Nimzo-Indian: Leningrad, 4...c5 5.d5 d6 6.e3

Nimzo-Indian: Leningrad, 4...c5 5.d5 d6 6.e3

Definition

The line arises from the Nimzo-Indian Defence after the moves 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Bg5 c5 5.d5 d6 6.e3. It is called the Leningrad Variation because of its popularity among players from the Soviet chess school, particularly those based in Leningrad (now St Petersburg). White meets Black’s immediate counter-attack on the center (4…c5) by advancing the d-pawn to d5, locking the position and setting up a strategic battle rather than sharp, tactical skirmishes.

Move order and early ideas

1. 1.d4 Nf6
2. 2.c4 e6
3. 3.Nc3 Bb4 (Nimzo-Indian Defence)
4. 4.Bg5 (Leningrad System)
5. 4…c5 (Black strikes at White’s center immediately)
6. 5.d5 (space-gaining advance; avoids an isolated queen’s pawn)
7. 5…d6 (reinforcing the e5-square and keeping the c5-pawn)
8. 6.e3 (preparing development of the king’s bishop and supporting the d4–d5 chain)

After these moves the pawn structure is locked: White has pawns on c4–d5–e3, Black on c5–d6–e6. The tension leaves both bishops on b4 and g5 partially undefined—each side must decide whether to exchange on c3/g5, retreat, or wait.

Strategic Themes

• Space vs. Flexibility: White’s pawn on d5 gains space on the queenside but cedes the e5-square to Black’s pieces.
• Light-squared bishop pair: Black may give up the bishop with …Bxc3+, obtaining the bishop pair for White but damaging the White queenside pawn structure (doubled c-pawns).
• Minority attack ideas: Later, White can advance b4–b5 to undermine Black’s c5-pawn, similar to IQP structures.
• King-side activity: Black often plays …h6, …e5, …Nbd7, …Nf8–g6 aiming at f4 or h4 squares; White counters with Bd3, Nge2–g3, and sometimes f2–f4.
• Piece manoeuvres: Knights often reroute: Nb1–c3–e2–g3 for White, while Black’s Nb8 comes to d7 then f8 or b6.

Typical Plans for White

• Complete development with Nf3, Bd3, Nge2, 0-0.
• Target the c5-pawn with Rb1, a3, b4 or prepare b2-b4 directly.
• Break with f2-f4 or e3-e4 if Black allows.
• When possessing the bishop pair, open the position later with b4 or f4.

Typical Plans for Black

• Maintain the tension: keep the bishop on b4 until the right moment.
• Play …h6, …e5 to chip away at White’s center, gaining the e5-outpost.
• Exchange on c3 to damage White’s pawn structure, then target c4 or a future c4-pawn with …b5.
• Arrange heavy pieces on the e-file after …e5 or the c-file with …Qc7 and …Rc8.

Historical Context

The move 4.Bg5 was fashionable in the 1930s. Leningrad masters such as Isaac Boleslavsky, Vladimir Alatortsev and later Efim Geller enriched its theory. In the 1950s Mikhail Botvinnik used it in World-Championship preparation, influencing players like Tigran Petrosian and Boris Spassky. Though less common today, it remains a surprise weapon that sidesteps the heavily analysed Rubinstein (4.e3) and Kasparov (4.Nf3) systems.

Model Games

• Botvinnik – Smyslov, USSR Ch. 1951
  
  
  Botvinnik demonstrated the long-term squeeze: he accepted doubled c-pawns, fixed the center, then expanded on the kingside with f4 and won in a strategic ending.
• Kramnik – Hjartarson, Munich 1994
  A modern illustration of White’s minority-attack plan b4–b5 breaking down Black’s queenside and converting the bishop pair.
• Morozevich – Anand, Wijk aan Zee 1999
  Anand adopted an early …e5 and equalised comfortably, showing Black’s dynamic counter-chances.

Interesting Facts & Anecdotes

• The name “Leningrad” was initially applied to both 4.Bg5 c5 and 4.Qc2 lines—Soviet analysts needed a label to group their home preparation against foreign opposition.
• When computers became strong in the late 1990s, the closed pawn structure of this line caused early engines to over-estimate White’s spatial advantage, leading to a brief revival.
• Because 4.Bg5 pins the f6-knight, Black sometimes decoys the bishop with 6…h6 7.Bh4 Bxc3+! and only then plays …exd5, reaching an unusual Benoni-like structure where the bishop pair is less potent.

Example Position (after 7…e5)

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Bg5 c5 5.d5 d6 6.e3 h6 7.Bh4 e5
The center is locked. White will aim for f4 or b4; Black enjoys the strong outpost on e5 and can later reroute the f6-knight to g6.

Why Choose This Line?

For tournament players, the Leningrad Variation offers a practical surprise weapon: it avoids the mountains of theory in 4.e3 and gives chances for a long, maneuvering game. Black, in turn, can adopt the line as a flexible, strategically rich option that demands patience and positional understanding from both sides.