Nimzowitsch Defense: El Columpio Defense, Exchange Variation
Nimzowitsch Defense: El Columpio Defense, Exchange Variation is a chess opening with the ECO code B00, part of the Nimzowitsch Defense family. It goes 1. e4 Nc6 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. e5 Ng4 4. d4 d6 5. h3 Nh6 6. exd6. White opens with 1. e4 (the king's pawn) and Black answers 1... Nc6. After 11 moves it is Black to move. After the last move White is a pawn ahead in material. The lesson on the board explains every move of the line and lets you play it yourself; it is free.
The moves
1. e4 – White plays the pawn to e4
1... Nc6 – Black plays the knight to c6
2. Nf3 – White plays the knight to f3
2... Nf6 – Black plays the knight to f6
3. e5 – White plays the pawn to e5
3... Ng4 – Black plays the knight to g4
4. d4 – White plays the pawn to d4
4... d6 – Black plays the pawn to d6
5. h3 – White plays the pawn to h3
5... Nh6 – Black plays the knight to h6
6. exd6 – White captures on d6 with the e-pawn
About the Nimzowitsch Defense
Black answers 1.e4 with 1...Nc6, an offbeat move that blocks the c-pawn. Black hopes to reach a French- or e5-type game on their own terms.
After 2.d4, Black often plays ...d5 or ...e5 to hit the centre.
The c6 knight blocks ...c5, so Black uses piece pressure on d4 instead.
White can simply grab space with d4 and d5; Black must play actively.
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