2 Ne4 (American Variation)
:5.Ne2 Bb7
:5.Bd3 Bb7 6.Nf3 0-0 7.0-0 d5 (Classical Fianchetto Variation or Tal Variation)
:5.Bd3 Bb7 6.Nf3 0-0 7.0-0 c5 (Keres Variation)
:5.Bd3 Bb7 6.Nf3 Ne4 (Dutch Variation)
* The Fischer Variation (5.Ne2 Ba6) aims to exchange light-squared bishops after ...d5 so that Black can play on the light squares. Keres, Bronstein and Smyslov were early contributors to the theory of this line, and
Fischer
Fischer is a German occupational surname, meaning fisherman. The name Fischer is the fourth most common German surname. The English version is Fisher.
People with the surname A
* Abraham Fischer (1850–1913) South African public official
* Ad ...
used it several times successfully. White may play 6.a3, which was favoured by
Botvinnik and asks the bishop on b4 to clarify its intentions, or 6.Ng3, which was invented by Reshevsky and prepares e4.
* 5.Ne2 c5 6.a3 Ba5 was dubbed the Romanishin–Psakhis Variation by Carsten Hansen
because
Oleg Romanishin
Oleg Mikhailovich Romanishin ( uk, Олег Михайлович Романишин, translit=Oleh Mykhailovych Romanyshyn; born 10 January 1952) is a Ukrainian chess grandmaster and former European junior champion.
Career
Many honours and ...
and
Lev Psakhis
Lev Borisovich Psakhis ( he, לב בוריסוביץ' פסחיס; ; born 29 November 1958 in Tver (then Kalinin), Russia) is a naturalised Israeli chess grandmaster, trainer and author. Born in Siberia, he is also a two-time former champion of th ...
were the two grandmasters who were primarily responsible for reviving the line and infusing it with new ideas. It can also arise via the move order 4.e3 c5 5.Ne2 b6 6.a3 Ba5. Black dares White to try and trap the bishop on a5, a challenge White usually takes up, but rarely successfully.
* The American Variation is another name invented by Hansen
for the line 5.Ne2 Ne4, as it was pioneered by GM
Isaac Kashdan
Isaac Kashdan (November 19, 1905 in New York City – February 20, 1985 in Los Angeles) was an American chess grandmaster and chess writer. He was twice U.S. Open champion (1938, 1947). He played five times for the United States in chess Olymp ...
and then developed by GM
Bisguier,
Anthony Santasiere
Anthony Edward Santasiere (December 9, 1904January 13, 1977) was an American chess master and chess writer, who also wrote extensively on non-chess topics. Santasiere was a middle school mathematics teacher by profession. Santasiere won the 19 ...
and currently GM
Nick de Firmian
Nicholas Ernest de Firmian (born July 26, 1957) is an American chess player who received the FIDE title of Grandmaster (GM) in 1985. He is a three-time U.S. chess champion, winning in 1987 (with Joel Benjamin), 1995, and 1998. He also tied for ...
. Black will exchange off two minor pieces and play ...f5 to keep e4 under control.
* 5.Ne2 Bb7 is a rather passive line: White seems to obtain a slight advantage by continuing 6.a3 Be7 7.d5, blocking in the bishop on b7 and making e3–e4 possible.
* The Classical Fianchetto Variation, also known as the
Tal Variation, can be reached through two move orders: 4.e3 b6 5.Bd3 Bb7 6.Nf3 0-0 7.0-0 d5 or 4.e3 0-0 5.Bd3 d5 6.Nf3 b6 7.0-0 Bb7. It is a solid variation where White often holds the initiative early on, but Black usually equalises in the end. White has two ways to attack Black's setup. The first is to play 8.cxd5 exd5 9.Ne5 followed by 10.f4 and transferring the queen or f1-rook to h3 via f3. This formation, known as the
Pillsbury Attack, blocks in the dark-squared bishop and appears rather crude, but is actually quite dangerous. Black must create immediate pressure on White's centre by playing ...c5, and ...Ne4 may be a handy move at some point to block the b1–h7 diagonal and perhaps exchange some pieces. The main alternative for White is 8.a3 Bd6 9.cxd5 exd5 10.b4, which gains space on the queenside and makes it harder for Black to free their position with ...c5.
* The Keres Variation, characterised by the moves 5.Bd3 Bb7 6.Nf3 0-0 7.0-0 c5, is named after Estonian GM
Paul Keres
Paul Keres (; 7 January 1916 – 5 June 1975) was an Estonian chess grandmaster and chess writer. He was among the world's top players from the mid-1930s to the mid-1960s, and narrowly missed a chance at a World Chess Championship match on five ...
, although Smyslov and Bronstein were also early practitioners of this line. If allowed, Black will play ...cxd4 and ...d5 in the hope of leaving White with an isolated queen's pawn. Nowadays, White's most testing continuation is reckoned to be 8.Na4, ducking the exchange on c3 and threatening 9.a3. The knight will often stay on a4 for quite some time to assist in a potential c4–c5 push. After 8...cxd4 9.exd4, Black often sets up a
Hedgehog
A hedgehog is a spiny mammal of the subfamily Erinaceinae, in the eulipotyphlan family Erinaceidae. There are seventeen species of hedgehog in five genera found throughout parts of Europe, Asia, and Africa, and in New Zealand by introducti ...
formation (pawns on a6, b6, d6 and e6), while White will try to pursue a strategy of gaining queenside space with b4 and c5.
* The Dutch Variation is so-called because after 5.Bd3 Bb7 6.Nf3 Ne4, Black usually follows up with 7...f5, with a position that resembles the
Dutch Defence
The Dutch Defence is a chess opening characterised by the moves:
:1. d4 f5
Black's 1...f5 stakes a claim to the e4-square and envisions an attack in the middlegame on White's ; however, it also weakens Black's kingside to an extent (especia ...
(1.d4 f5). It is not a very common line, probably because White obtains good chances by playing 7.0-0 f5 8.d5, sacrificing a pawn to open up lines for their bishops.
Classical Variation: 4.Qc2
The Classical or
Capablanca Variation was popular in the early days of the Nimzo-Indian, and though eventually superseded by 4.e3 it was revived in the 1990s; it is now just as popular as the Rubinstein. White aims to acquire the two bishops without compromising their pawn structure. The drawback is that the queen will move at least twice within the opening moves and that White's kingside development is delayed. Thus, even though White possesses the bishop pair, it is usually advisable for Black to open the game quickly to exploit their lead in development. Black has four common replies to 4.Qc2. These include 4...0-0, 4...c5, 4...d5, and 4...Nc6 (4...d6 intending ...Nbd7 and ...e5 is a rarer fifth option).
* 4...0-0 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.Qxc3 b6 7.Bg5 is nowadays the main line of the Classical Variation (although 6...b5!? is a gambit invented by
Alvis Vītoliņš). Black's usual choice is 7...Bb7, but 7...Ba6 is also possible to target the c-pawn, and 7...h6 8.Bh4 c5 and 7...c5 are sometimes played as well. After 7...Bb7, White's most straightforward move is 8.f3 preparing e4, but Black can counter with 8...h6 9.Bh4 d5, when the pawn grab 10.cxd5 exd5 11.Bxf6 Qxf6 12.Qxc7 Ba6 is very dangerous for White because of Black's better development. Therefore, White has sometimes tried 8.e3 instead, when after 8...h6 9.Bh4 d5 10.cxd5 exd5 11.Bxf6 Qxf6 12.Qxc7 Ba6 White has 13.Bxa6 Nxa6 14.Qb7. Thus Black should prefer 8.e3 d6, planning ...Nbd7 and ...c5.
Both players can deviate from the main line. Instead of 7.Bg5, White can play 7.Nf3 Bb7 8.e3, intending to develop the dark-squared bishop to b2. Another possibility is 4.Qc2 0-0 5.e4, although this is somewhat inconsistent with 4.Qc2 as Black might be able to double White's c-pawns at some point (the queen must guard e4), something 4.Qc2 was supposed to prevent. After 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.Qxc3, Black can also try 6...Ne4 7.Qc2 f5, which is similar to the Dutch Variation (see 4.e3 b6), but without the doubled pawns for White.
* 4...c5 exploits the fact that on c2, the queen no longer defends the d-pawn. If White defends the pawn, then Black gets an easy game by keeping the pressure on d4, so White almost always plays 5.dxc5. Black can choose to recapture on c5 with the bishop (e.g. 5...Bxc5 or 5...0-0 6.a3 Bxc5), or with the knight (after 5...Na6 or 5...0-0 6.Nf3 Na6). In the former case, the bishop will eventually retreat to e7 and Black will set up a
Hedgehog
A hedgehog is a spiny mammal of the subfamily Erinaceinae, in the eulipotyphlan family Erinaceidae. There are seventeen species of hedgehog in five genera found throughout parts of Europe, Asia, and Africa, and in New Zealand by introducti ...
formation (pawns on a6, b6, d6 and e6). If Black recaptures with the knight, they will often have to give up the bishop pair at some point with ...Bxc3, but the knight is useful on c5 and can later go to e4, attacking the queen on c3. 4...c5 5.dxc5 0-0 (the Pirc Variation) was one of the reasons why 4.Qc2 was not popular during the mid-20th century, because the lines where Black eventually recaptures with the knight was reckoned to give Black easy equality, while the line which prevented this maneuver, 6.a3 Bxc5 7.Nf3 Nc6 8.Bg5 Nd4 9.Nxd4 Bxd4 10.e3 Qa5 11.exd4 Qxg5, left the Black queen active, while White still needs to secure the king. It was the discovery of 12.Qd2! which revived this line for White, because the endgame after 12...Qxd2+ 13.Kxd2 offers White a slight edge. Indeed,
Edmar Mednis
Edmar John Mednis ( lv, Edmārs Džons Mednis; March 22, 1937 – February 13, 2002) was a Latvian-American chess player and writer of Latvian origin. He was awarded the title of Grandmaster by FIDE in 1980.
Biography
Mednis' family were ...
's remark was that the entire Pirc Variation had become unplayable at the highest level, while ''
Modern Chess Openings
''Modern Chess Openings'' (usually called ) is a reference book on chess openings, first published in 1911 by the British players Richard Clewin Griffith (1872–1955) and John Herbert White (1880–1920). The fifteenth edition was published in ...
'' (''MCO'') cites this variation as the main problem with 4...c5. However, players like Kramnik have been willing to defend the Black side of this line against players like Kasparov.
* 4...d5 is another move that strikes immediately in the centre, and was a favourite of
Mikhail Botvinnik
Mikhail Moiseyevich Botvinnik, ( – May 5, 1995) was a Soviet and Russian chess grandmaster. The sixth World Chess Champion, he also worked as an electrical engineer and computer scientist and was a pioneer in computer chess.
Botvinnik ...
. After 5.cxd5, Black can either recapture with the queen or pawn. 5...Qxd5 is the
Romanishin System: the idea is that after 6.Nf3 Qf5 7.Qxf5 exf5, Black strengthens their grip on e4 and makes e6 available for the bishop, which is enough for him to obtain equality. White can avoid this with 6.e3 so that 6...Qf5 can be met with 7.Bd3, but the e3-pawn blocks in White's c1-bishop. The older alternative is 5...exd5 6.Bg5 h6, which tends to be a rather sharp line. After 4...d5, White can also play 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.Qxc3 Ne4 7.Qc2, when Black may play 7...c5 or 7...Nc6 intending ...e5. Even though White possesses the pair of bishops, Black still strives for a quick opening of the position to exploit their lead in development. The usual result of this is a dynamically balanced position.
* 4...Nc6 is the
Zürich
Zürich () is the list of cities in Switzerland, largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zürich. It is located in north-central Switzerland, at the northwestern tip of Lake Zürich. As of January 2020, the municipality has 43 ...
or Milner-Barry Variation (named after British chess player
Stuart Milner-Barry
Sir Philip Stuart Milner-Barry (20 September 1906 – 25 March 1995) was a British chess player, chess writer, World War II codebreaker and civil servant. He represented England in chess both before and after World War II. He worked at Bletch ...
). Black gives up the dark-squared bishop, but places their central pawns on d6 and e5 so that their remaining bishop is unimpeded. To avoid moving their queen, White will play Bd2 at some point so that when Black takes the knight, White can recapture with the bishop. 4...Nc6 is out of fashion because most players prefer to avoid blocking their c-pawn. A topical line would go 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Qc2 Nc6 5.Nf3 (better than 5.e3) d6, with the idea of playing e5. Black often prepares this with castling and ...Re8 or by playing Qe7. After Black plays ...e5, White usually responds with d5. Black is willing to lose a tempo moving the knight back to b8 (or e7, which is often better) because the position is closed. White usually plays on the queenside in this variation, while Black will try to play on the kingside with ...f5 and possibly transferring the c6-knight over to the kingside after White's d5. Today, the line arises quite often by transposition from the
Black Knights Tango, e.g. 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 Nc6 3.Nf3 e6 4.Nc3 Bb4 5.Qc2.
Kasparov Variation: 4.Nf3
4.Nf3 is known as the Kasparov Variation, since
Garry Kasparov
Garry Kimovich Kasparov (born 13 April 1963) is a Russian chess grandmaster, former World Chess Champion, writer, political activist and commentator. His peak rating of 2851, achieved in 1999, was the highest recorded until being surpassed by ...
used it to great effect against
Anatoly Karpov
Anatoly Yevgenyevich Karpov ( rus, links=no, Анато́лий Евге́ньевич Ка́рпов, p=ɐnɐˈtolʲɪj jɪvˈɡʲenʲjɪvʲɪtɕ ˈkarpəf; born May 23, 1951) is a Russian and former Soviet chess grandmaster, former World Ches ...
in their 1985 World Championship match. Kasparov played 4.Nf3 six times, scoring three wins and three draws. Today as White, this is a favourite weapon of GM
Alexei Barsov and former Women's Champion
Nona Gaprindashvili
Nona Gaprindashvili ( ka, ნონა გაფრინდაშვილი; born 3 May 1941) is a former Soviet Union, Soviet and Georgia (country), Georgian chess player, and the first woman ever to be awarded the FIDE title Grandmaster (ch ...
.
White develops the knight to a natural square and waits to see Black's reply. 4...d5 transposes to the Ragozin Defence of the Queen's Gambit Declined and 4...b6 5.Bg5 Bb7 transposes to the Nimzo/Queen's Indian hybrid line, so 4...c5 is the most common move that stays within Nimzo-Indian territory. Now 5.e3 transposes to the Rubinstein System, but the main move is 5.g3, which leads to a position that also arises from the Fianchetto Variation. 5.g3 cxd4 6.Nxd4 0-0 7.Bg2 d5 8.cxd5 Nxd5 can be considered the main line. Black has dissolved White's centre, but the bishop on g2 exerts pressure on the black queenside, which White may augment with 9.Qb3.
This line can also arise from the
Bogo-Indian Defence (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Bb4+) if White blocks the check with 4.Nc3.
Other variations
*4.f3 – This line has no generally accepted name, so is usually just referred to as the 4.f3 Variation. It has previously been called the Gheorghiu Variation (a name given by Gligorić), named after
Florin Gheorghiu
Florin Gheorghiu (born 6 April 1944) is a Romanian chess player and has been a university lecturer in foreign languages.
Born in Ploiești, on 6 April 1944, while the American bombers attacked the country's capital, his prodigious talent for the ...
who often played it early in his career, even defeating Fischer, sometimes the Shirov Variation, after
Alexei Shirov
Alexei Shirov (, lv, Aleksejs Širovs; born 4 July 1972) is a Latvian and Spanish chess player. Shirov was ranked number two in the world in 1994.
He won a match against Vladimir Kramnik in 1998 to qualify to play as challenger for the classic ...
who used it with great success in the early 1990s, before he lost three consecutive games with the line and abandoned it. It's also called the Kmoch variation. It is a straightforward attempt to seize control of e4 at the cost of delaying development. Black's most common responses are 4...d5 and 4...c5. After 4...d5, the most common continuation 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 c5 7.cxd5 Nxd5, a position also reached from the Sämisch Variation. Black's pressure on c3 and d4 compels White to play 8.dxc5, trying to open the position for their two bishops. White will follow up with e4, and Black will counter with ...e5 at some point to prevent White from pushing their e- and f-pawns further up the board. Another approach for Black is to play 4...c5, after which White's most common move is 5.d5 to reach a Benoni-style position, and Black's main replies are 5...b5, 5...0-0, 5...Bxc3+ and 5...Nh5. Instead of 5.d5, 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 is a direct transposition to the Sämisch Variation below.
*4.Bg5 – The Leningrad Variation received its name because its theory was developed extensively by players from that city, such as
Boris Spassky
Boris Vasilievich Spassky ( rus, Бори́с Васи́льевич Спа́сский, Borís Vasíl'yevich Spásskiy; born January 30, 1937) is a Russian chess grandmaster who was the tenth World Chess Champion, holding the title from 1969 ...
. Black can play 4...h6 or the immediate 4...c5. After 4...h6, the game may go 5.Bh4 c5 6.d5. Here the main line is 6...d6 7.e3 Bxc3+ 8.bxc3 e5, when Black has achieved a Hübner Variation-like blockade, the difference being that White's dark-squared bishop is outside the pawn chain. The pin on the f6-knight is very annoying, and Black often breaks it by playing the drastic ...g7–g5, which also clamps down on a potential f2–f4 break by White. This move weakens Black's kingside, so rather than castle on that side, Black usually safeguards the king by playing ...Kd8-c7. An alternative to 6...d6 or 6...Bxc3+ is 6...b5, much played in the 1970s after
Mikhail Tal
Mikhail Nekhemyevich Tal; rus, Михаил Нехемьевич Таль, ''Mikhail Nekhem'yevich Tal' '', ; sometimes transliterated ''Mihails Tals'' or ''Mihail Tal'' (9 November 1936 – 28 June 1992) was a Soviet-Latvian chess player ...
scored a crushing win over Spassky at
Tallinn
Tallinn () is the most populous and capital city of Estonia. Situated on a bay in north Estonia, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland of the Baltic Sea, Tallinn has a population of 437,811 (as of 2022) and administratively lies in the Harju ' ...
1973.
*4.a3 – The Sämisch Variation (named after
Fritz Sämisch) is a direct attempt to refute Black's strategic concept, as White gives up a tempo and concedes doubled c-pawns to gain the bishop pair. After 4...Bxc3+ 5.bxc3, Black has several possibilities, the most common of which is to blockade the doubled pawns with 5....c5. Black will proceed to attack the pawn on c4 with the moves ...b6, ...Ba6, ...Nc6–a5 and ...Rc8. As compensation, White establishes a powerful centre, which may provide a basis for a quick kingside attack. The Sämisch Variation was employed five times by
Mikhail Botvinnik
Mikhail Moiseyevich Botvinnik, ( – May 5, 1995) was a Soviet and Russian chess grandmaster. The sixth World Chess Champion, he also worked as an electrical engineer and computer scientist and was a pioneer in computer chess.
Botvinnik ...
against
Tal in the
1960 World Chess Championship, with five draws resulting, and once in the
1961 rematch, with a win for White. Subsequent practice has shown that White ultimately has difficulty obtaining enough kingside play to compensate for the doubled c-pawns, so this variation is rarely seen nowadays. Instead of 5...c5, 5...d5 is also possible, and transposes to the Botvinnik Variation if White plays 6.e3.
*4.g3 – The Romanishin Variation or Fianchetto Variation resembles the
Catalan System
The Catalan Opening is a chess opening where White plays d4 and c4 and fianchettoes the white bishop on g2. A common opening sequence is 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3, although various other openings can transpose into the Catalan. The ''Encyclopaedia of ...
, where White
fianchetto
In chess, the fianchetto ( or ; "little flank") is a pattern of wherein a bishop is developed to the second rank of the adjacent b- or g-, the having been moved one or two squares forward.
The fianchetto is a staple of many " hypermodern" ...
es the king's bishop to control the central light squares. Black can play 4...c5 5.Nf3 with a position also reached from the Kasparov Variation (see above), but 4...d5 is possible as well. This is considered the strongest response, since Black can often take and keep the pawn on c4. This is not usually possible in the Catalan, where White's queen's knight can be developed to d2 rather than c3 and can then recapture on c4.
*4.Qb3 – The Spielmann Variation is named after
Rudolf Spielmann
Rudolf Spielmann (5 May 1883 – 20 August 1942) was a Jewish-Austrian chess player of the romantic school, and chess writer.
Career
Spielmann was born in 1883, third child of Moritz and Cecilia Spielmann, and had a younger brother Edgar, an o ...
who played it at Carlsbad, 1929, and was played at master level in the early 1930s, though soon eclipsed in popularity by 4.Qc2. Like the Classical Variation 4.Qc2, it avoids the doubling of White's pawns. Unlike 4.Qc2, the queen on b3 has no control over e4, which Black can exploit, e.g., by playing 4...c5 5.dxc5 Nc6 6.Nf3 Ne4. Thus, despite the occasional revival by GMs
Vladimir Akopian
Vladimir Akopian (russian: Владимир Акопян, hy, Վլադիմիր Հակոբյան; born December 7, 1971) is an Armenian-Americans, American chess Grandmaster (chess), Grandmaster.
Career
Akopian was born in Baku, Azerbaijan Sov ...
,
Vladimir Malaniuk
Vladimir Pavlovich Malaniuk (; 21 July 1957 –2 July 2017) was a Ukrainian chess grandmaster and three-time Ukrainian champion. He competed in the FIDE World Chess Championship 1998. In team events, Malaniuk played for Ukraine in three Chess O ...
and
Jeroen Piket
Jeroen Piket (born 27 January 1969) is a Dutch chess grandmaster. He is a four-time Dutch Chess Champion.
Chess career
Born in 1969, Piket earned his international master title in 1986 and his grandmaster title in 1989. He won the Dutch Chess C ...
, this variation remains uncommon.
*4.Bd2 – This move is relatively unambitious, simply unpinning the knight. The strategic aim of obtaining the without conceding the doubled pawns fails, for after e.g., 4...Bxc3 5.Bxc3 Ne4, White cannot retain both bishops, and trades are usually not in White's interest since White has an advantage in .
*4.Qd3 – The Mikenas Variation is named after
Vladas Mikėnas
Vladas Mikėnas (17 April 1910 – 3 November 1992) was a Lithuanian chess player and journalist. He was awarded the titles of International Master and Honorary Grandmaster (chess), Grandmaster by FIDE.
Early career
Vladas Mikėnas played for ...
. It supports the knight and brings the queen to a central location, but the queen is exposed on d3, making this variation rare.
*4.e4 – The Dilworth Gambit, named for Vernon Dilworth, who contributed an article on the variation to the March 1949 issue of ''
CHESS magazine''. Dilworth's idea was 4...Nxe4 5.Qg4 Nxc3 6.Bd2, but this does not give White compensation for the pawn.
The line accordingly never developed a following beyond Dilworth himself.
Chris Ward called the gambit "critical, but basically rubbish".
[Offbeat Nimzo-Indian, Chris Ward. ch. 8 (Very Rare Fourth Moves for White)]
''ECO'' codes
In the ''
Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings
The ''Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings'' () is a reference work describing the state of opening theory in chess, originally published in five volumes from 1974 to 1979 by the Serbian company Šahovski Informator (Chess Informant). It is current ...
'', the Nimzo-Indian Defence has codes E20 to E59. All codes begin with 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4, excluding E20, which also includes alternatives to 3...Bb4 apart from 3...d5 (which would be the
Queen's Gambit Declined
The Queen's Gambit Declined (or QGD) is a chess opening in which Black declines a pawn offered by White in the Queen's Gambit:
:1. d4 d5
:2. c4 e6
This is known as the ''Orthodox Line'' of the Queen's Gambit Declined. When the "Queen's Gambi ...
).
:E20 – 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 (includes Romanishin Variation, 4.f3 Variation of Nimzo-Indian excluding 4.f3 d5 5.a3 Bxc3+, which is covered under E25)
:E21 – 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Nf3 (Kasparov Variation excluding 4...c5 5.g3, which is covered under E20)
:E22 – 4.Qb3 (E22 and E23 cover the Spielmann Variation)
:E23 – 4.Qb3 c5
:E24 – 4.a3 (E24–E29 cover the Sämisch Variation)
:E25 – 4.a3 Bxc3+ 5.bxc3 c5
:E26 – 4.a3 Bxc3+ 5.bxc3 c5 6.e3
:E27 – 4.a3 Bxc3+ 5.bxc3 0-0
:E28 – 4.a3 Bxc3+ 5.bxc3 0-0 6.e3
:E29 – 4.a3 Bxc3+ 5.bxc3 0-0 6.e3 c5
:E30 – 4.Bg5 (E30 and E31 cover the Leningrad Variation)
:E31 – 4.Bg5 h6 6.Bh4 c5 6.d5 d6
:E32 – 4.Qc2 (includes 4...0-0; E32–E39 cover the Classical/Capablanca Variation)
:E33 – 4.Qc2 Nc6 (Zürich/Milner-Barry Variation)
:E34 – 4.Qc2 d5
:E35 – 4.Qc2 d5 5.cxd5 exd5
:E36 – 4.Qc2 d5 5.a3
:E37 – 4.Qc2 d5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.Qxc3 Ne4
:E38 – 4.Qc2 c5
:E39 – 4.Qc2 c5 5.dxc5 0-0
:E40 – 4.e3 (includes Taimanov Variation; E40–E59 cover the Rubinstein System)
:E41 – 4.e3 c5 (includes Hübner Variation)
:E42 – 4.e3 c5 5.Ne2 (Rubinstein Variation, Romanishin–Psakhis Variation via 5...b6 6.a3 Ba5)
:E43 – 4.e3 b6 (includes Dutch Variation, Keres Variation)
:E44 – 4.e3 b6 5.Ne2 (includes American Variation, 5...Bb7 Variation)
:E45 – 4.e3 b6 5.Ne2 Ba6 (Fischer Variation)
:E46 – 4.e3 0-0 (includes Reshevsky Variation)
:E47 – 4.e3 0-0 5.Bd3
:E48 – 4.e3 0-0 5.Bd3 d5 (includes Modern Variation)
:E49 – 4.e3 0-0 5.Bd3 d5 6.a3
:E50 – 4.e3 0-0 5.Nf3
:E51 – 4.e3 0-0 5.Nf3 d5
:E52 – 4.e3 0-0 5.Nf3 d5 6.Bd3 b6 (Classical Fianchetto/Tal Variation)
:E53 – 4.e3 0-0 5.Nf3 d5 6.Bd3 c5 (includes Averbakh Variation)
:E54 – 4.e3 0-0 5.Nf3 d5 6.Bd3 c5 7.0-0 dxc4 8.Bxc4 (includes Karpov Variation, Bronstein Variation, Smyslov Variation)
:E55 – 4.e3 0-0 5.Nf3 d5 6.Bd3 c5 7.0-0 dxc4 8.Bxc4 Nbd7 (Parma Variation)
:E56 – 4.e3 0-0 5.Nf3 d5 6.Bd3 c5 7.0-0 Nc6 (includes Larsen Variation)
:E57 – 4.e3 0-0 5.Nf3 d5 6.Bd3 c5 7.0-0 Nc6 8.a3 dxc4 9.Bxc4 cxd4
:E58 – 4.e3 0-0 5.Nf3 d5 6.Bd3 c5 7.0-0 Nc6 8.a3 Bxc3 9.bxc3 (includes Khasin Variation)
:E59 – 4.e3 0-0 5.Nf3 d5 6.Bd3 c5 7.0-0 Nc6 8.a3 Bxc3 9.bxc3 dxc4 10.Bxc4 (includes Main Variation)
See also
*
List of chess openings
This is a list of chess openings, organized by the ''Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings'' () code. In 1966, Chess Informant categorized the chess openings into five broad areas ("A" through "E"), with each of those broken down into one hundred subca ...
*
List of chess openings named after people
''The Oxford Companion to Chess'' lists 1,327 named openings and variants. Chess players' names are the most common sources of opening names. The name given to an opening is not always that of the first player to adopt it; often an opening is name ...
References
Further reading
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{{Authority control
Chess openings