Nimzowitsch realized that by pinning the N with the king's B, white's influence on the center squares e4 and d5 was reduced. While black must often surrender the B for the pinned N, rapid development or doubling of white's c pawns provide sufficient compensation. The classical variation leads to safe play. The Sämisch variation is considered white's sharpest response.
Nimzo-Indian Defense
Nimzowitsch realized that by pinning the N with the king's B, white's influence on the center squares e4 and d5 was reduced. While black must often surrender the B for the pinned N, rapid development or doubling of white's c pawns provide sufficient compensation. The classical variation leads to safe play. The Sämisch variation is considered white's sharpest response.
1.d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4
-Classical Variation (4... d5 5 a3):-
4. Qc2 d5 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6.Qxc3 Nc6 7. Nf3 Ne4 8. Qb3 Na5 9. Qa4+ c6 10. cxd5 exd5 11.e3 Bf5 12. Bd2 Nxd2 13. Nxd2 O-O
-Classical Variation (4... d5 5 cxd5):
4.Qc2 d5 5. cxd5 Qxd5 6. Nf3 c5 7.Bd2 Bxc3 8.Bxc3 cxd4 9. Rd1! Nc6 10. Nxd4 O-O 11. f3 Qxa2 12. e4 Nxd4 13. Rxd4 Bd7
- Classical Variation (4... c5):
4.Qc2 c5! 5.dxc5 O-O 6. Bg5 Na6
7.a3 Bxc3+ 8.Qxc3 Nxc5 9.Bxf6 Qxf6
10. Qxf6 gxf6 11. f3 a5 12. e4 b6 =
- Classical Variation (4... O-O):
4.Qc2 O-O 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.Qxc3 b6 7. Nf3 Bb7 8. e3 d6 9.b4 Nbd7
10. Bb2 a5! 11. Be2 Ne4 12. Qc2 c5 13. dxc5 bxc5
- Leningrad Variation:
4. Bg5 h6 5. Bh4 c5 6. d5 d6 7. e3 Bxc3+ 8. bxc3 e5 9. Qc2 Nbd7 10. Bd3 Qe7 11. f3 Kd8 12. Ne2 g5 13. Bg3 Kc7
- Rubinstein Variation (main line):
4.e3 O-O 5. Bd3 d5 6. Nf3 c5 7. O-O Nc6 8. a3 Bxc3 9. bxc3 dxc4 10. Bxc4 Qc7 11. Ba2 e5 12. h3 e4 13. Nh2 Bf5 14. Ng4 Nxg4 15. hxg4 Bg6 16. a4 Rfd8 17. Qe2 b6 18. Ba3 Kh8
- Rubinstein Variation (Fischer Line):
4. e3 b6 5. Bd3 Bb7 6. Nf3 O-O 7. O-O c5 8. Na4 cxd4 9. exd4 Be7 10. Re1 d6 11. b4 Nbd7 12. Bb2 a5 13. b5 d5 =
- Sämisch Variation (5... c5):
4. a3 Bxc3+ 5. bxc3 c5 6. e3 O-O 7. Bd3 Nc6 8. Ne2 b6 9. e4 Ne8 10. O-O Ba6 11. Qa4 Qc8 12. Be3 Na5 13. dxc5 d6!
- Sämisch Variation (5... d5):
4. a3 Bxc3+ 5. bxc3 d5 6. f3 c5 7. cxd5 Nxd5 8. dxc5 f5 9. Nh3 O-O 10. c4 Qh4+ 11. Nf2 Nf6 12. e3 Nc6 13. Be2 e5
- Sämisch Variation (5... O-O):
4. a3 Bxc3+ 5. bxc3 O-O 6. f3 Ne8 7. e4 b6 8. Nh3 Ba6 9. e5 Nc6 10. Bg5 f6 11. exf6 Nxf6 12. Bd3 e5