Download PGN of October ’25 Nimzo and Benoni games
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Nimzo-Indian: 4 Qc2 d5 5 a3 Bxc3+ 6 bxc3 [E36]
4 Qc2 d5 5 a3 Bxc3+ 6 bxc3!?:
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Fabiano Caruana is always willing to try new ideas, and here’s yet another one. 6 Qxc3 is by far the most popular choice, but is there really any reason why White can’t also recapture with the b-pawn? In effect, White we’ve reached a Saemisch Variation where Black has committed to ...d5, and White to Qc2.
The game Caruana, F - Oparin, G continued 6...c6 7 Nf3 b6 8 Bg5 h6 9 Bh4 Nbd7 10 e3 0-0:
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Perhaps encouraged by Oparin’s ...h6, Caruana now sharpened the game with action on the kingside by playing 11 g4! and later won in convincing fashion.
Nimzo-Indian 4 Qc2 0-0 5 a3 Bxc3+ 6 bxc3 [E32]
4 Qc2 0-0 5 a3 Bxc3+ 6 bxc3!?:
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It’s pretty clear why 6 bxc3 is such a rare move, as it seems very much at odds with the idea of 4 Qc2, namely to avoid doubled c-pawns! However, modern engines have taught us not to reject moves which break rules. In reality, there’s quite a bit more to Qc2. In particular, it supports the e4 advance.
There’s a clear similarity between this and the line chosen in Caruana-Oparin, and some transpositional possibilities too. It was Oparin who actually tried 6 bxc3 here, against Hans Niemann, and only a day after his game against Caruana!
The game continued 6...d5 7 Nf3 c5 8 e3 Nc6:
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and here the game took another turn with 9 dxc5!?, reaching a position with some imbalance - see the notes to Oparin, G - Niemann, H.
Nimzo-Indian: 4 f3 c5 [E20]
4 f3 c5 5 a3:
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5 d5 remains the most popular choice, but the renewed interest in Saemisch lines makes 5 a3 a viable option for White. Most games transpose to the Saemisch with 5...Bxc3+ 6 bxc3. Instead, 5...Ba5!? is a rare choice, although the reason for this isn’t clear. 6 d5 would reach positions very similar to those after 5 d5. In a recent game Gukesh chose 6 dxc5!?, which is a direct attempt to exploit a negative of 5...Ba5 (4 dxc5 Bxc5 would be undesirable for White), although the risk of accepting tripled c-pawns is clear. See Gukesh, D - Giri, A for analysis.
Nimzo-Indian: 4 f3 d5 [E20]
4 f3 d5 5 a3 Be7 6 e4 dxe4 7 fxe4 c5 8 d5 exd5 9 exd5 0-0:
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Samuel Sevian has played this line before, and on the previous occasion he chose the most popular move: 10 Be2 a6 11 Nf3 Bd6 12 0-0 (see the notes to Sevian,S-Caruana,F/Saint Louis 2022).
At this year’s US Championship, in a game against Hans Niemann, Sevian deviated with the rare 10 Bd3!?, which plans Nge2 instead of Nf3. The game continued 10...Re8 11 Nge2 Bg4 12 0-0 Nbd7 13 h3 and here Niemann exchanged his bishop and aimed for dark-squared play. See Sevian, S - Niemann, H for analysis.
Nimzo-Indian: 4 e3 0-0 5 Bd2 d5 6 Nf3 [E51]
4 e3 0-0 5 Bd2 d5 6 Nf3 c5 7 a3! Bxc3 8 Bxc3:
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As we’ve seen before, 7 a3 is the only challenging way to meet 6...c5. Previously we’ve focussed on 8...Ne4 here. However, in a recent game Gukesh instead tried 8...cxd4, and following 9 Nxd4 Re8 10 Nf3 Nc6 11 Rc1 e5!:
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Black can be happy with the outcome of the opening. White’s advantage of the bishop pair is compensated by Black’s activity in the centre. See Nakamura, H - Gukesh, D for details.
Queen’s Indian: 4 a3 Bb7 [E12]
4 a3 Bb7 5 Nc3 Ne4 6 Nxe4 Bxe4:
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5...Ne4 is a pure Queen’s Indian type of move, with Black looking to use only pieces to occupy and control the centre. Ultimately White gains control of the centre, but the exchange of minor pieces does free Black’s position to some extent.
Previously we’ve looked at the most popular choices here: 7 Nd2, 7 Bf4 and 7 e3. In a recent game Erigaisi instead chose the rare 7 Ng5!? and soon achieved a strong position - see the notes to Erigaisi, A - Keymer, V.
Till next time, John
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