ChessBase Reader Printout, Microsoft , 2025/06/21 1

A47 create some counterplay but the downside is

Nimzo/QID Setups that the hanging pawns will be vulnerable. )
[GM Abhijeet Gupta] 9.Ne5 Nf6 10.Nd2 0-0 11.a4!
A very subtle positional idea. Due to the
[%evp 0,31,24,22,22,22,22,30,39,39,39,32,38, threat of a4-a5, White wants to provoke the
29,27,19,22,27,47,45,42,42,56,42, 61,51,55, advance ...a7-a5. In this scenario, the
54,54,44,35,44,17,31] 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 eventual ...c7-c5 will weaken both the b5-
[ 2.Bf4 e6 3.Nf3 This will be our move- square and the b6-pawn. a5 Otherwise a5
order ] will be very hard to deal with. 12.c3 Ba6
2...e6 3.Bf4 b6 This move will be the usual ( After 12...Nbd7 13.f4 [%cal Gf1f3,Gf3h3]
choice of NID/QID players. Black can also with obtains a dream version of the
start with ...c7-c5. The advance ...c7-c5, Stonewall structure. His ready to follow with
however, does not have independent value Rf3-h3. ) 13.Bxa6 Nxa6 14.f4 c5 15.Rf3
since later on Black will either play ...b7-b6 Nd7?! 16.Rh3‚ The central stability
(transposing to the main line of this chapter) or promises White good attacking chances on
...d7-d5 (transposing to the QGD setups). the kingside. ]
[The exotic 3...Bd6 is possible but does not [ 4...c5?! This is simply bad in this move-
give Black full equality. A possible line might order 5.Nc3 [%cal Gc3b5] Now, Black
be 4.Bxd6 cxd6 5.c4 d5 What else? should reckon with the threat of Nb5. The
Otherwise, the d6-pawn will remain a other idea is d4-d5.
serious liability. 6.cxd5 Qa5+ 7.Qd2 Qxd2+ A) In case of 5...cxd4 6.Nxd4 it's very
8.Kxd2 Nxd5 9.e4 Nf6 10.Nc3² difficult for Black to handle White's
White has an obvious advantage. ] tremendous development advantage. Bb4
4.e3 Be7 With this move, Black keeps the (Stopping Nb5 with 6...a6 does not work
option of playing Ba6 in one go in view of 7.Qf3! d5 Now White wins the
[An important idea to remember is that exchange by force. 8.Bxb8 Rxb8
4...Nh5?! is well met by 5.Bg5 Be7 6.Ne5 9.Nc6± ) 7.Ndb5 Nd5 8.Bd6 Bxc3+
when the h5-knight is vulnerable. Black has 9.bxc3 a6 10.Qxd5! exd5 11.Nc7+ Qxc7
no equality here. 12.Bxc7² White has a stable positional
A) The alternative is 6...Bxg5 7.Qxh5 0-0 advantage. ;
( 7...g6?? 8.Qf3+- [%cal Gf3f7,Gf3a8] ) B) 5...Bb7 This move prevents d4-d5 but
8.Bd3 g6 9.Qf3 [%cal Gh2h4,Gh4h5] not Nb5. 6.Nb5 Na6 ( 6...Nd5 7.Nd6+
White's idea was to provoke ...g7-g6. Now, Bxd6 8.Bxd6± ;The move 6...d6 fails to
the g6-pawn can be used as a hook. 7.dxc5! ) 7.Nd2! [%cal Gd2c4] The knight
White is going to follow with h2-h4-h5. d5 is heading to c4. The other point behind 7.
10.h4 Bf6 11.Nd2‚ [%cal Gh4h5] with a Nd2! is that after (Premature would have
strong attack. ; been 7.Nd6+ when after Bxd6 8.Bxd6
B) 6...Nf6 7.Qf3 c6 8.Nd2 Bb7 Ne4 Black is getting a decent
9.0-0-0‚ [%cal Gh2h4,Gf1d3] White is counterplay. ) 7...d5 White has the
clearly better due to his better powerful 8.g4 Computer is very happy
development, space advantage and safer with this move! Be7 9.g5 I can go further
king. ] but I feel that White has achieved
[If Black wants to play ...Nh5, it's better to everything he was dreaming of. ;
start with 4...Bb7 5.Bd3 Nh5 Even in this C) 5...a6 This move prevents Nb5 but
case, however, White keeps a slight edge. does nothing to stop White's next move.
( 5...Be7 This would transpose to the 6.d5! The point of Nc3 Bb7 (After 6...d6
mainline ) 6.Bg5 Be7 7.Bxe7 Qxe7 8.0-0 the simplest is 7.dxe6 fxe6 8.e4!
d5 Black tries to increase his central control. with the idea to go e4-e5 next. ) 7.e4 b5
In this setup, however, the h5-knight is 8.Qe2 c4 9.g4! Immediately starting a
misplaced. (An alternative would have been kingside attack. Of course, White is
8...Nf6 9.c4 0-0 10.Nc3 d5 11.cxd5 exd5 planning to castle long. Bb4 10.g5 Nh5
12.Rc1² This is a typical structure where 11.Be3 0-0 12.0-0-0± [%cal Gf1h3,
Black has to play ... c7-c5 at some point to Gh3g4] White has a big advantage. He is
ChessBase Reader Printout, Microsoft , 2025/06/21 2

planning the manoeuvre Bh3-g4. ] Gd3f1,Gd2c4] Since the kingside is

5.h3 A useful prophylactic move. With the already protected, White can start
bishop already developed to e7, Black is ready preparing his queenside play. His next
for ...Nh5. 0-0 6.Nbd2 c5 7.c3 cxd4 move will be Bf1 followed by Qb3 and
This is the most annoying move order. Ndc4, targeting the b6-pawn as well as
[After 7...d5 8.Ne5 we get a typical QGD Black's centre. ) 14.Nc2 g6 15.Re1 Qc7
setup where White has decent chances of 16.Bf1 The bishop always belongs to f1 in
developing a kingside attack. Ba6 this setup. It's very important to
( Whenever the Black knight leaves the f6- overprotect the g2-square. Rac8 17.Nb4
square with 8...Nfd7 always look for Bd3 Ra8 18.Nc4² White's queenside pressure
followed by Qh5. This idea works here as is quite annoying. ;
well. 9.Bd3 a5 10.Qh5 White's idea is to B) 12...Qc7 The most natural. 13.Qe2
provoke kingside weaknesses. f5 11.Nxd7 Rfe8 The standard square for the rook.
Nxd7 12.a4 [%csl Ra5,Rb6,Rc5] I like this ( If Black prefers to bring his rook to the
idea. White immediately fixes Black's queenside with 13...Rfc8 White has
queenside weaknesses. A possible another interesting plan at his disposal -
continuation would be Ba6 13.Bxa6 Rxa6 14.Rfe1 Bf8 15.Nf1 Qb8 16.Ne3²
14.Qe2 Ra8 15.c4!² Played in accordance [%cal Gf3d2,Gf2f3,Gd2e4] White's idea is
with the classical principles. When there are to establish a central superiority by means
multiple weaknesses in the camp of your of Nd2 followed by f2-f3 and Ne4. ) 14.a5
opponent, you need to open the position. ) b5 15.c4 bxc4 16.Nxc4 This idea works
9.Nc6 This move grants White the bishop very well when the Black queen has
pair. Nxc6 10.Bxa6 cxd4 11.exd4 Bd6 already occupied the c7-square. Now,
12.Bg5² White enjoys a stable advantage. ] Black should spend a tempo on Qb8
[The immediate 7...Ba6 is premature. Now, when after 17.Nfd2 Bf8 a very strong
White should play 8.Bxa6 Nxa6 9.Qe2 move would be 18.Rab1 [%cal Gb2b4,
Qc8 10.e4 building a strong centre. This is Gb4b5] preparing the advance of the b-
what Black is trying to avoid with the pawn. A possible follow-up would be e5
inclusion of .. .cxd4. ] 19.dxe5 dxe5 20.Rfd1² [%cal Gb2b4,
[Another option is 7...Bb7 8.Bd3 d6 9.0-0 Gb4b5] with an advantage for White. ]
Nbd7 10.Qe2 Now White is ready for e3-e4 9.Bxa6 Nxa6 10.0-0 Qc8 11.a4 Qb7
so that Black has to play cd-ed which would 12.Ne5 Nc7 [%cal Gc7d5, Ga7a6,Gb6b5]
transpose to the earlier cd4 line. ] Black's idea in this setup is ...Ncd5 followed by
8.exd4 Ba6 This is the point. Black usually ...a7-a6 and ... b6-b5, thus starting a minority
prefers to play this structure without light- attack on the queenside. 13.Re1 Ncd5
squared bishops. [In case of 13...a6 14.c4! b5 ( 14...Bb4
[A very popular setup is 8...Bb7 9.Bd3 d6 15.Nd3 ) 15.b3!² [%cal Ge5d3,Gf4g5] The
10.0-0 Nbd7 11.Bh2 a6 Black is playing in c7-knight feels a bit misplaced. Having good
Hedgehog style. His main idea in this setup central control, White can already consider
is to gradually prepare the advance ...e6-e5. organizing a kingside attack. ]
Typical preparatory moves are ...Qc7, ... 14.Bh2 a6 15.g4 h6 16.h4‚ I believe in
Rfe8, and ...Bf8. White's best idea is 12.a4 White's attacking potential on the kingside.
White is planning a4-a5 and then meet ...b6-
b5 with c3-c4. In this way, White will create
queenside targets.
A) A similar idea is 12...Re8 Now, besides
Qe2, I would like to show an alternative
plan - 13.Ne1 [%cal Ge1c2,Gc2b4] The
knight is heading to b4 or e3. Bf8
( In case of 13...Nf8 14.Nc2 Ng6
it's better to play 15.Ne3 since Black has
already indicated his intention to play on
the kingside. e5 16.Re1² [%cal Gd1b3,