[[Image:Aron Nimzowitsch.jpg|thumb|Aron Nimzowitsch]]
'''Aron Nimzowitsch''' ([[Latvian]]: '''Ārons Ņimcovičs'''; born '''Aron Niemzowitsch'''<ref>http://www.chesshistory.com/winter/pics/cn3506_nimzowitsch_document.jpg</ref> and also known as '''Nimzovich''') ([[November 7]], [[1886]] – [[March 16]], [[1935]]) was a [[Latvia]]n-born [[Denmark|Danish]] [[chess]] player of [[chess grandmaster|grandmaster]] strength and a very influential chess writer. He was the foremost figure amongst the ''[[hypermodernism (chess)|hypermoderns]]''.

== Life ==
Born in [[Riga]] in Latvia, then part of the [[Russia]]n empire, the [[Jew]]ish [[German language|German]]-speaking Nimzowitsch came from a wealthy family, where he learned [[chess]] from his father. In [[1904]], he travelled to [[Berlin]] to study [[philosophy]], but set aside his studies soon and began a career as a professional chess player that same year. After tumultuous and often unsuccessful years during and after [[World War I]], Nimzowitsch moved to [[Copenhagen]] in [[1922]] (some sources say [[1920]]), which coincided with his rise to the world chess elite. He obtained Danish citizenship and lived in Denmark until his death from [[pneumonia]] in [[1935]]. He is buried in [[Bispebjerg]] Cemetery in Copenhagen.

== Chess career ==
The height of Nimzowitsch's career was the late 1920s and early 1930s. [[Chessmetrics]] places him as the third best player in the world, behind [[Alexander Alekhine]] and [[Jose Capablanca]], from 1927 to 1931<ref>[http://db.chessmetrics.com/CM2/Summary.asp?Params=192510SSSSS3S000000000000111000000000000010100 Chessmetrics Summary for 1925-1935], [[Chessmetrics]] web site, accessed 7-May-2007</ref>. His most notable successes were first place finishes at [[Copenhagen]] [[1923]], [[Dresden]] 1926, the [[Carlsbad]] tournament of [[1929]]. and second place behind Alekhine at [[San Remo]] in [[1930]]. Nimzowitsch never developed a knack for match play though; his best match success was a draw with Alekhine (though this match was only two games long and was in [[1914]], 13 years before Alekhine became world champion).

Although Nimzowitsch did not win a single game against Capablanca, he fared better against Alekhine. He even beat Alekhine with the Black pieces at [[St. Petersburg]] [[1914]]. One of Nimzowitsch's most famous games is his celebrated [[Zugzwang#Zugzwang in the middlegame and complex endgames|immortal zugzwang game]] against [[Friedrich Sämisch|Sämisch]] at [[Copenhagen]] 1923. Another game on this theme is his win over Paul Johner at [[Dresden]] 1926. When in form, Nimzowitsch was very dangerous with the Black pieces, scoring many fine wins over top players.

== Impact ==
Nimzowitsch is considered one of the most influential players and writers in chess history. His works influenced numerous other players, including [[Richard Réti]] and [[Tigran Petrosian]], and his influence is still felt today.

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 has just been reissued in a volume containing both the German original and the English translation published by Hardinge Simpole . However, 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.

Nimzowitsch's [[chess|chess theories]] flew in the face of convention. While there were those like [[Alexander Alekhine|Alekhine]], [[Emanuel Lasker]], and even [[Jose Raul Capablanca|Capablanca]] who did not live by [[Siegbert Tarrasch]]'s rigid teachings, the acceptance of Tarrasch's ideas, all simplifications of the more profound work of [[Wilhelm Steinitz]], was nearly universal. That the center had to be controlled by [[Pawn (chess)|pawns]] and that development had to happen in support of this control -— the core ideas of Tarrasch's chess philosophy -— were things every beginner thought to be irrefutable laws of nature, like gravity.

Nimzowitsch shattered these assumptions. He discovered such concepts as [[Chess terminology#O|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, [[prophylaxis (chess)|prophylaxis]] -— 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 also formalised strategies using open files, outposts and invasion of the seventh rank, all of which are widely accepted today. Others had utilized such ideas in previous years, but Nimzowitsch was the first to knit them together into a thematic whole.

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 [[Nimzowitsch Defence]] (1.e4 Nc6). Nimzowitsch biographer [[Grandmaster (chess)|Grandmaster]] [[Raymond Keene]] and others have referred to 1.Nf3 followed by 2.b3 as the [[Larsen's Opening|Nimzowitsch-Larsen Attack]]. Keene wrote a book about the opening with that title. All of these openings exemplify Nimzowitsch's ideas about controlling the center with pieces instead of pawns. Nimzowitsch was also vital in the development of two important systems in the [[French Defense]], the [[French Defence#Winawer Variation 3...Bb4|Winawer Variation]] (in some places called the Nimzowitsch Variation; its moves are 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4) and the [[French Defence#Advance Variation 3.e5|Advance Variation]] (1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. e5). He also pioneered two provocative variations of the [[Sicilian Defense]]: the [[Sicilian Defense#Other moves in the Open Sicilian|Nimzowitsch Variation]], 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nf6, inviting 3.e5 Nd5, similar to [[Alekhine's Defense]], and 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 d5?!, which is regarded as dubious today.

== Personality ==
There are numerous entertaining anecdotes regarding Nimzowitch—some more savory than others. For example, he once missed the first prize of a great rapid transit tournament in Berlin by losing to Sämisch; immediately upon learning this, Nimzowitsch got up on a table and shouted, “Why must I lose to this idiot?” Nimzowitsch had lengthy and somewhat bitter dogmatic conflicts with Tarrasch over whose ideas constituted 'proper' chess.

Nimzowitsch's vanity and faith in his ideas of overprotection provoked [[Hans Kmoch]] to write a parody about him in February 1928 in the ''Wiener Schachzeitung''. This consisted of a [http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1334664&kpage=1 mock game] against the fictional player "Systemsson", supposedly played and annotated by Nimzowitsch himself. The annotations gleefully exaggerate the idea of overprotection, as well as asserting the true genius of the wondrous idea. Kmoch was in fact a great admirer of Nimzowitsch, and the subject of the parody himself was amused at the effort.<ref>The full text of the parody is reprinted at [http://www.chesscafe.com/text/mysyspar.txt Chesscafe.com] and in Keene's biography on Nimzowitsch (Chapter "A parody by Hans Kmoch")</ref>

== Notable chess games ==
*[http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1102400 Friedrich Saemisch vs Aron Nimzowitsch, Copenhagen 1923, Queen's Indian Defence (E18), 0-1] The "Immortal Zugzwang Game" sees Saemisch get tied up in knots.
*[http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1007465 Paul Johner vs Aron Nimzowitsch, Dresden 1926, NimzoIndian Defence, Rubinstein Variation (E47), 0-1] One of Nimzowitsch's most famous games sees White fall deep into passivity and get squeezed.
*[http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1007817 Milan Vidmar vs Aron Nimzowitsch, New York 1927, Bogo-Indian Defence (E11), 0-1] A crafty blending of strategy and tactics.
*[http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1102433 Richard Reti vs Aron Nimzowitsch, Berlin 1928, NimzoIndian Defence (E38), 0-1] Two of the top hypermoderns cross swords to showcase their latest ideas.
*[http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1007914 Efim Bogoljubov vs Aron Nimzowitsch, San Remo 1930, NimzoIndian Defence, Bogoljubov Variation (E23), 0-1] Another encounter of hypermodern heavyweights sees Nimzowitsch with two knights in the endgame, and he handles them perfectly.

== Further reading ==
* ''Twelve Great Chess Players and Their Best Games'' by Irving Chernev; Dover; August 1995. ISBN 0-486-28674-6
*''Aron Nimzowitsch: Master of Planning'' by Raymond Keene; G. Bell and Sons. Ltd, 1974.

== References ==
<references/>

== External links ==
*{{chessgames player|id=10249}}
*[http://www.xs4all.nl/~wimnij/bio.html Nimzowitch related articles]
*[[Hans Kmoch|Kmoch, Hans]] (2004). [http://www.chesscafe.com/text/kmoch02.pdf Grandmasters I Have Known: Aaron Nimzovich] ([[Portable Document Format|PDF]]). Chesscafe.com.
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJqKYoCFcKA Saemich vs Nimzovich - The Immortal Zugzwang game multimedia annotated video]

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[[Category:Latvian chess players]]
[[Category:Danish chess players]]
[[Category:Jewish chess players]]
[[Category:People from Riga]]
[[Category:Latvian Jews]]
[[Category:1886 births]]
[[Category:1935 deaths]]
[[Category:Danish writers]]
[[Category:Chess writers]]
[[Category:Deaths from pneumonia]]

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