Nimzo-Larsen Attack - Chess Opening

Nimzo-Larsen Attack

Definition

The Nimzo-Larsen Attack is a chess opening that begins with the move 1. b3 (sometimes transposed from 1. Nf3 followed by 2. b3). It is named after the Danish grandmaster Bent Larsen, who popularized it in the 1960s and 1970s, and the earlier theorist Aron Nimzowitsch, who experimented with the move in the 1920s. The opening is classified in the Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings (ECO) under codes A01–A04 when it starts with 1. b3.

How the Opening Is Used in Chess

Hypermodern Strategy: White immediately fianchettoes the queen’s bishop to b2, controlling the long diagonal a1–h8 and exerting pressure on the center from afar rather than occupying it directly with pawns.
Flexible Move Order: The opening can transpose into Queen’s Indian–type or Catalan-like structures, reversed Sicilian positions, or even independent systems where Black must solve unfamiliar problems early.
Surprise Weapon: Because it is less common at the top level than 1. e4 or 1. d4, it can take unprepared opponents out of their mainline preparation.

Strategic and Historical Significance

Nimzowitsch’s original idea was to invite Black to build an imposing pawn center and then undermine it. Bent Larsen adopted the opening to avoid well-trodden theoretical paths and scored famous wins against elite players including World Champions Petrosian, Spassky, and Karpov. Although the opening has never been a mainstream mainstay, it has proven sound and remains a practical choice at every level—including modern rapid and blitz time controls.

Typical Move Orders

1. b3 e5 2. Bb2 Nc6 3. e3 d5 4. Bb5 (Larsen’s preferred line, challenging …Nc6)
1. b3 d5 2. Bb2 Nf6 3. e3 c5 4. Nf3 Nc6 5. Bb5 (playing a kind of Queen’s Indian Reversed)
1. Nf3 d5 2. b3 Nf6 3. Bb2 e6 4. e3 (a flexible move order that can transpose to English-type positions)

Key Plans for White

Fianchetto the queen’s bishop to exert long-range pressure on e5, d4, and sometimes g7.
Delay central pawn commitments (e2-e3, d2-d3, or d2-d4) to keep options open.
Play c2-c4 at the right moment to strike at Black’s center and increase scope for the bishop on b2.
Use piece pressure (often with Bb5 and/or Qa1) to create tactical threats against Black’s e- and c-pawns.
Castle kingside quickly; the rook on f1 can support a later f2-f4 advance in some lines.

Key Plans for Black

Occupy the center with …d5 and …e5 (or …c5) and meet Bb2 with solid development such as …Nf6, …Be7, …0-0.
Challenge the b2-bishop’s diagonal by preparing …c5 and …d4 pawn levers.
Exploit the slight weakening of the queenside dark squares (a3, c3) after 1. b3.
Choose set-ups that transpose into comfortable defenses (e.g., …g6 and …Bg7 for a King’s Indian-flavored game).

Model Games

Two illustrative encounters show the opening’s potential:

Larsen – Spassky, Belgrade 1970
Result: 1-0. Larsen sacrificed material to open the long diagonal, culminating in a mating attack down the dark squares.
Carlsen – Anand, Tal Memorial Blitz 2018
Result: 1-0. Carlsen employed 1. b3 as a surprise weapon, rapidly outplaying Anand in the middlegame and converting an extra pawn in the endgame. Despite blitz’s chaotic nature, the game demonstrated the opening’s viability at elite level and the power of piece activity over strict central occupation.

Interesting Facts & Anecdotes

Bent Larsen once quipped, “1. b3 is my Spanish Opening,” hinting that the mobile bishop on b2 can cause as many headaches as the famed Spanish bishop on b5.
The move 1. b3 scored so well for Larsen in the 1967 Interzonal (5½/6 with it) that other grandmasters requested an informal analytical session with him to figure out how to play against it.
In computer chess, engines initially underrated 1. b3, but with modern neural-network technologies (e.g., Leela Zero, AlphaZero) it is often shown to be fully playable, lending hypermodern openings renewed respect.
World Champion Magnus Carlsen has used 1. b3 to great effect in various formats, including a win over Wang Hao in the 2020 Chessable Masters, proving its continued relevance 50 years after Larsen’s heyday.

Example Position to Visualize

After 1. b3 e5 2. Bb2 Nc6 3. e3 d5 4. Bb5, imagine the following:

White pieces: King on e1, Queen on d1, Rooks on a1 and h1, Knights on g1 and b1, Bishops on b5 and b2, pawns on a2, b3, c2, d2, e3, f2, g2, h2.
Black pieces: King on e8, Queen on d8, Rooks on a8 and h8, Knights on g8 and c6, Bishops on f8 and c8, pawns on a7, b7, c7, d5, e5, f7, g7, h7.

White’s bishop pair exerts immediate pressure on c6 and e5, while Black enjoys a solid pawn center but must decide how to untangle the c8-bishop and safeguard the d5 pawn.

Summary

The Nimzo-Larsen Attack is a flexible, strategically rich opening that underscores hypermodern principles—inviting the opponent to seize the center, then undermining it with flank pressure and rapid development. Its historical pedigree, respectable theoretical standing, and surprise value make it an attractive weapon for players who relish dynamic, less-charted positions.

Nimzo-Larsen Attack - Chess Opening