Challenging the Nimzo-Indian

005 List of Symbols
006 Bibliography
007 How this book came to be
009 Chapter overview and recommendations
013 1 Endgame Variation
025 2 Avoiding the Endgame
037 3 The Old Variation
049 4 Bareev Variation
061 5 Sokolov Variation
073 6 Rozentalis Variation and 7.. .c5
089 7 Dutch and Vitolinsh Variations
111 8 Central Variation: Main Line
129 9 Central Variation: Deviations
149 10 Zurich Variation and Blacks rare 4 th moves
161 11 Romanishin: 6.e3
171 12 Romanishin: 6.Nf3
189 13 Accelerated PCA Variation
199 14 Exchange Variation
205 15 PCA Variation
219 16 Romanishin Gambit and Short Variation
227 17 Adams Variation
243 18 Modern Variation
261 19 Knight Hop
281 20 Macieja Variation
297 21 Deviations after 4... c5310 Index of Main Lines
Chapter overview and recommendations:
1) Endgame Variation: 4...0-0 5.a3 Lxc3+ 6.Qxc3 b6 7.Bg5 Bb7 8.f3 main line
The endgame that arises after 8.. .h6 9.Bh4 d5 10.e3 Nbd7 11 .cxd5 Nxd5 12.Bxd8 Nxc3 13.Bh4 Nd5 14.Bf2 is still popular and very important. Recent times have seen White play other systems, not because the endgame is so easy for Black, but because other possibilities are also interesting and offer some promise to White. This line is still a good choice if you want a safe line where you can hope to squeeze a little bit.
2) Avoiding the Endgame: 4...0-0 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.Qxc3 b6 7.Bg5 Bb7 8.f3 deviations
If White wants to play 8.f3, he still has some chances to avoid the endgame. Unfortunately most of these deviations are pretty harmless. This chapter is still very important because Black has several ways to avoid the endgame. The good news is that if Black varies from Chapter 1, White has good chances of getting an advantage.
3) The Old Variation: 4...0-0 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.Qxc3 b6 7.Bg5 Bb7 8.e3 d6 9.f3
This old variation is not considered to be very dangerous. It is not completely harmless however, and the theory is still important. A study of this chapter will help one understand the struggle of White's bishop pair and space vs. Blacks lead in development and methods of achieving counterplay.
4) Bareev Variation: 4...0-0 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.Qxc3 b6 7.Bg5 Bb7 8.e3 d6 9.Ne2
Bareev's system is a very modern variation. It is an ambitious system which is still very popular, and it is currently White's top choice against 4...0-0.
5) Sokolov Variation: 4...0-0 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.Qxc3 b6 7.Bg5 Bb7 8.Nf3 This line was introduced by Ivan Sokolov. White intends to place his knight on d2. While this system probably does not give White much chance of achieving an advantage, the positions that arise are almost always interesting.6) Rozentalis Variation and 7...c5: 4...0-0 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.Qxc3 b6 7.Bg5 -7...others
In this chapter we look at the popular alternatives to 7.. .Bb7, which are 7...Ba6 and 7...c5. White has good chances of achieving some advantage against either move, but it is not so simple and these lines should not be neglected.
7) Dutch and Vitolinsh Variations: 4...0-0 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.Qxc3 - 6...others
Here we cover the ambitious lunge 6...Ne4 and Vitolinsh's gambit 6...b5. I do not think Black can easily claim equality in either line, but his play is very aggressive and White should be well prepared.
8) Central Variation: Main Line: 4...0-0 5.e4 d5
5.e4 was ignored by theory for a long time and it is not very well covered in chess literature. The play can become very sharp. After 5... d5, however, I believe that Black is doing quite well. Emms once said that the more he looked at this line, the more he liked it for White. Unfortunately, my feelings are rather the opposite and I think that Black has good chances if he knows his stuff.
9) Central Variation: Deviations: 4...0-0 5.e4 - 5...others
If, for whatever reason, Black is unhappy with 5...d5, he can play 5...c5 or 5...d6. If you want to employ 5. e4 as White, you must know these lines as well. The good news is White has a better chance of fighting for an advantage in the lines given in this chapter.
10) Zurich Variation (4...Nc6) and Black's rare 4th moves
The Zurich variation, as 4...Nc6 is called, is a solid line for Black. Although White has good chances of securing a theoretical advantage, the struggle in the middlegame is much more likely to be determined by ability rather than by knowledge of long variations. For that reason, this system is popular at club level. In this chapter I discuss the lines that I think give White the best chance of. fighting for a tangible initiative.
11) Romanishin: 6.e3: 4...d5 5.cxd5 Qxd5 6.e3
4.. .d5 is the move I would choose for Black. It is solid but also allows Black the chance to stir up trouble. This chapter looks at Romanishin's 5...Qxd5. The simple move 6.e3 has developed a large body of theory, but I think White has very little chance to achieve anything here.
12) Romanishin: 6.Nf3: 4...d5 5.cxd5 Qxd5 6.Nf3
The best response to 5...Qxd5 is 6.Nf3. After 6.. .Qf5, the best move is the obvious 7.Qxf5, which gives White a small edge in an interesting endgame. If White avoids this with either 7.Qd1 or 7.Qb3 Black can already think about taking over the initiative.
13) Accelerated PCA Variation: 4...d5 5.cxd5 exd5 6.Bg5 c5
Black can also play 5... exd5. This can lead to complications which are discussed in Chapter 15. If Black wants to reach these positions while avoiding the fixed pawn structure of Chapter 14, he can play 6....c5. This used to be a sideline but this move-order has become popular.
14) Exchange Variation: 4...d5 5.cxd5 exd5 6.Bg5 h6 7.Bxf6By taking on f6, White removes a lot of the dynamism from the position. This used to be considered a safe method of playing for a small edge. Although it is still not too dangerous theoretically, the positions that arise are not as dull as many believe.15) PCA Variation: 4...d5 5.cxd5 exd5 6.1g5 h6 7.&h4
This is one of the sharpest lines of the whole 4.Qc2 Nimzo-Indian. Often both kings are in some danger. Although the theory has not been totally resolved, many of the complications that arise in this chapter lead to a draw. There are still things to be discovered here, but at the moment Black is doing fine. For this reason I prefer 5.a3 as covered in Chapters 16-18.
16) Romanishin Gambit and Short Variation: 4...d5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.Qxc3 - 6...others
This chapter introduces the sharp 5.a3. White refuses to make any positional concessions and grabs the two bishops. If Black wants to avoid the bulk of theory which is covered in Chapters 17 and 18, this is the place to look.
17) Adams Variation: 4...d5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.Qxc3 Ne4 7.Qc2 - 7...others
This chapter covers 7...e5 and 7...Nc6. There is less to learn here than in Chapter 18, and while these systems are interesting, White has good chances of getting an edge.
18) Modern Variation: 4...d5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.Qxc3 Ne4 7.Qc2 c5
The 7...c5 variation can be considered the main line of 5.a3. White has a choice of how to play. He can steer the game towards quiet positions, or he can grab a pawn and provoke a sharp battle across the whole board.
19) Knight Hop: 4...c5 5.dxc5 Na6
The uncompromising 5... Na6 has had bouts of popularity. Black bets everything on piece activity and hopes to chase White's queen around. This line can lead to exciting chess. If White knows his stuff and plays to control the position instead of grabbing material, he has good chances for an advantage.
20) Macieja Variation: 4...c5 5.dxc5 0-0 6.a3 Bxc5 7.Nf3 b6
This solid system of development has been popularised by Macieja. Black develops naturally and can often achieve a very comfortable hedgehog-type position. White must play very deliberately to achieve anything.
21) Deviations after 4...c5: 4...c5 5.dxc5 - 5...othersSomething of an "odds and ends" chapter, here we look at less common Black 5 th moves as well as an old "equalizing variation". Many of the lines are quite tricky, so White should be well aware of these less common systems.