Nimzo-Indian Kasparov Variation, The

The Nimzo-Indian Kasparov Variation by GM Chris Ward is the first specialized look at the anti-Nimzo System 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Nf3. This line, which sometimes straddles the boarder between the Nimzo and Queen’s Indian, is usually given somewhat cursory treatment on books devoted to the Nimzo-Indian.

Ward, through the use of 68 model games with heavy annotations, seeks to address this gap in the chess literature and does an excellent job covering the main lines that can arise from both 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.Nc3 Bb4 and 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Nf3 b6. The reader should know that the latter is the preferred move order in this book, and the Queen’s Indian lines where Black meets Bg5 with ……Be7 or ……h6 and …g5 are not covered. Those wishing to reach the Kasparov variation via Queen’s Indian move order will not find material on 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.Nc3 Bb7 5.Bg5 Be7 or 5……h6. That one caveat aside, the reader will find a wealth of material here.

The sharp lines with 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Nf3 b6 5.Bg5 h6 6.Bh4 g5 receive extensive treatment. There is a whole chapter devoted to the modern 5……Bb7 6.Nd2. Yasser Seirawan’s favorite 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Nf3 b6 5.Qb3 gets its own chapter. The second half of the book is devoted to the lines arising after 4……c5 5.g3.

If you are looking for a system against the Nimzo-Indian, or play it as Black, you will want to get Ward’s book.