Nimzo-Indian Defense: Sämisch Variation
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.a3
Sämisch Variation
1.2.3.4.
What Is The Sämisch Variation?
4.a3 forces the issue at once: Black either retreats the bishop or takes, and 4...Bxc3+ 5.bxc3 is the main road. White accepts doubled c-pawns to own the bishop pair and a broad pawn centre, then plays f3 and e4 to open the position for those bishops. Every game here is a race between White opening the centre and Black freezing it. Push e4-e5 successfully and the bishops decide matters.
Black's answer is blockade, not counterattack: ...c5 to hit d4, ...b6 and ...Ba6 with ...Nc6-a5 to besiege c4. The doubled pawns are not weak in themselves, they grip d4 and e5; they become weak only when the centre stalls and c4 falls under fire. Keep White's pawns immobile and you win a structural game.
What Do Players Choose At The Decision Point?
| Move | Share | Games | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf3 | 17% | 297 | |
| e3 | 16% | 277 | |
| Qc2 | 16% | 272 | |
| Bg5 | 15% | 258 |
The Named Lines Of The Sämisch Variation
| Line | Moves |
|---|---|
| O'Kelly Variation | 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.a3 Bxc3+ 5.bxc3 c5 6.e3 b6 |
| Keres Variation | 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.f3 d5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 c5 7.cxd5 Nxd5 8.dxc5 |
| Botvinnik Variation | 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.f3 d5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 c5 7.e3 O-O 8.cxd5 Nxd5 |
| Romanovsky Variation | 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.f3 d5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 c5 7.cxd5 Nxd5 8.dxc5 f5 |
| Capablanca Variation | 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e3 c5 5.Bd3 Nc6 6.a3 Bxc3+ 7.bxc3 O-O 8.Ne2 b6 9.e4 Ne8 |