Nimzo Indian

I opened with Nf3 for quite a while, but I've kind of sunk into d4 because it's more predictable and feels like the stronger play for my level - avoiding the labyrinth while I build skills. Anyway, Nf3 automatically orients you toward the queen's Indian, but you sometimes get the Bogo which - while harmless - usually results in a trade of dark squared bishops....and this material girl wants her two bishops. 

The Nimzo, on the other hand, is more dangerous than the Bogo, but you get your two bishops - and often the bishop pair. However, I haven't really sat down to study the Nimzo in depth because I've never played it from either side...I've just been playing the Qc2 variation because that's what Kasparov did, but that's not a good reason, and I haven't really been happy with my middlegame structures. 

Which lines are your favorite with white? Which players should I look at for examples of these lines? And don't suggest random gambit lines that were played once by Hikaru Nakamura in blitz and once by a random Romanian chess guru in the 1890s....I want serious suggestions. 

4.Bd2 I think is the easiest way to play. It's not dangerous but the play is simpler and similar to positions you get in the queen's gambit declined sometimes. Besides everyone at the top levels is putting their bishop on d2 in queen's pawn openings anyway so why not? 

Nobody on top level does that. I think Qc2 is what I hate seeing most.

I'm thinking I might try a3....it seems kind of like a monkey's paw variation "very well, you may have exactly what you wished for "

If you don't like the structures you reach with Qc2 you'll really dislike the structures you get in most other lines. The problem with Qc2 and maintaining a good structure with a nice dark square bishop is that you're behind in development. In other lines you maintain tempo in development but your structure is very ugly.

The nimzo is probably one of the most correct and solid openings there is. There is no way white can get an easy advantage. The Qc2 system is good but can lead to very complex positions where black has dynamic compensation for the bisshop pair and white actually has to be careful not to get worse. In other words a fair amount of theory is needed. 

Perhaps for starters you could try a less concrete and theoretical setup where black has of course equal changes but the position is fresh and less theory heavy. 

I would strongly recommend against a3. First of all the positions where you pay a3 without the plan of f3/e4 are actually equal or even better for black while the f3 system is really complex, theoretical and often black players are rather well prepared for it. In any case it leads to an equal position.

What do you guys play against Qc2? I haven't played the nimzo in forever.

Qc2 Bx Qx Ne4 is what I hate playing against - I feel like black gets the initiative, but playing cx feels like "why did I move the queen in the first place!?" 

I don't necessarily want the line that's easiest to learn, I want a line that will give me the bishop pair and the center - I think white deserves these two gifts in exchange for black's good position. Maybe the f3 line is more solid than the a3 line?

Noooooooooooooooo don't take on c3 without waiting for a3 wth

Qc2 scores very well for white although I prefer f3, just because I like playing the move f3 for no reason.

Sounds like the 4.f3 line is exactly what you're looking for, it's very fun and aggressive.  Plus it's World Championship Match approved 

4.f3 is very complicated and leads to positions you want to avoid.

Unless Black makes a mistake you usually won't get the bishop pair without a trade in time and pawn structure. You probably want to go with 4.e3.

The only reason I don't like the idea of 4.Qc2 is because it's based off of the ideas in the other variations that you may not know.

That's my 2nd favorite game ever :)

The e3 and a3 lines have a lot of transpositions according to Watson, but I think e3 is probably more accurate because it plays in to the developmental aide scheme more than a3 - but the moves are a bit interchangeable at some level. Either way, it looks like I'll book up on the e3 - a3 complex and see where it leads me.

Thanks for the advice!

Getting the knight on the e4 square is nice.

So you go Ne2 - c3 - e4? That feels so slow!

I guess e2 g3 e4 is better.....still slow

It looks like we can't hold the pawn at all after ...Nb6 - at least not without giving up more than looks comfortable - but it does interfere with black's usual play with ...b6, Ba6, so maybe black's life is more complicated too? Or maybe just ...exd with Bf5 or Be6 to follow?

4.Qb3 was popular on the 1930's when the Nimzo-indian was in its infancy. It protects the knight and attacks the bishop. It gets out of the books very quickly and White has a more than playable game.

When I play Black I love to see 4.a3, because it's very easy to play against: play ...BxN and attack the weak pawn on c4. As White has structural weaknesses he is compelled to go for a K-side attack, while defending the c4 pawn for as long as he can... but this isn't easy.

That line looks really interesting......maybe less optimal for current GM play, but I'm not playing GM level chess, and my opponents probably won't have a system worked out for Qb3. I'm still leaning toward working through lines in the e3 and a3 variations, but I'll scrub through some Botvinnik games (he randomly plays all of the openings I like)