The Nimzo-Indian Defence 3

An solid aggressive and simple system against the Nimzo-Indian Defence
- The Rubinstein variation with 4. e3

Introduction to 4..c5

4... c5 is referred to as the Huebner variation. Black often tries simply to double White's pawns and then use a blockading strategy by later playing d6.

The following game by Kasparov shows the use of the unusual Nge2 to combat c5. This shall form this technical paper's stem game for an anti 4..c5 system. Kasparov's plan was highly effective. It basically involved flinging his kingside pawns against Csom in a controlled aggressive way! Csom's Bf5 did not help his cause, because it enabled Kasparov to gain some extra time for this plan.

(2) Kasparov Garry - Csom,I [E42]
Baku, 1980

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e3 c5








5.Nge2 (! from the perspective of this technical paper)

(It is interesting how certain chess literature downplays  moves with apparent concrete evidence. For example Ludek Pachman in "The Openings Game" claims that this move does not promise much and gives 5... cxd4 6 exd4 d5 7 a3 Be7 c5 0-0! b4 b6 10 g3 bxc5 11 dxc5 a5 12 Rb1 axb4 13 axb4 Nc6 and "Black's centre pawns are stronger than White's wing pawns").

True, this is not the more standard looking knight move 5. Nf3 or 5.Bd3. White does however prevent black from doubling the pawns, and then using a blockading strategy. An example from the doubled pawns Nimzowitsch paper on BCC on-line duplicated here for convenience is :-

Iohner P - Nimzowitsch Aaron [E50]
It, Dresden, 1926

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e3 0-0 5.Bd3 c5 6.Nf3 Nc6 7.0-0 Bxc3 8.bxc3 d6 9.Nd2 b6 10.Nb3 e5 11.f4 e4 12.Be2 Qd7 13.h3 Ne7 14.Qe1 h5 15.Bd2 Qf5 16.Kh2 Qh7 17.a4 Nf5 18.g3 a5 19.Rg1 Nh6 20.Bf1 Bd7 21.Bc1 Rac8 22.d5 Kh8 23.Nd2 Rg8 24.Bg2 g5 25.Nf1 Rg7 26.Ra2 Nf5 27.Bh1 Rcg8 28.Qd1 gxf4 29.exf4 Bc8 30.Qb3 Ba6 31.Re2 Nh4 32.Re3 Bc8 33.Qc2 Bxh3 34.Bxe4 Bf5 35.Bxf5 Nxf5 36.Re2 h4 37.Rgg2 hxg3+ 38.Kg1 Qh3 39.Ne3 Nh4 40.Kf1 Re8 0-1

You can see from the above game that White's counterplay was considerably reduced by the master Nimzowitsch. White played passively, and Black's moves reflected deep concepts of Overprotection, blockade and restraint.

cxd4








6.exd4 0-0 (6..d5 is arguably a more standard move in this position. Csom allows Kasparov to play d5.)

7.a3 Be7








8.d5 exd5 9.cxd5 Re8 10.g3 Bc5 11.Bg2 d6

12.h3(!)

This move allows Kasparov to play aggressively with g4 and g5 later!

Bf5

Bf5?!

This move may have accelerated White's initiative. Chandler-Andersson(1980) saw 12...a6 with the game following 13 0-0 Nbd7 14 Nd4 Ne5 and black had good play after Bd7.

13.0-0 Nbd7 14.g4 Be4 15.Ng3 Bxg2 16.Kxg2 Nf8 17.g5








17...N6d7 18.h4 Ne5 19.h5 f6 20.Nce4 fxg5 21.Bxg5 Qb6 22.h6 Nf7 23.hxg7 Nd7 24.Nf6+ Nxf6 25.Bxf6 Qb5 26.Rh1 Bb6 27.Qf3 Ne5 28.Nf5 Nf7 29.Rxh7 Kxh7 30.Rh1+ Kg8 31.Rh8+ Nxh8 32.gxh8Q+ Kf7 33.Qfh5# 1-0

See Appendix 1 for other examples and Java browser of 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e3 c5 5.Nge2
Look in particular at Black playing the move d5.

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