- This article is about the opening moves 1.e4 Nc6. For the more common 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 see Nimzo-Indian Defense.
The Nimzowitch Defence is a somewhat unusual chess opening, in which Black moves 1... Nc6 in reply to White's 1.e4. It is an example of a hypermodern opening where Black invites White to occupy the centre of the board at an early stage with pawns. Black's intent is to block or otherwise restrain White's central pawns and, if allowed to do so by inaccurate play by White, eventually undermining the White "Pawn Centre" by well-timed pawn advances of his own or by attacking the White centre's piece defenders.
