Nimzowitsch Defense
1.e4 Nc6
The Nimzowitsch Defense is a chess opening reached after 1.e4 Nc6, catalogued under code B00 in the Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings (ECO).
The defining move Nc6 is chosen by Black on move 1.
17 named continuations branch from this position, including the Breyer Variation and the Colorado Countergambit.
What is the Nimzowitsch Defense?
The Nimzowitsch Defense is a chess opening that begins 1.e4 Nc6. Black develops a knight before committing any pawn, keeping every central plan available: ...d5 in the spirit of the Scandinavian, ...e5 to reach an Open Game by an unusual route, or ...d6 and ...Nf6 for a Pirc-like setup. It is a provocative opening, designed to lure White into building a big center that Black then attacks with pieces.
It is rare at master level because White can take the center with 2.d4 and keep a comfortable edge, but it has a loyal following among players who want to avoid theory and steer the game onto unfamiliar ground. Its most successful modern form is the 2.d4 d5 line, where Black gets a French or Caro-Kann structure with the knight already active on c6, and its most entertaining is the Colorado Gambit 2.Nf3 f5, a blitz weapon full of traps.
How to reach the Nimzowitsch Defense
After 1.e4 Nc6 White's principal replies are 2.d4 and 2.Nf3. Against 2.d4 Black chooses between 2...d5, the main line, when 3.e5 Bf5 and 3.Nc3 dxe4 are the branches, and 2...e5, the Kennedy Variation, when 3.d5 Nce7 leads to an original position and 3.dxe5 Nxe5 to a quiet one. Against 2.Nf3 Black plays 2...d6 for a Pirc-like game, 2...e5 to transpose to an Open Game, or the Colorado Gambit 2...f5. 2.Nc3 is the flexible third choice, usually met by 2...Nf6 or 2...e5.
Pros and cons of the Nimzowitsch Defense
Pros
- Avoids almost all mainstream theory from move one; most opponents are on their own immediately.
- Flexible: Black can steer toward a Scandinavian, French, Caro-Kann, Open Game or Pirc structure depending on White's reply.
- The Colorado Gambit is a genuine surprise weapon in blitz.
- Teaches hypermodern ideas: let White build the center, then attack it.
Cons
- Objectively White keeps an edge with 2.d4 and central control; the knight on c6 blocks the c-pawn, Black's best central lever.
- In the 2.d4 d5 3.e5 lines Black's position is cramped and the c6-knight is misplaced.
- The Colorado Gambit is unsound against 3.exf5 and accurate play.
- Rarely seen at the top for a reason; the lack of theory cuts both ways.
Main variations of the Nimzowitsch Defense
Nimzowitsch Defense: 2.d4 d5 3.e5 (Advance Variation)
1.e4 Nc6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 Bf5 4.c3 e6 5.Bd3 Bxd3 6.Qxd3 f6
The main line. White gains space with e5 as in the French or Caro-Kann Advance, and Black develops the bishop to f5 before playing ...e6, then undermines the chain with ...f6. The knight on c6 is less useful than in the Caro-Kann because ...c5 is unavailable, so Black relies on ...f6 and piece play; White should aim for a solid center with c3 and Nf3 and a kingside plan.
Nimzowitsch Defense: 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.d5
1.e4 Nc6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.d5 Ne5 5.Qd4 Ng6 6.Nxe4 Nf6
White's most ambitious reply: 4.d5 kicks the knight and 5.Qd4 gains a tempo on it, after which White regains the pawn with a space advantage and active pieces. Black's setup with ...Ng6 and ...Nf6 is solid enough, but White is comfortably better, which is why many Nimzowitsch players prefer the Kennedy Variation.
Nimzowitsch Defense: Kennedy Variation (2.d4 e5)
1.e4 Nc6 2.d4 e5 3.d5 Nce7 4.Nf3 d6 5.c4 Ng6
Black strikes with ...e5 and, after 3.d5, retreats the knight to e7 and g6 for a King's Indian-like structure with the d5-pawn fixed. Play resembles a closed Ruy Lopez or a Czech Benoni: Black prepares ...f5, White expands with c4, Nc3 and the queenside. The alternative 3.dxe5 Nxe5 4.Nf3 gives a quiet, roughly equal game.
Nimzowitsch Defense: Colorado Gambit (2.Nf3 f5)
1.e4 Nc6 2.Nf3 f5 3.exf5 d5 4.d4 Bxf5 5.Bb5 Qd6
Black sacrifices a pawn to open the f-file and seize the center with ...d5 and ...Bxf5. It is wild and unsound, but the positions are so unusual that it wins many blitz games. White's best is to accept, develop with Bb5 and Nc3 and castle quickly; the pin on the c6-knight and the weakened e6-square are the long-term problems in Black's position.
Nimzowitsch Defense: Scandinavian Variation (2.d4 d5 3.exd5 Qxd5)
1.e4 Nc6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 Qxd5 4.Nf3 Bg4 5.Be2 O-O-O
White exchanges in the center and Black recaptures with the queen, reaching a Scandinavian where the knight is already on c6 and the queen cannot be kicked by Nc3. Black develops fast with ...Bg4 and often castles queenside, aiming the rooks at the d-file and White's center. Active and easy to play, and the reason 3.e5 and 3.Nc3 are White's usual choices.
Nimzowitsch Defense: Pirc-style (2.Nf3 d6)
1.e4 Nc6 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Bg4 5.Be3 e6 6.h3 Bh5
Black adopts a solid setup with ...d6, ...Nf6 and ...Bg4, pressuring d4 through the pin on f3. It is a Pirc without the fianchetto, or an Old Indian with colors reversed, and it is Black's most reliable way to reach a playable middlegame against 2.Nf3. White keeps a space advantage and should be careful about ...e5 and ...Nxd4 tricks when the f3-knight is pinned.
How to play against the Nimzowitsch Defense
Take the center. 2.d4 is the principled reply, and against 2...d5 both 3.e5 and 3.Nc3 give White a comfortable advantage: in the Advance, play c3, Nf3 and Be2 or Bd3 and use the space, remembering that Black has no ...c5 lever; in the 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.d5 line, play 5.Qd4 and regain the pawn with an initiative. Against the Kennedy Variation 2...e5, 3.d5 Nce7 4.Nf3 keeps the space advantage, while 3.dxe5 Nxe5 is a safe transposition to a quiet game. Against 2.Nf3 f5, the Colorado Gambit, accept with 3.exf5 and develop fast with Bb5, Nc3 and O-O; the pin on c6 and the weakened e6-square are the long-term problems for Black. Do not play 2.Nf3 e5 into a theoretical Open Game unless that is what you want; the Nimzowitsch player often hopes for exactly that transposition.
Plans for both sides
White's plan
Build and keep the center with d4 and e4 or e5, develop naturally, and use the space advantage on the side where Black is weakest: the kingside in the Advance lines, the center in the 3.Nc3 lines. Trade Black's active light-squared bishop when it comes to f5 or g4, and exploit the c6-knight's awkward placement with d5 pushes.
Black's plan
Choose the structure by White's second move: ...d5 for a Scandinavian or Advance structure, ...e5 for a King's Indian-style game, ...d6 for a Pirc setup. Develop the light-squared bishop outside the chain early, break with ...f6 or ...e5 against a white e5-pawn, and use the knight on c6 for ...Nb4 and ...Nd4 jumps rather than leaving it blocked.
History of the Nimzowitsch Defense
The opening is named after Aron Nimzowitsch, the Latvian-Danish grandmaster and author of My System, who championed 1...Nc6 in the 1920s as an expression of his hypermodern belief that the center should be attacked with pieces rather than occupied with pawns. It has never been a mainstream defense, but a line of specialists kept it alive: Tony Miles used it against elite opposition in the 1980s, Bent Larsen tried it, and the Colorado Gambit line grew out of American club practice. It remains a surprise weapon and a favorite of players who prize originality over theory.
Nimzowitsch Defense FAQ
Is the Nimzowitsch Defense a good opening?
It is playable but slightly inferior: White gets a comfortable center with 2.d4 and the knight on c6 blocks Black's c-pawn. Its value is practical, as a way to avoid theory and reach unfamiliar positions.
What is the difference between the Nimzowitsch Defense and the Nimzo-Indian Defense?
The Nimzowitsch Defense is 1.e4 Nc6, a rare reply to 1.e4. The Nimzo-Indian Defense is 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4, one of the most respected replies to 1.d4. Both are named after Aron Nimzowitsch.
How do you play against 1.e4 Nc6?
Play 2.d4 and take the center. Against 2...d5, both 3.e5 and 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.d5 give White a comfortable edge; against 2...e5, 3.d5 keeps the space advantage. Against the Colorado Gambit, take the pawn and develop quickly with Bb5.
What is the Colorado Gambit?
The line 1.e4 Nc6 2.Nf3 f5, in which Black sacrifices a pawn to open the f-file and seize the center with ...d5. It is unsound but tricky, and a popular blitz weapon.
What is the ECO code for the Nimzowitsch Defense?
The Nimzowitsch Defense is classified under ECO B00, the code for uncommon replies to 1.e4.
Named variations
More ECO B00 openings
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