b6,Ne4 Prep Nimzo Indian- Socko-Bologan 2011

 E32

[Event "FIDE World Cup"][Site "Khanty-Mansiysk"][Date "2011.08.28"][Round "1.1"]

[White "Socko, Bartosz"]

[Black "Bologan, Viktor"]

[Result "0-1"][ECO "E32"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Qc2 O-O 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. Qxc3 b6 7. Nf3 Bb7 8.

e3 d6 9. Be2 Nbd7 10. O-O Ne4 11. Qc2 f5

12. b4 Rf6

Note the bishop is on c1

13. d5 Rg6 

Here the variation 14 Nd4 Qg5 15 g3 Ne5! leads to this position

(please note that 15..ed5 16ed5 Bd5 17 Bc4! led to White winning Kramnik-Polgar 2005) This exchange sac was played by Grishuk on 16 Nxe6 Rxe6! 17 de6 Qg6 with attack !

14. Bb2 c5  (another idea would be 14..e5)

15.Rad1 exd5 16. cxd5 Rc8

 17. Qb3 a6 18. Nd2 Nxd2 19. Rxd2 b5 20. Qd3 c4 21. Qd4 Nf6 22. Bf3 Qd7 23. Rc1 Re8 24. g3 Rh6 25. Bg2 Ne4 26. Rdd1 Qf7 27. a4 Re7 !

this moves protects g7 and b7, so the black queen can join the attack on h5.

Black has put a knight on e4 again ( the first one got exchanged on d2 with white's knight).

28.axb5 axb5 29. f3? Qh5!

With a winning attack sacrificing the knight on e4

30. fxe4 Qxh2+ 31. Kf2 fxe4 32. Rc2 Rf7+ 33. Ke1 Qxg3+ 34.

Kd2 Rf2+ 35. Kc1 Rxc2+ 36. Kxc2 Qxg2+ 37. Rd2 Qg4 38. Rf2 Rh1 39. Qd2 Qg1 40.

Bxg7 Qb1+ 41. Kc3 Rc1+ 42. Kd4 Rd1 0-1

Nimzo Qc2

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.

NimzoIndian Themes on Qc2 for Black with Nc6,d6 or 0-0,d5

Nimzo Indian Qc2 Variations and Themes

And replay here