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Nimzo-Indian (E41)
1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 e6 3 Nc3 Bb4 4 e3 c5

Number of games in database: 2452
Years covered: 1917 to 2025
Overall record:
   White wins 31.7%
   Black wins 30.1%
   Draws 38.2%

Popularity graph, by decade

Explore this opening  |  Search for sacrifices in this opening.
PRACTITIONERS
With the White Pieces With the Black Pieces
Jan Hein Donner  36 games
Svetozar Gligoric  35 games
Rainer Knaak  34 games
Istvan Csom  25 games
Jan Timman  19 games
Ulf Andersson  17 games
NOTABLE GAMES [what is this?]
White Wins Black Wins
Bronstein vs Keres, 1955
Kamsky vs Short, 1994
Gligoric vs Keres, 1958
Spassky vs Fischer, 1972
Euwe vs Reshevsky, 1953
Najdorf vs Huebner, 1971
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 page 1 of 99; games 1-25 of 2,452  PGN Download
Game  ResultMoves YearEvent/LocaleOpening
1. I Rabinovich vs A Selezniev 0-1261917Triberg tournamentE41 Nimzo-Indian
2. G Abrahams vs S Khan 1-0241930Practice GameE41 Nimzo-Indian
3. Bogoljubov vs L Hanssen  1-0431931Prague OlympiadE41 Nimzo-Indian
4. Rubinstein vs E Sapira  1-0371931AntwerpE41 Nimzo-Indian
5. Fine vs H Steiner 1-0371932Fine - SteinerE41 Nimzo-Indian
6. Fine vs H Steiner  1-0431932Western ChampionshipE41 Nimzo-Indian
7. D Avirovic vs B Tot  ½-½531932Yugoslav Amateur ChampionshipE41 Nimzo-Indian
8. Tolush vs E Kuzminykh  0-1511934Trade Unions championshipE41 Nimzo-Indian
9. I Koenig vs V Tomovic 0-1301937Belgrade ChampionshipE41 Nimzo-Indian
10. Alatortsev vs V A Vasiliev  1-0341938Trade Unions ChampionshipE41 Nimzo-Indian
11. S Gotthilf vs A Budo  ½-½351938URS-ch sf LeningradE41 Nimzo-Indian
12. T Melngailis vs V I Borodin  0-1621939Antwerp CC v Latvian Olympic TeamE41 Nimzo-Indian
13. R Grau vs M Luckis  0-1601940Buenos AiresE41 Nimzo-Indian
14. P Duarte Filho vs W O Cruz  1-0411942BRA-ch MatchE41 Nimzo-Indian
15. Vistaneckis Izakas) vs Shizov  0-1631945Ch TatarstanE41 Nimzo-Indian
16. B Tot vs D Avirovic  ½-½731945Yugoslav ChampionshipE41 Nimzo-Indian
17. Taimanov vs V Chekhover  1-0381946LeningradE41 Nimzo-Indian
18. Lilienthal vs M Yudovich Sr  ½-½211947USSR ChampionshipE41 Nimzo-Indian
19. M Simsak vs Leslie H Buck  1-0401947Lehigh Valley OpenE41 Nimzo-Indian
20. E Gereben vs Z Kovacs  1-0601947Schlechter MemorialE41 Nimzo-Indian
21. V Castaldi vs K Plater  ½-½301947Hilversum ZonalE41 Nimzo-Indian
22. G Kramer vs O Ulvestad  1-061194748th US OpenE41 Nimzo-Indian
23. Y Benderev vs T Jankov  0-1661947Bulgarian ChampionshipE41 Nimzo-Indian
24. C Laszlo vs Barcza  0-1411947Hungarian ChampionshipE41 Nimzo-Indian
25. Keres vs C Kottnauer 1-0411947MoscowE41 Nimzo-Indian
 page 1 of 99; games 1-25 of 2,452  PGN Download
  REFINE SEARCH:   White wins (1-0) | Black wins (0-1) | Draws (1/2-1/2)  

Kibitzer's Corner
Oct-27-03  Kenkaku: My favorite system against 4. e3, the Classical, and the Leningrad as black is to meet them with 4...c5. Are there any other proponents of this system on here? It's fairly universal in the Nimzo-Indian, and strong as well.
Oct-27-03  Benjamin Lau: Against 4. e3, ...c5 is very strong, perhaps the strongest move (I think ...b6 is another good candidate). Black can usually equalize with it. Against the classical 4. Qc2, 4... c5?! is considered a little suspect at top levels these days, but has not been refuted and likely never will be. At lower levels, I think that it might be classified as ...c5 rather than c5?!. The point is that it often leaves black with a very difficult to defend backward d pawn, worst of all, it's on an open file (as in the classical Pirc variation 4. Qc2 c5 5. dxc5). ...c5 is a very good move in the Leningrad. Statistics show that it at least equalizes, but more often brings black a slight advantage with best play from both sides.
Oct-27-03  Benjamin Lau: Romanishin, Portisch, Korchnoi, and some others practice the ...c5 classical, though not very frequently.

http://www.chessgames.com/perl/ches...

are some games with ...c5 against the Leningrad.

Oct-28-03
Premium Chessgames Member
  Open Defence: Andras Adorjan had some very interesting ideas against the Ne2 variation after Black plays c5
Jun-14-07
Premium Chessgames Member
  WTHarvey: Here are some traps n zaps in Nimzo-Indian 4.e3 c5 miniatures: http://www.wtharvey.com/e41.html
Nov-10-18  wordfunph: GM Lajos Portisch on Nimzo-Indain Hubner Variation..

<A lot of variations and novelties were actually mine. Take for instance this Nimzo-Indian variation which they call the Hubner variation. I'm always angry about that, because I already played that line in the fifties, from 1952 till the Bled tournament in 1960. But it was forgotten because it wasn't considered very good. Then suddenly a few years later Hubner started to play it and also Fischer and now they call it the Hubner variation. I have all respect for Mr Hubner, but they forgot that it was actually my idea. But I was not such a well-known player at that time.>

take from NIC magazine 1990/3

Nov-11-18
Premium Chessgames Member
  sakredkow: Seems like variations where black responds to 4. Nf3 or 4. e3 (Bronstein var) have fallen out of favor. That's a fairly recent development if I'm not mistaken.

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