Nimzo-Indian Defense and Schlechter Defense
Nimzo-Indian Defense
Definition
The Nimzo-Indian Defense is a hyper-modern opening for Black that arises after the moves 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4. By pinning the knight on c3, Black prevents the immediate advance e4 and fights for control of the center with pieces rather than an early pawn occupation.
Usage in Play
- Adopted by Black when they wish to keep the game flexible, avoid the main lines of the Queen’s Gambit, and aim for dynamic counterplay.
- Popular at every level—from club play to world-championship matches—because it offers both solid and sharp continuations.
- Typical continuations revolve around White’s fourth move:
- 4.Qc2 (Classical Variation)
- 4.e3 (Rubinstein System)
- 4.Nf3 (Kasparov/Kmoch System)
- 4.a3 (Sämisch Variation, forcing …Bxc3⁺)
- 4.f3 (Leningrad System, a sharp, less-common approach)
Strategic Themes
- Doubled c-pawns: After …Bxc3⁺ and bxc3, White gains the bishop pair and central pawns, while Black gains targets and dark-square control.
- Light-square pressure: The bishop on b4 eyes e1-h4, complementing …c5 or …d5 pawn breaks.
- Flexibility: Black may castle quickly, strike in the center with …c5 or …d5, or even maneuver toward a King’s Indian–style formation with …b6 and …Bb7.
Historical Significance
Introduced by Aron Nimzowitsch in the early 20th century, the opening embodied his revolutionary ideas of prophylaxis and over-protection. It soon became a mainstay in elite practice:
- José Raúl Capablanca used it successfully in New York 1927.
- Mikhail Botvinnik, Anatoly Karpov, and Garry Kasparov all employed it in world-title matches.
- Magnus Carlsen used a modern 4.Qc2 line to defeat Viswanathan Anand, WCh 2013, game 9.
Illustrative Mini-Game
A tidy demonstration of Black’s thematic play: [[Pgn|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 b6 10.Bg5 Bb7 11.Re1 Nbd7 12.Ne5 Rc8 13.Qb3 Be7 14.Rad1 Nd5 15.Bxe7 Nxe7 0-1]]
Interesting Facts & Anecdotes
- The defense was once considered “unorthodox” because Black voluntarily gives up the bishop pair—yet its soundness is no longer questioned.
- The ECO codes E20–E59 are devoted entirely to Nimzo-Indian lines, an indication of its theoretical depth.
- In Kasparov – Karpov, World Championship 1990 (game 18), Kasparov’s 4.Qc2 line led to a brilliant rook sacrifice on g7, a game often featured in anthologies of attacking play.
Schlechter Defense
Definition
The Schlechter Defense is a rarely-seen, symmetrical reply to the Queen’s Gambit that begins 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c5. Named after the Austrian grandmaster Carl Schlechter (1874-1918), the line mirrors White’s c-pawn thrust in an attempt to achieve immediate equality.
How It Is Used
- Employed mainly as a surprise weapon, especially in rapid or blitz games.
- Black’s idea is to neutralize White’s space advantage by copying the pawn structure and keeping the position balanced.
- Because the defense concedes an early weakness on d5 and delays development, it is considered somewhat risky in classical time controls.
Strategic Considerations
- Central tension: After 3.cxd5 Qxd5 (or …Nf6 ×d5), the center clarifies early, often leaving Black slightly behind in development.
- Isolated or hanging pawns: If the c- and d-pawns are exchanged, structures resembling the Tarrasch Defense may arise, giving White targets on c5 and d5.
- Piece activity vs. structure: Black banks on free piece play to compensate for any structural defect or loss of time.
Historical Context
Carl Schlechter used symmetrical ideas as early as the 1900 Vienna tournaments, though the exact move order varied. The defense never attained mainstream popularity—by the 1920s, most masters preferred the more dynamic Albin Counter-Gambit (2…e5) or the solid Queen’s Gambit Declined (2…e6).
Example Line
One of the most principled continuations:
White emerges with a lead in development and more central space, while Black must justify the early …c5 by rapid piece activity.
Interesting Tidbits
- Because it is symmetric, the opening has occasionally been called the “Double Queen’s Gambit.”
- In modern databases, the move 2…c5 scores under 40 % for Black—one reason it is seldom recommended in repertoire books.
- Grandmaster Baadur Jobava tried the defense in a 2012 blitz event, proving that even top players may fish in offbeat waters to surprise an opponent.