Nimzowitsch Defence

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This article is about the opening moves 1.e4 Nc6. For the more common 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 see Nimzo-Indian Defence.

The Nimzowitsch Defence is a somewhat unusual chess opening, in which Black moves 1... Nc6 in reply to White's 1.e4. It is an example of a hypermodern opening where Black invites White to occupy the centre of the board at an early stage with pawns. 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 center by well-timed pawn advances of his own or by attacking the White pieces defending the centre.

Main Variations

• 2.d4 d5. The line that Aron Nimzowitsch, the originator of the opening, usually preferred. Now White can choose among (1) 3.e5 Bf5; (2) 3.exd5 Qxd5 4.Nf3 Bg4 5.Be2, seeking to gain time by attacking the queen with Nc3; and (3) 3.Nc3 dxe4 (3...e6 leads to a type of French Defense considered somewhat inferior to main French lines because Black has blocked his c-pawn) 4.d5 Ne5, when White usually continues in gambit style with 5.Qd4 or 5.Bf4 Ng6 6.Bg3.
• 2.d4 e5. A solid line favored by the late British Grandmaster Tony Miles. White can transpose to the Scotch Game with 3.Nf3, or play 3.d5 Nce7 (3...Nb8, although perhaps not as bad as it looks, is considered inferior), which gives White only a slight plus score in practice.
• 2.Nf3, shown by some databases to be the most common move, is often played by White players not eager for a theoretical battle on their opponents' turf. 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. Other moves, including 2...d6, 2...e6, 2...Nf6, 2...d5, and 2...g6 are playable but tend to lead to inferior variations of the Pirc Defense, French Defense, Alekhine's Defense, Scandinavian Defense, or Robatsch Defense, respectively. The sharp 2...f5, although somewhat dubious, was played with some success by the American International Master Doug Root.