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Nimzo-Indian: 4 e3 0-0 5 Bd3 c5 6 Nge2 d5 7 cxd5 cxd4 8 exd4 Nxd5 [E48]

4 e3 0-0 5 Bd3 c5 6 Nge2 d5 7 cxd5 cxd4 8 exd4 Nxd5 9 a3:

In the early development in this line, 9 a3 was often a precursor to delaying castling and setting up a quick Bc2 and Qd3. Recently it seems to be used instead as a move-order weapon. In particular, 9 0-0 Re8 is an idea we’ve seen recently, which gives Black the option of meeting a3 with ...Bf8. 9 a3 prevents this.

a) 9...Ba5!? is an unusual retreat, but it’s easy to see its merits. The bishop may prove to be effective on either b6 or c7. After 10 0-0 Nc6 11 Bc2 Bc7 12 Qd3 Qh4!, Robson’s new move 13 h3! improves over 13 g3, and following 13...Nf6 14 Be3 Rd8 15 Qd2! h6 16 f4! White gained a strong initiative. See Robson, R - Dominguez Perez, L for analysis.

b) 9...Bd6 10 0-0 Nc6 is the main line, and 11 Re1 has become White’s most popular try in recent years.

11...Qh4 is a typical idea in this line, so it’s unsurprising that this move has been played on numerous occasions. Then 12 g3 Qh5 13 Nxd5 exd5 14 Bf4! is critical - see the notes to So,W - Robson,R.

Nimzo-Indian: 4 e3 0-0 5 Nf3 c5 6 Bd3 d5 7 cxd5 [E53]

4 e3 0-0 5 Nf3 c5 6 Bd3 d5 7 cxd5 exd5 8 dxc5 Nbd7 9 Bd2 Nxc5 10 Be2:

Numerous grandmasters have chosen 7 cxd5 instead of the main line with 7 0-0. The practical advantage is that White gets to choose the pawn structure, which is typically an IQP for Black (after 7...exd5) or White (after 7...Nxd5). In the diagrammed position, 10...Ne6 has been the most popular choice, as the knight move deals with the positional threat of a2-a3. After 11 Qb3 Ba5 12 0-0 Black can liquidate the IQP with 12...d4 13 exd4 Nxd4 14 Nxd4 Qxd4, but there’s still some work to do to equalise, as we see in Robson, R - Dominguez Perez, L.

Nimzo-Indian: 4 e3 0-0 5 Bd3 d5 6 a3 [E49]

4 e3 0-0 5 Bd3 d5 6 a3 dxc4 7 Bxc4 Be7 8 Nf3 c5 9 0-0 a6:

As we’ve seen before, there’s been some recent interest 6...dxc4 and the similar 6...Be7 intending ...dxc4 and it seems to be a perfectly viable alternative to 6...Bxc3+. The point of Black’s ...Be7 and ...dxc4 plan is to reach a decent QGA type position (curiously, the diagrammed position also arose in the final game of the recent candidates, between Nakamura and Gukesh, which came from a QGA move order). 10 dxc5! (Nakamura chose 10 Qe2 but got nowhere) 11...Bxc5 11 Qe2 b5 12 Ba2 Bb7 13 e4!:

is a challenging response by White, who plays like in the Furman Variation of the QGA, with an early dxc5 and e4. See Robson, R - So, W for analysis.

Nimzo-Indian: 4 e3 0-0 5 Bd2 [E46]

4 e3 0-0 5 Bd2 d5 6 a3:

The main line here is 6 Nf3, after which Black normally responds with 6...b6. However, Nepo has played 6 a3 a couple of times, and now Giri has too. After 6...Bxc3 (previously we’ve looked at 6...Be7) 7 Bxc3 b6 8 Nf3 Ne4!? 9 Qc2 Ba6, Black’s intention with ...Ne4 is to gain activity rather than forcing the knight-for-bishop exchange. See the notes to Giri, A - Erigaisi, A, a complex and entertaining battle.

4 e3 0-0 5 Bd2 b6 6 Bd3 c5!?:

The diagrammed position looks fairly normal, but is actually rarely seen (usually White has played Nf3 instead of Bd3 or Bd2). After 7 a3 Bxc3 8 Bxc3 cxd4! Black demonstrates a point behind his move order: an early ...cxd4 means that White doesn’t have the option of recapturing with the knight. 9 Bxd4 Nc6 already looks fine for Black. White has to give up the bishop-pair advantage or spend another tempo retreating the bishop - see Vachier Lagrave, M - Keymer, V for details.

Nimzo-Indian: 4 Qc2 0-0 5 e4 c5 [E32]

4 Qc2 0-0 5 e4 c5:

It would be slightly premature to say that 5...d5 has been worked out, but it’s always refreshing to see high-level games with something different and it’s been a while since we’ve seen 5...c5. 6 e5 cxd4 7 a3! is known to be the critical test, and here 7...Ba5!? is something new, in that it hasn’t previously been played in elite-level games. After 8 exf6 dxc3 9 b4 Bc7 10 fxg7 Re8:

a highly complex and imbalanced position is reached - see So, W - Aronian, L for analysis.

Till next time, John

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