Nimzo-Indian Defense, Gligorić System

The Gligorić System arranges White's pieces naturally. The e-pawn advances one square, the king's knight develops to f3, and the king's bishop goes to d3. Black secures the king and challenges the center with the d- and c-pawns. The struggle comes from concentrating many pieces and pawns around the same central squares.

Central exchanges may open files for the rooks or produce an isolated pawn, a pawn with no friendly pawn on either adjacent file. If no exchange occurs, both players must decide when to advance or capture without leaving a piece badly placed.

Nimzo-Indian Defense, Gligorić System: canonical line

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

h8

g

f

e

d

c

b

a

Start

d4

Nf6

c4

e6

Nc3

Bb4

e3

O-O

Nf3

d5

Bd3

c5

The line begins from the starting position

The board replays every move in the notation maintained by the article, without adding continuations.

The system belongs to the broad e3 family of the Rubinstein System, but its practical identity comes from the specific placement of the knight on f3, bishop on d3, and Black's pawns on d5 and c5.