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Nimzo-Indian Defense

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 · E20–E59

Part of Indian Defense

Starting positionWhite to move

0 / 14

One pin controls the whole fight for e4

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The idea

Black pins the knight on c3 and fights for e4 with pieces rather than pawns — one of the most respected defences in all of chess.

Main line: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e3 O-O 5.Bd3 d5 6.Nf3 c5 7.O-O Nc6

What White wants

  • If Black exchanges on c3, weigh the bishop pair against doubled pawns; Qc2 enables a queen recapture
  • Build the centre with e3, Bd3 and Nf3
  • Play for the e4 break or the two-bishop middlegame

What Black wants

  • Control e4 with ...Nf6, ...d5 and the ...Bb4 pin
  • Trade on c3 at the right moment to damage the pawn structure
  • Use structural imbalances rather than expecting a forced early advantage

Key idea

Understand this and the moves stop needing to be memorised.

One pin controls the whole fight for e4

The bishop on b4 pins the knight that could support e4. White can reinforce c3 with Qc2, unpin, or accept ...Bxc3 and doubled pawns. Exchanging concedes Black's bishop pair, so the value of the pin and pawn targets matters.

Common mistake

Exchanging on c3 automatically. ...Bxc3 can be entirely sound, but it gives White the bishop pair; Black needs useful pressure on the resulting pawns or central squares. Compare the recapture and the centre before releasing the pin.

Representative position

The position this opening is aiming at. Copy the FEN, or open it in the analysis board and let the engine tell you what it is worth.

r1bq1rk1/pp3ppp/2n1pn2/2pp4/1bPP4/2NBPN2/PP3PPP/R1BQ1RK1 w - - 2 8

Analyze this position

Variations

3 lines branching from here.

Related openings

Indian Defense1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e3 O-O · A45–A79, D70–D99, E00–E99The family name for every defence where Black develops the knight to f6 first and decides later whether the centre will be blocked, undermined or handed over.Nimzo-Indian: Rubinstein Variation1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e3 O-O · E40–E59White defers the decision with e3 and Bd3, and Black completes development before the tension on c3 finally resolves.Nimzo-Indian: Classical Variation1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Qc2 O-O · E32–E39White defends the knight with the queen and keeps the pawn structure intact, accepting a slightly slower development for a healthy centre.Nimzo-Indian: Leningrad Variation1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Bg5 h6 · E30White develops the bishop to g5 before anything else, creating a double pin and a sharp, unbalanced position with a big centre.Queen's Indian Defense1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.g3 Bb7 · E12–E19Black fianchettoes the queen's bishop and challenges e4 along the long diagonal — solid, principled and a lifetime's work to master.Bogo-Indian Defense1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Bb4+ 4.Bd2 Qe7 · E11Black checks on b4 with the bishop, forcing White to block and then trading it off — an unambitious but very hard-to-beat system.