Aron Nimzowitsch (also Nimzovich or Niemzowitsch) (November
7, 1886, Riga - March 16, 1935, Denmark) was a
Latvian chess
grandmaster. He was the foremost figure amongst the hypermoderns.
His chess theories flew in the face of pre-existing convention. While there were those like Alekhine, Lasker, and even Capablanca who did not live by Tarrasch's
rigid teachings, the acceptance of Tarrasch's ideas, all simplifications of the more profound Steinitz, was nearly universal. That the center had to be controlled by pawns and that development had to happen
in support of this control---the core ideas of Tarrasch's chess philosophy---were things every beginner knew.
Nimzowitsch shattered these assumptions. He discovered such concepts as overprotection (the least important of his ideas from
a modern standpoint though still interesting and sometimes applicable), control of the center by pieces instead of pawns,
blockade, prophalaxis — playing to prevent the opponent's plans — and the fianchetto (in the case of the fianchetto, one could argue that it was a rediscovery, but Nimzowitsch certainly
refined its use).
He wrote three books on chess strategy: Mein System (My System)
(1925), Die Praxis meines System (The Practice of my System) (commonly known as
Chess Praxis), and Die Blockade (The Blockade). The last of these is hard to find in English, however, and much
that is in it is covered again in Mein System. It is said that 99 out of 100 chess masters have read Mein System;
consequently, most consider My System to be Nimzowitsch's greatest contribution to chess. It sets out Nimzowitsch's most
important ideas while his second most influential work, Chess Praxis, elaborates upon these ideas, adds a few new ones,
and has immense value as a stimulating collection of Nimzowitsch's own games even when these games are more entertaining than
instructive.
At the height of his career, Nimzowitsch was the third best player in the world, immediately behind Alekhine and Capablanca.
It is a shame that he never played either of these two in a serious match. His most notable successes were first place finishes
at Copenhagen 1928, the Carlsbad tournaments of 1929, 1933, and 1934 and second place behind Alekhine at San Remo 1930.
Nimzowitsch never developed a nack for match play though; his best match success was a draw with Alekhine (though this match was
only three games long).
Many chess openings and variations are named after him, the most famous being the Nimzo-Indian Defence (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4) and the less often played Nimzowitch Defence (1.e4 Nc6). Both of these exemplify Nimzowitsch's ideas about controlling the
center with pieces. He was also vital in the development of two French
Defense systems, the Winawer Variation (in some places called the Nimzowitsch Variation; its moves are e4 e6 d4 d5 Nc3 Bb4)
and the Advance Variation (e4 e6 d4 d5 e5).
Nimzowitsch influenced numerous other players, including Richard Réti
and Tigran Petrosian, and his influence is still felt today.
Further reading
- Twelve Great Chess Players and Their Best Games by Irving Chernev; Dover; August 1995. ISBN 0486286746
- Aron Nimzowitsch: Master of Planning by Raymond Keene; G. Bell and Sons. Ltd, 1974.
External links
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