E54 Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Gligoric System, Exchange Variation
E54 holds three named lines, all under the name Nimzo-Indian Defense. It leaves E53 (Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Gligoric System) with 7.O-O dxc4 8.Bxc4. At 15 plies, its reference line is the fifth-longest of the 40 Nimzo-Indian Defense codes. Both kings have castled by the end of the reference line, White on move 7 and Black on move 4.
| # | White | Black |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | d4 | Nf6 |
| 2 | c4 | e6 |
| 3 | Nc3 | Bb4 |
| 4 | e3 | O-O |
| 5 | Bd3 | d5 |
| 6 | Nf3 | c5 |
| 7 | O-O | dxc4 |
| 8 | Bxc4 |
The move that completes E54
The reference line of E55 plays all of these moves and continues beyond them; E54 is the position reached at 8.Bxc4.
- 8.Bxc4 The bishop on d3 takes the pawn on c4, opening a line for the queen on d1.
Lines filed under E54
All three share their first 15 plies, the whole reference line and then split two ways at Black’s move 8.
| Name | After the shared start | Plies | At the end |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Gligoric System, Exchange Variation | (the shared start itself) | 15 | both castled |
| Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Gligoric System, Smyslov Variation | 8...Qe7 | 16 | both castled |
| Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Gligoric System, Exchange Variation | 8...cxd4 9.exd4 | 17 | both castled |
Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Gligoric System, Smyslov Variation
- 8...Qe7 The queen goes from d8 to e7, opening a line for the rook on f8.
Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Gligoric System, Exchange Variation
- 8...cxd4 The c-pawn takes the pawn on d4, covering c3 and e3, opening a line for the bishop on b4, attacking the knight on c3.
- 9.exd4 The e-pawn takes the pawn on d4, covering c5 and e5, opening a line for the bishop on c1.
The road to E54
- 1.d4 … 5.Bd3seven earlier stops: A40, A45, A50, E20, E40, E46, E47
- 5...d5E48 Classical Defense
- 6...c5E53 Gligoric System
- 8.Bxc4E54
The position after 8.Bxc4
White has brought out the knight on c3, knight on f3 and bishop on c4; Black the knight on f6 and bishop on b4. White has a half-open c-file; Black a half-open d-file. Black could capture with Bxc3, Qxd4, cxd4. Black is to move and has 34 legal moves.
Codes that branch off from E54
The reference lines of one other code leave E54 from the position after 8.Bxc4, each with its own moves.
| Code | Moves | Reference line |
|---|---|---|
| E55 | 8...Nbd7 | Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Gligoric System, Bronstein Variation |
Closest boards in other codes
| Code | Line | Differs on |
|---|---|---|
| E56 | Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Gligoric System, Bernstein Defense | five squares: d3, c4, d5, c6, b8 |
| E57 | Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Gligoric System, Bernstein Defense | six squares: a2, a3, d4, c5, c6, b8 |
| E59 | Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Bernstein Defense | seven squares: a2, b2, a3, c3, b4, c6, b8 |
| E50 | Nimzo-Indian Defense | eight squares: e1, f1, g1, h1, c4, c5, c7, d7 |
| E51 | Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Ragozin Variation | eight squares: e1, f1, g1, h1, c4, c5, d5, c7 |
| D27 | Queen’s Gambit Accepted: Classical Defense, Main Line | nine squares: b1, c3, b4, a6, a7, e8, f8, g8 … |
| E46 | Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation | nine squares: e1, f1, g1, h1, f3, c4, c5, c7 … |
Where lines continue from here
One named line filed under other codes passes through the position after 8.Bxc4. It belongs to the code listed above.