Nimzo-Indian Defense: Classical Variation

Main line

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Qc2 O-O 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.Qxc3 b6 7.Bg5 Bb7

Diagram shows the position after 6 half-moves of the main line. On SpeakChess you can drill this line move by move — the trainer plays the other side and corrects you instantly, then spaced repetition schedules each variation so you review it right before you would forget it.

Move by move

The first 12 moves of the main line, explained one at a time. Every move of every variation is annotated like this inside the trainer — this page shows the opening moves so you can judge the explanations before signing up.

1. 1.d4 White advances the pawn to d4, staking a claim right in the center and opening up lines for the queen and bishops to develop.
2. 1...Nf6 Nice job bringing your knight out to f6, a dark square! This is a friendly developing move that gets your piece off its back row and into the game early. Knights love jumping into action like this.
3. 2.c4 White pushes the pawn to c4, building a big pawn center alongside d4. This English-style setup gives White lots of space in the middle.
4. 2...e6 Black steps the pawn to e6, supporting the center and opening a diagonal for the dark-squared bishop to come out later.
5. 3.Nc3 The knight hops to c3, developing a piece and adding more pressure on the center. White is building a strong setup in the opening.
6. 3...Bb4 Black slides the bishop all the way to b4, pinning the white knight on c3. This is the Nimzo-Indian — Black puts immediate pressure on White's center.
7. 4.Qc2 White brings the queen to c2, unpinning the knight on c3 and protecting it. The queen also eyes the e4 square for a future pawn advance.
8. 4...O-O Black castles kingside, tucking the king safely behind the pawns and connecting the rooks. The king is now much safer on g8.
9. 5.a3 White nudges the pawn to a3, asking the bishop on b4 to make a decision. This little move forces Black to show their plan.
10. 5...Bxc3+ Black captures the knight on c3 with the bishop, and the move delivers check to the white king. White must now deal with the check before anything else.
11. 6.Qxc3 White takes back the bishop on c3 with the queen, winning the piece back. The queen is now active in the center controlling key squares.
12. 6...b6 Black advances the pawn to b6, preparing to bring the bishop out to b7 along the long diagonal. This is a flexible development plan.

Open the full annotated variation tree — free account

Win rates by rating

Results from real online games, measured after the line shown in each row. Most opening sites show one aggregate number — how an opening scores depends heavily on who is playing it.

Most played continuations (600-800 rating)

After 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4:

• Bd2 — played 30.1% of the time (White wins 56.6%, draws 3%, Black wins 40.4%)
• Nf3 — played 16.4% of the time (White wins 52.8%, draws 3.7%, Black wins 43.5%)
• a3 — played 15.3% of the time (White wins 54.5%, draws 1%, Black wins 44.5%)

Related openings

• Nimzo-Indian Defense
• Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation
• Nimzo-Indian Defense: Three Knights Variation
• Nimzo-Indian Defense: Rubinstein System

Frequently asked questions

Why does White play 4.Qc2 instead of developing a piece?

Because the whole point of the Nimzo is 3...Bb4 followed by ...Bxc3, wrecking White's queenside pawns. With the queen defending c3, that exchange no longer damages anything — White simply recaptures with the queen and keeps two bishops. It costs time and puts the queen on an exposed square, which is the price of denying Black the structural target.

Is the bishop pair worth giving up a tempo for?

In the long run usually yes, provided White can open the position. Two bishops on an open board are a genuine, lasting advantage, and White's structure has no weaknesses to compensate Black. Black's practical answer is to keep the position closed, plant a knight on a strong central square, and make the bishops bite on granite.

How does Black generate play after giving up the dark-squared bishop?

By occupying the dark squares with pieces instead of a bishop — ...b6 and ...Bb7 or ...Ba6 hitting c4, knights heading for e4 and c5, and pressure on White's centre before it mobilises. The break ...c5 or ...d5 at the right moment is essential; without it White simply plays e4 and takes over.