Queens Indian Defense: Fianchetto, Nimzowitsch & Timman Line

Queen's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation

Definition

The Fianchetto Variation of the Queen’s Indian Defense arises after the moves
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3.
White prepares to place the king-bishop on g2, creating a long-range piece that influences the centre and queenside, while Black relies on a solid, flexible pawn structure and rapid piece development.

Typical Move Order & Plans

White’s ideas
- Fianchetto the bishop (Bg2) to exert pressure on the long diagonal.
- Occupy the centre with e2–e4 or d4–d5, depending on Black’s set-up.
- Use the c-pawn majority in some endgames.
Black’s ideas
- Play …Bb7 to challenge the g2-bishop, or …Ba6 to exchange it.
- Break with …c5 or …d5 at an appropriate moment.
- Maintain a solid structure and aim for queenside counterplay.

Strategic Significance

The Fianchetto Variation is considered one of the most reliable ways for White to meet the Queen’s Indian. Because White avoids an early Nc3, the critical …Bb4 pin is impossible, forcing Black into quieter but highly strategic channels. The line is popular at every level because:

It keeps a high degree of flexibility for both sides.
Endgames often favour the side that better understands the minority-attack themes on the queenside.
It has produced numerous World-Championship-level battles, giving it a well-analysed yet still rich character.

Illustrative Example

The following short PGN fragment shows a common branching point:

After 6…Be7 Black has exchanged the dark-squared bishops, but White enjoys harmonious development. Both sides will soon castle and decide whether to break with …d5 / …c5 or e2–e4.

Historical Notes & Famous Games

Kasparov – Karpov, World Championship 1985 (game 4)
Kasparov was willing to concede the bishop pair in exchange for increased space after e4, eventually winning a powerful attacking game.
Carlsen – Karjakin, WCC 2016 (game 1)
Demonstrated the robustness of the line at the very highest level; the game ended in a balanced draw after deep manoeuvring.

Interesting Facts

The move 4.g3 was first tried by Edward Lasker in 1924, decades before the Queen’s Indian received its modern name.
Many engines rate the position after 4.g3 as one of the most “drawing-ish” within the Queen’s Indian, yet practical results remain highly decisive—proof that humans still have plenty to fight for.

Queen's Indian Defense: Nimzowitsch Variation

Definition

The Nimzowitsch Variation, named after the hyper-modern pioneer Aron Nimzowitsch, starts with
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. Nc3 Bb4.
By pinning the knight, Black echoes themes from the Nimzo-Indian Defense, but with the subtle insertion of …b6, preparing …Bb7 and adding weight to the control of e4.

Main Ideas for Both Sides

White
- Break the pin via Bd2 or Qb3, or challenge the centre with e4.
- Create a broad pawn centre with e2–e4 and d4–d5 if circumstances permit.
Black
- Pressure on c4 and e4 by combining …Bb4 with …Bb7 and sometimes …Ne4 or …d5.
- If the opportunity arises, capture on c3 to damage White’s queenside structure.

Theory Snapshot

After 5.e3 Bb7 6.Bd3 0-0 7.0-0 White often aims for e4 while Black watches for tactical chances based on the pin. Alternatively, 5.g3 leads to quieter play where Black has the bishop pair, but White’s fianchetto reduces the force of the b4-bishop.

Notable Encounters

Carlsen – Anand, World Championship 2014, Game 3.
Anand essayed 4…Bb4, obtaining dynamic counterplay before the game eventually ended in perpetual check.
Polugayevsky – Karpov, USSR Championship 1970.
Karpov demonstrated the classical plan of …d5 followed by …c5, highlighting the strategic potential of the setup.

Historical & Strategic Importance

This variation shows how a single tempo (…b6) can fundamentally reshape an opening family. While the regular Nimzo-Indian can leave Black with an isolated a-pawn after …b6 later on, inserting it early prevents certain White gambits and avoids lines where White castles long.

Trivia

Although Nimzowitsch himself never played the exact move order 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.Nc3 Bb4, his strategic writings directly inspired the idea of combining a queenside fianchetto with the pinning bishop.
The line remains a favourite surprise weapon; because many Queen’s Indian specialists expect 4…Bb7, the sudden 4…Bb4 can knock them onto lesser known paths.

Queen's Indian Defense: Timman's Line

Definition

Timman’s Line is a modern sub-variation of the Fianchetto Variation, named after Dutch Grandmaster Jan Timman. A representative move order is:
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Ba6 5. b3 Bb4+
6. Bd2 Be7 7.Bg2 c6 8.0-0 d5.
Black first removes White’s powerful g2-bishop with …Ba6 and only then places the kingside bishop back on e7, banking on a rock-solid dark-square grip.

Typical Features

The early check …Bb4+ forces White’s bishop to d2, slightly hampering coordination.
Black delays castling, keeping the option of …dxc4 followed by …c5 under favourable circumstances.
White often chooses between playing for e4 central expansion (with Re1, Nc3) or trying a minority-style b4 advance to undermine Black’s queenside.

Why It Is Called "Timman's"

Jan Timman employed this set-up repeatedly in the 1980s against the world’s elite, notably scoring a key win versus Beliavsky at Wijk aan Zee 1987. His nuanced move order—playing …Be7 before castling and keeping pawn breaks in reserve—became a blueprint for later practitioners.

Model Game

Timman – Beliavsky, Wijk aan Zee 1987

Timman sacrificed a pawn with cxd5 & Ne5, obtaining lasting pressure on the dark squares and eventually prevailing in a rook ending.

Strategic & Practical Importance

Timman’s Line offers Black:

A clear plan of exchanging the powerful g2-bishop.
A low-risk structure; many endings are comfortably equal for Black.
Fresh positions compared with the heavily explored 4…Bb7 main line.

White, on the other hand, retains the two bishops and must decide whether to open the centre quickly (e4 break) or build up slowly and exploit the slight time loss incurred by …Bb4+ → Be7.

Curiosities

Timman humorously referred to his line as “the boomerang,” because the black bishop swings out to a6 only to return to e7.
The variation became fashionable again after Grischuk used it to neutralise Aronian in the 2017 Candidates Tournament.