Editing Nimzowitsch Defence

{{Short description|Chess opening}}
{{about|the opening moves 1.e4 Nc6|the more common 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4|Nimzo-Indian Defence}}
{{Infobox chess opening
|openingname = Nimzowitsch Defence
|image = {{Chess diagram|| 
|rd|  |bd|qd|kd|bd|nd|rd
|pd|pd|pd|pd|pd|pd|pd|pd
|  |  |nd|  |  |  |  |  
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
|  |  |  |  |pl|  |  |  
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
|pl|pl|pl|pl|  |pl|pl|pl
|rl|nl|bl|ql|kl|bl|nl|rl
}}
|moves=1.e4 Nc6
|ECO=B00
|birth=
|nameorigin = [[Aron Nimzowitsch]]
|parentopening = [[King's Pawn Game]]
|AKA=
|chessgid=22922&move=2&moves=e4.Nc6&nodes=21720.22922
}}

The '''Nimzowitsch Defence''' (named after [[Aron Nimzowitsch]]) is a somewhat uncommon [[chess opening]] characterised by the moves:

:1. [[b:Chess Opening Theory/1. e4|e4]] [[b:Chess Opening Theory/1. e4/1...Nc6|Nc6]]

This opening is an example of a [[hypermodernism (chess)|hypermodern]] opening in which Black invites White to occupy the {{chessgloss|centre}} of the board at an early stage with pawns.<ref>{{cite book|last=Schiller|first=Eric|author-link=Eric Schiller|title=World Champion Openings|date=March 1997|publisher=Cardoza Publishing|page=340|isbn=0-940685-69-8}}</ref> Black's intent is to block or otherwise restrain White's central pawns and, if allowed to do so by inaccurate play by White, eventually undermine the White pawn centre by well-timed pawn advances of their own or by attacking the white pieces defending the centre. [[World Chess Championship|World Champion]] [[Garry Kasparov]] and [[Grandmaster (chess)|Grandmaster]] [[Raymond Keene]] wrote that it "has never been fully accepted as a dependable opening. Nevertheless it is sound and offers the maverick spirit a great deal of foreign territory to explore."<ref>Garry Kasparov and Raymond Keene, ''Batsford Chess Openings 2'', Collier Books, 1989, p. 228. {{ISBN|0-02-033991-7}}.</ref>

The Nimzowitsch is included under code B00 in the ''[[Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings]]''.
{{algebraic notation|pos=toc}}

==Main line: 2.d4 {{anchor|Main line}}==
White takes the initiative in the centre. Black's main continuations are 2...d5 or 2...e5.

===2...d5===
The line that [[Aron Nimzowitsch]], the originator of the opening, usually preferred.  Now White can choose among:
*3.e5, which Black usually meets with 3...Bf5, (although 3...f6 is also a decent, though more complex, variation) followed by playing ...e6 (which no longer locks in the {{chessgloss|light-squared bishop}}) and later attacking White's central {{chessgloss|pawn chain}} with moves such as ...f6 and ...c5. 
*3.exd5 Qxd5, followed by 4.Nf3, seeking to gain time by attacking the [[queen (chess)|queen]] with Nc3, but enabling Black to put pressure on White's centre with 4...Bg4 or 4...e5.
*3.Nc3 dxe4 (3...e6 leads to a type of [[French Defence]]) 4.d5 Ne5, when White usually continues with 5.Qd4 or 5.Bf4 Ng6 6.Bg3.

===2...e5===
A {{chessgloss|solid}} line favoured by the late British grandmaster [[Tony Miles]].  White can [[Transposition (chess)|transpose]] to the [[Scotch Game]] with 3.Nf3, or play 3.d5 Nce7 (with the intentions of 4. -- Ng6 - Black Knight's Tango) (3...Nb8, although perhaps not as bad as it looks, is considered inferior), which gives White only a slight plus score in practice. Another approach is 3.dxe5 Nxe5, when White can seek a quiet {{chessgloss|positional play|positional}} advantage with 4.Nf3 or play the more aggressive (but potentially weakening) thrust 4.f4.

==2.Nf3==
Shown by some databases to be the [http://www.chessgames.com/perl/explorer?node=22922&move=2&moves=e4.Nc6&nodes=21720.22922 most common move], 2.Nf3 is often played by White players not eager for a theoretical battle on their opponent's turf.<ref>The American [[International Master]] [[Jeremy Silman]] writes that "most players (even at the grandmaster level) avoid any pre-studied lines by the opponent by simply replying with 2.Nf3". Jeremy Silman, ''The Reassess Your Chess Workbook: How to Master Chess Imbalances'', Siles Press, 2001, p. 383. {{ISBN|1-890085-05-7}}.</ref> 
*2...e5, transposing to a double king-pawn opening, may be the best move, but is unlikely to appeal to the hard-core Nimzowitsch player.  
*The sharp 2...f5, the '''Colorado Gambit''', although somewhat dubious, was played with some success by the American [[International Master]] Doug Root, and more recently by the Finnish International Master Olli Salmensuu and others. It may lead to wild complications, e.g. 3.exf5 d5 4.Nh4{{chesspunc|!?}} e5!? 5. Qh5+ g6 6.fxg6 Nf6{{chesspunc|!}} 7.g7+ Nxh5 8.gxh8=Q Qxh4 9.Qxh7 Nd4, when White is an exchange up, but Black has a huge lead in {{chessgloss|development}} and White's king is in jeopardy. Naiditsch–[[Fabian Doettling|Doettling]], [[Dortmund]] 2000, ended in a draw after further complications: 10.Qg6+ Kd8 11.d3 Nf4! 12.Qf7 Bb4+ 13.c3 Bg4! 14.Qg8+ Kd7 15.Qg7+ Kc6 16.g3 Nf3+ 17.Kd1 Nd4+ 18.Kd2 Nf3+ 19.Kd1 Nd4+ {{chessAN|½–½}}. The  British International Master [[Gary Lane (chess player)|Gary Lane]] advocates the more solid 4.d4 Bxf5 5.Bb5 (trying to control the weakened e5-square) Qd6 6.Ne5 Nf6 7.0-0 Nd7 8.Bxc6 bxc6 9.Qf3! Nxe5 (or 9...e6 10.g4 Bg6 11.Nxg6 hxg6 12.Bf4 Qb4 13.Qd3) 10.Qxf5 Nf7 11.Bf4 Qd7 12.Qxd7+ Kxd7 13.Nd2 when Black's inferior [[pawn structure]] gave White a small advantage in Shaw–Salmensuu, European Team Championship, [[León, Spain|León]] 2001 ({{chessAN|1–0}}, 63).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1207583 |title=Shaw vs. Salmensuu, EuTCh (2001), Leon ESP |website=[[Chessgames.com]] }}</ref>
*2...d6, the '''Williams Variation''', is known to be a solid option for Black, but is less dynamic than the former options and can lead to an inferior version of the [[Pirc Defense]]. The main line continues 3.d4 Bg4, but 3...Nf6 is completely {{chessgloss|playable}}. The line usually continues 4.Bb5 a6 5.Bxc6+, leading to a fairly equal position, but a sharper try for white is 4.d5 Ne5 5.Nxe5!?, the Keene Attack, named after [[Raymond Keene]], who played it in a 1964 game against E. Fielder. While this attack sacrifices the queen, White can gain it back after 5...Bxd1 6.Bb5+ c6 7.dxc6 Qa5+ 8.Nc3 0-0-0 9.Nc4 Qc7 10.Nd5.
*Other moves, including 2...e6, 2...Nf6, 2...d5, and 2...g6 are {{chessgloss|playable}} but tend to lead to inferior variations of, respectively, the French Defence, [[Alekhine's Defence]], [[Scandinavian Defense]], or [[Robatsch Defence]].
**After 2...Nf6 3.e5 Ng4?! is possible, invented by Spanish GM Marc Narciso Dublan, who called it "El Columpio" ("The Swing"). After 4.d4 d6 5.h3 Nh6 both the Exchange Variation (6.exd6) and the Pin Variation (6.Bb5) give White the edge. Worth exploring is the El Columpio Gambit (The Swing Gambit): 6.e6?!<ref>{{Cite book |last=Wisnewski |first=Christoph |title=Play 1...Nc6! |publisher=[[Everyman Chess]] |year=2007 |isbn=978-1857445220 |page=74 }}</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of chess openings]]
* [[List of chess openings named after people]]

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
* [http://chesshistory.com/winter/extra/nimzowitschdefence.html "The Nimzowitsch Defence (1 e4 Nc6) by Edward Winter" (Chess Notes Feature Article)]

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[[Category:Chess openings]]