Nepomiatchi wins against Magnus Carlsen

 

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Qc2 Nc6 in the Nimzo Indian: key themes

 

 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Qc2 Nc6

5Nf3 d6  (5e3 0-0 6Nge2 d6)

Keep in mind that if White tries here 6 Bg5 h6! is a very good reply as per below

White cannot play 7 Bh4 as g5-g4 wins d4. That's an important trap to be aware of.

Therefore the main line goes like this 6Bd2

6 Bd2 O-O 7. a3 Bxc3 8.Bxc3 Qe7

Here White has a few options to proceed:

9. e3 a5 (and Black will play e7-e5 next, and sometimes gets to play a5-a4 as well) 

or 9.b4 e5 10. d5 Nb8 11e4 Nh5

It is very important in this variation Nc6 when White closes d4-d5 to move the Nf6 to allow for f7-f5 counterplay: Closed center, play is on the wings !!

same idea on 9. e4 e5 10. d5 Nb8 11. Be2 Nh5 with idea f7-f5

9 g3 e5 10. d5 Nb8 11 Bg2 Ne8! with idea f7-f5

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6 a3 this is another line instead of 6 Bd2 

6.a3  6... Bxc3+ 7. Qxc3 a5 (to spot the expansion b2-b4)

8. b3 8... O-O 9. Bb2  9... Re8 

Here White has to decide how to develop Bf1.

PART I Lets see lines where bishop goes to e2 first.

10 0-0-0!? e5 11dxe5 Ne4 12 Qe3 Nc5 with Black's chances to attack the white king

10 Rd1 Qe7 11 e3 e5 12 Be2 Bg4 

Here we are following Miton,K-Perelshteyn,E 2007. 13.d5 Nb8 14Qc2 Nbd7 15 h3 Bh5 where Black played g6,Nh5-f4 and h7-h5 and h5-h4

 

 10 e3 e5 11 d5 (11de5 de5 12Rd1 Qe7 13 Be2 Bg4 14.0-0.Bh5 15 Qc2 Bg6=) Ne7 12 Nd2 c6

 (underming the center) 13 e4 b5! (striking through) 14dxc6 Nc6 15cb5 Nd4

PART II White plays g3 with idea to form a double fianchetto set-up

10.g3 e5

White has decide either to push d4-d5 or take on e5.

11d5 Nb8! 12Bg2 c6! (undermining center) 13dc6 Nc6 14 0-0 Bf5=. Black is ok here

 11de5 de5 12Bg2 

Here Black can play 12..Bg4!? with the idea take on f3 and play Nd4 next.

or Black can play 12..Qe7 and 13..Bf5 with an equal position.

Sicilian Kan Prep

 a few lines to play with Black, Sicilian Kan prep

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 a6 5.Bd3 this is according to the theory the best move for White. 5 Nc3 b5!?

Here Black has tried 5..Nf6, 5..Qc7 ,5..Bc5 and 5..g6.   

But let's go with 5..Nc6, our first Tabiya below White to play

Most players will take on c6. but if they don't 6 Be3 Nf6 70-0 e5! or 6Nb3 Nf6 is fine for Black.

6Nxc6 dxc6 with the following White to play

White has two plans: Either Nd2-c4 combined with a2-a4 ( orange arrows). or c2-c4 to gain space and play Nc3 next ( red arrow). interesting 7 Bf4!? is an interesting try 7..Qf6 8 Be3 e5 is the way to go.

Variation A with 7c4

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7 c4 e5! 8.0–0 Bc5 9.Nc3 Nf6

This position is evaluated as -0.40 by Stockfish13. Black has a firm control on d4 and it is not easy to find ideas for White. Black wants to play Qe7,Be6,h6-g5 or h7-h5 to attack the white king and can leave his kings in the center or play 0-0-0 later on.

10 Kh1? Ng4! -+

10 h3 Be6 11Qe2 Qe7  or even 10..g5!? launching the attack, favored by Stockfish13.

10 Qf3 Be6 11h3 Rg8!? with idea g7-g5 starting the attack.

Most players will try to play Bg5 here

10.Bg5 h6 11 Bh4

 Here Miezis (a specialist of this variation) played 11...g5 12.Bg3 Qe7 13.Rc1 h5 14 h4 Ng4

I played 11.. Be6 12.Qe2 g5 13.Bg3 Bd4 14.Rad1 Bg4 [14...h5!? ] 15.Qc2 Bxd1 16.Rxd1 Qb6 

It is actually Black starting the attack in this variation.

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 Variation B with 7Nd2

7 Nd2 e5 8 Nc4 Nf6 90-0 Qc7 10 a4 Be6 11 Qe2 Bc5 12 a5 (12Be3 Nd7)

Here Black could try to go 12..Bxc4 13 Bc4 0-0-0 with a complex fight.

if you need a more quiet continuation, Stockfish recommends 12...0-0 13 Bg5 Nd7=

 

Italian prep

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.d3 Nf6 5.c3 d6 6.Nbd2

if black castles 6..0-0, here's a sample line 

6...0–0 7.0–0 (7.Nf1!?) 7...Bb6 8.Bb3 Ne7 9.h3 Ng6 10.Re1 c6 11.Nf1 d5 12.Ng3 h6 Radjabov-Le 2020

Radjabov continued 13.Bd2 Be6 14.Qc1!?  dxe4 15.dxe4 Bxb3 16.axb3 Kh7 17.Nf5!

White wants to play Nf1-g3 quickly.

6..a6 7.Nf1!?  h6 8.Ng3 0–0 

This is the tabiya for the entire variation. White has played Nbd2-f1-g3 before castling.Sometimes, Black plays Ba7 before castling with similar positions.

White has a choice, 9 Bb3!? delaying castling or 9 0-0

Variation A: 9 Bb3!?

9.Bb3!?   Ba7 (9..d5 10 ed5 Nd5 11 0-0 Re8 12 Re1!? -instead of h3- Nf6 13 h3 Be6 14 Bc2 Bd5 15 b4 transposes in a key line) 10.h3 

10..Be6  (10..d5 directly 11ed5 Nd5 12.0-0 Re8 games by Bologan,Chigaev,Tkachiev 13 Re1 Be6 14Nh5!? ) 11Nh2!? starting the attack right away (Ng4,Nf5 and Qf3 are common ideas) , see next diagram

on 11..d5 12 Qf3 is very strong keeping the tension Morozevich-Adams 2008 12...Na5 (12...dxe4 13.dxe4 Na5 14.Bc2) 13.Bc2 dxe4 14.dxe4 Nc4 15.Ng4! Nd7 (15...Nh7 16.b3!) 16.0–0 Qh4 17.Nf5! with attack

on 11..Ne7 12 Ng4 Ng6 13Nf5 Re8 there is on the diagram below 14Nxg7!

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Variation B  9.0-0 

9...Ba7 (9..Be6 10 Be6 fe6 11 d4!?) 10.Bb3 

We reach the tabiya for Variation B

Here Black tried 10..Be6 11.h3 (Luke Mc Shane 11Be3) 11...Qd7?! 12.Be3 Ne7 13.Nh4 Ng6 14.Nhf5! Carlsen-Nakamura 2011 with strong attack for White 

Please note 10..d5!? is possible right away. white takes on d5 and plays Re1. 

10..Re8 11h3 Be6 is more natural for Black. Black wants to play d6-d5. White to play in the next diagram

after 11..Be6 (Variation B)

Here White can try 12 Bc2 like in Duda-Carlsen 2020 or 12 Nh2!? like Jakovenko in 2019

B_1) Duda Line 12 Bc2 

12...d5 13.exd5 Nxd5 14.Re1 Qd6 15.Nh4 Qe7 

 

16 Qh5!? Rad8 17 d4 Nf4= or 16 Nhf5 Qf6! Duda-Carlsen 2020 Tata Steel

B_2) Jakovenko 12Nh2!? 

12.Nh2!? Bxb3 ( critical line is 12...d5!? 13.Qf3 dxe4 14.dxe4 Bxb3 15.axb3 Re6 16 Rd1 Qf8 17 Nf5 Ne7! 18 b4 Rd8=) 13.axb3 Ne7 14.Qf3 Ng6 15.Nf5

 Re6 16.Ng4 Nxg4 17.hxg4 Nh4 18.Qh3 Nxf5 19.exf5 Re8 20.Bxh6 gxh6 21.Qxh6 f6 22.Qg6+ Kf8?? (22...Kh8) Jakovenko-Zou 2019