If you play 1.d4 as White, you are always forced to consider a key question: should you meet 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 with 3.g3 (Catalan, though 3…c5 throws a monkey wrench into the works), 3.Nf3 (allowing the Bogo-Indian via 3…Bb4+ or the Queen’s Indian via 3…b6), or 3.Nc3. There is no doubt that 3.Nc3 is the most natural move, but it allows Black to employ one of the second player’s finest systems, the Nimzo-Indian (3.Nc3 Bb4). This opening is so fundamentally sound (offering Black a nice mix of solidity and dynamism) that many White players choose to avoid it and seek greener pastures with 3.g3 or 3.Nf3.

Nevertheless, there is something to be said for biting the bullet and entering the realm of the Nimzo-Indian. The first point is that the Modern Benoni is thought by some to be a bit “iffy” if it comes about by the following move order: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 4.Nc3, since the Taimanov System by 4…exd5 5.cxd5 g6 6.e4 d6 7.f4 Bg7 8.Bb5+ is known to offer White dangerous attacking chances. Thus, many Benoniophiles only enter this opening by 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 c5 since, in this case, White has blocked his f-pawn.

Another argument in favor of 3.Nc3 is Black’s ability to transpose into the Queen’s Gambit Declined. After 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5, White has deprived himself of some sharp options based on a later Nge2. This isn’t the case after 3.Nc3 d5.

So 3.Nc3 makes the Benoni a somewhat dubious possibility, and it doesn’t give Black a “slick” way to transpose into the QGD. However, 3.Nc3 leaves us with an obvious problem – how do we handle the Nimzo? White has many choices: 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.a3 (the Samisch) isn’t that fearsome, and neither are g3 lines, 4.Bg5, 4.Qb3, 4.f3, or 4.Nf3, which usually transposes to g3, Bg5, or e3 systems. Most popular is 4.Qc2, but White can easily fall behind in development and, as a result, the first player needs a delicate hand to safely milk the Queen move for all it’s worth. This leaves us with the subject of our review: Rubinstein’s 4.e3.

The beauty of using 4.e3 against the Nimzo-Indian is that it grants White a safe but dynamic game that’s rich in tactical and strategic possibilities. No, I don’t believe that White can force an opening advantage if Black knows what he’s doing (the same can be said for 4.Qc2), but the complexity of the battle gives White excellent chances to have his way if he’s familiar with the basic ideas and structures that arise.

Hansen’s THE NIMZO-INDIAN: 4.e3 is another of Gambit’s “total look at an opening” tomes (check out the excellent PLAY THE 2.c3 SICILIAN, Gambit’s “total” look at an incredibly important anti-Sicilian weapon). Where many modern books cover the whole Nimzo-Indian in 150 pages, this book covers nothing but 4.e3, and takes 320 pages to do so! In other words, the reader is getting an honest and detailed look at both sides of the subject and, in my opinion, far more bang for his buck.

Naturally, such a book (done right) is labor intensive. The poor author must take note of all transpositions and must weed out tens of thousands of useless games. In my view, Hansen did an excellent job, making the many different Black replies to 4.e3 easy to find, and also making the countless divisions in system and analysis logical and simple to follow.

One personal note: I was happy to see that, after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e3 d5 5.Bd3 0–0 6.Nf3 b6 7.0–0 Bb7 8.cxd5 exd5 9.a3 Bd6 10.b4 a6 11.Qb3 Re8 12.a4 Nc6 13.Ba3 a5, Hansen mentioned my game with George Kane (San Francisco, 1981).

At that time the position after 13…a5 was thought to be fully satisfactory for Black, but my 14.Bb5! turned that assessment on its head. He quoted ECO, which claimed a clear advantage for White after 14…axb4 15.Bxc6 Bxc6 16.Bxb4 Ne4 17.Rfc1 Bxb4 18.Qxb4. The rest of the game (never before published) verified that claim: 18…Nxc3 19.Rxc3 Bd7 20.a5 Re6 21.Rca3 Ra6 22.axb6 Rexb6 23.Qc3 Rxa3 24.Qxa3 f6 25.h3 Bf5 26.Nd2 Qb8 27.Qc5 Qb7 28.Qe7 Qb8 29.Ra7 Rc6 30.Qa3 Rc1+ 31.Qxc1 Qxa7 32.Qc6, 1–0.

Yes, I embraced 4.e3 myself back in the early 80’s, and though I didn’t make a detailed study of the variations, I found the positions reached after 4.e3 to be extremely interesting and thoroughly enjoyable for both sides (since I also played the Nimzo as Black).

Hansen’s THE NIMZO-INDIAN: 4.e3 is a serious study of – arguably – White’s most important setup against the Nimzo-Indian Defense. It’s not a “how to” book, and it doesn’t tell you how to build a Nimzo repertoire. However, if you play the Black side of the Nimzo-Indian, or if you want to try 4.e3 against it, then this is a MUST buy for players 1900 and up.