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.

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.