I have recently fallen in love with the Nimzo Indian. What opening response to e4 is most like the Nimzo Indian? I am looking for your opinions on this (and maybe your reasoning) -- I don't expect there to be a definitive answer.
I have always compared the Nimzo-Indian to the Caro-Kann, Closed Ruy Lopez, or Petroff
Lacks the flimsiness of the Dragon, Alekhine, Latvian, etc.
Lacks the dullness of the Berlin.
I'd say the Caro-Kann is closest to it because both require knowledge of many pawn structures. You got Blocked positions (Huebner), IQP positions (many 4.e3 lines), hanging pawns (such as in some lines of the QID - you need something for 3.Nf3 instead of 3.Nc3), the Carlsbad pawn structure, etc. For the Caro, you've got the classical lines with d4 vs c6 (d5 and e4 are traded), the Advanced center which tends to be more blocked, the IQP center in the Panov, and even the Carlsbad Pawn Structure with colors reversed (i.e. Black has the e-pawn, White the c-pawn, and Black is looking for a Minority Attack or central Thrust while White is going for the King.)
While the pawn structure diversity is not there in the Petroff and Closed Ruy Lopez, the strategically complicated nature of both, while neither is totally wild like the Najdorf or Benoni nor dull like the Berlin or Orthodox QGD.
thanks guys. so I will investigate the French and also look at different e5 defenses. I don't mind e5 because it feels pretty natural to me.