Queens Indian Defense and Nimzowitsch Openings
Queen's Indian Defense
Definition
The Queen's Indian Defense (QID) is a hyper-modern response to 1.d4 in which Black restrains White’s center with piece pressure rather than occupying it with pawns. The characteristic position arises after the moves 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6, when Black prepares to fianchetto the queen’s bishop on b7.
Typical Move Order
- 1.d4 Nf6
- 2.c4 e6
- 3.Nf3 b6
- 4.g3 Ba6 (or 4...Bb7)
- 5.b3 Bb4+
Other important branching points include 4.Nc3 Bb7 and 4.e3 Bb7, each leading to its own strategic battles.
Strategic Themes
- Dark-square pressure: Black’s bishop on b7 (or a6) eyes the central squares e4 and d5, making it hard for White to build a broad pawn center.
- Pawn breaks: ...c5 and ...d5 are Black’s main liberating thrusts, often prepared by ...Bb4+ to exchange a knight and ease space.
- Minor-piece activity: Because neither side locks the center early, piece placement and harmony outweigh static pawn structures.
- White’s plans: Expand with e4 (after Nc3), play for the minority attack with b4–b5, or steer into Catalan-style positions with g3 and Bg2.
Historical Significance
The opening was refined by Akiba Rubinstein and José Raúl Capablanca but owes its name to Aron Nimzowitsch’s hyper-modern ideas. It became a staple of elite repertoires in the 1970s and 80s—Karpov, Kasparov, and Korchnoi all relied on it in World-Championship play. Its soundness and flexibility keep it popular at every level today.
Illustrative Mini-Game
After 16...d5 Black has achieved the thematic central stab and can later prepare ...c5, illustrating how the QID pieces coordinate against the white center.
Interesting Facts
- In Game 11 of the 1985 World Championship, Kasparov stunned Karpov with an early ...Ba6 idea, winning a key game on his way to the crown.
- The move 4...Ba6 first appears in the database in 1909, yet engines still consider it as playable as the “classical” 4...Bb7.
- Because the queen’s bishop often emerges before the king’s bishop, beginners sometimes confuse the QID with the Bogo-Indian (3...Bb4+); the giveaway is Black’s early ...b6.
Fianchetto Nimzowitsch Variation (King's Indian Defense)
Definition
The Fianchetto, Nimzowitsch Variation is a branch of the King's Indian Defense in which White adopts a kingside fianchetto and Black immediately strikes the center with ...d5. The critical position arises after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nf3 Bg7 4.g3 d5.
Move-by-Move Snapshot
- 1.d4 Nf6
- 2.c4 g6
- 3.Nf3 Bg7
- 4.g3 d5 (the Nimzowitsch move)
- 5.cxd5 Nxd5 6.Bg2 Nb6 7.O-O Nc6
Strategic Ideas
- Early central confrontation: By playing ...d5 before committing the king, Black temporarily transposes into a Grünfeld-like setup without giving White the customary space advantage.
- Piece activity over pawn storms: With symmetrical pawn structures likely, both sides maneuver to occupy e4 and d4 with knights while keeping pawn breaks (c4-c5 for White, ...e5 or ...c5 for Black) in reserve.
- Minor-piece battles: The black knight often hops to b6 or b4, targeting c2 and d3; White counters by rerouting the queen’s knight to c3–e4 or a4–c5.
Historical & Theoretical Notes
First analyzed by Aron Nimzowitsch in the 1920s as an antidote to the classical King's Indian, the line enjoyed a renaissance when Boris Spassky used it to defeat Bobby Fischer in Mar del Plata 1960. Modern grandmasters such as Wesley So and Anish Giri still employ it as a low-maintenance drawing weapon with winning chances.
Sample Continuation
The diagram shows a common tabiya where material is equal but both sides have imbalances: White owns the half-open d-file, Black enjoys pressure on the long diagonal.
Anecdotes
- Grandmaster Jonathan Speelman nicknamed 4...d5 the “car-crash line” because inexperienced King’s Indian players are sometimes shocked by Black’s sudden central collision.
- The variation is occasionally used as a surprise weapon by Grünfeld specialists; after 4...d5 the game may transpose directly to their home territory.
Nimzowitsch Attack (Nimzo-Larsen Attack, 1.b3)
Definition
The Nimzowitsch Attack, more commonly called the Nimzo-Larsen Attack, is a flexible flank opening that begins with 1.b3. White fianchettoes the queen’s bishop to b2, from where it exerts long-range pressure on the central dark squares, especially e5 and d4.
Essence of the Opening
- 1.b3 d5 (or 1...e5 / 1...Nf6)
- 2.Bb2 Nf6
- 3.e3 g6 4.Nf3 Bg7
White keeps the central pawns flexible, often following up with c4, d4, or f4 depending on Black’s formation.
Strategic Features
- Hyper-modern control: White invites Black to occupy the center and then undermines it with piece pressure and timely pawn breaks (c4 or f4).
- Asymmetric development: By delaying kingside castling White can choose between typical king safety or a quick rook lift along the third rank (Rf1-f3-h3).
- Transpositional weapon: 1.b3 can transpose into English, Queen’s Indian, or even Dutch-type positions, making it a useful surprise choice.
Historical Context
Aron Nimzowitsch pioneered the move 1.Nf3 followed by 2.b3 in the 1920s, but it was Danish legend Bent Larsen who popularized the pure 1.b3 version in the 1960s, famously defeating World Champion Boris Spassky with it (Belgrade 1970). The opening’s seeming modesty masks venomous attacking possibilities, which explains why even Magnus Carlsen occasionally wheels it out in rapid play.
Example Attack
After 17.dxe4 White’s long-diagonal pressure, centralized pieces, and latent kingside pawn storm illustrate the attacking potential that gave the opening its name.
Fun Facts
- The line is sometimes jokingly called the “Walking the Dog” attack because the b2-bishop pulls Black’s center back and forth.
- In his book My 60 Memorable Games, Fischer praised Larsen’s 1.b3 victory over Spassky as “a masterpiece of controlled aggression.”
- Engines evaluate the initial move 1.b3 as roughly equal, confirming its solidity despite its offbeat appearance.