Opening family
Nimzowitsch Defense Lines and Variations
The Nimzowitsch Defense family contains 43 named lines in this opening book, spanning ECO B00. Use this page as the map, then open individual lines for exact move orders and diagrams.
How to study this family
White
White should use the move order as a checkpoint: finish development, identify the central break, and compare the continuations below before memorizing moves.
Black
Black should ask what White is threatening in the center, then choose development moves that prepare a clean pawn break or a useful exchange.
Start with the shortest line, then branch to the variations that change the pawn structure or tactical target. Memorizing every branch before understanding the family plan is usually wasted work.
Main named lines
- B00 · Nimzowitsch Defense
- B00 · Nimzowitsch Defense
- B00 · Nimzowitsch Defense: Declined Variation
- B00 · Nimzowitsch Defense: Pseudo-Spanish Variation
- B00 · Nimzowitsch Defense: Wheeler Gambit
- B00 · Nimzowitsch Defense: Colorado Countergambit
- B00 · Nimzowitsch Defense: Franco-Nimzowitsch Variation
- B00 · Nimzowitsch Defense: French Connection
- B00 · Nimzowitsch Defense: Kennedy Variation
- B00 · Nimzowitsch Defense: Mikenas Variation
- B00 · Nimzowitsch Defense: Neo-Mongoloid Defense
- B00 · Nimzowitsch Defense: Pirc Connection
- B00 · Nimzowitsch Defense: Scandinavian Variation
- B00 · Nimzowitsch Defense: Williams Variation
- B00 · Nimzowitsch Defense: Woodchuck Variation
- B00 · Nimzowitsch Defense: Colorado Countergambit Accepted
- B00 · Nimzowitsch Defense: Hornung Gambit
- B00 · Nimzowitsch Defense: Kennedy Variation, Linksspringer Variation
- B00 · Nimzowitsch Defense: Scandinavian Variation, Advance Variation
- B00 · Nimzowitsch Defense: Scandinavian Variation, Bogoljubow Variation
- B00 · Nimzowitsch Defense: Breyer Variation
- B00 · Nimzowitsch Defense: El Columpio Defense
- B00 · Nimzowitsch Defense: Kennedy Variation, Bielefelder Gambit
- B00 · Nimzowitsch Defense: Kennedy Variation, de Smet Gambit
Deep theory branches
- 1. e4 Nc6 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. e5 Ng4 4. d4 d6 5. h3 Nh6 6. e6 — Nimzowitsch Defense: El Columpio Defense, El Columpio Gambit
- 1. e4 Nc6 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. e5 Ng4 4. d4 d6 5. h3 Nh6 6. exd6 — Nimzowitsch Defense: El Columpio Defense, Exchange Variation
- 1. e4 Nc6 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. e5 Ng4 4. d4 d6 5. h3 Nh6 6. Bb5 — Nimzowitsch Defense: El Columpio Defense, Pin Variation
- 1. e4 Nc6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. d5 Nb8 5. f3 — Nimzowitsch Defense: Scandinavian Variation, Bogoljubow Variation, Richter Gambit
- 1. e4 Nc6 2. d4 e5 3. dxe5 Nxe5 4. f4 Ng6 — Nimzowitsch Defense: Kennedy Variation, Main Line
- 1. e4 Nc6 2. d4 e5 3. dxe5 Nxe5 4. f4 Nc6 — Nimzowitsch Defense: Kennedy Variation, Riemann Defense
- 1. e4 Nc6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. d5 Ne5 — Nimzowitsch Defense: Scandinavian Variation, Bogoljubow Variation, Nimzowitsch Gambit
- 1. e4 Nc6 2. d4 e5 3. dxe5 Nxe5 4. Nc3 — Nimzowitsch Defense: Kennedy Variation, Keres Attack
- 1. e4 Nc6 2. d4 e5 3. dxe5 Nxe5 4. Nf3 — Nimzowitsch Defense: Kennedy Variation, Paulsen Attack
- 1. e4 Nc6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 Qxd5 4. Nc3 — Nimzowitsch Defense: Scandinavian Variation, Exchange Variation, Marshall Gambit
- 1. e4 Nc6 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. d4 e5 — Nimzowitsch Defense: Breyer Variation
- 1. e4 Nc6 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. e5 Ng4 — Nimzowitsch Defense: El Columpio Defense
- 1. e4 Nc6 2. d4 e5 3. dxe5 Bc5 — Nimzowitsch Defense: Kennedy Variation, Bielefelder Gambit
- 1. e4 Nc6 2. d4 e5 3. dxe5 d6 — Nimzowitsch Defense: Kennedy Variation, de Smet Gambit
- 1. e4 Nc6 2. d4 e5 3. dxe5 f6 — Nimzowitsch Defense: Kennedy Variation, Hammer Gambit
- 1. e4 Nc6 2. d4 e5 3. dxe5 Qh4 — Nimzowitsch Defense: Kennedy Variation, Herford Gambit