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Nimzowitsch 
 
Aron Nimzowitsch
Number of games in database: 563
Years covered: 1896 to 1934
Overall record: +258 -105 =195 (63.7%)*
   * Overall winning percentage = (wins+draws/2) / total games
      Based on games in the database; may be incomplete.
      5 exhibition games, odds games, etc. are excluded from this statistic.

MOST PLAYED OPENINGS
With the White pieces:
 Four Knights (35) 
    C49 C47 C48
 Reti System (35) 
    A04 A06
 French Defense (29) 
    C02 C11 C00 C01 C12
 English (17) 
    A18 A16 A15 A13 A12
 English, 1 c4 e5 (13) 
    A28 A20 A27 A21 A25
 Queen's Pawn Game (13) 
    D02 E10 D05 A50 D00
With the Black pieces:
 French Defense (42) 
    C01 C17 C15 C11 C00
 Queen's Pawn Game (40) 
    A46 D02 D05 A45 D04
 Caro-Kann (32) 
    B16 B13 B10 B15 B12
 Nimzo Indian (30) 
    E32 E22 E23 E21 E20
 Uncommon Opening (19) 
    B00 A00
 Queen's Indian (18) 
    E15 E12 E16 E18
Repertoire Explorer

NOTABLE GAMES: [what is this?]
   Samisch vs Nimzowitsch, 1923 0-1
   Nimzowitsch vs Hakansson, 1922 1-0
   Nimzowitsch vs Systemsson, 1927 1-0
   A E Post vs Nimzowitsch, 1905 1/2-1/2
   Nimzowitsch vs Rubinstein, 1926 1-0
   P F Johner vs Nimzowitsch, 1926 0-1
   Nimzowitsch vs Alapin, 1914 1-0
   Nimzowitsch vs Salwe, 1911 1-0
   H K Mattison vs Nimzowitsch, 1929 0-1
   N Mannheimer vs Nimzowitsch, 1930 0-1

GAME COLLECTIONS: [what is this?]
   Nimzovich: Chess Praxis by setuhanu01
   Hypermodern chess: Aron Nimzovich by Reinfeld by nikolaas
   Bled 1931 by Benzol
   Bled 1931 international tournament by cuendillar
   New York 1927 by Benzol
   Favorite Games #2 (1917-1942) by wanabe2000
   San Sebastian 1912 by Archives
   Aron Nimzowitsch's Finest Hour! by AgentRgent
   "Aron Nimzowitsch: A Reappraisal" by Keene by chessgames.com
   nimzowitch by zakir
   Zurich 1934 by suenteus po 147
   sleepyirv's favorite games by sleepyirv

GAMES ANNOTATED BY NIMZOWITSCH: [what is this?]
   Samisch vs Nimzowitsch, 1923
   Nimzowitsch vs Hakansson, 1922
   Nimzowitsch vs Alapin, 1914
   Nimzowitsch vs Salwe, 1911
   Maroczy vs H Suechting, 1905
   >> 49 GAMES ANNOTATED BY NIMZOWITSCH

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ARON NIMZOWITSCH
(born Nov-07-1886, died Mar-16-1935) Latvia (citizen of Denmark)

[what is this?]
Aron Nimzowitsch, born in Riga, Latvia in 1886, came to prominence in the chess world just before the First World War. He won a string of international events in the mid-1920s which led him to challenge Jose Raul Capablanca to a World Championship match in 1925, but negotiations dissolved after monetary backing could not be found.

Nimzowitsch's chess theories flew in the face of convention. He had a lengthy and somewhat bitter conflict with Siegbert Tarrasch over which ideas constituted proper chess play. While Tarrasch refined the classical approach of Wilhelm Steinitz, that the center had to be controlled and occupied by pawns, Nimzowitsch shattered these dogmatic assumptions, and proposed the controlling of the center with pieces from afar. In this way, the opponent is invited to occupy the center with pawns which thus become the targets of attack. This idea became known as the hypermodern school of chess thought.

Nimzowitsch, along with other hypermodern thinkers such as Richard Reti, revolutionized chess, proving to the chess world that controlling the center of the board mattered more than actually occupying it. Nimzowitsch is also a highly-regarded chess writer, most famously for the 1925 classic My System, to this day regarded as one of the most important chess books of all time. Other books include Chess Praxis which further expounds the hypermodern idea, and the seminal work The Blockade explores the strategy implied by his famous maxim, "First restrain, then blockade, finally destroy!"

As a profound opening theoretician, Nimzowitsch has left a legacy of variations, many of which are still popular today. The Nimzo-Indian Defense (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4) is named after him, as are several variations of the French Defense. He also is credited in part for the Sicilian, Nimzovich-Rubinstein (B29) Variation (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nf6), the Nimzovich-Larsen Attack (A01) (1.b3), the Nimzowitsch Defense (1.e4 Nc6), and many others.


 page 1 of 23; games 1-25 of 563  PGN Download
Game  ResultMoves Year Event/LocaleOpening
1. Nimzowitsch vs NN 1-018 1896 Riga, LatviaB01 Scandinavian
2. B Blumenfeld vs Nimzowitsch 1-029 1903 BerlinC45 Scotch Game
3. Vidmar vs Nimzowitsch  1-048 1904 Coburg AD02 Queen's Pawn Game
4. Nimzowitsch vs Duras 1-055 1904 Coburg AB15 Caro-Kann
5. Kagbein vs Nimzowitsch 1-042 1904 Coburg AD07 Queen's Gambit Declined, Chigorin Defense
6. B Gregory vs Nimzowitsch  1-036 1904 Coburg AA30 English, Symmetrical
7. Tarrasch vs Nimzowitsch ½-½71 1904 Nuremberg - Casual gameD07 Queen's Gambit Declined, Chigorin Defense
8. E Cohn vs Nimzowitsch 0-130 1904 Coburg AC41 Philidor Defense
9. Nimzowitsch vs Hilse 1-065 1904 CoburgC25 Vienna
10. Spielmann vs Nimzowitsch 1-030 1905 Barmen Masters B, GERC25 Vienna
11. Nimzowitsch vs W Cohn 1-024 1905 Barmen Masters B, GERC42 Petrov Defense
12. H Caro vs Nimzowitsch 1-036 1905 Barmen Masters B, GERA34 English, Symmetrical
13. W Schwan vs Nimzowitsch  ½-½44 1905 Barmen Masters B, GERA02 Bird's Opening
14. Nimzowitsch vs Przepiorka ½-½25 1905 Barmen Masters B, GERB22 Sicilian, Alapin
15. B Leussen vs Nimzowitsch 1-022 1905 Barmen Masters B, GERD07 Queen's Gambit Declined, Chigorin Defense
16. Nimzowitsch vs K Ignacy  0-154 1905 Barmen Masters B, GERB22 Sicilian, Alapin
17. Nimzowitsch vs J W Baird 1-038 1905 Barmen Masters B, GERC45 Scotch Game
18. Nimzowitsch vs Spielmann ½-½36 1905 07, Munich mC45 Scotch Game
19. Nimzowitsch vs J Perlis 0-136 1905 Barmen Masters B, GERB40 Sicilian
20. A H Petterson vs Nimzowitsch 0-130 1905 Barmen Masters B, GERC63 Ruy Lopez, Schliemann Defense
21. Nimzowitsch vs A Neumann  ½-½50 1905 Barmen Masters B, GERB22 Sicilian, Alapin
22. H Wolf vs Nimzowitsch  ½-½30 1905 Vienna Masters TournamentC63 Ruy Lopez, Schliemann Defense
23. Spielmann vs Nimzowitsch 1-019 1905 MunichB15 Caro-Kann
24. A E Post vs Nimzowitsch ½-½98 1905 Barmen Masters B, GERD07 Queen's Gambit Declined, Chigorin Defense
25. Nimzowitsch vs Schlechter 0-126 1905 ViennaB22 Sicilian, Alapin
 page 1 of 23; games 1-25 of 563  PGN Download
  REFINE SEARCH:   White wins (1-0) | Black wins (0-1) | Draws (1/2-1/2) | Nimzowitsch wins | Nimzowitsch loses  
 

Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 54 OF 54 ·  Later Kibitzing >
May-05-09   AnalyzeThis: <returnoftheking: good argument... >

I guess what you're trying to say is that Nimzo almost made Capa break a sweat. While that's almost interesting, it's not grounds for overturning their established record against each other.

May-05-09   returnoftheking: Omg..
I ask: did Nimzowitsch ever challenge Alekhine like he did Capa?

You "answer" how futile that would be.
Someone else responds by saying that Nimzo was no match for Capa.

I have a different opinion and mention that and you start with wannabe sarcastic comments. Twice. And putting words in my mouth I did not say-about overturning of records.

Whatever. I'v no interest in debating if Capa would crush Nimzo or not. Just let me know if you know the answer to my question.

May-05-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  parisattack: <returnoftheking: why would nimzo be no match for Capa? The number three in the world. If he'd v prepared and changed his style a little (playing a bit more conservative), who knows. Before 1927 people said the same about Alekhine, and look how that went.>

I don't see Nimzo adjusting his style - I think he was too 'intellectually honest' to do such a thing; Alekhine by comparison was a w****. Like Larsen, Nimzo was more a tournament player than a match player. But, who knows?

One would think - with current computer technology - 'they' could recreate the great players with some sort of sophisticated curve-fitting of their games, move choices, commutative analysis of their play over 100 years. Then hold a match for the Ultimate Title.

I have a box of Nimzo memorabilia I purchased from Al Buschke in the 1970s - It was Hans Kmoch's research for a book that never got written. Sometime I will scan/photo some of what I still have, post it to a backpage of my website.

May-05-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  keypusher: <returnoftheking: Omg..
I ask: did Nimzowitsch ever challenge Alekhine like he did Capa?>

I am not aware of a formal challenge. In fact there seems to be some question whether Nimzowitsch ever issued a formal challenge to Capablanca, which I had thought was established fact. See the quote in the linked post from <Calli>.

Alexander Alekhine

But Nimzowitsch did write the following in the Carlsbad 1929 tournament book:

<The chess world is obligated to organize a match between the champion of the world and the winner of this Carlsbad tournament -- indeed this is a moral obligation. If the world of chess should remain deaf to its obligation, on the other hand, it would amount to an absolutely unforgivable omission, carrying with it a heavy burden of guilt.>

May-05-09   AnalyzeThis: Capa slapped Nimzo silly in blitz chess and tournament chess. For the right fee, I'm sure he would have been glad to do so in a match as well.
May-05-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  AgentRgent: <returnoftheking> Don't bother discussing Nimzowitsch with AT, he's got some stupid personal vendetta or something (I suspect that ultimately it boils down to pent up frustration with being unable to grasp Nimzowitsch's ideas in My System).
May-06-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  ray keene: <parisattack> kmoch book-nimzo archive !!!! i presume you have seen and i hope read my book on nimzo-i wd very much like to see this archive and the unpublished book-i cd even publish the book through hardinge simpole or impala-can you let me know if this might be possible??
May-06-09   returnoftheking: <I have a box of Nimzo memorabilia I purchased from Al Buschke in the 1970s - It was Hans Kmoch's research for a book that never got written. Sometime I will scan/photo some of what I still have, post it to a backpage of my website.>

That would be cool. Is the challenge to Capa maybe amongst the memorabilia?:-)

May-06-09   returnoftheking: lol...Keene smells money ^^

<keypusher> Thanks for the link.

If Calli is right (he usually is) then why did Capa beat Nimzo twice during the New York tournament:-). With 1 point more Nimzo would have been 2nd or shared 2nd after Capa; giving him the right to a wch match.

I didn't know the quote of Nimzo after Carlsbad. I think he was right-there should have been a match-would have been very interesting as he deserved a shot at the title.

p.s. According to Alekhine in the tournament book of 1927 Nimzo challenged Capablanca in the fall of '26- but he had not gathered the required amount of money at the time.

<agentr> advice taken..

May-06-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  parisattack: <ray keene: <parisattack> kmoch book-nimzo archive !!!! i presume you have seen and i hope read my book on nimzo-i wd very much like to see this archive and the unpublished book-i cd even publish the book through hardinge simpole or impala-can you let me know if this might be possible??>

It is not so much a book as a large shoebox of materials Hans collected along the way for a possible Nimzo book which he never wrote. I sold the memorabilia items years back and haven't looked at it pretty much since then.

I will dig out, inventory. I remember two large notebooks (in German) which I suspect were his preliminary ideas and such. A few photos, a couple of signatures - one on a copy of Die Blockade, scoresheets and such.

I spoke to Hans about this material on on occasion I had to speak to him on something else. About the only comment I recall is that he thought Buschke had really taken me to the cleaners on the price he charged me.

Your book remains the 'standard' work on Nimzo, certainly!

May-06-09   inderhinder: The Nimzo is my favourite opening and My System was my favourite chess book when I was a teenager!!
May-11-09   AnalyzeThis: You mean, the opening that Alekhine made into a fearsome weapon, playing as early as Nimzo did, yet much better than Nimzo did throughout his career, in a far more modern manner, with significantly better results. Thanks.
May-11-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  ray keene: <parisattack> all sounds very interesting-any unpublished info on nimzo deserves to see the light of day-we have far too few of his games!
May-11-09   FHBradley: <AnalyzeThis:> Why do you keep saying things about Nimzo that <Rookfile> told us long ago? Is it because he's your hero (or vice versa), or because you share the same sources, or is it something else?
May-11-09   AnalyzeThis: This is a more humorous question than you realize, FHBradley.
May-11-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  parisattack: <ray keene: <parisattack> all sounds very interesting-any unpublished info on nimzo deserves to see the light of day-we have far too few of his games!>

Does Breyer interest you <GM Keene>? I also bought in the late-1970s a manuscript of Breyer's games -'Collection of Games Played By Gyula Breyer' - compiled by William Streter with additions by A. Buschke, Ulrich, Grammel, et al.

No annotations, just hand-copied raw game scores. I've never crossed them with the DBs or Bottlik's book but I suspect a few unpublished games may be present. I scanned it at one time and have in a .doc file.

May-11-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  ray keene: it wd be great to get any unknown breyer games up here on this site-breyer had some amazing early games-i first came across him in a book by rn coles called dynamic chess which i persuaded hardinge simpole publishers to reprint so it shd still be available on www.hardingesimpole.co.uk
May-11-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  parisattack: Dynamic Chess by Coles a wonderful book! Some of the annotations might be called 'optimistic' but its a great read. Nimzo fans would certainly enjoy it.
May-22-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  chancho: <FHBradley: AnalyzeThis Why do you keep saying things about Nimzo that <Rookfile> told us long ago? Is it because he's your hero (or vice versa), or because you share the same sources, or is it something else?

Something else. :-)

Jul-13-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  whiteshark: Quote of the Day

<There are no facts, only interpretations.>

-- Nietzsche

Jul-14-09   Oliveira: Just spicing up the more than two months ago discussion about Nimzo and Capa, here is... Quote of the Day!

"The outcome of [Nimzowitch's] discourteous remark was a series of quick games for a side bet, which I won with ridiculous ease, and ended by his retracting the statement he had previously made. Many more of these games were played, until all the masters agreed that I had no equal at this kind of chess."

Oct-03-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  whiteshark: Alternative <Quote of the Day>

"In the middlegame the king is a mere extra; in the endgame, on the other hand, one of the principals."

-- A. Nimzowitsch

Nov-06-09   Cees Verhagen: Happy Birthday Grandmaster Nimzowitsch.
Nov-06-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  parisattack: <Cees Verhagen: Happy Birthday Grandmaster Nimzowitsch.>

My boyhood chess hero!

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/f...

Nov-07-09   WhiteRook48: happy birthday Nimzowitsch!!
too bad he never beat Capablanca
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