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Nimzo-Indian, Spielmann Variation (E22)
1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 e6 3 Nc3 Bb4 4 Qb3

Number of games in database: 364
Years covered: 1860 to 2024
Overall record:
   White wins 33.8%
   Black wins 34.6%
   Draws 31.3%

Popularity graph, by decade

Explore this opening  |  Search for sacrifices in this opening.
PRACTITIONERS
With the White Pieces With the Black Pieces
Gideon Stahlberg  10 games
Max Euwe  8 games
Jeroen Piket  7 games
Salomon Flohr  6 games
Aron Nimzowitsch  5 games
Alexander Alekhine  4 games
NOTABLE GAMES [what is this?]
White Wins Black Wins
Capablanca vs Ragozin, 1936
Capablanca vs Colle, 1929
Bogoljubov vs Alekhine, 1929
Tolush vs Keres, 1939
V Nowak vs Karpov, 1966
V Popov vs N Riumin, 1929
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 page 1 of 15; games 1-25 of 364  PGN Download
Game  ResultMoves YearEvent/LocaleOpening
1. Steinitz vs E Jenay 311860Casual gameE22 Nimzo-Indian, Spielmann Variation
2. Steinitz vs Englisch  ½-½201882ViennaE22 Nimzo-Indian, Spielmann Variation
3. Rubinstein vs Teichmann 1-0631922Teplitz-SchonauE22 Nimzo-Indian, Spielmann Variation
4. Gruenfeld vs Saemisch  1-0561922ViennaE22 Nimzo-Indian, Spielmann Variation
5. H Wolf vs Maroczy ½-½571922ViennaE22 Nimzo-Indian, Spielmann Variation
6. Menchik vs A E Smith  ½-½241925Sexton Cup Hastings v Rest of SussexE22 Nimzo-Indian, Spielmann Variation
7. I Rabinovich vs N Zubarev 1-0311925MoscowE22 Nimzo-Indian, Spielmann Variation
8. L Furlani vs J Gabrovsek  1-0191927YUGE22 Nimzo-Indian, Spielmann Variation
9. W Hilse vs Bogoljubov  0-1221927BremenE22 Nimzo-Indian, Spielmann Variation
10. S Ureta vs C H Maderna  0-14019283rd South American ChampionshipE22 Nimzo-Indian, Spielmann Variation
11. Tartakower vs A Nimzowitsch ½-½681928Bad KissingenE22 Nimzo-Indian, Spielmann Variation
12. Tartakower vs Reti ½-½731928BerlinE22 Nimzo-Indian, Spielmann Variation
13. V Popov vs N Riumin 0-1301929Moscow chE22 Nimzo-Indian, Spielmann Variation
14. J Dobias vs Flohr  0-1311929Kautsky mem 6thE22 Nimzo-Indian, Spielmann Variation
15. Euwe vs E Canal 1-0321929KarlsbadE22 Nimzo-Indian, Spielmann Variation
16. F Hamond vs H Price  0-1431929British ChampionshipE22 Nimzo-Indian, Spielmann Variation
17. Capablanca vs Colle 1-0111929BudapestE22 Nimzo-Indian, Spielmann Variation
18. Bogoljubov vs Alekhine 1-0381929Alekhine - Bogoljubov World Championship MatchE22 Nimzo-Indian, Spielmann Variation
19. Bogoljubov vs Alekhine 1-0481929Alekhine - Bogoljubov World Championship MatchE22 Nimzo-Indian, Spielmann Variation
20. Pirc vs Flohr  0-1521929Rogaska SlatinaE22 Nimzo-Indian, Spielmann Variation
21. S Rosselli del Turco vs E Hellmann  ½-½401929VeniceE22 Nimzo-Indian, Spielmann Variation
22. S Rosselli del Turco vs O Naegeli  1-0501929VeniceE22 Nimzo-Indian, Spielmann Variation
23. S Rosselli del Turco vs J Rejfir 0-1441929VeniceE22 Nimzo-Indian, Spielmann Variation
24. Alekhine vs Bogoljubov 1-0491929Alekhine - Bogoljubov World Championship MatchE22 Nimzo-Indian, Spielmann Variation
25. Botvinnik vs S Gotthilf 1-0401930Leningrad Masters TournamentE22 Nimzo-Indian, Spielmann Variation
 page 1 of 15; games 1-25 of 364  PGN Download
  REFINE SEARCH:   White wins (1-0) | Black wins (0-1) | Draws (1/2-1/2)  

Kibitzer's Corner
Dec-02-04  EnglishOpeningc4: WOW i thought that this variation was good for white, but i guess not
Apr-15-05  drukenknight: I got a very nice Spielmann var. a few moments ago, I was able to pull that B/N battery vs. the Q; it doesnt win here but it's a good pattern to remember for the nimzoindian. THe last time I saw that, the N was able to give check and kill the Q; but I forgot the moves to that one! I wonder if it's that Qb3 move that allows black to gain tempo on the Q?

1. d4 Nf6
2. c4 e6
3. Nc3 Bb4
4. Qb3 Nc6
5. Nf3 a5 (I figured this pawn could smack the Q if whites a-pawn got aggressive)

6. a3 a4
7. Qc2 Bxc3+
8. Qxc3 two games in the data base got this far including Van der Tol v Kramer 1946

8...Ne4 (the novelty as it turns out, my reasoning: I wanted to smack the Q, why not?)

9. Qd3 d5
10. e3 e5!?
11. dxe5 Bf5
12. Qxd5 Qe7
13. Be2

the crap pc says pretty close to even and black has some very sharp play.

Sep-17-06
Premium Chessgames Member
  WTHarvey: Here are some puzzles from the E22 Spielmann miniatures: http://www.wtharvey.com/e22.html
Sep-17-06  Kean: hey thats a nice avatar; the puzzles are cool
Apr-15-07  coolbob: I simply don't get it, Qb3 seems better than qc2, avoiding doubled c pawns while attacking the bishop?
Apr-15-07  whiskeyrebel: it's certainly very playable, but on b3 the Queen doesn't exert pressure on the key Nimzo e4 square.
Apr-30-08  SPOONY: Qc2 helps the bishops on the diagonal attack and threatens a pawn push
Jan-31-09  Kaspykov: I studied a lot this opening.

At first look Qb3 look like a good square for the Queen but with Nc6-Na5 chasing the queen... Qb3 is useless.

Qc2 is a better move.

Aug-30-10  apexin: I have found an interesting move, let me know what you think of this - while playing my fritz 7 i came up with a queen sacrifice in 4.Qb3 variation-

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4. Qb3 c5
5.dxc5 Na6 6.Bd2 Qe7 7.Nf3 Nxc5 8.Qxb4!?
Nd3+ 9.exd3 Qxb4 10.Nb5
10..Qc5 seems to lead to a draw
10..Qe7 is better for white
can somene with a better engine analize this? :)

Aug-30-10
Premium Chessgames Member
  Sastre: Firebird main line after 8.Qxb4 - <8... Nd3+ 9. exd3 Qxb4 10. Nb5 Qe7 11. Nc7+ Kf8 12.Nxa8 Qd6 13. Be3 Qb8 14. Nb6 axb6 15. Bxb6 g6 16. Be2 e5 (-0.32/19)>.
Oct-06-10  apexin: thanks <Sestre)
does anyone knoe Is there any 2000+ games in that line?
Mar-04-11  parisattack: <Kaspykov: I studied a lot this opening.

At first look Qb3 look like a good square for the Queen but with Nc6-Na5 chasing the queen... Qb3 is useless.

Qc2 is a better move.
>

I played it twice and that was two times too many.

Mar-04-11
Premium Chessgames Member
  Penguincw: Opening of the Day :
Nimzo-Indian, Spielmann Variation (E22)
1.d4 ♘f6 2.c4 e6 3.♘c3 ♗b4 4.♕b3
Mar-31-11
Premium Chessgames Member
  Penguincw: Bogoljubov vs Alekhine, 1929

Bogoljubov vs Alekhine, 1929

I guess Efim Bogoljubov has had some good results with this opening.

Mar-21-12
Premium Chessgames Member
  Penguincw: Opening of the Day

Nimzo-Indian, Spielmann Variation
1. d4 ♘f6 2.c4 e6 3.♘c3 ♗b4 4.♕b3


click for larger view

Oct-09-13  Kikoman: <Opening of the Day>

Nimzo-Indian, Spielmann Variation
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Qb3


click for larger view

Opening Explorer

May-12-23
Premium Chessgames Member
  eternaloptimist: This variation is stupid. It seems like playing Qb3 in the opening hardly ever does white any good except in some lines of the English. If u play this variation then pretty often your ♕ just sits on b3 & looks stupid b/c it’s doing virtually nothing. Then black attacks the ♕ w/ something of lesser value & u end up losing a tempo & sometimes multiple tempos. Sometimes white retreats the ♕ to c2 & then that makes it look like u should have played the classical variation of the nimzo to start off w/. Speaking of the classical variation it could very well b the best variation for white to play. In this example: K Rahn vs P Schmidt, 1941 rahn did a pretty good job of playing the opening but he played this variation instead of a better variation. He even had a pretty nice advantage during parts of the game. He was doing fine until he played 32.♖b5??. After 13.♔b1 this game was = so that shows that rahn didn’t play terribly in the opening. ♖ahn defeated rellstab in the same tournament that this game was played in & rellstab was a IM so that shows that rahn was a knowledgeable chess player. Schmidt was an IM & he defeated flohr & keres w/ black before this game so he was definitely no slouch. ♘otice rahn’s ♕ didn’t do much of anything in this game. In the ♕GD: ragozin variation the ♕ on b3 doesn’t do a whole lot much of of the time either. Here’s an example.: P Vezzosi vs F Braga, 1992 if any of u guys can think of any variations where white playing Qb3 in the opening has some real value to it please let me know. Please make some kibitzes here & then make a kibitz on my profile wall to let me know that u made (a) kibitz(es) here. Thx!

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