Nimzovich: A Big Damn Fool?

ONE MAN AGAINST THE ENTIRE WORLD

In 1543 Copernicus established, in his Revolutions, that the planets orbited the Sun rather than the Earth. What a blasphemy!

In 1929 Nimzovich established, in How I became a Grandmaster, that the way we teach in the First Chess Hour (basically, the moves to be shown first) was utterly and fundamentally wrong. What a profanity, again!

There was a slow progress of Copernicus heliocentric model. Many scholars didn't want to oppose the authority of Church and of Aristotle. The fact also was that the new theory apparently contradicted the evidence of our senses.

The scientific community of the time also had difficulties catching up with Copernicus. In particular Tycho Brahe, the best astronomer of the late 1500s, didn't like it. He proposed instead a 'compromise', the Earth moves around the Sun, but other planets move around the Earth?!? (what a nonsense, every elementary schooler may say today).

The wisest contemporaries opposed Copernicus as well. Luther reportedly said, "The fool wants to turn the world of astronomy upside down."

Sixty years after The Revolutions there were only about 15 astronomers supporting Copernicanism in all of Europe. That was how slow the theory originally was to adopt by the scientific elite, never mind the uneducated public.

Let us get back to chess.

There are only two approaches to how we can start teaching a Blank Chess Slate at Square One on Day One:

1) Nimzovich's way, and

2) Everybody else's, ever since the Chess Big Bang in the 5th century or so.

So it's one man against the entire world, including Chess Church authority modern, and old.

Nimzovich walks in the same steps as Copernicus.

The one slight difference being that eighty-eight years after his revelation, there is NO SINGLE chess scholar or chess trainer in the entire world to support his Square One teaching idea.

So, do you all chess patriarchs, Gran Maestros, all those highest echelons of chess educators, instructors, coaches, FIDE and USCF trainers, do you really think Nimzo was just a Big Damned Fool? Do you really think he just wanted to turn the world of Square One upside down for no apparent reason?

One fool, or All fooled?

PS

My call to the Big Guns of chess you can read here:

By the way, I have contacted one of the leading, most respected chess educators in the Nation today, trying to raise awareness of the elephant in the room. He replied,

"I would prefer to stay out of any debates unless I am well-tuned on the issues."

So, if the Chess Olympus has a tin ear unable to hear the Square One screeching, my question is, who and when will start tuning it up? Eighty-eight years, and counting...

the post was originally posted on Aug 19, 2017