What's New: June 02 Update
|
GM John Emms rounds up the latest in these Nimzo, QI and Benoni Systems. |
Hi everyone!
All this month's new games are easily downloaded in PGN format using ChessPub.exe, go to ChessPub.exe, put the date on, say, 28th June 2002, and then click on 'Nimzo and Benoni', over on the right. All these games should appear!
To download the June '02 Nimzo and Benoni games directly in PGN form, click here: 
Nimzo-Indian: Rubinstein Variation (4 e3)
We begin this month with a look at the game Rausis-Wahls, Hamburg 2002. Black employs the queenside fianchetto: 1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 e6 3 Nc3 Bb4 4 e3 b6 5 Bd3 Bb7 6 Nf3 Ne4.
            
|
In many ways this occupation of e4 is Black's most ambitious strategy. The game continued 7 0-0 f5 8 d5!?. This move represents White's most ambitious attempt in this line. White tries to smash open the centre, hoping that Black's weaknesses will be exposed in a open position. For his part, Black generally tries to keep the position as blocked as possible, expecting to cash in on White's pawn weaknesses later on in the game.
Kallio-Anastasian, Batumi 2002 begins 1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 e6 3 Nc3 Bb4 4 e3 0-0 5 Bd3 d5 6 Nf3 dxc4 7 Bxc4 c5 8 0-0 Nbd7
|
|
This is the first time on this site that we have come across this line, with Black normally opting to reach the standard 'Isolated Queen's Pawn' (IQP) position instead with 6...c5 7 0-0 dxc4 8 Bxc4 cxd4 9 exd4.
By delaying exchanging on d4 in favour of ...Nbd7, both sides have more options to reach a different kind of position from an IQP.
Modern Benoni: Modern Classical Variation
Krasenkow-Velicka, Batumi 2002 goes right down the main, main line 1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 c5 3 d5 e6 4 Nc3 exd5 5 cxd5 d6 6 e4 g6 7 h3 Bg7 8 Nf3 0-0 9 Bd3 b5 10 Bxb5 Nxe4 11 Nxe4 Qa5+ 12 Nfd2 Qxb5 13 Nxd6 Qa6 14 N2c4 Nd7 15 0-0 Nb6 16 Nxb6 Qxb6 17 Nxc8 Raxc8
|
|
18 Rb1 has been the move White has turned to most - it seems to lead to an endgame in which White has small winning chances. See, for example Shipov, S - Velimirovic, D/Belgrade 1998 (ECO code A70). Recently, though, white players have been trying new ways to reach an advantage from this position. Here Krasenkow adopts the natural-looking ; 18 Re1!?.
In Shengelia-Ehlvest, Batumi 2002, Black opts for the quieter way to battle against the Modern Classical: 1 d4 Nf6 2 Nf3 e6 3 c4 c5 4 d5 d6 5 Nc3 exd5 6 cxd5 g6 7 h3 a6 8 a4 Bg7 9 e4 0-0 10 Bd3 Nh5. These lines involving an early ...Nh5 have become quite popular since being recommended by John Watson in his excellent book Gambit Guide to the Modern Benoni.
Queen's Indian 4 a3
Dreev-Ponomariov, Moscow (rapid) 2002 begins 1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 e6 3 Nf3 b6 4 a3 Bb7 5 Nc3 d5. This is the most solid way to meet the 4 a3 variation; Black immediately stakes a claim for the centre. Play now more resembles a Queen's Gambit Declined than a Queen's Indian. The game continues 6 Qc2 c5!? cxd5 cxd4 8 Nxd4 Nxd5
|
|
and now Dreev plays the unusual 9 Ndb5!? (ECO gives 9 e4 Nxc3 10 Qxc3 Nd7).
Radjabov-Akopian, Moscow (rapid) 2002 sees a rather comfortable victory from the youngster from Baku in the variation 1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 e6 3 Nf3 b6 4 Nc3 Bb7 5 a3 d5 6 cxd5 Nxd5 7 Qa4+.
|
|
Here Akopian tried the rather dubious novelty 7...Bc6, but he was soon regretting his decision.
Weird Benonis: Schmid Benoni
Finally this month we have a good old-fashioned hack in the game Khmelnitski-Provotorov, Voronezh 2002: 1 d4 Nf6 2 Nf3 c5 3 d5 g6 4 Nc3 Bg7 5 e4 0-0?!
|
|
Until a few years ago this was considered to be a clever move order for Black. However, the discovery of 6 e5 Ng4 7 Ng5! has cast a huge shadow over Black's chances. In many cases Black has lasted less than 30 moves and this proves to be no different!
Remember, if you have any questions or remarks on the Benoni, Weird Benonis, Nimzo Indian, Queen's Indian or Bogo-Indian, I'd be glad to hear from you.
Please e-mail me at