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The Nimzo-Larsen Attack: Ideas, Principles, Plans, Variations · Chess Openings

January 20, 2025 NHaselton Chess Lectures

♛

The Nimzo-Larsen Attack, explained

1.b3 looks modest, but the Nimzo-Larsen Attack is flexible, aggressive and full of surprises. This guide covers every good Black setup against it, and how White should meet each one.

What's covered

Hanging Pawns explains the core ideas, then goes through the main line (Modern Variation) and a series of "reversed" openings, including the Reversed London, Pseudo-Trompowsky, Nimzo/Queen's Indian and Dutch setups, a reversed Open Sicilian and the classical Black setup. It also shows the flexible move order 1.Nf3 followed by 2.b3, which avoids Black's most common reply, 1...e5.

Who should watch

Players who want an offbeat first move with real depth, and anyone who keeps facing 1.b3 and doesn't know what to do against it. The video also recommends how to play against it with Black.

Quick answers

What is the Nimzo-Larsen Attack?: An opening starting 1.b3, named after Aron Nimzowitsch and Bent Larsen.
Why play 1.Nf3 before 2.b3?: It rules out 1...e5, Black's most common response to an immediate 1.b3.

Another Hanging Pawns guide: The Vienna Gambit.

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The Nimzo-Larsen Attack is the king among modern openings. It’s fun, aggressive, and flexible.
Get a premade Nimzo-Larsen repertoire here: https://chessbook.com/hanging-pawns
Nimzo-Larsen full PGN available here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/nimzo-larsen-pgn-120319307?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link

The Nimzo-Larsen Attack can start with 1.b3, which is most common, but it can also be played via a more flexible move order 1.Nf2, 2.b3, which prevents black from playing 1…e5, the most common and best response. I have covered every good setup for black against the Nimzo-Larsen and tried to explain how white should parry them. I have also recommended how to play against the Nimzo-Larsen with black.

0:00 Introduction, Ideas, Basics
12:29 The main line – Modern Variation
21:55 Reversed London System
26:53 Reversed Pseudo-Trompowsky
36:05 Reversed Nimzo/Queen’s Indian/Dutch
41:19 What if black tries 1…Nf6, 2…g6
45:30 Nimzo-Larsen vs Dutch
49:32 e5, d6 lines – black plays the KID or Dutch
51:50 Reversed Open Sicilian
54:34 The Classical setup for black – reversed Dutch

Resources for studying the Nimzo-Larsen

Raymond Keene, Nimzowitsch-Larsen Attack (Batsford 1977) (my favorite)
Byron Jacobs, Jonathan Tait, Nimzo-Larsen Attack (Everyman 2001)
Ilya Odessky, Play 1.b3 (New in Chess 2008)
Cyrus Lakdawala, The Nimzo-Larsen Attack Move by Move (Everyman 2013)
Analyze games played by Jobava, Larsen, and Bagirov. You can find them on chessgames.

#chess #chessbook

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