Download PGN of August ’24 Nimzo and Benoni games
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Nimzo-Indian: 4 e3 0-0 5 a3 Bxc3+ 6 bxc3 [E28]
4 e3 0-0 5 a3 Bxc3+ 6 bxc3 d6 7 f3 Nc6 8 e4 Qe8:
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Playing e3 followed by f3 and e4 isn’t the most economical way to arrange e4 (7 Bd3 and 7 Ne2 are much more popular). However, it does at least have the merit of quickly reaching a new position and avoiding preparation. At the Sinquefield Cup, Nepo tried this against Giri, and in this position he raised the stakes with 9 h4!?. What we got after another few moves is barely believable: 9...b6 10 h5 Ba6 11 Ra2! Na5 12 g4! Qc6 13 Rg2:
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This, ladies and gentlemen, is modern chess! See the notes to Nepomniachtchi, I - Giri, A, a genuinely amazing game.
Nimzo-Indian: 4 e3 0-0 5 Bd3 d5 6 Nf3 dxc4 7 Bxc4 c5 8 0-0 [E55]
4 e3 0-0 5 Bd3 d5 6 Nf3 dxc4 7 Bxc4 c5 8 0-0 Nc6 9 a3 Ba5:
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8...Nc6 continues to gain interest as an alternative to the main lines 8...cxd4 and 8...Nbd7. In a recent game, Nimzo expert Alexey Sarana played the clever move 10 h3!?. Find out the point behind this move in the notes to Sarana, A - Praggnanandhaa, R.
Nimzo-Indian: 4 e3 0-0 5 Bd3 d5 6 a3 dxc4 [E49]
4 e3 0-0 5 Bd3 d5 6 a3 dxc4 7 Bxc4 Bd6:
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In recent times, 6...dxc4 has been regarded as a fully viable alternative to the exchange on c3. So far on this site, we’ve focussed on 7...Be7, but 7...Bd6 is also a perfectly reasonable choice for Black. In contrast to lines with 7...Be7, Black aims for the pawn break ...e5. After 8 Nf3 Nc6! 9 0-0 e5, Black has reasonable chances - see the notes to So, W - Caruana, F.
Nimzo-Indian: 4 e3 c5 5 Nge2 d5 [E42]
4 e3 c5 5 Nge2 d5 6 a3 Ba5 7 dxc5 dxc4 8 Bd2 0-0 9 Ng3 b6 10 Bxc4 bxc5 11 0-0 Nbd7 12 Qc2 Bb7 13 Rfd1:
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6...Ba5 continues to be tried in some high-level games. Until this point, a game between Abdusattorov and So at the Sinquefield Cup followed a game we’d covered previously. Here Wesley So diverged with 13...h5, planning ...h4-h3, but Abdusattorov’s response, a novelty, was convincing. See Abdusattorov, N - So, W for analysis.
Nimzo-Indian: 4 Nf3 c5 [E21]
4 Nf3 c5 5 dxc5!?:
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5 dxc5 is a rare move (5 g3 is the main line, while 5 e3 transposes to e3 lines). However, judging by a recent game, it’s not as harmless as it looks. Gukesh tried 5 dxc5 against Wesley So at the Sinquefield Cup, and after just a few more moves he had gained a significant advantage. This is a good demonstration of the power of surprise in the opening. See Gukesh, D - So, W for details.
Queen’s Indian: 4 g3 Bb7 5 Bg2 Be7 6 0-0 0-0 7 Re1 [E17]
4 g3 Bb7 5 Bg2 Be7 6 0-0 0-0 7 Re1 a5 8 Nc3 Ne4 9 Qc2 Nxc3 10 bxc3!:
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Black has many ways to meet 7 Re1, and 7...a5 is one of the options. In the diagrammed position, I initially thought 10 bxc3 was forced because recapturing with the queen allows ...Bb4. However, amazingly the tactics favour White after the skewer. Despite this, 10 bxc3 is still the strongest move! As we’ve seen in previous games, recapturing with bxc3 becomes more appealing when Black has played ...a5. In particular, Black can’t play ...Nc6-a5, and also the idea of c4-c5 gains in strength. That said, Black’s position remains solid, and Hans Niemann’s creative play as Black is certainly instructive. See the notes to Vitiugov, N - Niemann, H.
Till next time, John
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