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Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3 (E53)
1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 e6 3 Nc3 Bb4 4 e3 O-O 5 Nf3 d5 6 Bd3 c5

Number of games in database: 1472
Years covered: 1873 to 2025
Overall record:
   White wins 30.7%
   Black wins 25.3%
   Draws 44.0%

Popularity graph, by decade

Explore this opening  |  Search for sacrifices in this opening.
PRACTITIONERS
With the White Pieces With the Black Pieces
Svetozar Gligoric  36 games
Anton Korobov  17 games
Jan Hein Donner  17 games
Alexander Tolush  13 games
Evgeny Alekseev  12 games
Yuri Averbakh  9 games
NOTABLE GAMES [what is this?]
White Wins Black Wins
Kramnik vs Kasparov, 2000
Tal vs Tolush, 1958
Szabo vs Kotov, 1953
Vladimirov vs Kasparov, 2001
Gligoric vs Spassky, 1978
I Sokolov vs Leko, 2013
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 page 1 of 59; games 1-25 of 1,472  PGN Download
Game  ResultMoves YearEvent/LocaleOpening
1. C G Heydon vs J S Stanley ½-½541873NSW v VIC Telegraph MatchE53 Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3
2. W Winter vs Yates  0-1451929Quadrangular tE53 Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3
3. P Johner vs A Staehelin  1-0421932BernE53 Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3
4. Koltanowski vs W H Watts  1-0261932BCF-ch Major Open E53 Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3
5. Stahlberg vs B Sundberg  1-0551937Wasa SK 20th AnniverseryE53 Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3
6. E Lundin vs Fine 0-1291937Wasa SK 20th AnniverseryE53 Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3
7. I Koenig vs M Broeder  0-1371937Yugoslav ChampionshipE53 Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3
8. L Laurine vs Koblents  ½-½301938Match 1st Riga - Tallinn Chess clubsE53 Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3
9. Eliskases vs P Schmidt 1-0431938NoordwijkE53 Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3
10. S Landau vs Pirc  0-1661939Hastings 1938/39E53 Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3
11. Szabo vs T Melngailis 1-0611939KemeriE53 Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3
12. Menchik vs Graf-Stevenson 1-0741939World Championship (Women)E53 Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3
13. Alatortsev vs Levenfish ½-½371940MatchE53 Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3
14. Alatortsev vs Levenfish  ½-½511940MatchE53 Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3
15. C Vlagsma vs Kmoch  ½-½351940Kamstra CupE53 Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3
16. Lilienthal vs Boleslavsky  0-1391942KuybyshevE53 Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3
17. G Ravinsky vs Ragozin  0-1401942Moscow ChampionshipE53 Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3
18. Pachman vs K Prucha  ½-½451943ZlinE53 Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3
19. Denker vs Kashdan  0-1411944US Lightning-chE53 Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3
20. B Ratner vs Ragozin  ½-½581945USSR ChampionshipE53 Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3
21. Tolush vs V Mikenas  1-0281945Ch Estonia (open)E53 Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3
22. Smyslov vs Averbakh 1-0681946Moscow ChampionshipE53 Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3
23. Y Solntsev vs Lilienthal  0-1361946Moscow ChampionshipE53 Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3
24. Lilienthal vs Averbakh ½-½281946Moscow ChampionshipE53 Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3
25. Kotov vs Y Estrin ½-½371946Moscow ChampionshipE53 Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3
 page 1 of 59; games 1-25 of 1,472  PGN Download
  REFINE SEARCH:   White wins (1-0) | Black wins (0-1) | Draws (1/2-1/2)  

Kibitzer's Corner
Mar-31-05  dac1990: Opening question, or debate: after 7.0-0, which is better, 7. ...Nc6, or 7. ...dxc4? I'm trying to add the Nimzo to my repetoire, but I don't know which to use, and what kind of game both lead to.
Mar-31-05  Helloween: It depends on what type of middlegame position you are aiming for. 7...dxc4 followed by 8...Nbd7 leads to more open positions, Black often playing b7-b6 and fianchettoing his Light Bishop or putting it on e6 - Kramnik vs Anand, 2001

7...Nc6 is the ultimate main line which leads to more closed positions with the centre often blocked. The Light Bishop often goes on f5. White has more choices in this line, especially at move 11, and if he can can open the position he will usually have a big advantage as in Kramnik vs Tiviakov, 2001. Here is an example of Black exploiting the closed centre in this line - Cherepkov vs Tseshkovsky, 1968. Notice the ineffectiveness of White's Dark Bishop locked behind the pawn chain.

Here is an example of Black exploiting the closed centre in this line. Notice the ineffectiveness of White's Dark Bishop locked behind the pawn chain.

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