Nimzo-Indian Defense

Nimzo-Indian Defense is a chess opening with the ECO code E20. It goes 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4. White opens with 1. d4 (the queen's pawn) and Black answers 1... Nf6. After 6 moves it is White to move. The lesson on the board explains every move of the line and lets you play it yourself; it is free.

The moves

• 1. d4 – White plays the pawn to d4
• 1... Nf6 – Black plays the knight to f6
• 2. c4 – White plays the pawn to c4
• 2... e6 – Black plays the pawn to e6
• 3. Nc3 – White plays the knight to c3
• 3... Bb4 – Black plays the bishop to b4

In chessGM's opening book this position continues with 4. Qc2, 4. e3, 4. Bg5, 4. a3, 4. f3.

About the Nimzo-Indian Defense

After 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3, Black pins the knight with 3...Bb4. Black fights for e4 with pieces instead of pawns.

• Black is often happy to play ...Bxc3 and give White doubled c-pawns.
• In return White gets the two bishops and should open the position for them.
• Black uses ...c5, ...d5 or ...b6 with ...Bb7 to control the light squares.

chessGM has a full course for this line: open the Nimzo-Indian Defense course lesson.

Related openings

• It extends: Indian Defense: Normal Variation (1. d4 Nf6 2. c4)
• Continues with: Nimzo-Indian Defense: Dilworth Gambit – adds 4. e4
• Continues with: Nimzo-Indian Defense: Kmoch Variation – adds 4. f3
• Continues with: Nimzo-Indian Defense: Mikenas Attack – adds 4. Qd3
• Continues with: Nimzo-Indian Defense: Romanishin Variation – adds 4. g3
• Continues with: Nimzo-Indian Defense: Three Knights Variation – adds 4. Nf3
• Continues with: Nimzo-Indian Defense: Spielmann Variation – adds 4. Qb3
• Continues with: Nimzo-Indian Defense: Sämisch Variation – adds 4. a3
• Continues with: Nimzo-Indian Defense: Leningrad Variation – adds 4. Bg5
• Related line: Nimzo-Indian Defense: Dilworth Gambit (1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e4)
• Related line: Nimzo-Indian Defense: Kmoch Variation (1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. f3)
• Related line: Nimzo-Indian Defense: Mikenas Attack (1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Qd3)
• Related line: Nimzo-Indian Defense: Romanishin Variation (1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. g3)
• Related line: Nimzo-Indian Defense: Romanishin Variation (1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Nf3 c5 5. g3 O-O 6. Bg2)
• Related line: Nimzo-Indian Defense: Romanishin Variation, English Hybrid (1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Nf3 c5 5. g3 cxd4 6. Nxd4 O-O 7. Bg2 d5 8. cxd5 Nxd5)

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