Nimzo-Indian: 4.Bd2 O-O 5.Nf3

Nimzo-Indian: 4.Bd2 O-O 5.Nf3

Definition

The sequence 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Bd2 O-O 5.Nf3 is a branch of the Nimzo-Indian Defence known in most databases as the Spielmann Variation. By interposing 4.Bd2 White immediately questions the pinning bishop on b4, keeping the option to recapture on c3 with the bishop rather than accepting doubled pawns. Black replies 4…O-O, calmly ignoring the threat, after which 5.Nf3 continues normal development.

Typical move order

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Bd2 O-O 5.Nf3
The resulting position can be loaded in the viewer:

Strategic ideas

• Avoiding doubled pawns: If Black later captures on c3, White can recapture with the dark-squared bishop, keeping the pawn structure intact.
• Preserving the bishop pair: 4.Bd2 allows White to aim for long-term pressure on the light squares.
• Flexible centre: Because the c-pawn is still on c4 and the e-pawn on e2, White can choose between e2-e4, e2-e3 or even c4-c5 depending on Black’s set-up.
• Black’s counterplay: Black has already castled and will usually strike in the centre with …d5 or …c5, or adopt a dark-square strategy with …b6 and …Bb7.

Common continuations

1. 5…d5 6.e3 b6 7.a3 Bxc3 8.Bxc3 Bb7 – a traditional plan where Black exchanges quickly and develops on the long diagonal.
2. 5…b6 6.g3 Ba6 7.b3 d5 8.Bg2 – Black keeps the bishop, eyeing c4 and e2; White adopts a fianchetto set-up similar to the Catalan.
3. 5…c5 6.a3 Bxc3 7.Bxc3 Ne4 8.Qc2 – a more forcing option, trading pieces and clarifying the centre.

Historical background

• Austrian attacking legend Rudolf Spielmann pioneered 4.Bd2 in the 1920s, valuing the structural purity it promised.
• The line resurfaced in the 1980s thanks to Levon Aronian and Vladimir Kramnik, who used it as a practical surprise weapon.
• Although never a mainline choice in World Championship matches, it has appeared in rapid and blitz events, where the unfamiliar pawn structure can act as a psychological weapon.

Illustrative game

Kramnik – Leko, Dortmund 2007


Kramnik won a smooth positional game, demonstrating how the retained bishop pair can become a long-term asset once the position opens.

Usage in modern practice

Despite its modest reputation, the line scores respectably in databases—especially at rapid time controls—and often serves as a one-game surprise to take Nimzo specialists out of book. In classical chess it remains a sideline but is not considered theoretically refuted.

Interesting facts & anecdotes

• Because the bishop on d2 can retreat to c1 after being chased, some wags call the line the boomerang bishop variation.
• In blitz, GM Hikaru Nakamura has occasionally adopted 4.Bd2 followed by a quick g2-g4, converting the calm Spielmann Variation into a kingside pawn storm.
• The move 4.Bd2 also appears in the Bogo-Indian Defence; therefore a Nimzo player must be ready for transpositions into Bogo structures.
• In the 2011 Tata Steel super-tournament, Aronian beat Radjabov in just 24 moves with this line, leading commentators to dub it the Aronian Anti-Nimzo.

Why study this line?

For players who wish to:

• Maintain a solid pawn structure against the Nimzo-Indian.
• Surprise theoretical experts without having to absorb vast amounts of main-line theory.
• Practice flexible middlegame planning based on the bishop pair and central pawn breaks.