Nimzo-Indian Defense: Sämisch Variation

The Sämisch Variation is 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.a3, named after Fritz Sämisch. It is a direct attempt to refute the idea of the Nimzo-Indian Defense: White spends a tempo and accepts doubled c-pawns after 4...Bxc3+ 5.bxc3 in order to gain the bishop pair.

The idea

After 4...Bxc3+ 5.bxc3 White has a broad pawn centre that can support a quick attack on the kingside. Black's most common plan is to blockade the doubled pawns with 5...c5 and then attack the pawn on c4 with ...b6, ...Ba6, ...Nc6–a5 and ...Rc8.

Main lines

• 5...c5, the most common reply, with play against c4. After 6.e3 Black can choose 6...b6, the O'Kelly Variation.
• Black can also castle first with 5...O-O.
• 5...d5 is also possible and transposes to the Botvinnik Variation of the Rubinstein System if White plays 6.e3.

The same position can also arise from the 4.f3 Variation after 4...d5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 c5 7.cxd5 Nxd5.

Who plays it

Mikhail Botvinnik played the Sämisch five times against Mikhail Tal in the 1960 World Championship, and all five games were drawn. He used it once more in the 1961 return match and won. Later practice showed that White has difficulty getting enough play on the kingside to make up for the doubled c-pawns, so the variation is rarely seen today.

The numbers

On Lichess Black wins slightly more often: 48.0% against 47.1% for White in 1.1 million games. Under 1400 White is ahead, 50.1% against 46.7%. Between 1800 and 2199 Black leads, 49.0% against 46.0%, but from 2200 up White wins 50.4% against 43.8%. In 1,882 master games over the board White won 31.0%, Black 33.6%, and 35.3% were drawn.