Chess Explained:

The Nimzo-lndian

Reinaldo Vera

Translated by Phil Adams

[e]A[i!j]B0l1
First published in the UK by Gambit Publications Ltd 2008

Copyright© Reinaldo Vera 2008

English-language translation© Phil Adams 2008

The right of Reinaldo Vera to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accor­
dance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1 988.

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Contents

Symbols 4
Introduction 5

1 Samisch Variation: 4 a3 or 4 f3 7
2 Capablanca Variation: 4 'iYc2 d5!? 20
3 Capablanca Variation: 4 'iYc2 0-0 31
4 Rubinstein System: 4 e3 0-0: Variations with etJe2 51
5 Rubinstein System: 4 e3 0-0 with �d3 and CLJf3 71
6 Fianchetto Variation: 4 g3 or 4 etJf3 c5 5 g3 86
7 Leningrad Variation (4 i.g5) and Other Lines 97

List of Games 109

Index of Variations 110
Symbols

+ check
++ double check
# checkmate
!! brilliant move
good move
!? interesting move
?! dubious move
? bad move
?? blunder
Ch championship
corr. correspondence game
1 -0 the game ends in a win for White
11z_11z the game ends in a draw
0- 1 the game ends in a win for Black
(D) see next diagram
Introduction

1 d4 ttJf6 2 c4 e6 3 tt'lc3 .ib4 (D)

The Nimzo-Indian has arguably the best reputation of all defences against I d4. Most of the
World Champions have relied upon the Nimzo at some point in their careers.
What is the reason for this? Basically it is due to the logic and simplicity of this defensive forma­
tion, since with his first three moves Black obeys the most important opening principles: develop­
ment, control of the centre and preparation for castling, to ensure the safety of the king. Moreover, he
does so while retaining great flexibility regarding his eventual set-up and structure.
When Black uses the Nimzo-Indian it is very rare for him to fall behind in development, so that
he is almost never overwhelmed by a lightning attack in the opening. The main and in fact only
problem for Black is that he has to be willing to give up his dark-squared bishop, which means that
his kingside is weakened slightly and White gains the famous advantage of the bishop-pair. How­
ever, Black always obtains something in return for this strategic concession, whether it be better
pawn-structure (doubled white pawns on the c-file, isolated or hanging pawns in the enemy camp,
etc.) a pawn-majority in the centre, or a considerable advantage in development which enables him,
with energetic play, to maintain the balance.
Black's best-known and most common playing methods of play and strategies in this defence
are:
• blockade of the position (to restrict the scope of the enemy bishops, with pawns on c5, d6 and
eS);
• attack on the doubled pawn on the c-file ( ... b6, ....ia6, ... tt'la5 ) ;
• creation, blockade and siege of an isolated queen's pawn, or pressure against hanging pawns.
Nevertheless, we shall also see many other modem ideas where the only way to exploit White's
lag in development is to play actively, even opening the position, with the aim of inflicting perma­
nent weaknesses on White or obtaining some other compensation for the bishop-pair.
White has tried virtually everything to gain some advantage against this solid defence and at var­
ious times it has looked as if he had finally achieved this goal with one line or another, but each time
the defenders of the Nimzo-Indian have come up with a way to neutralize the possible advantage.
6 CHESS EXPLAINED: THE NIMZO-INDIAN

Chapter 1 is devoted to the Samisch Variation (4 a3 or 4 f3), owing to its importance for under­
standing the basic ideas in the struggle which takes place between the bishop-pair and the superior
pawn-structure or the better development.
There is no doubt that the most reputable lines for White are the Classical or Capablanca line 4
�c2 and the Rubinstein System 4 e3. To each of these systems we have therefore devoted two
chapters, each presenting different methods of handling the position for Black.
In Chapter 2 we shall see the most energetic way to play against the Capablanca Variation (4
�c2 d5 ! ?), immediately breaking in the centre and by forceful play creating a whole series of com­
plications. Black's main objective here is to punish White for the luxury he has allowed himself of
losing several tempi in order to gain the bishop-pair without spoiling his structure.
In Chapter 3 (4 'ifc2 0-0) Black employs a more restrained method of play, giving priority to
completing his queenside development before starting action in the centre.
We shall study the Rubinstein System (4 e3) in Chapters 4 and 5. From among the many ways of
meeting it we have chosen to focus on the most popular and the hotly debated at the present time,
concentrating on the move-order 4. . .0-0 followed by ...d5.
The five games in Chapter 4 show how to play when White employs development systems based
on moving his king's knight to e2, whereas in Chapter 5 we shall see games in which White opts for
the more natural set-up with lt'Jf3 and ..id3.
The dangerous variation with 4 g3 (or 4 lt'Jf3 and g3) is the theme of Chapter 6. There we shall
observe the differences created by the deployment of White's king's bishop on the long diagonal
and we shall study two ways for Black to deal with this troublesome variation.
Chapter 7 is devoted to the Leningrad Variation (4 ..ig5) and other minor lines against the
Nimzo-Indian Defence, among which the move 4 'i¥b3 stands out. In respect of the Leningrad Vari­
ation, we shall study the gambit with ... c5 and ... b5, which has become popular again at the present
time, as well as more traditional methods, but with an emphasis on putting pressure on the ad­
vanced white pawn on d5.
The aim of this book is to offer the greatest possible coverage of the different systems that both
sides can employ in the vast Nimzo-Indian complex. I have tried to include as many important vari­
ations as possible with different strategic themes, but obviously we would need several volumes to
cover the long history of this popular opening.
After studying this book, a player should have enough information to put this opening into prac­
tice in tournaments. Furthermore, the reader will have enriched his arsenal of strategic knowledge,
since this is one of the defences richest in positional ideas. If this is achieved, the author's objective
will have been fulfilled.

GM Reinaldo Vera
1 Samisch Variation: 4 a3 or 4 f3

Introduction
The first chapter of this book is dedicated to the systems with 4 a3 or 4 f3. Why? For two funda­
mental reasons. First, these variations present us with the most basic and characteristic struggle of
the Nimzo-lndian Defence, where White obtains the bishop-pair or gains control of the centre and
Black seeks counterplay against the doubled pawns or contests the aforementioned central occupa­
tion. The second reason is that these are the most ambitious lines for White and the most dangerous
for Black.
White's idea in both cases is obvious: in the case of 4 f3 the immediate occupation of the centre,
and with 4 a3 the gain of the bishop-pair and the subsequent occupation of the centre with f3 and
e4. They often transpose, which is why they are being studied in the same chapter.
These variations have always had the support of great players: Botvinnik and Spassky in the
past, Shirov later on and at the present time a whole generation of GMs headed by Milov, Yakovich,
Volkov and Moskalenko, to mention just a few of those who have investigated this variation, creat­
ing many ideas on the white side.
Getting down to details, in the case of the direct 4 a3 we shall look at the system in which Black,
after doubling the pawns on the c-file with 4... .ixc3+, goes immediately after the c4-pawn (5 ... b6,
... i.a6 and ...tt:'lc6!?), which does not leave White with a great deal of choice. He must either attack
on the kingside, in many cases sacrificing the c-pawn, or else the defend the pawn, tying down
some of his pieces. Black has sufficient defensive resources in both cases, and there ensues a fight
to the death in which the plans are quite clear for both sides.

The Games

In Game 1 (Radjabov-Dizdarevic), we shall see the most obvious ways for White to defend the c4-
pawn: with �a4 or .id3 followed by �e2, as well as the cases where White decides to sacrifice the
c-pawn for an attack, and we shall see how Black should react in each case.
On move 8 Black chose the wrong plan, ending up in a rather passive position, and his attempt to
become active gave White the opportunity to finish off the struggle with an unusual attack on the
queen side.

In the encounter Hillarp Persson-P.H.Nielsen (Game 2) we shall study a way of meeting 4 f3

which is closely related to the previous game ( 4... tt:'lc6! ?) , since if White plays 5 a3 the same posi­
tion would be reached. Following the consistent 5 e4, Black breaks with 5 ...d5 and after White ad­
vances with e5 a position arises where White has a solid but quite extended centre, which gives
Black good squares for his minor pieces and possibilities of striking with .. .f6 and the manoeuvre
...i.a5-b6. In the game, White lost a few tempi and allowed the enemy bishops too much activity,
while his king remained in the centre, which cost him material and eventually the game.

In Cebalo-Komarov (Game 3) we shall examine another way of dealing with 4 f3, in this case
with the immediate 4 . . .0-0!?, which has the virtue of lending more force to the break 5 e4 d5 ! , since
8 CHESS EXPLAINED: THE NIMZO-INDIAN

Black' s king is safer and he has the possibility of attacking the base of the pawn-chain (i.e. d4) with
... c5. For this reason the best continuation for White is 5 a3 ! ?, but then Black has the original ma­
noeuvre 6 .. ..�'Jh5 followed by ... f5, as used by Komarov in the game, obtaining an excellent posi­
tion, although mistakes later on allowed White to equalize the struggle with an ingenious pawn
sacrifice.
Obviously there are many other ways for Black to confront the Samisch Variation (4 a3 or 4 f3),
but I have chosen these lines on the basis of their soundness and practical successes.

Game 1 [ E241
Teimour Radjabov - Emir Dizdarevic
Calvia Olympiad 2004

1 d4 l2Jf6 2 c4 e6 3 l2Jc3 i.b4 4 a3 i.xc3+ deploy the bishop to a6 and the knight to aS,
Naturally, retreating the bishop makes no which causes White a lot of problems. If the
sense here. c4-pawn falls and the exchange of the light­
5 bxc3 (D) squared bishops is achieved without making
too many concessions on the kingside, Black
will not only have an extra pawn, but will have
considerably limited White's attacking poten­
B tial. A final point: do not be in too much of a
hurry to castle as Black! In general, if your op­
ponent has the attack on the kingside as his
main plan, there is no reason to rush to place
your king there. It is preferable to give priority
to the attack on the c4-pawn and only later de­
termine the best position for the king, which on
many occasions finds refuge on the queenside.
This rapid concentration of force against the
c4-point is one of the best ways of confronting
the Samisch Variation.
5 b6
...

From this position the basic plans for both
sides are well-established. White's primary ob­
jectives are total occupation of the centre with
f3 and e4 (taking advantage of the fact that he
has not developed his knight to f3) and attack
on the kingside. Also among White's possible
threats is the pin with i.g5, which can be un­
pleasant for Black since he no longer has his
dark-squared bishop. White's ideal development
would be to form a pawn-centre with f3 and e4,
place his bishops on d3 and g5 and his knight
on e2 or h3, etc.
What is the fundamental defect of the white
position? The weakness on c4 ! Based on that
premise, Black should start to lay siege to c4 as
soon as possible; the most direct method is to
The actual move-order in this game was
5 ... l2Jc6 and then ... b6 and . . . i.a6.
6 f3
Pursuing the main idea; if White plays 6 e3
instead, then Black would continue with the
standard plan of 6 ... i.a6 and ...l2Jc6-a5 . White
can make immediate use of the pin with 6 i.g5
but after 6 ... h6! (to have the unpinning move
... g5 available) 7 i.h4 i.a6! (more accurate
than 7 ...l2Jc6 8 l2Jf3 ! and 9 l2Jd2 !, defending c4
and supporting the advance e4) 8 e4 g5 ! 9 e5
gxh4 1 0 �f3 !? d5 1 1 exf6 i.b7 ! 1 2 �f4 l2Jd7
1 3 l2Jf3 h3 ! 1 4 c5 hxg2 1 5 i.xg2, instead of
1 5 ... bxc5?! (Muci-Graf, Merida 200 1 ), Black
can take on f6 immediately by 1 5 ... 'ihf6! 1 6
ii'xf6 ( 1 6 ii'xc7 l2Jxc5 !) 1 6... l2Jxf6 with an extra
 SAMISCH VARIATION: 4 a3 OR 4 f3 9

pawn. Note that if Black had castled previ­

ously, the advance with ... h6 and ... g5 would be
extremely risky for him. B
6...tt:Jc6 7 e4 .ta6 (D)

problems: 9 ... ctJa5 1 0 �e2 c5 ! 1 1 .te3 { 1 1 d5 ?

.txc4 ! and ...�4+ or 1 1 ctJh3 cxd4 1 2 cxd4
�4+ } l l .. ..l:.c8 1 2 .l::!.c 1 ctJe7 1 3 ctJh3 cxd4 1 4
cxd4 ctJf5 and Black has pressure on the white
pawns) 9 ... tt:Ja5 1 0 �a4 (D).
A key position for this variation. Faced with
the threat of ... tt:Ja5 and the capture on c4,
White has various plans.
He can defend the pawn with .td3 and �e2 B
(although this weakens the squares b3 and a4)
or with �a4, which would take the queen away
from the wing on which White supposedly will
attack. He can also dislodge the knight from f6
by playing e5 before deciding how to defend c4.
In the game, White employed one of the
most troublesome plans (8 .tg5 !), creating the
threat of e5, although Black always has avail­
able the response ... h6 and ... g5, which avoids
loss of material.
8�g5!
The most natural defence of the c4-pawn is 8 The e5-pawn gives White extra space on the
�d3 ctJa5 9 �e2 (D), but then the queen loses kingside, allowing him to go on the offensive i n
control of the squares b3 and a4. that sector. Black should seek the exchange of
This allows Black to eliminate the bishop­ queens, to eliminate a defender of the c4-square
pair and head for a simple position without many and reduce White's offensive arsenal, and to
problems by playing 9 ... ctJb3 !? 1 0 .l::!.b 1 ctJxc l achieve this Black has two manoeuvres that the
1 1 .l::i. xc l ctJh5 followed by ... �e7 !?. However, reader should remember: bringing the queen to
the ambitious 9 ... d6! ? with the idea of ...�d7- c6 (via c8-b7-c6) or else placing the queen on
a4/c6 is even better. e8 in order to play ... d5 or . . .d6.
The advance 8 e5 gains space and forces the It is easy to understand why even 1 0... 'it>f8 !?
knight back. However, after the retreat of the followed by ...�e8 and ... d5 ! can be considered
knight Black has ... �h4+ available, which will in this position. However, the most common
be useful in many variations; for example, continuations are 1 0... h6 !? (controlling the g5-
8 ... ctJg8 9 ctJh3 (if he now defends c4 with 9 square) and 1 0 ... ctJe7 ! . Let us look at a few of
�d3 and �e2 then the check on h4 causes White's attacking ideas after 1 0... tbe7 ! :
10 CHESS EXPLAINED: THE NIMZO-INDJAN
a) I I .id3 h6! ? 1 2 lbf4 0-0 1 3 0-0?! (it is
better to advance against Black's king with 1 3
h4, but after 1 3 ... d6! hitting the white centre,
followed by a timely ...�e8 !, Black is fine)
1 3. .. d6 14 .Ud l �e8 ! 1 5 �c2 .ixc4, Gutman­
Karner, USSR 1 975.
b) I I .ig5 0-0 (necessary to be able to ad­
vance the d-pawn and to free the e8-square for
the queen) 1 2 .id3 and now both 1 2 ...�e8 ! and
1 2 ... h6 1 3 .ih4 �e8 ! put into practice one of
Black's main ideas when the white queen is on
a4: the threat is ... d5 or ... d6, offering the ex­
change of queens, which forces White to rush
into the attack.
c) The dangerous I I lbg5 is also answered
by l l .. .h6 ! 1 2 lbe4 0-0 and now in reply to
Gutman's recommendation 1 3 .if4, 1 3 ...�e8 !?
is again very interesting, and although White
has many ways to continue the attack, none
seem to give him any advantage. For example,
14 .ixh6 d5!? or 14 �c2 !? lbg6! 1 5 .ixh6 f5 !
1 6 exf6 gxh6 and Black holds.
From these variations we can conclude that
when the white queen is on a4 and the white
pawn has advanced to e5, Black's strategy of
breaking in the centre with ... d6 or ... d5 and of-
fering the exchange of queens with ... �e8 !? is
quite effective.
8 .'iVc8?!
.•
This is the cause of Black's future difficul­
ties. He allows the set-up with .id3 and �e2,
which differs from what we saw earlier (with­
out the inclusion of .ig5), since in that position
Black was able to eliminate the dark-squared
bishop with the immediate ... lbb3, or attack the
c4-pawn with ... d6, ... �d7 and ... �a4.
Instead of bringing the queen to c6 (which is
effective when the white queen is on a4), Black
should play 8 ... lba5 ! (D) immediately.
This gives White no time to arrange the de­
fence of the c-pawn with .id3 and �e2 and in­
vites the complications that follow the advance
9 e5 !?, giving rise to a forced variation which
has stood the test of time: 9 . . . h6 ! I 0 .ih4 g5 I I
.if2 lbh5 ! 1 2 h4 ( 1 2 c5 .ixfl 1 3 �xfl f5 ! ?
does not give White anything, Volkov-Brodsky,
Dubai 2003) 1 2 . . .f5 ! . This move of Petrosian's,
with the objective of fighting for space on the
kingside, allows Black to achieve reasonable
w
counterplay. White has tried various options
without gaining any advantage:
a) 1 3 exf6? 'iVxf6 14 c5 .ixfl 1 5 �xfl g4!
16 �d3 0-0 and suddenly Black goes over to
the attack, Simagin-Petrosian, Moscow 1 950.
b) 1 3 c5 .ixfl 14 �xfl 'iVc8 ! followed by
. . .�a6+ with excellent play for Black, Volkov­
Lysy, Tomsk 2006.
c) 1 3 hxg5 'iYxg5 1 4 lbh3 �g6 1 5 g4 fxg4!
1 6 .id3 �f7 1 7 fxg4 lbf4 and Black is fine,
Agrest-A.Sokolov, St Petersburg 1 993.
d) After 1 3 g3 f4 ! the complications are not
unfavourable to Black; for example, 14 hxg5
�xg5 15 lbh3 �g8 16 gxf4 and in addition to
16 ... 0-0-0, Berkes-Almasi, Kazincbarcika 2005,
Black can capture with 1 6 ....ixc4 or prevent
the f5 advance with l 6... 'iVf7.
All these variations show that Black can ven­
ture upon the combative 8 . . .lba5 !, allowing 9
e5. And if White defends c4 with 9 �a4, then
the manoeuvre ... �c8-b7-c6 is fully justified.
9 .id3! lba5 10 �e2 d6
The plan of I O ... �b7?! (intending ... �c6)
now runs into I I e5 lbg8 1 2 .ie4 !.
ll lbh3 lbd7 12 f4 f6 13 .ih4 �b7 14 0-0
0-0-0 15 llabl (D)
The Azeri GM brings the two pieces that he
has on the kingside towards the centre before
starting the offensive. The main problem for
Black is that he is bogged down on the queen­
side and is unable to increase the pressure on
the c-pawn.
15 �de8
•.•
1 5 . . . �c6 is answered with 1 6 .l::i.b4 !, and
Black remains immobilized.
 SAMISCH VARIATION: 4 a3 OR 4 f3
16 ..tf2 h6 17 ..te3 .l:te7 1S lL'lf2 �bS 19 h3
Prophylaxis. As White is in no hurry, after
centralizing his pieces he gives his king an es­
cape-square.
19....l:!.c8
If 1 9...g5, then 20 fxg5 fxg5 2 1 ltJg4.
20 lifd1 e5 21 fxe5 fxe5 22 d5 (D)
Keeping the black pieces imprisoned on the
queenside.
22 c6?!
•••
It is natural for Black to try to open a line on
the queenside in order to bring his dormant
pieces back into play, but this move weakens
his pawn-chain, especially b6. Here 22 ...c5!?
was best, permanently preventing the threat of
White playing c5, but White would retain his
space advantage. A good plan would be 23
ttlh I ! ? intending lL'lg3-f5, attacking d6, followed
by doubling rooks on the f-file.
23 c5!
11
Liquidating the doubled pawns and irreme­
diably weakening the hitherto secure black for­
tress.
23 .ixd3 24 ltJxd3 cxd5
•••
There are not many options. If 24. . .dxc5,
then 25 lL'lxc5 lL'lxc5 26 .ixc5 .l:td7 27 .ib4 and
the knight on aS i s lost.
25 cxb6 'l'i'a6
Recapturing on b6 would also lose to the ma­
noeuvre lL'lb4-d5, attacking the rook and the
b6-pawn, but now the pawn reaches a7, with
check and also protected.
26 bxa7++ �aS 27 '!'i'g4! ltJc4
Little is changed by 27 ...lL'lf6 28 'i¥'f5 dxe4
(28 ...ltJxe4 29 .l:tb8+ !) 29 lL'lb4 'l'i'c4 30 �xd6
'l'i'xc3 3 1 �h2 ! , with a decisive advantage.
2S .if2 lL'lf6 29 'iVf5 .l:Iec7
There is no time for 29 ... dxe4 in view of 30
lL'lb4 'ti'b7 3 1 lL'ld5 and the material losses are
substantial. The best try was 29 ... llf8 ! , but then
White still wins by 30 lL'lb4 'i¥'c8 3 1 'i¥'xc8+
.U.xc8 32 lL'lc6 !.
30 ltJb4 (D)
Now the d5-pawn falls and the one on a7 de­
cides the game.
30 .'i�'a4 31lL'lxd5 ltJxd5 32 .U.xd5 ltJxa3
.•
If 32 ...'iix a3, then 33 .l:Ib8+ .l:txb8 34 axb8'1'i'+
�xb8 35 .l.:tb5+ and mate in a few moves.
33 llbS+
The shortest way. White sacrifices his a7-
pawn to leave the black king without any pro­
tection.
33 .l:IxbS 34 axbS�+ �xb8 35 11xd6 ltJc4
•••
36 lidS+ �b7 37 'iVfS
12 CHESS EXPLAINED: THE NIMZO-INDIAN
The queen joins in to leave Black's king de-
fenceless against the combined attack of the
three white pieces.
Game 2 [ E20]
Tiger Hillarp Persson - Peter Heine Nielsen
Danish League 2001/2
1 d4 l2Jf6 2 c4 e6 3 l2Jc3 .tb4 4 f3
This move-order can also be regarded as part
of the Samisch Variation, or Neo-Samisch, since
generally, at some point White plays a3, trans­
posing to the positions seen in the previous
game. At the start of the 1 990s, this line be­
came very popular owing to its adoption by the
super-GM Alexei Shirov and now it is very
popular once more thanks to the contributions
of Ivanchuk, Milov and Volkov, to mention just
a few illustrious names. White's intention is
clear: to take over the centre completely.
4...l2Jc6 (D)
With this move, Black allows White tempo­
rary domination of the centre, in order to coun­
ter-attack there later. This is a way of playing
that has given Black excellent results. He gives
priority to development and subsequently strikes
at the white centre, forcing it to advance so as
then to occupy key posts with his minor pieces.
Note how many pawn moves White is making,
causing a slight lag in his development which
Black will exploit with his next few moves.
5 e4
37 i!Va6 38 .l::t b8+ Wc6 39 i!Ve8+ l:td7 40
.••
.l:.c8+ 1-0
Excellent play by Radjabov.
Consistent with his previous move. If he
plays 5 a3 instead, then after 5 ... .txc3+ 6 bxc3
b6 there is a transposition to Game 1 .
s...ds!
It is essential to strike in the centre.
6 cxd5
It seems more logical to advance without
capturing on d5, so that the c8-bishop will re­
main shut in, but this has the drawback that
Black has available the subsequent ... dxc4 (at­
tacking d4) and after .txc4? there is the re­
source ... lbxe5 ! and ... 'iVh4+ !, winning a pawn.
For example: 6 e5 l2Jg8 ! (the knight always
. comes to this square, in order to initiate the
blockade on the light squares with ...l2Je7-f5),
and now:
a) If White plays 7 f4 ? then after 7 ... dxc4 !
he cannot recapture on c4 since the d4-pawn
drops. Later Black can consolidate the pawn
with ...i!Vd5 or increase his pressure on d4 by
...l2Jge7 and ... l2Jf5, with excellent play in both
cases.
b) Another inaccurate move is 7 .te3?! in
view of 7 ...dxc4! 8 a3 (if 8 .txc4? then Black
replies 8 ...l2Jxe5 !) 8 ... �xc3+ 9 bxc3 �d7 ! 10
f4 lDa5 and Black defends the extra pawn.
c) The critical continuation is 7 a3 ! �xc3+
8 bxc3 dxc4 9 i!Va4! (9 �xc4? l2Jxe5 !) 9 ... f6! ?
( 9. . . �d7 ! ? 1 0 �xc4 lba5 ! followed by ... c5 !
deserves consideration) 1 0 exf6 lDxf6 1 1 �xc4
0-0 1 2 lbe2 Wh8 1 3 0-0 e5 14 �d 1 e4! and
Black's activity on the kingside compensates
for White's bishop-pair, Moskalenko-Barsov,
Sitges 2000.
6... exd5 7 eS l2Jg8 (D)
8 f4
White finds himself forced to carry on mak­
ing pawn moves in order to complete his devel­
opment. This is one of the problems of the
 SAMISCH VARIATION: 4 a3 OR 4 f3 13

move 4 f3: it occupies the knight's natural de­ break, and this keeps the f2-bishop completely
velopment square. paralysed and out of play.
8 �b5 has the drawback that after 8 ... �d7 ! b) It seems more logical to avoid the dou­
there is a threat to win a pawn with both .. :iVh4+ bling of the pawns with I 0 �e2 tbf5 1 1 0-0
and .. .lbxe5, so that White is forced to capture �a5 !? (a typical manoeuvre in this variation;
on c6, losing control of the light squares. the bishop goes to b6 to reinforce the pressure
The most sensible course is to defend against on d4, but the simple I l .. .'iVd7, followed by
the threat of .. :iVh4+ and . . .'t�Vxd4 with 8 �e3 !? . . . 0-0-0, is also sufficient) 1 2 tbg5 �xe2 1 3
and now I like 8 ...tbh6! (preventing 9 f4 in tbxe2 �b6 1 4 tbf3 h5 (D).
view of 9 ... tbg4 ! ) 9 �d2 (9 �xh6?! 'iVh4+)
9. ..Cbf5 1 0 �g5 f6 ! and Black seizes the initia­
tive, Linares-F.Amold, Villa Real 200 I , but also
satisfactory is 8 ... tbge7 9 f4 0-0 I 0 �e2 �f5
I I ctJf3 �e4 ! and Black manages to activate
this bishop, followed at an appropriate mo­
ment by .. .lbf5 and the manoeuvre ... �a5-b6
with counterplay against d4, Milov-Aimasi,
Corsica (rapid) 2005 .
8 tbh6!
••.

Not only preparing to blockade on f5 but

also ready to jump to g4 in reply to �e3.
9�e2
The purpose of this move is to prevent the
pin on the knight, but in view of what happened
in the game it seems preferable to play 9 ctJf3
�g4, and now there are two ways:
a) 10 �e3 tbf5 1 1 �f2 �xf3 ! (destroying
White's structure and securing f5 for the black
pieces) 12 gxf3 0-0 and now, instead of 1 3
l:tgl ?! lt:Jcxd4 !? 1 4 �xd4 'iVh4+ 1 5 �f2 'iVxf4,
when Black had a strong attack in Shirov-Tivia­
kov, Wijk aan Zee 200 I , Tiviakov recommends
13 'i¥d3 tbce7 1 4 �h3 g6 1 5 .l:!.g1 �h8 (D).
However, Black has little to fear, because
the blockade on f5 is practically impossible to
Black has achieved a perfect blockade on the
light squares, although White's control of more
space means that the chances are balanced.
White's position suffers from a certain paraly­
sis; practically his only plan is to play a3, with
the idea of b4. In the two available practical ex­
amples, the struggle was balanced after 1 5 'iVd3
't�Vd7 1 6 a3 a5 !. Curiously, in one of these Black
sent his king to the queenside ( ...�d8 !?-c8-b8),
while in the other the king took refuge on the
kingside with ... g6 and ... �f8-g7, maintaining
14 CHESS EXPLAINED: THE NIMZO-lNDIAN

the blockade and keeping the rooks on their 0-0 was better, although after 1 4... c5 ! Black
original squares. breaks open the centre.
9 lLlf5!
••• 14...f6! (D)
Much better than Tiviakov's recommenda­
tion 9 ... .i.g4. With the sequence in the game
( ...lLlf5 ! and ... .i.a5 !) Black makes use of his
dynamic resources (better development and the
initiative) to contest White's occupation of the
centre.
10lZ'lf3 .i.a5! (D)

I t is essential to contest White's central dom­

A recurrent idea which is very effective.
White must move the e2-bishop again, which
ination. In addition, the f-file is opened so that
the rook protects the knight, freeing the c8-
bishop from that task.
15 .i.e3 fxe5 16lZ'lxe5
After 1 6 fxe5 .i.a6 ! 1 7 �d2 lLlxe3 1 8 �xe3
the exchange sacrifice 1 8 ... l:!.xf3! is decisive,
since the pawns at d4 and e5 drop.
16 .i.a6!
•••

demonstrates that his strategy has failed. Black continues energetically.

l l .i.b5 17 �d2lZ'lxe3 18 �xe3 c5! (D)
A pretty and simple variation arises in the
case of I I g4? lZ'lfxd4 ! 1 2 lZ'lxd4 �h4+ 1 3 �fl
lZ'lxd4 and the white position falls apart, since i t
i s not possible to capture o n d4 because of
... .i.b6.
1 1 ... 0-0!
Black's lead in development is becoming
alarming.
12 a3?!
Another wasted tempo. It was necessary to
accept a slightly inferior position with 1 2 .i.xc6
bxc6 1 3 �a4 .i.b6 14 �xc6 l:l:b8 ! 1 5 �xd5
lLlxd4 1 6 lLlxd4 .i.xd4 1 7 �xd8 l:l:xd8 1 8 lZ'le2
.i.c5 and the activity of all the black pieces, es­
pecially his bishop-pair, clearly compensates
for the missing pawn. After this break the position completely
12 .i.b6 13 .i.xc6 bxc6 14 �d3
••• opens up in Black's favour.
In the hope of keeping things blocked up after 19 dxc5 d4! 20 �e4 dxc3
.i.e3, followed by queenside castling, but Black Now the white king is condemned to remain
will not allow him the time for this. Instead, 1 4 in the centre.
 SAMISCH VARIATION: 4 a3 OR 4 f3 15

21!.1d1 'iVf6!
Attacking the last soldier of the once-proud
white centre! W
22 g3
After 22 cxb6 'iVxf4 23 'iVxf4 .l:!.xf4 the e5-
knight is left without support.
22 J:tae8
••

Here 22 ...lhd8 ! would have been immedi­

ately decisive, because not only would the d5-
square be protected but also the black queen
would penetrate along the d-file: 23 cxb6 (23
.l:!.xd8 'iVxd8 ! ) 23 ... .U.xd l + 24 �xd l 'iYd6+ and
the queen enters at d2.
23 cxb6 ..ib7! 24 'iVc4+
Here 24 'iVxb7 �xe5+ ! leads to an elegant
mate.
24...<.t>h8 25 0-0 �xb6+ 26 't!Vd4
If 26 .l::tf2, then 26 ....l:txe5 ! .
26...c2 27 't!Vxb6 cxd1 't!V 28 'iVxb7 �d4+ (D)
Black is the exchange up and has the safer
king, so the struggle is decided. The rest is quite
clear although apparently both players were i n
time-pressure.
29 '.t>g2 .l::tb8 30 'J/II xc7 �xb2+
Better was 30... Ii.xb2+! and ... 'iVd2.
31 �h3 'i¥xa3 32 i:Id1 �a6 33 l:td7 't\Ye6+ 34
�h4 't\Yh6+
34 ... �f6+ ! .
35 �g4 �xh2 36 lt:Jf7+
After 36 .l::!.x g7 h5+! 37 �g5 'iYxg3+ the
white king will not survive.
36...�g8 37 lt:Jg5 h5+ 38 '.t>f3 l:tb3+ 39 �e4
.l::!.e8+ 40 �f5 0-1
White lost on time before being mated. An
entertaining game, illustrating the problems that
can be caused by falling behind in development.

Game 3 [ E2 7 ]
Miso Cebalo - Dimitri Komarov
Bratto open 2006

1 d4 lt:Jf6 2 c4 e6 3 lt:Jc3 ..ib4 4 f3 0-0!? (D)

This move has, in principle, the same idea as
4... lt:Jc6. Black makes a developing move and w
waits for White to play 5 e4. Then Black strikes
in the centre immediately with ... d5, so that he
can exploit his development advantage.
5 a3
The central strike 5 e4 d5 ! is even better now
than when the black knight is on c6 (Game 2),
because Black has the immediate central coun­
ter-attack ... c5 ! available. White must capture
with cxd5, either immediately or after 6 e5,
since otherwise Black will take on c4 and de­
fend the pawn with ... b5 or ... lt:Jb6. For exam­
ple, 6 e5 lt:Jfd7 7 a3?! ..ixc3+ 8 bxc3 dxc4! and After 6 cxd5 exd5 7 e5 lDfd7 ! White has
now 9 ..ltxc4? is not possible in view of the fa­ problems in supporting his advanced pawn­
miliar idea 9 .. lt:Jxe5 !.
. centre. If he tries to bolster d4 with 8 a3 ..ixc3+
 16 CHESS EXPlAINED: THE NIMZO-IND/AN
9 bxc3 Black breaks with 9 . .f6 ! , and the white
.
centre vanishes, because I 0 f4? is not possible
in view of 1 0 ... fxe5 I I dxe5 lt:Jxe5 ! and the de­
velopment advantage makes itself felt. White
must play more modestly with I 0 exf6 �xf6 I I
�d3 lt:Jb6 1 2 lt:Je2 �f5, but after the exchange
of the light-squared bishops the outpost on c4
guarantees equality, Moskalenko-J.Gonzalez,
Mataro 2004. If White plays 8 f4 then after
8 . . .c5 ! the centre explodes and Black can play
sacrificially to smash open lines towards the
white king in the centre. For example:
a) 9 a3 �a5 ! 1 0 lt:Jf3 cxd4 II lt:Jxd4 lt:Jxe5 !
(D ).
w TLe move 6 ... lt:Jh5 ! ? gains time for moving
A typical sacrifice in this variation. Black
· exploits his advantage in development and the
exposed position of the white king. 1 2 fxe5
�h4+ 1 3 '>t>e2 �b6! (the key move: the bishop
comes to the a7-gl diagonal with devastating
effect) 1 4 �e3 �g4+ 1 5 lt:Jf3 d4 ! 1 6 �xd4
�xf3+ 1 7 '>t>xf3 i.xd4 and White is destroyed,
Volkov-Vekshenkov, Togliatti 2003.
b) 9 lt:Jf3 cxd4 ! ? 1 0 �xd4 (after 1 0 lt:Jxd4
once again the sacrifice works: 1 0...lt:Jxe5 ! I I
fxe5 �h4+ 1 2 '>t>e2 �c5 !) 1 0. . .lt:Jc6 I I �xd5
lt:Jdxe5 ! 1 2 �xd8 lt:Jxf3+ 1 3 gxf3 .l:!.xd8 14 �e3
�f5 and White stands badly, because his king
remains in the centre and his pawns are weak,
Kadziolka-Alexandrov, Warsaw 2005 .
5 �xc3+ 6 bxc3 (D)
...
6 tt:Jh5!?
••.
Capablanca's manoeuvre 6 ... lt:Je8 !? is also
well-known and popular here. Black avoids the
pin and plays ... b6, ... �a6 and ...lt:Jc6-a5 . Also
the e8-knight can go to d6, reinforcing the at­
tack on c4, while the f-pawn serves to restrict
the white forces.
the pawn to f5 and subsequently the queen to h4
(important!), thus hindering White's advance in
the centre. Black's general idea consists of con­
testing control of the centre with the above­
mentioned advance ... f5 and later ...d6 and ... e5.
In this way Black restricts White's aggressive
intentions on the kingside. Development is com­
pleted with ... lt:Jc6 and ... i.d7. If White can be
prevented from advancing in the centre, Black
will later tum his attention to White's weak­
nesses on the queenside (c3 and c4) or else gain
space with ... e4 or . . .f4, with possibilities of at­
tacking on the kingside.
7 lt:Jh3
The most common move, which is designed
to protect against the queen check on h4. Of
course, 7 e4? is bad in view of 7 ... �h4+ 8 g3
lt:Jxg3 9 hxg3 �xh I with a decisive advantage.
Grandmaster Sergei Volkov experimented suc­
cessfully with 7 g3 !? f5 8 e4 but, instead of
8 . . . b6, Black should remain consistent with
the general idea of the variation by playing
8 . . . d6!?, followed by . . . e5, since it is better to
develop the bishop along the c8-h3 diagonal,
to make it difficult for White to develop his
knight.
7 f5
...
The point of ... lt:Jh5.
8 e3
The simplest way of bringing the king's
bishop into play and castling quickly.
 SAMISCH VARIATION: 4 a3 OR 4 f3 17

The brilliant Bronstein employed the ener­

getic idea 8 e4 !?, which gave him an excellent
position in Bronstein-Szabo, Candidates tour- W
nament, Budapest 1 950 after 8 ...c5?! 9 e5 ! l2Jc6
10 f4 g6 II i.e2 b6 1 2 0-0l2Jg7 1 3 i.e3 cxd4 1 4
cxd4 i.a6 1 5 'ifa4, and White had the bishop-
pair and a strong centre, while Black's g7-
knight is out of play. Knaak's recommendation
8 .. .fxe4?! 9 i.g5 l2Jf6 1 0 fxe4 h6 II i.h4 g5?
does not seem beneficial, since the insecurity of
the black king becomes clear after 1 2 i.g3
l2Jxe4 1 3 'ifc2 ! d5 I4l2Jf2 ! . It is best for Black
not to deviate from the general plan and so to
continue with 8 ...d6 ! followed by ... e5 and in
some cases .. .f4. quite simple: develop with ... �d7 and ....l:i.ae8
A further option for White is to develop the and then advance in the centre or attack on the
queen's bishop before playing e3, but this does kingside.
not alter the character of the position much: 8 White has little activity and his best plans are
i.g5 !? 'ife8 9 e3 and Black should continue to exert pressure on the b-file, and try to ad­
with the standard plan: ...d6, ... l2Jc6 and ...e5. vance with c5, given that it is not sensible to
8 d6
... play e4 because Black can respond with .. .f4
After hindering White's advance in the cen­ and then transfer a rook to h6 or g6.
tre with .. .f5, Black prepares to complete the 12 'tiVe1
mobilization of his queenside with ... e5 and With the objective of dislodging the black
... l2Jc6, followed by developing the bishop on queen from h4. It seems more logical to play ei­
d7. ther 1 2 'ifc2, exerting pressure on f5, or l 2l!bI,
9l2Jf2 making it difficult for the black bishop to be de­
After 9 i.d3 the best move is 9 ...'ifh4+ ! , veloped.
which forces the white knight to a more passive 12 i.d7 13 g3!? 'ife7
•••

position on f2. Furthermore, when White cas­ It is not possible to play l 3 ...l2Jxg3? be­
tles, it will be difficult to dislodge the queen cause of 1 4 lLlh l ! winning a piece, but it was
from this square, since the move g3 can be an­ worth considering keeping the queen on the
swered with the sacrifice ...l2Jxg3 !, dismantling kingside with l 3 .. .'�!Vg5 ! ?, renewing the threat
the white fortress. of ...l2Jxg3.
9 l2Jc6
.•. 14 'ifd1.l::i.ae8 15 l:!.a2l2Jf6 (D)
It is also possible to play 9 . . .e5 ! ?, in accor­
dance with the general plan. After 1 0 f4l2Jf6 I I
fxe5 dxe5 1 2 c5l2Jc6 1 3 �c4+ �h8 1 4 0-0 b6 ! ?,
White has difficulty in bringing his queen's w
bishop into play, Volkov-Izoria, European Clubs
Cup, Saint Vincent 2005.
10 �d3 e5 11 0-0
If I I 'ifc2 then the best move is once again
l l . ..'ifh4 !?, posting the black queen on its ideal
square .
11 ...'ifh4! (D)
From this menacing square, the queen exerts
pressure on d4, and at the same time restricts
White's actions on the kingside. Black's plan is
18 CHESS EXPlAINED: THE NIMZO-INDIAN

The knight returns to f6 to support the ad­ This allows the c1-bishop to come back to
vance ... e4, which will leave White with weak­ life. It was better to maintain the blockade on
nesses on the kingside and a wretched bishop the light squares by 20 ... b5 ! 21 axb5 .ixb5 22
on c l . This is one of Black's basic ideas in this .l:txa7 �xd5! 23 l:!.xc7 l:!.c8, with a clear posi­
variation: to maintain the blockade and at some tional advantage due to the passivity of the
point to advance the e- or f-pawn, gaining space. white pieces and Black's pressure on c3 and
16 f4 e3.
Cebalo prefers Black's ... e4 advance to take 21 c4! (D)
place without i t attacking the f3-pawn, so that
he will not be forced to capture on e4, which
would allow the d7 -bishop into play.
16...e4 17 .i.e2 �f7! B
Now Black puts pressure on c4 in order to
force the advance of the white pawns, which
would result in more weaknesses in the white
camp. It is worth noting this formation for at­
tacking c4: . . . Wiif7, ... lt::! a5 and ... .i.e6 if neces­
sary.
18 a4 lt::!a 5 19 .l:ta1 !?
It would be much worse to defend the pawn
by playing 19 d5, leaving himself paralysed
and handing over the c5-square to Black, who
would respond with the manoeuvre ... b6, ... lt::!b 7,
. . . aS and ... lt::!c 5, with a clear positional advan­ Now White's bishop-pair and command of
tage. the a l -h8 diagonal provide some compensation
19 ltJxc4 (D)
••. for the pawn. In this defence it is essential to
take particular care not to allow the bishop-pair
any activity, especially the dark-squared bishop
when it has no opposite number.
w 21 ... b6 22 .ib2 lt::! b7 23 'it>h1! (D)

It would seem that Black has his opponent

completely under his thumb, since as well as
having an extra pawn, he exerts a degree of con­
trol over the light squares and the opposing
pieces lack activity. However, the experienced White prepares the opening of the g-file, to
Croatian GM finds a way to complicate his op­ exert pressure on g7 in coordination with the
ponent's task. bishop on b2.
20 d5! lt::!a 5?! 23 ltJc5
.•.
 SAMISCH VARIATION: 4 a3 OR 4 f3
Now White exchanges his weak a-pawn and
activates his queen' s rook, but if Black prevents
the advance with 23 ... a5, White would break
immediately with 24 g4 !, obtaining sufficient
counterplay.
24 aS! .l:!.a8 25 .l:!.gl
Patiently preparing the break, since his op­
ponent lacks active play.
25 c6 26 g4!
•..
Better than regaining the pawn with 26 dxc6
.ixc6 27 'iVxd6 'iVe8 !, since the threat of .. .'�Jd3
gives Black the initiative.
26 t2Jd3!? (D)
.•.
Creating more complications, to distract
White from his positional attack.
27 t2Jxd3 exd3 28 'iVxd3 fxg4
Now White will simplify in order to regain
the pawn. It was worth considering 28 ... t2Jxg4 !?
but after 29 .l:!.g2 .l:!.ae8 30 axb6 axb6 31 e4!
White has sufficient counterplay because the
position of the knight on g4 is unstable.
29 axb6 axb6 30 .l:!.xa8 .l:!.xa8 31 .i.xf6 'iVxf6
1/z-lfz
The position is fairly equal and since both
kings are exposed, the chances of perpetual
check are high.
Conclusions
When White gains the bishop-pair by playing
4 a3 right away, the plan of an immediate siege
of the c4-pawn with . . .b6, . . . .i.a6 and . . . t2Jc6-
a5 can be strongly recommended, as Game 1
19
demonstrates. Black must do this before cas­
tling, so that against the .i.g5 pin he has the re­
sponse . . . h6 and . . . g5 available, if required.
It is essential to remember important queen
manoeuvres such as . . .'iVe8 (especially when
the white queen is on a4) in order, after the ad­
vance of his d-pawn, to offer the exchange of
queens, which would leave the c4-pawn with
one less defender. Also, ... 'iVd7 and ...'iVa4 or
... 'iVc8-b7-c6 share the same objective of at­
tacking the c4-pawn and activating the black
queen. Dizdarevic 's error in Game I was to em­
ploy the last of these queen manoeuvres, di­
rected against the 8 .i.g5 pin, when he should
have played 8 ... t2Ja5 !, entering the complica­
tions that arise after 9 e5 h6 ! 1 0 .i.h4 g5, or else
forcing the white queen to defend the c4-pawn
from a4.
Against the immediate 4 f3 Black has a rea­
sonable option in 4 . . .t2Jc6 ! ?. The positions that
arise after 5 e4 d5 6 cxd5 exd5 7 e5 t2Jg8 are
perfectly playable for Black, who achieves a
good blockade on the light squares and has ac­
tive play with . . .f6 and the manoeuvre ... .i.a5-
b6. Game 2 is an example of how to punish in­
accurate play and a delay in castling by White.
I think that White should handle this position
by playing the immediate 6 e5 followed by 7
a3 ! , so that the c8-bishop remains locked be­
hind its own pawns, and although so far Black
has achieved sufficient counterplay, I expect
that this line will be the most problematic in the
future.
The encounter Cebalo-Komarov (Game 3)
featured 4 f3 0-0! ? and, as the analysis demon­
strates, Black has nothing to fear in the event of 5
e4 d5 ! because after the advance 6 e5 the breaks
...c5 ! and/or .. .f6 ! , as appropriate, make it very
difficult for White to maintain his centre. The
critical line begins with 5 a3 but by employing
the formation seen in the game (6 ... t2Jh5 fol­
lowed by ... f5 and the central advance ...d6 and
...e5), Black has no serious problems neutraliz­
ing White's initiative in the centre and on the
kingside. It should be emphasized that in this
variation the black queen's best square is h4. It is
to be expected that this line will gain popularity
in the future owing to the simplicity of its ideas.
2 Capablanca Variation: 4 �c2 d5!?

Introduction
The classical 4 �c2 is one of the most solid and reputable responses to the Nimzo-Indian, based
above all on its logic: White wants to obtain the bishop-pair without spoiling his pawn-structure.
However, its fundamental drawback is that it uses several tempi to this end, which means that
White lags behind in development and the queen remains rather exposed to attack by the black
pieces.
The move 4 �c2 was very popular from the 1 920s to the 1950s owing to its inclusion in the rep­
ertoires of players such as Capablanca, Alekhine and Euwe. Later it fell into disuse until the 1 980s,
when Seirawan obtained excellent results with it. Later he was joined by Kasparov, I.Sokolov,
Bareev and M.Gurevich, who contributed to its success with new ideas and splendid results. Today
it is one of the most common and deeply-investigated variations.
The variation that we shall study in this chapter, 4 1i'c2 d5 ! ?, aims to take advantage of White's
lack of development by immediately opening the position with central breaks such as a well-timed
... c5 or even ... e5.
Black's philosophy is very clear: to give priority to active piece-play above any other positional
or material considerations, so that White does not have time to use his bishop-pair. That is why in
this variation Black even delays his own castling, allows the destruction of his pawn-structure or
sacrifices a pawn, all with the objective of mobilizing his queenside and creating threats against the
insecure queen and the enemy king, which needs several tempi to castle on the kingside and which
would be too exposed on the queenside.

The Games

In Game 4 ( Bareev-Ivanchuk), we shall see the line 5 a3 ! ?, in which White persists in his idea of
gaining the bishop-pair without attaching too much importance to the tempi consumed. Black is
forced to give up his bishop, but with the continuation ... lt:Je4 and ...c5 ! he obtains very good
counterplay along the a5-e I diagonal, or full compensation for the pawn if White hangs on to the
material, as in the game. We shall also see that the variation with ...lt:Je4 followed by ... e5 is some­
what better for White, who manages to complete his development and maintain the bishop-pair
plus a stable centre. In the notes to this game we shall also see a less risky alternative (6 ... dxc4 and
... b6 ! ?) with the aim of exchanging one of White's bishops and trying to equalize quietly. In the
game, Ivanchuk achieved excellent compensation for the sacrificed pawn in the shape of a lasting
initiative, which finally grew into a strong attack owing to some slight inaccuracies from Bareev.

In Ibrahimov-Mamedyarov (Game 5), we shall analyse the variation where White takes on d5
and then plays 6 .ig5 and we shall see how the response 6 ... c 5 ! produces an extremely complicated
position, where both players are walking a tightrope. White chose the main move 7 dxc5 ! ? and
Black put immediate pressure on the c3-knight with ... h6, ...g5, followed by ... lt:Je4 and .. .'iVa5,
which is the most popular manoeuvre these days and which reduces White's options. As the reader
will see, the struggle was very complicated, with both kings exposed, but it took only one mistake
 CAPABLANCA VARIATION: 4 Wfc2 d5!? 21

by White on move 1 8 for Black to launch a very strong offensive, which ended in a mating attack
on move 3 1 .

Game 6 (Van Wely-Topalov) shows us all the alternatives to the move 7 dxc5 of the previous
game and in particular 7 a3, which was the move used by Van Wely and which is quite popular at
the time of writing. With this move White obtains the bishop-pair and the better pawn-structure, but
Topalov demonstrated how Black's development compensates for these factors, even in the end­
game.

Game 4 [ E37]
Evgeny Bareev - Vasily lvanchuk
Havana 2006

1 d4 tbf6 2 c4 e6 3 tbc3 i.. b4 41Vc2 (D)
and the move a3 is useful for responding to the
central attack . . .c5 with dxc5 followed by b4. It
is also possible to answer with 6 cxd5 followed
by i.. g 5, reaching the structure of the Exchange
Variation of the Queen' s Gambit, with the fa­
vourable difference that the move a3 supports
the advance b4, which i s an essential part of the
typical minority attack.
61Vxc3 (D)

The basic idea of this variation is to obtain the

bishop-pair without any damage to the pawn­
structure.
4 d5
...

Black immediately strikes in the centre, con­

trolling e4. 4 ... 0-0 is also possible, as we shall
see in the next chapter, as is the immediate at­
tack on the centre with 4 ... c5.
5 a3
White carries on with his initial plan. We
shall see 5 cxd5 in the next game. If 5 i..g5 ? !
Black captures by 5 ... dxc4! attacking d4 and af­
ter 6 e3 or 6 tbf3 he defends the pawn with
6 ... b5, and ... c6 if necessary.
s i..xc3+
...
The retreat 5 ... i..e7 ?! makes no sense here,
since White continues with the natural develop­
ing moves tbf3, i..f4 or i.. g 5, followed by e3,
White has invested his last two moves in the
acquisition of a stable and lasting advantage -
the bishop-pair - but he has fallen behind in de­
velopment and his queen is rather exposed. It is
important to understand that if Black quietly
develops his pieces without disturbing White,
allowing him to complete his development, he
will be condemned to a passive and unpleasant
defence in the middlegame and even in the end­
game. What can Black do? One plan consists of
22 CHESS EXPLAINED: THE NIMZO-INDIAN
opening the centre as quickly as possible (even
if it means sacrificing one or more pawns) to try
to exploit his advantage in development. An­
other plan is to try to exchange one of White ' s
bishops. In the game the first method i s used,
while the attempt to exchange a bishop is ex­
plained in the next note.
6 .lbe4
..
The knight occupies an important post in the
centre, and at the same time attacks the queen
and prepares a central break. The alternative is
6...dxc4 7 �xc4 b6 ! ? to play ... .i.a6, attacking
the queen, and to exchange the light-squared
bishops as soon as White moves his e-pawn.
However, I have the impression that after seiz­
ing the centre and castling on the queenside the
white position is slightly better. In contrast, if
White tries to retain his bishop-pair by develop­
ing the fl -bishop to g2 then Black first harasses
the queen with ... .i.b7-d5 or ... .i.a6, and then
follows up by . . . lbbd7, ... .l:tc8 and . . .c5, with
very good piece coordination. Let us see an ex­
ample: 8 CtJf3 0-0 9 .i.g5 (this pin is logical,
given that Black has no dark-squared bishop; if
9 g3 .i.b7 10 .i.g2, then I O. . ..i.d5 followed by
...lbbd7, . . . c5 and ....l:i.c8, with excellent play)
9 . . ..i.a6 10 �c2 (inadvisable is 1 0 .i.xf6?! 'iixf6
1 1 'iixc7 .l:tc8 and the black pieces are very ac­
tive) 1 0 ... lbbd7 1 1 e4 .i.xfl 1 2 llxfl 'iic 8 !? 1 3
0-0-0 �b7 1 4 �fe l �ac8 1 5 Wbl l:Ife8 fol­
lowed by ... c5 with equality, Golod-S.Feller,
Cappelle Ia Grande 2007.
7 Wic2 c5!
At the time of writing, this break has the best
reputation. The two alternative lines for break­
ing in the centre are connected with the advance
... e5:
a) 7 ... lbc6 8 e3 e5 ! ? is one way, but after 9
f3 ! lbf6 1 0 dxe5 lbxe5 1 1 cxd5 'ifxd5 1 2 e4 we
reach the type of position that Black must avoid,
because his knights lack outposts in the centre
and he has no active breaks, while the bishop­
pair and central superiority give White the ad­
vantage.
b) With 7 . . .e5 !? Black intends to answer 8
cxd5 with the active 8 ....i.f5 ! ? (D) (instead of
8 ... Wixd5? ! 9 f3 followed by 1 0 dxe5 and 1 1 e4
and Black i s condemned to passive defence,
Kasparov-Adams, Linares 2005).
White now has various ways to win material
but Black has obtained sufficient compensation
in the majority of cases. For example, 9 g4 (9
dxe5 c6! ?) 9 . . . .i.g6 1 0 'iib 3 exd4 1 1 lbf3 0-0 12
.i.g2, Nechepurenko-Khairullin, Russian Ch,
Krasnoiarsk 2007, and now 1 2 ... d3! gives Black
the initiative.
Regardless of their soundness, the moves
7 . . . e5 ! ? and 8 . . . .i.f5 ! ? are in the spirit of how
Black should operate to counteract White's
bishop-pair.
8 dxc5
White must not accept a position where he
has an isolated pawn without any attacking pos­
sibilities, i.e. 8 e3? cxd4 9 exd4 lbc6 1 0 lbf3
'i!Va5+.
8...lbc6 9 cxd5
Protecting the c5-pawn and giving his oppo­
nent an isolated pawn, but the queen's bishop
gains the freedom to reach f5 (or g4), creating
various tactical possibilities at the white queen's
expense.
Attempts have been made to gain an advan­
tage without exchanging on d5, so as to keep
the black bishop shut in at c8, but then the
check on a5, followed by the elimination of the
dark-squared bishop, equalizes:
a) 9CtJf3 �a5+ ! 1 0 .i.d2 ( 1 0CtJd2!? is trick­
ier, but the complications after 1 0 ... lbd4! 1 1
�dl ! ? {or 1 1 �d3 e5 } l l ... .i.d7 are no worse
for Black) 1 0 .. .'�xc5 I I e3 lbxd2 1 2 'i!Vxd2
dxc4 with equality.
b) 9 e3 �a5+! 1 0 .i.d2 lbxd2 ! 1 1 'i!Vxd2
dxc4! 1 2 'ifxa5 lbxa5 1 3 lie I b5 ! (giving up a
pawn, but once the files are open, the queenside
 CAPABLANCA VARIATION: 4 'iVc2 d5!? 23

pawns will be subject to attack) 1 4 cxb6 .i.b7

15 ctJf3 �e7 16 bxa7 and now the most appro-
priate course is to eliminate the f3-knight, and W
exert immediate pressure on the white pawns
along the b-file.
9 exd5 10 ctJf3 (D)
••.

It is more prudent to return the pawn imme­

diately with 16 .l:txd2 dxe3 1 7 fxe3 M.xe3 with
approximate equality.
16 .l::tad8 (D)
•••

10 Ji'f6!?
.• w
Hindering the b4 advance and its further
consequences of White developing his dark­
squared bishop actively.
The last word has not yet been said regarding
10 ... .i.f5 !?, but the latest games favour White:
1 1 b4! d4!? ( l l . ..ctJg3?! 12 �b2 ctJxh l 1 3 �xg7
.l:!.f8 14 �h6 is no use; nor is 1 1 .. .0-0 1 2 �b2
ctJg3?! 1 3 �c3 d4 14 ctJxd4 ctJxd4 15 fxg3 !
with a decisive advantage) 1 2 g4 �g6 1 3 'iVb2
0-0 14 .i.g2 Ii.e8 15 0-0 ltJc3 1 6 .U.e l h5 1 7 g5
i.e4 1 8 �d2 and White completes his develop­
ment while retaining the extra pawn and keep­ This position exemplifies the kind of com­
ing pressure on d4, Ivanchuk-Anand, Monte pensation that the pawn sacrifice provides: pres­
Carlo (blindfold) 2007. sure on the centre files and more active pieces.
11 e3 .i.g4 12 .i.e2 0-0 (D) 17 'iVc1
13 0-0 1 7 exd4 is met by 1 7 . . . ctJxd4 ! , when 1 8
Natural, but inaccurate. Now White will find ctJxd4? .i.xe2 costs White the exchange. Now it
it difficult to bring his queen's bishop into play. seems that White has solved his problems, but
It is better to play 1 3 .i.d2! and now Black lvanchuk finds an energetic continuation that
should exert pressure on the c-file by 1 3 ....l::tac8 ! retains the initiative.
14 0-0 b6! with counterplay, Hillarp Persson­ 17 d3!
••.

J.Hammer, Copenhagen 2007. A further temporary pawn sacrifice which

13 I:i.fe8! 14 .i.d2 d4!
•••
The opening of the centre enables the rooks'
pressure on the central files to make itself felt
and highlights the passivity of the white pieces.
15 I!ad1 ctJxd2 16 �xd2
brings about a weakening of White's castled
position.
18 I!xd3 .l:Ixd3 19 .i.xd3 .i.xf3 20 gxf3 ctJe5
2 1 .i.e4 ctJxf3+ 22 .i.xf3 'iVxf3 23 �d1 �f5 24
b4 h6!
24 CHESS EXPLAINED: THE N!MZO-INDIAN

Now the black rook is free to join the attack. It was better to play 29 l!xe4 ! �xe4 30
25 l:te1 aS!? �d8+ �h7 3 l li'd7 ! f5 32 b5 f4 33 li'g4 ! with
To weaken b4. good drawing chances.
26 e4! (D) 29 i!Va6+ 30 'lt>g2
.• .'

After 30 b5 .l:Ixel + 3 1 �xel 'iVe6+ 32 �fl

�c4+ 33 �g l 'i¥xc5 the extra pawn seems suf­
ficient for a win.
B 30 .l:tg4+ 31 �h3 I!.g6 32 "Wif5?
.•.

The decisive mistake. It was necessary to

rescue the king by means of the manoeuvre 32
.l:!.e3 ! and l:tg3.
32 �c6 33 .l:!.e4
••.

There is no salvation in 33 f3 .ilg5 34 �f4

�d7+ 35 �h4 .l:!.g2 with the threat of ... g5+.
33 .l::tg5
••.

The mating-net tightens around the unfortu­

nate king.
34 li'f3 'i¥d7+ 35 Wh4 l:tg1 36 �e3
If 36 l:te5, then 36 ...'i¥d8+ 37 �h3 g 5 ! and
Bareev returns the pawn in order to simplify Black wins.
the position and prevent the combined attack of 36 �f5 37 .l:!.e8+ Wh7 38 �e4 g5+ 0-1
•.•

the black queen and rook on his weakened king. Bareev resigned in view of the unusual mate
26 .'i!Vg6+ 27 Wfl axb4 28 axb4 .l:lxe4 29
•• that occurs after 39 Wh5 'i¥g6+! 40 "Wixg6+
�b1? fxg6#.

Game 5 [ E3 5 ]
Rasul lbrahimov - Shakhriyar Mamedyarov
President's Cup, Baku 2006

1 d4 lt:Jf6 2 c4 e6 3 lt:Jc3 ii.b4 4 li'c2 d5 5 cxd5

exd5
5 ... 't!Vxd5 is a major alternative, but we shall
not be examining it in this book.
6 ii.g5 c5! (D)
It is very logical to attack d4 and open the c­
file when the queen is on c2 and is no longer pro­
tecting d4 or putting pressure on d5. Previously
preference was given to 6 ...h6, intending 7 ii.h4
c5!, but this move-order allows the variation 7
ii.xf6 ! ? 't!Vxf6 8 a3 i.xc3+ 9 'i¥xc3, which leads
to rather tedious positions where Black is in little
danger but is just playing to neutralize White's
minority attack on the queenside.
7 dxc5 7 h6 8 ii.h4
•••

The most demanding variation for Black. We Now 8 i.xf6 ! ? gains time for completing de­
shall see the topical 7 a3 !? together with other velopment but gives up the bishop-pair with the
alternatives in the next game. centre open, so that Black does not have many
 CAPABLANCA VARIATION: 4 Wfc2 d5!?
problems equalizing. Black will have compen­
sation for the isolated pawn on d5 in the form of
pressure on the c-file. In addition, Black can
capture on c3 and leave his opponent with a
backward pawn, or even retain the bishop-pair
in some variations.
8 g5!
•..
The f6-knight is needed to increase the pres­
sure on c3. This advance certainly weakens the
kingside, but sooner or later it will be essential
to break the pin. Note that here and on the fol­
lowing moves the advance 8 ... d4? does not work
because with 9 0-0-0 ! White gets out of the pin
and in turn pins the d-pawn.
The move-order 8 ... tZ'lc6?! 9 e3 g5 1 0 ..ig3
CLJe4 gives White the possibility of putting the
question to the bishop immediately with 1 1 a3 !
"i'a5 12 tZ'le2 ..if5 and then after 1 3 "i'c I ! the fol­
lowi ng semi-forced variation arises: 1 3 ... tZ'lxc5 !
14 axb4 tZ'ld3+ 1 5 �d2 "i'xb4 ( 1 5 ... 4Jxc l ? 1 6
l:txa5 !) 16 l:ta4 tZ'lxc l ( 1 6 . . ."i'b3? 1 7 �bl ! ) 1 7
l:txb4 tZ'lxe2 1 8 l:txb7 tZ'lxg3 1 9 hxg3 d4! 20
exd4 tZ'lxd4 2 1 tZ'ld5 ! (D).
Black is suffering in the endgame, as several
master games have shown. As we shall reiterate
in the notes to Black's 1Oth and l i th moves,
whenever Black includes the move ... tZ'lc6? !
White can exploit the tempo to reach this ad­
vantageous variation.
9 ..ig3 tZ'le4 10 e3
It is essential to try to bring the kingside
pieces into play. It looks as if with 1 0 ..ixb8
White would force Black to simplify, because
I O...l:txb8? I I �a4+ costs him a piece, but the
25
surprising 10 ... �f6 ! works perfectly: 1 1 ..ig3?!
(it i s better to solve the development problem
with 1 1 tZ'lf3 ! ..ixc3+ 1 2 bxc3 l:txb8 1 3 e3 ! 0-0
14 ..id3 tZ'lxc5 1 5 0-0 ..id7 and both sides have
weaknesses, H.Rau-Babula, Bundesliga 200617)
l l ... tZ'lxc3 1 2 a3 ..if5 ! 1 3 �d2 ..ia5 1 4 b4? tZ'le4
1 5 �c I l:tc8 ! ! , as in the famous game I.Soko­
lov-Aronian, Turin Olympiad 2006, which
ended in a quick victory for Black, because the
undeveloped white forces could not cope with
the coordinated attack of the black army.
10 �a5! (D)
...
In this variation the most advisable policy is
to apply immediate and continuous pressure on
the c3-knight. Remember that 1 O. . .tZ'lc6?! is an­
swered with I I a3 ! transposing to the variation
mentioned in the note to Black's eighth move.
11 tZ'le2
White does not have time to play 1 1 ..ie5 0-0
1 2 ..id3 in view of 1 2 ... tZ'lc6 ! 1 3 ..ixe4 tZ'lxe5 14
..ixd5 ..ig4! 1 5 tZ'lf3 ..ixf3 1 6 ..ixf3 tZ'lxf3+ 1 7
gxf3 l:tac8 and Black will soon regain the pawn
with a good endgame. Nor can White expect a
quiet life after 1 4 ..ih7+ �g7 1 5 ..id3 d4! 1 6
exd4 ..ixc3+ 1 7 bxc3 tZ'lxd3+ 1 8 �xd3 ..if5 ! 19
'ifc4 �fe8+ with an attack, I. Sokolov-Short,
Wijk aan Zee 1 995.
ll .....if5!
l l ...tZ'lc6? ! prevents ..ie5, but once again 1 2
a3 ! gives White the advantage.
12 ..ie5
Dreev 's idea 12 ..i xb8 is not as strong:
1 2 ... �xb8 1 3 tZ'ld4 ..id7 ! 1 4 tZ'lb3 ..ixc3+ 1 5
bxc3 �xc3+ 1 6 'ifxc3 tZ'lxc3 1 7 f3 �e7 and
26 CHESS EXPlAINED: THE NIMZO-INDIAN
after ...tZ:la4 and . . ..l::tc 8 Black' s pressure on c3
compensates for his weaknesses on the king­
side and the i solated queen's pawn.
12 0-0! 13 tZ:ld4 .l::te8! (D)
•••
Short's idea, to involve this rook in the fight
as soon as possible.
14 .i.xb8
There is no advantage for White in 14 l2lxf5
.U.xe5 1 5 tZ:lxh6+ �g7 1 6 tZ:lg4 and now instead
of 1 6 . . J:te7 (Biriukov-Emelin, St Petersburg
2005), Black should play 1 6 ...lle6 ! , which de­
fends the king side and is ready for the attack if
White castles on the queenside.
14 tZ:lxc3!
•••
Better than 1 4 ... .i.g6? ! 1 5 .i.d3! .l:i.axb8 1 6
0-0 and, now that h e is castled, White goes over
to the attack on Black's weaknesses in the cen­
tre and on the kingside, Atalik-Short, Sarajevo
2004.
15 tZ:lxfS
The knight is more effective than the queen
on f5 .
15 tZ:le4+ 16 �e2
.•.
White wants to play f3 and shelter the king
on f2. An alternative worth consideration is 1 6
�d l ! ? , s o a s not t o obstruct the bishop and in
some cases bring the king to the queenside, but
after 16 .. Jhxb8 1 7 f3 tZ:lf6! 1 8 l2lxh6+ �f8 !
the struggle remains wide open. White will try
to penetrate on the king side, but the black forces
occupy more active positions and after . . .l:tbc8
and ... .U.xc5, the white king also finds itself in
danger.
16.. :�a6+!? 17 �d1 "iff6 18 f3?
Overlooking Black's strong reply. It was es­
sential to maintain the knight on f5 and start the
counter-attack with 1 8 g4! l:Iaxb8 1 9 h4.
18 .'*1Vxf5!? 19 fxe4 dxe4! (D)
••
The unprotected white king comes under fire
from the opponent's major pieces.
20 .i.d6 l:Ied8!
Threatening ... .i.xc5. Black's other rook is
needed on the c-file.
21 �e2
An ugly but unavoidable move. The king
would not be safe on the other wing either: 2 1
� c I .l::tac8 2 2 i.c4 .i.xc5 2 3 i.xc5 WUxc5 24
.i.xf7+ �xf7 25 ltfl + �e6 26 WUxc5 :Ixc5+ 27
�bl l:td2 and the rooks invade the seventh
rank.
21. .l::tac8
••
Threatening ....l::i.x d6!.
22 'it'a4
It was better to play 22 l:Id l WUg4+ 23 �f2
i.xc5 24 i.c4 .U.xd6 25 �xd6 i.xd6, although
with an extra pawn and the safer king, Black's
advantage would be decisive.
22 .l::txc5! (D)
•••
23 'it'xb4 l:Ixd6
The king stuck in the centre and the total lack
of coordination among White's forces outweigh
the sacrificed piece.
24 �e1 aS!
Deflecting the queen from the d2-square.
25 'it'xb7
After 25 WUa4 .l::tf6 26 iYd4 WUf2+ 27 �d l
.U.cc6, followed by ...l:i.fd6, Black wins the queen
and the game.
 CAPABLA.NCA VARIATION: 4 "YJHc2 d5!? 27

25 .• JU6 26 �b8+ �g7 27 �g3 Vacating the a5-square for the queen.
The queen has managed to defend against 29 b4 axb3 30 axb3 �d5 0-1
penetration at f2, but the final attack will come White resigned in view of the imminent mate.
from the other side of the board. It is significant that White did not manage to
27 J:tc2 28 i.e2 a4! (D)
.• move either of his rooks in the 30 moves.

Game 6 [ E3 5 ]
Loek van Wely - Veselin Topalov
Wijk aan lee 2004

1 d4 ctJf6 2 c4 e6 3 ct:Jc3 Jl.b4 4 �c2 d5 5 cxd5
exd5 6 i.gS c5 (D)
7 a3
Apart from capturing on c5 (which we ex­
amined in Game 5) and playing a3, which is the
main line of this game, what else can White do?
Defending the pawn with 7 e3 is not very ambi­
tious and will lead to a symmetrical position in
the centre where Black does not have anything
to fear, since the position of the queen on c2 fa­
vours Black because it does not defend d4.
The creative lvanchuk tried to make use of
having brought the queen to c2 by playing 7
0-0-0! ? but 7 ... ..txc3 ! is a typical course of ac­
tion when White castles queenside, since it
eliminates the knight that defends the castled
position and gains time for seizing the c-file.
After 8 �xc3 cxd4 9 ..txf6 dxc3 I0 i.xd8
cxb2+ I I �xb2 �xd8 Black is fine since he
has no weaknesses and has a queenside pawn­
majority, Ivanchuk-Gashimov, Havana 2007.
It is more logical to defend d4 with 7 ctJf3,
but Black can either capture on d4 and play
... ctJc6 ! , when after the exchange on c6 the po­
sition is fairly equal, or else insert 7 ... h6 ! ?, and
although this allows White to gain time to com­
plete his development with 8 Jl.xf6 �xf6, he
has obtained no advantage with any of the fol­
lowing lines:
a) 9 a3 ..txc3+ (the simplest) 1 0 �xc3 ctJd7
I I e3 0-0 I 2 ..tb5 c4 I 3 i.xd7 ..txd7 1 4 ctJe5
28 CHESS EXPLAINED: THE NIMZO-INDIAN
.i.f5 1 5 b3 b5 1 6 0-0 a5 1 7 bxc4 bxc4 and the
passed pawn gives Black a slight advantage,
Wang Yue-Asrian, Taiyuan 2006.
b) 9 0-0-0?! .i.xc3! (as soon as White cas­
tles queenside, Black captures the knight which
attacks d5 and protects the white king) 1 0 �xc3
c4 1 1 e4 0-0! 1 2 exd5 b5 ! and Black's attack on
the queenside arrives more quickly, Lopez Co­
Ion-Vera, Canaries Team Ch, Las Pal mas 2007.
c) 9 dxc5 0-0 1 0 e3 .i.e6 1 1 l:tc l lt:Jc6 1 2
.i.b5 l:i.ac8 1 3 0-0 .i.xc5 with the bishop-pair
and tremendous development, Reinderman­
Michalczak, Gausdal 2005 .
7 .i.xc3+
•••
The only move, to obtain a development ad­
vantage in return for the bishop-pair.
8 �xc3! (D)
White is very ambitious; now he has the
better structure and the bishop-pair, but the de­
velopment factor and the exposed position of
the queen work in Black's favour.
The best way to deal with 8 bxc3!? is by
8 ... lt:Jbd7 ! ?, with a clearly defined plan of cre­
ating problems for White by the manoeuvre
. . . �a5 and . . . lt:Je4: 9 e3 �a5 ! 1 0 .i.d3 c4 1 1
.i.f5 lt:Jc5 ! 1 2 .i.xc8 lt:Jd3+ 1 3 'it>e2 .l:i.xc8 1 4
.i.xf6 gxf6 and the knight o n d3 provides com­
pensation for Black's poor kingside structure,
Drasko-M.Roder, Cutro 2007.
B
8 cxd4!?
...
Obtaining a queenside majority with 8 ...c4 !?
is a perfectly playable idea. After 9 lt:Jf3 the
flexible 9 . 0-0! , without determining how to
..
develop the queenside, is the most accurate. If
White replies 1 0 g3, Black can continue with
1 0...lt:Jbd7 and . . . h6, forcing White to capture
on f6 when Black will recapture with the knight,
followed by ... .i.f5 with harmonious develop­
ment. If White brings his bishop into play with
1 0 e3 instead, then 1 0. . .lt:Jc6 and ... .i.f5, fol­
lowed by ... b5 and ... a5, is sufficient to equal­
ize.
9 �xd4 lt:Jc6 10 �f4
1 0 .i.xf6 ?? loses material after 1 0 ...lt:Jxd4 I I
.i.xd8 lt:Jc2 + 1 2 'it'd 1 CDxa 1 .
10 d4!
...
It is possible to continue developing with
1 0....i.e6 l l CDf3 but now l l . ..d4! is essential in
order to gain space and prevent White from de­
veloping easily with e3. 1 2 b4 �d5 ! (D) is an
idea that works very well against the b4 ad­
vance.
Black sacrifices a pawn and even a rook, but
obtains good counterplay by penetrating with
the queen on b3, which creates problems not
only for the insecure white king but also for the
rook and the white pawns at a3 and b4. For ex­
ample, 1 3 .i.xf6 gxf6 14 g3 ( 1 4 �xf6 �b3 ! 1 5
�xh8+? 'it>e7) 14 . . .�b3 1 5 �d2 0-0-0 1 6 .i.g2
d3 ! and Black's initiative compensates for his
weaknesses, Mena-F.Corrales, Havana 2006.
ll .i.xf6
In response to 1 1 b4 Black can choose be­
tween the thematic 1 1 ...�d5 !? (to penetrate on
b3 or c4, without worrying about 1 2 .i.xf6 gxf6
1 3 �xf6 �c4 ! 1 4 �xh8+ 'it>e7, when curiously
White cannot avoid the perpetual), and the sim­
plifying 1 1 .. .lt:Jd5 ! ? 1 2 .i.xd8 CDxf4 1 3 .i.c7
 CAPABIANCA VARIATION: 4 '¥Jic2 d5!? 29

tt:Je6 14 �d6 f6 I S CDf3 �f7 1 6 e3 l:td8 1 7 �g3 because on e6 the bishop would be secure and
and now, instead of 1 7 ... b6?! (Van Wely-Gol­ would also control the b3-square.
oshchapov, Bundesliga 200617), Black can ob­ 15 b4 (D)
tain good play with 1 7 ... dxe 3 ! 1 8 fxe3 aS ! 1 9 bS
tLle7 20 �c4 CDfS.
ll ...gxf6!? 12 CDf3
If White prevents the check on aS with 1 2
b4!? then Black can use the idea of penetrating
with the queen on b3: 1 2 ... �e6 1 3 CDf3 'iYdS !
14 �xf6 �b3 ! .
12...�a5+!?
Here 12 ... .Si..e 6! deserves consideration, wait­
ing for White to determine how he is going to
continue his development. If then 1 3 b4, Black
can respond with 1 3 ...'iYdS ! , while if 1 3 g3 then
13 ... �aS+ followed by the exchange of queens
and ... 0-0-0.
13 �d2 'iYxd2+ 14 �xd2 (D)
With this move, White cuts out once and for
all the annoying manoeuvre ... tt:laS-b3, which
would give White a lot of headaches. From now
on, Black's play is very similar in all variations:
after castling, he brings the rooks to the centre,
creating problems for the white king with the
threat of ... d3.
Another plan is to initiate skirmishes on the
queenside with ... aS, taking advantage of the
fact that a large part of the white force is located
on the kingside.
15 0-0-0 16 licl �b8 17 g3 aS!? (D)
•.•

Another plan was 1 7 ... lihe8 1 8 ..ig2 d3 ! ? 1 9

e3 ..ie4 with the idea of ... lDeS or . . .lidS-fS,
with good counterplay.
We have reached a strange position where
Black has a catastrophic pawn-structure (iso­
lated pawn on d4, doubled pawns on f7 and f6,
four pawn-islands), but in return has dynamic
development which provides sufficient coun­
terplay.
The value of the whole variation depends on
the assessment of this position. White possesses
the structural advantages indicated above, but
Black's forces are almost fully mobilized, while
White still needs several tempi to bring all his
pieces into play.
14...�f5
The bishop supports a possible ... d3 advance
and leaves the e-file free for the king's rook.
Here 14 ... �e6 ! ? was also worth considering, 18 ..ig2!?
30 CHESS EXPLAINED: THE NIMZO-INDIAN
If 1 8 b5, then 1 8 . . .lt:la7 followed by ...lt:lc8-
d6/b6, or l 8 ...lt:le5 !? and ...lt:lg4 !?.
18 ..te4
•••
It is essential to restrict the action of the g2-
bishop. If Black allows the exchange of the
white bishop for his knight, his structural prob­
lems will start to be significant: 1 8 ... axb4?! 1 9
lt:lh4! .ite6 ( 1 9 ... ..td7 20 axb4 lt:lxb4 2 1 .itxb7 ! ?
'iti>xb7 2 2 �bl and all the black pawns are weak)
20 ..ltxc6 bxc6 2 1 axb4 and White is in com­
mand.
19 lt:lh4
White sacrifices the b-pawn in order to com­
plete the mobilization of his forces, obtaining
considerable pressure on Black's weaknesses
and on the b-file but, as the game itself will
demonstrate, this compensation is sufficient
only for a draw. The struggle would remain
alive after 1 9 b5 ! ? lt:la7 ! 20 b6 ! ? lt:lb5 ! ? 2 l l:tc5
d3 ! with great complications.
19 ..txg2 20 lt:lxg2 axb4 21 axb4 lt:lxb4 22
.••
.l:.c4 (D)
B change the light-squared bishops, equalizing
Black has won a pawn but now it is White
who takes the lead and mobilizes his rooks with
gain of time. If White manages to regain the
pawn he will have a won game owing to his
better structure and his centralized king, but
this cannot be forced.
22 lt:lc6 23 �bl lt:leS! 24 .l:.i.cb4 .l:Id7 25 lt:Jf4
•••
llc8
Black retains his extra pawn and has acti­
vated all his pieces, but his weaknesses give
White sufficient chances to equalize.
26 I!a4
Threatening ll l b4.
26 lt:Jc4+ 1/z-•!z
•••
The players considered that the best course
was to repeat moves with 27 'ifi>d3 lt:le5+.
Conclusions
The solid Capablanca line can be met with the
aggressive 4... d5 !?, which aims above all to
open the game as soon as possible and take ad­
vantage of White's lag in development.
If White plays the immediate 5 a3 Black can
play for ...lt:le4 and ... c5, as demonstrated by
Game 4 and its notes. The position becomes
very complicated if White decides to win the
pawn with 8 dxc5 and 9 cxd5, but Ivanchuk's
idea 1 0... 'ii'f6 !? seems to give Black enough
counterplay for the pawn. Black can also em­
ploy the quiet line 6... dxc4 7 llVxc4 b6! ? to ex­
without many problems.
When White plays 5 cxd5 exd5 6 ..ltg5, Black
has 6. . .c5 ! ?, a line which is giving good results,
although the last word on it has not yet been
spoken. However, the psychological advantage
is with Black, since White generally aspires to a
quiet position when he employs this variation
but here he has to enter fully into the complica­
tions by playing 7 dxc5 if he wants to obtain
any advantage, since the alternatives do not set
Black many problems. Remember that in this
case Black must exert pressure as soon as possi­
ble with ... lt:le4 and ... 'ii'a5 and not fear for his
king, or worry about a bad pawn-structure; the
priority is to develop the greatest possible activ­
ity by mobilizing the queenside and creating
threats against White's king and queen.
3 Capablanca Variation: 4 �c2 0-0

Introduction

In this chapter we shall see a quieter way to meet the Capablanca Variation, in which Black plays in
a logical manner but without trying to exploit White's lag in development immediately as in the
previous chapter.
Here Black castles and plans a scheme of development with ... b6, . . . ..tb7 and ... d6, . . .'!iJbd7 and
...c5, with the idea of exerting pressure on the c-file and controlling the e4-square. Obviously,
White has many ways to play and we shall examine each of them.

The Games

In Game 7 (Radjabov-Alekseev) White tries to seize the centre right away with the aggressive 5
e4 !?, but Black reacts immediately with 5 . . .d5, followed by putting his knight on e4 and breaking
with ... c5, which makes way for the queen to go to a5. A recurrent theme in this variation is that
Black keeps his knight on e4, even when White plays f3, with the powerful . . . f5 !, so that if White
captures the knight, Black takes on e4 with the f-pawn, attacking the bishop on d3 and opening
lines against the white king, which generally has problems escaping from the centre. In this game
White gave priority to development with .i.d3, lLle2 and 0-0, but did not achieve anything special.

Games 8- 1 1 all feature 5 a3 .i.xc3+ 6 �xc3 b6.

In Bocharov-Lysy, Game 8, White employed a very clever system based on prioritizing the de­
velopment of his kingside (lLlf3, .i.e2 and 0-0) after gaining the bishop-pair. But Black reacted cor­
rectly, creating an offensive on the kingside based on a Dutch-type set-up with . . .ltJe4, .. .f5 and the
deployment of the queen and the rook to that sector, generating a strong attack. Only mistakes in
the conduct of the attack sent Black to his defeat.

In Game 9 (Van Wely-Wells) White played the logical .i.g5 followed by e3, with the modem
plan of bringing the g ! -knight to c3 and the queen to c2, controlling the e4-square. In the game,
Wells placed unfounded hopes on the attack on White's c4 point, but in so doing he left his d6-pawn
very weak, which was exploited by Van Wely to gain a clear advantage. Black's attempts to attack
the white king did not yield the results for which he hoped and with some precise moves White
managed to castle, retaining both a material and positional advantage. In the notes to the game the
best line for Black in this difficult variation is analysed.

The Gustafsson-Postny clash (Game 10), is an example of another knight manoeuvre (lLlf3 and
ctJd2) before completing the development of the kingside. In general in these variations, when
Black attacks the centre with ...c5, White captures with dxc5, producing a particular pawn-structure
where Black has central superiority and a useful b-file, while White possesses the bishop-pair and
pressure on Black's d-pawn. This game i s a good example of coordination on the part of Black, who
manages with precise moves to bring each piece to a good square, in accordance with the general
32 CHESS EXPLAINED: THE NJMZO-INDJAN

plan of exerting pressure along the half-open b-file. The strongest plans for each side are explained
in the notes. In the middlegame White had an opportunity to exploit an inaccuracy by his opponent
but he missed it and Black was victorious in the endgame.

Game 1 1 (M.Gurevich-Leko) is a confrontation between two of the greatest experts in this vari­
ation. White employed here the most ambitious system after 7 .1Lg5, which consists of playing 8 f3,
supporting the e4 advance. In the game Black played ... d5 and White chose to take play into an end­
game which has been debated at the highest level for some years. We shall also analyse other possi­
bilities, especially the typical structure following the exchange of pawns by cxd5 and ... exd5 with
White remaining with a backward pawn on the e-file.
Leko's play in this game was very accurate, since he combined the occupation of the open c- and
d-files with the creation of some weaknesses in the white centre, which was sufficient to equalize
the chances. Overestimating his position led Gurevich to commit some mistakes which finally left
him into a hopeless endgame.

Game 7 [ E32]
Teimour Radjabov - Evgeny Alekseev
Sochi 200 7

1 d4 lLlf6 2 c4 e6 3 tLlc3 .1Lb4 4 �c2 0-0 (D)
being on f3, which guarantees him equality,
even when he loses the bishop-pair. An effec­
tive plan is to follow ... lLlxc5 with ... b6, ... ..lk.b7
and ... lLlce4 ! or ... J:k8 with pressure on the c­
file.
5 a3 ! is the main line, and will be seen in
Games 8-1 1 .
5...d5!
Black strikes at the white centre.
6 e5
Gaining space. Naturally White cannot cap­
ture twice on d5, since he would end up with an
isolated pawn on d4 without any compensation.
6 l2Je4!
•••

From now on, many of the variations are

One of the most important variations against
4 '1i'c2. Black waits to see White's intentions
and will react accordingly.
5 e4!?
This ambitious move became popular in the
rnid- 1 980s and reached its climax when Karpov
adopted it in some games from 2000 onwards.
It is necessary to know that 5 lLlf3 should be an­
swered with 5 ... c5 ! (not 5 ... b6? in view of 6 e4!
d5 7 e5 lLle4 8 .1Ld3 with a white initiative) 6
dxc5 tLla6 ! and Black will seize control of the
e4-square, taking advantage of the white knight
based on the theme of the insecurity of this
knight, because it is usual for Black to try to
maintain it in this position as long as possible,
since the defence of his king side depends on it.
Note that if White gives up his light-squared
bishop for this knight then Black will always
obtain excellent play on the light squares.
7 .1Ld3
Giving priority to development. Remember
that if White tries to dislodge the knight with 7
f3? he runs into 7 ... �h4+ 8 g3 lLlxg3 9 '1i'f2
lLlf5 and Black saves his piece, remaining a
pawn up.
 CAPABLANCA VARIATION: 4 ifc2 0-0
The main alternative is to strengthen the cen­
tre at the expense of development with 7 a3
.1xc3+ 8 bxc3. After 8 ... c5 !, the attack on the
pawn-chain begins, and a path is opened for the
queen to aS . White then has two lines:
a) The strange 9 �b2 ! ? cxd4 I 0 cxd4 pro­
tects the centre, but posts the bishop rather
passively and delays the development of the
kingside. Now I O . . :�Va5+? ! fails to I I We2,
when the threat of f3 forces Black to make po­
sitional concessions. One of the best responses
is I 0 ... ..1d7 ! (keeping the queen on d8, which
prevents I I f3 for the moment in view of
l l ...'iVh4+) I I ..id3 'iVaS+ I 2 We2 .ll c 8! (ex­
erting pressure along the file) I 3 f3 (D).
Black should now play 1 3 ... f5 ! . Remember
this idea, which comes up in many positions.
Black maintains his knight on e4 or secures a
good retreat for it to f6, since if White captures
the knight he will be unable save his bishop on
d3. 14 exf6 (Black was threatening I 4 ... dxc4 15
.1xc4? .llx c4! and . . . ..ibS) 14 ... tt'lxf6 (admit­
tedly Black remains with a weakness on e6, but
for the moment White is not coordinated enough
to attack it and is more worried about the secu­
rity of his king and the pressure on the c-file)
15 cS .ibS ! and Black exchanges his passive
bishop and subsequently prepares to break with
...e5 or ... b6.
b) The main variation is 9 ..1d3 'iVaS ! (D).
This queen move leaves White with the few­
est options. Black puts pressure not only on c3
but along the whole a5-e I diagonal. I 0 tt'le2
cxd4 I I cxd5 (now I I f3?! is not advisable:
33
l l ...dxc4! 1 2 �xe4 d3 with advantage to Black,
T.Rej-Timoshenko, Sydney 2007) I I ... exd5 1 2
f3 tt'lxc3 1 3 tt'lxd4. Here, Black has an extra
pawn and several possible knight discoveries.
For his part, White threatens ..ixh7+ and �d2,
winning the knight. Usually Black continues
1 3 . . .tt'lb5+ 14 �d2 tt'lxd4 but after 1 5 �xh7+
Wh8 16 ..1xa5 tt'lxc2+ 17 ..ixc2 he stands worse
because White has the bishop-pair, the more
compact pawn-structure and the more central­
ized king. However, Leko' s idea I 3 . . . tt'le4+ ! 1 4
We2 f5 ! changed the assessment o f this posi­
tion. We have already mentioned this idea. The
knight is maintained on e4 by means of tactics.
The disadvantageous position of the king on e2
gives Black sufficient resources. White is un­
able to capture the knight since, as Leko points
out, Black wins after 1 5 fxe4 ?? fxe4 1 6 ..ibS
..ig4+ 1 7 We3 'i¥b6! and the white king will not
survive. Instead, 1 5 exf6 tt'lxf6 leaves Black
with an extra pawn, and is no good either.
Vallejo-Leko, Morelia/Linares 2006 continued
1 5 ..ie3 tt'lc6! 16 tt'lxc6 bxc6 1 7 .llhc l .ll b8 !,
when the game was very complex but satisfac­
tory for Black. Even after the best move, 1 5 e6!,
Black has good play following 15 ... tt'lc6! ac­
cording to Leko.
7 c5!
...
It is essential to react in the centre, before
White consolidates with tt'le2 and 0-0 .
8 tt'le2
If 8 dxc5?! tt'ld7 ! Black regains the pawn
with the better development.
Inserting 8 cxdS exdS before 9 tt'le2 just
gives Black additional possibilities, although it
34 CHESS EXPLAINED: THE NIMZO-INDIAN

generally leads to the same position as in the 1 4...'iVc5 ! ?, which is still OK) 1 4...�e8 1 5 ctJg3
game after 9 ...lt:Jc6 10 0-0 cxd4. However, Black �e6 1 6 �d2 �d5 and Black stands well,
can deviate with 9 . . .cxd4 1 0 lt:Jxd4 lt:Jd7 ! ? or af­ A.Ramirez-Vesco vi, Buenos Aires 2003.
ter 9 . . .lt:Jc6 l 0 0-0 �f5 ! ?, with good prospects
in both cases.
8 lt:Jc6 9 cxdS exdS 10 0-0 (D)
•••

Finally White manages to remove his king
from danger, but now his pawn-centre vanishes.
10 cxd4!
.•.
Preferable to I O ... lt:Jxd4 I I lt:Jxd4 cxd4 1 2
lt:Jxe4 dxe4 1 3 �xe4, when White has slight
pressure on both flanks.
11 lt:JxdS!
Worse is 1 1 lt:Jxe4?! dxe4 1 2 �xe4 lt:Jxe5 1 3
�xh7+ 'ii>h 8 and White has problems with the
h7-bishop and dealing with the passed pawn.
l l 'iVxdS 12 �xe4 'i!VxeS 13 a3 (D)
...
13...�a5
It is also possible to bring the bishop to the
kingside with 1 3 ... i:!e8 !? 1 4 �xh7+ '<t>h8 1 5
�d3 �f8, but from a5 it controls the e 1 -square
and later from b6 it supports the queen's pawn.
14 �xh7+ '<t>h8 15 �d3 �g4
A typical idea; by putting pressure on e2
Black provokes a weakness on the a7-gl diago­
nal.
16 f3 �d7
If l 6 ...�e6 then 1 7 f4 ! ? and 1 8 f5, winning
tempi to initiate the attack on the kingside.
17 �f4 'iVf6 18 'iVcS! (D)

White wants to determine the position of the

black bishop as soon as possible and then post
his own pieces accordingly. His hopes are based
on combining an attack on the kingside (by de­
ploying the queen and the rooks towards that
sector) with a degree of pressure on Black's
queenside and the siege of the queen's pawn.
However, Black has enough resources to main­
tain dynamic equality. His centralized queen is a
major obstacle to White's attack and his passed
pawn on d4 does not allow White to take too
many liberties.
A more common approach is the direct 1 3
�xh7+ 'it>h8 but apart from a slight initiative
for a few moves White has gained nothing con­ One of the ideas of 1 3 a3 : the queen gains the
crete. For example, 1 4 �e4 (if 14 �f4, then c5-square to transfer to the kingside.
l 4. . .'iVf6 or l 4... �c5 ! ?, while 1 4 f4 is met by 18 '<t>g8 19 'iVhS g6
.••
 CAPABLANCA VARIATION: 4 'ilfc2 0-0 35

White has managed to weaken the royal for­ Other retreats of the queen do not change the
tress further, but Black's queen is very well general assessment: White's attack is sufficient
placed on f6 and his minor pieces are active only to maintain the balance.
enough to repel the white attack. 28 d3! 29 fxg6
•••

20 i.g5 �e5! 21 'ii'h6 i.d8! After 29 f6 'ii'f8 the attack grinds to a halt.
It is essential for Black to eliminate White's 29 �xg6 (D)
•••

annoying dark-squared bishop, or else transfer

his own bishop to the king side, before the white
attack gains intensity.
22 i.xd8 w
After 22 i.f4 'ii'g7 White has to exchange
the queens.
22 J::taxd8 23 .l:i.ad1
.•

White combines the attack on the kingside

with pressure on the passed pawn.
23 1H5
.••

Continuing with the policy of simplifying,

which will enhance the value of the passed pawn
and weaken White's attack, but with these ex­
changes White will gain tempi for the attack at
the black queen's expense. Instead, 23 ....l:tfe8 ! ?
was worth considering.
24 i.xf5 �xf5 25 f4
A typical plan, to involve the f-pawn and the
fl-rook in the attack. It was possible to bring
the knight straight into play with 25 lLlg3 �f6
26 lLle4 but after 26 ...'ii'h 8 ! 27 'ii'g5 �e5 the at­
tack is unsuccessful.
25 nres 26 lLlg3 �f6 27 f5
•••
White has managed to weaken the oppo­
nent's kingside even more, but the passed pawn
and the activity of the centralized black rooks
do not allow White's attack to generate serious
threats.
30 'it>h1
If 30 lif5 , then 30 ...M.e5 ! defending g5.
30 l::te5 31 'ilif4 !':tdd5
•••

The future weakening of Black's castled po­ Controlling the fifth rank, especially the f5-
sition guarantees White a draw at least and of­ square.
fers some practical chances to create a surprise 32 .:d2 �e6 33 h3 �e1 34 !':txe1 'ii'xe1 + 35
mating attack. Wh2 'ilie6
27 .'ilig7
•• 35 ... 'ii'e 5 !?.
This was the moment to advance the passed 36 ltJe4 Wf8! 37 ltJg3 'ilie5 If2.1f2
pawn with 27 ...d3 !? 28 fxg6 'ii'xg6 29 �h4 d2 !, Black could have played on, although a draw
tying the white rooks to the first rank. is the most probable result, owing to the insecu­
28 'ilic1 rity of his king.

Game 8 [ E32]
Dmitri Bocharov - Igor Lysy
Moscow 200 7

1 d4 lLlf6 2 c4 e6 3 lLlc3 i.b4 4 �c2 0-0 5 a3 5 i.xc3+ 6 'ii'xc3 b6

.••

The continuation most in tune with 4 'ilic2; The most logical; Black develops his queen­
White obtains the bishop-pair without wreck­ side and exerts pressure on the centre. The
ing his pawn-structure. bishop will go to b7 (or a6 in some variations)
36 CHESS EXPLAINED: THE NIMZO-INDIAN
controlling the long diagonal and especially the
e4-square. It also supports the central counter­
attack with ...c5.
7 lLlf3 �b7 8 e3 (D)
B kingside castled position. Black plays ... d6 and
A dangerous system, despite its modest ap­
pearance. It has been used with some success
by GMs I.Sokolov, Karpov and Van Wely. White
speeds up the deployment of all his forces by
�e2 and 0-0, followed by b4 (or b3) and �b2,
in some move-order or other. Once his develop­
ment is complete, White will seek to open the
position to favour his bishop-pair. Other sys­
tems, based on �g5, will be seen in Games 1 0
and 1 1 .
Black has several schemes for combating
this system:
1 ) Complete his development, placing his
pawns on dark squares while maintaining con­
trol of e4, which he achieves by playing ... d6,
followed by . . .lbbd7 and subsequently . . . c5. To
my way of thinking, this formation is rather
passive and does not cause White many wor­
ries; he just completes his development with
�e2, 0-0, b4 and �b2 and subsequently opens
the long diagonal with dxc5, obtaining the ad­
vantage in all cases.
2) The plan of playing ... d5, ...lLlbd7 and
then ... c5, by which he seeks to open the game
as soon as possible to exploit White's slight lag
in development and the exposed position of the
white queen on the c-file. However, with this
method Black runs a great positional risk, in
that he has to achieve something concrete with
his temporary initiative (weakening of the white
pawns, penetrating the enemy camp with the
rooks, winning material, etc.), because other­
wise he will end up suffering in an open posi­
tion against very powerful bishops.
3) The third method of play is the one used
in this game. It consists of using the e4-square
as a launch-pad for an attack against White's
... lbbd7 and subsequently ... lbe4 and .. .f5 (remi­
niscent of the Dutch Defence) and sends the
queen ( ...�h4 or ...�f6) or the rook via the
third rank ( .. JH6-g6-h6) towards the kingside.
In the first games played with this system, the
pioneers Larsen and Smyslov obtained brilliant
results, but White strengthened his play subse­
quently by means of temporary pawn sacrifices
(d5 ! ) to activate his bishops. Nowadays the
struggle in this variation is wide open.
8 d6 (D)
...
It is hardly ever advisable to play ...�xf3?!
because as well as gaining the bishop-pair White
would strengthen his centre and have the g-file
available for attacking purposes.
9 �e2
If White plays 9 i..d 3, Black can pursue the
same plan of attack recommended against i..e2
( ... lbe4 and .. .f5) or else try to exploit the posi­
tion of the bishop on d3 with 9 ...lbbd7 ! ? 1 0 0-0
c5 1 1 b4 cxd4 ! . Then if White recaptures with
1 2 exd4 Black replies 1 2 ... �xf3, when White's
structure will be seriously damaged, while after
1 2 lLlxd4 lbe5 ! (hitting the bishop) 1 3 �e2 .l:tc8
the pressure on the c-file gives Black the initia­
tive.
 CAPABLANCA VARIATION: 4 'i¥c2 0-0
The move-order 9 b4 ! ? followed by .ib2 is
more dangerous, delaying the deployment of
the king's bishop until Black shows his hand. It
also retains the possibility of queenside cas­
tling. For example, 9 ... CLJbd7 1 0 .ib2 CLJe4 I I
'1Jiic2 f5 1 2 .id3 ! . Now:
a) 1 2...CLJg5?! isn't sensible in view of 1 3 d5 !
and the white bishop is hitting f5: 1 3 ...CLJxf3+ 14
gxf3 lDe5 15 0-0-0 !, with a strong initiative on
the g-file.
b) Bringing the queen to the kingside with
12 .. .''1Jie8 and ... "i¥h5 is not very advisable either
since after 1 3 0-0 "i¥h5 14 d5 ! Black is in diffi­
culties, because if he takes on d5 the c7-pawn
drops.
c) I suggest 1 2 . . .c5!?, a temporizing move,
waiting for White to determine the position of
his king. 1 3 0-0 CLJg5 ! 14 Ct:Jxg5 (if White re­
treats the knight, Black takes on d4 and if White
recaptures with the pawn then comes . . . CLJh3+
and .. . CLJf4, attacking both the bishop and the
g2-square, with an initiative) 14 ..."i¥xg5 15 f4
'1Jiig6 gives Black the e4-square for his pieces
and the b7-bishop has an excellent diagonal.
9 ... CLJbd7 10 0-0 Ct:Je4 1 1 "i¥c 2 fS! (D)
We have reached the type of Dutch position
that we discussed above. Black is planning to
attack on the kingside, while White tries to
eject the knight from e4 and bury the b7-bishop
with d5.
12 b4
This is the plan chosen by the majority of
experts with White, although the retreats of
the f3-knight to e l or d2 in order to dislodge
37
the black knight from e4 with f3 are also rele­
vant.
If 1 2 CLJe l it makes little sense to wait pas­
sively for White to play f3, followed by b4,
.ib2 and CLJd3 , because Black would be left
without a plan. It is best to send the queen into
the attack with 1 2 . . . "i¥h4 ! , and after 1 3 f3 CLJg5,
the threat of .. JH6-g6/h6 gives Black good
play.
In the event of I 2 CLJd2, 1 2 . . ."i¥g5 ! is best,
taking advantage of the fact that the knight on
d2 obstructs the c ! -bishop. Now the typical
pawn sacrifice 1 3 d5 ! ? is indicated, to restrict
Black's initiative. Black must either capture on
d5 or maintain the tension in the centre, since it
would be a serious positional mistake to play
1 3 ... e5 because then the b7-bishop would be­
come a dead piece. After 1 3 ... exd5 ! 14 cxd5
.ixd5 15 .ic4! CLJef6 1 6 CLJf3 "i¥g4 White had
some compensation but not more in M.Gure­
vich-Van der Wiel, Hoogeveen 200 I .
12 l:tf6! (D)
.•.
The start of the thematic plan of attack. The
rook goes to g6 or h6 and in combination with
the b7-bishop creates unpleasant threats against
the white king. Moving the queen ( 1 2 ... "i¥f6)
has also given Black good practical results.
However, trying for counterplay on the queen­
side with 1 2 . . . a5?! favours White, since he can
tum the open a-file to his advantage. Even if all
four rooks are exchanged, White can harass
Black with his bishop-pair, as well as threaten
to penetrate with his queen at a7.
13 dS!
38 CHESS EXPLAINED: THE N!MZO-INDIAN
An important resource in this position, dis­
covered by GM I van Sokolov. White tempo­
rarily sacrifices the pawn but speeds up his
development and limits the opponent's aggres­
sive intentions. In these positions, restricting
the action of the b7-bishop with d5, or f3 and
e4, is White's objective.
Delaying d5 would be met by an instructive
stratagem: 1 3 .ib2 l:i.g6 1 4 .l:!.ad l VJJie7 1 5 d5 c5 !
(D).
w
Remember this positional point. Black wants
to capture on d5 but without leaving the c7-
pawn backward. If White takes on c6 or e6, the
long diagonal stays open and the b7-bishop re­
mains in the game. For example: 1 6 dxe6 'iVxe6
and all Black's pieces are active, Rubinetti­
Smyslov, World Team Ch, Lucerne 1 985.
13 l:i.g6!
•••
Better than 1 3 ... exd5, because after 1 4 i.b2
.l:Ig6 1 5 cxd5 i.xd5 16 i.c4 ! (another theme
that keeps cropping up: the exchange of Black's
active bishop) 1 6 ... i.xc4 17 VJJixc4+ �h8 1 8
VJJid5 ! , the f5-pawn drops and White keeps some
initiative.
14 ltJd4!
Neither side wants to make any positional
concessions. The knight is in contact with the
critical points (e6 and f5) and at the same time
makes way for the f-pawn to expel the black
knight. If 1 4 i.b2, then 14 ...c5 ! , while 1 4 dxe6
helps Black to bring his pieces into the attack
after 14 ... ltJf8 followed by ...ltJxe6.
14 'iVg5! 15 g3 (D)
•••
15 ltJe5!
•••
B
This is the only continuation that keeps the
initiative and does not resign Black to having
the worse position. That is what would happen
after 1 5 ... exd5 1 6 cxd5 .ixd5 1 7 .tc4! (with
this simplification an important attacking piece
is eliminated and the queenside light squares
are weakened, to be penetrated by the white
queen) 1 7 ... .ixc4 1 8 'iVxc4+ 'it>h8 1 9 'ikc6! �d8
20 'iVxc7 ltJe5 2 1 .l:Ia2! and White defended
successfully on the kingside and subsequently
gained material on the queenside in Kramnik­
J.Polgar, Sofia 2005 .
16 ltJxe6
Accepting the challenge. More conservative
is 1 6 ltJf3 (to reduce the number of attacking
pieces) 1 6 ...'i¥e7 1 7 ltJxe5 dxe5 1 8 �d 1 , de­
fending d5 and keeping the black bishop out of
play, but after 1 8 ... exd5 1 9 cxd5 c6! Black suc­
ceeds in opening the diagonal, or else White
has to sacrifice a pawn, as in Dobrov-Yakovich,
Moscow 2007. After 20 i.b2 cxd5 2 1 �ac l
.l:Ic6 22 'i¥a4 l:tac8 White's compensation was
only sufficient for a draw at best.
16 Jixe6!
.•
A forced sacrifice of the exchange which
opens the long diagonal for the b7-bishop; this,
combined with the coordinated action of Black's
knights and queen, places the white king in se­
rious danger.
17 dxe6 VJilg6!
Leaving the g5-square free for the knight.
18 l:.d1!?
Preparing to return the exchange and vacat­
ing fl to allow the king to escape. In Drozdov­
sky-Grishchuk, Odessa 2007, 1 8 'i¥b3 ltJg5 !?
 CAPABIANCA VARIATION: 4 'iVc2 0-0
( 1 8 . . h5 !? is interesting, followed by ...h4) 1 9
.
e4! f4 ! was played, with great complications.
18...ctJg5 19 !:i.d5! (D)
White returns the exchange to block the b7-
bishop. If Black accepts, the e6-pawn will be
passed and protected.
19...ctJgf3+
19 ... 'i¥xe6 ! ? was also possible.
20 i.xf3 l2lxf3+ 21 'it>fl l2lxh2+
After 2 l . . .�g4 ! ?, keeping the white king
confined, Black has at least a draw.
22 'it>e2 'i¥g4+ 23 'it>d2
Now the king takes refuge on the queenside.
23 ctJf3+ 24 'it>c3 b5? (D)
.•.
Losing the thread of the game. It was essen­
tial to play 24 .....txd5 25 cxd5 ctJe l or 25 ...c5,
and the complications continue.
Game 9 [ E32]
Loek van Wel y - Peter Wells
London 200 7
1 d4 ctJf6 2 c4 e6 3 ctJc3 ..tb4 4 'i¥c2 0-0 5 a3
.bc3+ 6 �xc3 b6 7 ..tg5 (D)
The most logical and popular continuation.
The bishop goes outside the pawn-chain and
pins the knight, taking advantage of the ab­
sence of its black counterpart.
7...i.b7
This move, followed by ... d6, . . .ctJbd7 and
the subsequent ... c5, introduces Black's most
popular and logical set-up. If White takes on
39
w
25 l:.xb5 ..te4 26 'i¥e2 �g6 27 ..tb2 'i¥xe6 28
'it>b3
The king has finally slipped out of reach of
the enemy pieces and White remains the ex­
change up.
28 a5?!
.•.
This hastens his defeat, but after 28 ... d5 29
..tc3 ! dxc4+ 30 '1t>b2 White would safeguard his
king, after which his extra material and pressure
on the long diagonal should prove decisive.
29 .l:Ixa5 .l:txa5 30 bxa5 d5 3 1 'it>a2! dxc4 32
..tc3
The struggle is over. The active black pieces
have vanished into thin air, and now all White
has to do is mobilize his rook and go over to the
counter-attack.
32 �d5 33 .l:td l ..td3 34 'i¥b2 'it>f7 35 a6
•••
ctJg5 36 �b7 1-0
c5, Black can recapture either with the b-pawn,
obtaining a pawn-majority in the centre and the
half-open b-file, or with the knight, if it is im­
portant to operate on the c-file and allow the
knight to gain the e4-square quickly. If White
does not exchange in the centre, Black can cap­
ture on d4 himself at some point and then exert
pressure on the c-file or play ... d5 .
The move 7 ... ..ta6!? also makes a lot of sense,
in order to exert pressure on c4 with ...d6,
40 CHESS EXPLAINED: THE N!MZO-INDIAN

...tZ'lbd7, ... c5 and ... l:tc8. But recently Black Despite the time that all this takes, Black
has encountered some difficulties after 8 �f3 !?, does not have many active plans available and,
which forces him to play 8 ... tZ'lc6, blocking the although Black can easily break in the centre
c-pawn. with ... d5, or . . .cxd4 and ... d5, White always
It is hard to determine whether the inclusion has slight pressure on the dark squares owing to
of the moves 7 ... h6 8 ..ih4 makes a significant the absence of Black's king's bishop.
difference to the position. Normally these moves 8...d6 9 lZ'le2 lZ'lbd7 (D)
can be included at any point in the following The immediate 9 ... c5 is answered by 10
variations, but in general Black prefers to delay dxc5 ! dxc5 (if I O ... bxc5? ! , then 1 1 0-0-0! fol­
this move until White has committed himself to lowed by ..ixf6, when the weakness at d6 forces
a kingside development scheme. It is possible Black to recapture on f6 with the pawn and,
to attack the centre immediately with 7 ... c5, but since the queens are still on the board, White
in that case Black would be showing his hand can develop a strong attack with lZ'lg3 and tZ'lh5)
too early and his opponent could take advan­ 1 1 �c2 h6 1 2 ..ih4 �e7 1 3 0-0-0 .l:i.d8 14
tage of this by quickly opening the d-file and l::!.x d8+ �xd8 15 lZ'lc3 and White is a bit better,
castling queenside at an opportune moment. Kramnik-Bologan, Dortmund 2003. In these
The simplifying idea ... tZ'le4!? is very com­ stable positions, without any pawn-breaks, the
mon, attacking the white queen on c3 while ex­ bishop-pair can operate at long distance, sup­
posing Black's own queen to the attack of the porting advances on both wings.
g5-bishop. For this to work, Black has to make
sure that he will not lose material in the result­
ing exchanges. It usually works if, after captur­
ing the queen on c3, the knight is attacking
another enemy piece.
8 e3 (D)
White has several possible kings ide develop­
ment systems. In this game, he employs a rather
modem one which consists of the following
piece regrouping: the knight goes to c3 via e2,
the queen makes room for the knight and goes
to c2 (or d3) controlling e4, while the rook goes
to d l to support the d5 advance, to gain space
and block the pressure exerted by the black
bishop against g2, so that White can finally de­
velop his king's bishop to e2 and castle. 10 �c2!?
 CAPABLANCA VARIATION: 4 'iVc2 0-0
The main alternative is I 0 'iVd3, which also
vacates the c3-square for the knight and con­
trols e4, as well as supporting a future d5 ad­
vance, but Black can take advantage of the
queen's position to create pressure on the c­
pawn with the thematic I 0 ... .ta6!, the strategic
objective of which is to exchange one of White's
bishops. Now, with or without the inclusion of
... h6 and .th4, many games have been played
with I I CLJc3, but after l l ... d5 1 2 'iVc2 .txc4 1 3
i.xc4 dxc4 1 4 'iVa4 c5! the most probable result
has been a draw, since White can obtain very
little from such a symmetrical position; for ex­
ample, 1 5 �d l !? 'iVc8 1 6 'iVxc4 cxd4 17 �xd4
(17 "iVxd4 'iVa6 !) 1 7 ...'iVxc4 1 8 �xc4 �fc8 main­
taining equality, M.Gurevich-Cheparinov, Metz
2005.
IO cS (D)
•••
The struggle for the centre begins. Note that
it is almost never appropriate, in this type of po­
sition, to advance in the centre with ... e5, since
White plays d5 and the b7-bishop is left very
badly blocked.
1 1 �dl !
Before continuing with his plan of CLJc3,
White defends d4 with the rook, so he can an­
swer ... cxd4 by recapturing with the rook, main­
taining pressure on d6. If White plays 1 1 CLJc3
then Black captures with I I ...cxd4, closing the
d-file, and then focuses on attacking the c4-
pawn by . . .'iVc7, ...�ac8 and ... .ta6. It is also
possible to follow up with ... d5, which would
leave White with an isolated pawn.
ll. ..cxd4
41
This move is generally linked with the plan
of opening the c-file (after a timely ... d5) with
the hope of achieving counterplay on that file.
However, it is better to maintain the flexibility
of the position with l l . ..'iVc7 !? 12 CLJc3 a6 ! (D).
With this Black waits for at least one more
move to see how White is going to solve the
problem of his kingside development, which he
has three ways of doing:
a) Sacrificing the g-pawn, which proved in­
adequate in the game Lafuente-S.Garcia, Ha­
vana 2004 after 1 3 .te2 h6 ! 1 4 .th4 .txg2 1 5
�g l .tb7 1 6 d5 �fe8 and, with the king on e l ,
it is difficult to launch an attack on the g-file.
b) Carrying out his scheduled d5 advance,
which in this particular position allows Black
some queenside activity which influences the
centre and exposes the main defect of White's
position: his lag in development. After 1 3 d5
exd5 1 4 cxd5 b5 ! White does not have time to
stabilize his centre and simultaneously com­
plete development: 1 5 .td3 b4 16 axb4 cxb4 1 7
CLJe2 'iVxc2 1 8 .txc2 .txd5 1 9 0-0 .l:Ifc8 20 CLJd4
a5 and the missing pawn counts for more than
White's bishop-pair and slight initiative, I.Sok­
olov-Ponomariov, Wijk aan Zee 2005 .
c) 1 3 f3 might be the best option, but after
l 3 ... cxd4! 1 4 �xd4 ( 1 4 exd4?! is answered by
l 4 ... d5 ! ) l 4 ... d5 ! 1 5 .te2 (there is no time to
evade the pin with 1 5 'iVd l due to l 5 ...e5 ! , while
1 5 cxd5 is answered by 1 5 . . .CLJxd5 ! , threatening
... CLJxc3 and . . .'iVe5 ! ) l 5 ... e5 ! l 6 llh4 ! ? h6 ! and
White loses the bishop-pair, after which the
game is equal.
42 CHESS EXPLAINED: THE NJMZO-INDIAN
12 llxd4 h6
The swift counter-attack on c4 continues to
be attractive, but with a series of precise moves
Van Wely highlights the defects of Black's po­
sition.
A more modest plan is to get rid of the
weakness at d6 with a well-timed . . .d5 ad­
vance, but then White completes his develop­
ment and the bishop-pair gives him a slight
advantage: 12 .. .'tiVc7 l 3 lLlc3 a6 14 'ifd l ! d5 1 5
cxd5 lLlxd5 1 6 lLlxd5 �xd5 1 7 e4, I.Sokolov­
Stefansson, Cal via Olympiad 2004.
13 i.h4 lLle5 14 lLlc3 11c8 15 �g3! (D)
The lack of the dark-squared bishop makes
itself immediately felt.
15 J!fe7 16 lLlb5!
••
Increasing the pressure, regardless of the
lag in development. Now Black loses a pawn
and seeks compensation against the white king
which is still on e l .
16 lLlc6
•••
Game 1 0 [ E32]
Jan Gustafsson - Evgeny Postny
Greek Team Ch� Ermioni 2006
1 d4 lLlf6 2 c4 e6 3 lLlc3 ..itb4 4 'i!Vc2 0-0 5 a3
�xc3+ 6 'iWxc3 b6 7 ..ltg5 i.b7 (D)
8 lLlf3
A modem plan, which consists of first put­
ting the knight on d2 and then playing f3 and e4
(or f3 and e3) followed by i.e2 and 0-0. In this
Better than 16 ... 11fd8 1 7 lLlxa7 and the knight
returns later to b5 .
17 .:dl ! e5 18 lLlxd6 ltJd4
Trying to open the centre to get at the white
king.
19 exd4! iVxd6
Here 1 9 ... exd4+? loses a piece to 20 'iVe2.
20 dxe5 iVe7 21 i.e2! (D)
B
Finally the bishop emerges and the threat of
exf6 prevents Black from capturing on g2.
21 lLle4 22 ..itf4
•••
White will lose one of his extra pawns but
will retain the bishop-pair which, combined
with the extra pawn, suffices for victory.
22 g5 23 �e3 'iVxe5 24 0-0 'iVe6 25 .Ufel
.•.
The game is decided: extra pawn, bishop­
pair and safer king.
25 Ir.fe8 26 b3 g4 27 �n 'iWg6 28 l:td7 ..ltc6
•••
29 .l:i.xa7 h5 30 11a6 h4 31 l:!.xb6 .U.e6 32 b4 g3
33 b5 i.a8 34 l:!.xe6 fxe6 35 c5 gxf2+ 36 ..itxf2
.l::tf8 37 c6 1-0
way the knight does not get in the way of the
light-squared bishop and, in addition, on d2 it
fulfils the mission of overprotecting c4.
At one time 8 e3 d6 9 f3 lLlbd7 was very pop­
ular and White tried two models of develop­
ment:
 CAPABLANCA VARIATION: 4 "VJilc2 0-0
I ) bringing the knight into play via h3, put­
ting his bishop on e2 and castling;
2) simple development with .i.d3 followed
by lL'le2.
In the first case (lLih3 and ..ie2) Black ob­
tains good play by breaking with ...c5 and an­
swering the capture dxc5 by retaking with the
b-pawn, which gives rise to a typical pawn­
structure in which Black has a strong centre and
the half-open b-file to compensate for White's
bishop-pair.
In the second case, when White plays ..id3
and lL'le2, Black also plays ... c5, but if White
takes on c5, Black recaptures with the knight,
attacking the bishop on d3 and subsequently
exerting pressure on the c-file. If White keeps
the pawn on d4, Black takes on d4 at some point
and creates play against the c4-pawn and the
queen on c3 ( ....l::!.c 8, ... ..ia6 and ... d5).
Let us see a few examples of both positions:
a) I 0 lt'Jh3 h6 I I ..ih4 c5 !? 1 2 dxc5 bxc5 1 3
�e2 (if 1 3 0-0-0, then 1 3 ... 'iVb6! followed by
... d5, ... ..ic6 and . . .ki.ab8 with an attack on the
white king; here 1 3 ... lt'Je4? fails to 1 4 'iVe l ! ­
remember this idea! - by retreating to e l the
queen defends the bishop) 1 3 ... a5 1 4 0-0 a4 1 5
�ad l �a6 and Black will have counterplay on
the b-file and can also play in the centre at some
point with ... d5 or, if necessary, with ... e5. This
position is quite similar to the one in the main
game, but on h3 the knight is worse than on d2.
b) I 0 .i.d3 h6 I I .i.h4 c5! 1 2 lt'Je2 (after 1 2
dxc5 Black replies 1 2 . . .lt'Jxc5! 1 3 ..ic2 .l::!.c 8,
when he is ready to exert pressure on c4 with
... lL'lcd7 and ... d5; if then I 4 ..ixf6 'iVxf6 1 5
43
'iVxf6 gxf6, the ending is good for Black, be­
cause he breaks with ... d5 and his development
advantage makes itself felt, or he puts the king
on e7, defending d6 comfortably) 1 2 ....l::!.c8 and
he starts counterplay on the c-file by ... cxd4 and
...d5 ! or ... .i.a6.
8 d6 9 lt'Jd2 (D)
•••
Against the natural development 9 e3 lt'Jbd7
I 0 ..ie2 Black has achieved excellent results
with I O. . .'iVe8 ! followed by ... lt'Je4 and . . . f5.
Here the bishop on g5 only helps Black's game
and if White exchanges on f6 Black does not
have any problem at all.
9 c5! ?
...
I consider that this i s the most precise move
to reach the typical structure of this variation in
which White takes on c5 and Black recaptures
with the b-pawn. However, the most common
line is 9 .. lt'Jbd7 I 0 f3 (if White plays I 0 e3,
.
Black takes advantage of the omission of ... h6
and ..ih4 by playing I O ... .l::!.c 8 I I f3 c5 1 2 dxc5
lhc5 ! 1 3 ..ih4 b5 ! with excellent counterplay
on the c-file, Krush-Shirov, Edmonton 2005).
Now:
a) Black can oppose the e4 advance with
I O ... d5 I I cxd5 ! exd5 (Black will exert pres­
sure on the weakened e3-pawn with ... .l::!.e 8 and
... 'iVe7, but even then he will fail to equalize) 1 2
e3 .l::!.e 8 1 3 .i.e2 ! .l::!.c 8 14 0-0 'iVe7 1 5 .i.b5 ! c 6 1 6
.i.a4 h6 1 7 .i.xf6 lt'Jxf6 1 8 l:i.fe l , Topalov-Leko,
Morelia/Linares 2006, and according to Topa­
lov the position is more pleasant for White to
play, with moves such as b4, .l:!.ac I and the prep­
aration of e4.
44 CHESS EXPLAINED: THE NIMZO-INDIAN
b) It is preferable to play 1 0. . . c5 ! ? 1 1 e4 ! ?
( 1 1 dxc5 bxc5 brings about the pawn-structure
of the main game) 1 1.. .Ite 8 ! 1 2 �d3 ( 1 2 �e2
lt:Jd5 ! leads to equality) 1 2 ...cxd4 1 3 'ii'xd4 lt:Jc5
14 �c2 e5 ! (a novel strategy, seeking control of
the dark squares) 1 5 �f2 ( 1 5 �e3? lt:Je6 1 6
�h4 lt:Jg4) 1 5 ... lt:Jg4 ! and White loses his dark­
squared bishop, after which the position be­
comes equal.
10 dxc5
1 0 f3 h6 1 1 �h4 cxd4 1 2 'ii'xd4 lt:Jc6 1 3 'iVc3
gives Black a choice between 1 3 ... lt:Je5 fol­
lowed by ... l:Ic8, and 1 3 ... e5 followed by ...l:.c8
and ... d5, when Black has good prospects ow­
ing to his better development.
1 0 e3 lt:Jbd7 1 1 f3 .l:.c8 transposes to Krush­
Shirov, mentioned above.
10...bxc5 11 e3
The endings after 1 1 �xf6 'ii'xf6 1 2 'ib'xf6
gxf6 are comfortable for Black, who has better
development and can bring the king to e7 to de­
fend d6 if necessary.
ll ... lt:Jbd7 12 �d3 (D)
12...a5
Black will double rooks on the b-file in the
most elegant way ( ... .l':la6-b6 and ... l:.b8); addi­
tionally the a-pawn has the function of pre­
venting b4. Accepting the pawn by 1 2 . . . �xg2
would give White good compensation on the
g-file.
13 0-0 l:.a6
It is more accurate to play 1 3 ... a4 !? (fixing the
queenside pawns and preventing the plan of b3
and a4, followed by lt:Jbl -a3-b5, neutralizing
Black ' s pressure on the b-file) 14 l:.adl .Ma6!
(D).
Seeking the most harmonious set-up for his
pieces: the rook defends d6 and will go to b6,
the black queen will gain a tempo with ... �a8,
attacking g2 and defending a4, while the king's
rook heads for b8. Then the bishop can go to c6
or a6 and the queen to b7 or b8, exerting maxi­
mum pressure on b2. I.Sokolov-Beliavsky, Bel­
grade 1 99 1 continued 1 5 'iVc2 't!Va8 16 f3 h6?!
(according to Sokolov it was better to play
16 ....l:.b8 and ... �b6) 1 7 �h4 llb6 1 8 lt:Jbl .Mb8
1 9 �g3 ! but now instead of the passive 1 9...e5?!,
Beliavsky should have complicated the game
with 1 9 ... lt:Je5 ! .
1 4 �c2?!
The plan of blocking the b-file by putting a
knight on b5 is the best option for White here,
although I have no doubt that subsequently
Black can gain counterplay by the central mo­
bilization with ... d5 and ... e5 . Hence White
should play 14 b3 ! and a4 as soon as possible
and only then bring the knight to b5 . In the
game B.Esen-Aiexandrov, Saint Vincent 2005,
White delayed this manoeuvre and was out­
played after 14 .l:tad l .U.b6 ( 1 4 ... a4 ! ) 1 5 �c2?!
( 1 5 b3 !) 15 ...�a8 1 6 f3 h6 17 �h4 l:tb8 1 8 lLlbl
lt:Je5 1 9 �xf6 gxf6 20 lt:Jd2 �c6 21 .l:tbl a4 22
�e4 f5, when Black was better.
14...h6 (D)
The advantage of including . . . h6 is, natu­
rally, that the king has luft, but from h4 the
bishop can go to g3, attacking d6. Perhaps the
immediate 14 .. .'�Va8 is better.
 CAPABLANCA VARIATION: 4 'iYc2 0-0
15 ..lth4 �a8 16 f3 t!.b8
He should prevent b3 with 1 6 ... a4!?.
17 lt:Jb1 t!.b6 18 lt:Jc3 ..lta6 19 t!.ab1
Here 19 lt::lbS !? was worth considering, al­
though Black can exchange on b5 and then try
to win the b-pawn: 1 9 ... ..\txbS 20 cxb5 a4 ! ?.
19...lt:Je5! (D)
To prevent White from plugging the b-file
with lLlbS, although the kingside is now weak­
ened.
20 ..ltxf6 gxf6 21 lt:Je4 f5!?
21 ...�g7 ! is more solid.
22 lLlf6+ ®g7 23 lLlh5+ ®f8
The black king abandons the weakened king­
side and takes refuge on e7.
24 e4 t!.b3?!
Trying to exert pressure on the white pieces,
so that they take up passive positions and can­
not go on to the counter-attack, but this move
leaves d6 unprotected. After White's next move,
45
the queen will come to d2 with simultaneous
threats against d6 and h6. It was better to play
24 ...'iib7 !?.
25 .te2! fxe4 26 fxe4? (D)
Losing a precious tempo. It was necessary to
go after the black king as soon as possible with
26 �d2 !. Black then has difficulty defending, as
the following variations demonstrate: 26 ... ®e7
(26 ...�c6 27 �xh6+ ®e7 28 �f6+ ®d7 29 f4 !)
27 t!.bd l �c6 28 �xh6! exf3 (28 ... e3 29 �f6+
®f8 30 lt::lg7 !) 29 �f6+ ®f8 30 i.xf3 ! lt:Jxf3+
3 1 t!.xf3 t!.xf3 32 gxf3 with a fierce attack on
the dark squares by the queen and the knight.
26 ...®e7!
Once his king is under cover, Black's posi­
tional advantages will tip the balance in his fa-
vour.
27 t!.fd1
It was better to choose 27 lLlf6 ! with counter­
play.
27 ...t!.8b6
Preparing to triple on the b-file and at the
same time making room for the queen to come
to the defence of the kingside with ... �h8 or
. .. �g8-g5, as appropriate.
28 lt:Jg3?!
Passivity leads directly to defeat. 28 i.fl
was better.
28...�b8
Now either the b2-pawn or the a3-pawn
drops.
29 �d2
Trying to launch a belated attack on the black
king. If 29 t!.d2 Black has 29 ... t!.xa3 or the
46 CHESS EXPLAINED: THE NIMZO-!NDIAN

positional 29 ... iVg8, followed by ...iVg5 with Trying to get the king under cover. If 36 h5,
total command. then 36 ... iVb6+ 37 'it>h2 (37 'it>h I c3 !) 37...l:ib2'
29 J::txb2 30 �xb2 �xb2 31 iVxh6 �bl ! (D)
•• 38 iVfl lLlg4+ 39 'it>h I lLlf2+ and the rook
drops.
36...�xdl
Here 36... c3 ! was better.
37 iVxdl 'iVb3 38 iVd4 (D)

With the disappearance of the rooks, all pos­

sibility of an attack is eliminated, because the
queen and the knight are unable to hunt down
the black king.
32 iVg5+ 'it>d7 33 iVd2
33 iVxe5 ? fails to 33 ... �xd l + and ... dxe5 .
33 Si.xc4
•.•
The white position is collapsing. The passed
c-pawn will soon decide the struggle, whereas
the h-pawn has a long way to go.
34 h4 Si.xe2 35 iVxe2 c4! 36 'it>h2
The last attempt to seek perpetual check, but
it is well-known that with a knight in close at­
tendance the king is very well protected from
queen checks.
38...c3 39 iVa7+ 'it>e8 40 iVa8+ cJ:ie7 41
iVa7+ lLJd7 42 iVxa5 c2 43 iVg5+ f6 44 'i'd2
'iVb2 45 lLle2 cl iV 0-1

Game 1 1 [ E3 2 ]
Mikhail Gurevich - Peter Leko
Elista 2007

I d4 lLlf6 2 c4 e6 3 l2Jc3 Si.b4 4 'iVc2 0-0 5 a3

Si.xc3+ 6 iVxc3 b6 7 Si.g5 Si.b7 8 f3 h6!
In this line, where Black will play ... d5 and
in some variations recapture with ... lLlxd5, at­
tacking the queen, it is appropriate to force the
bishop to h4, so that White does not have iVd2,
defending the bishop.
9 Si.h4 d5 (D)
The natural response, in order to prevent the
central advance e4. It is essential to keep one
point in mind: after playing f3, if White takes
on d5 then Black will have the option of recap­
turing with the pawn, to exert pressure on the
 CAPABLANCA VARIA TION: 4 'iYc2 0-0 47

backward pawn o n the e-file. A s the reader will

notice, it is also quite usual to recapture on d5
with the knight; it all depends on small details W
which we shall try to explain in the following
annotations.
10 e3
Exchanging immediately with 1 0 cxd5 forces
I O. exd5 (because I O .. .<!iJxd5? would lose a
..

pawn after 1 1 �xd8 lLlxc3 1 2 �xc7) 1 1 e3 but

now Black has available the accurate 1 1 . ..l:re8!
(D), which attacks e3 and prevents White's
ideal development with 12 �d3 and 1 3 lLle2.

If White plays 1 1 �d3 before capturing on

d5, Black seizes the initiative by attacking the
centre immediately with l l ...c5 !? 1 2 cxd5 cxd4 !
1 3 �xd4 (if 1 3 exd4 l::!.c 8 1 4 �d2 �xd5 the iso­
lated pawn on d4 means that Black is at least
equal) 1 3 ...e5 ! 1 4 �xf6 lLlxf6 ! 1 5 �xe5 ltJxd5
16 �d4 lLlxe3 ! 1 7 �xe3 .l:te8 1 8 �e4 f5 regain­
ing the piece with an advantage in develop­
ment, Candela-Xu Jun, Linares 1 998.
1 1 ltJxd5!
•••

1 1 ...exd5 ?! allows White to set up his ideal

position with 1 2 �d3 and 1 3 lLle2.
12 �xd8 ltJxc3 13 �h4
White can complete his development in vari­ Black would regain the pawn immediately
ous ways, but Black always obtains counter­ after 1 3 �xc7?! ltJd5 ! .
play: 1 3...ltJd5 1 4 �f2 (D)
a) I 2 lLlh3 �e7 1 3 �f2 c5 ! 1 4 �b5 �c6! 1 5
�e2 ( 1 5 .txc6 ltJxc6 1 6 0-0 .:.ac8 and the white
pieces are very passive) 1 5 ... �d7 ! . It should be
noted that the knight is not very well placed on B
h3.
b) 12 �f2 ! ? (defending e3, to reach the op­
timal position with �d3 and lLle2) 12 ...c5 ! (the
immediate break in the centre is best, so that the
knight can come to c6) 1 3 �b5 cxd4 14 �xd4
and now the safest is 14 ...ltJc6! 1 5 �xc6 �xc6
16 lZ'le2 �b5 !, making it difficult for White to
castle.
c) 1 2 .tb5 c6 1 3 �a4 ltJe4 !? (taking advan­
tage of the position of the bishop on a4) 14
�xd8 'Llxc3 1 5 bxc3 z:i.xd8 with approximate
equality, since White has lost the bishop-pair, The classic position, which has been reached
Van Wely-Grishchuk, Biel 2007. in innumerable contests. White retains the
10...<i:Jbd7 (D) bishop-pair and does not have any permanent
1 1 cxd5!? weakness; furthermore he threatens to push the
48 CHESS EXPLAINED: THE NIMZO-INDIAN
black pieces back with e4. His only problem is
his lag in development, which will be exploited
by Black to try to penetrate with his rooks or
create some permanent weakness to compen­
sate for the advantage of the bishop-pair. If
Black achieves any of these, or manages to ex­
change one of White ' s bishops, he succeeds in
equalizing completely.
14...c5!?
Consistent with the above-mentioned ideas
of opening files. Black can also restrain White's
central expansion with 14 . ..f5, and subsequently
break in the centre with . . .c5 or ... e5 .
15 e4
For a time it seemed that 1 5 i.b5 placed
Black in difficulties, but Kasparov showed that
1 5 ... .ll fd8 ! keeps everything in order. White
achieves nothing by taking with 16 i.xd7 .ll xd7
1 7 dxc5 because after 1 7 . . . bxc5 1 8 CDe2 CDb6!
Black has excellent counterplay on the light
squares and commands the d-file. 16 e4 is stron­
ger, but then comes l 6 ...CDc7 ! (a resolute pawn
sacrifice to open the centre and exploit the posi­
tion of the white king on e 1 ) 1 7 i.xd7 .llxd7 1 8
dxc5 f5 ! . This is the natural follow-up to the
preceding moves; if White now takes on f5 he
opens the e-file onto his king, while allowing
Black to capture on e4 after 1 9 cxb6 axb6 20
CDe2 fxe4 2 1 fxe4 i.xe4 leaves White strug­
gling for equality, Kramnik-Kasparov, World
Ch (8), London 2000.
15 ltJe7
•..
The knight retreats to a square where it can­
not be attacked and is ready to support the .. .f5
break. 1 5 ...CDf4 1 6 ..lte3 CDg6 is somewhat infe­
rior as the knight is worse on g6 than on e7.
16 ltJe2 (D)
Development can be completed rapidly with
16 ..ltb5, but then Black exchanges one of the
bishops with 1 6... i.c6, which is sufficient to
equalize.
Here 1 6 0-0-0?! is very risky because it com­
mits the king prematurely to the queenside, giv­
ing Black the chance to seize the initiative by
combining an attack on the king with weakening
White's centre: l6 ... Mac8 1 7 'it>bl c4 ! (blocking
the development of the fl -bishop and preparing
to attack the white centre) 1 8 CDe2?! ( 1 8 .lle l
was better) l 8 . . .f5 ! 1 9 exf5 CDxf5 20 CDc3 CDf6
2 1 i.e2 CDd5 22 CDxd5 i.xd5 and, in M.Gure­
vich-Leko, Elista 2007, Black had managed to
damage White ' s pawn-structure and secure an
outpost in front of the isolated pawn. His plan
consists of advancing the queenside pawn­
majority without allowing White's bishops to
become active.
B
16 ... f5!
Immediately attacking the white centre in
order to inflict some permanent weakness, or at
least hinder White's development. Trying to
penetrate along the open files allows White to
gain a small advantage: 16 . . ..llac8 1 7 CDc3 cxd4
1 8 i.xd4 CDc5 19 .U.d l l:i.fd8 20 ..te3 ! .U.xd l + 21
'it>xd l e5 22 b4 ! CDe6 23 'it>c2 CDc6 24 'it>b2 and
White sheltered his king on the queenside and
subsequently prevailed in Kramnik-Leko, Dort­
mund 2006.
17 ltJg3
Worse is 1 7 CDf4 ?! fxe4 1 8 CDxe6 .llf6 and
White's poor development becomes obvious.
The only way to avoid being left with a weak
pawn on e4 is 1 7 exf5 ! CDxf5 1 8 dxc5 CDxc5 but
then the activity of the black pieces allows him
to equalize, even though his pawn-structure is
inferior.
17...fxe4 18 fxe4 cxd4 19 ..ltxd4 .U.ac8 (D)
The position is equal: the bishop-pair is bal­
anced by the better development of the black
pieces.
20 1:i.d1
Preventing . . .CDc5 as well as . . .CDf6 because
White would exchange, followed by ....lld7.
20 1:i.fd8 21 ..tc3 ltJg6 22 ..ltbS ltJcS 23 0-0
•.•
 CAPABIANCA VARIATION: 4 "VJic2 0-0 49

27 ... b5! 28 aS tt:Je8 (D)

Gurevich is hoping for an exchange of e­

pawns, so that the bishops will give him a small
advantage in an open position where he has no The knight is best placed on e8 for the time
weaknesses. being. lt defends the g7-pawn and prepares to in­
23 �a6! (D)
... vade enemy territory with ... tt'ld6-c4 or ...l2lf6.
29 l2le2?!
Misplacing the knight. 29 .llf3 !? is better.
29 e5 30 l:!.cl tt:Jf6 31 l2lg3 h5!
•.•

Black has the initiative.

32 h3?
It was necessary to defend with 32 h4 ! ? but
after 32 . . .a6 ! ? White has an arduous defence.
32 a6!
..•

Leko slightly improves his position and elim­

inates the possibility of his opponent compli­
cating the game with the advance a6.
33 c,i{h2? (D)
It was essential to seek immediate counter­
play on the c-file with 33 ii.e l ! .

As usual in this variation, when Black ex­

changes one of White's bishops he is com­
pletely out of danger.
24 �xa6 tt:Jxa6 25 I!.xd8+?!
Surrendering the d-file in order to try to keep
the a6-knight out of play. It was better to play
25 tt'lh5 e5 26 'it>f2, bringing the king to e3,
with equality.
25. ..llxd8 26 b4?!
.

Now the bishop loses its natural support and

the queenside pawns become weak. 26 tt'lh5
was indicated.
26...tt'lc7 27 a4
Continuing with the idea of keeping the
knight out of play. 33 .�c8!
..
50 CHESS EXPLAINED: THE NIMZO-INDIAN
Now he wins a pawn after the exchange of
rooks and White no longer has counterplay
with a6.
34 i.d2 l:txcl 35 i.xcl h4 36 ltJf5 ltJxe4 37
g3 hxg3+ 38 ltJxg3 ltJxg3 39 'it>xg3 'it>f7 40
'it>g4 ltJe7 0-1
White resigned because he is unable to put up
much resistance to the advance of the e-pawn
(supported by the knight and the black king) and
at the same time defend his b- and h-pawns.
Conclusions
The line with 5 e4 ! ? (featured in Game 7) has
two basic interpretations: White either gives
priority to his development with 7 i.d3 and
ltJe2 or else strengthens his centre with the im­
mediate 7 a3. In the first case, after the simplifi­
cations in the centre, Black is left with a passed
pawn on d4 and White with a slight initiative
which with correct play by both sides tends to
disappear. In the event of 7 a3 the struggle be­
comes sharper but with accurate play ( ...c5 ! and
.. .'iVa5 ! ) the chances level out. Remember that
it is important to maintain the knight on e4 to
defend the kingside and harass White, even
when there is a white pawn on f3, as occurred in
Vallejo-Leko (note 'b' to White's 7th move in
Game 7), since the resource .. .f5 ! is almost al­
ways available.
The system with 8 e3 (seen in Game 8),
keeping the queen's bishop inside the pawn­
chain, is very dangerous, despite its quiet ap­
pearance. Black does well to initiate play on the
light squares with ...ltJe4 and .. .f5. Here it is es­
sential for Black to keep in mind the possible
retreats of the white knight, in order to eject the
black knight with f3, and at that moment con­
sider sending the queen into the attack (for in­
stance, meeting ltJe l with ... �h4 and ltJd2 by
.. .'ifg5 ).
White's d5 advance, even as a pawn sacrifice,
is one of the basic ideas of this position. If White
manages to activate his queen's bishop on b2,
exchange the light-squared bishops and pene­
trate on the c-file, he will gain the advantage, so
it is essential for Black to speed up his attack on
the kingside and even sacrifice material, as in
Game 8, Bocharov-Lysy ( l 6 .. J:he6). Another
important idea is to answer d5 with a well-timed
. . .c5, to be able to capture ...exd5 without leav­
ing the c7-pawn exposed.
The line with 7 i.g5 followed by e3 and the
manoeuvre �c2 and ltJe2-c3 (Game 9) is quite
strong. White brings his pieces to secure squares
and with .l:!.d I overprotects his centre and pre­
pares the advance d5 to restrict the action of
Black's b7-bishop. The best course for Black
seems not to hurry with the capture on d4 and to
adopt a waiting policy with l l . ..�c7 !? 1 2 l'Llc3
a6 !, to be prepared against the d5 advance or
else force White to play f3 in order to complete
his development.
When White chooses ltJf3-d2 and i.e2, or
ltJh3 and i.e2 (lines examined in Game l 0),
Black should play ... c5 and after the compul­
sory capture dxc5 (otherwise at some point
Black plays ... cxd4, exerting pressure along the
c-file and later creating permanent weaknesses
in White's centre with ... d5) Black should re­
capture with ... bxc5, seeking counterplay on
the b-file and advancing his central majority at
some point, which allows him to gain sufficient
counterplay. White has several plans, such as
exerting pressure on d6 and trying to bring a
knight to the b5-square, blocking the b-file.
If White chooses the formation ii.d3 and
lLle2, Black should first develop the queenside
( ... d6 and ... ltJbd7) and then play . . . c5, so that if
White captures by dxc5 Black can recapture
with the knight, attacking the bishop on d3.
Otherwise, Black creates pressure on c4 with
....:tc8, ... i.a6 and ...d5 .
If White plays i.g5 followed by the ambi­
tious f3 (Game I I ), Black should reply ... d5
and bear in mind that if White captures on d5
there are two ways to recapture: with the knight,
exchanging the queens, and with the pawn, in
order to exert pressure on the backward pawn
on e3. Black should choose the recapture with
the pawn if White is unable to achieve his ideal
set-up with ii.d3, lLle2 and i.f2.
In the variations in which White captures
with the queen on c3 and then plays li.g5, both
sides must constantly keep an eye on the unpin­
ning move ... ltJe4 !?.
4 Rubinstein System:
4 e3 0-0 : Variations with ttJe2

Introduction

4 e3, known as the Rubinstein System, is the most popular move against the Nimzo-lndian De­
fence. White simply fortifies the centre and continues his kingside development, for which he has
three logical patterns of development available:
I) .i.d3 followed by tZ'lf3 and 0-0.
2) .i.d3 followed by lZ'le2.
3) lZ'le2 followed by a3, to gain the bishop-pair without doubling the pawns.
White's most problematic piece to bring into play is the c 1 -bishop.
The most logical continuations for meeting the Rubinstein System are 4 ... b6, 4 ... d5, 4 ... c5 and
4...0-0.
The move-order that I suggest is the most natural and flexible: 4 ... 0-0, followed by ... d5 . With
4 ...0-0, Black allows White to show his cards, i.e. he waits for White to choose the type of set-up he
will use and then selects the most suitable development in response.
One advantage of 4...0-0 over 4... c5 is that in the event of White playing 5 lZ'le2 and a3, the b4-
bishop can retreat along the a3-f8 diagonal, leaving the white pieces rather awkwardly placed.
4 ...0-0 is generally associated with the central advance ...d5 and ...c5 but, as we have already
noted, Black first wants to see what moves White will make.
In this chapter we shall see some of White's main set-ups in response to 4... 0-0, before reaching
the position that occurs after I d4 lZ'lf6 2 c4 e6 3 lZ'lc3 .i.b4 4 e3 0-0 5 .i.d3 d5 6 tZ'lf3 c5 7 0-0, which
will be the theme of the next chapter.
It should be pointed out that at any moment White can insert the move a3 (without having de­
fended the c3-knight with another piece) to gain the bishop-pair and reach positions characteristic
of the Samisch Variation, in which Black has already played the move ...d5 or ... 0-0, so that (after
... d5) White can easily get rid of the doubled pawns on the c-file whilst maintaining the advantage
of the bishop-pair, or, in the event of the location of the black king having been determined by
... 0-0, organize his offensive more easily.
However, it should be noted that in these variations with 4 e3 the c 1 -bishop cannot be activated
as easi ly as in the Samisch or Capablanca Variations, in which it could go to g5 at any moment.

The Games

In Nakamura-Volokitin (Game 12) we see White' s attempt to exploit Black's early commitment of
his king by transposing into a Samisch Variation. Black blockaded the doubled pawns with ... c5
and subsequently went after the c4-pawn with the sequence ... lZ'lc6, ... l2la5, ... b6 and ... .i.a6. We
shall see how Black neutralized White' s attack on the kingside but how several slack moves on his
part allowed White to obtain a dominating position which the American GM rounded off with an
elegant manoeuvre.
52 CHESS EXPLAINED: THE NIMZO-INDIAN

In Game 13, I.Sokolov-J.Polgar, we see once again the advance a3 by White, but only after
Black has carried out the advance . . . d5, so that after the exchange of bishop for knight White can
quickly get rid of the doubled pawns. We shall see how Polgar chooses the most favourable pawn­
structure to combat the bishop-pair and the white centre, avoiding positions of the Botvinnik­
Capablanca type, which we shall discuss during this chapter and the next. This game is very in­
structive, because Black achieved a blockade of the centre and of the enemy bishops and concluded
the game with a strong attack on the king.

In the game Alexandrov-Le Quang (Game 14), White opts for the set-up with ..id3 and lt:Je2, but
after capturing on d5. In this very fluid position, we shall see how Black should retain his dark­
squared bishop and when and how he should react to White's plans of expansion in the centre and
on the kingside. The game is a good example of well-timed counterplay by Black in the centre, but
he let his experienced opponent off the hook on at least two occasions.

In Milov-Sharavdorj (Game 15), the Swiss GM also arranges his minor pieces as in the previous
example (..id3 and lt:Je2) but without the exchange cxd5. In these positions, White is left with an
isolated pawn on d4, but with the unusual feature that the king's knight is placed on e2. We shall see
some of Black's schemes for fighting against the isolated pawn in these conditions, but we shall de­
vote particular attention to Tal's popular retreat ( I O... ..id6) and Ivanchuk's method ( 1 2 .. .'iYc7 !?)
used in the game. We shall also look at Karpov' s plan of 1 2 ... .l:le8.

Y.Gonzalez-A.Aivarez (Game 16) looks at the famous Reshevsky Variation (5 lt:Je2) in which
White gives priority to placing the knight on e2 before developing the king's bishop, immediately
seeking the advantage of the bishop-pair while retaining a perfect pawn-structure.
Black does well to retain his two bishops, but must be careful in choosing how to deploy his
forces, because although the white position seems inoffensive and Black has many different ways
to develop, it is essential to take care not to fall under an irresistible attack, as occurred in the
game.

Game 1 2 [ E29]
Hikaru Nakamura - Andrei Volokitin
Cuernavaca 2006
1 d4 lt:Jf6 2 c4 e6 3 lt:Jc3 ..ib4 4 e3 0-0 5 a3!? practice has shown that Black has sufficient
In the first chapter, we studied the Samisch resources for active defence combined with a
Variation with 4 a3 or 4 f3, in which White's counter-attack on the c4-pawn.
usual plan consists of gaining the bishop-pair 5 ..ixc3+ 6 bxc3 c5! (D)
•••

and bolstering the d4-square, so as then to play
e4. So it would seem that playing 4 e3 first is a
waste of time if he continues 5 a3 !?. However,
White wants to show that Black's quick king­
side castling actually makes it easier for him to
launch an attack. Moreover, there are lines
where White regains the tempo by playing e4
and f4 (rather than f3-f4 ), and a direct transpo­
sition to the Samisch occurs - indeed, this i s
the case i n our main game here. Nevertheless,
This move is easy to recommend; Black fixes
the doubled pawns and is ready to attack them
with the typical sequence ... b6, ... ..ia6 and
. . .lt:Jc6-a5, followed by ... .l:lc8 if appropriate. It
is possible to play this formation without in­
cluding the move ... c5, but in that case White
can take advantage of not having played the
move f3 to create direct threats on the castled
king, because his queen has the open d l -h5 di­
agonal at its disposal.
 RUBINSTEIN SYSTEM: 4 e3 0-0: VARIATIONS WITH tjje2
7 i..d3 lbc6 8 lbe2
Best. The pawn sacrifice with 8 e4 ! ? can be
accepted with 8 . . . cxd4 9 cxd4 lbxd4 1 0 e5
l"Lle8 ! ? or declined with the central counter­
attack 8 ... d5 ! ? 9 cxd5 exd5 I 0 e5 lbe4 I I lbe2
Ji.g4 ! , reminding White that his king is still in
the centre. 1 2 i.. b2 ( 1 2 f3 i.. xf3 ! ) 1 2 . . .cxd4 1 3
cxd4 �b6 14 i.. xe4 dxe4 1 5 i..c 3 Mfd8 ! gave
Black strong pressure on White's centre in
V.Georgiev-Efimenko, Port Erin 2007.
8 b6 9 e4!
...
Black must now take measures against the
threat of i.. g 5.
9 ... lbe8! (D)
A well-known manoeuvre devised by Capa­
blanca. Black prevents the i.. g 5 pin and at the
same time is ready to increase his pressure on
the c4-pawn with ...lbd6. In addition he frees
his f-pawn, which will play a major role in the
defence of his castled position.
53
10 0-0
This natural move has the idea of subse­
quently advancing the f-pawn, but other plans
have been tried here, such as:
a) 1 0 e5 i.. a6 I I �a4 lba5 1 2 dxc5 �c7 ! (a
typical sacrifice that we shall see over and over
again in the Nimzo-Indian when White has dou­
bled pawns on the c-file) 1 3 i.. e3 f6 ! ? ( 1 3 ... bxc5)
14 Md I bxc5 15 exf6 C'bxf6 1 6 i.. f4 e5 17 i.. g 3
d6 and White's bishops are not very active,
Moskalenko-M.Roder, B arbera 2000.
b) 1 0 i.. e3 i.. a6 ! (without delay) I I lbg3
(remember that capturing the pawn with I I
dxc5 always gives Black good play: l l .. .lbe5 ! )
i l . . .lba5 1 2 �e2 Mc8 and after 1 3 Me l or 1 3 d5
Black should play the prophylactic 1 3 ... �h4!
followed by ... lbd6. From h4 the queen has in­
fluence along the fourth rank and restricts
White's actions on the kingside.
1 0 i..a6! (D)
...
1 1 f4!?
With this move, we have now transposed to a
position that can also arise from the Samisch
Variation.
The advance of the f-pawn is White's best
plan of attack. Against other moves Black sim­
ply carries on with his plan of . . . lba5 and
. . . Mc8 or . . . d5 and defends the kingside with
. . . f5 or ... f6. The only alternative worth con­
sidering is the immediate advance I I e5, with
the idea of �c2, in order to force Black to
weaken his kingside. l l . . .d6 ( l l . . .lba5 ! ? 1 2
�c2 f5 i s worth considering) 1 2 �c2 h6 1 3
Md l dxe5 1 4 dxe5 �c7 1 5 i.. f4 lbxe5 1 6 i..e4
54 CHESS EXPLAINED: THE NIMZO-INDIAN
and now instead of 1 6... J::tc 8, Stefanova-Lahno,
Krasnoturinsk (women) 2007, B lack should
play 1 6... .l:tb8 ! in order, after 1 7 'i!Va4 lt:lf6 1 8
i.xe5 'iVxe5 1 9 i.f3, to have 1 9 ... i.b7 ! sup­
ported by the rook .
l l f5 (D)
...
It is also interesting to wait for White to ad­
vance f5 and then reply with ... f6, which also
leads to a lively struggle: I I ...lt:la5 1 2 f5 f6! (it
is vital to prevent 1 3 f6! lt:lxf6 1 4 i.g5 with a
strong attack) 1 3 lt:lf4 i.xc4 1 4 i.xc4 lt:lxc4 1 5
fxe6 lt:lc7 ! with complex play, Stefanova-Sar­
gissian, Zafra 2007.
12 exf5
It is best to exchange on f5 and then close the
c-file. If White keeps the tension with 1 2 lt:lg3 g6
1 3 i.e3, then the plan devised by Karpov works
peifectly: 1 3 . . .cxd4 1 4 cxd4 d5 ! (an excellent
move, designed to block the e3-bishop com­
pletely and exchange the light-squared bish­
ops) 1 5 cxd5 .ixd3 1 6 'iVxd3 fxe4 ! 17 �xe4
'iVxd5 1 8 'iVxd5 exd5 and, owing to his control
of the light squares and his pressure on d4,
Black does not have any great problems. This
has occurred in a number of games, starting
with Yusupov-Karpov, Linares 1 993.
The move-order 1 2 dxc5 is less accurate in
view of 1 2 ... fxe4 !? 1 3 i.xe4 i.xc4 14 i.e3 lt:lf6
and the control of the light squares gives Black
good play.
It had appeared that White could gain better
chances with the advance 1 2 d5 ! ?, because after
the thematic ! 2 ... lt:la5?! 1 3 e5 ! i.xc4 14 i.xc4
lt:lxc4 1 5 d6 the strong chain of white pawns
hems in Black' s forces. However, in Radjabov­
Leko, Monte Carlo (rapid) 2007 Black played
the simple 1 2 ...exd5 ! 1 3 cxd5 i.xd3 14 'ii'xd3
fxe4 1 5 'i!Vxe4 lt:ld6 1 6 'ii'd3 lt:la5. Here the ac­
tive black knights have outposts on c4, b3 and
d6, whereas White does not have anywhere to
attack.
12 exf5 13 dxc5 bxc5 14 i.e3 d6!
•.•
Better than moving the queen away with
1 4...�a5 ? ! .
15 lt:lg3 g6 (D)
This interesting position has been debated in
several games recently. In the long term Black
has the advantage, because White's bishops
and knight do not appear to be very active, and
it is easier to attack White's weakness on c4
than Black's backward pawn on d6. However,
the black king is more vulnerable than the op­
posing king and White can benefit from the
present lack of coordination among Black's
forces.
16 i.xf5!?
White has also tried to gain the advantage by
regrouping the rook to e I , the knight to d5 via
fl -e3 and then the e3-bishop to h4, but Black
can become active on the e-file and bring his
knight to e4, with good play. Let us see a recent
example: 1 6 .l:te I lt:la5 1 7 lt:lfl lt:lf6 1 8 i.f2
'ii'd7 1 9 lt:le3 .l::!.ae8 20 i.h4 .ib7 !? 2 1 i.fl lt:le4
22 lt:ld5 i.xd5 23 cxd5 c4 and the outposted
black knights are better than the clumsy white
bishops, I.Sokolov-Grishchuk, Canada de Cala­
trava (rapid) 2007.
16 gxf5 17 'ii'd 5+ :r7
•••
 RUBINSTEIN SYSTEM: 4 e3 0-0: VARIATIONS WITH ClJe2 55

Better than 17 ...�h8 ! ? 1 8 'i¥xc6 .i.xc4 19

�fd 1 'i¥c8 20 .l::i.xd6 !? lt:Jxd6 21 'iVxd6 'iVe6 22
'i¥xc5 with compensation for the exchange,
Hillarp Persson-K.Ong, Stockholm 2007.
18 'i¥xc6 .i.b7!? 19 'i¥a4 (D)

at the same time gives his king an escape­

square.
25 h4! .l::i.d 7 26 'iVd1
Tying Black to the defence of h5 and creat­
ing threats on the light squares.
26 �h7 27 'i¥a4 'i¥f7 28 lld1 lt:Je6 29 .i.e3
•••

An important moment. At the cost of a pawn, 'i¥g7?!

Black has managed to divert the white queen Occupying the knight's ideal square; it was
from the kingside and increase the activity of better to play 29 ... �g6 ! right away.
the b7-bishop. 30 �f2 �g6 (D)
19 �f6
.• .'

Activating the queen, but the older move

19 ... h5 !? is possibly better, followed by the im­
mediate further advance of the h-pawn, creat­ w
ing strong counterplay against g2.
20 �ab1 lt:Jg7
lf 20 ...'i¥xc3 2 l .l::i.fe 1 lt:Jg7 22 .i.f2 White has
a small advantage based on his command of the
open files and his safer king.
21 'i¥d1 �e8! (D)
Activating the rook. 2 l .. .'i¥xc3?! is inferior
due to 22 .i.xc5! dxc5 23 .l::i.xb7 ! ; after these
simplifications the weakness of the black king
becomes clearer.
22 �e1
After 22 .i.d2 'i¥g6 and ... h5, Black would The black pieces are defending each other.
continue with his counterplay on the kingside, Now White carries out a tremendously effec­
by advancing his h-pawn. tive regrouping.
22...'i¥g6?! 31 l:ld2!
Very ambitious. After 2 2. . .'iVxc3 ! the pres­ Suddenly there is a threat of 'i¥d 1 hitting d6
sure of the black pieces would keep the bal­ and h5.
ance. 31...'i¥e7 32 'i¥d1! 'iVxh4 33 llxd6 lle7
23 .i.f2! lixe1+ 24 'i¥xe1 hS Passive defence also would not have helped:
Black was relying on this attack, but Naka­ 33 ...l:txd6 34 'iVxd6 'iVf6 35 'i¥d7 .i.e4 36 'i¥e8+
mura's unexpected reply blocks the h-pawn and 'iVf7 37 �h8 and White wins material.
 56 CHESS EXPLAINED: THE NIMZO-INDIAN
34 l:!.d7! 'ifh2!?
Staking everything on the complications.
35 !Ixe7 'ii'xg2+ 36 'it>el �xg3+ 37 �d2?!
More accurate was 37 i..f2 ! 'ifxc3+ 38 �d2
and White wins.
37 'it>f6! 38 !th7 tt:Jxf4 39 �n
•••
Here 39 'iig 1 ! would allow less counterplay.
39 ...lLlg2 40 i..xc5 i..e4! (D)
Maintaining threats and allowing Black to
fight on, although objectively the game is lost.
41 i.. d4+ We6 42 c5!
With the deadly threat of 'ifc4+.
42...�g5+ 43 'it>dl �g4+ 44 'lt>cl 'ifg5+ 45
Wd l 'ifg4+ 46 �e2! lLlf4
It is essential to exchange queens; otherwise
the black king will perish immediately.
Game 1 3 [ E49]
Ivan Sokolov - Judit Polgar
Hoogeveen 2006
1 d4 lLlf6 2 c4 e6 3 lLlc3 ..ib4 4 e3 0-0 5 i..d 3 d5
6 a3
This move has the same objectives as in the
previous game, but it is better now, since White
will not have any problems getting rid of his
doubled pawns.
6...i.. xc3+
6 ... i..e7 is possible, leading to positions of
the Queen's Gambit in which White has his
bishop on c 1 , behind the pawn-chain. However,
Black's wasted tempo with the bishop favours
47 !Ih6+ 'it>d7 48 '*iVxg4 hxg4 49 l:.h7+ 'tt>c6
50 �xa7 g3 51 :lg7 g2 52 '1t>d2
52 c4 !? is better, making it more difficult for
the black king to become active.
52...tt:Je6 53 1lg8 (D)
53...f4
53 ... 'it>d5 !? 54 i.. f2 'lt>c4 would offer more
resistance.
54 i..f2 f3 55 a4 tt:Jf4 56 We3
With the pawns blockaded, Black does not
have anything he can do. The rest is simple.
56...i..d 5 57 l:tg4 lLle2 58 c4 i..f7 59 a5 lLlc3
60 !If4 i..h5 61 '1t>d2 lLldl 62 1:1f6+ ctlc7 63
'lt>el tt:Jb2 64 i..g3+ Wd7 65 'it>f2 lLldl + 66
'lt>gl tt:Jc3 67 i..f2 tt:Je4 68 c6+ '1t>d8 69 l:,e6
tt:Jxf2 70 'it>xf2 i..f7 71 a6 ..ixe6 72 a7 1-0
White, because the move a3 can also prove use­
ful.
7 bxc3 dxc4!
If Black delayed this capture, White would
take on d5 himself. At first sight it seems to
come to the same thing, but this is not the case.
After 7 ... c5 8 cxd5 exd5 9 lLle2 (D) we would
reach a fixed structure in the centre that be­
came very famous after Botvinnik's victory
over Capablanca at the AVRO tournament in
1 938.
 RUBINSTEIN SYSTEM: 4 e3 0-0: VARIATIONS WITH fDe2
B with e4 or c4, to activate his dark-squared
Black enjoys easy development and does not
have any weaknesses; he even has a plan for
eliminating one of White's bishops ( ... b6 and
... .ia6), which in other cases guarantees equal­
ity. However, White's central majority is very
strong and his plan is clear: carry out the ad­
vance e4 and e5 and attack on the kingside.
This is achieved with 0-0, f3, etJg3 and in some
cases .ib2 to defend d4. There are also other
manoeuvres such as �a2-e2 and even the ad­
vance g4. In this type of contest, White aban­
dons the queenside, where he loses material in
many cases, but the attack generated on the
kingside is often decisive.
8 .ixc4 cS (D)
Attacking the centre and giving the queen
access to aS or c7 .
White has the bishop-pair and a pawn-ma­
jority in the centre, but he is slightly behind in
development and the position is more open
57
and unstable than in the Botvinnik-Capablanca
structure. H i s long-term plans are to advance
bishop and generate threats on the kingside, or
else create a passed pawn on the d-file.
Black's slight development advantage can be
used to disturb White's development and ex­
change one of his bishops (keep in mind the
variations with . . . b6 and ...�a6), or else Black
can strike at d4 with the advance ...e5, which is
not possible if Black allows the exchange on
d5. It should be pointed out that in the end­
game, after the exchange on d4, Black retains a
queenside pawn-majority which, combined with
control of the c-file, can yield an advantage.
9 etJe2
Best. White develops his knight and defends
his c-pawn while leaving the f-pawn free to ad­
vance.
9 etJf3 is answered with 9 .. .'iVa5 !? and Black
answers 10 �b2 or I 0 Vi'c2 with I O ... cxd4,
leaving White with an isolated pawn-couple on
c3 and d4. After 10 �d2 Black can eliminate
the bishop-pair immediately with I O ...etJe4 ! ?,
but even better is 1 O ...Vi'c7 ! in order to continue
with the plan of . . . b6 and . . .�a6. For example,
I I �d3 b6 1 2 e4 ( 1 2 Vi'e2 ! ? prevents ... �a6, ex­
changing the bishops, but after 1 2 ... �b7 1 3 e4
Vi'c6 ! White is compelled to enter complications
in order to defend his central pawns) 1 2... �a6
1 3 �xa6 etJxa6 1 4 Vi'e2 'iVb7 1 5 e5 etJe4! (D).
This is the type of position that Black is aim­
ing for, since he has the better pawn-structure
and control of the light squares, especially d5.
58 CHESS EXPLAINED: THE NIMZO-INDIAN
His queenside pawn-majority constitutes an ad­
vantage in the endgame and he only has to take
precautions so that White cannot bring a knight
to d6 or develop an attack on the kingside,
where he has more space.
9.. :fic7
Vacating the d-file and putting the question
to the bishop, forcing it to decide which diago­
nal it will occupy.
10 i..a2
Against 1 0 �d3 Black can continue with the
plan of 1 0 ... b6 followed by . . .�a6 although,
bearing in mind that the bishop has abandoned
the a2-g8 diagonal, it is also logical to play ... e5
and ... tt:Jc6.
10...b6!
Polgar takes control of the a6-fl diagonal
and c4 in particular, so that subsequently she
can exchange bishops on that square.
11 0-0 �a6 12 l:re1 (D)
The other way to move the rook away from
the pressure of the bishop is 1 2 f3 tt::lc6 1 3 l:rf2,
but on f2 the rook does not make a good impres­
sion. Black would bring his rooks to the centre
and exchange bishops on c4 ( ...tt::la5 and ...�c4).
B the centre and penetrate with the minor pieces
12 tt:Jc6 13 tt::lg3
•.•
From g3 the knight supports e4 and can jump
to h5, or f5, if Black plays ... e5 at some point.
If 1 3 �b2 Black is fine if he follows the
well-known recipe of bringing the bishop to c4:
1 3 ...tt::la5 ! 1 4 tt::lg 3 �c4.
13 ..Jlad8
The idea of restraining the e4 advance will
be reinforced with ... e5 and ... .l:1d7 followed by
... l':.fd8. To me it seems more logical to play
1 3 ... .l:1fd8 ! in order to place the other rook on c8
and continue quickly with the plan of ... CDa5
and ... �c4, so that White has no time to bring
his queen' s rook to d l and answer ...i..c4 with
�b l . If Black exchanges the light-squared
bishops, he does not mind much if White ad­
vances with e4, since Black would then obtain
counterplay on the light squares and the c-file.
14 �b2
1 4 tt::lh5 eliminates the defender of Black's
castled position, but after 14 ... tt::lxh5 1 5 'i¥'xh5
�d3 ! White will have difficulty mobilizing his
central pawns to activate his bishops.
14...e5 15 'ikc2! (D)
In this way White is able to deploy his rook
harmoniously on d l , instead of the less logical
1 5 .i:i.c l played in the game Vallejo-Illescas,
Spanish Team Ch, Sanxenxo 2004.
Polgar's recommendation 1 5 d5 !? was played
in Haimovich-E.Berg, European Clubs Cup,
Kerner 2007 ; after 1 5 ...tt:Ja5 1 6 e4 tt::le 8 !? (here
Polgar recommended 1 6 ... �c4 but 1 7 i.c l !
gives White the better game) 1 7 'ikg4 lt:'ld6 1 8
.l:.ad 1 'iVd7 1 9 "fih5 Black embarked upon the
conquest of the queenside with 1 9 ... 'i.Va4, giv­
ing White chances of counterplay on the king­
side. It was more prudent to keep the queen in
at c4.
1S J:td7
..
1 5 ... tt::la5 is answered with 1 6 dxe5 ! and 17
c4! sacrificing White's structure but opening
the a l -h8 diagonal for the b2-bishop.
 RUBINSTEIN SYSTEM: 4 e3 0-0: VARIATIONS WITH tiJe2 59

16 .l::!.ad1 .l::!.fd8 17 h3
A useful move which does not spoil any-
thing. According to Polgar, it was preferable to W
exchange the knights on e4 to weaken the king-
side and then create threats in that sector with
.1bl .
17...c4!? (D)
Note that Black is unable to increase the
pressure on d4, which is why she decides to
complete the total blockade of the position so
that the bishops do not have any diagonals.
1 7 ... tt'la5? fails to the thematic 1 8 dxeS 'i¥xe5
1 9 c4 'i¥e6 20 ..lii. b l !? 'i¥xc4 2 1 .l::!.xd7 .l::!.xd7 22
'i'fS and Black is defenceless.
2 1 lDe2! .l::!.gS 22 lDf4 �c8?!
This leaves the c4-pawn undefended, allow­
ing some counterplay. It was better to play
22 ... 'i¥d7 !? with the idea of ...lbd5 exchanging
the defending knight.
23 'i¥e2
As Polgar points out, the correct 23 ..lii. a2 !
would have compelled Black to acknowledge
her error with 23 ... ..lii. a6 or retreat the knight
from c6.
23 'i¥d7 24 'i¥xc4 lba5 25 'i¥b4?!
•••

This puts the queen in range of the knight. 25

'i¥e2 was preferable.
25 lbd5! (D)
.•.

18 a4?
Weakening the b4-square prematurely. It was
better to play 1 8 ..lii.b I ! g6 and only then 1 9 a4,
answering 1 9... .l::!.e8 with 20 e4 ! .
18 ....l::!.e8! 1 9 �a3
Sokolov should have prevented the advance
... e4 with 1 9 lbe4, but not 1 9 e4? because with
his last move he weakened the b4-square and
1 9...exd4 20 cxd4 lbb4 ! would follow, with ini­
tiative to Black.
19...e4! (D)
Completing the blockade of the position,
which leaves Black with more space and the
dS-square for her pieces. This allows her to take
the offensive on the kingside. Meanwhile, White 26 lbxd5?
is confined to only three ranks and lacks pawn­ White should have kept his defensive bastion
breaks. f4 at all costs by means of 26 'i¥d6 ! ? lbxc3 27
20 ..lii. b 1 .l::!.d 5 .l::i.c l lbxbl 28 .l::!.x b l 'i¥xa4 29 �b4 with strong
The concentration of force on the kingside counterplay for the pawn, because the black
will create problems for White. pieces have become disorganized.
60 CHESS EXPLAINED: THE NIMZO-INDIAN

26 'i'xd5!? 27 h4?!
•••

The best defence was 27 'i'd6 ! 'i'f5 28 'i'f4 !

l2lc4 29 ..ltc I iVg6 30 'i'h2 ..ltd7 3 1 ..ltc2 and
White resists, although obviously Black keeps
the initiative.
27....l::i.g4 28 'i'b5 'i'd8! 29 g3 a6!
Dislodging the queen from b5, where it at­
tacks the rook on e8.
30 'i'b4?!
It was more prudent bring pieces to the de­
fence of the king with 30 �fl 'i'xh4 3 1 ..ltd6 ! ?.
30... 'i'xh4 31 ..ltxe4 lixg3+! (D)
After this exchange sacrifice, the white king
remains at the mercy of the black pieces, be­
cause there is no way to defend the light squares. 33...'i'f3 34 'it>h2 'i'h5+ 35 'it>gl 'i'f3 36
32 fxg3 'i'xe4 33 l::i.d 2 'it>h2 .ll.f5! 37 e4 .ll.xe4 38 lixe4 'i'xe4 39 dS
33 d5 l2lc4 34 l::i.d4 'i'f3 ! also loses for White. l2lc4 0-1

Game 1 4 [ E48]
Alexei Alexandrov - Kim Le Quang
Abu Dhabi 200 7

1 d4 l2lf6 2 c4 e6 3 l2lc3 .ll. b4 4 e3 0-0 5 .ll.d3 d5 and develops the kingside harmoniously. As in
6 cxd5 other variations where the knight goes to e2, the
Completely ruling out the possibility of f-pawn is left free to support his main plan based
... dxc4. on the central expansion by f3 and e4 or on the
6...exd5 7 l2le2 (D) flank attack with f3 and g4. Also typical is the
transfer of the queen to the king side by 'i'e l -h4.
However, White has difficulties in mobiliz­
ing the c 1 -bishop and as soon as he plays f3,
B Black replies with ...c5, putting pressure on d4
and hindering e4.
7 lie8
.•.

The rook holds up the e4 advance. In addi­

This line became popular following the
young Kasparov 's victories over Yurtaev in
1 98 1 and later against Tal in 1 987. At the pres­
ent time GMs Alexandrov and Milov are its
strongest exponents. White stabilizes the centre
tion, the f8-square becomes available for the
bishop.
The immediate 7 . . .c5 has the drawback of
shutting off the retreat of the b4-bishop. White's
reply would be 8 0-0 l2lc6 9 a3 cxd4 (after
9 ... .ll.x c3?! 1 0 bxc3 White reaches the favour­
able Botvinnik-Capablanca structure that we
mentioned earlier) 10 axb4 ! dxc3 I I b5 ! l2Je5
(after l l . ..cxb2?! 1 2 ..ltxb2 White's bishops are
worth more than the pawn) 12 l2lxc3 and White
has control of the dark squares (in particular the
d4-square, which is useful as a base for the
queen or the rook after lia4-d4) together with
 RUBINSTEIN SYSTEM: 4 e3 0-0: VARIATIONS WITH t'De2 61

pressure on the a-file and on Black' s isolated

queen' s pawn.
8 .id2
This flexible developing move (8 'i¥c2 is sim­
ilar) has the aim of delaying kingside castling so
that Black cannot create any immediate threats
against White's king. It also delays the move f3,
so that if Black rushes with the advance ...c5,
White captures on c5 and plays against the iso­
lated pawn without having a weakness on e3.
After the natural 8 0-0, Black can retreat the
bishop to a more active square with 8 ... .id6!
(D), creating threats against White's castled po­
sition.
1 8 'it>fl .ig3 ! ! and White resigned because the
mate is unstoppable.
c) Epishin has regularly used the prophylac­
tic 9 h3 and afterwards he continues with 'i¥c2
and �d I hindering the ...c5 break and intending
to follow up with the minority attack with �bl
and b4. In that case, Black should look for
counterplay on the kingside by bringing the
knight from b8 to h4 ( ... lZ:lbd7-f8-g6-h4).
We now return to 8 .id2 (D):

Let us see the main ideas in this position:

a) White 's first attempt to gain an advan­
tage here was with 9 f3. Black reacted in an ex­
emplary manner with 9 ... c5! and after 1 0 �e l
tt:lc6 I I �h4 Black defends successfully with
I l .. ..ie7 1 2 'i¥f2 a6 1 3 g4 b5 followed by ... b4,
... aS and ... it.. a6 with excellent counterplay or
with i l .. .lZ:le7 ! followed by . . . lZ:lg6.
b) White has also played 9 a3, which rather
neglects the safety of the king. Kasparov-Junior,
New York (5) 2003 featured 9 ...c6 and after 10 8 a6
...

"ti'c2 the computer sacrificed the bishop unex­
pectedly with I O. . . .ixh2+!? I I 'it>xh2 lZ:lg4+
12 Wg3 �g5, obtaining a strong attack which
ended in a draw, while Acs destroyed Van
Wely at Hoogeveen 2002, with the spectacular
9.. .l2lg4 ! ? 1 0 h3? ( 1 0 lZ:lf4 ! is better) I O ... lZ:lh2 !
I I .l:tei lZ:Jf3+! (D).
12 gxf3 �g5+ 1 3 Wh l �h4 I4 lZ:Jf4? .ixh3
15 l2lcxd5 �e6 ! ! ! 6 lZ:lxe6 .if5+ I7 Wg l 'iVh2+
An unpretentious but useful move. Black
covers the b5-square and prepares to play ... .id6
against any other white waiting move.
The direct 8 ... c5?! is not accurate owing to 9
a3 ! , when White gains the bishop-pair.
Once again 8 ... .id6 ! ? is possible, to which
White can respond with 9 �c2 c6 I 0 f3 ( I 0
h3!? is interesting, followed by g4 !? and 0-0-0)
I O ...c5! I I dxc5 .ixc5 1 2 e4 dxe4 1 3 lZ:lxe4
62 CHESS EXPLAINED: THE NJMZO-INDIAN

tt'lxe4 1 4 i.xe4 �6 ! 1 5 .i.xh7+ <Ji>h8 1 6 .i.e4

i.e6 and the insecure position of the white king
gave sufficient compensation for the pawn in
Milov-Ehlvest, Merida 2006.
9 tt'lg3
Alexandrov has tried plans of containment
which include this move, 0-0, f3 and the transfer
of the c3-knight to e2. Objectively this brings
nothing special, but in practice Black has to de­
cide when i t i s prudent to advance with ... c5 and
how to arrange his pieces in the most effective
way. These positions are reached basically after
the moves 9 0-0 i.d6 1 0 l:tc 1 . If Black plays
...c5 immediately, without waiting for White to
play f3, then he remains with an isolated pawn Reaffirming that as soon as White plays f3,
without the compensation of a white weakness Black should react immediately with ... c5.
on e3. For example, 1 0 . . .c5 1 1 dxc5 i.xc5 1 2 12 .i.b1 c5! 13 dxc5
tt'lb5 tt'lbd7 1 3 tt'lbd4 and White has rather the With the following sequence of moves, White
more pleasant position, Delchev-Graf, Spanish tries to take advantage of the loose position of
Team Ch, Torrelavega 2007. So it is better to the black pieces, but this will be counterpro­
play 1 0 ... tt'lbd7, to meet 1 1 f3 with 1 1 .. .c5 !. ductive. 1 3 tt'lce2!? was more prudent.
9 tt'lc6!? (D)
••• 13 ....i.xc5 14 tt'la4 i.f8 15 �b3 d4!
This unexpected tactical shot takes advan­
tage of the momentary lack of coordination
among the white forces.
16 .i.xb4 .l:!.xe3!
This is the key: the queen cannot maintain
the defence of both bishops.
17 .i.d3 .i.e6!
More accurate than 1 7 ... .i.xb4.
18 �a3 .i.xb4 19 .i.xh7+ 'it>xh7 20 �xb4 bS
21 tt'lc5 .i.c4! (D)

An interesting idea which forces White to

castle right away in view of the threat of ...tt'lxd4.
The knight temporarily obstructs the c-pawn,
the advance of which is essential as soon as
White plays f3, but Black can recycle it to e7 or
b4, as occurs in the game.
10 0-0 i.d6 11 f3
1 1 a3 prevents the following manoeuvre, but
Black has various interesting options, such as
1 1 . ..tt'le7 !? controlling f5 and preparing ... h5 or
... c5 as appropriate. This shows the advantage of having placed
ll ... tt'lb4! (D) the bishop on e6 on move 1 7 . Black's bishop
 RUBINSTEIN SYSTEM: 4 e3 0-0: VARIATIONS WITH fbe2
supports the advance of the d-pawn and blocks
the path of the queen.
22 l':!.fdl d3 23 'it>hl
Removing the king from the g 1 -a7 diagonal.
23...'iVb6 24 b3 CLJd5?!
Stronger was 24 ... a5 ! 25 'i¥a3 (25 CLJa4?!
fails to 25 ... axb4 26 CLJxb6 i..xb3 !, winning)
25 . . b4 26 CLJa4 ! 'i¥e6 27 'iVc I i..b5 28 CLJc5 'i¥e5
.
29 ctJce4 CLlxe4 30 CLlxe4 (30 fxe4 loses to
30 . l':!.xg3 ! 3 1 hxg3 'i¥d4 !) 30 ... l':!.e2 with a dom­
. .
inant position.
25 l2Ja4! (D)
An unexpected defence in an extremely awk­
ward position .
25...CLJxb4
Against 25 ...'i¥c7 or 25 ... 'iVh6, 26 'i¥c5 ! de­
fends.
26 lLlxb6 l':!.b8 27 l2Jxc4 bxc4 28 bxc4 l':!.c8
Black maintains the initiative, but the posi­
tion has simplified and the passed pawn on d3 is
Game 1 5 [ E4 1 ]
Vadim Milov - Dashzeveg Sharavdorj
Las Vegas 2006
1 d4 CLJf6 2 c4 e6 3 tLlc3 i..b4 4 e3 0-0 5 i..d3 d5
6 ctJe2 (D)
In this variation the knight supports its col­
league on c3 but without defining the central
position (with 6 cxd5) as in the previous game.
Black must strike at once in the centre, since
otherwise White plays a3 and is a bit better.
63
not very secure, because the pieces guarding it
can be dislodged.
29 a3?!
More accurate was 29 l':!.ab1 ! CLlxa2 30 CLJfl
l':!.e2 3 1 l':!.xd3 l':!.xc4 32 l':!.d2 with a minimal ad­
vantage to Black.
29 l2Jc2 30 l':!.acl l':!.xc4 31 CLJfl (D)
•••
3l...l':!.e2?!
Overlooking a golden opportunity to main­
tain the passed pawn with 3 1 ...l':!.c3!, when 32
CLlxe3? is not possible because after 32 ...CLlxe3
33 l':!.xc3 CLJxd 1 34 'Jd..c 7 CLJf2+ 35 'it>g 1 d2 the
rook would drop. White must settle for 32 '>t>g l
l':!.e2, with a great advantage for Black.
32 l':!.xd3
With the elimination of the passed pawn, the
dangers are over.
32 l2Jxa3! 33 l':!.xc4 CLJxc4 34 \t>gl
•••
The king comes to support the defence.
34 a5 35 .l:!c3 CLJb2 1/z- 1/z
•••
6 c5
•••
The thematic response. Another interesting
variation is 6 ... dxc4 7 i..xc4 e5 ! ?, liberating the
c8-bishop and attacking the centre.
7 cxd5
If White calmly castles here, he will end up
with an isolated pawn on d4 which Black can
64 CHESS EXPlAINED: THE NIMZO-INDIAN
B 9 0-0 tt:'lc6 (D)
easily blockade: 7 0-0 cxd4 8 exd4 dxc4 9
�xc4 and now 9 ...tt:'lbd7 ! followed by ... tt:'lb6,
... .i.d7 and ... �c6, or 9 ... tt:'lc6 followed by
... b6, . . . �b7 and . . .tt:'lce7-d5. In both cases
Black establishes a cast-iron blockade on d5,
which serves as a base of operations for B lack.
White would base his hopes on attacking on
the kingside with .i.b3-c2 and 'iVd3 to provoke
weaknesses and then bring the rooks to the
centre (�fe 1 and .l:i.ad 1 ) and his queen to the
kingside (via h3 and g3), avoiding piece ex­
changes as far as possible. The struggle is bal­
anced.
After the ever-present 7 a3 Black can choose
from two options:
a) 7 ... cxd4! 8 exd4 (after 8 axb4 dxc3 9
tt:'lxc3 tt:'lc6! 1 0 b5 tt:'le5 ! 1 1 cxd5 tt:'lxd3+ 1 2
'ikxd3 tt:'lxd5 the position becomes completely
equal) 8 ...dxc4 9 �xc4 �e7 and Black prepares
to fight against the isolated pawn, safe in the
knowledge that the knight is worse placed on e2
than on f3.
b) 7 ... �xc3+ ! ? 8 tt:'lxc3 (8 bxc3 transposes
after 8 ...dxc4 9 �xc4 'iVc7 ! to Game 1 3, I.Soko-
lov-J.Polgar) 8 ... cxd4 9 exd4 dxc4 1 0 .i.xc4
tt:'lc6 I I �e3 and Black plays ... b6 followed by
. . . �b7 and . . .tt:'le7 or ... tt:'la5, whereas White's
bishops are rather passive.
7 cxd4! 8 exd4 'Llxd5!
...
Leaving White with an isolated d-pawn.
8 ... exd5 is worse, because rigid central struc­
tures favour the side with the initiative, in this
case White. Furthermore, with this structure the
knight on e2 is more useful than the one on f6,
since it can go to f4, putting pressure on Black's
queen 's pawn, and it allows f3, protecting the
squares e4 and g4.
The main position. White has an isolated
pawn and tries to organize the typical kingside
attack, but on e2 the knight is more passive than
on f3, since it does not control e5 or g5. The
most usual attacking formation is i.c2 and
�d3, provoking a slight weakening of Black's
castled position, although other ideas have been
employed which we shall see later.
10 �c2
1 0 �c2 does not achieve anything; Black
can secure easy play with I O ... h6 (Gelfand­
Topalov, Monte Carlo (blindfold) 2006), intend-
ing ... i.d6, ... tt:'lce7 and . . . �d7. Also possible is
I O ...g6 !? followed by ... .l:i.e8 and ... �f8-g7.
The quiet move I 0 i.e4 deploys the bishop
on the long diagonal, puts pressure on d5 and
prepares �d3 gaining time, but Black does not
have any problems completing his develop-
ment with I O.. tt:'lf6 ! I I .i.f3 h6!, followed by
.
...tt:'le7-d5 or ... i.d7 and ... .l::tc 8 with good play,
since White does not have any active plans and
d5 breaks can be answered with ... tt:'le5, attack­
ing the bishop on f3.
10... .i.d6! (D)
One of Tal's ideas. Black deals with White's
attack on h7 by posting his queen actively on
h4. In some cases, after the exchange .. .':tJxc3
the bishop supports the ... e5 break.
Karpov popularized another plan for Black
in which prophylaxis and harmony are com­
bined: 1 0... I:te8 ! ?. Black will forestall White's
 RUBINSTEIN SYSTEM: 4 e3 0-0: VARIATIONS WITH tDe2 65

intentions with ... g6, so that the bishop can re­

turn immediately to f8 and subsequently go to
g7 to defend the castled position.

13 .l:.d8 14 lbgS (D)

.•.

Evaluated as dubious by many analysts, but

1 1 ct:le4
It appears that White is gaining time with the
attack on the bishop, but the knight on e4 ob­
structs the attacking bl -h7 diagonal and loses
control of the d5-square.
The idea of I O .. �d6! becomes clear after I I
.
probably White's best option. The knight puts
pressure on the kingside and forces ... g6. Then
White will begin manoeuvres to penetrate on
the dark squares or force other weaknesses such
as the advance of the h-pawn. After 1 4 lb4c3 g6
15 �h6 lbxc3 1 6 bxc3 e5 ! we see another of the
points of placing the rook on d8.

'i'd3 'iYh4! and then after 1 2 g3 'iYh5 the queen

defends h7 and d5, restricting the white attack
from this comfortable square. B
ll ... i.e7 12 a3
This is essential to be able to play 'iYd3 with­
out allowing ... lbb4.
12 'ii'c 7!? (D)
...

An idea of Ivanchuk's that has several objec­

tives: from c7 the queen controls the f4-square,
and makes way for the rook to go to d8 to put
pressure on the d-pawn. In the future this pres­
sure can be increased by retreating the knight
from d5 to f6 and bringing the queen to b6.
It is possible to begin Karpov's plan with
1 2 .�e8, although in this case the black bishop
..
will take two tempi to reach f8.
If Black is satisfied with a draw, I 2 . . .e5 !?
equalizes completely, since the central pawns
disappear.
13 'ii'd3
The move-order actually used in the main
game was 4 ... c5 5 �d3 lbc6 6 lbe2 cxd4 7 exd4
dS 8 cxd5 lDxd5 9 a3 �d6 I 0 lbe4 �e7 1 1 �c2
0-0 I 2 'ii'd3 'ii'c7 I 3 0-0, but I have adjusted it
for ease of reference.
14... g6 15 'iYf3
After provoking the advance ... g6, it is logi­
cal to bring the bishop to the a2-g8 diagonal: I 5
�b3 lbf6 ! ? I 6 l:i.d I �f8 1 7 �f4 'iJle7 and here,
instead of I 8 'li'e3?, which loses the bishop-pair
after I 8 . . .lbd5 !, Kamsky-Karpov, FIDE World
Ch ( I 4 ), Elista I 996, 1 8 �ac I should have been
played, with equal chances.
15 ...�f8
1 5 ... �f6 is more accurate, immediately hit-
ting d4.
66 CHESS EXPLAINED: THE NIMZO-INDIAN

16 lld1 .i.g7
Black completes his strategic plan of bring­
ing his bishop to g7, where it puts pressure on B
d4 and defends the kingside.
17 h4!? (D)
In the stem game of this variation, Rogers­
Ivanchuk, Moscow Olympiad 1 994, White pre­
ferred 1 7 .i.b3, but after the thematic manoeuvre
1 7 ... h6 1 8 tt'le4 tt'lce7 ! the knight overprotected
d5 and solidified the kingside, after which it only
remained to bring his queenside pieces into the
game by ... .i.d7 and ....l:Iac8, with excellent play.

25 tt'lxd5 :xd5?!
B 25 ... .i.xd5 ! was necessary, keeping the bishop
active and not exposing the rook.
26 a4! (D)

17 h6
.•.

After this move Black will be forced to open

the b1 -h7 diagonal, along which the white queen
will penetrate. Another option was to complete
development of the queenside immediately with
1 7 . . . b6 ! ? 1 8 h5 .i.a6 ! exerting pressure in the
centre and, although White can open the h-file Preparing the way for the bishop to come
and penetrate on h7, his attack is not decisive. powerfully into play on a3.
18 tt'le4 tt'lce7 19 tt'l4c3 .i.d7? 26 J:te8?!
•.

19 ... b6 !? is more precise. If White plays as in
the game with 20 h5 g5 2 1 tt'lxd5 tt'lxd5 22
�d3, it transpires that after 22 ... .i.a6! 23 �h7+
�f8 it is not possible to play 24 tt'lc3? on ac­
count of 24 .. .'�Jf6, trapping the queen.
20 h5 g5 21 tt'lxd5 tt'lxd5 22 �d3 .i.b5 23
�h7+ �f8 24 tt'lc3! (D)
Perhaps Black overlooked this strong move,
which attacks the bishop and the knight.
24 .i.c6!
•.•
The c3-pawn could not be captured on ac­
count of 24 ... tt'lxc3 25 bxc3 'iVxc3? 26 .i.d2 fol­
lowed by .i.b4+.
Here 26 .. .f5 ! ? is better, although the attack
would continue powerfully after 27 b4 !, with
the idea of b5 and .i.a3+.
27 b3! rs 28 .i.a3+ �f7
The king is in a very dangerous situation.
29 .i.d3! 'iVd7 30 .l::f.acl ! g4
If 30 ...Itxd4, then 3 1 .i.b2 !.
31 .i.c4 'iVd8 32 .i.xd5 'iVxdS 33 l::txc6! -qwxc6
33 ... bxc6? loses on the spot to 34 -qwg6+.
34 d5! �d7 1-0
Black resigned without waiting for 35 dxe6+
�xe6 36 .i.b2 l:l:g8 37 llc 1 ! �d7 38 l:l:e 1 ! with
unstoppable threats.
 RUBINSTEIN SYSTEM: 4 e3 0-0: VARIATIONS WITH fDe2 67

Game 16 [ E46]
Yuri Gonzalez - A. Alvarez
Havana 200 7

1 d4 CLJf6 2 c4 e6 3 4'lc3 .ltb4 4 e3 0-0 5 4'le2 the centre with . . . dxc4 followed by . . . e5, hit­
(D) ting both d4 and the knight on f4 . 1f White de­
fends c4 with 8 b3, Black follows the same
plan: 8 ... ctJbd7, when 9 .ltb2 ?! dxc4 1 0 bxc4
e5 ! I I dxe5 ctJxe5 gave Black excellent play in
Milos-Lafuente, Santos 2006. It is more logi­
cal to play 9 .ltd3 !? to respond to 9 ... dxc4 1 0
bxc4 e5 with I I ctJfe2, but B lack should play
9 ... e5 !? 10 dxe5 4'lxe5 I I cxd5 g5 ! ? 1 2 ctJfe2
ctJxd5 and the initiative in the centre is more
important than the weakening of the kingside.
7 exd5 (D)
...

A useful alternative is 7 ...ctJxd5 !?, seeking

greater dynamism in the centre. After 8 ctJxd5
exd5 the identical pawn-structure to the game is
reached, but the exchange of knights eases
Black's game. There is no advantage in 8 e4
This move of Rubinstein's, later popularized lLlxc3 9 lLlxc3 c5 or 8 ctJg3 c5 either, while the
by Reshevsky, has the objective of bolstering the ending that appears after 8 g3 c 5 ! 9 dxc5 lLlxc3
position of the knight on c3, to be able to recap­ 1 0 lLlxc3 �xd I + I I �xd I .ltxc5 should be
ture on c3 with the knight, keeping the pawn­ drawn. The flexible 8 .ltd2 and 8 �c2 are more
structure intact. However, the knight on e2 does common, but Black has obtained satisfactory
not have as much influence on the centre as it results with 8 ... ctJd7 followed by . . . c5 or ... b6,
would on f3 and furthermore it obstructs the ... .ltb7 and ... c5.
natural development of the king's bishop, which
slows down White's development.
5...d5
Black occupies the centre and leaves open
the option of retreating the bishop from b4.
6 a3 .lte7
6 ... .ltxc3+? 7 CLJxc3 gives White what he
wants, but 6... .ltd6!? is interesting, because if
White takes on d5 the bishop would be well
placed on d6, and it is not clear whether White
obtains any advantage with the expansion 7 c5
fi..e7 since with the plan of ... b6, ... a5 and ... .lta6,
Black exchanges his worse bishop and simpli­
fies the position on the queenside, which reduces
the importance of White's space advantage.
7 cxdS We have now reached the basic position of
Maintaining the central tension with 7 CLJf4 this variation.
is answered by reinforcing the centre with This position is very fluid and both sides have
7 ... c6 and . . . ctJbd7 so Black is ready to break in tried various different development patterns.
68 CHESS EXPLAINED: THE NIMZO-INDIAN
The basic plans for White are the break with f3
and e4, the attack on the kingside with f3 and
g4 and the minority attack on the queenside
with b4 and b5.
Black can complete the mobilization of his
queenside in various ways, but must be particu­
larly attentive to White's central break with f3
and e4 - replying with ... c5 is indicated in most
cases.
8 g3
White has the following alternative schemes
available:
a) Reshevsky's favourite system of 8 lLlf4,
.ltd3 and 0-0. Here Black equalizes with 8 . . .a5,
followed by ... tt::la6, ...c6 and ... lt:'lc7-e6 exchang­
ing the white knight.
b) 8 lt:'lg3 and .ltd3. In this case the immedi­
ate 8 . . .c5 ! exploits the fact that the knight on g3
does not have any influence on the centre.
c) The most topical line with 8 b4 (control­
ling c5) intending lt:'lg3 and .ltd3. Michael Ad­
ams has shown that Black has good play by first
seizing the b 1 -h7 diagonal with 8 ... .ltf5 ! ? (D).
Although the bishop will remain slightly ex­
posed on g6, White gains no advantage. Let us
examine a few examples:
c 1 ) 9 lt:'lg3 .ltg6 I 0 .lte2 .l::i.e 8 1 1 0-0 .ltd6 1 2
f4 h6 1 3 f5 jt_h7 1 4 .ltd3 lt:'lbd7 1 5 'iff3 c6 and
Black does not have any great problems, Milov­
Adams, European Clubs Cup, Kerner 2007.
c2) 9 f3 h6 (9 . . . h5 !?) 1 0 tt::lg 3 .ltg6 I I .ltd3
.ltd6 1 2 lLlf5 lt:'lc6 ! with the idea of ...lt:'le7 to
contest White's control of the f5-square, Aro­
nian-Adams, Wijk aan Zee 2006.
8 c6
•••
It is possible to defend the d-pawn with
8 ...lt:'lbd7 and ... lt:'lb6, leaving open the possibil­
ity of breaking with ... c5 in one move. Further­
more, from b6 the knight can jump to c4. An
example: 9 .ltg2 lt:'lb6 1 0 0-0 l::i.e8 I I b3 i.f5 ! ?
1 2 f3 c5 ! 1 3 g4 ..tg6 1 4 tt::lf4 cxd4 1 5 exd4 I:tc8
with harmonious development and pressure
along the open files, Vera-Chandler, Novi Sad
Olympiad 1 990.
Another successful plan is to restrain the
queenside with ... a5 followed by ... tt::la6, which
practically limits both sides' play to the centre
and the kingside.
9 .lt g2 (D)
B
9 -tfS?!
.•.
This facilitates two of White's main ideas: the
central advance e4 and the wing expansion g4.
The experts prefer the scheme with . . .lt:la6
followed by . . .lt:'lc7, supporting the d-pawn, and
as soon as White plays f3 Black replies with
...c5. The move . . . a5 !? is also employed (before
... tt::la6 or following the manoeuvre ... tt::la6-c7)
preventing any ideas of b4 altogether. In some
positions, Black can even create counterplay
with the advance of his queenside pawns ( ... a5
and ... b5-b4) to dislodge the c3-knight and find
work for the queen's bishop on the a6-fl diago­
nal.
A basic idea is to respond to f3 with ... c5!
without fearing the creation of an isolated pawn
on d5, for White' s weakness on e3 would pro­
vide compensation.
10 f3
 RUBINSTEIN SYSTEM: 4 e3 0-0: VARIATIONS WITH liJe2 69

Preparing both e4 and g4. 15 t2Jxd4 tLlb6 16 f5 (D)

10...:i.e8?!
10 ... c5 !? is indicated, since once White has
played 1 0 f3 the pressure on the d5-pawn is re­
duced and e3 is weakened. B
11 0-0 c5?
One move later and this advance is no longer
any good, since White has castled and Black,
with his previous move, has weakened the f7-
square. After the provocative 1 l .. ..itd6 ! ? 1 2 e4
dxe4 1 3 fxe4 .itxe4 1 4 :i.xf6 .itxg2 1 5 l:i.xd6
'i'xd6 16 'it>xg2 tLld7, Gunnarsson-J.Rodriguez,
Leipzig Olympiad 1 960, Black has a rook and a
pawn for two pieces, and the white king is
somewhat exposed, but White can retain a slight
advantage by means of the manoeuvre tLlgl -f3,
'i'b3, iH4 and :!.fl . 16 ii.c8 17 g6!?
•••

12 g4! (D) The break 1 7 f6 !? gxf6 1 8 �h5 ! is even

stronger.
17 t2Jc6?!
.•.

It is necessary to eliminate the attacking

pawns by 1 7 ... hxg6! 1 8 fxg6 fxg6 19 tLlxd5 !
tLlxd5 20 �b3 <;.t>h7 2 1 jg_xd5 Sg_f6 ! , with good
survival chances.
18 gxf7+ <;.t>xf7 19 tLlxdS!
A pretty combination based on Black's weak
king and lack of coordination.
19 t2Jxd5 20 �h5+! <;.t>r6
.•.

Worse was 20 ... <;.t>f8 2 1 .itxd5 �xd5 22 tLle6+

Implementing the second plan in this posi­
tion: expansion on the kingside.
.itxe6 23 fxe6+ and the queen drops.
21 t2Je6
It is natural that there should be more than
one way to win. For example, 2 1 b4 ! tLle5 22
jg_b2 and the pin is fatal.
2I. .itxe6 22 fxe6+ <;.t>xe6 23 :i.d1 (D)
••

12...jg_e6
Jf 1 2 ... .itg6, White takes advantage of the
underdefended queen's pawn and the bishop's
exposed position by 1 3 g5 t2Jfd7 14 f4 ! tLlb6 1 5 B
dxc5 jg_xc5 1 6 tLlg3 ! and the bishop on g6 is in
trouble.
13 g5 t2Jfd7
Equally after 1 3 ... tLlh5 14 f4 White gains the
advantage.
14 f4!
Threatening f5 and putting pressure on d5.
14 cxd4?!
•.•

This move allows the knight to reach d4 with­

out loss of time. It was better to play 14 ... t2Jb6.
70 CHESS EXPLAINED: THE N!MZO-[NDIAN
White regains the piece without abandoning
the hunt of the black king. The game is decided.
23 ..td6 24 �xd5+ <i;e7 25 ..th3 ..te5 26
•••
�c5+ ..td6 27 �d5 ..te5 28 "i¥e6+ <t;rs 29
1!xd8 l:i.axd8 30 "i¥f5+ ..tf6 3 1 'ifc2 ll'le5 32
..tg2 .l:i.c8 33 "i¥xh7 l:!.cd8 34 �c2 llc8 35 �b3
lled8 36 ..td2 1-0
Conclusions
The move-order 4 ... 0-0! against the Rubinstein
seems to me to be the most flexible and practi­
cal.
If White plays 5 a3 immediately (as in Game
1 2), Black does well to choose the formation
with ...c5 and after the typical development of
the queenside, bringing the knight to a5 and the
bishop to a6, put immediate pressure on the c4-
pawn. It is very important to remember Capa­
blanca's manoeuvre ... ll'le8 ! , which not only
avoids the deadly ..tg5 pin but also leaves the f­
pawn free to neutralize the advance of the white
pawns. Both . . .f5 and .. .f6 are giving good prac­
tical results. The struggle here is quite equal.
After 5 ..td3 d5, White can once again em­
ploy 6 a3 (we saw this in Game 1 3), but after
6 ... ..txc3+ 7 bxc3 dxc4 ! Black ensures that the
centre will not be completely closed and then
proceeds to lay siege there with ...c5 and in
some cases ... e5 . 1t is essential to remember that
the manoeuvre ... b6 followed by ... ..ta6 to ex­
change the light-squared bishops greatly re­
lieves the black position and limits White's
attacking possibilities. If White hides his bishop
on a2, Black obtains good play by bringing his
bishop to c4 with help of the knight on a5. In
this variation Black also has sufficient resources
to maintain the balance.
The line in which White, with his knight on
e2, allows the creation of an isolated pawn on
d4 (covered in Game 1 5 ) is no longer so popu­
lar, although it continues to be dangerous. Keep
in mind Tal ' s idea of retreating his bishop to d6
to neutralize the attack with ...�4. Remember
how Black puts pressure on the isolated queen's
pawn with ...�c7 and ....l:!.d8 and how the block­
ade can be strengthened with ... ll'lce7. Impor­
tant: do not underestimate the white attack! In
this variation the white queen quickly reaches
the kingside and can create serious threats with
the support of the other pieces.
The apparently passive line where White
takes on d5 and adopts a set-up with ..ltd3 and
ll'le2 (see Game 14) needs careful handling.
White's plans are very varied and Black must
pay attention to White's e4 break and kingside
attack. The direct transfer of the queen towards
the kingside with �e l -h4 can be neutralized in
two ways: with ... ..te7 or with the defensive
manoeuvre ... ll'le7-g6, both designed to force
the white queen to retreat. Recently White has
preferred waiting plans, in which he keeps his
pawn-structure intact (without f3) and even de­
lays castling, but here too Black has sufficient
resources.
When White plays 5 ll'le2 (we examined this
in Game 1 6), the best response is 5 ...d5 ! and af­
ter 6 a3 ..te7 7 cxd5 exd5 White has various op­
tions leading to different types of positions,
which are difficult to classify. As in other varia­
tions, Black must wait for the correct moment
to break with . . .c5. If White fianchettoes his
bishop, Black has several plans available, among
which I would highlight the plan of bringing
the queen's knight to b6, with the idea of break­
ing with . . . c5 at an appropriate moment, and the
plan of developing the knight on a6, with or
without the restraining move ... a5. Black should
be cautious about bringing his queen's bishop
into play, so that it does not just help White's
expansion in the centre or on the kingside. This
line, on account of its fluid and manoeuvring
character, continues to be one of White's main
weapons against the Nimzo-Indian.
5 Ru binstein System:
4 e3 0-0 with �d3 and ttJf3

Introduction

In this chapter we shall study White's most natural development in the Rubinstein System. White
brings his pieces to their natural squares with ..id3 and CLJf3, followed by castling, without clarify­
ing the situation in the centre. A typical move-order is I d4 CLJf6 2 c4 e6 3 CLJc3 .ib4 4 e3 0-0 5 ..id3
d5 6 CLJf3 c5 7 0-0. Against this, Black can choose from various set-ups, but I have concentrated on
the flexible Parma Variation (7 . . . dxc4 and . . . CLJbd7 ! ?), a favourite of Nimzo-Indian experts such as
Anand and Adams. We shall also see the variation in which Black maintains his centre and plays in
a natural manner with 7 ...CLJc6 !?.

The Games

In Game 17 (Kamsky-Elianov), White, using Bronstein's old idea 9 �b3, tries to obtain the bishop­
pair without altering his pawn-structure, but Black's accurate play brought to light White's prob­
lems in bringing the c ! -bishop into play. Seeing himself completely tied down, Kamsky sacrificed
a pawn to change the character of the game and bring his bishops to life, but he failed to achieve suf­
ficient counterplay and lost in the end. In this game we shall also see the positions that arise after
White continues his development with natural moves such as 9 �e2 and I 0 .l:i.d I .

In Bernasek-Ragger (Game 18), White employed the most traditional move in the Rubinstein
System, 9 a3, seeking an immediate clarification of the position of the black bishop. After 9 ... cxd4
10 axb4 dxc3 I I bxc3 �c7 ! a peculiar pawn-structure arose, in which White chose the promising
pawn sacrifice 1 2 .lie2 !? obtaining a lot of compensation, as is usual in this variation. Later inaccu­
racies by Black allowed White to round off the game with a brilliant attack.

If Black is not satisfied with the positions that arise after 9 a3 cxd4 I 0 axb4 ! ? then a good alter­
native is 9 ... .ia5 !?, which was employed in Zilberman-Babula (Game 19). Black delays the cap­
ture ... cxd4 to limit White's options and waits for the right moment to capture with ... cxd4 and
... ..ixc3, leaving White with an isolated pawn-couple on c3 and d4. In this game we shall see the
typical struggle between White's bishop-pair on one side and Black's better pawn-structure on the
other. After some instructive manoeuvres, Black embarked upon a risky central break which was
objectively unfavourable to him, but in the complex tactical position that arose, White failed to
cope with the turn of events and was decisively beaten.

In Game 20 (Korotylev-Zakhartsov), Black chooses another method of play, which consists of

completing his development with 7 ...CLJc6 without relieving the central tension. Here we shall look at
the various ways for both sides to handle this position. We shall see how, after White obtains the two
bishops, Black has good resources for keeping the position sufficiently closed to neutralize them.
72 CHESS EXPLAINED: THE NIMZO-INDIAN

White succeeded in opening the position with the e4 break, but in doing so he had to exchange his
light-squared bishop for the annoying e4-knight and, while White controlled the dark squares, his op­
ponent became the master of the light squares. A final tactical skirmish ended in a draw - a fair result.

Game 1 7 [ E5 5]
Gata Kamsky - Pavel Elianov
Montreal 200 7

1 d4 lbf6 2 c4 e6 3 lbc3 ..ltb4 4 e3 0-0 5 ..ltd3 d5
6 lbf3
The classical way of developing: the bishop
goes to d3 and the knight occupies its natural
square, followed by kingside castling.
6 c5 7 0-0 dxc4 8 ..ltxc4 lbbd7!? (D)
•••
w d4 later and play against the isolated pawn. The
This pattern of development is known as the
Parma Variation and at the moment it is one of
the most popular among the world elite. Black
wants to complete his queenside development
with ... b6, ... ..ltb7 and . . ..l:Ic8 and is ready, at the
right moment, to play against an isolated pawn
after a timely ...cxd4 or against an isolated
pawn-couple after ... cxd4 and ... ..ltxc3.
The flexible 8 ... lbbd7 !? keeps the central
tension so as not to help the c 1 -bishop develop,
which is a frequent strategic theme in the Rubin­
stein System.
9 'tlVb3
This move of Bronstein's has experienced a
great boom in the last few years. The queen is
activated and vacates the d 1 -square for the rook.
It also aims to gain the bishop-pair without any
great alteration to the pawn-structure.
The main alternatives are 9 'tlVe2 and 9 a3!?;
the latter move will be analysed in Games 18
and 1 9.
With 9 iYe2 and 1 0 lid 1 , White mobilizes his
major pieces and threatens to open the centre
with d5 or dxc5. It is possible to play 9 .id3 fol­
lowed by 10 'tlVe2 or vice versa, but Black con­
tinues with the mobilization of his queenside
( ... b6, .....ltb7 and . . ..l:!.c8) in order to capture on
exchange on d4 is postponed for as long as
possible, to hinder the development of the c 1 -
bishop, although White can create problems
with the advance d5. Let us see some lines after
9 �e2 b6:
a) 1 0 d5 !? (giving rise to a forced variation
in which White wins two pawns and in return
Black develops a strong initiative on the king­
side, based on pinning the f3-knight and later
weakening White's castled position) 1 0... i..xc3
(following 1 0...exd5? l l lbxd5 the b4-bishop is
left out of play) 1 1 dxe6 lbe5 ! 1 2 exf7+ (less
ambitious is 12 bxc3?! lbxf3+ 1 3 �xf3 i..xe6
with equality) 1 2 ...�h8 1 3 bxc3 1Lg4! 14 e4
�e7 ! (D).
w
 RUBINSTEIN SYSTEM: 4 e3 0-0 WITH ii..d3 AND li:Jj3
Threatening ... ltJxc4 and . . .�xe4. For the
moment Black is two pawns down, but if he re­
gains them, his queenside pawn-majority will
grant him a slight advantage in the endgame.
However, the threats against the white king are
more serious once the pawns on the f-file are
doubled. 1 5 .U.e l (defending e4) 1 5 ... b5 ! (de­
flecting the bishop from the defence of f7) 1 6
..txb5 ltJh5! with excellent counterplay.
b) It is more prudent to play 1 0 .l::td l cxd4
(with the rook on d l the d5 advance would be
stronger) I I exd4 i.b7 (D).
Black has a satisfactory position. The stan­
dard plan is to exchange the bishop for the
knight on c3, making the d5 advance impossible,
and play against White's isolated pawn-couple.
The black queen goes to c7 and the rooks to c8,
e8 or d8, while his bishop is very strong on the
long diagonal. Later he can weaken White's
structure even more with the advance ... e5 or
blockade White's pawns using the d5- and c4-
squares. When the queen is on c7 White will
have to be alert to the threat of . . .ltJg4 ! .
If White begins the manoeuvre i.g5-h4-g3 to
harass the queen on c7 along the h2-b8 diago­
nal, this will be met by ... ltJh5 ! when the bishop
is on h4, which paralyses that plan and at the
same time threatens to establish a strong knight
on f4. Naturally, White also has his trumps, be­
cause his greater central control gives him an
advantage in space, and after Black takes with
.....txc3 he will also have the bishop-pair and
the plan of a4-a5 to break up Black's queenside
structure.
73
9...cxd4! (D)
This natural move had escaped the attention
of both the theoreticians and the grandmasters,
who preferred 9 ... �e7 or 9 ... a6 1 0 a4 �e7.
w
At first sight, White will now attain the main
objective of �b3, since he gains the bishop­
pair with a symmetrical pawn-structure.
10 �xb4
The natural response, retaining a healthy
pawn-structure. However, the Ukrainian grand­
master will show with some subtle moves that
White's difficulties in bringing the c l -bishop
into play give Black equal chances.
A less classical, but perhaps better, move is
1 0 exd4 !?. Now the most prudent course is to
retreat the bishop and continue with the tradi­
tional manoeuvre ... ltJb6 followed by ... i.d7
and ... i.c6, regardless of the fact that White
eliminates this bishop with ltJe5 and ltJxc6 -
since Lasker-Capablanca, World Ch ( 1 2), Ha­
vana 1 92 1 , it has been known that Black's
chances in this type of structure, where a back­
ward pawn on c6 confronts another isolated
pawn on d4, are fully acceptable. For example:
I O ... i.e7 ! (worse is 1 0 ... i.xc3? ! 1 1 bxc3 b6 1 2
lbg5 ! and the threat of ltJxf7 gives White a dan­
gerous initiative, Topalov-Ponomariov, Vitoria
Gasteiz 2007) 1 1 Itel lLlb6 1 2 i.e2 i.d7 1 3
lbe5 i.c6 ! 1 4 lLlxc6 bxc6 1 5 i.e3 ltJfd5 1 6
.U.adl ltJxe3 1 7 fxe3 l:tb8 and Black creates
counterplay on the b-file and against White's
central pawns, Liascovich-Vescovi, Buenos Ai­
res 2005.
10...dxc3 1 1 �xc3 �c7! (D)
 74 CHESS EXPLAINED: THE NIMZO-INDIAN

A universal move which pins the c4-bishop 16...ct:'lxb3 17 axb3

and generates threats against White's castled There will be problems developing the c ) ­
position, in combination with the emergence of bishop after 1 7 �xb3 l:i.fd8 1 8 f3 e4 !.
the bishop on b7 and the jump of the knight to 17 l:i.fd8 18 l:i.e1
.•.

g4. Vacating the fl -square for the bishop. If 1 8

12 �b3 b4, then 1 8 . . .�c2 ! would be quite awkward.
Naturally it is not good for White to ex­ 18 a5!
•.•

change the queens and saddle himself with the Leaving the white queen out of play and pre­
worse pawn-structure by 1 2 .1i.e2?! �xc3 1 3 paring the exchange of the light-squared bish­
bxc3 ctJe4, while after 1 2 .1i.d2 ctJe4! Black ops with ... .1i.a6. It is curious how with quite
equalizes completely. simple moves Black has managed to dominate
12 b6 13 .1Le2
•.• the position, preventing the enemy bishops from
White has retained the bishop-pair, but this becoming active. Kamsky reacts in the best
has been achieved at the expense of develop­ way, sacrificing the e-pawn to bring his posi­
ment. After 1 3 .1i.d2 ct:'lc5 1 4 �c2 .1i.b7 Black tion to life.
threatens .. ..�:Jg4 and ... .1Le4 or ... .1i.xf3. 19 e4 .1Lxe4 20 Si.gS (D)
13... .1i.b7 14 ctJd4?!
Parrying the threat of ...ctJg4 and preparing
the central occupation by f3 and e4, which
would leave the b7-bishop dead, but Black is B
going to forestall him in the centre, taking ad­
vantage of the fact that White has not com­
pleted his development. The modest 1 4 .1i.d2
ct:'lc5 1 5 �b4 ! ctJfe4 1 6 .U.fc I a5 1 7 �a3 ctJxd2
1 8 ctJxd2 .1i.d5 was preferable, with equality.
14 ct:'lc5! 15 �a3 eS! (D)
.•.

Black takes the initiative. This pawn will be­

come a spearhead which will completely re­
strain White's play.
16 ctJb3
If 1 6 ctJb5 , then 16 ...�c6 1 7 f3 .1i. a6 1 8 �b4
e4! hindering e4, which leaves the c l -bishop 20 h6!
•..

shut in. After 1 6 ctJf5 l:i.fd8 1 7 f3 e4! once again Clarifying the position; White decides to give
White has difficulties completing his develop­ up one of his valuable bishops in return for
ment. weakening Black 's castled position a little. But
 RUBINSTEIN SYSTEM: 4 e3 0-0 WITH .il.d3 AND tDj3
the white forces are too far away to worry the
black king.
21 l:'!.acl �b7 22 .1Lxf6
Forced, since Black was attacking g2.
22...gxf6 23 .1Lfl l:'!.d4! (D)
Game 1 8 [ E55]
Jan Bernasek - Markus Ragger
Mitropa Cup, Szeged 2007
1 d4 CDf6 2 c4 e6 3 Cbc3 ..ib4 4 e3 0-0 5 ..id3 c5
6 ctJf3 d5 7 0-0 dxc4 8 Jl.xc4 CDbd7!? 9 a3!? (D)
This is Kramnik's favourite move in this po­
sition and the one that seems to cause Black the
most problems.
9...cxd4
The main move, though 9 . ..ia5 !? is also
. .
good, as we shall see in the next game. The
75
Black not only has an extra pawn, but he also
controls the dark squares and is preventing the
white queen from getting back into play.
24 b4!?
Kamsky sacrifices another pawn to activate
his queen and try to create some sort of threat
against Black's weakened castled position.
24 .l:'!.xb4! 25 .l:'!.c4
•.•
To activate his bishop but, two pawns down,
every exchange of pieces brings the end closer.
25 l:'!.xc4 26 ..ixc4 cJ;;g7 27 h4 ..ig6 28 �g3
•••
h5 29 l:'!.d1
White has not achieved anything for his sacri­
ficed pawns and the rest is a matter of technique.
29...�c7 30 ..ie2 c,i;;h7 3 1 �f3 .l:'!.d8 32 l:'!.e1
After 32 �xf6 .l:'!.xd l + 33 ..ixd l �c l 34 �f3
�xb2 the passed pawns decide.
32...l:'!.d6 33 b3 �c5 34 g3 cJ;;g7 35 ..ia6 b5
36 .1Lb7 l:'!.d3 0-1
capture 9 . ..ixc3?! is less sensible because it
. .
strengthens the white centre, while the black
knight on d7 neither puts pressure on d4 nor
hinders the advance a4-a5 . Then 1 0 bxc3 b6 I I
..id3 ..ib7 1 2 .l:'!.e I ! (D) is the most logical for­
mation for White, who wishes to advance in the
centre (e4), releasing his dark-squared bishop
and generating ominous threats on the king­
side.
76 CHESS EXPLAINED: THE NIMZO-!NDIAN
Now:
a) I2 ... tt:'le4 has also been played but after
I 3 i.b2, followed by c4, White is a little better
since he can aim for a4-a5 or simply improve
his pieces with !lac I and exchange the black
knight on e4 with tt:'ld2.
b) If I 2 . . . e5 White plays 1 3 e4 ! and devel­
ops his bishop to g5 with a slight advantage, be­
cause with the disappearance of Black's central
pawns the bishop-pair and central superiority
give White the advantage.
c) I 2 . . . i.e4, opposing White's planned ad­
vance and offering the exchange of bishops,
gives White a choice between I3 i.fl ! ?, retain­
ing the bishops and preparing tt:'ld2 and f3, and
I 3 ..i.xe4 ! ? tt:'lxe4 I 4 �d3 ! , followed by I 5 c4
and I 6 i.b2, and while White has prospects in­
volving d5 or opening the queenside with a4-
a5, Black is rather passive and lacks a plan.
10 axb4
After I 0 exd4?! i.xc3 ! ? I I bxc3 'W/c7 ! Black
reaches, with an extra tempo, the hanging pawns
position of Game 1 9, and continues with the
typical plan ( ...b6, . . .i.b7, . . .l!ac8, etc.).
10 dxc3 11 bxc3 (D)
•.•
White has obtained the bishop-pair with a
relatively healthy structure (without hanging
pawns in the centre or an isolated pawn), and if
can complete his development untroubled he
will have the advantage.
l l �c7!
...
Essential. Black must exploit the momentary
lack of coordination among the white forces and
exert pressure on the bishop and the c-pawn. If
he manages to prevent the c4 advance and place
a minor piece on that square he will not have
any problems. I I ... b6 is weaker, since both 1 2
�d6! ? and I 2 ..i.e2, followed b y c4 and .ib2,
give White the advantage.
12 ..i.e2!?
This powerful pawn sacrifice, an idea of GM
Guillermo Garcia, is the most energetic. White
organizes his pieces in the best way and for this
he must make this small investment of material.
Instead, I 2 �e2 tt:'lb6 ! 1 3 i.d3 e5, followed
by l 4 ... i.e6 and ... i.c4, gives White nothing,
but 1 2 'i¥b3 !? is very interesting and has been
debated at the highest level; e.g ., I 2 .. .<'2Jb6! 13
i.e2 e5 ! I4 l:.a5 ( 1 4 c4 fails to l4 ... ..i.e6 15 .ib2
tt:'lxc4 I6 .l:r.fc l tt:'lxb2! with equality) I4... .ie6
1 5 �c2 tt:'lbd7 1 6 c4 (D).
B
l 6. . . b6 ! 1 7 :a6 (the most incisive; if l 7 l'r.a3,
then I7 ... M.fc8 I 8 tt:'ld2 b5 ! 1 9 c5 a5 ! with good
counterplay) I7 ... 1:rfc8 I 8 '2ld2 and now the sim­
plest is I 8 ... i.d5 ! followed by ... i.b7 and ...a5 !
(Rogozenko-I.Farago, Hamburg 2002); Black
conquers the c5-square for the knight and cre­
ates a passed pawn on a5.
12 tt:'ld5!? (D)
•.•
The other way to take the pawn, I 2 .. ."iVxc3,
has fallen into disuse because White obtains fan­
tastic compensation after I 3 i.a3, followed by
�b i , l!fc l and i.d3, as in Kramnik-Kasparov,
World Ch ( I 2), London 2000. I 3 l:tbi , followed
by i.b2, has also yielded excellent results; e.g.,
1 3 . . .�c7 I4 i.b2 a6 I 5 l:tc l �b6 (Potkin­
Alexandrov, Abu Dhabi 2005) I 6 �a4 ! gives
White strong pressure.
 RUBINSTEIN SYSTEM: 4 e3 0-0 WITH i..d3 AND Ci'Jj3
If Black does not capture on c3, White sim­
ply continues with his plan (c4 and .1l..b 2) and
enjoys a small advantage without risk.
13 .1i..b2
M .Gurevich preferred 1 3 c4 !? lL!c3 (certainly
not 1 3 ...4:Jxb4? 1 4 .ia3 !) 1 4 'iVc2 lDxe2+ 1 5
'lixe2. Although Black has eliminated one of
the enemy bishops and can easily complete his
development with 1 5 ... b6 1 6 .1l.. b2 .ib7 17 �fd I
�fd8, he must be careful, since after 1 8 lDh4!
White threatens the lonely black king. How­
ever, according to Gurevich, Black holds the
balance with 1 8 ...lDf8 1 9 b5 a6! and the queen­
side pawns are exchanged.
Another, rather strange, way of sacrificing
the c-pawn is 1 3 ..ll.d3 !? 'iVxc3 14 �a3 'iVf6
(14...'ihb4 !?) 1 5 'iVc2 h6 16 b5 lDb4 1 7 .11..h7+
'tt>h8 1 8 'it'bl aS ! with a position that is hard to
assess, Aronian-Topalov, Morelia/Linares 2006.
13 lL!xc3 (D)
.•.
77
14 'iVd2!?
A new approach to the position. White re­
tains the strong dark-squared bishop, leaving
his opponent far behind in development. These
factors, combined with the pressure exerted by
the a) -rook, give sufficient compensation for
the pawn.
14 .11.. xc3 'iVxc3 1 5 'it'd6 has been played on
various occasions but the game is greatly sim­
plified after 1 5 ... 'iVc6 !.
14 4:Jxe2+ 15 'iVxe2 lL!b6
•..
Removing this defensive knight from the
kingside proves fatal. It seems more natural to
continue 1 5 ... b6 ! ? , although then White can
maintain the pressure with 1 6 l!ac I ! ? or 1 6
�fd l !?.
16 �fcl 'it'd8 17 �d1 'it'e7
After 1 7 ... .id7 1 8 lDe5 or 1 8 .1i..d4 !? White's
pressure is intense.
18 ..ll.d4! 'iVxb4 19 l:Idb1 (D)
Black has won a second pawn, but he is
walking a tightrope because White has threats
on both wings.
19 'it'c4 20 'iVb2
•.•
Maintaining the threat of .ixb6 and attack­
ing g7 .
20 lDa4 21 'iVd2
•.•
Stronger was 2 1 'iVa3 ! b5 22 �b4 'iVc6? 23
.ixg7 ! with advantage.
21...'iVc6?!
It was essential to give the knight immediate
support with 2 1 ... b5! although White has com­
pensation after 22 e4 !.
22 'iVa5!
78 CHESS EXPLAINED: THE NIMZO-IND/AN

The queen attacks a4 and generates hidden

threats on the kingside.
22 b5 23 lixb5 i.d7?
•••

This allows a beautiful finish. It was essential

to block the action of the b2-bishop with the in­
genious 23 .. .f6! 24 �xa4 i.d7 25 l:i.b4 'iVxa4 26
libxa4 i.xa4 27 lixa4 lifc8 and White has the
advantage in the endgame but Black is not with­
out counterplay, based on White's momentary
passivity and the presence of the passed pawn.
24 :g5 f6 (D)
25 .l:.xg7+! ! �h8
Instead, 25 . . . �xg7 1oses to 26 'iVg5+ �h8 (if
26 ... �f7, then 27 i.xf6! and there is no defence
against lt:'le5+ or 'iVg7+) 27 i.xf6+ .l:!xf6 28 .1xe5+. In both cases Black faces catastrophic
'iVxf6+ �g8 29 lL'le5 !. loss of material.
26 �g5! 'i¥d5 27 .Mg8+! 1-0
There was no salvation in 26 ... e5 27 lt:'lxe5 ! And mate in two. A perfectly executed at­
fxg5 28 lt:'lxc6, nor in 26 ... fxg5 27 .l:tg6+ e5 28 tack.

Game 1 9 [ E5 5]
Vaacov Zilberman - Vlastimil Babula
Pardubice 2007

1 d4 lL'lf6 2 c4 e6 3 lL'lc3 i.b4 4 e3 0-0 5 i.d3 d5
6 'Llf3 c5 7 0-0 dxc4 8 i.xc4 lt:'lbd7!? 9 a3
i.a5!? (D)
This retreat, retaining the bishop for the time
being, is Adams's favourite. Obviously I 0 dxc5?
is not good for White because his structure
would be seriously damaged after I O ... i.xc3 !
1 1 bxc3 'Llxc5 .
9 . . .i.a5 ! ? and also the previous 8 ... ctJbd7 are
flexible moves, designed to limit White's op­
tions. In general, Black wants to play ... cxd4
and then ... i.xc3, to leave White with hanging
pawns, but delaying these captures deprives
White of the characteristic plans of that struc­
ture, such as immediately bringing the bishop
out to g5, followed by .l::!.c I ; neither does it
make much sense to play 10 l:i.el while the e­
file remains closed. Furthermore, the move­
order 9 ....1a5 ! ? followed by ...cxd4 avoids the
variation 9 ... cxd4 1 0 axb4 ! ? seen in the previ­
ous game.
10 'iVe2
The most natural continuation.
An alternative is I 0 .ii.d2, but then Black con­
tinues with the idea of giving White an isolated
pawn-couple by I O ... cxd4 I I exd4 (White gains
no advantage with I I lt:'lxd4 lt:'le5 1 2 .ii.e 2 i.d7
because his bishop is passive on d2 and Black
has easy development) l l ... .ii.xc3 ! ? 1 2 bxc3 (if
he plays 1 2 .1xc3 the blockade of the isolated
pawn with 1 2 ... lt:'lb6, ... lt:'lbd5 and ... b6 ! ? or
 RUBINSTEIN SYSTEM: 4 e3 0-0 WITH il..d3 AND ti:JJ3
12 ... b6 ! ? followed by ... �b7 ensures pleasant
play for Black) 1 2 ... b6 1 3 �e2 �b7 14 �d3 �c7
15 l:tfe I and now with 1 5 . . .l:tac8 or 1 5 . . .l:tfe8
we reach the type of position that we have dis­
cussed, where the play is balanced.
White can try to leave the bishop out of play
on a5 with I 0 CLJb5, but after I O ... cxd4 I I �xd4
(if I I CLJbxd4 Black takes the centre with l l ... e5 !
12 tt'lb5 e4 1 3 CLJd2 CL'Je5) I l . . .�b6 1 2 �h4 a6!
13 tt'lbd4 l:te8 14 b4 CLJf8 (threatening . . . e5) 1 5
tileS CLJ6d7 ! and the ensuing exchanges equal­
ize the struggle, Wells-Adams, London 2007.
10...cxd4!
Now that White cannot capture on b4 as in
the previous game, Black takes on d4 and c3,
reaching the pawn-structure with an isolated
pawn-couple on c3 and d4.
Note that the tempo lost with ... �a5 has only
helped White to place a pawn on a3, which is no
help to him and could even be a weakness,
since it is easier for Black to attack and prevents
the possible development of the queen's bishop
to a3.
1 1 exd4 �xc3 12 bxc3 �c7! (D)
This position can be reached by different
move-orders. The most usual pattern of devel­
opment is . . . b6, ... �b7, ...l:!.ac8 and . . . l:!.fe8,
while White must bring his bishop to d3, his
rooks to the centre and the queen's bishop to g5
or b2. Generally speaking, chances are equal.
13 i.d2
White defends the c3-pawn before retreat­
ing the bishop from c4. It is possible to post­
pone the development of the queen' s bishop and
79
play 1 3 �d3 immediately, sacrificing the pawn,
but Black can decline the offer and continue
with his development plan ( 1 3 ... b6 followed by
... �b7 and ... l:tac8) because the capture of the
pawn would give White many tempi.
White can also defend c3 with 13 �b2 and
then play �d3 and c4, although in that case
White loses control of the f4-square, which
Black could use for his queen, threatening
... �xf3, or a knight.
l3...b6 14 l:tfe1 i.b7 15 i.d3 (D)
B
15 l:tac8
•.•
The eternal problem of where to place the
rooks. As I understand it, this is the correct
square for this rook and the king's rook should
go to e8. However, C arlsen preferred to place
them differently: 1 5 ...l:tfe8 16 c4 l:!.ad8 1 7 �g5
CL'Jf8 ! ? - an interesting idea; Black puts imme­
diate pressure on d4 and threatens to bring the
knight to f4 via g6. He will get doubled pawns
on the kingside, but in return the bishop-pair
disappears and White loses control of the f4-
square: 1 8 i.xf6 gxf6 1 9 i.e4? ! (a sacrifice
without foundation, since Black's kingside is
well defended; 1 9 .l:Iad 1 ! ? <tlg7 ! ? was prefera­
ble, with complex play) 1 9 . . . �xe4 20 �xe4
�xc4 and White has little compensation for the
pawn, Yusupov-Carlsen, Amsterdam 2006.
16 c4
White must stay on the alert, because one of
Black's plans is to set up a blockade of the iso­
lated pawn-couple using the light squares d5
and c4. For example, if I 6 lDe5, then 1 6 ... CL'Jxe5
1 7 dxe5 CLJd7 1 8 l:!.ad I �d5 ! .
80 CHESS EXPLAINED: THE NIMZO-INDIAN
16 :fd8
•••
Inaccurate; this rook should go to e8, where
it can support a possible ... e5 advance, after
... SLxf3. Furthermore, from e8 the rook pre­
vents the advance d5 .
17 .l:tacl "iVd6
One of Black's resources in this variation.
From d6, the queen attacks the a3- and d4-
pawns, creating the threat of . . . SLxf3 . Black
could also have made use of the rook's posi­
tion on d8 by 17 ...lt:Jf8 ! ?, attacking the queen 's
pawn.
18 SLb4 "iVf4! (D)
w 25 lt:Je4!?
One of the key squares in Black's strategy.
The threat is once again ... SLxf3.
19 "iVe3 lt:Jh5
A recurrent idea in this variation. From h5
the knight comes into play on f4. Another ap­
proach is 19 . . ."iYxe3 20 fxe3 (20 l1xe3 is met by
20 ...lt:Jd5 !) 20 ...lt:Jc5 2 1 SLfl lt:Jce4 with ap­
proximate equality.
20 SLe7!
White would not have had this possibility if
Black had placed the rook on e8.
20 Jle8 21 SLg5
.•
The bishop returns to cover the f4-square
and force Black's queen to make a decision.
21. .'ii'xe3
•
Here 2 1 . ..'iVd6! ? deserved consideration.
22 fxe3
White brings a pawn to the support of his
centre. Less ambitious was 22 SLxe3 lt:Jhf6 with
balanced play.
22 h6 23 iLh4 g6!?
•••
An interesting idea, but positionally risky.
Black wants to break on e5 and so prevents
SLf5 . The move has the drawback of substan­
tially weakening the dark squares on the king­
side, although it is unlikely that White could
launch a mating attack against the black king
without the queens on the board. Nevertheless,
weakening the dark squares, when you do not
have a dark-squared bishop, can be important
even in the endgame.
24 lt:Jd2
It is very logical to bring the knight to d6.
24 e5!?
•.•
Continuing with his plan. Now the threat is
25 ...exd4 26 exd4 SLxg2 followed by ... lt:Jf4+,
winning a pawn.
Entering complications. A more positional
approach is 25 d5 ! ?, restricting the action of the
b7-bishop.
25 exd4!? (D)
•••
Both players are prepared for the tactical
battle. In view of what follows, it can be stated
that the prudent 25 . . . SLxe4 was objectively the
correct move. After 26 SLxe4 lt:Jhf6 27 .id3
�g7 28 a4 the two bishops give White a slight
advantage, but the black position remains quite
solid.
26 lt:Jd6! lt:Jc5! 27 SLb1?
This was not the moment for slackening the
pace. It was essential to play 27 lt:Jxc8 ! lt:Jxd3 !
(now 27 ... SLxc8? is impossible due to 28 exd4!;
27 ....l:!xc8 is a little better but after 28 .i:tcd I
dxe3 29 .l:txe3 lt:Jxd3 30 :dxd3 .l:txc4 3 1 .i.e I !
 RUBINSTEIN SYSTEM: 4 e3 0-0 WITH j_dJ AND ti'Jj3 81

the white rooks would go on the offensive) 28 have maintained a very advantageous position
4Jd6 .l:!,b8 29 exd4 CLJxc I 30 .l:!,xc I g5 ! 3 1 .ie 1 by 38 . . ..l:!,d6! 39 ..ixd3 .l:!,f6+ 40 �g3 .l:!,f3+ 4 1
4Jf4 32 .l:!,c2 .i.c6 and White has the better end­ �g4 ..ib7 ! , with serious threats against the
ing. white king.
27 ...d3!
On d3, the pawn restricts the activity of the
white pieces.
28 .l:!,cdl?
It was better to play 28 .l:!,ed I ! to vacate the
el -square so that the bishop could reach b4, at­
tacking the knight.
28...g5 29 CLlxc8 .l:!,xc8 30 .i.f2 ..ie4 (D)

The position is a nightmare for White. The
bishops and the rooks can hardly move.
3I .l:!,fl
Vacating the e ! -square for the bishop.
3l...CLJg7
The only inactive piece starts to move.
32 .i.el lLJfS 33 �f2?!
It would be sad to play 33 .i.d2 h5, when
White could still hardly move, but the move in
the game allows another little tactic.
33 .i.xg2! 34 .l:!,gl .i.e4 35 .i.b4
..•
39 .l:!,b2?
Overlooking the shot 39 .l:!,xd3 ! .ixd3 40
.ixd3 , not only attacking the knight but also
threatening .i.h7+, winning the exchange. The
best then would be 40 ...CLlxh2 4 1 .i.h7+ �xh7
42 .l:!,xd8 CLJg4+ 43 �e2 and Black should lose,
because the a7-pawn drops and it is impossible
to stop the passed a-pawn supported by the
rook.
39 ...CLJe5
Attacking c4 and threatening ...CLlg4+ and
. . .CLJxe3 winning a third pawn for the exchange.
From now on everything is clear: the knight
continues to capture pawns while attacking the
white pieces.
40 ..ia2 CLlg4+ 41 �el CLJxe3 (D)

White has lost another pawn but at least he

has activated his bishop.
35....l:!,d8 36 .i.xc5 bxc5 37 .l:!,d2?!
White could have simplified the position to
reach a pawn-down rook ending by playing 37
.l:!,g4 ! ? CLJd6 3 8 ..ixd3 ..ixd3 39 .l:!,xd3 CLle4+ ! 40
.l:!,xe4 .l:!,xd3 4 1 h4 ! with some chances of salva­
tion.
37 CLJh4 38 .l:!,gdl CLJf3? (D)
•••

In strategically won positions, a tactical slip

can spoil all the previous work. Black could
82 CHESS EXPLAINED: THE NIMZO-INDIAN

42 l:tcl The advance of the black pawns decides the

White could not manage to exchange the
black rook with 42 k!dbl 'Llc2+ 43 �d2 'Llxa3,
when 44 l:tb8 fails to 44... 'Llxb l +. However,
passive defence is also hopeless.
42 'Llf5 43 �d2 'Lld4 44 �bl fS
.•.
game.
45 l:tfl 'Llf3+ 46 �c3 �g7 47 I::td l d2 48
�c2 �g6 49 a4 g4 50 aS hS 51 I::tbS h4 52
.l:!.xcS g3 53 hxg3 hxg3 54 �xe4 fxe4 55 .!':!.c6+
�fS 56 k!c7 g2 0-1

Game 2 0 [ E58]
Alexei Korotylev - Viacheslav Zakhartsov
Russian Ch, Krasnoiarsk 200 7

I d4 'Llf6 2 c4 e6 3 'Llc3 �b4 4 e3 0-0 5 �d3 dS
6 'Llf3 cS 7 0-0 'Llc6
This developing move leads to one of the
most important positions in the Rubinstein Sys­
tem. Both sides fight for the centre with the
most natural moves, and in contrast to the pre­
vious games, Black does not try to ease the cen­
tral tension by exchanging pawns.
8 a3 (D)
B b8, and thus he had available the excellent se­
then I 4 gxf3 �h3 15 e4 with a lot of compen­
sation for the exchange in the shape of his
bishop-pair and strong central pawns) 14 gxf3
'iVxd5 I 5 �e2 'iVxc5 1 6 i.b2, practice has
shown that White's bishops are worth more
than Black's better pawn-structure.
9 bxc3 'iVc7!? (D)
If Black instead first takes on c4 by 9 ... dxc4
1 0 �xc4 and then plays I O ...'iVc7, we reach a
position very similar to that of Game 1 3, after
the 8th move, but with one fundamental differ­
ence: in that position Black had his knight on
quence . . . b6 and ... �a6, bringing about an ex­
change of light-squared bishops or else gaining
command of the active a6-fl diagonal.
At any rate, Black can play 9 ... dxc4 I 0 i.xc4
'iVc7 and continue with the plan of putting pres­
sure on d4 by means of ... .l:!.d8 and ... e5, which
has been played on countless occasions with
good results. The advantage of the move-order
9 ... 'iVc7 is that it reduces White's possibilities.

This move is most in tune with White's in­

tentions: to gain the bishop-pair.
8 �xc3
•••

In the aftermath of Spassky-Fischer, World

Ch ( I ), Reykjavik 1 972, the move 8 ... �a5
gained a certain popularity, but today its status
has declined in view of the variation 9 cxd5 exd5
I 0 dxc5, which forces Black to play I O . . .�xc3
I I bxc3. Then Black generally completes his
development and creates play on the light
squares and the kingside with l l . . . �g4, but af­
ter I 2 c4 'Lle5 1 3 cxd5 �xf3 (if I 3 ...tt'lxf3+? !,
 RUBINSTEIN SYSTEM: 4 e3 0-0 WITH i.d3 AND ctJf3
10 cxdS
White needs to open the centre to make way
for his bishops, although with this exchange he
also frees the enemy bishop.
There are three alternatives. If 10 iLb2, then
1 0...tt::la5 ! forces White to capture on d5, after
which a fierce battle will rage for control of the
light squares and around the advance e4. Black
will try to prevent this and at the same time will
manoeuvre with the aim of exchanging the
light-squared bishops; for example, 1 1 cxd5
exd5 12 tt::le 5 c4 1 3 iLc2 tt::le 4! and the knight
goes to d6 to support a future exchange of bish­
ops on f5, while allowing the white knight on
e5 to be dislodged with . . .f6.
Another line is 10 'ife2?!, but then Black
takes advantage of the position of the queen to
play I O ... dxc4 1 1 ..ixc4 e5 !, with threats of
... .\1Lg4 or ... e4, followed by ... tt::l g4, with excel­
lent counterplay.
10 h3 ! ? is very interesting, because after
10 ... dxc4 1 1 iLxc4 e5, the pawn move is quite
useful. However, with IO ...tt::le7 !? Black reaches
an acceptable position, because in the event that
White takes on d5, the knight on e7 will support
.. .il..f5 , exchanging the light-squared bishops.
10 ..exd5 (D)
. clear plan of occupying the c- and b-files. Black
Some readers will be wondering: isn't this
the type of Botvinnik-Capablanca position (see
page 56) that Black is supposed to avoid? De­
spite the many similarities, there is one vital
difference in Black's favour: the position of the
knight on f3. With the knight on e2, White had
a very clear plan of central expansion with f3
83
and e4 to unleash his bishops, while here this
advance requires a lot of preparation by bring­
ing the knight to d2 or h4, followed by f3.
11 a4
Seeking a diagonal for the c ! -bishop. White
would like to transfer the f3-knight to f5, but af­
ter 1 1 tt::lh4, l l .. .tt::l e7 ! prevents both the j ump to
f5 and the move f3, which would be answered
with ... g5.
Another plan for activating the c ! -bishop is
to eliminate the central pawns with 1 1 dxc5 fol­
lowed by c4 at a suitable moment, but after
l l . ..i.. g4 12 i..e2 tt::le4 1 3 i.. b2 my recommen­
dation is 1 3 ... 1Ife8 ! ?, to have the knight pro­
tected, and then 1 4 'ifxd5 is not sensible in view
of 14 ...l:Iad8 with excellent play; if White pre­
pares c4 with 1 4 'ifc2, Black maintains the
blockade with 1 4 . . .tt::la5 !?.
l l ...l:Ie8
This is rather more flexible than the immedi­
ate l l ...c4 1 2 ..ic2 l:Ie8, which can give White
extra possibilities such as the immediate 1 3
tt::ld2.
12 iLa3 c4
The capture on d4 is ruled out, since this
would leave White with a strong centre and a
has to become strong on the light squares and
keep the game closed, so that the enemy bish­
ops, especially the one on a3, cannot increase
their activity.
13 iLc2 (D)
This very interesting position has arisen in
many master-level games. In compensation for
84 CHESS EXPLAINED: THE N!MZO-INDIAN
the bishop-pair, Black has more space and a de­
gree of control over the light squares, as well as
the queenside pawn-majority which could be
valuable in the endgame.
The whole strategy of the position revolves
round the e4-square. White tries to mobilize his
central majority, which is looking rather sad
right now, while Black opposes this by exerting
pressure along the e-file and creating threats on
the kingside with the pin ... i.g4, or the transfer
of a rook along the third rank. Ideally, White
would like to break on e4 with the support of a
pawn on f3, because in that way he would not
be giving Black any squares, but this is made
difficult by the presence of the knight on f3.
13 .'�a5! ? (D)
..
GM Tisdall's move, improving the position
of the queen by attacking c3, seems more pre­
cise than the immediate l 3 .. .<�'\e4, because the
inclusion of the moves l 3 ...�a5 and 1 4 �e l or
14 �c l favours Black.
l 3 ... .ig4 has the idea of bringing the bishop
to g6 ( ... i.h5-g6), but after the accurate move
14 �el !, with the idea of l 4... i.h5 15 lLih4 !
followed by f3, White will end up breaking on
e4 and exchanging his clumsy knight for Black's .
bishop, while if l4 . . . i.xf3 1 5 gxf3 �d7 1 6
'it>g2, careful play by White, first making his
king completely safe, will allow him in the long
term to exert pressure along the g-file and break
in the centre supported by the two bishops.
w 2004, sacrificed the pawn and obtained com­
14 �cl
White must defend c3 with the queen and
each of the two possible squares (el and c l ) are
worse positions than its present square d l . Af­
ter 1 4 �e I lbe4 I 5 i.xe4 l:txe4 it is difficult to
achieve the e4 break.
If, instead of capturing on e4, the bishop de­
fends with 1 5 .ib2, Black does well to prevent
White's expansion (lLih4 ! and f3) by means of
the precise l5 ...iVd8 ! , followed by ... .if5 with
good play.
14 ltJe4
•••
l4 ... .ig4 is possible, but the text-move is
more forcing.
15 .ixe4 .l:Ixe4 16 lLid2 .U.e8 17 e4! .ie6 (D)
This is probably the critical position of the
variation. Black maintains the blockade with­
out allowing the white pieces to become active
on the dark squares.
18 iVc2
Defending the a-pawn. Korotylev himself, in
a previous game against Grishchuk in Moscow
pensation after 1 8 e5 iVxa4 1 9 f4 ! ? .if5 20
.l:tf2! followed by lLifl-e3. However, if the queen
heads for home immediately (20 ...�a5 ! intend­
ing ... iVd8) the chances are equal.
18 dxe4 19 ltJxe4 .if5 20 f3 �d5
•.•
One of the advantages of l 3 ...�a5: the queen
can transfer easily to this comfortable square,
after which the game is equalized, since all the
black pieces are active and while White domi­
nates the dark squares, his opponent is strong
on the opposite colour.
21 I:tfe1 ltJa5
2 l .. ..l:i.e6!? and ... !Iae8 is an alternative worth
considering.
 RUBINSTEIN SYSTEM: 4 e3 0-0 WITH Ji.d3 AND 0Jj3
22 l:!.e3 l:!.e6 23 liael l:taeS 24 g4 i.g6 25
�f2 i.xe4 26 fxe4 tlxe4 (D)
It looks as if White is completely lost, but he
manages to save himself by combining the pin
and the weakness of Black's back rank.
27 "iYf3! .l:txe3 2S �xe3 �d7
28 . . .�d8 29 "iYd5 ! h6! is similar; White must
capture the piece.
29 �f5! �xa4 30 �xeS+ �xeS 31 �xa5
The draw is inevitable.
31..."�el + 32 �g2 �e2+ 33 �g3 'ife3+ 34
<;t>g2 lf2_lf2
Conclusions
The Parma Variation (7 ... dxc4 8 i.xc4 ltJbd7)
is a flexible system which restricts White's de­
velopment options and leads to different posi­
tions, depending on how White reacts.
If White develops normally with 'ife2 and
�d I (examined in the notes to Game I 7), Black
should capture with ... cxd4 and ... i.xc3, creat­
ing an isolated pawn-couple in the enemy camp.
Remember that the best formation for Black in
that case is to place the queen on c7, the bishop
on b7 and the rooks in the centre. Black's plans
include the use of the f4-square for the queen or
the knight, as well as the blockade of the white
pawns on the light squares c4 and d5. Also keep
85
in mind that at any moment Black can play
...ltJg4, creating the annoying threat of ... i.xf3.
Against Bronstein's idea 9 li'b3 (also Game
I 7), Black should capture immediately with
9 ... cxd4 and if White recaptures with the pawn,
Black should retreat the bishop to e7 and subse­
quently carry out the manoeuvre ... ltJb6 and
... i.d7-c6, establishing an iron grip on the d5-
square. Remember that if 1 0 �xb4 dxc3 I I
�xc3 Black obtains very good play with the
subtle I l .. .�c7 !, since this takes advantage of
White's difficulties in bringing his queen's
bishop into play. This is the fundamental theme
of Black's strategy.
The move 9 a3 can be answered by Black in
two ways: 9... cxd4 (Game 1 8) or 9 ... i.a5 !?
(Game I 9). The first brings about a strange po­
sition in which White has the dangerous pawn
sacrifice 1 2 i.e2 ! ?, which promises a lasting
initiative for the bishop-pair and pressure along
the open files, although Black has held out in
the majority of cases. In the line with I 2 �b3
Black has equalized with the plan of ... ltJb6,
followed by ... e5 and ... i.e6, trying to gain con­
trol of the c4-square. Both positions are worth
investigating.
9 ... i.a5 ! ? is more prudent, generally leading
to the positions with an isolated pawn-couple
that we mentioned above, which are completely
satisfactory for Black.
The line with 7 ... 4Jc6 (Game 20), maintain­
ing the centre with 9 ... �c7, is perfectly play­
able. After the exchange I 0 cxd5 exd5, and the
necessary advance . . . c4, remember that the
main thing is to prevent White from carrying
out the advance e4 under favourable conditions
and to be alert to the possible manoeuvres for
activating the f3-knight. A well-timed . . ."�a5 ! ?
can force the white queen to occupy a less fa­
vourable position (c l or e i ) and prepares the
transfer of the queen to the d5-square as soon as
White breaks with e4. Keep in mind that White
will try to support this break with moves such
as ltJh4 or ltJd2, followed by f3.
6 Fianchetto Variation:
4 g3 or 4 ttJf3 c5 5 g3

Introduction
This variation, which gained great popularity through Romanishin's successes with it in the 1 970s,
is very different from the other ways of playing against the Nimzo-Indian Defence. The position of
the bishop on g2 changes White's plans substantially and therefore also changes Black's plans.
Usually White plays for pressure on the long diagonal, making it very difficult for Black to de­
velop his queenside, especially the c8-bishop. In many variations, White sacrifices a pawn (gener­
ally the c-pawn) or ends up with an inferior pawn-structure but gains compensation in the form of
the pressure that the white pieces exert on the centre and especially on the queenside. In contrast to
other variations, where his light-squared bishop is on the bl -h7 diagonal, it is very unlikely that
White will obtain any attack on the kingside.
There are various ways to play against this system, although I shall focus on the most topical and
effective ones, in which Black tries to derive maximum benefit from the position of the white
bishop on g2 by immediately attacking the c4-pawn or by permanently destroying White's pawn­
structure on the queenside.
White has two move-orders leading to the Fianchetto: I d4 lL'lf6 2 c4 e6 3 tt:'lc3 �b4 4 g3 ! ? and 1
d4 lL'lf6 2 c4 e6 3 tt:'lc3 ..ib4 4 tt:'lf3 c5 ! ? 5 g3 !?.
If Black answers 4 tt:'lf3 with 4 ... b6 !?, this transposes to the Queen's Indian Defence, given ex­
cellent coverage in Chapter 6 of the book Chess Explained: The Queen 's Indian by Peter Wells.

The Games

In Game 21 (Vemay-Caruana) we shall see a very effective system which can be employed when
White plays the immediate 4 g3 and which consists of the immediate 4 . . .d5 and the subsequent cap­
ture on c4, taking advantage of the bishop's position on g2. This variation has much in common
with the Catalan Opening, but the position of the white knight on c3 and the black bishop on b4
works in Black's favour. On reaching the critical position (after 7 . . . tt:'lc6) White has various ways to
continue in addition to 8 a3 as played in the game, but there are two basic ideas:
• occupy the centre with e4 and complete development, placing the rooks in the centre (d l , e l ); or
• regain the pawn in some way.
For his part, Black should always consider defending his pawn by ... .l:i.b8 and ... b5, as well as the
manoeuvres ... tt:'ld5-b4-d3 or ... tt:'la5-b3 if White plays a3 at some point. In this game the young Ital­
ian/American GM presents one of the strongest plans against the dangerous 8 a3, which consists of
returning the bishop to e7, then the accurate manoeuvre ... tt:'la5-b3, followed by the immediate
break ...c5 ! .

A s White often plays the Fianchetto Variation beginning with the move-order I d4 lL'lf6 2 c4 e6 3
tt:'lc3 ..ib4 4 lL'lf3 c5 5 g3 ! ? it is important to know lines that include the move ... c5 !?. In Game 22
 FIANCHEITO VARIA TION: 4 g3 OR 4 CDf3 c5 5 g3 87

(Wojtaszek-Akopian) we shall see a very fashionable system in which Black completely destroys
White's queenside pawn-structure but in return has to withstand the early pressure of the bishop­
pair and in many cases the presence of a knight on d6. But with patient and accurate play, Black can
neutralize White ' s temporary advantages while retaining his own structural advantage. Akopian
did precisely this.

In the final game of the chapter we shall see the most classical system for combating the fian­
chetto, which has stood the test of time. After ... c5 and ... cxd4 Black simply breaks in the centre
with ... d5 ; White can capture on d5, followed either by 9 �d2 or the most topical move 9 �b3.
White can also castle, sacrificing the c4-pawn, as is usual in this variation. In Game 23 (Wang
Yue-Yakovenko) White played 8 cxd5 and 9 �b3 and after a more or less forced series of moves, he
managed to keep the bishop-pair and the same pawn-structure as his opponent. However, Black
showed that the bishop-pair can be neutralized, by taking advantage of his slight lead in develop­
ment, which allows him to put pressure on key points in the white position.

Game 2 1 [ E2Q]
Clovis Vernay - Fabiano Caruana
Budapest 200 7

1 d4 CLJf6 2 c4 e6 3 tLlc3 �b4 4 g3

Many players of the Fianchetto Variation use
the move-order 4 CLJf3 c5 5 g3 because the line w
that we shall see in this game, where Black
plays ... d5 and takes on c4, is considered quite
risky for White, who has to sacrifice a pawn.
However, thanks to the efforts of several grand­
masters (the pioneer Romanishin, then Gulko
and at present Carlsen and Moiseenko), matters
are not so clear and Black must play with great
care. Practice has shown that White's initiative
and firm grip on the centre compensates for the
small material deficit. In reality, White obtains
an unclear position with opportunities for cre­
ative play. very comfortable play, since this would solve
4 d5 (D)
•.. the problem of the development of his queen' s
The most natural continuation against the bishop and give him a half-open file in the cen­
Fianchetto Variation. Black attacks the c4-pawn, tre. His typical development would be to bolster
which can no longer be protected by the fl­ the centre with ...c6 and play ...lle8, ... CLJbd7
bishop which, to be consistent with 4 g3, will (then ... CLJb6 if White plays b4, or ... CLJf8-g6)
emerge on g2. and retreat the bishop from b4 to d6, e7 or f8. In
5 �g2 0-0 this pawn-structure, typical of the Exchange
A necessary preparation for capturing on c4, Variation of the Queen ' s Gambit, White needs
since 5 ...dxc4?? loses to 6 �a4+ CLJc6 7 �xc6+ his light-squared bishop to be on d3, so that it
bxc6 8 �xb4, when White wins a piece. can support the thematic advance b4-b5 and
6 CLJf3 controls the e4- and c4-squares; furthermore,
There are not many valid alternatives to the from d3 it can create threats against Black' s
sacrifice of the pawn. Taking on d5 gives Black kingside. On g2 its action would be purely
88 CHESS EXPLAINED: THE NIMZO-INDIAN
defensive and it would be very restricted by the
black pawn-chain b7-c6-d5; also, as we men­
tioned above, if White carries out the natural
advance b4, the c4-square falls into the hands
of the black knights.
If 6 'ifb3, Black plays 6 ... c5 ! and White has
problems supporting his centre; for example, 7
a3 �aS ! 8 e3 (8 lbf3? loses a piece after 8 ...cxd4
9 lbxd4 e5 1 0 lbc2 d4, Fish-Morozevich, Al­
ushta 1 993) 8 ...cxd4! 9 exd4 lbc6 10 lbf3 dxc4
(M.Kopylov-J.Schulz, 2nd Bundesliga 2005/6)
leaves White with an isolated pawn in an unfa­
vourable position, since with the bishop on the
h l -a8 diagonal, the possibilities of attack on the
kingside are reduced; furthermore the queen on
c4 will be an object of attack.
We now return to the position after 6 lbf3
(D):
6...dxc4 7 0-0 lbc6
The alternatives to this natural developing
move are somewhat inferior; e.g., 7 ... �d7, with
the idea of completing his queenside develop­
ment and neutralizing the pressure on the long
diagonal, is answered with 8 tt:Je5 !.
The other developing move 7 ...lbbd7 gives
White a comfortable position, since the knight
does not put any pressure on d4 as it would
from c6: 8 'ifc2 lbb6 (if 8 ... c5 then with 9 l!d I !
White gains a lead in development, while Black
has problems bringing his queenside into play)
9 l:td I , followed by liJe5 or the advance 9 e4
and �e3, leaves White with sufficient compen­
sation for the pawn.
8 a3!?
White wants to clarify the position of the
b4-bishop and, in the event that Black takes on
c3, the d4-pawn will be strengthened, which al­
lows White to concentrate on the advance e4-
e5. Furthermore, if the dark-squared bishop
disappears, the pin with �g5 will be very awk­
ward, since Black has only two ways to get out
of it: to make the risky advance of his ki ngside
pawns ( ... h6 and ... g5) or remove the queen
from the d8-h4 diagonal, allowing the destruc­
tion of his kingside with �xf6.
In addition to 8 a3, there are the following
options:
a) The slow 8 e3 (with the idea of 'i'e2,
l:!.d l and e4) should be answered with the stan­
dard plan of 8 ... .i:!b8 ! 9 'ife2 b5 1 0 l:i.d l ctJdS !
(hindering White's play and anticipating the
advance e4-e5) I I �d2 �e7 ! (vacating the
b4-square and protecting g5) 1 2 e4 and now
both 1 2 ... lbxc3 1 3 bxc3 lba5 ! and 1 2 ...CDdb4 ! ?
offer Black good chances.
b) 8 l:!.e I supports the advance of the centre
pawns to dislodge the black knights, obtaining
play in the centre and on the kingside, but this
runs into the sequence 8 ... lbd5 ! (putting pres­
sure on c3) 9 'ifc2 �e7 ! (D).
The student should remember this well­
timed retreat. Black protects the g5-square and
at the same time vacates the b4-square for his
knights, so that if White advances in the centre
with e4, Black plays ...lbb4 and ... lbd3 and the
knight lodges at the heart of the white position.
If White prevents this manoeuvre with a3, this
weakens the b3-square, which allows another
 FIANCHETTO VARIATION: 4 g3 OR 4 Ci'Jj3 c5 5 g3
typical manoeuvre in this variation: ...lt:Ja5-b3,
and on b3 the knight is also very annoying.
Here two important lines should be mentioned:
b l ) 1 0 lt:Je4?! lt:Jdb4 ! 1 1 '¥Vc3 (after 1 1
'i'xc4? comes the surprising l l . . .'ii'd5 ! , which
wins the exchange after the forced exchange of
queens: 1 2 'ii'xd5 exd5 1 3 lt:Jc3 lt:Jc2) l l ...b5 1 2
a3 CLJd5 1 3 'ii'c2 and now Black has a choice be­
tween 13 ... ..1tb7 and 1 3 ... ..1td7. Both moves put
White in a position where it is hard to justify the
m1ssmg pawn.
b2) 1 0 a3 lt:Ja5 ! (thematic; the knight comes
to b3, putting pressure on d4, al and c l and
freeing the c-pawn to advance) 1 1 e4 lt:Jxc3 1 2
bxc3 CLJb3 ! (it is important to force the rook to
lose a tempo before it reaches d 1 ) 1 3 .l:.b 1 b5 1 4
.tf4 .ib7 and Black gradually completes his
development whilst retaining the extra pawn,
Vi lela-Yusupov, Cienfuegos 1979.
c) The line preferred by the specialist Moi­
seenko is 8 .ig5 ! ? (D).
B 8 .ie7!
White completes his development and tries
to regain his pawn as soon as possible. 8 ... h6
(the other way to play is to hang on to the pawn
with the typical 8 . . ..l:.b8 and ... b5, but after 9
.l:!.c l !? b5 1 0 b3 ! White obtains good pressure
on the c-file) 9 1i..xf6 'ii'xf6 1 0 .l:.c 1 ! (worse is 1 0
e3 ..l:!.b8 1 1 lt:Jd2 lt:Ja5 ! and White has difficulties
regaining the pawn) 10 ...l:td8 1 1 e3 and now
Black has two paths to equality:
c l ) l l .. .�e7 1 2 'i¥e2 tt:Ja5 1 3 lt:Je5 .id7 14
CLJxc4 .ixc3 15 l:txc3 ..ltb5 1 6 b3 c5 ! 17 'i¥h5
.ixc4 1 8 bxc4 cxd4 1 9 exd4 'ii'b4 with a com­
plex position in which White has to play with
89
great energy to compensate for the weakness of
his central pawns, Moiseenko-Bologan, Rus­
sian Team Ch, Ekaterinburg 2002.
c2) l l .. .e5 ! ? (the simplest) 1 2 lt:Jxe5 lt:Jxe5
1 3 dxe5 'i¥e7 14 �h5 ..ltxc3 1 5 .U.xc3 .U.d2 1 6
.l:.bl 'iVb4! and the counterplay against b2 and
the first rank gave Black equality in J.Gonza­
lez-Tiviakov, Cal via Olympiad 2004.
We now return to 8 a3 !? (D):
B
•••
The most promising continuation; Black
prepares to defend the pawn with . . .lt:Ja5 and
...tt:Jb3, intending subsequently to strike against
the white centre with ... c5.
If 8 ... ..1td6, White has the move 9 'ii'a4! , which
regains the pawn immediately. If 8 . . ..ia5, then
9 .ig5 is best and after 9 ... h6 White can play 1 0
.ixf6 �xf6 1 1 �a4 1i..b 6 1 2 e3 lt:Ja5?! 1 3 lt:Je5
�e7 14 lt:Je4 ! , regaining the c4-pawn.
The ambitious 8 ... ..1txc3 gains time to com­
plete development and consolidate the extra
pawn, but it gives up the important dark-squared
bishop and strengthens White's centre. After 9
bxc3 White threatens to regain the pawn with
1 0 'ii'a4, so Black plays 9 ....U.b8 but after 1 0
.i g 5 b5 (the immediate 1 0 ... h 6 i s also an­
swered with 1 1 ..lth4 !) 1 1 e4 h6? ! (Adams rec­
ommended l l ...lt:Je7 1 2 .ixf6 gxf6, but after 1 3
'ii'd2 or 1 3 a4 !? White has sufficient play for the
pawn) 1 2 ..lth4 e5 13 lt:Jxe5 lt:Jxe5 14 dxe5
'iYxd l 1 5 llfxd l lt:Jd7 1 6 f4 Black did not man­
age to equalize in Carlsen-Adams, Turin Olym­
piad 2006.
9 e4
90 CHESS EXPLAINED: THE NIMZO-INDIAN
9 e3?! leaves the c l -bishop dead and Black
would respond with the same plan as in the main
game: 9 . . .tt:'la5 and ...c5 when appropriate.
9 tt:'la5! (D)
•.•
w 13 tt:'lc7 .l:Ia7! 14 d5 tt:'lh5
10 �f4
1 0 �e3 tt:'lb3 ! 1 1 l:tb 1 c5 ! is similar.
10 tt:'lb3!
•••
More accurate than allowing White's ideal
set-up with 'iYe2 and .Mad ! , which gave him
enough play to muddy the waters in Gulko­
Popovic, Clichy 1 986.
1 1 .l::!.b 1 c5! (D)
The most annoying move for White to meet,
although i t is also interesting to defend the c4-
pawn and develop the queenside with ... a6 and
. . . b5 .
12 tt:'lb5
The alternative would be the central advance
12 d5, but after 1 2 ... exd5 1 3 e5 (if 1 3 exd5, then
1 3 . . . �d6 and the d5-pawn is blocked for the
moment) 1 3 ... tt:'lh5 14 'i¥xd5 tt:'lxf4 1 5 gxf4 iUS
1 6 ri.bd I 'i¥xd5 1 7 tt:'lxd5 Black keeps his extra
pawn with 1 7 ... �d8 or 17 ....l:Iae8.
12 a6!
•••
Black does not fear the penetration by the
knight enemy.
Heading straight into favourable complica­
tions, but the clearest line was 14 . . . exd5 ! 15
tt:'lxd5 (15 exd5 �d6) 1 5 . . . tt:'lxd5 1 6 �xd5 b5
17 't'kh5 �b6 with a significant advantage, not
only on account of the extra pawn, but because
the knight can go to d4 and the rooks to the d­
file, while the queen can defend the kingside
with ...'iYg6 if need be.
15 �e5 �d6! 16 dxe6
More complicated was 1 6 tt:'lg5 !? .lixe5 17
'ikxh5 h6 18 tt:'lxf7 (after 18 tt:'lgxe6 �d6! 19
tt:'lxf8 Wxf8 the c7-knight remains trapped)
1 8. . .Ihf7 1 9 tt:'lxe6, but after 1 9. . :�f6 the extra
piece must count.
16 �xc7 17 �xc7 �xc7 18 tt:'lg5 f6! (D)
•.•
Forcing White to retreat or exchange his ac­
tive knight.
19 tt:'lxh7
If 19 tt:'lh3, then 1 9... g6, while 1 9 �d5 is met
by 1 9 . . .'iYe7 20 tt:'lf3 g6, when the e6-pawn
falls.
19 Wxh7 20 'iVxh5+ Wg8 21 �h3 b5 22
•..
.l:!.bd1
Or 22 �f5 g5 !, and Black's major pieces de­
fend the second rank.
22 lt:Jd4!
•.•
 FIANCHETTO VARIATION: 4 g3 OR 4 fDJ3 c5 5 g3
The knight blocks the d-file, hindering any
tactical shot by White.
23 .l::txd4
The last gasp before resigning.
23 cxd4 24 'iVg6 'iVd6! 25 .l:i.dl
..•
Game 2 2 [ E20]
Radoslaw Wojtaszek - Vladimir Akopian
Spanish Team Ch, Lugo 200 7
1 d4 CLJf6 2 c4 e6 3 CL:lc3 .ib4 4 g3 c5 5 CL:lf3
cxd4 6 CL:lxd4 CL:le4 7 'iVd3
The most active move. White both defends
c3 and attacks the knight on e4. 7 .id2?! makes
no sense because Black can double the pawns
on c3, exchanging White's bishop-pair, or even
capture on d2 and keep his own bishop-pair. 7
't!Vc2?! is also weak because Black would play
7 ... 'iVa5 8 CLJb3 (8 CLJb5 a6 9 'iVxe4 axb5 1 0 .id2
bxc4 1 1 'iVxc4 CL:lc6 1 2 .ig2 d5 1 3 'iVh4 0-0 and
Black's strong centre gives him a very comfort­
able game) 8 ... 'iVf5 !, when White has serious
problems because his queen is unprotected.
7 ..ltxc3+ (D)
.••
Black immediately doubles White's pawns
and posts the knight on the outpost c5, gaining a
tempo with the attack on the queen.
8 bxc3 CL:lc5 9 'iVd2
The advantage of 9 'iVd2, compared with 9
't!Ve3, is that it keeps an eye on the d6-square, so
that after the manoeuvre CLJb5-d6 the knight
will be supported and will therefore not be
91
The checks come to an end after 25 ..ltf5
.ixe6! 26 'iVh7+ cJ;;;f7 27 .ig6+ c3;;e7 28 'iVxg7+
..ltf7
0
25 .ixe6 26 .l:i.xd4 'iVxd4 27 .ixe6+ .l:!.tT7
•.•
0-1
forced to exchange itself immediately for the
black bishop, but the positions resulting from
both lines are in fact very similar. For example:
9 'iVe3 b6! 1 0 .ig2 (putting the knight on d6 im­
mediately looks very menacing but with careful
play Black can complete his development and
subsequently exchange the annoying knight: 1 0
CLJb5 0-0 1 1 CLJd6 'iVc7 { attacking the unpro­
tected knight } 1 2 CL:lxc8 .l:!.xc8 1 3 .ig2 CL:lc6 1 4
0-0 .l:!.ab8 and Black will patiently improve his
position before finally attacking the weak white
pawns) 1 0 ... .ib7 l l .ixb7 CLJxb7 1 2 .ia3 ! ? (the
immediate 1 2 'iVf3 can be met with the thematic
1 2 ...CLJc6!, a typical pawn sacrifice to complete
development and gain time: 1 3 CL:lxc6 dxc6 1 4
'iVxc6+ 'iVd7 1 5 ifxd7+ c3;;xd7 1 6 .ia3 .l:!.hc8
and with the queens off the board the ending is
inferior for White, on account of the weakness
of his pawns on the c-file) 1 2 ...CLJa6 (the most
logical plan; a knight is strong on c5, blocking
the action of the bishop on the a3-f8 diagonal)
1 3 CLJf5 'iVf6 14 CLJd6+ CL:lxd6 1 5 ..ltxd6 .l:!.c8 1 6
.l:i.d 1 CL:lc5 1 7 0-0 (D).
92 CHESS EXPLAINED: THE NIMZO-INDIAN
One of the typical positions of the variation.
It seems that White has a big advantage in view
of the position of the bishop on d6 which pre­
vents castling, but after 1 7 ...tLlb7 ! the bishop
has to retreat (which will be answered with
. . .tLlc5 !) or allow itself to be exchanged, which
would equalize the struggle, since White's pres­
sure on d7 is balanced by his weak doubled
pawns.
The main alternative is 9 iVf3 ! ? (D).
This hinders the development of Black's
queenside but has the drawback that when a
black knight reaches e5 it will attack both the
c4-pawn and the queen: 9 . . . d6 1 0 ii.g2 tLlbd7 !
1 1 0-0 (recently there have been some trials of
1 1 �g4! ? 0-0 1 2 ii.h6 �f6 1 3 ii.g5 �g6 1 4
�h4, diverting the black queen away from the
queenside, but after 1 4 ... tLlf6 1 5 0-0 i.d7 1 6
tLlb3 Itac8 ! 1 7 .l:tfd 1 i.c6 ! Black has little to
fear) 1 1 . . .tLle5 1 2 �f4! (best, since 1 2 iVh5 ? !
0-0 1 3 .l:i.d1 allows 1 3 ...tLlxc4! 14 tLlb3 tLld7 ! )
1 2 ... ii.d7 (now 1 2 ...tLlxc4? would b e an error
on account of 1 3 tLlb3 ! ; this retreat is the key to
the position - White forces a capture on b3,
which substantially improves his pawn-struc­
ture and breaks the blockade on c5) and now:
a) 1 3 tLlb3 is not too good due to 1 3 .. J::i.c 8 ! ?
1 4 �d4 f6 ! - this i s a key move in Black's de­
fence. It supports the knight on e5 and provides a
retreat-square on f7, from where the knight will
protect the d6-pawn. It is true that at the moment
the d6-pawn i s being offered as a sacrifice, but
this is a common idea, to gain tempi and sub­
sequently attack White's doubled pawns: 15
�xd6 b6 ! 16 �d4 tLla4 1 7 tLld2 i.c6 and Black
has excellent compensation, since the white
pieces are tied to the defence of his doubled
pawns, Kramnik-Serper, Gdynia 1 99 1 .
b) 1 3 tLlb5 i.xb5 1 4 cxb5 (D).
B
White has managed to get rid of his doubled
pawns while retaining the bishop-pair, which
makes his position slightly preferable. How­
ever, he has a backward pawn on the c-file and
the black knights enjoy strong and solid posi­
tions. Black completes his development with
1 4 ... 0-0 and ... M.c8 and if the pressure increases
on d6, he can play .. .f6 or ... f5 and bring the
knight from e5 to f7, comfortably defending
the d6-square.
9 b6 10 tLlb5 0-0 11 tLld6 i.b7!
...
Now White has to decide whether to take the
bishop immediately or keep his knight on d6
and play the awkward move 1 2 f3.
12 f3!?
Preferring to maintain the knight on d6. If he
exchanges it by 1 2 tLlxb7 tLlxb7 1 3 ii.g2 tLlc6
1 4 i.a3 .l:i.e8 1 5 .l:i.d I �f6! 1 6 0-0 .U.ed8 1 7 f4
.l:i.ac8, then Black reaches his ideal formation
and is ready to attack White's weaknesses with
a timely ...tLlca5, Parker-Adams, British League
(4NCL) 2002/3.
12 tLlba6 13 i.g2 i.c6 14 0-0 f5
.••
Gaining space on the kingside.
15 i.a3 �f6 ! (D)
In this type of position where Black is under
pressure on the d-file and has less space, one of
his main problems is to find an acceptable posi­
tion for his queen. The ideal square seems to be
 FIANCHETTO VARIATION: 4 g3 OR 4 l:iJj3 c5 5 g3 93

and . . .ct:lbd3 ! weaving a mating-net around the

white king.
26 'itg1
After 26 Cbe7+ 'itf7 27 Cbxc6 dxc6 28 'itg l
Cbxc4 ! 29 .txg7 e5 30 �xc4+ 'itxg7 the queen
and knight are better than the queen and bishop.
26 �d1+!
•..

Going into an ending in which White's bish­

ops are rather clumsy.
27 �xd1 Cbxd1 28 Cbxa7
28 Cbe7 +? 'itf7 29 Cbxc6 dxc6 30 .tb8 CDd7
3 1 .txa7 Cbxc3 32 e5 c5 is pretty hopeless.
28 .txe4 29 .txe4?
•.•

Losing time. 29 .td4 ! should draw.

f6, where it connects the rooks but is more ac­ 29 Cbxe4 30 Cbc8 CDd2! 31 .ii.d4 Cbxc4 32
•.•

tive than on c7. ct:lxb6 ct:lxb6 33 .txb6 Cbxc3 (D)

16 e4 fxe4 17 fxe4 �g6 18 �d4 �g5 19
�xf8+?!
It is not necessary to give up the file. 1 9 e5 ! ?
is preferable.
19 �xf8 20 .tel �g6 21 .tf4 Cba4! 22 �fl
..•

CD6c5 23 .te5?!
The exchange of rooks helps Black's game
and leaves the white king rather weaker than his
opponent's.
23...�xfl + 24 'itxfl ct:lb2 (D)
Black activates his knights in exemplary
fashion. The pressure on the opponent's weak
pawns, the greater security of his king and the
passivity of White's bishops make Black's po­
sition preferable.
Black has ended up with an extra pawn, but
must take care, because passed rook's pawns
are dangerous enemies to a knight.
34 a3 'itf7 35 'itfl e5 36 .ta5 Cba4
It is essential to keep the passed pawn under
lock and key. The knight will be activated once
Black has centralized his king.
37 'ite2 'ite6 38 '>td3 '>td5 39 .tc7 e4+ 40
'ite3 ct:lb2
The moment has arrived for bringing the
knight to the support of his passed pawns.
41 'itf4 g5+!? 42 'itxg5 e3 43 g4
43 'itg4 is met by 43 ...'ite4.
43 d6 44 .ia5 'ite4
•.•

Now the advance of the pawns decides the

25 Cbc8 �h5! game without any great problems.
Generating various threats: the h2-pawn, 45 'ith6 d5 46 g5 Cbc4 47 .tb4 d4 48 'itxh7
...Cbxc4, the possible exchange of queens on d l Cbe5 0-1
94 CHESS EXPLAINED: THE NIMZO-INDIAN

Game 2 3 [ E201
Wang Vue - Dmitri Vakovenko
Novgorod 200 7

1 d4 lt.Jf6 2 c4 e6 3 lt.Jc3 ii.b4 4 lt.Jf3 c5 5 g3

cxd4 6 lt.Jxd4 0-0 7 ii.g2 d5!? (D)

hand, White has compensation in the pressure

that his pieces exert on the centre and on b7.
8 lt.Jxd5 9 'i¥b3
•••

One of the most logical and popular lines The main alternative is 9 ii.d2 !?. Here the
against the Fianchetto Variation. Black castles clearest way to equalize is to gain tempi for de­
and then immediately breaks in the centre with velopment with 9 .. 3Lxc3 1 0 bxc3 e5 I I CDb3
.

... d5 . lt.Jc6 I 2 0-0 lt.Jb6 I 3 ii.e3 Wic7. Black will have

8 cxd5 harmonious development and sufficient coun­
It is possible to sacrifice the pawn temporarily terplay against the c4-square.
with 8 0-0 !? dxc4 9 Wia4 but after the precise 9 Wia5 10 ii.d2 lt.Jc6 (D)
•••

9 .. lt.Ja6! 1 0 lt.Jdb5 lt.Jd5 ! (restricting the action

.

of the g2-bishop) I I .i:tdi both l l ...ii.xc3 !? I 2

lt.Jxc3 lt.Jxc3 1 3 bxc3 lt.Jc5 ! I 4 Wic2 'iVc7 and the
pawn sacrifice I I ...Wie8 !? I 2 lt.Jxd5 exd5 I 3
ii.xd5 ii.d7! give Black good play.
The ambitious 8 Wib3 takes care of the pawn­
structure, but prematurely decentralizes the
queen. Black has to choose either to give up the
bishop-pair immediately in return for a strong
and mobile centre with 8 . . . 3Lxc3+ 9 Wixc3 e5
I 0 lt.Jb3 lt.Jc6 I I ii.g5 dxc4 ( l l . ..d4! ?) I 2 Wixc4
ii.e6 I 3 Wih4 ii.xb3 ! I 4 axb3 lt.Jd4, when the
threats compensate for the enemy bishop-pair,
or to defend the bishop and prepare ... e5 with
8 ...lt.Ja6 9 cxd5 lt.Jxd5 I 0 0-0 lt.Jxc3 I I bxc3
ii.e7 (D) (or I I . ..ii.c5 !?). This allows White to weaken Black's pawn­
Black has succeeded in weakening the c3- formation with lt.Jxc6 but in that case the knight
and a2-pawns and the knight has an outpost on on d5 will be strengthened and at the same time a
c5 from where it will protect b7 . On the other path will be opened for the bishop to come to a6.
 FIANCHETTO VARIATION: 4 g3 OR 4 t:tJj3 c5 5 g3
1 1 tbxc6
White must try to take advantage of Black's
pawn-weaknesses and put his own bishop-pair
to use. Retreating the knight gives Black too
many tempi: I I tbc2 .i.xc3 1 2 bxc3 Wile? with
the familiar idea of bringing the knight to c4 via
a5.
ll bxc6 12 0-0 .i.xc3
...
White was threatening tbxd5 and tbe7+, win­
ning a pawn.
13 bxc3 (D)
B of the light-squared bishops with . . . .i.e2-f3.
It seems that White has managed to retain a
healthy pawn-structure and the bishop-pair, but
Black neutralizes these advantages with active
play, using the a6-fl diagonal and his actively
placed knight and queen.
13 i.a6 14 .U.fd1 �c5
••.
Defending against the threat of c4, which
even works after 14 ... .U.ab8?! 1 5 c4 ! �c5 16
cxd5 ! M.xb3 17 axb3 i.xe2 1 8 l1e l ! .i.b5 (if
1 8 ... cxd5, then 1 9 .l:i.xe2 with an advantage in
material) 1 9 dxc6 and the passed c-pawn gives
White the better prospects.
15 e4 .i.c4! 16 'i!Va4
The queen must protect the a3-square since
after 16 'i!Vc2 tbb6, whether White plays 1 7 .i.f4
e5 1 8 i.e3 �a3, Carlsen-Leko, Moscow 2006,
or 17 i.e3 'i!Va3, Rakhmanov-A .Ilyin, St Peters­
burg 2007, the pressure on a2 and the well­
placed black pieces guarantee equality.
16 tt:Jb6 17 �b4 �h5! (D)
•••
Exchanging queens would improve White's
pawn-structure and deprive Black of one of his
fundamental ideas in this position: the exchange
95
W
Now White will try to exploit his slight initia­
tive to attack the black queenside pawns and
dislodge the black knight from b6 with the ad­
vance a4-a5 .
18 .i.f4
By placing the bishop on f4, White provokes
the advance of the black pawns. Another line
played here is 1 8 .i.e3 .i.e2 ! 1 9 l:!.d2 (worse is
1 9 l:tel tbc4 20 'i¥c5 .l:i.fd8 and it is hard for
White to improve his position, Bacrot-Gri­
shchuk, Cap d' Agde (rapid) 2003) 1 9 ... .l:!ab8!
(it is curious that here 1 9 . . .tt:Jc4 ?? fails to the
surprising 20 g4! 'iVxg4 2 1 f3 !, winning mate­
rial) 20 .i.xb6 axb6 2 1 'iVd6 l:tfc8! 22 l:tb I h6 23
e5 .i.f3 and Black has everything defended,
Bacrot-Leko, Moscow 2004.
18 e5!?
.•.
18 ...c5 ! ? is possible, although later this pawn
will be an object of attack for the white bishop
and Black has to be creative to defend it or else
sacrifice it in favourable circumstances. For ex­
ample: 1 9 �b2 llad8 ! 20 l:i.e l (20 f3 ! ? is better)
20 ... .l:!d7 2 1 h3 h6 with equality, Yakovenko­
Carlsen, Tal Memorial, Moscow 2007.
19 .i.e3 .i.e2 20 .l:!d2
After 20 l:te I tbc4 2 1 �c5 1:i.fd8 ! 22 l:!.ab I h6
23 h3 tbxe3 24 'i!Vxe3 .i.c4 25 a4 a5 ! 26 'i¥c5
i.e6, as well as control of the d-file Black has
counterplay against h3 and a4, Nayer-Yako­
venko, Moscow 2006.
20 Jiab8 21 'iVc5 i.f3 22 a4
••
The typical plan to destabilize Black's b6-
knight.
22 tt:Jxa4! (D)
•.•
96 CHESS EXPLAINED: THE NIMZO-INDIAN
w ploys the scheme with 8 e3, followed by 'iVe2
This fine tactical resource exploits the weak­
ness of the first rank and solves all Black's
problems.
23 'iVxc6
23 �xa4? fails to 23 ... .l:!.b l + 24 .lin 'iVh3.
23 tt'ib6 24 .Jtxb6
•.•
Resigning himself to the draw. After the ap­
parently logical 24 .l:!.xa7? White once again has
back-rank problems: 24 ... tt'ic4 ! 25 'iVxc4 .l:!.b l +
26 .lin ? 'iVh3 ! and mate in a few moves.
24 axb6
... 1h-1h
Conclusions
The Fianchetto Variation is a dangerous weapon,
because the position of the bishop on g2 grants
White unusual pressure on the queenside. Black
has various ways to combat it.
In Game 2 1 , Vernay-Caruana, the variation
with ...d5 and ... dxc4 was employed (remember
that Black has to castle before capturing on c4 ! ),
and although White obtained a formidable cen­
tre in return for the pawn, the young GM showed
that the retreat of the bishop to e7, followed by a
well-timed transfer of the knight to b3 and the
break . . .c5 ! , puts White in trouble. This idea also
shows up if White plays for 8 .l:!.e l and e4, when
the manoeuvre ...tt'id5-b4-d3 usually forces the
advance a3, weakening the b3-square.
Perhaps the safest line for White is the one
with 8 ..ltg5 , favoured by Moiseenko, but after
8 ... h6 and the exchange of bishop for knight,
Black has two ways to equalize. If White em­
and .:d i to support an advance in the centre,
Black should defend the c4-pawn with the the­
matic ... .l:!.b8, followed by ... b5, which leads to
very lively play with equal chances.
The variation used in Game 22 (Wojtaszek­
Akopian) is one of the most popular at all lev­
els, because it requires White to play energeti­
cally to make up for the permanent weakness of
his doubled isolated pawns on c3 and c4. I have
the impression that this type of position is eas­
ier to play with Black, because his plan is clear:
neutralize White's pressure and then take ad­
vantage of White's weaknesses. Remember that
in many cases Black has to sacrifice a pawn in
order to complete his development, but this is
compensated by the above-mentioned white
weaknesses on the c-file. White frequently suc­
ceeds in placing a piece on d6, but Black man­
ages either to exchange it or render it fairly
harmless, before concentrating on attacking
White's doubled pawns.
Game 23, Wang Yue-Yakovenko, features
the most logical variation for Black against the
Fianchetto. After capturing on d4, Black breaks
immediately in the centre with . . . d5. In this
variation White is frequently left with an infe­
rior structure (isolated pawns on a2 and c3 in
the variation with 8 cxd5 and 9 ..ltd2 !?), but in
return White exerts pressure on the queenside.
Nevertheless, Black obtains counterplay against
the c4-square and quite flexible development.
In the game, after 8 cxd5 and 9 'iVb3, White
seems to obtain the better game, because he re­
tains the bishop-pair in a position where he has
no inferiority in pawn-structure. However, the
pressure of the black pieces in the centre and
on the queenside (the a6-n diagonal, and the
squares c4, c3 and a3 in some cases) promises
Black equal chances. This variation i s very
popular and its constant use at the highest level
means that its theory will continue to be devel­
oped.
7 Leningrad Variation (4 ..tg5)
and Other Lines

I ntroduction

In this final chapter we shall study the Leningrad Variation 4 .ig5 !? , 4 '!Wb3 (Spielmann) and other
moves such as 4 .id2, 4 e4? and 4 '!Wd3.
The pinning move 4 .ig5 !? gives rise to the Leningrad Variation, so called because of the boost it
received through its use by players such as Zak, Korchnoi and Spassky, natives of the city that is
now known as St Petersburg. With 4 .ig5 the black knight is immobilized and a degree of control is
exerted over the disputed central square e4. At the same time, the bishop is brought outside the
pawn-chain, so that White can play e3 without this bishop being left inactive, as happens in other
variations. On the other hand, 4 .ig5 temporari ly weakens the queenside and Black can create
counterplay on the a5-e I diagonal.
We shall look at two lines to combat White's plan which have in common the idea of contesting
White's occupation of the centre, which takes place after 4 .ig5 h6 5 .ih4 c5 6 d5 .

The Games

In Game 24 (Comas-Delchev) we shall see how the move-order with ... d6 and ... '!We7 ! , followed by
putting press ure on the d5-pawn with ... ctJbd7 and . . .ctJb6, is a plan that is just as viable as that of
closing the centre with the advance ...e5.

In Li Shilong-Harikrishna (Game 25), Black employed the popular gambit against this variation
that starts with 6... b5 !?. The Indian GM, a great connoisseur of the Leningrad Variation with both
colours, employed the best plan, which consists of playing ... a6 after White has captured on b5 . He
reached a satisfactory position, but then he failed to notice the danger and was beaten by the Chi­
nese GM with a strong attack on his king via the weakened light squares. As we shall see in the
notes to the game, Black has other options, such as first placing the bishop on b7 to hinder the white
knight from developing on e2.

The positional risk involved in allowing the capture ... .ixc3, which on many occasions disrupts
White's pawn-structure, has persuaded many players to try various other variations (4 e4?, 4 'lid3,
4 i..d2), in the hope of surprising the opponent. In Game 26 (Corral-Lautier), we shall look at these
less common options for avoiding the main lines, with the main focus on the move 4 'lib3, which
was used in the main game. Black chose a sound line against this variation (4 ... c5 and ...ctJc6) and
soon reached a position in which he was the one who remained with the bishop-pair. White tried to
alter the natural course of the game by castling on the opposite side, so as later to launch an offen­
sive against his opponent's kingside, but some minor inaccuracies in the conduct ofthe attack facil­
itated Black's defence and the game finished with Black executing the enemy king on the dark
diagonals.
98 CHESS EXPLAINED: THE NIMZO-INDIAN
Game 2 4 [ E3 1 ]
Luis Comas Fabrego - Alexander Delchev
Andorra 2006
1 d4 �f6 2 c4 e6 3 �c3 ..ib4 4 ..ig5 (D)
B B
4 h6
•••
Black puts the question to the g5-bishop be­
fore initiating the usual counterplay with ...c5.
The advantage of the immediate 4 ...c5 is that the
feeble response 5 e3?! (5 d5 ! is normal) can be
answered forcefully with 5 .. :iVa5 ! followed by
...�e4, attacking the g5-bishop and increasing
the pressure on c3. If then 6 ..ixf6 ..ixc3+ 7 bxc3
'ii'x c3+ 8 <;i;>e2 gxf6 Black has an extra pawn and
the safer king. It i s worth pointing out that after 5
d5 ! (with or without the inclusion of ...h6 and
..ih4) the tempting move 5 ...�xd5?! fails to 6
..ixd8 �xc3 7 'iVb3 �e4+ 8 <;i;>d l �xf2+ 9 <;i;>c2
<;i;>xd8 1 0 'iVg3 ! �xh l l l 'ii'xg7 l:te8 1 2 e3 and
the knight on h l will drop; furthermore Black is
undeveloped and has the weaker king.
5 ..ih4 c5 6 d5 ..ixc3+ 7 bxc3 d6
This is one of Black's basic plans: the block­
ade of the position with ...d6 and ... e5, reducing
the scope of White's bishops. However, as we
shall see, there are other, more modem methods
based on immediate pressure on the d5-pawn,
which force White either to sacrifice it or ex­
change it for the one on e6, thus losing the char­
acteristic space advantage of this variation.
Furthermore, with this move-order Black avoids
lines such as 7 ... e5 8 d6!?.
8 e3 (D)
8 J�'e7!
..
With this move-order, the e5-square is left
free for the time being. As we shall see, this can
sometimes be useful in variations where White
develops his bishop on d3, since Black has
... �e5 available, attacking the bishop. Another
of the advantages of this move-order is that
White is prevented from employing lines with
f3, since Black would then take on d5, attacking
the e3-pawn with the queen. The basic idea for
Black is to put pressure on the d-pawn in order
to force White either to exchange it or to sacri­
fice it for development.
The classical move 8 ... e5 is less flexible, but
more popular. It quickly defines the position in
the centre and frees White from the need to de­
fend his queen's pawn. The specialists with
White are then showing a preference for 9
�c2 ! ?, to prevent ... ..if5, and this leads to a
struggle in which there are plenty of ideas for
both sides. Black can strengthen his grip on the
centre with the advance ... e4, with or without
the move ... g5. Black can also keep the pawn on
e5 and put into practice one of the basic ideas of
these positions, which is to bring his king to c7
with the manoeuvre ...<;i;>d8-c7. If Black includes
the move . . . g5, White generally strikes on the
 LENINGRAD VARIATION (4 .i..g5) AND OTHER LINES
kingside with h4 and tries to gain control of the
h-file. If Black plays ... g5 and ...e4, White still
plays h4 and, after safeguarding his king with
0-0-0, followed by Wb2-a l , he attacks on both
wings using the h- and b-files. White ' s position
is slightly preferable in any case, because his
plans are aggressive, whereas Black has to await
events, which will be dictated by his opponent.
9 lt:Jf3
9 'i¥c2 is correct when Black has played ...e5
and has no pressure on d5. In this position it is
not appropriate, because Black can attack the
queen's pawn: 9 ...lt:Jbd7 I 0 lt:Jf3 lt:Jb6! 1 1 i.d3
( I I dxe6 i.xe6) l l . ..exd5 12 cxd5 lt:Jbxd5 1 3
.lld l tt'lb6! 1 4 c4 i.d7 1 5 'iVb2 i.c6 16 0-0 'i¥e6
1 7 e4 0-0-0 and Black seems to be a pawn up
for nothing, although the opposite-side castling
gives White chances of counterplay, Gallardo
Garcia-Leitao, Sants 2006.
If White develops with 9 i.d3, Black can also
play 9 ... lt:Jbd7 (D) followed by ...lt:Jb6 or ... lt:Je5.
Then White has some options:
a) 1 0 dxe6 is not a problem for Black:
10 .. .'�xe6 I I tt'le2! g5 ! 12 i.g3 tt'le5 1 3 0-0
i.d7 ! preparing ... i.c6 and ...0-0-0, followed
by beginning operations on the kingside with
... h5-h4 or breaking with ...d5 at an appropriate
moment.
b) I 0 lt:Je2 lt:Je5 ! shows one of the advantages
of having held back the advance ...e5 . From e5
the knight simultaneously attacks the c4-pawn
and the bishop on d3, so that White loses the
bishop-pair. I I 0-0 (after I I i.xf6 1Yxf6 1 2 0-0
1Vh4! Black is slightly better, Miles-Karpov,
99
Til burg 1 986) l l .. .g5 ! 1 2 i.g3 lt:Jxd3 1 3 "ifxd3
e5 1 4 f4 ! e4 and ... lt:Jh5 gives Black good play.
We now return to 9 lt:Jf3 (D):
B
9 lt:Jbd7
•••
Continuing with the policy of not clarifying
the situation in the centre.
10 ..td3
This move also weakens d5 and now Black
can play against the pawn with ... lt:Jb6 ! .
More worrying i s 1 0 lt:Jd2 ! but, as well as
transposing to the traditional blockading lines
with 1 0... e5, Black can press on with the idea of
exerting pressure on d5 by 1 0 ... lt:Jb6 ! . White
does not gain adequate compensation for the
pawn after I I e4 ?! exd5 1 2 cxd5 g5 1 3 i.g3
lt:Jxe4, so it seems best to play I I dxe6 i.xe6 1 2
e4 0-0-0, when the bishop-pair is balanced by
Black's better development. Note that 1 2 lt:Je4
fails to 1 2 ... g5 ! and after 1 3 lt:Jxd6+ 'it>f8 !, fol-
lowed by ...l:i.d8, Black wins material.
10 lt:Jb6! (D)
...
Black challenges White's approach by at­
tacking d5, which is just as viable a strategy as
closing the centre with I O ... e5 !?.
11 i.xf6
An important concession. White gives up the
bishop-pair and goes onto the defensive. The
main alternatives are:
a) 1 1 0-0?! is not good because then Black
closes the centre and begins an attack against
the white king, which has prematurely taken
up residence on the kingside, where he is ex­
posed to the advance of the enemy pawns:
l l . . .g5 ! 1 2 i.g3 e5 ! 1 3 tt'ld2 h5 14 f3 h4 with a
100 CHESS EXPLAINED: THE NIMZO-INDIAN
strong initiative, Dolmatov-Geller, Moscow
1 987.
b) I I dxe6 ..ixe6 12 0-0 is usually given as
advantageous for White, but after 1 2 ... g5 ! 1 3
i..g 3 0-0-0 1 4 'iib 3 ( 1 4 l!Ve2 tZ'lh5 !) 1 4... 4Jh5 1 5
a4 tZ'lxg3 1 6 hxg3 d5 Black has the initiative.
11...'ti'xf6 12 'iVb3 exd5 13 cxd5 ..if5
Black does not have any obvious weaknesses
and his king can choose where to castle, while
the d5-pawn can become a weakness.
14 ..ixf5
1 4 e4? fails to 1 4 ...c4 !? 1 5 ..ixc4 ..ixe4 1 6
i.. b 5+ 'it>f8 and the white position collapses.
14 'ifxf5 15 c4?
•••
An error. White should have played 1 5 'iVb5+
'i:Vd7 ( 1 5 ... 'it>f8 ! ?) 1 6 iVd3 with equality.
15 .'�g4! (D)
.•
This double attack wins a pawn, for which
White obtains very little compensation.
16 l:i.c1 'iVxg2 17 'it>e2 '*lVh3
Black has won a pawn and it only remains to
limit White's counterplay along the half-open
b- and g-files.
18 l:thg1 g5! (D)
Defending the pawn and putting a stop to
White's activity on the g-file. However, the
kingside is weakened and it will not be easy to
find a safe refuge for the black king. Worse is
1 8 ...0-0? 19 l:tg3 followed by 20 llcg I with a
strong attack.
19 'iVb2
White could have started an attack on the b­
file with 1 9 a4! ? but after the accurate reply
1 9 ... tZ'ld7 !? 20 'iVxb7?! l:tb8 2 1 l!Vxa7 l::tb2+ 22
tZ'ld2 tZ'le5 Black has a decisive attack.
19 'it>e7?! (D)
•••
This risky decision to leave the king in the
centre of the board makes it easier for White to
create counterplay. The correct way was to play
1 9 ...0-0-0! 20 a4 (20 �f6 l!Vd7) 20 ... 'it>c7! (remi­
niscent of one of the typical manoeuvres of this
variation, . . .'it>d8-c7) 2 1 l:tbl l:tb8 22 �f6 tZ'ld7 !
and Black consolidates his advantage.
20 .l:!g3 'i¥h5 2 1 'it>fl l::thg8
Black should have captured the h-pawn with
2 l . ..g4 22 tZ'ld2 'i¥xh2, not just to gain material
but so that White's king is also in danger.
22 e4!? g4 23 tZ'ld2 .l'.:i.g5!
Preventing the opening of the centre, where
the black king is stranded.
24 'it>g1 l:i.b8
Protecting b7 and preparing the centraliza­
tion of the knight by ...tZ'ld7-e5.
25 l:i.b3?!
 LENINGRAD VARIATION (4 Ji.g5) AND OTHER LINES
The Spanish GM could have caused his op­
ponent more problems with 25 .l:!.a3 !, since after
25 ... tt:lc8 the knight is badly placed and White
can exploit this to break on e5 with 26 .l:te l 'it>d7
(if 26.. .f6, then 27 tt:lfl followed by tt:lg3-f5
with good pressure) 27 t!.ae3 and Black is un­
able to prevent the e5 break.
25 Ii.e5 26 tt:lfl ! 'iVg5 27 tt:lg3 'it>f8
•..
Finally the king heads for the kingside.
28 f4!? (D)
White senses that his counterplay is running
out and rightly gives up a second pawn to open
the f-file.
28 'iVxf4 29 .l:!.fl 'iVg5 30 'iff2 'iVg6 31 h4?!
•..
The natural 3 1 tt:lf5 !, threatening 32 tt:lxh6 and
32 tt:lxd6, would have complicated the game.
31...tt:lxc4 32 h5 'iVg7 33 'iVe2
Game 2 5 [ E3 1 ]
Li Shilong - Penteala Harikrishna
Moscow 200 7
1 d4 tt:lf6 2 c4 e6 3 tt:lc3 .ib4 4 .ig5 h6 5 .ih4
c5! 6 d5
After 6 e3? ! 'iVa5 7 'ifc2 tt:le4 ! Black has the
initiative.
6 b5!? (D)
•..
The most aggressive way of playing against
the Leningrad Variation. This is the start of an
attractive gambit, designed to blow up White's
centre before he can finish his development and
begin to make use of the space advantage pro­
vided by the d-pawn.
101
After 33 tt:lf5 ! ? Black can play 33 ... .l::i.x f5 ! 34
'iVxf5 'it>e7, followed by 35 ... tt:le5, with a strate­
gically won position.
33 tt:lb6?!
•••
It was preferable to keep the knight on c4,
maintaining contact with the e5-square, by play­
ing 33 ... b5 !?.
34 tl.f4
In answer to 34 tt:lf5 the exchange sacrifice
was once again i ndicated: 34 ....l:!.xf5 ! 35 .l::i.xf5
tt:ld7 36 .l:lg3 'ifd4+ 37 'it>g2 tt:le5 achieving a
fairly comfortable advantage.
34 l:.g5 35 .l:!.xb6?
•.•
Probably the result of time-pressure, although
White could now do little to complicate the game.
35 axb6 36 'iVb5 'ife5 37 'iffl 'it>g8 38 'it>g2
•.•
.l:i.a8 39 .l:txf7 .l:.txa2+ 0-1
7 dxe6
There are various ways to handle this gambit,
although often we are just talking about different
move-orders leading to the same position. Some
alternatives:
a) The counter-gambit 7 e4 !? usually leads
to a draw: 7 ...g5! 8 .ig3 tt:lxe4 9 .ie5 0-0! 1 0
'iVh5 (the white queen's proximity creates some
dangers for the black king) I O ... d6 1 1 .id3
tt:lxc3 1 2 'iVxh6 tt:le4+ 1 3 'it>fl dxe5 1 4 .ixe4 f5
1 5 'iVg6+ and the draw was soon agreed in
102 CHESS EXPlAINED: THE NIMZO-[NDIAN
w clarifies the situation in the centre: 8 dxe6 fxe6
Yermolinsky-Shabalov, USA Ch, Parsippany
1 996.
b) According to Kasparov, the most accu­
rate move is 7 e3 (D).
B and now the immediate advance 1 0... d4 does
b 1 ) However, this just constitutes a transpo­
sition of moves if Black replies 7 ... 0-0!, which
has been traditionally rejected on account of the
strange move 8 'i¥f3 !? with the threat of bring­
ing about a favourable endgame after .i.xf6.
However, if Black continues with Yusupov's ex­
cellent recommendation of 8 ... g5 ! ? (instead of
8 ... .i.b7 9 .i.xf6!, Timman-Yusupov, Hilversum
(6) 1 986) the ensuing complications are far from
clear. For example: 9 dxe6 d5 ! 1 0 cxd5 fxe6 1 1
dxe6 .i.xe6 1 2 'i¥xa8 .i.xc3+ 1 3 bxc3 Vi'a5 ! 1 4
lLle2 .i.d5 and White loses his queen; 9 d6 lLlc6
1 0 cxb5 .i.b7 ! 1 1 bxc6 .i.xc6 1 2 'i¥h3 Vi'a5 1 3
lLle2 lLle4 1 4 !:te l fixa2 with a winning attack;
or 9 .i.g3 !? exd5 1 0 cxd5 d6 and Black gains a
lead in development with the threat of ....i.g4.
b2) 7 ....i.b7 ! ? is also interesting, because
the bishop will be well placed here after White
9 cxb5 0-0 (now White is forced to develop the
knight on f3) 1 0 lLlf3 Vi'a5 ! 1 1 .i.xf6 .l:txf6 12
Vi'c 1 ! ? . In some sources this position is evalu­
ated as slightly better for White, but after
1 2 ... a6 ! 1 3 bxa6 lt:'lxa6, Black obtains a clear
advantage in development and his pieces are
more active. After the coming exchange on c3,
Black will have pressure on the white pawns at
a2 and c3. For this, the plan is ...c4 followed by
... lLlc5 and ... lLle4.
7 fxe6 8 cxb5 0-0
...
Tal once beat Spassky with 8 ... d5, but at the
present time preference is given to developing
and putting immediate pressure on c3 and b5,
holding the pawn back on d7. This is because
White has obtained good results by developing
the bishop to d3 and the knight to e2 (protecting
the c3-knight). For example, 9 e3 0-0 10 i..d3 !
not produce the desired results after 1 1 a3 ! i..a5
1 2 exd4 cxd4 1 3 b4 dxc3 1 4 bxa5 .i.b7 1 5 lt:'le2!
i.. xg2 16 l::i.g 1 .i.f3 1 7 �g3 ! . In this open posi­
tion I prefer White on account of his bishop­
pair, although Black has good chances of creat­
ing complications since the white king is also
weak.
9 e3 (D)
B
9 a6!
...
There are various alternatives, but the best
plans are all based on eliminating the b5-pawn
with ... a6:
 LENINGRAD VARIATION (4 il.g5) AND OTHER LINES 1 03

a) It is inaccurate to occupy the centre im­ knight penetrates on d3 with strong counter­
mediately with 9 ... d5 ? ! , because after 1 0 ..ltd3 ! play.
jg_b7?! I I tt:Je2 tt:Jbd7 1 2 0-0 �e8 1 3 ..ltg3 e5 l l .i.xc3+ (D)
...

14 a3 ..lta5 1 5 �bl any advance of Black's This immediate exchange does not seem
central pawns gives White squares and diago­ logical. In Harikrishna-J.Polgar, Bilbao 2007,
nals, whereas the white pawns can advance on Judit preferred to retain both her bishops and
the queenside, driving Black's forces back, continue her development with I I ... ..ltb7 1 2 0-0
Ward-Hinks Edwards, British League (4NCL) c4 ! 1 3 jg_c2 �b6.
1 999/00. This is the type of position that Black
must avoid.
b) It is more logical to play 9 ...'i!Va5 !? 1 0
..ltxf6 (necessary to prevent ... tt:Je4 ! ) I O. . Jhf6
and subsequently the most appropriate plan is
to play l l ... a6 !? to open the a-file and liberate
Black's minor pieces.
c) 9 ... ..ltb7 !? is also playable, since this pre­
vents White from comfortably developing the
bishop to d3 and the knight to e2. Later Black
follows up with ... a6.
10 jg_d3 (D)
Capturing with I 0 bxa6 allows Black to de­
velop fully with I O .. .'iVa5 ! ? (forcing �xf6),
...tt:Jc6 and ... d5, with the threat of ... d4. A tac­
tical theme that repeatedly crops up in these 12 bxc3!?
positions is the advance . . . d5-d4, after first Forcing Black to defend the b5-pawn. Black
eliminating the f3-knight with . . ..l::!.x f3. It might would not be worried by 1 2 tLlxc3 c4 1 3 �c2
be necessary for Black to capture on a6 if White 'i!Vb6 14 0-0 ..ltb7 , because after ...d5 White's
plays I I 'i!Vc I , defending c3 and preparing a3. bishop-pair is balanced by Black's strong cen­
This capture should preferably be made with tre.
the knight, to have available the manoeuvre 12 jg_a6 13 a4 (D)
.•.

... tt:Jc7-d5, increasing the pressure on c3.

B
B

Trying to seize the initiative at all costs.

10 axb5 1 1 tt:Je2
•.. 13 bxa4?!
•••

1 1 jg_xb5 i s met by I I . . .'iVa5 ! 1 2 'iVd3 d5 1 3 This hands over the initiative and stabilizes
a4 tLlbd7, followed by ... tt:Je5 and . . .c4, and the the position, which is not wise when fighting
1 04 CHESS EXPLAINED: THE N!MZO-INDIAN

against the bishop-pair. The correct course was 19 �a4!

to keep the game strategically unbalanced with Gaining time to reach h7.
1 3 ... b4 !? 1 4 cxb4 cxb4 1 5 0-0 tt::lc 6 and Black 19 ii.b7?
••.

has a harmonious position. The decisive error. It was essential to orga­

14 Itxa4 ii.b7 15 l!xa8 ii.xa8 16 0-0 �c7 nize his defence with 19 . . JH8 ! 20 �e4 CiJe7
(D) covering the g6-square.
20 'i!Ve4 (D)

On his scale of static criteria for evaluating a

position, GM Dorfman awards top ranking to The penetratjon on the Jjght squares leads to
king safety, and he is absolutely correct. In this material gains.
game, White exploits the weaknesses of the 20 'it>f8
•••

black king to conjure up a strong attack from an
apparently harmless position.
17 ii.xf6!
Eliminating an important defender of the
light squares .
17 Jlxf6 18 tt::lf4 tt::lc 6?!
•.
Black does not sense the danger. Otherwise
he would have taken urgent defensive measures
such as 1 8 . . .c4 !? (preventing the manoeuvre
'ii'a4-e4) 1 9 ii.bl tt::la6 (to blockade on e4 or d3)
20 .. JH5? would fail to 2 1 tt::lxe6! dxe6 22
�xe6+ llf7 23 'ii'e 8+ k!.f8 24 i.c4+ winning.
21 �h7 tt::le5 22 'ifh8+ 'it>e7
22 ... 'it>f7 does not help either, in view of 23
tt::lh 5, and g7 falls.
23 �xg7+
The position is collapsing. White has a mate­
rial advantage and Black's king lacks protec­
tion.
23 .i:!.f7 24 'i!Vxh6 tt::lxd3 25 tt::lxd3 .lia6 26
•.•

20 'ii'c 2 l:tf5 2 1 l:Id l ! and White has only slight �g5+ 1-0
pressure. After 26 ... �f8 27 .i:!.al ! Black is defenceless.

Game 2 6 [ E23]
Juan Corral Blanco - Joel Lautier
Spanish Team Ch, Cala Galdana 1 999

1 d4 tt::lf6 2 c4 e6 3 tt::lc3 ii.b4 4 �b3
This is an obsolete line which shares some
similarities with 4 �c2. On b3 the queen at­
tacks the bishop but is more exposed, does not
control the e4-square and obstructs White's
b-pawn. Various famous GMs have used it,
such as Piket, Malaniuk and Epishin. Black
has several ways to equalize. But first, let us
examine some other rarely played alternatives
of lesser worth:
 LENINGRAD VARIATION (4 iJ..g5) AND OTHER LINES
a) 4 e4? (D).
This move has attracted the interest of a few
adventurous souls who have employed it with
disastrous results. After 4 ... lt:Jxe4, 5 'i!Vg4!? is
the move in which the partisans of this unsound
gambit place their hopes. Now simple and natu­
ral play by Black neutralizes any attempt to
complicate the game: 5 . . .lt:Jxc3 6 a3 (6 'i!Vxg7 is
not possible on account of 6 . . .'i!Vf6 ! 7 'i!Vxf6
lt:Je4+) 6... .i.e7 ! 7 bxc3 .i.f6 8 .i.d3 b6 and by
continuing with the development of his queen­
side ( ... .i.b7, ...d6 and ... lt:Jd7), Black obtains a
comfortable game with an extra pawn.
b) Rather better, but also inadvisable, is 4
'iHd3?! (D).
The d3-square is not the most appropriate
square for the queen since, as well as getting in
the way of the possible development of White's
fl -bishop, the queen is exposed to immediate
105
attack by the black pieces. Now 4...c5 ! is the
best way to exploit the white queen's position,
according to Keres:
b l ) 5 lt:Jf3 cxd4 6 lt:Jxd4 0-0 7 a3 .i.xc3+ 8
'i!Vxc3 d5 and Black's better development guar­
antees him the initiative.
b2) With 5 d5 White seeks to stabilize the
situation in the centre, but White's gain of space
will be met by the activity of the black pieces.
5 ... 0-0 6 .i.d2 exd5 7 cxd5 d6 8 g3 b6 ! (after
this move and . . . .i.a6, the activity of the black
bishop on the a6-fl diagonal will be decisive) 9
.i.g2 .i.a6 I 0 'i!Vc2 lt:Jbd7 I I lt:Jh3 l:!.e8 with tre­
mendous pressure on e2, Mikenas-Keres, Mos­
cow 1 949.
c) There is a more logical possibility in 4
.i.d2 (D).
With this modest move, White relieves the
pin in a simple manner and avoids the doubling
of his pawns. 4 ... d5 (Black can also choose a
method of play that is closer to the Indian sys­
tems; for example, 4 . .0-0 5 lLlf3 b6 6 e3 .i.b7 7
.
.i.e2 d6 8 0-0 lt:Jbd7) 5 e3 (after this move we
can better appreciate some of the defects of the
white position: the bishop on d2 has limited
scope, in comparison with other variations
where it can pin Black's f6-knight or go to b2 to
support the white centre) 5 ... 0-0 6 lt:Jf3 c5 (it is
also possible to complete the development of
the queenside with 6. . .b6, ... .i.b7 and ... lt:Jbd7,
followed by . . . c5) 7 a3 .i.xc3 8 .i.xc3 cxd4 9
.i.xd4 lt:Jc6 I 0 cxd5 lt:Jxd5 I I .i.e2 l:!.e8 1 2 b4
(intending to retain his bishop-pair, but allow­
ing Black to develop a dangerous initiative; 1 2
106 CHESS EXPLAINED: THE NJMZO-INDIAN

0-0 is better) 1 2 ... e5 1 3 i.b2 e4 1 4 lt:\d4 lt:\e5 1 5

lt:\b5 (once again 1 5 0-0 was appropriate, al­
though after 1 5 ... �g5 ! 1 6 'i¥th 1 i.g4! B lack has
good prospects of installing his knights on the
light squares, which have been left weak by the
exchange of bishops) 1 5 . . .a6 l 6 lt:\c7 lt:\d3+! 1 7
i.xd3 lt:\xc7 1 8 i.c4 �g5 and B lack ' s initia­
tive compensates for the bishop-pair, R.Stern­
Almasi, Dresden 2007 .
Let us return to 4 �b3 (D):

B
b) 7 i.xf6 �xf6 8 lZ'lf3 (if 8 .l:.c I then
8 ... a5 ! ? deserves consideration, with the idea of
... a4 and ... a3, weakening the dark squares)
8 ... i.xc3+! (Stern-Landa, Bundesliga 2006/7
ended dramatically after 8 ...b6 !? 9 cxb6 axb6
{ 9 ...i.xc3+! } I 0 e3 ?? l:i.a3 ! and White resigned,
in view of the inevitable loss of material; White
should have played I 0 l:i.c 1 ! keeping his pawn­
structure intact, with advantage) 9 'ifxc3 (if 9
bxc3, then 9 ... b6! is equally strong) 9 ...'ifxc3+
1 0 bxc3 (D).
4 c5
•••

Now that the white queen has abandoned the

defence of the d4-pawn, Black immediately at­
tacks it. One major difference compared to the
4 �c2 lines is that here of course 4 ...0-0?? is
impossible because the b4-bishop hangs.
5 dxcS
White is no position to maintain his centre,
since after 5 lt:\f3 lt:\e4! or 5 d5 lt:\e4! Black has
the initiative.
s...lt:\c6 (D)
5 ...lt:\a6 ! ? is equally good.
6 lt:\f3
Here 6 i.g5 is an important alternative. White
prevents ... lt:\e4, but after 6 ... h6 must be willing
to give up his dark-squared bishop right away: Now the typical positional pawn sacrifice
a) After 7 i.h4 it is essential to play the en­ 1 O... b6! guarantees Black sufficient counter­
ergetic 7 ... g5 ! 8 i.g3 lt:\e4 9 e3 i.xc3+! (the play. By opening files for his rooks, Black puts
most accurate move, before the white knight pressure on the weak white pawns, with good
can go to e2, defending c3) 1 0 bxc3 �a5 and chances of restoring the material balance, after
after eliminating the g3-bishop and recapturing which his position would be preferable. 1 1
on c5, Black is better on account of his healthy cxb6 axb6 1 2 e3 'i¥te7 and by continuing with
pawn-structure, Agdestein-Hjartarson, Reykja­ the plan of ... l:i.a4, . . .i.a6 and ... lt:\e5 or ...lZ'la5
vik 1 996. Black develops strong pressure against White's
 LENINGRAD VARIATION (4 ii..g5) AND OTHER LINES 107

weaknesses, which will finally lead to his re­

gaining the pawn.
6 .lt'le4 7 .i.d2 lt'lxd2 8 lt'lxd2 0-0 9 e3 .i.xcS
•• B
(D)

15 lt'lxc4 16 .i.xc4 'ifxc4 17 llhg1 '.io>hS

•.•

The defence requires great care: if 1 7 ...d5? ! ,

10 lt'lde4
The great Alekhine showed how to play if
White employs the passive 1 0 .i.e2: I O ...b6 I I
0-0 (wasting the last opportunity of reaching
equality with I I lt'lde4 !) l l ...f5 ! (with this, the
white knights are denied the use of the e4-
then 1 8 lt'lf6+ .ixf6 1 9 gxf6 g6 20 .l:.d4 'ifc7 2 1
llh4 with a dangerous attack.
18 llg4 'ifc7 19 llh4 g6 20 f4?
Losing his bearings. It was better to play 20
tt'Jf6 ! .i.xf6 2 1 gxf6, reaching an extremely
complicated position in which Black should re­
tain his advantage with precise defence, start­
ing with 2 I . ..'ife5 ! .
20 .i.b7 2 1 'ifd3
•••

square, and at the same time Black prepares a White does not have the resources to con­
strong attack on the kingside) 1 2 llac I llb8 1 3 tinue his attack, since after 2 1 tt'Jf6 .ixf6 22
lt'lf3 't!Vf6 1 4 llfd I g5 ! with a strong attack, Nor­ gxf6 'ifd8 23 'iff2 'ifxf6 24 llxd7 .ic6 25 l:td4
man-Aiekhine, Hastings 1 925. .l:.ad8 Black can concentrate on exploiting his
10...b6 11 .ie2 material advantage.
Letting the black bishop escape is a strategi­ 21... .ixe4 22 'ifxe4 dS (D)
cally risky decision. White should have chosen
the quiet I I lt'lxc5 bxc5 1 2 l:!.d I �b8 1 3 'ifc2
.ib7 14 't!Vd2 't!Va5 1 5 .i.e2 �fd8 16 0-0, when
the game is equal. w
ll ....ie7 12 0-0-0
Risky, since on the queenside the white king
can be subject to unpleasant surprises.
12...a6 13 g4 (D)
Launching the attack. It was more prudent to
play 1 3 �d2 or 1 3 'ifc2 and then double the
rooks, exerting pressure on the d-file.
13 'ifc7?!
•.•

1 3 ....ib7 is more accurate, followed by ... .M.c8

and ... lt'la5, keeping the queen on d8 to protect
the f6-square.
14 gS ltJaS 15 't!Vc2 Black has consolidated his material advan­
After 1 5 't!Va4?, Black opens lines against the tage and the danger to his king is over.
white king with 1 5 ... b5 !. 23 'ifg2 fS!
1 08 CHESS EXPLAINED: THE NIMZO-!NDJAN
Leaving the h4-rook permanently out of
play.
24 �bl z:i.ac8 25 �d2 �c4 26 �d4+ �g8!
Giving back the pawn in order to coordinate
his pieces with gain of time and launch the final
attack on the white king.
27 �xb6 l:Ic6 28 �b7
It was better to play 28 �a7 ! l:If7 29 l:Id4 and
White exchanges the queens, easing the de­
fence.
28 Jif7! 29 l:td4 �cs 30 �b3 .tr8 3I l:Ih3
••
l:Ifc7 32 l:Id3 i.. g7
Black completes his regrouping, after which
the game is decided, because the white rook on
h3 is not participating in the struggle.
33 �a4 l:Ib7 34 �c2 l:Ixb2+! (D)
The most elegant. The rest is a hunt ofthe
white king.
35 �xb2 il.xc3+ 36 �c2
After 36 �bl i.. g7 ! there is also no defence.
36 i..b4+ 37 �dl �cl+ 38 �e2 �el+ 39
•••
�f3 �fl+ 0-1
And mate on the next move.
Conclusions
The Leningrad Variation has seen a revival in
master practice with the recent contributions of
several outstanding grandmasters. The games
that we have examined demonstrate that Black
does not have to limit himself to the central
blockade systems (based on ...e5), but can un­
dermine White ' s centre by putting pressure on
d5 (keeping the pawn on e6 and bringing the
knight to b6). Generally White ends up having
to capture on e6; Black recaptures with either
his queen or bishop, castles on the queenside
and then either attacks on the kingside or breaks
in the centre with ... d5. In these positions, White
will attack on the queenside by advancing with
a4-a5 and using the b-file.
The gambit with ... b5 ! ? is offering Black
very good play at present. It is necessary to pay
careful attention to the move-orders and the
plans to follow. Black must combine pressure
on the a5-e l diagonal with the freeing move
... a6 !, which allows him to complete the active
development of his queenside. After the cap­
ture cxb5 Black cannot obtain good play by
combining natural moves such as ... d5, ... lL'lbd7
and ... i.. b7, since White will have no problems
containing the black centre and can mobilize
his forces in ideal fashion with .id3 and lL'le2.
Black should therefore play for ... i.. b7, or .. .'�a5
followed by ... a6.
The secondary lines against the Nimzo­
Indian do not offer any advantage to White. Re­
cently 4 i.. d2 has gained some support from
players seeking a safe position, but Black can
equalize in various ways. The simplest is 4 ... d5,
followed by ...c5; note that in this variation
White will often gain the bishop-pair by play­
ing a3, but Black then gets it back with ... lL'le4
or .. .'�Jd5 at some moment.
Of these rare fourth-move options, only 4
�b3 has any venom. Black should react by
4... c5 and .. .'�Jc6, with the idea of ... lL'le4, putting
pressure on c3 and c5. Remember that if White
keeps an extra pawn in the endgame, but has tri­
pled pawns on the c-file, then the correct way for
Black to treat the position is to open the a- and
c-files with ... b6 !, which guarantees sufficient
counterplay against White's doubled pawns.
List of Games

Alexei Alexandrov - Kim Le Quang, Abu Dhabi 2007 60

Evgeny Bareev - Vasily lvanchuk, Havana 2006 21
Jan Bernasek - Markus Ragger, Mitropa Cup, Szeged 2007 75
Dmitri Bocharov - Igor Lysy, Moscow 2007 35
Miso Cebalo - Dimitri Komarov, Bratto open 2006 15
Luis Comas Fabrego - Alexander Delchev, Andorra 2006 98
Juan Corral Blanco - Joel Lautier, Spanish Team Ch, Cala Galdana 1 999 1 04
Yuri Gonzalez - A Alvarez, Havana 2007 67
Mikhail Gurevich - Peter Leko, Elista 2007 46
Jan Gustafsson - Evgeny Postny, Greek Team Ch, Ermioni 2006 42
Tiger Hillarp Persson - Peter Heine Nielsen, Danish League 2001/2 12
Rasul Ibrahimov - Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, President's Cup, Baku 2006 24
Gata Kamsky - Pavel Elianov, Montrea/ 2007 72
Alexei Korotylev - Viacheslav Zakhartsov, Russian Ch, Krasnoiarsk 2007 82
Li Shilong - Penteala Harikrishna, Moscow 2007 101
Vadim Milov - Dashzeveg Sharavdorj, Las Vegas 2006 63
Hikaru Nakamura - Andrei Volokitin, Cuernavaca 2006 52
Teimour Radjabov - Evgeny Alekseev, Sochi 2007 32
Teimour Radjabov - Emir Dizdarevic, Calvia Olympiad 2004 8
Ivan Sokolov -Judit Polgar, Hoogeveen 2006 56
Loek van Wely - Veselin Topalov, Wijk aan Zee 2004 27
Loek van Wely - Peter Wells, London 2007 39
Clovis Vernay - Fabiano Caruana, Budapest 2007 87
Wang Yue - Dmitri Yakovenko, Novgorod 2007 94
Radoslaw Wojtaszek - Vladimir Akopian, Spanish Team Ch, Lugo 2007 91
Yaacov Zilberman - Vlastimil Babula, Pardubice 2007 78
I ndex of Variations

1 d4 lt'lf6 5 a3 ! ? 52 5 ... �xc3+ 6 bxc3 c5 ! 7 .id3 lt'lc6 8

2 c4 e6 lt'le2 b6 9 e4! lt'le8 ! 53
3 lt'lc3 �b4 5 lt'le2 67 5 ... d5 6 a3 .lte7 7 cxd5 exd5 67
5 d5

Now:
A: 4 e3 6 lt'lf3
B: 4 'tWc2 6 a3 56 6... .ltxc3+ 7 bxc3 dxc4! 56
C: Other lines 6 cxd5 60 6 ... exd5 7 lt'le2 l:te8 8 .id2 a6 9 lt'lg3
62
A) 6 lt'le2 63 6 . . . c5 7 cxd5 cxd4 ! 8 exd4 lt'lxd5 !
64
4 e3 0-0 51 6 c5
7 0-0 71
7 ••• dxc4
7 ... lt'lc6 82 8 a3 i.xc3 9 bxc3 Wl/c7 ! ? 1 0 cxd5
w exd5 83
8 i.xc4 lt'lbd7!? 72
9 a3!? 75
9 Wlie2 72
9 'iVb3 72 9 ...cxd4 ! 1 0 WVxb4 73
Now (after 9 a3 ! ?) :
9 ... .ltxc3?! 75
9 ... cxd4 75 1 0 axb4 dxc3 1 1 bxc3 'tWc7! 76
9 ... .lta5 ! ? 78 1 0 Wl/e2 cxd4! 79

B)
5 �d3 4 Wl/c2 20
 INDEX OF VARIATIONS 111

8 e3 d6: 9 ctJe2 40; 9 f3 42

8 ctJf3 42 8 ...d6 9 tt:Jd2 c5 !? 43
B 8 f3 46 8 ... h6 ! 9 ..ih4 d5 1 0 e3 ctJbd7 1 1 cxd5 !?
tt:Jxd5 ! 47

C)
4 tt:Jf3
a) 4 e4? 105
b) 4 'iVd3? ! 105
c) 4 ..id2 105
d) 4 'iVb3 104
e) 4 g3 87
e l ) 4 ...c5 5 tt:Jf3 - 4 tLlf3 c5 5 g3
4 0-0 31 e2) 4. . . d5 87 5 ..ig2 0-0 6 tt:Jf3 dxc4 7 0-0 tt:Jc6
4...d5 21 and then: 88
a) 5 a3 21 5 .....ixc3+ 6 '*lVxc3 tLle4 7 '*lVc2 c5 ! 22 f) 4 a3 8 4 .....ixc3+ 5 bxc3 b6 6 f3 tt:Jc6 7 e4
b) 5 cxd5 24 5 ... exd5 6 ..ig5 24 6 ... c5 ! 27: ..ia6 9
b 1 ) 7 0-0-0! ? 27 g) 4 f3 12:
b2) 7 tt:Jf3 27 g 1) 4...tt:Jc6 5 e4 d5 ! 6 cxd5 exd5 7 e5 tt:Jg8 12
b3) 7 dxc5 24 7 ...h6 8 ..ih4 g5 ! 9 ..ig3 tLle4 10 g2) 4. . .0-0 !? 15 5 a3 ..ixc3+ 6 bxc3 tt:Jh5 !? 16
e3 'iVa5 ! 25 h) 4 ..ig5 98 4 ... h6 5 ..ih4 c5 6 d5:
b4) 7 a3 2 7 7 ... ..ixc3+ 8 'iVxc3 ! cxd4 ! ? 9 'iVxd4 h 1) 6 ... ..ixc3+ 7 bxc3 d6 98
tt:Jc6 I 0 '*lVf4 28 h2) 6 ... b5 !? 101
5 a3 35 4 c5
5 tt:Jf3 32 4 ... b6 - Queen's Indian
5 e4!? 32 5 ... d5 ! 6 e5 tt:Je4 ! 32
5 ..ixc3+
6 'iVxc3 b6

5 g3
5 e3 - see 4 e3 0-0 5 ..id3 d5 6 tLlf3 c5
5 cxd4
7 ..ig5 39 6 tt:Jxd4
7 tLlf3 36 7 .....ib7 8 e3 d6 9 ..ie2 36 Now:
7 ..ib7 6 ... tt:Je4 91 7 �d3 91
Now: 6 ... 0-0 7 ..ig2 d5 ! ? 94
Other Chess Open i ngs Books from Gambit Publications

Chess Explained: The Queen's Indian
Peter Wells
1 d4 li:Jf6 2 c4 e6 3 li:Jf3 b6 is a mainstream
strategic opening, rich in nuances. Many of
the modem main lines involve moves that
look extravagant, but are backed up by a deep
underlying logic.
128 pages, 248 x 1 72 mm; $19.95 I £12.99
Chess Explained: The c3 Sicilian
Sam Collins
The c3 Sicilian is a popular way to sidestep
the main lines of the Sicilian. White denies his
opponent the chance to demonstrate his
preparation in some heavily-analysed system;
instead Black will have to fight carefully for
equality in a more rational position of White's
choosing.
112 pages, 248 x 1 72 mm; $19. 95 I £12.99
Chess Explained: The Meran Semi-Slav
Reinaldo Vera
The Semi-Slav is one of Black's most
aggressive defences, and the Meran Variation
is its traditional main line. Vera is superb at
explaining the chaotic positions - meaning
rich pickings for the player who is better
prepared.
1 12 pages, 248 x 1 72 mm; $23.95 I £12.99
Chess Explained: The Classical Sicilian
Alex Yermolinsky
Former US Champion Yermolinsky explains,
in masterful fashion, the key plans and ideas
of one of his favourite openings. This
dynamic Sicilian weapon has been a favourite
of players such as Anand, Kramnik and
Shirov.
1 12 pages, 248 x 1 72 mm; $19. 95 I £12.99

Chess Explained: The Queen's Gambit Chess Explained: The French

Declined
James Rizzitano
Topical explanation of the Queen's Gambit
Declined - one of the most important of chess
openings. This solid and classical choice for
Black has remained in vogue for more than a
century.
128 pages, 248 x 1 72 mm; $23.95 I £12.99
Viacheslav Eingorn & Valentin Bogdanov
This important defence suits a wide range of
chess temperaments - an opening that is solid
yet uncompromising. In many critical
variations White accepts major structural
weaknesses in return for piece-play and
dynamic chances.
1 12 pages, 248 x 1 72 mm; $23.95 I £12.99

Chess Explained: The Modern Benoni
Zenon Franco
This opening is a perennial weapon of
aggressive players looking to create winning
chances with Black. It is one of the few
openings where White has no easy way to
force drawish simplifications.
1 1 2 pages, 248 x 1 72 mm; $23.95 I £12.99
Chess Explained: The Taimanov Sicilian
James Rizzitano
This opening system is one of the most
flexible options for Black in the Open
Sicilian. Black avoids committing himself to a
rigid set-up, and tailors his response once
White has shown his hand.
1 12 pages, 248 x 1 72 mm; $19. 95 I £12. 99

About the Publisher: Gambit chess opening books are designed to be different. We recruit the fin­
est authors, writing passionately on their specialist systems. Our editorial team is obsessive about
double-checking variations and transpositions. Gambit believes trustworthy analysis is important,
and that an openings book should remain an asset over many years.

www.gambitbooks.com
Chess Explained books provide an u ndersta rding of a n opening and the
middlega mes to which it leads, enabling you to find the right moves and
plans in your own games . It is as if you were sitting at the board with a
chess coach answering your questi ons about the plans for both sides, the
ideas behind pa rticular moves , and what specific knowtedge you need to
have.

The N i mzo-lndian is one of the most i mportant of all chess openings, and
popular at all levels of play. Together with the QueeA's I n dian (also covered
in this series), the Nimzo has provided the backbone of t he opening
repertoire of a large portion of the world's top players over the last 80
years . It is considered a fu lly reliable defence, and provides wi nning
chances for both sides as it leads to structures of great strategic variety
and complexity. Key battlegrounds i n the N i mzo in clude the blockade, I Q P
positions, the handling o f unbalanced pawn-structures, and the struggle
between bishop and knight. All these topics are covered in depth i n this
book , and an understanding of them wi l l prove valuable in a much broader
context than just the Ni mzo-l ndian.

Reinaldo Vera comes from C u ba and g ained his g randmaster title i n 1 988 .
He has won the Cuban Championship on two occasions a nd was a
member of the Cuban national team for more than two decades. Vera
graduated from Havana U niversity, and has written for many chess
magazines, in cl uding New in Chess, Jaque and Peon de Rey. He is a lso a
F I DE Senior Trainer, and the coach of the Cu ban team .

£ 1 2 99 $23 95

ISBN-13 : ,78-1-904 600- 72-5

Mastering I S B N - 10 : 1 - 9 0 4 600-72-7
the Chess
Openings
2
...... ----..
--

9 78 1 904 600725 >