Chess opening · ECO B00
Nimzowitsch Defense
A knight move answers 1.e4 in the Nimzowitsch Defense. The c6 knight watches d4 and e5 straight away, but it blocks Black's c-pawn, so the Sicilian and Caro-Kann setups are no longer on the menu. Black has to choose a central pawn on move two, and White's reply often decides whether the game stays independent or slides into a familiar 1...e5 position.
- Rank by weighted share
- #40 of 159
Key moves
1. e4 Nc6
- 1... Nc6The knight develops and hits d4 and e5, two squares White would like to use. Its weakness is structural: with the c-pawn stuck behind it, Black cannot challenge d4 with ...c5 and must use the d- or e-pawn instead.
After 2.d4: ...d5 or ...e5
2...d5 strikes the e4 pawn. If White pushes 3.e5, a common answer is 3...Bf5, getting the light-squared bishop out before ...e6 shuts it in. That gives a French-like chain where Black's bishop is outside the pawns.
2...e5 offers to open the center. After 3.dxe5 Nxe5 the knight sits in the center, but White can hit it with f4 or Nf3 and gain time. The knight can drop back to g6 when it is hit.
Why 2.Nf3 invites a transposition
After 2.Nf3 Black can play 2...e5, reaching the same position as 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6, the starting point of the Italian, the Ruy Lopez and the Scotch. Players who want to keep the game on its own path choose 2...d6 or 2...d5 instead.
Top replies by rating
Nf3 leads below 1600, the move that allows a jump into 1...e5 territory. From 1600 up, d4 takes the lead and widens the gap in each higher band.
| Rating | Top | Second | Third |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 1200 | Nf3 28% | d4 20% | Nc3 13% |
| 1200–1399 | Nf3 31% | d4 26% | Bc4 12% |
| 1400–1599 | Nf3 34% | d4 29% | Bc4 12% |
| 1600–1799 | d4 39% | Nf3 34% | Bc4 10% |
| 1800–1999 | d4 47% | Nf3 33% | f4 7% |
| 2000 and up | d4 54% | Nf3 31% | Nc3 10% |
Questions
Can Black still play ...c5 later?
Only after the knight leaves c6, and moving it again costs a tempo. That is why Black's pawn play in this opening runs through the d- and e-pawns instead.
Related openings
Try it on the board. The first coached game and three analyses are free.