What's New- November 2001
|
GM John Emms rounds up the latest in these Nimzo and Benoni Systems. |
Hi everyone!
If you want to see if there is anything new in one of your favourite lines, then go to ChessPub.exe, put the date on, say, 15th November 2001, and then click on 'Nimzo and Benoni', over on the right. All these games should appear!
Modern Benoni: Unusual Lines
Overall White has been scoring well this month. TWICs 364-367 produced 35 Modern Benoni games this month, with 18 white wins, 8 draws and only 9 black wins.
Here we feature two slightly offbeat lines. The game Porat-Bellaiche, Oropesa del Mar 2001, NOV01/03, begins with 1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 e6 3 Nf3 c5 4 d5 exd5 5 cxd5 d6 6 Nc3 g6 7 e4 Bg7 8 Bd3 0-0 9 Nd2
            
|
White finds another way of preventing ...Bg4, although normally White's bishop is on e2 instead of d3.
In Hertneck-Wedberg, Leon 2001, NOV01/02, White again refrains from playing h2-h3 and after 1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 e6 3 Nf3 c5 4 d5 d6 5 Nc3 exd5 6 cxd5 g6 7 e4 Bg7 8 Bd3 0-0 9 0-0 a6 10 a4 Bg4! Black equalised comfortably.
Nimzo Indian: g3 Line
The game Bacrot-Anand, Bastia 2001, NOV01/04, follows the 'main line' of the g3-Nimzo with 1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 e6 3 Nc3 Bb4 4 Nf3 c5 5 g3 cxd4 6 Nxd4 0-0 7 Bg2 d5 8 cxd5 Nxd5
|
|
and now the French youngster played 9 Qb3!?, a move first popularised by the Russian Grandmaster Vadim Zviaginsev, who has had some success with it. This game is deceptively quiet, but Anand provides a massive sting in its tail!
Nimzo-Indian: Rubinstein Variation with 4...0-0
This month we feature two games from the variation 1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 e6 3 Nc3 Bb4 4 e3 0-0 5 Nf3 d5 6 Bd3 c5 7 0-0 dxc4 8 Bxc4 cxd4 9 exd4
|
|
This variation has come right back into fashion after Kramnik's quickfire win with White against Kasparov in the 2000 Brain Games World Championship.
However, in Speelman- Bauer, Leon 2001, NOV01/07, and Norri-Pinheiro, Leon 2001, NOV01/06, Black plays the slightly more offbeat 9...a6 (instead of 9...b6). Many thanks to Jon Speelman for his thoughts in the first of these games.
Nimzo-Indian: Rubinstein Variation with 4...b6
In Mancini-Flament, Le Touquet 2001, NOV01/05, Black employs the queenside fianchetto after 1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 e6 3 Nc3 Bb4 4 e3 b6
|
|
Now White played 5 Nge2, perhaps the most testing response to 4...b6. White develops the king's knight and prepares to recapture on c3 with it.
Nimzo-Indian: Statistics: Another excellent month for Black. Overall there were 124 games, with 50 draws, 37 white wins and 37 black wins (Black scored exactly 50%).
Weird Benonis
In Cosma-Repkova, Leon 2001, NOV01/01, we return to the variation 1 d4 Nf6 2 Nf3 c5 3 d5 b5 4 Bg5 Ne4 5 Bh4 Bb7
|
|
which has become popular for Black in the last couple of years. In this game White does nothing special and Black is able to reach a reasonably comfortable position.
Weird Benonis: Stats: 52 games: 25 white wins, 14 black wins and 13 draws.
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 John at