Nimzo-Indian Inside & Out by GM Bryan Smith

From “Memorizing” To “Understanding”
The Nimzo-Indian

Nimzo-Indian: Inside & Out! introduces you to an elite defense to 1.d4, including a middlegame roadmap. So no matter the twists, turns, and transpositions in the game, you will always feel “at home.”

This opening strategy course is brought to you by Grandmaster Bryan Smith.

It explores not just the basic opening lines — but also the repeated tactical motifs, standard pawn breaks, piece paths, and middlegame plans of this elite opening versus 1.d4.

Before Smith became a “grandmaster of attack,” he struggled securing his final GM norm.

His risk-taking repertoire crushed lower-rated players. But it proved shaky against top-level competition.

In the Nimzo-Indian, Smith found the calculated aggression and objective soundness needed to earn the GM title. And today, he passes on to you…

His “Compressed Experience”
Playing The Nimzo

Smith originally planned Nimzo-Indian: Inside & Out! as a game collection for iChess.

But the Chessable version delivers deeper move-by-move analysis and instruction…

Plus a basic repertoire for Black — featuring the same lines which helped him win the National Chess Congress, US Masters, Philadelphia International, and other tournaments.

In just 18 variations, the repertoire surveys every major continuation after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4.

This way, you stay on familiar ground however White continues — while the amount of theory you need to study stays light.

The reliable and always trendy Nimzo-Indian

But just as critical to your improvement as the opening variations are the 55 model games and fragments.

You’ll “play” alongside Viktor Korchnoi (2-time World Championship Challenger), Hikaru Nakamura (peak 2816 FIDE), Magnus Carlsen (16th World Champion), and other Nimzo-Indian connoisseurs…

While Smith maps out the strategic directions the game may take. So you can find your way to an edge, even after your prep has ended. All while enriching your chess IQ.

Smith explains:

🔥 His favorite Nimzo-Indian formation. If in doubt, fall back to this setup to shortcut your decision-making.

🔥 Intuitive sacrifices that tie enemy pieces to awkward squares — while yours slide to their ideal attacking positions.

Black will never recover their sacrificed piece,
but he has a MUCH bigger fish to try

🔥 When and how to lock up the center. So you can invade the wings full steam ahead, and not worry about counterplay.

🔥 Exchanges that set up a favorable “bishop vs knight” match-up. Done right, it’s like having an extra piece!

🔥 How to command the pawn structure to tame the opposing bishops — or unleash your active pieces on an open board.

🔥 How to “hook” onto the standard Bg5 pin and accelerate your kingside attack.

An early “bishop to g5” only increased
the momentum of Black’s attack

🔥 Petite combinations for picking off doubled pawns.

Plus many more.

We’re confident that Smith can give you an excellent primer on the Nimzo-Indian— boosting not only your results against 1.d4, but your overall strength, too.

But don’t take our word for it.