Chess Explained: The Nimzo-Indian

"This is a very well-written book with enough analytical material to launch your Nimzo-Indian career, and more than enough explanation to justify the series title." - IM John Watson, TWIC

The Nimzo-Indian is one of the most important of all chess openings, and popular at all levels of play. Together with the Queen's Indian (also covered in this series), the Nimzo has provided the backbone of the opening repertoire of a large portion of the world's top players over the last 80 years. It is considered a fully reliable defence, and provides winning chances for both sides as it leads to structures of great strategic variety and complexity. Key battlegrounds in the Nimzo include the blockade, IQP positions, the handling of unbalanced pawn-structures, and the struggle between bishop and knight. All these topics are covered in depth in this book, and an understanding of them will prove valuable in a much broader context than just the Nimzo-Indian.

Chess Explained books provide an understanding of an opening and the middlegames to which it leads, enabling you to find the right moves and plans in your own games. It is as if you were sitting at the board with a chess coach answering your questions about the plans for both sides, the ideas behind particular moves, and what specific knowledge you need to have.

"...it is because of its continued popularity that the theory is in a constant state of flux. The author, in keeping with the aims of this series, sets out to present an up-to-date overview of the system, concentrating on the main themes arising from the opening (White's 'advantage' of the two bishops counter-balanced by the ruined queenside pawn-structure being of paramount importance) and not being diverted by too much analysis of variations." - Alan Sutton, En Passant

Reinaldo Vera comes from Cuba and gained his grandmaster title in 1988. He has won the Cuban Championship on two occasions and was a member of the Cuban national team for more than two decades. Vera graduated from Havana University, and has written for many chess magazines, including New in Chess, Jaque and Peon de Rey. He is also a FIDE Senior Trainer, and the coach of the Cuban team.

"...there is some real gold here" - IM John Donaldson, USA Team Captain

"Is there a chess player out there who doesn't want to have the key concepts of the game explained in a simple but expert manner? Gambit Books has capitalized on this desire by creating a straightforward but elegant series of books called simply Chess Explained. Each book focuses on a different opening, offering concise explanations and lessons on understanding why the moves are played and what the ensuing middlegames look like. ... impressive in its own way is The Nimzo-Indian by Reinaldo Vera. ... He notes that the opening has arguably the best reputation of all defences against 1 d4, with just about every world champion having adopted it at one time or another. ... This series of books will appeal to amateur and intermediate players who want to begin playing a new opening, or brush up on the latest ideas from modern grandmaster practice." - Cecil Rosner, Winnipeg Free Press