E20-E59

Nimzo-Indian Defense

99 named lines in this family, ECO E20-E59. Every one of them opens 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6, so the notes on those moves are written once, just below, instead of once per line. Under each line you get its moves and the sentences it adds that this page has not already printed; sixty lines to a page. A line's own page carries up to its first 4 per-move notes in full.

The moves every line here plays

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6

1. d4 Stakes a claim in the centre, controlling e5, and frees the bishop and queen.
1... Nf6 Develops the knight to f6, eyeing d5 and e4.
2. c4 Fights for d5 from the flank - contesting the centre without committing a centre pawn.
2... e6 Supports the centre, adding control of d5.

St. Petersburg Variation, after 4. Nf3, through 6. Qc2E43

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Nf3 b6 5. e3 Ne4 6. Qc2

...Bb4 pins the knight that supports e4: Black fights for the light squares, often trades on c3 to damage the pawns, and plays structure against the bishop pair. White's knight on c3 is pinned against the king.

St. Petersburg Variation, after 4. e3, through 6... O-OE43

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 b6 5. Bd3 Bb7 6. Nf3 O-O

Black's queenside bishop takes the long diagonal.

St. Petersburg Variation, with Ne4E43

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 b6 5. Bd3 Bb7 6. Nf3 Ne4

St. Petersburg Variation, after 4. e3, through 7. O-OE43

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 b6 5. Bd3 Bb7 6. Nf3 O-O 7. O-O

St. Petersburg Variation, after 4. e3, through 7... c5E43

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 b6 5. Bd3 Bb7 6. Nf3 O-O 7. O-O c5

St. Petersburg Variation, after 4. e3, through 7... Bb7E43

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 Ne4 5. Qc2 f5 6. Nf3 b6 7. Bd3 Bb7

St. Petersburg Variation, after 4. Nf3, through 8. O-OE43

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Nf3 Bxc3+ 5. bxc3 b6 6. e3 Bb7 7. Bd3 O-O 8. O-O

The structure hands White the half-open b-file - rook pressure down it is a standing plan.

St. Petersburg Variation, after 4. e3, through 8... Qe7E43

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 O-O 5. Bd3 c5 6. Nf3 b6 7. O-O Bb7 8. Na4 Qe7

St. Petersburg Variation, after 4. Nf3, through 9. O-OE43

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Nf3 b6 5. e3 Ne4 6. Qc2 Bb7 7. Bd3 Bxc3+ 8. bxc3 f5 9. O-O

St. Petersburg Variation, after 4. e3, through 9... Be7E43

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 b6 5. Bd3 Bb7 6. Nf3 O-O 7. O-O c5 8. Na4 cxd4 9. a3 Be7

An early pawn trade leaves the c-file as Black's avenue and the d-file as White's - both sides get real winning chances down their own file.

St. Petersburg Variation, after 4. e3, through 5. Ne2E44

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 b6 5. Ne2

St. Petersburg Variation, American VariationE44

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 b6 5. Ne2 Ne4

St. Petersburg Variation, Romanishin-Psakhis VariationE44

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 b6 5. Ne2 c5 6. a3 Ba5

St. Petersburg Variation, Fischer VariationE45

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 b6 5. Ne2 Ba6

Normal Variation, through 4... O-OE46

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 O-O

Reshevsky VariationE46

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 O-O 5. Ne2

Simagin VariationE46

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 O-O 5. Ne2 d5 6. a3 Bd6

Normal Variation, after 5. Bd3E47

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 O-O 5. Bd3

Normal Variation, Classical DefenseE48

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 O-O 5. Bd3 d5

Ragozin DefenseE48

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

Normal Variation, Botvinnik SystemE49

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 O-O 5. Bd3 d5 6. a3 Bxc3+ 7. bxc3

Main line, after 4. e3E50

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 O-O 5. Nf3

Normal Variation, Ragozin VariationE51

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 O-O 5. Nf3 d5

Normal Variation, Sämisch DeferredE51

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 O-O 5. Nf3 d5 6. a3

Ragozin VariationE51

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 O-O 5. Bd3 d5 6. Nf3 Nc6 7. O-O dxc4

An early pawn trade leaves the c-file as White's avenue and the d-file as Black's - both sides get real winning chances down their own file. Black has doubled pawns on the c-file.

Normal Variation, Schlechter Defense, after 4... O-OE52

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 O-O 5. Bd3 d5 6. Nf3 b6

Normal Variation, Schlechter Defense, after 4... b6E52

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 b6 5. Bd3 Bb7 6. Nf3 O-O 7. O-O d5

Normal Variation, Gligoric System, through 6... c5E53

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

Normal Variation, Gligoric System, after 7. O-OE53

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 O-O 5. Bd3 d5 6. Nf3 c5 7. O-O Nbd7

Normal Variation, Gligoric System, Keres VariationE53

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 O-O 5. Bd3 d5 6. Nf3 c5 7. O-O b6

Normal Variation, Gligoric System, Exchange Variation, through 8. Bxc4E54

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 O-O 5. Bd3 d5 6. Nf3 c5 7. O-O dxc4 8. Bxc4

Normal Variation, Gligoric System, Smyslov VariationE54

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 O-O 5. Bd3 d5 6. Nf3 c5 7. O-O dxc4 8. Bxc4 Qe7

Normal Variation, Gligoric System, Exchange Variation, after 8... cxd4E54

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 O-O 5. Bd3 d5 6. Nf3 c5 7. O-O dxc4 8. Bxc4 cxd4 9. exd4

An early pawn trade leaves the d-file as Black's avenue and the e-file as White's - both sides get real winning chances down their own file.

Normal Variation, Gligoric System, Bronstein VariationE55

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 O-O 5. Bd3 d5 6. Nf3 c5 7. O-O dxc4 8. Bxc4 Nbd7

Normal Variation, Gligoric System, Bernstein Defense, through 7... Nc6E56

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

Normal Variation, Gligoric System, Bernstein Defense, after 8. a3E57

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 O-O 5. Bd3 d5 6. Nf3 c5 7. O-O Nc6 8. a3 dxc4 9. Bxc4 cxd4

The structure hands White the half-open d-file - rook pressure down it is a standing plan.

Normal Variation, Bernstein Defense, Exchange LineE58

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 O-O 5. Bd3 d5 6. Nf3 c5 7. O-O Nc6 8. a3 Bxc3 9. bxc3

Normal Variation, Bernstein Defense, after 6. Nf3E59

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 O-O 5. Bd3 d5 6. Nf3 c5 7. O-O Nc6 8. a3 Bxc3 9. bxc3 dxc4 10. Bxc4

An early pawn trade leaves the b-file as White's avenue and the d-file as Black's - both sides get real winning chances down their own file.

Normal Variation, Bernstein Defense, after 6. a3E59

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 O-O 5. Bd3 d5 6. a3 Bxc3+ 7. bxc3 dxc4 8. Bxc4 c5 9. Nf3 Nc6 10. O-O Qc7 11. Qc2

Lines 61–99 of 99 — page 2 of 2.

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