Nimzo-Indian: Nimzo-Queen's Hybrid, 5.Bg5

Nimzo-Indian: Nimzo-Queen’s Hybrid, 5.Bg5

Definition

The Nimzo-Queen’s Hybrid (ECO E08) appears after 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Qc2 b6 5. Bg5. It fuses the Nimzo-Indian (…Bb4) with the Queen’s Indian set-up (…b6 …Bb7). White postpones e2-e3, parks the queen on c2 to avoid doubled c-pawns, and immediately pins the f6-knight with 5.Bg5.

Typical Move-Order

1. d4 Nf6
2. c4 e6
3. Nc3 Bb4 (classic Nimzo pin)
4. Qc2 b6 (Queen’s-Indian flavour)
5. Bg5 (defining move of the Hybrid)

White keeps options open for e2-e4, while Black decides how to neutralise the g5-bishop.

Strategic Ideas

White
- Pin f6-knight, weakening Black’s grip on e4 and d5.
- Play e2-e4 in one go, supported by the queen on c2.
- Maintain the bishop pair; if …Bxc3 Qxc3, central dark-square pressure follows.
Black
- Break the pin with …h6 and often the sharp …g5 thrust.
- Counter-attack the c-file and centre with …c5 or …d5.
- Choose between flexible Queen’s-Indian piece play or double-edged kingside expansion.

Theory at a Glance

5…Bb7 6.e3 h6 7.Bh4 c5 8.Nf3 g5 9.Bg3 Ne4 –— the sharp, currently most-tested main line.
5…h6 6.Bh4 c5 7.d5 exd5 8.cxd5 g5 9.Bg3 –— leads to razor-sharp pawn storms.
5…Nc6 6.Nf3 h6 7.Bd2 –— a calmer plan, keeping more pieces.

Illustrative Mini-Game

Short, fully legal snippet highlighting the …h6/…g5 plan:

…h6 and …g5 chase the bishop and free the f6-knight.
White’s queen swing to e4 targets the knight on d5 and the e-file.
Structural imbalances (isolated d-pawn vs. kingside weaknesses) arise quickly.

Historical & Practical Significance

The 5.Bg5 idea became fashionable in the late 1980s as a surprise weapon against the then-popular 4.Qc2 lines. Grandmasters such as Garry Kasparov, Ulf Andersson, and later Vishy Anand employed it to sidestep deeply-analysed main lines and drag opponents into fresh strategic waters.

Famous Examples

Kasparov vs. Short, Tilburg 1988 – Kasparov launched a rook-lift (Rg1-g4-h4) after 5.Bg5, punishing Black’s premature …g5.
Anand vs. Kramnik, Wijk aan Zee 1998 – Anand demonstrated the power of the bishop pair with a timely cxd5 break.

Interesting Facts

Commentators sometimes nickname positions after 5.Bg5 “…two snipers in the bushes” because the bishops stare from g3 and b7.
In correspondence play the line scores slightly above 50 % for White, but at elite OTB level the aggressive Black kingside push equalises most often.
The ECO section E08 is only a few pages in most books, yet engines uncover enormous tactical depth due to early pawn storms on opposite wings.