Nimzowitsch Defense
Initial Moves: 1.e4 Nc6
Strategic Summary & Main Idea
The Nimzowitsch Defence answers 1.e4 with 1...Nc6, developing a piece before any pawn and leaving the choice of structure for later. It is a rare defence and sounder than it looks: the position after 1...Nc6 is +0.49. The most useful figure in the entry is that the exchange 3.exd5 Qxd5, with Black's queen centralised early, measures −0.08 after 4.Nf3 — and that the costliest mistake is Black's, not White's: against 4.Nc3, retreating the queen with 4...Qa5 measures +1.90, while 4...Qxd4 wins a pawn.
The pawn structure this opening produces
The Nimzowitsch defines no structure on move one, and Black's second move decides the family of the position. With 2...d5, Black challenges e4 as in the Scandinavian, but with the knight already on c6; if White pushes 3.e5, the structure becomes a French without the e6 pawn and with the c8 bishop free to go to f5, which solves the French's classic problem. If White exchanges on d5, Black's queen recaptures and stays centralised, attacking d4 together with the knight — the open structure is comfortable for Black as long as the d4 pawn needs defending. With 2...e5, Black enters an open game: if White pushes d5, the knight retreats to e7 and the structure resembles a reversed King's Indian; if White takes on e5, the knight recaptures in the centre. With 2.Nf3 instead of 2.d4, White avoids the ...d5 lines and Black chooses between ...e5, transposing to 1.e4 e5, and ...d6, leading to Pirc positions with the knight badly placed on c6.
Typical Plans for White
- Against 2...d5, push 3.e5 and gain space, playing against the f5 bishop with g4 when it has no square
- In the d5 exchange, develop with Nf3 before Nc3, so as not to leave d4 attacked twice and defended once
- Against 2...e5, close with 3.d5 and gain space with c4 before Black reorganises the knight
- Against 2.Nf3 d6, set up d4, Nc3 and Be3: the position measures +0.97
- Punish an early ...f5: 2.Nf3 f5 3.exf5 measures +1.11
Typical Plans for Black
- Against 3.e5, develop the bishop to f5 before ...e6 and continue with ...Nge7
- In the d5 exchange, keep the queen in the centre and pin the f3 knight with ...Bg4
- Against 4.Nc3, take on d4: 4...Qxd4 wins the pawn and measures −0.58
- Never retreat the queen to a5 against 4.Nc3: 5.d5 drives the knight away and the position goes to +1.90
- Avoid an early ...f5, which opens the king's diagonal without controlling the centre
Main Variations of the Nimzowitsch Defense
| Variation | Move Sequence | Evaluation | Style / Characteristic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Advance Variation (3.e5 Bf5) | 1.e4 Nc6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 Bf5 4.Nf3 e6 5.Be2 Nge7 6.O-O |
+0.29 | A French with the c8 bishop outside the chain; solid |
| Advance with 4.g4 Bd7 | 1.e4 Nc6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 Bf5 4.g4 Bd7 |
+0.73 | The bishop retreats to d7 and White gains kingside space |
| Advance with 4.g4 Be4 | 1.e4 Nc6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 Bf5 4.g4 Be4 5.f3 Bg6 6.h4 |
−0.36 | The bishop passes through e4 before retreating, and White's pawn advance turns against itself |
| Exchange on d5 (3.exd5 Qxd5 4.Nf3) | 1.e4 Nc6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 Qxd5 4.Nf3 Bg4 5.Be2 O-O-O 6.c3 e5 |
−0.08 | Centralised queen, pin on f3 and long castling; Black's best line in the entry |
| 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.d5 | 1.e4 Nc6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.d5 Ne5 5.Qd4 Ng6 6.Qxe4 |
+0.09 | White drives the knight away and regains the pawn with the queen |
| 2...e5 3.d5 | 1.e4 Nc6 2.d4 e5 3.d5 Nce7 4.c4 Ng6 |
+0.51 | Closed centre and White space; Black's knight heads for g6 |
| Kennedy Variation (3.dxe5 Nxe5) | 1.e4 Nc6 2.d4 e5 3.dxe5 Nxe5 |
+0.51 | The knight recaptures in the centre and will be hit by f4 |
| Williams Variation (2.Nf3 d6) | 1.e4 Nc6 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Bg4 5.Be3 e6 |
+0.97 | A Pirc with the knight on c6; the highest White evaluation in the entry |
Evaluations measured by us with Stockfish 19, depth 22, on 15/09/2026.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Nimzowitsch Defence playable?
It is, and more than its reputation suggests: 1...Nc6 measures +0.49, and the exchange 3.exd5 Qxd5 4.Nf3 drops to −0.08. The difficulty is the repertoire: depending on White's second move, Black needs to know French, Scandinavian and 1.e4 e5 structures.
What is White's best answer to 1...Nc6?
The Williams Variation, 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Bg4 5.Be3 e6, which measures +0.97. White avoids the ...d5 lines and steers the game into a Pirc in which Black's c6 knight blocks the c-pawn. Against 2.d4, the strongest measured line is 3.e5 Bf5 4.g4 Bd7, at +0.73.
Does 4.g4 against the f5 bishop work?
It depends on the reply. Against 4...Bd7, yes: +0.73. Against 4...Be4 5.f3 Bg6 6.h4, the position measures −0.36, because the bishop reaches g6 before it can be trapped, and White's advanced pawns are left without a purpose. Attacking the bishop only pays when it has no transit square.
Common Mistakes & Where Most Amateurs Go Wrong
- 01 Retreating the queen with 4...Qa5? against 3.exd5 Qxd5 4.Nc3. The queen leaves the centre, 5.d5 hits the knight and White gains space with tempo: +1.90. Taking with 4...Qxd4 won the pawn. The line:
1.e4 Nc6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 Qxd5 4.Nc3 Qa5+1.90 - 02 Attacking the queen with 4.Nc3? in the d5 exchange without defending d4 first. White's queen protects the pawn once, but Black's queen and knight attack it twice: 4...Qxd4 wins the pawn, and the position measures −0.58. The line:
1.e4 Nc6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 Qxd5 4.Nc3 Qxd4−0.58 - 03 Playing 2...f5? against 2.Nf3, the Colorado Variation. The pawn opens Black's king's diagonal, and 3.exf5 leaves Black with no centre and no compensation: +1.11. The line:
1.e4 Nc6 2.Nf3 f5 3.exf5+1.11
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