What's New (December 2003 update)
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Hi Everyone! This month we take a look at games in the Nimzo Indian, Modern Benoni and Weird Benonis from December 2003. |
Remember, if you have any opinions, ideas or questions, please either make yourself heard at the Forum (the link above on the right) or subscribers can email me at JohnEmms@ChessPublishing.com.
To download the December '03 Nimzo and Benoni games directly in PGN form, click here: 
Nimzo Indian Classical Variation (4 Qc2)
We begin this month with the game Nakamura - Milov, Santo Domingo 2003 which, via a slightly different move order, reaches the position after 1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 e6 3 Nc3 Bb4 4 Qc2 0-0 5 a3 Bxc3+ 6 Qxc3 b6 7 Bg5 Bb7 8 e3 d6 9 Ne2 Nbd7 10 Qd3
            
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This idea is the flavour of the month and has already been seen in quite a few high-profile encounters. White's idea is that after Ne2-c3 the e4-square will be well within White's control. Milov comes up with an imaginative plan beginning with 10...a5!?, with the idea of ...a5-a4 and ...Ra5!. This works to perfection in this game, albeit with quite a bit of help from White.
Next up is the is the game Gagunashvili - Ernst, Groningen 2003, which begins 1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 e6 3 Nc3 Bb4 4 Qc2 0-0 5 a3 Bxc3+ 6 Qxc3 b6 7 Bg5 Ba6 (Rozentalis' move; Black immediately hits the c4-pawn) 8 Qf3!?
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A trendy way of meeting 7...Ba6. White takes advantage of the fact that there is no black bishop on the long diagonal and attacks the rook on a8. The idea is to interfere with Black's smooth development on the queenside. After 8...Nc6 9 e3 h6 10 Bh4 Black plays 10...Na5!?. In many ways it seems logical for Black to attack the c4-pawn in this way - it makes use of the fact that the knight was developed on c6 rather than d7. My own opinion is that this whole line with 8 Qf3 should be okay for Black, but, as in this game, play can become tremendously sharp.
Nimzo Indian Kasparov Variation (4 Nf3 c5 5 g3)
The next game we look at is Moiseenko - Zarnicki, Santo Domingo 2003, which begins 1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 e6 3 Nc3 Bb4 4 Nf3 c5 5 g3 cxd4 6 Nxd4 0-0 (Black has other moves, including 6...Ne4, but this is the main line) 7 Bg2 d5 8 Qb3 Bxc3+ 9 Qxc3
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Although this looks like the obvious recapture, in fact it was originally more popular for White to keep Black's centre pawns at bay with 9 bxc3. Former ChessPublishing.com Nimzo contributor Chris Ward was the one who popularised 9 Qxc3.
Modern Benoni: Flick-Knife Variation
The game Ernst - Stellwagen, Leeuwarden 2003 was actually played in July last year, but I've come back to it in view of some new published analysis on the main line of the Flick-Knife by two Benoni experts: Anatoly Vaisser in New In Chess Yearbook 69, and Albert Kapengut in ChessBase Magazine 96. It goes 1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 c5 3 d5 e6 4 Nc3 exd5 5 cxd5 d6 6 e4 g6 7 f4 Bg7 8 Bb5+ Nbd7 9 e5 dxe5 10 fxe5 Nh5 11 e6 Qh4+ 12 g3 Nxg3 13 hxg3 Qxh1 14 Be3 Bxc3+ 15 bxc3 a6 16 exd7+ Bxd7 17 Bxd7+ Kxd7 18 Qg4+!?
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A new twist, which I believe was the suggestion of the Spanish GM Illescas. This line is very similar to 18 Qf3, the difference being that White first lures the f-pawn to f5. I guess that in some variations this means the white knight may be able to use the newly formed e6 outpost. Earlier I was rather scornful of these tries for White that involved exchanging queens, but I'm beginning to change my mind, especially with this game in mind.
Modern Benoni: Fianchetto Variation
The game Jirka - Simacek, Cartak 2003 goes right down the main line after 1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 c5 3 d5 e6 4 Nc3 exd5 5 cxd5 d6 6 g3 g6 7 Bg2 Bg7 8 Nf3 0-0 9 0-0 Re8 10 Nd2 a6 11 a4 Nbd7 12 h3 Rb8 13 Nc4 Ne5 14 Na3 Nh5 15 e4 Bd7
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Now White played 16 g4?!, which I believe isn't the best move order (I suspect that 16 a5! is stronger). Look at the game for more details
Weird Benoni
I've included the game Wohlfahrt - Grooten, Boeblingen 2003 basically just for a bit of fun. Black plays a very dodgy opening and his position is resignable after seven moves. However, White doesn't play the most precise refutation and before we know it Black has tremendous compensation for the piece and goes on to win in just 27 moves!
Finally, Leimeister - Siebrecht, Boeblingen 2003 isn't particularly theoretical (the Czech Benoni never is), but is quite a nice game, with White being punished severely for his material-grabbing tendencies.
Till next time,
John Emms