Download PGN of August ’25 Nimzo and Benoni games

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Nimzo-Indian: 4 e3 0-0 5 Bd3 d5 6 a3 Bxc3+ 7 bxc3 dxc4 [E49]

4 e3 0-0 5 Bd3 d5 6 a3 Bxc3+ 7 bxc3 dxc4 8 Bxc4 c5 9 Ne2 Nc6 10 0-0 e5!:

9...Nc6 looks like a worthy alternative to the main line 9...Qc7. On one hand it seems counterintuitive to open the a2-g8 diagonal with 10...e5 when White’s bishop is on c4, but Black has a concrete idea in mind to meet this. All is explained in Bluebaum, M - Volokitin, A.

4 e3 0-0 5 Bd3 d5 6 a3 Bxc3+ 7 bxc3 dxc4 8 Bxc4 c5 9 Nf3 Qc7 10 Be2:

10 Be2 has become increasing popular recently and has certainly overtaken 10 Ba2 as the main line. Black usually responds with 10...b6 and 11...Bb7, but in a recent game Vidit instead played the plan 10...Nc6 11 0-0 e5 with reasonable success. See how both sides should play this in the notes to Mamedov, E - Vidit, S.

Nimzo-Indian: 4 e3 0-0 5 Bd3 d5 6 a3 dxc4 [E49]

4 e3 0-0 5 Bd3 d5 6 a3 dxc4 7 Bxc4 Be7 8 Nf3 c5 9 0-0 a6 10 dxc5:

6...dxc4, aiming for a QGA set-up, has become a decent alternative to the main line with 6...Bxc3+. We’ve previously studied 10...Bxc5 11 Qe2 (and 11 Bd3!?) 11...b5 12 Ba2 Bb7 13 e4 which leads to a complicated position with forcing lines - see the notes to Robson,R-So,W/Saint Louis 2024. In a recent game Gukesh preferred to exchange queens by 10...Qxd111 Rxd1 Bxc5 12 Be2.

White has normally played 12 b4 here, but Pragg’s choice also looks sensible as the bishop has no future on c4. Gukesh reacted poorly and within a few moves White enjoyed a decisive advantage - see the notes to Praggnanandhaa, R - Gukesh, D.

Nimzo-Indian: 4 e3 0-0 5 Bd3 d5 6 Nf3 c5 7 0-0 cxd4 8 exd4 dxc4 9 Bxc4 [E54]

4 e3 0-0 5 Bd3 d5 6 Nf3 c5 7 0-0 cxd4 8 exd4 dxc4 9 Bxc4 b6 10 Qa4!?:

10 Qa4 is a rare move, but it has received attention from some elite players. The queen move puts the question to the black bishop, but unlike 10 a3 White is able to use the a3-square after an exchange on c3. After 10...Bxc3 11 bxc3 Bb7 12 Be2! Nc6 13 Rd1!:

White was ready for c4 and has a promising position - see Sevian, S - So, W for analysis.

Nimzo-Indian: 4 e3 0-0 5 Nge2 c6 [E46]

4 e3 0-0 5 Nge2 c6 6 a3 Ba5 7 Bd2:

7 Bd2 is a rare choice, and something new to this site. After 7...d5 8 Ng3 Nbd7 9 cxd5 exd5 10 Bd3 Re8 11 0-0 we have a Carlsbad structure but with White’s dark-squared bishop inside the pawn chain, which we see quite frequently in the Nimzo-Indian, most notably in the 4 e3 0-0 5 Bd3 d5 6 cxd5 exd5 line. Following 11...Bc7 12 Qc2 Nf8 13 f3!:

White is going for the usual plan of preparing e3-e4, which White might be able to do as soon as the d4-pawn is sufficiently protected. See the notes to Abdusattorov, N - Aronian, L.

Nimzo-Indian: 4 Qc2 0-0 5 a3 Bxc3+ 6 Qxc3 d5 7 e3 [E32]

4 Qc2 0-0 5 a3 Bxc3+ 6 Qxc3 d5 7 e3 b6 8 b4:

8 b4 is a rare choice (White usually plays 8 Nf3 here.) After 8...Nbd7 9 cxd5 Black should respond dynamically with 9...Nxd5!, as Giri did in a recent game. After 10 Qb2 c5! Black already enjoys good counterplay - see the notes to Van Foreest, J - Giri, A.

Till next time, John

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