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Download PGN of December '07 Nimzo and Benoni games

Classical Nimzo: 4...d5 5 a3

Black's sharpest approach against 4 Qc2 is 4...d5 and after White's current main move 5 a3 (5 cxd5 has lost a number of adherents due to Black's success with the solid 5...Qxd5, as we will observe further below) and then 5...Bxc3+ 6 Qxc3, complications can quickly break out.

The main line remains 6...Ne4 7 Qc2 c5 8 dxc5 Nc6 and now in Kasimdzhanov - Karpov the ex-FIDE World Champion remained faithful to an unexplored and extremely complex pet variation of his, namely 9 cxd5 exd5 10 e3 (rather than the standard 10 Nf3). Karpov introduced the novelty 10...Qa5+ and was quickly able to make a rather murky exchange grab with 11 b4!? (the simple 11 Bd2 is less exciting, but may well promise White an edge) 11...Nxb4 12 axb4 Qxa1:

Ivan Sokolov's games in the Classical always merit attention, even if he is no longer the world's leading authority on it. In Sokolov - Lie he prefers the quieter 9 e3, but this topical alternative to 9 cxd5 carries a fair amount of positional sting and currently looks like a pretty good try for an edge.

Black can also bring about huge complications with the Romanishin Gambit, 6...c5!? 7 dxc5 d4. For a long time this was in the shadow of both 6...Ne4 and 6...dxc4, but it is at last receiving some testing and at a very high level. Furthermore, the theory of the critical 8 Qg3 is beginning to get fleshed out:

In Carlsen - Naiditsch, White comes prepared with 8...Nc6 9 b4 e5 10 e4, but Black's novelty, 10...0-0, appears to maintain a rough balance. Nevertheless, this approach is more challenging for Black than the more simple 9 Nf3, White's preference in Gasanov - Miroshnichenko. Do check out too there Black's main alternative, 8...0-0, which continues to hold up well despite a recent attempt to hack it by Morozevich!

A much calmer approach is the Short Variation, 6...dxc4 7 Qxc4 b6. This has long enjoyed quite a good theoretical standing, but White's play in Carlsen - Adams may well force a reappraisal. Indeed, after 8 Bf4 Ba6 9 Qxc7 Qxc7 10 Bxc7 0-0 11 Nf3 Rc8 12 Bf4 Nbd7 13 Nd2, followed by covering the c2-square with Nb3-a1 (!), Black was never able to drum up sufficient counterplay:

Quite possibly the less-charted 8...Nd5, maintaining the c-pawn, should thus be preferred. We'll examine it in Beliavsky - Rozentalis.

Classical Nimzo: 4...d5 5 cxd5

Over the years subscribers have received a real treat from John in the variation 4 Qc2 d5 5 cxd5 exd5, on which he is a leading expert. However, 5...Qxd5, the Romanishin Variation (not to be confused with the Romanishin Gambit!), is a very respectable and much more solid alternative. Indeed, I feel that White's failure to prove any advantage has been responsible for much of the recent interest in 5 a3. White has tried both 6 e3 and, as he does in Sasikiran - Macieja, 6 Nf3 Qf5 7 Qxf5 exf5 8 a3 Bd6 9 g3, but without really troubling Black:

Classical Nimzo: 4...c5

A few years ago the variation 4 Qc2 c5 5 dxc5 Bxc5 was pretty topical, but it has now become quite a rare visitor to the tournament hall. An alternative which has never really caught on is 5...Na6 6 a3 Qa5 7 Bd2 Nxc5, but this positional favourite of Keith Arkell's perhaps isn't so bad:

In Flear - Gormally, White gained a small edge with 8 Rc1, but quite possibly 8 0-0-0 is the only real way to test Black

Next month John will be back and, in the meantime, do have a very good Christmas and New Year, Richard