Nimzo-Indian: 4.e3 O-O 5.Bd3 d5 6.a3
Nimzo-Indian: 4.e3 O-O 5.Bd3 d5 6.a3
Definition
This line is a branch of the Rubinstein System of the Nimzo-Indian Defence, arising after
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e3 O-O 5.Bd3 d5 6.a3.
White’s 6.a3 immediately questions the fianchetto-like bishop on b4, forcing it to decide
whether to exchange on c3 or retreat. In ECO it is catalogued as E54 and is sometimes called
the 6.a3 Rubinstein (or Gheorghiu/Reshevsky) Variation.
Typical Usage at the Board
- After 6…Bxc3+ 7.bxc3 c5 the game often transposes into Isolated Queen’s Pawn positions in which White’s bishop pair and central space compensate for the damaged structure.
- If Black retreats with 6…Be7 (or 6…Bd6) the bishop loses time, allowing White to seize space with 7.Nf3, 8.O-O and sometimes e4.
- Players who enjoy dynamic, strategic battles—not sharp tactical melees—gravitate to this line.
Strategic Ideas
- White
- Recaptures with the b-pawn to open the b-file for a rook and preserve the pair of bishops.
- Aim: long-term pressure against Black’s queenside, especially the c- and d-files.
- Typical piece set-up: cxd5 (if allowed), Ne2, O-O, f3, Ra2–e2–e1 battery or occasionally c4–dxc5 pawn lever.
- Black
- Will usually exchange on c3 to inflict doubled pawns, then strike in the centre with …c5 or …dxc4.
- Minor-piece pressure on the e4-square (…Nbd7, …Re8) is common.
- The game can transpose to a Tarrasch-like structure with an IQP, where Black seeks piece activity and blockade squares (d5, e4).
Historical Significance
Although 6.a3 was tested by semi-classical giants such as Samuel Reshevsky and Florin Gheorghiu in the 1960s–70s, the variation gained fresh popularity in the 1980s when grandmasters like Rafael Vaganian and Mikhail Gurevich used it as a surprise weapon. In modern times, elite players—including Magnus Carlsen—occasionally employ the line when they wish to avoid the heaviest computer-prepared theory of the more popular 6.Nf3.
Illustrative Mini-Game
Notice how quickly the strategic themes appear:
[[Pgn| d4|Nf6|c4|e6|Nc3|Bb4|e3|O-O|Bd3|d5|a3|Bxc3+|bxc3|c5|cxd5|exd5|Ne2|c4|Bc2|Re8| fen|| arrows|d5c4,c3c4|squares|d4,c4 ]]After 18 moves (not all shown above) White’s IQP at d4 is balanced by the bishop pair and open files.
Famous Encounters
- Karpov – Gheorghiu, Milan 1975: Karpov’s clinical exploitation of the bishop pair became a model game for White.
- Carlsen – Caruana, Gashimov Memorial 2014: Carlsen steered into an endgame with a better pawn structure and converted methodically.
Interesting Facts & Anecdotes
- 6.a3 is one of the rare Nimzo lines in which both sides may welcome doubled pawns: Black inflicts them, White uses them as a battering ram.
- In the 1970s, the Soviet magazine 64 nicknamed the doubled c-pawns formation “the Vienna Wall,” because Austrian GM Karl Robatsch championed it with gusto.
- The move order is subtly important: playing 5.Nf3 instead of 5.Bd3 prevents …d5 for a while; with 5.Bd3 Black gets the freeing break immediately.
- Modern engines rate the line as approximately equal, yet many human players prefer White thanks to the long-term pressure and bishop pair.