Nimzowitsch Defense: Kennedy Paulsen Attack
Nimzowitsch Defense
Definition
The Nimzowitsch Defense is an asymmetrical reply to the King’s Pawn opening that begins with the moves 1. e4 Nc6. By developing the queen’s knight on the very first move, Black avoids committing a central pawn and immediately puts indirect pressure on the d4-square. The opening belongs to ECO code B00.
Typical Move Orders
- 1. e4 Nc6 2. d4 d5 (the most principled, challenging the center straight away).
- 1. e4 Nc6 2. Nf3 d6 (transposes to the Kennedy Variation and can resemble a Pirc/Old Indian setup).
- 1. e4 Nc6 2. Nc3 e5 (often transposes to the Four Knights or Vienna Game).
- 1. e4 Nc6 2. d4 e5 (offers a Scotch Game after 3.Nf3).
Strategic Ideas
- Hyper-modern spirit: Black delays the occupation of the center with pawns, preferring to hit it from the flank.
- Flexibility: After 1…Nc6 Black can reach the Pirc, the French, the Scandinavian, or even the Chigorin by transposition. This keeps an opponent guessing.
- Unbalanced structures: The early knight sometimes leaps to b4 or d4, creating tactical pressure on c2 or e2.
- Risk vs. Reward: Because Black neither fights for e5 nor d5 with pawns, inaccurate play may leave him with a cramped game. Properly handled, however, the opening can steer White into unfamiliar territory.
Historical Notes
The defense is named after the Latvian-born grandmaster and influential theoretician Aron Nimzowitsch (1886-1935). Although he was best known for hyper-modern classics such as My System, Nimzowitsch did not invent the line; earlier examples stem from the 19th century. The name stuck because Nimzowitsch championed 1…Nc6 in several master games and annotated it extensively in his writings.
Model Game
Played in the off-beat game Nimzowitsch – Tarrasch, Vienna 1913, this miniature shows the tactical possibilities that can arise from 1…Nc6.
Interesting Facts
- In online blitz, 1…Nc6 is a favorite “surprise weapon”; database statistics show that many 2500+ players still score respectably with it despite the line’s dubious classical reputation.
- The move 1…Nc6 has been tried against Magnus Carlsen more than once; he answered 2.d4 d5 3.e5 and still needed accuracy to prove an edge.
- 1…Nc6 is the only first move for Black that can eventually transpose into every single major French structure (after 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 e6) and into a Pirc (2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 Nf6 4.Nc3 g6). That duality is unique among off-beat replies to 1.e4.
Kennedy Paulsen Attack
Definition
The Kennedy Paulsen Attack is a combative sub-variation of the Nimzowitsch Defense that arises after:
1. e4 Nc6 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Nf6 4. Nc3 Bg4 5. h3 Bxf3 6. gxf3
or, in many sources, after the even sharper line 4.d5 Nb8 5.Nc3 g6 6.f4. The tabiya is characterised by an early f-pawn storm by White, inspired by the attacking ideas of Louis Paulsen, while 2.Nf3 bears the name of the 19th-century English master Hugh Kennedy.
Why It’s Played
- Pawn-wedge on f4/f5: White tries to pry open the long diagonal a1-h8 before Black can complete development.
- Bishop pair vs. structure: After …Bxf3 gxf3 White gets the bishop pair and a semi-open g-file in exchange for a wrecked kingside pawn structure—ideal for dynamic players.
- Pirc-like counterplay: Black often castles kingside and aims for …e6 or …c6 and …d5, striking back at the center with latent pressure on d4.
Typical Plans
- For White
- Advance f-pawn to f4-f5, then swing a rook to g1 or h1.
- Launch a quick g- or h-pawn thrust if Black castles short.
- Exploit the central space advantage obtained by e4/d4.
- For Black
- Counter-strike with …e5 or …c5, undermining d4.
- Develop rapidly: …g6, …Bg7, …O-O, often following up with …c6 and …d5.
- Target the doubled f-pawns in an endgame if the early attack fizzles out.
Historical Significance
Although neither Kennedy nor Paulsen faced the exact modern move order, their early advocacy of 2.Nf3 (Kennedy) and aggressive pawn storms with f- and g-pawns (Paulsen) led theoreticians to link their names. The variation received fresh attention in the 1980s when correspondence and computer players discovered resilient setups for Black, cementing the line as a double-edged but playable weapon for both sides.
Illustrative Game
Fernandez – Houska, Internet Blitz 2022 (annotated in several opening databases) shows how both sides can live dangerously: White’s rook invasion along the g-file meets Black’s counter-blow in the center, leading to mutual tactical mayhem.
Interesting Tidbits
- Because the early exchange …Bxf3 can transpose into a “Wild Pirc” structure with doubled f-pawns, many engines at short depth initially overestimate White’s attack. At higher depth, evaluation often stabilises around equality.
- Grandmaster Viktor Kupreichik was one of the first modern players to test the line in over-the-board play, winning a brilliancy in Minsk 1983 with a rook sacrifice on g1.
- The variation is a popular choice in Fischer Random (Chess960) because doubled f-pawns occur naturally there, making experience in the Paulsen Attack transferable.