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Nimzo-Indian (E20)
1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 e6 3 Nc3 Bb4

Number of games in database: 4747
Years covered: 1883 to 2025
Overall record:
   White wins 34.8%
   Black wins 32.4%
   Draws 32.9%

Popularity graph, by decade

Explore this opening  |  Search for sacrifices in this opening.
PRACTITIONERS
With the White Pieces With the Black Pieces
Sergey Volkov  78 games
Viktor Moskalenko  65 games
Shakhriyar Mamedyarov  51 games
Sergei Tiviakov  18 games
Oleg Romanishin  17 games
Sergey Karjakin  16 games
NOTABLE GAMES [what is this?]
White Wins Black Wins
Alekhine vs Kmoch, 1930
Gheorghiu vs Fischer, 1966
Kramnik vs Anand, 2008
Jakovenko vs Carlsen, 2007
Nakamura vs Carlsen, 2014
So vs Aronian, 2015
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 page 1 of 190; games 1-25 of 4,747  PGN Download
Game  ResultMoves YearEvent/LocaleOpening
1. Englisch vs Blackburne ½-½421883LondonE20 Nimzo-Indian
2. Spielmann vs Bogoljubov  ½-½311919Schultz Memorial, StockholmE20 Nimzo-Indian
3. Rubinstein vs Bogoljubov 1-0441920Bogoljubov - RubinsteinE20 Nimzo-Indian
4. Rubinstein vs A Selezniev 1-0701920GothenburgE20 Nimzo-Indian
5. Saemisch vs D Przepiorka 1-0511922Bad PistyanE20 Nimzo-Indian
6. Maroczy vs Saemisch 0-1251922Teplitz-SchonauE20 Nimzo-Indian
7. A Brinckmann vs A Nimzowitsch 0-1301923Match Nimzowitsch - BrinckmannE20 Nimzo-Indian
8. Tarrasch vs Saemisch ½-½581925BreslauE20 Nimzo-Indian
9. V Vukovic vs P Johner ½-½601925DebrecenE20 Nimzo-Indian
10. M Pinsky vs Kozhevnikov  1-0501927Perm championshipE20 Nimzo-Indian
11. C Ahues vs A Nimzowitsch 0-1291927Berlin Freie VereinigungE20 Nimzo-Indian
12. K Ruben vs A Nimzowitsch  ½-½441927Copenhagen Masters PolitikenE20 Nimzo-Indian
13. E Pfenniger vs C Piccardt  0-1311927NSB-RhW SchachverbandE20 Nimzo-Indian
14. Tartakower vs Marshall 1-0531928BerlinE20 Nimzo-Indian
15. Tartakower vs A Nimzowitsch ½-½211928BerlinE20 Nimzo-Indian
16. Tartakower vs G Thomas 1-0401929ScarboroughE20 Nimzo-Indian
17. J A Seitz vs Znosko-Borovsky  ½-½151929ParisE20 Nimzo-Indian
18. Marshall vs H Steiner 1-0321929Bradley BeachE20 Nimzo-Indian
19. G Del Pezzo vs G Padulli 1-0591930FlorenceE20 Nimzo-Indian
20. Kashdan vs R Willman  1-0551930Manhattan CC-chE20 Nimzo-Indian
21. Alekhine vs Kmoch 1-0391930San RemoE20 Nimzo-Indian
22. N Grigoriev vs I Kan ½-½641930National TournamentE20 Nimzo-Indian
23. Duchamp vs Znosko-Borovsky  ½-½321930NiceE20 Nimzo-Indian
24. J A Anderson vs E Steiner 0-1241930Hamburg OlympiadE20 Nimzo-Indian
25. H Weenink vs Saemisch  1-0291930Hamburg OlympiadE20 Nimzo-Indian
 page 1 of 190; games 1-25 of 4,747  PGN Download
  REFINE SEARCH:   White wins (1-0) | Black wins (0-1) | Draws (1/2-1/2)  

Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 8 OF 9 ·  Later Kibitzing>
Jul-06-06  themadhair: <ganstaman><Have you tried this much? How does it work out for you?> Quite good for blitz and I have naffled a few draws against fritz in 5 mins so it can't be all bad.

Pawn structure number 4 is worth paying closest attention to though:


click for larger view

Most common (at least the way I play it) and that weak c-pawn is usually good for an even game. And yes, queens indian transpositions are very common.

Jul-08-06
Premium Chessgames Member
  James Demery: I would like to learn the Nimzo Indian but good gracious sakes alive look at all the variations. Is there an effective defense against 1. d4 that is easier to learn for a patzer like me?
Jul-08-06  themadhair: <James Demery> Depends on what you are looking for. If you are looking for a nice and easy system for black that requires little to learn then I advise the same as <suenteus po 147> suggests above - try the Queen's Gambit Declined, Tarrasch (D32).
Jul-08-06
Premium Chessgames Member
  Open Defence: <James Demery> the Queen's Gambit Declined Tarrasch Defence is a good defence to 1.d4 especially for those who are not yet rated very high.... having a solid opening repetoire that is not too theory intensive can give you more time for working on end game and middle game technique....
Jul-10-06
Premium Chessgames Member
  James Demery: I tried the Tarrasch and I had problems in the endgame. I just can`t figure out how to defend the isolated pawn I always end up with. Schiller says its one of his favorites , but Masters just know how to deal with those problems I guess.
Jul-10-06  RookFile: Well, try the Semi-Tarrasch instead, then.
Jul-10-06  themadhair: <James Demery> What openings do you like to play against e4? There may be a d4 analog of it. Could you post your game?
Jul-10-06
Premium Chessgames Member
  James Demery: I`ve been playing the Sicilian against e4. I thought about maybe the Dutch since maybe it would be analagous to c5 against e4. My biggest problem really is time. Like most of you I`m sure I can`t really devote as much time to chess as I would like. I don`t record my games themadhair and I guess I should to improve.
Jul-10-06  themadhair: I can't really see the dutch being similar to the sicilian. How about this - learn the queens gambit accepted. One opening that will have you in good stead against 95% of queens pawn openings. What time control do you play at?
Jul-10-06
Premium Chessgames Member
  James Demery: I`ve been playing on Yahoo at unlimited time controls , but my computer is messing up right now and I can`t get onto Yahoo. Chess is like anything in life I suppose. You get out of it what you put into it.
Jul-10-06  themadhair: <I`ve been playing on Yahoo>*shudders*. To be honest the best I advice I can give at the moment is to pick a few different openings and try them out for a bit. Every new opening brings a few loses to start with. The more you play an opening the more you will learn about it. Try recording your moves and then seeing what GM's played in those positions. (Gee - I wonder where you can get a database of GM games online to look at) If you persevere with this you will see results - but like most things the more you put in the more you get out. No real shortcuts here.
Jul-10-06
Premium Chessgames Member
  WannaBe: I can't agree with <themadhair> more, it took me probably 20 some odd games before I really got the hang of the Najdorf. And I still don't know jack-sheeeeet about it.
Jul-10-06  themadhair: <WannaBe> Shouldn't that be <I couldn't agree..>? I'm just wondering is that an americanism.
Jul-10-06
Premium Chessgames Member
  WannaBe: <themadhair> So English isn't my first language. So sow me.
Jul-10-06  themadhair: <So sow me.> Now that is an americanism :)
Jul-12-06
Premium Chessgames Member
  James Demery: LOL themadhair. Yahoo chess makes you shudder? I guess it doesn`t exactly rank up there with ICC does it? At my level though its fine. My rating there is 1331 so neither Topalov or Anand are looking over their shoulder to see if I`m catching them. ( ;-)
Oct-17-06  soughzin: What do all you Nimzo-ers play against the english? Is playing Bb4 and taking on the knight after an a3 thought of as respectable by theory? I ask partly because I'm thinking of making the nimzo/QID my d4 defense. thanks
Nov-15-06  Archives: If anyone out there has read the book "Dangerous Weapons: The Nimzo Indian" (by Emms, Ward & Palliser), could you please tell me what it is like. What it covers, how advanced it is etc.

I cannot find a review of it online.

Cheers

Nov-15-06  Archives: Ooooh just found a review at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dy...

But still, if anyone has it, let me know what you think of it please.

Nov-15-06  Archives: Yay, after alot of searching I found the contents of the book...

<4.Qc2>

1 A Dangerous d-pawn: 4.Qc2 0-0 5.Bg5 c5 6.d5!?

2 Seizing the Initiative with ...b5!: 4.Qc2 0-0 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.Qc3 b5!?

3 Wanting it all (Part 1): 4.Qc2 0-0 5.e4!? d5

4 Wanting it all (Part 2): 4.Qc2 0-0 5.e4!? c5 and 5...d6

5 The Romanishin Gambit: 4.Qc2 d5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.Qxc3 c5!? 7.dxc5 d4

6 The Topalov Gambit: 4.Qc2 d5 5.cxd5 c5!?

<4.e3>

7 A Modern Twist: 4.e3 c5 5.Bd3 Nc6 6.Nge2 cxd4 7.exd4 d5 8.cxd5 Nxd5 9.a3!?

8 Another Vitolinsh Specialty: 4.e3 0-0 5.Ne2 b5!?

9 Baguio City Revisited: 4.e3 0-0 5.Bd3 c5 6.d5!?

10 An Idealistic Advance: 4.e3 Ne4!?

<4.Nf3>

11 A Break from Kasparov: 4.Nf3 c5 5.d5!?

12 The Milov Gambit: 4.Nf3 b6 5.Bg5 Bb7 6.Nd2 h6 7.Bh4 c5 8.d5!?

13 Going Dutch: 4.Nf3 Ne4!?

<Saemisch/4 f3>

14 The Undershooting Bishop: 4.a3 Bxc3+ 5.bxc3 c5 6.e3 b6!?

15 A souped-up Blumenfeld!: 4.f3 c5 5.d5 0-0 6.e4 b5!?

May-20-07  Bafometh: I would like to know which are the most secure lines with minimum but persistent advantage for white in this defenssive system?
May-20-07  Shajmaty: <Bafometh: I would like to know which are the most secure lines with minimum but persistent advantage for white in this defenssive system?> Both 4. e3 (Rubinstein), aiming for Bd3 , Nf3 and 0-0, and 4. Qc2 (Classical/Capablanca, avoiding doubled pawns).
May-20-07  euripides: <Baf,shaj> My experience with 4.Qc2 is that, despite its good reputation, it is very tricky to play; White gets long-run positional assets at the cost of allowing Black some dangerous counterplay. I think 4.e3 may be safer at the amateur level.
May-24-07  Shajmaty: <euripides: [...] I think 4.e3 may be safer at the amateur level.> Yeah, maybe safer... although Black can still worry you with lines with b6+c5, or even Nc6.
Dec-03-07  Cactus: Really, it's just a question of taste, but the Classical and Rubinstein variations are both good. However, they are also quite different. The classical sometimes get pretty tactical- the Grand Variation may be the craziest sound opening variation there is. The Rubinstein might be more positional, so, I suppose, it's a matter of style.
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