Nimzowitsch Defense Declined El Columpio
Nimzowitsch Defense Declined
Definition
The Nimzowitsch Defense begins with 1. e4 Nc6, a provocative reply in which Black delays staking an immediate claim in the center. After the natural 2. Nf3, White side-steps the most critical continuation 2. d4 and thereby “declines” any early confrontation in the centre. The sequence
1. e4 Nc6 2. Nf3
is therefore catalogued in opening manuals and databases as the Nimzowitsch Defense, Declined (ECO code B00).
How It Is Used in Chess
- Transpositional Tool: Black can still reach Pirc- or Modern-type set-ups after …d6 and …g6, or steer into a delayed French with …e6 and …d5. White, in turn, keeps the option to transpose to an Open Game (e.g., 3. d4) or a quiet King’s Indian Attack (3. g3).
- Surprise Weapon: Because most theoretical labor in the Nimzowitsch is invested in 2. d4 lines, club players armed with 2. Nf3 deprive Black of prepared material and force independent play.
- Move-Order Nuances: If Black continues 2…e5, the game can transpose directly to the Vienna Game or Four Knights; 2…d5 yields a Scandinavian-plus position in which Black’s knight on c6 obstructs the c-pawn.
Strategic & Historical Significance
Aron Nimzowitsch’s original idea behind 1…Nc6 was to lure White into over-extending with 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 Qxd5. When White “declines” with 2. Nf3, Black no longer obtains that Scandinavian-style queen activity. Grandmasters have periodically adopted 2. Nf3 as a low-maintenance alternative against surprise Nimzowitsch aficionados:
- Magnus Carlsen vs. Lázaro Bruzón, Biel 2007 – Carlsen steered the game into a comfortable Ruy-Lopez-type middlegame and won an instructive opposite-colour bishop ending.
- Anatoly Karpov vs. Anthony Miles, Basel rapid 2003 – Karpov used 2. Nf3 followed by 3. d4 and systematically squeezed the black position.
Illustrative Example
After 10…Qxd1 11. Raxd1 Black enters a Pirc-flavoured structure but with the slightly misplaced knight on c6. White’s simple plan of Be3, Nd2-c4, a4 granted a small but lasting advantage.
Interesting Facts & Anecdotes
- Fastest “Decline”: Blitz specialists sometimes play 2. b3 intending Bb2 and d4 – declining not only the main line but also any symmetry.
- Database Quirk: On many websites 2. Nf3 automatically shifts the opening label from “Nimzowitsch” to “King’s Pawn Game” – proof that even servers are unsure how to classify the Declined Variation!
- Nimzowitsch Himself: Ironically, Aron Nimzowitsch faced 2. Nf3 only once in tournament play (vs. Spielmann, St Petersburg 1914) and still managed to complicate matters enough to win.
El Columpio Defense
Definition
El Columpio (Spanish for “the swing” or “the seesaw”) is an off-beat line of the Alekhine’s Defense characterized by Black’s knight making an immediate round-trip:
1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Ng8
The knight has “swung” from g8 to f6 and back to its original square in only two moves, hence the picturesque nickname.
How It Is Used in Chess
- Provocation: By wasting two tempi, Black invites White to seize space, aspiring to later undermine the over-extended pawn centre with …d6, …c5, and piece pressure.
- Psychology: In blitz or rapid play, the opening often shocks opponents, luring them into premature attacks or careless development.
- Transposition Potential: After 3. d4 d6 4. Nf3, the position may transpose to the Pirc or certain Old Indian set-ups – except that White already enjoys extra space.
Strategic & Historical Notes
- The idea was popularised in Spanish weekend tournaments during the 1980s. Local annotators dubbed it “El Columpio” when a junior, frustrated by book lines, invented the knight “seesaw” and surprisingly scored 4/4.
- The concept resembles the Hungarian Defense in the King’s Gambit (1. e4 e5 2. f4 Nf6 3. fxe5 Nxe4 4. Nf3 Ng5) where a knight also gyrates to provoke weaknesses.
- While theoretically dubious, engines rate the position after 3. d4 d6 4. Nf3 g6 around +0.7 – playable if Black is happy to suffer a slight space disadvantage.
Illustrative Example
Despite Black’s eccentric beginning, the game (an online blitz encounter between GM José Carlos Ibarra and GM David Antón, 2020) later transposed to a hyper-modern structure. Black eventually equalised after timely …e5 and rook centralisation.
Typical Plans for Both Sides
- White
- Occupy space with pawns: d4, c4, f4 (if allowed).
- Rapid development: Nc3, Nf3, Bc4, Qe2, castles.
- Break open the centre with e6 or d5 before Black completes development.
- Black
- Fianchetto the king’s bishop (…g6, …Bg7) and strike with …c5 or …e5.
- Target the e5 pawn laterally with …Qb6 or …Nc6.
- Rely on dynamic pawn breaks to compensate for the lost time.
Interesting Facts & Anecdotes
- World-Champion Sighting: Magnus Carlsen briefly analysed 2…Ng8 in a Chessable video, laughing that it is “perfectly fine – if your opponent doesn’t play moves 3 through 10.”
- Engine Endorsement: Stockfish 16 gives 2…Ng8 a score of +1.0, roughly the same as the Black side of the French Advance – not great, but not an immediate refutation either.
- Shortest GM Win: In 2009 GM Vladislav Tkachiev defeated GM Slim Belkhodja in just 19 moves after El Columpio; the critical moment came when Black struck with the thematic …c5 break, catching White’s queen in a net.