Learn the Nimzo-Indian Defense

E20-E59 · a repertoire for black · 4 chapters · 45 annotated lines

"Pin the knight, own the light squares, punish the doubled pawns"

The Nimzo-Indian (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4) is the most respected answer to 1.d4 in chess — the defense of Capablanca, Karpov and Kasparov alike. The pin on c3 fights for the e4 square without committing a single central pawn, and Black wins one of two concessions from White every time: either the bishop pair goes to Black's opponent at the cost of doubled c-pawns to blockade and besiege, or White spends precious time untangling while Black develops freely. This course gives you a complete, engine-checked repertoire against every major White system — the Rubinstein 4.e3, the Classical 4.Qc2, the Kasparov 4.Nf3, the Sämisch 4.a3, the Kmoch 4.f3 and the Leningrad 4.Bg5 — built on classical main lines you can trust for a lifetime, with clear pawn-structure plans instead of memorized tactics.

What's inside

• Chapter 1: The Rubinstein — 4.e3
  Lines: The Main Line: Karpov's ...b6 Plan, 7.cxd5 — Take Back Toward the Center, The Reshevsky 5.Nge2: Retreat and Prosper, 7.dxc5 — ...dxc4 and the Queen-Trade Endgame, 6.cxd5 — The Carlsbad Exchange, 9.Nxd4 — When White Ducks the Isolani, The Isolani Middlegame: 11.Ne5, 10.a3 — Take on c3, Keep the Blockade, 7.a3 — The Early Question
• Chapter 2: The Classical — 4.Qc2
  Lines: 5.a3: The ...Nxd5! Queen Trade, 5.Nf3: Grab and Regain with ...Na6, 4.Qc2 with 5.e4: Strike the Big Center, 5.Bg5: Question the Pin with ...h6 and ...c5, 5.a3 with 7.Nf3: The Classical ...Ne4 Setup, 5.Nf3 c5 6.g3: Punish the Slow Fianchetto, 7.Bg5 with 8.Bxf6: The Bishop-Pair Trade, 5.e4 d5 6.cxd5: The Central Break-Up, 5.Nf3 c5 6.dxc5 with 7.a3: Regain and Double
• Chapter 3: Sämisch, Kmoch, Leningrad & Fianchetto
  Lines: 4.a3 Sämisch — Blockade and Win c4, 4.f3 Kmoch — Strike Back with ...d5 and ...c5, 4.Bg5 Leningrad — Close It with ...e5, 4.Nf3 & 5.g3: The Kasparov-Romanishin Hybrid, 4.g3: Same Recipe, One Move Earlier, The Trompowsky 2.Bg5: Bishop Pair & ...b5, 4.a3 Sämisch with 6.f3 — the ...d5 Break, 4.f3 Kmoch with 5.cxd5 — Recapture and Blockade, 4.Bg5 with 5.Bxf6 — Take the Bishop Pair, 4.Bg5 with 6.e3 — Develop, then Break, The Trompowsky 3.Nd2 — Modern Bishop-Keep, Fianchetto with 6.Qxd4 — Recapture with the Queen, 4.a3 Sämisch with 6.Nf3 — the ...b6 Setup, 4.Bg5 with 6.dxc5 — Double, then Recapture
• Chapter 4: The Kasparov 4.Nf3 & Benoni Structures
  Lines: 4.Nf3 c5 5.d5 — The Nimzo-Benoni, 4.Nf3 c5 5.Bg5 — the Anti-Nimzo Pin

Free sample: the main line, move by move

• 1. d4 — 1.d4 — White takes the center the queen's-pawn way.
• 1... Nf6 — Control e4 with a piece. Black refuses to lock the pawn structure on move one — flexibility is the Indian defenses' whole philosophy.
• 2. c4 — White grabs more space and eyes d5.
• 2... e6 — Open the door for the f8 bishop and keep ...d5 in reserve. Black commits to nothing yet — the reply depends entirely on White's next move.
• 3. Nc3 — White develops and prepares e4, threatening to build the full pawn center.
• 3... Bb4 — The Nimzo-Indian! The pin neutralizes the c3 knight, so e4 is off the menu — Black fights for the central light squares with pieces instead of pawns. Every world champion since Capablanca has trusted this move.
• 4. e3 — The Rubinstein Variation — White's most popular choice, developing modestly behind the pawn chain.
• 4... O-O — Castle first, decide the center later. Against the flexible 4.e3, Black stays flexible too — king safety is never a wasted move.
• 5. Bd3 — The bishop takes its natural diagonal toward h7.
• 5... d5 — Now stake the center. With White's bishop committed to d3, ...d5 gains a real tempo idea: if White ever takes on d5 or lets us take on c4, that bishop moves twice. The classical Nimzo center is ...d5 plus ...c5.
• 6. Nf3 — White completes kingside development.
• 6... c5 — The second strike. Black hits d4 before White is ready to support it, guaranteeing the central tension resolves on Black's terms. All four center pawns are now in contact — and Black's pieces are the better placed for it.
• 7. O-O — The main line — White castles and keeps every option open.
• 7... dxc4 — Begin the Karpov plan: take on c4 to make the d3 bishop move again, and clear d5 for your pieces. The timing matters — only after White castles, so the recapture can't come with extra tricks.
• 8. Bxc4 — The bishop recaptures, moving for the second time.
• 8... cxd4 — And now fix the target. After the recapture White will have an isolated d-pawn: strong for pieces in the middlegame, weak forever after. Black's whole setup — ...b6, ...Bb7, ...Nbd7 — is aimed at blockading d5 and trading down.
• 9. exd4 — White accepts the isolated queen's pawn, banking on piece activity.
• 9... b6 — The signature move of Karpov's treatment. The bishop is heading to b7, where it controls the blockade square d5 and points at White's king. Against an isolani, the side with the light-squared bishop trained on d5 is always comfortable.
• 10. Bg5 — White develops with a pin, angling for activity before the d-pawn becomes a burden.
• 10... Bb7 — The bishop lands on the perfect diagonal. Don't fear the g5 pin — the knight is well defended and ...Nbd7 comes next, adding a second defender and keeping every trade available.
• 11. Re1 — The rook supports a future d4-d5 break.
• 11... Nbd7 — Reinforce f6 and cover the e5 square. The knights coordinate beautifully: one watches d5 and e4, the other stops Ne5 and can recapture on f6 without wrecking the kingside.
• 12. Rc1 — White takes the open c-file.
• 12... Rc8 — Contest it immediately. Black's opening is a full success: the isolani is blockaded, every minor piece has its ideal square, and the b4 bishop still annoys the c3 knight. Trade pieces, keep pawns, and the d4 pawn grows weaker with every exchange.

Learn the Nimzo-Indian Defense — start your 7-day free trial →