Download PGN of November ’23 Nimzo and Benoni games
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Queen’s Indian: 4 a3 Ba6 [E12]
4 a3 Ba6 5 Qc2 Bb7 6 Nc3 c5 7 e4 cxd4 8 Nxd4 Bc5 9 Nf3!?:
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9 Nb3 is the most popular choice here, but we’ve also come across the idea of 9 Nf3 before. In the past, players were put off by the possibility of ...Ng4, but modern engines suggest that White needn’t be afraid of it. Playing Black here, Magnus Carlsen chose to avoid the complications reached after 9...Ng4 and preferred to accept a solid but slightly passive position after 9...Nc6 10 b4 Be7. Later Carlsen seemed to underestimate his opponent’s attacking chances, and it resulted in a rare crushing loss for the World number one, see Suleymenov, A - Carlsen, M.
Queen’s Indian: 4 g3 Bb7 5 Bg2 Be7 6 0-0 0-0 7 Nc3 Ne4 [E18]
4 g3 Bb7 5 Bg2 Be7 6 0-0 0-0 7 Nc3 Ne4 8 Bd2 f5:
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Anish Giri’s games are often theoretically important, and it’s interesting to see how he treats this Queen’s Indian line as Black. He prefers the advance of the f-pawn over 8...Bf6, which we’ve seen Rapport use on a few occasions. 9 Ne5 is supposed to be a risk-free way for a small edge, but Giri succeeds in achieving a comfortable position after 9...d6 10 Nd3 Qe8! - see Yilmaz, M - Giri, A for analysis.
Queen’s Indian: 4 g3 Ba6 5 b3 Bb4+ [E15]
4 g3 Ba6 5 b3 Bb4+ 6 Bd2 Be7 7 Bg2 0-0 8 0-0 d5:
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Playing ...d5 without the preparatory ...c6 has gained popularity in recent years, as more and more players are willing to accept the pawn structure reached after 9 cxd5 exd5. This is a structure that Black is typically advised to avoid in most Closed Catalan lines. Here Black can argue with some justification that dark-squared weaknesses created by the extra b2-b3 and the slightly misplaced bishop on d2 are compensating factors. See the notes to Svane, R - Giri, A for an update on this line.
Queen’s Indian: 4 g3 Ba6 5 Qa4 [E15]
4 g3 Ba6 5 Qa4 Bb7 6 Bg2 c5 7 dxc5 bxc5 8 0-0 Be7 9 Nc3 0-0 10 Rd1 d6 11 Bf4 Qb6:
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5 Qa4 remains a decent alternative to 5 b3 and 5 Qc2. White isn’t aiming for a big advantage but it’s relatively easy to play. Here, 12 Rab1!, preparing b2-b4, is likely the most challenging option, and Black’s best response is probably 12...Nd7. In a recent game Black preferred 12...Ne4?! but was soon in big trouble - see Dlugy, M - Holzke, F for analysis.
Queen’s Indian: 4 e3 [E14]
1 Nf3 d5 2 e3 Nf6 3 c4 e6 4 Nc3 Be7 5 b3 0-0 6 Bb2 b6 7 cxd5 exd5 8 d4 Bb7 9 Bd3 Nbd7 10 0-0:
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The Anti-QGD (a QGD where White delays or omits d2-d4) may transpose, as here, into a 4 e3 variation of the Queen’s Indian: 1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 e6 3 Nf3 b6 4 e3 Bb7 5 Bd3 d5 (or 5...Be7 6 0-0 0-0 7 Nc3 d5) 6 0-0 Be7 (6...Bd6 is a more active move and one we’ve covered previously) 7 cxd5 exd5 8 Nc3 0-0 9 b3 Nbd7 10 Bb2. This position strikes a chord because it’s exactly the same pawn structure seem in the popular Nimzo line 4 e3 0-0 5 Nf3 d5 6 Bd2 b6 7 cxd5 exd5. This is one of Bluebaum’s pet lines, so it’s unsurprising to see him angling for a similar set-up from a different opening.
In a recent game, Sanal played 10...a6 here, preparing ...Bd6. Although this is perfectly playable option for Black, and perhaps even objectively Black’s best choice here, it does compare unfavourably to the immediate ...Bd6 lines where White exchanges on d5 because Black is basically a tempo down. See Bluebaum, M - Sanal, V for details.
Modern Benoni Fianchetto [A63]
7 Nf3 Bg7 8 Bg2 0-0 9 0-0 Re8 10 Re1 a6 11 a4 Nbd7 12 Nd2:
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The recent game Ter Sahakyan, S - Sevian, S provides a good example of the importance of move orders. Nd2 is a normal idea, of course, but it doesn’t fit in particularly well with Re1. More precisely, Black can put the tempo gained to good use, and Sevian was soon able to reach a position with typical Benoni counterplay.
Nimzo-Indian: 4 e3 0-0 5 Bd3 d5 6 a3 Bxc3+ 7 bxc3 dxc4 8 Bxc4 c5 9 Nf3 [E53]
4 e3 0-0 5 Bd3 d5 6 a3 Bxc3+ 7 bxc3 dxc4 8 Bxc4 c5 9 Nf3 Qc7 10 Be2:
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This line with 10 Be2 is becoming increasing popular and has certainly overtaken 10 Ba2 as the most popular choice. White’s idea is to create something with the bishop pair and the pawn centre, without giving Black too much counterplay, and he was certainly successful in the recent game Panda, S - Iniyan, P.
Till next time, John
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Feel free to share your ideas and opinions on the Forum (the link above on the right), while subscribers with any questions can email me at JohnEmms@ChessPublishing.com.