[Site “?

”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Introduction”]

[Black “Introduction”]

{ @@HeaderStart@@Introduction@@HeaderEnd@@ In this course, you will find a

complete repertoire for Black against 1. d4 based on the Nimzo-Indian and Ragozin, as well
as recommendations on how to play against 1. Nf3. These openings have been chosen with
the purpose of providing a solid, reliable defence for Black which can last a lifetime. The
Nimzo-Indian and Ragozin are top-class openings played at the very highest levels with
success. In many repertoires, it is nice to have an underlying ‘theme’ or pawn structure
which features in all the variations. This has the advantage of allowing players to get a
better feel for the arising positions and pawn structures. In this course, we’ll be looking to
play …d5 in the majority of variations and head towards a QGD-style pawn structure with
pawns on e6 and d5. Additionally, unless it is clearly the best way to play, we will try to
refrain from …dxc4 in the style of the Vienna. The analysis in this course should be very
solid as it has been checked thoroughly by both Stockfish and LeelaChess - however, if
there are new developments, we’ll do our best to update the variations. Also, in the event
you spot any typos or similar errors, please let us know and it will be fixed quickly. All
that’s left is for us to wish you luck on your journey of learning and playing the Nimzo-
Indian and Ragozin! Good luck and enjoy! Christof and Daniel }

1. d4

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Introduction”]
[Black “Repertoire Overview”]

1. d4

{ Our 1.Nf3 chapter , recommends a way to meet 1.Nf3 in a consistent way , starting with
d5. }

Nf6 2. c4

{ 2.Bf4 - all the d4 deviations such as the London, (Trompowsky and Colle are covered in
the 1.d4 Deviations chapter.) }

e6 3. Nf3

{ In recent times this has been seen as more challenging than 3. Nc3. The Nimzo-Indian,
after 3.Nc3 Bb4 , is rock-solid and White has a near impossible time trying to prove even
the slightest of edges against it. White’s attention has shifted to trying to find something
after 3. Nf3 instead. The idea behind delaying the knight’s development to c3 is to avoid the
…Bb4 pin of course. This position is a fairly major crossroads. Black can try a number of
different, decent openings here, each with its own set of plans and ideas: 1. The Bogo-
Indian with Bb4+ is typically followed up with play on the dark squares, such as …Qe7, …
d6 and …e5. 2. The transposition to the Modern Benoni with c5 is another option too.
Black’s point is that by using this move order he has avoided some of white’s scarier tries
after the 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 move order. 3. The Queen’s Indian, with b6, is a classic
complement to the Nimzo-Indian. Black persists with the idea of controlling the centre,
especially the e4 square, with pieces and not pawns. 4. The Queen’s Gambit Declined, as
well as the Tarrasch and Semi-Slav can also arise after d5. 5. However, our choice is d5
followed by meeting 4. Nc3 with …Bb4. This is known as the Ragozin, which can be
described as a mixture between the solidity of the Queen’s Gambit Declined and activity of
the Nimzo-Indian. The Ragozin also has a very nice synergy with the Nimzo-Indian, since
many lines can transpose and plenty of the ideas and plans are applicable to both. 3.Nc3 is
still the most popular move in this position, however at the top level 3. Nf3 is being played
for more often and it also scores better. If you know your theory well, you should look
forward to facing 3. Nc3 as White typically struggles to get even the slightest of edges after
Bb4. 4.Qc2 White’s second most common choice , with the point of trying to win the bishop
pair without conceding doubled pawns. The Nimzo-Indian with 4.Qc2 chapter covers this.
4.Bg5 We begin examining the Nimzo with White’s sidelines , and these are dealt with in
the Nimzo-Indian Deviations chapter. 4.f3 is a sharp and topical try which can lead to very
unorthodox positions. We’ll cover this, together with 4. a3, in Nimzo-Indian with 4.a3 and
4.f3 Chapter. 4.e3 is White’s most popular choice and one of the big Nimzo mainlines. We
examine 4. e3 in the longest chapter in the course (- Nimzo-Indian with 4.e3.) }
d5 4. Nc3

{ 4.g3 signifies the beginning of the Catalan, one of White’s more challenging options. White
strives to get a small but stable positional plus while also not risking too much. It has
become quite popular recently, in part due to the books GM Avrukh has written on it. Bb4+
5.Bd2 Be7 In sticking with our repertoire theme, we have chosen a solid line where we
refrain from taking on c4 and rather reinforce the pawn on d5. This is covered in the
Catalan chapter. }

Bb4

{ The starting point of the Ragozin. Black develops the bishop more actively than in the
Queen’s Gambit Declined (where it goes to e7) , but this also has its own set of
disadvantages. In addition to the QGD , Black could also play c6 with a Semi-Slav , c5 with a
Tarrasch or dxc4 which is the Vienna. }

5. Bg5

{ This natural move is White’s most popular choice in the position and will be covered in
the 5. Bg5 Ragozin Chapter. 5.cxd5 is one of White’s most challenging tries against the
Ragozin. It is examined in Ragozin with 5.cxd5 chapter. 5.Qa4+ is an idea which features
regularly in the Ragozin, with the point of forcing our knight to c6 where it can be a bit
misplaced. This is covered in Ragozin with 5.Qa4+. 5.Qb3 is a move which was topical
recently and was one of White’s latest attempts to dent the Ragozin. We look at this and
miscellaneous fifth moves in Ragozin Deviations chapter. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.e3”]

[Black “Nimzo-Indian with 4.e3”]

{ @@HeaderStart@@Key Points@@HeaderEnd@@ This is the biggest chapter in the book,

covering one of the biggest, oldest and most important variations in chess: the Rubinstein
variation of the Nimzo-Indian. There are 2 basic setups white has at his disposal here:
5.Nge2 and 5.Bd3. 5.Nge2 has the idea of recapturing on c3 with the knight. We meet this
by playing in QGD style with d5. The key idea here is after 8.Nf4 we go Na6, with the plan of
exchanging knights with …Na6-c7-e6. 5.Bd3 is the classical mainline. We meet this with the
relatively rare but strong idea of b6, planning to trade off light bishops with …Ba6. }

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3

{ 4. e3, commonly known as the Rubinstein Variation, is - together with 4. Qc2 - far and
away White’s most popular and challenging option against the Nimzo-Indian. It might seem
strange to think that blocking White’s dark-squared bishop in like this is critical, but as we
will see in a later chapter, active development with 4.Bg5 can be met strongly by c5 , and
4.Nf3 transposes to the Ragozin after d5. 4. e3 seems quite inflexible and committal,
however it is important to keep in mind that White hasn’t committed his g1-knight yet. This
means that he has a couple of possible setups involving Ng1-e2, in addition to the more
obvious Nf3 plans. }

O-O

{ Black’s most flexible option and probably the best. Black doesn’t commit his central
pawns too early, which allows us to opt for either a dark-squared strategy (with …c5) or a
light-squared strategy (with …d5) , depending on how White continues. In most situations
we will be opting for the light-squared strategy with …d5, as this is in keeping with this
repertoire’s theme, but in one specific case we go for a dark-squared plan: when White
plays an early a3 to gain the bishop pair. }

5. Bd3

{ The most common move, fighting for the e4 square. 5.Nge2 White’s second most common
move here, behind 5. Bd3. It is an important line to know since it was the recommendation
of GM Schandorff in his popular Playing 1. d4 series. White blocks his bishop, but this is
meant to just be temporary. His idea is to play a3, kicking our bishop away, and recapture
with the knight in the event of …Bxc3+. Because of this, black should rather retreat his dark
bishop to e7 or d6 after white plays a3. White will then usually redevelop his knight on e2
to either f4 or g3, or sometimes develop his light bishop with a kingside fianchetto - g3
followed by Bg2. d5 The most natural and most common move, staking out our claim in the
centre. Black does have one notable alternative though, which is the super flexible Re8. It
does score quite well for black, but d5 is more in line with our repertoire and it is just as
good. 6.a3 Kicking our bishop back. Of course, taking on c3 just fully justifies white’s
opening strategy, so retreating is the only good option. 6.cxd5 is often just another move
order to reach the mainline - with 6. a3 followed by 7. cxd5, but white does have an extra,
independent option here. exd5 7.g3 This is White’s independent option. White intends to
just develop his kingside and ignore our bishop on b4 for now. He hopes that eventually we
retreat our bishop, thus saving him a move since he didn’t play a3. However, as we shall
see, whether or not this helps him is very debatable because our bishop will retreat to f8,
which is a better square than e7 in the mainline. 7.a3 just transposes to our mainline. Be7
transposing to our mainline. Black does have the extra option of Bd6, but they are not very
different in objective strength and Be7 saves us from learning 2 rather different setups
against one variation. Re8 A very natural multipurpose move, putting the rook on the semi-
open e-file. From here it supports a possible …Ne4 later, and also frees up the f8 square for
when our dark bishop retreats. 8.Bg2 c6 9.O-O Bf8 Bringing the bishop all the way back to
f8 is a very flexible way for black to play. 10.Nf4 Putting pressure on d5 and dissuading the
…c5 break. 10.f3 Planning the e4 break of course, however this does weaken the e3 pawn.
c5 ! The weakened e3 pawn and blocked bishop on g2 make this break much stronger than
it would have been otherwise. 11.g4 Black has no problems after dxc5 so white has tried
the g4-g5 idea the most here, in order to undermine the d5 pawn. h6 ! Simply preventing
white’s idea. 12.h3 Nc6 =+ Black’s activity and the weakness of e3 give us an edge here. Na6
With the idea of rerouting the knight to e6 - …Nb8-a6-c7-e6. 11.f3 Nc7 = Black has
developed harmoniously with no weaknesses. White’s issue is that the e4 break is never
quite as effective as he hopes, since black often has the …c5 counter-break at his disposal.
Be7 Not the only move. The second most common choice, and also a good one, is Bd6. On
the plus side, the bishop is more active on d6 than on e7, but the issue is that it allows
white the extra, pretty decent option of 7. c5. 7.cxd5 White’s most common move. It is in
white’s favour for white to remove the central tension before black can liquidate the whole
centre with …c5 or play …c6 and get the extra option of …cxd5 later. 7.Ng3 The knight on
g3 is useful since it controls the f5 square - which is often where our light bishop would go,
but the downside is that it doesn’t influence the centre at all. c5 Black also has …b6 at his
disposal, however …c5 scores better and is more popular. 8.cxd5 8.dxc5 The second most
common move, although it isn’t too critical. dxc4 9.Qxd8 Exchanging queens isn’t
challenging at all here. 9.Qc2 White hopes to keep some pressure in this symmetrical pawn
structure, but there is a slim chance of that. Nbd7 Black can recapture on c5 with the
bishop, the knight or even the queen. It doesn’t really matter too much - they are all
approximately of equal strength. 10.Bxc4 Nxc5 11.b4 Logically kicking our knight back,
however the downside is that it makes our .. .a5 lever stronger. Ncd7 12.Bb2 a5 ! = Black
has no problems at all. Rxd8 10.Bxc4 Bxc5 = White has absolutely nothing in this equal
endgame. cxd4 Recapturing on d5 with the pawn is not ideal, since we don’t want to be
saddled with an IQP. 9.exd4 Nxd5 We reach an IQP position where white lacks his usual
kingside attacking potential. His knight is a bit misplaced on g3 as well - usually the knight
is on f3, where it defends d4 and often goes to e5. 10.Bd3 Nc6 11.O-O Bf6 Putting the
bishop where it can pressure the d4 pawn. 12.Be3 Defending d4. Nxe3 ! Grabbing the
bishop pair is a long-term decision. White’s d4 pawn will now be protected, but later on in
the game, when the position opens up, it is the bishop pair that will shine. 13.fxe3 g6 =+
Fianchettoing the bishop and tucking it away on g7. Black has a slight edge thanks to his
bishop pair. 7.Nf4 The advantage of having the knight on f4 is that it puts a lot of pressure
on d5. This is quite useful for white, since it dissuades us from playing …c5, which is a
typical equalising break. However, as we shall see, there are also downsides to the knight
being on f4. c6 Supporting the d5 pawn. 8.Bd3 White’s most popular move. 8.cxd5 exd5
transposing to 7. cxd5 exd5 8. Nf4. 8.Be2 This is less common than 8. Bd3 and it has no
independent value since we meet it in the same way. dxc4 ! 9.Bxc4 This isn’t a situation
where white can sacrifice the c4 pawn and get some positional compensation. If white
doesn’t recapture, we just play …b5 and hold the pawn. Nbd7 = transposing to 8. Bd3. 8.b3
Supporting c4 in anticipation of …dxc4. Nbd7 9.Bb2 dxc4 10.Bxc4 Recapturing with the
pawn is met in the same way. e5 =+ Once again, with the …e5 break in white is fighting for
equality. 8.b4 White doesn’t commit his light bishop, instead prefering to expand on the
queenside. Nbd7 As is typical with the knight on f4, we prepare the …e5 break. 9.c5 White
tries to press his queenside advantage, but black is much faster in the centre. e5 ! 10.dxe5
Nxe5 =+ White’s queenside play is far slower than black’s initiative in the centre. dxc4 ! The
right time to play this, now that white has already spent a tempo moving his bishop. 9.Bxc4
Nbd7 ! We are planning the …e5 equalising break and with the knight on f4, white is not in
a good position to prevent it. 10.O-O 10.Nd3 White prevents …e5, but the knight is
awkwardly-placed on d3 which gives black good play on the queenside. b5 ! Black switches
his focus to the queenside. 11.Ba2 a5 ! Threatening …b4. 12.b4 Blocking …b4, but
weakening the light squares. Nb6 Targeting the light squares weakened by b4. 13.O-O Nfd5
=+ Black’s strong knights and queenside pressure give him a slight edge. e5 = With the …e5
break achieved, white is on the back foot and fighting for equality. Black’s light bishop is
free to be developed, while white’s dark bishop is still blocked by the e3 pawn. exd5 We
reach an important branching point in this variation. The position - the pawn structure - is
reminiscent of the Queen’s Gambit Declined Exchange Variation, however the key
difference is that white’s dark bishop is inside the pawn chain. White has 4 main options: 1.
He can develop his kingside with a fianchetto, with 8. g3. 2. He can put his knight on f4
where it puts pressure on d5 and develop the bishop to d3/e2 - 8. Nf4. This was GM
Schandorff’s choice in his book. 3. The knight can go to g3 instead of f4, where it has more
influence over f5. 4. White can prioritise queenside play with 8. b4. 8.g3 Fianchettoing the
light bishop is white’s second most common plan in this position. 8.Nf4 Together with 8. g3,
this is white’s main option. GM Schandorff recommended this move as well. The knight on
f4 serves the important purpose of pressurising d5, which makes it harder for black to
achieve the …c5 break. Black tends to forego this break altogether and focus on other ideas
instead. c6 9.Bd3 This is quite an important junction for black. Black has a number of
different plans and development schemes to choose from. Na6 ! This is only the 5th most
common move, but it is a strong one which has been popular at the top level recently. It has
been played repeatedly by Karjakin and once by Carlsen, albeit in a blitz game. The knight
is heading to c7, from where it can do 2 things. The knight on c7 supports d5 in the event
that black wants to play the …c5 break and it can also exchange white’s knight on f4 with …
Ne6, which frees up our position a bit and grants our light bishop the e6 square. 10.O-O
Note that taking on a6 just hands black the bishop pair without any real compensation for
white. Nc7 11.f3 White’s plan usually involves f3 at some point, usually with the idea of e4
later. 11.b4 White decides to play on the queenside with a minority attack, but black is very
well placed to meet this. Bd6 12.b5 cxb5 13.Nxb5 Nxb5 14.Bxb5 Bf5 =+ Black is a bit better
thanks to his more active bishops. Ne6 12.Nxe6 This exchange makes black’s development
a bit easier as we now have the e6 square for our bishop. 12.Nfe2 Slightly more common
than exchanging on e6, but not any better. Black’s knight is perfectly placed now to support
the …c5 break, so if white plays too passively this is a promising idea. Bd6 A typical idea to
improve the placement of our dark bishop slightly. 13.Bd2 Nh5 Preparing …f5. 14.Kh1 f5 =
Black has decent play on the kingside, while white will get some queenside counterplay.
Both sides have decent chances with approximate equality. Bxe6 13.Bd2 Ne8 Not the only
move, but this has the idea of rerouting the knight to d6 and playing …f5. 14.Qc2 f5
Discouraging white from playing his e4 break. 15.Ne2 Nd6 16.Nf4 Qd7 = Black doesn’t have
to worry about white exchanging his light bishop, seeing as it is his bad bishop and the
position is relatively closed. Black can look to expand on the kingside in the future if white
plays passively. 8.b4 White’s third most common option prioritises white’s queenside play.
8. b4 clamps down on the c5 square, making that break more difficult for us, but also it
creates other possibilities for us involving …a5 or the newly weakened c4-square. c6 9.Ng3
The knight goes to f5 and sometimes h5 from here, while also preventing black’s …Bf5. Re8
10.Bd3 Nbd7 11.O-O Nb6 The knight is on a good square here. It supports the d5 pawn -
which is useful, in the event of …c5, emphasises the weakened c4 square and also blocks
the white’s pressure down the b-file when it opens after b5. 12.Rb1 a5 ! A typical pawn
lever in this line. 13.b5 c5 Keeping the b-file closed and counterattacking in the centre.
14.dxc5 Bxc5 = We reach an equal position with decent chances for both sides. Black can
look at ideas such as …Nc4 and …d4 in the future, or maybe …a4 to fix the weak pawn on
a3. 8.Ng3 Preventing black’s …Bf5, however, unlike the knight on f4, it does nothing to
pressure d5. Black should take advantage of this by using the typical …c5 break. c5 ! It is
possible to play more slowly with moves like …Rc8 as well, but this seems like a pretty easy
equaliser. 9.dxc5 Bxc5 10.Bd3 We reach an IQP position where white’s misplaced knight on
g3 - since it has no influence over the important d4 square - allows black to equalise
without any real problems. Even putting the bishop on e2 instead of d3 does not fix this -
we just follow the same plan of …Nc6 followed by …d4. Nc6 Black should also consider the
immediate d4, which also seems good. 11.O-O d4 A rather natural move which wasn’t
mentioned by GM Schandorff. The more popular choice here is Be6 though. 12.Na4 The
knight on a4 dissuades the …Bb6 retreat. 12.Nce4 Taking immediately on d4 doesn’t
challenge black, so white needs to try something else. Nxe4 13.Nxe4 Bb6 14.Qh5 Black
needs to be a bit careful here - Nf6+ with mate is threatened. h6 15.exd4 Bxd4 =+ Black has
the upperhand in a fairly symmetrical position thanks to his more active pieces. Bd6
Preparing to grab on g3. 13.exd4 Bxg3 14.hxg3 Bg4 ! The point behind Bxg3. White has no
comfortable way to deal with this attack without giving back the bishop pair. 15.Be2
Basically forced. Bxe2 16.Qxe2 Nxd4 = With complete equality. White has the bishop, but
black is more active. Re8 The best square for black’s rook, while also freeing f8 for the dark
bishop. 9.Bg2 c6 10.O-O Nbd7 The knight is on its way to b6. 11.f3 White’s main plan
involves e4 at some point, however we can take advantage of the blocked bishop on g2.
11.b4 White’s queenside play is quite ineffective here. Nb6 12.b5 Bf5 =+ White doesn’t have
any real pressure on the queenside. Black will have …c5 coming soon, after which he will
have the more active pieces and good play. c5 ! This break is good enough to equalise here.
12.Nf4 Hitting d5. cxd4 Nb6 is also possible, but this seems to be a bit more forcing.
13.Ncxd5 The only challenging move. 13.exd4 is not challenging of course. Nb6 = with
complete equality. Nxd5 14.Nxd5 dxe3 15.Bxe3 Nf6 ! It seems like white gets the bishop
pair and a slight edge here, but as we will see this is just an illusion. 16.Nxe7+ Qxe7 =
White’s bishop pair is nothing more than symbolic here, since black’s bishop will reach d5
after …Be6-d5 with easy equality. 5.Nf3 A very natural move, and the third in popularity -
behind 5. Bd3 and 5. Nge2, however it doesn’t have that much independent value, since it is
most likely to transpose to either 5. Bd3 or 5. a3 within a couple of moves. d5 Other moves
are possible, but we need to cover d5 due to the transpositional possibilities. We have, in
effect, reached a Ragozin with 5. e3. 6.Bd2 This is quite a rare line but one which has picked
up in popularity recently at the top level. We will cover this in the Nimzo-Indian chapter
dealing with 4. Bd2. 6.Bd3 transposes straight into the mainline after b6 6.a3 Bxc3+ 7.bxc3
c5 8.Bb2 This is an interesting idea from white. He is making as many useful moves as
possible, while the bishop stays at home on f1. He hopes that black will play …dxc4
prematurely, thus saving a tempo on the lines after 7. Bd3. 8.cxd5 is not too good with the
white knight on e2. exd5 9.Bd3 Bg4 ! With the knight on e2, developing the bishop actively
like this wouldn’t be possible. 10.O-O c4 ! =+ White’s terrible dark bishop and the closed
nature of the position give the edge to black’s knights. 8.Bd3 Qc7 ! Black gets an improved
version of 7. Bd3. 9.Qc2 dxc4 10.Bxc4 b6 transposes to a position we look at after 7. Bd3.
The queen on c2 isn’t the best use white could have made of the tempo. Nc6 9.Rc1
Continuing the waiting game. Na5 ! Forcing white to take on d5, which in turn frees our
light bishop. 10.cxd5 exd5 11.dxc5 Otherwise black just plays …c4 with a good positional
edge. Be6 Covering d5. 12.c4 Otherwise black can just recoup the pawn with a good
position after, for example, …Ne4xc5. Nxc4 13.Bxc4 dxc4 14.Qxd8 Rfxd8 = With complete
equality. b6 reaching the line we looked at in Chapter 6. 5.a3 An idea we will encounter in
the 4. a3 chapter. Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 Nc6 ! We will see this line in the 4. a3 chapter in the line 4.
a3 Bxc3+ 5. bxc3 O-O 6. f3 Nc6 !. It is important for black not to play the automatic d5
instead, as white scores well and gets a slight edge after 7. cxd5. The point behind …Nc6 is
two-fold: it prepares the …e5 break and possibly …e4 later as well, and also it allows black
to target the c4 pawn in the typical way with …Na5, …b6 and …Ba6. 7.Bd3 White’s main
move, developing naturally. 7.Ne2 This seems a little unnatural, but it has been played a
few times. By not committing his bishop to d3 yet, white takes some of the sting out of our
…e5-e4 plan. Instead, we will now attack c4 in this line. b6 8.Ng3 Ba6 9.e4 White threatens
Bg5 now. Ne8 Prophylaxis against Bg5. 10.Bd3 Na5 11.Qe2 c5 12.d5 f5 ! A difficult move to
find over the board, but an important move to remember ! This break hits out at e4 and
ensures that white’s impressive-looking centre crumbles in a few moves. 13.exf5 13.dxe6 ?
f4 ! ��� is an important intermezzo to see. exd5 14.cxd5 Bxd3 15.Qxd3 c4 16.Qe2 Nd6
17.O-O Nxf5 = Black regains his pawn with full equality. 7.Nf3 Controlling e5, but all this
means is that we must now prepare …e5 a bit more. d6 8.Be2 With …e5-e4 coming, e2 is a
better square for the bishop. e5 9.O-O Bg4 10.h3 Bh5 11.Bb2 Re8 =+ Black is at least equal
here and probably even a bit better due to white’s poor pawn structure and his bishops’
limited scope. e5 ! White doesn’t have enough control over e4 which means that we can
look to play …e4 ourselves. 8.Ne2 White’s most common choice by far. 8.f3 This has only
been tried once, but maybe it is one of white’s best options. d6 Our idea in this line is to
target the c4 pawn. 9.Ne2 Na5 ! This looks a bit funny, but we attack c4 which is
surprisingly difficult to defend. 10.e4 Be6 ! Attacking c4 and provoking d5. 11.d5 Bc8 ! =
Our last few moves might look a bit strange, but all these provocative moves are very sound
positionally. By provoking d5, we get the fantastic c5 outpost for our knight and ensure that
the c4 pawn stays weak for a long time. The reason for retreating to c8 instead of d7 is to
leave the d7 square free for our knight. e4 ! Grabbing space. 9.Bb1 9.Bc2 has little
independent value and should transpose to white’s main move, 9. Bb1, in a couple moves
time. b6 10.Ng3 Ba6 11.Nxe4 Nxe4 12.Bxe4 Bxc4 transposing. b6 Preparing to attack c4.
10.Ng3 White counterattacks our e4 pawn instead of defending c4. Ba6 11.Nxe4 Nxe4
12.Bxe4 Bxc4 =+ This position has been reached in one game so far and black already has a
slight edge. After 13.Bd3 we can now improve by playing Na5 ! ��� with a dream good
knight vs bad bishop position for us. }
d5

{ The main move here. We continue to follow our … d5 light-squared strategy in order to
fight for the e4 square and the centre. }

6. Nf3

{ White develops, very naturally. This is the main position in the 4. e3 Nimzo-Indian, and
possibly the whole Nimzo-Indian. Black has tried at least a dozen setups and variations
from this position onwards, each of which have their own character, pawn structure and
positional ideas. Naturally, we tried to choose the setup with the most synergy with the rest
of the repertoire. The 3 main options examined were: 1. The ideal choice would have been
c5 7. O-O Nc6 8. a3 Bxc3+ 9. bxc3 Qc7, as the structures we get after 10. cxd5 exd5 feature
very frequently in the Ragozin. Unfortunately, white has a number of irritating deviations
on the way to that mainline, such 8. cxd5 exd5 9. dxc5 (which leads it black getting an IQP
where it is surprisingly difficult to equalise) . 2. One of the current mainlines and a
recommendation in a handfull of repertoire books is c5 7. O-O cxd4 8. exd4 dxc4 9. Bxc4.
This leads to a very topical position with decent chances for both sides. However, it is an
IQP position where white has decent chances for an edge and where black needs to know
his stuff. IQP positions have not featured too prominently in this repertoire, and
additionally covering it in sufficient detail (when this is just one chapter in a
comprehensive repertoire) for black to be truly prepared is a difficult task. 3. b6 was the
third option. It leads to a structure which does feature elsewhere in the repertoire.
Additionally, it is only about a fifth as popular as the main move here, c5, so white players
should be a little less prepared for it. In recent years it has been played by a whole host of
top players, including Carlsen, Karjakin and Harikrishna. Finally, b6 seems to be just as
strong objectively as any of the other lines, so it seemed like the best choice for this
repertoire. 6.Nge2 White’s second most common with, with the same idea as 5. Nge2 -
white wants to recapture on c3 with the knight. However, that extra tempo gives black the
chance to liquidate most of the centre. dxc4 ! Starting to break down white’s centre. 7.Bxc4
c5 Continuing the central exchanges. Black can also try e5 if he wants to avoid an IQP
position, but this is a very good IQP position for black, so there is no need to avoid c5. 8.O-
O 8.a3 isn’t very critical in this variation. Bxc3+ 9.Nxc3 The only independent try in this
line. 9.bxc3 Qc7 just transposes to a position we analyse after 5. a3. cxd4 10.exd4 We have
reached a very poor IQP position for white. A pair of minor pieces have already been
exchanged, and white’s remaining knight does nothing to support d4, which makes tying
white down to its defence easy. Nc6 Hitting d4. 11.Be3 b6 Preparing to develop the bishop.
12.O-O Bb7 = Black is fully equal - it is difficult to find any attempt for an advantage for
white. Next, black can reroute his knight to e7 and then to either d5 or f5. cxd4 9.exd4 Nc6
Once again, white has a very innocuous IQP position. This is mostly due to the passive
knight on e2, which has few prospects besides the defence of d4. White’s usual kingside
attack ideas aren’t really present in this position, and black can easily restrain and attack
the d4-pawn. Here are two sample lines of how play might go: 10.Bg5 The usual, active
square for white’s bishop. 10.a3 Bd6 Of course, there is no need to take on c3 in this
situation. The bishop is active on d6, and moreover it keeps e7 free for our knight. 11.h3
h6 ! A good prophylactic move against Bg5. 12.Be3 Ne7 A thematic manoeuvre. From here
the knight can head to d5 or f5. 13.Bd3 b6 =+ Black has the IQP locked down completely
and is 100% in the driver’s seat. Be7 11.a3 b6 Getting the light bishop out. 12.Qd3 Bb7
13.Rad1 h6 Forcing white’s bishop to choose a diagonal. 14.Bh4 Nh5 ! A nice little
exchanging idea that fast-tracks simplifications and equality. 15.Bxe7 Nxe7 = Once again,
black has the IQP under control - white’s best bet is just to go d5 and liquidate everything.
6.a3 Bxc3+ 7.bxc3 dxc4 Once white has moved his bishop, this is rarely a bad idea. What
black wants to avoid in this position is a situation where white plays cxd5 and develops his
knight to e2, as he gets simple and strong play based on f3 and e4 there. 8.Bxc4 c5 9.Nf3
9.Ne2 One of the two possible squares for the knight. f3 is slightly more popular, although it
is very close. Ne2 has the benefit of protecting c3, while after Nf3 something like Ne5 could
be possible later. Qc7 Indirectly attacking white’s bishop. 10.Bd3 The more popular of the
two bishop retreats. White surrenders the g8-a2 diagonal, which makes the …e5 break
more effective, but does control e4 and the f1-a6 diagonal. 10.Ba2 White keeps control of
the g8-a2 diagonal, but on the other hand white gives up f1-a6, which we will exploit. b6
11.O-O Ba6 ! Exploiting the diagonal left unprotected by white’s light bishop. 12.Re1
Stepping out of the pin and preparing to support a e4 advance in the future. 12.Bb2
Developing the bishop to b2 first involves a different pawn expansion to 12. Re1: white is
going for c4 here instead. Nc6 13.Rc1 Rfd8 14.c4 White gets his desired c4 expansion, but it
quickly becomes clear that this is not necessarily even so desirable. cxd4 15.exd4 b5 ! Black
tears apart white’s hanging pawns, leaving more light squared weaknesses behind. 16.cxb5
Bxb5 =+ With just a lone IQP under heavy pressure, white can only hope for equality here.
Nc6 13.Ng3 White seems to be ready to start advancing with e4. Rfd8 Black keeps piling the
pressure on d4, making any e4 expansion impossible for now. 14.Bb2 Reinforcing d4. Na5 !
Clearly e4 is on its way, so black switches plans and begins to exploit the weak c4 square.
15.e4 Bc4 ! By putting the bishop on c4, black is able to neutralise both of white’s bishops.
16.Bxc4 Nxc4 17.Bc1 White holds onto his bishop and threatens 18. Bg5. Ne8 = Prophylaxis
against Bg5. Black is doing well here - his knight on c4 is very strong and there is a lot of
pressure against white’s d4 pawn. Nc6 With the light bishop off the g8-a2 diagonal, black is
playing for the …e5 break. 11.O-O 11.f4 has been tried, in a Stonewall fashion, to prevent
black’s …e5. b6 Natural development is fine for black here. Although he didn’t carry out the
…e5 break, f4 is quite weakening and a definite concession. 12.O-O Bb7 13.Ng3 Na5 = with
good play for black. Black’s knights are well-poised to exploit the light squares which were
weakened by f4. e5 ! 12.Bb2 12.Qc2 Preventing …e4. Be6 13.f4 ? This has been tried a few
times surprisingly, but it is just bad. It seems like white panicked and tried to get rid of the
central tension. c4 ! Forcing an exchange of white’s light bishop, which leaves the light
squares critically weakened. 14.Bf5 Bxf5 15.Qxf5 exd4 16.cxd4 Taking with the other pawn
is just as bad, since it gives black a monstrous outpost on d5. Ne7 Kicking the queen back.
17.Qc2 Qc6 ��� Black’s domination on the light squares, combined with his queenside
majority give him a clear advantage. Be6 = Black has very good play against white’s centre.
Next he can just bring his rooks to the central files. Qc7 Once again indirectly attacking
white’s bishop. Note that this time, Bd3 is a blunder because of … cxd4 followed by …Qc3+.
10.Ba2 The more popular of the bishop retreats keeps control over the g8-a2 diagonal.
10.Be2 The bishop seems quite passive on e2, and it has no influence over the g8-a2
diagonal, but on the other hand white is just looking to play c4 and get a hanging pawns
pawn structure. b6 11.O-O Bb7 12.Bb2 Nbd7 13.c4 Rac8 14.Rc1 Rfd8 = Black has a sound
setup which has scored well in practice, including a notable win by Anand against Carlsen -
in rapid. Black has a few ways to shuffle his knights around here, including …Ne4, …Ne4-d6
or …Nf8-g6. 10.Qe2 ? has been played a few times, although it is a blunder, for a similar
reason to 10. Bd3 ?: cxd4 11.cxd4 ? b5 ! -+ followed by …Qc3+. 10.Qc2 is bound to tranpose
to either 10. Be2 or 10. Ba2, since white can’t leave the bishop on c4 indefinitely: b6 11.O-
O ?? Already a losing blunder, which has been played 13 times to date ! cxd4 12.cxd4 Ba6 -+
White loses an exchange at least. b6 11.O-O Nbd7 12.Bb2 Bb7 Threatening …Ng4 with the
idea of …Bxf3 and …Qxh2#. White has to be careful here and deal with that threat. 13.Qe2
13.c4 immediately is also possible. cxd4 14.exd4 Qf4 = With the idea of …Bxf3 at some
point. Black has good play against white’s hanging pawns. Rfe8 It’s always useful to put the
rook on the same file as the opponent’s queen, and moreover the rook helps support a
possible .. .e5. 14.c4 Slightly inaccurate, but there is an important idea to illustrate here.
cxd4 15.exd4 ?! White should rather recapture with the knight here with approximate
equality. Ng4 ! =+ An important idea to be aware of - …Bxf3 followed by …Qxh2#. White
needs to defend against this threat, but he will need to make a serious concession one way
or another. 6.cxd5 Exchanging on d5 leads to positions reminiscent of the Queen’s Gambit
Declined Exchange Variation, but with the key difference - in black’s favour - being that
white’s dark bishop is trapped inside his pawn chain. exd5 7.Nge2 As mentioned before, e2
is preferable for the knight in this structure since white usually plans f3 and e4. 7. Nf3
allows black to equalise very easily with …Bg4. Re8 The rook is well-placed here, and now
the f8 is also vacated for our dark bishop or knight. 8.O-O 8.Bd2 Normal, slow play doesn’t
really challenge black’s solid setup: Bd6 The most active square for the bishop. 9.Rc1 c6 a6
is also possible to prevent Nb5 ideas. 10.O-O Nbd7 Black has no problems here at all. 11.f3
c5 = with similar to play as in our mainline with 8. O-O. Bd6 The most active square for the
bishop. 9.f3 White’s only challenging plan is to play for e4. c5 ! Now is the ideal time to
counter-strike in the centre. f3 leaves the e3 pawn weakened, which means dxc5 …Bxc5 is
not desirable. Additionally, the central tension makes it very difficult for white to carry out
his e4 break. 10.Qe1 White is trying to conjure up a kingside attack with Qh4. 10.Kh1 is
perhaps white’s safest way to play: he is going to try and simplify the centre. Nc6 11.dxc5
Bxc5 12.e4 Necessary to equalise. dxe4 The game just fizzles out now with mass exchanges.
13.Nxe4 Nxe4 14.Bxe4 Qxd1 15.Rxd1 f5 = with complete equality. Nc6 11.Qh4 Black needs
to deal with the vulnerability of the h7 pawn sooner or later. h6 12.Kh1 is a bit less direct
and committal. 12.g4 is a direct way to attack black’s king, but it objectively shouldn’t be
dangerous. a6 Black begins his queenside play. 13.Qf2 b5 14.Ng3 So far this has been
played once in a game between Giorgardze and Hjartarson, which white went on to win. It
seems like black should get his queenside counterplay underway as quickly as possible and
begin rolling those pawns forward: c4 ! 15.Bc2 b4 16.Nce2 a5 ��� Black’s queenside
play is far faster than white’s kingside play. Bd7 =+ Black retains an advantage thanks to his
well-developed pieces and white’s weakness on e3. }

b6

{ As mentioned above, b6 is our choice for this repertoire. The c7 pawn stays at home, at
least for now, while we prioritise developing our light bishop. b6 allows the light bishop to
go to a6 or to b7, depending on what black prefers. In this repertoire, our fundamental plan
will be to play …Ba6, exchanging the light bishops and then playing for …c5. }

7. O-O

{ Very natural and the most common move. 7.a3 is white’s third most common choice here,
but it leads to very similar play to our mainline. Bxc3+ 8.bxc3 Ba6 As mentioned before, our
general idea is to exchange light bishops so that white is left with his bad dark bishop.
9.cxd5 exd5 10.Bxa6 10. O-O would transpose directly to one of our mainlines. Nxa6 11.Qd3
Qc8 We usually defend the knight in this way. The queen can support the …c5 advance from
here, while black’s rook is now free to go to d8. 12.c4 12. O-O would transpose to the
mainline, once again. c5 Carrying out the usual equalising break. 13.cxd5 cxd4 14.Nxd4 Rd8
Recouping the pawn. 15.Bb2 Rxd5 = With black’s active pieces and a good outpost for our
knight on c5, he has fully equalised. 7.cxd5 exd5 8.O-O We meet all other white moves in
pretty much the same way: Ba6, with a near-guaranteed transposition to our mainline. Ba6
transposes to the position we examine after 7. O-O Ba6. Carlsen reached our mainline via
this move order, after Ba6. }

Ba6

{ This move is significantly less popular than Bb7 (800 games vs 120 games) , but it has
been played by a number of top players and it seems like a rock solid choice. It is unclear
why it is so much less popular than Bb7, when Ba6 seems to equalise even more easily.
Bb7 keeps more pieces on the board, which might appeal to players who are hoping for a
double-edged, complicated fight. Both moves score very well for black (around 50%) and
they are probably equally strong objectively, so it might just be a matter of choice. The idea
behind Ba6 is simple: we want to exchange white’s good bishop, which leaves him with his
bad bishop. On the other hand, this exchange leaves our knight on a6 a bit misplaced, but
this can be rectified later, especially after …c5. We typically will play for the …c5 break in
this variation. }

8. cxd5

{ White’s most common move by far. 8.Qe2 White tries to make trading bishops difficult for
us, by ensuring that after the c4 trades his queen will be active on c4. c5 Taking on c4
would play into white’s hands, so we rather play the standard …c5 break first. 9.dxc5
White’s main move. 9.cxd5 Bxd3 Forced. 10.Qxd3 cxd4 11.exd4 Bxc3 12.bxc3 exd5 = with
complete equality again. White’s backward pawn on c3 makes it difficult to try for anything
more, since playing c4 would leave white with a rather weak IQP. Bxc3 The right time to
damage white’s pawn structure. 10.bxc3 Nbd7 ! The simple bxc5 is also possible, but this is
better. Black temporarily sacrifices a pawn, but because of some clever tactics this forces
equality. 11.cxb6 11.Ba3 leads to mass exchanges. dxc4 12.Bxc4 Bxc4 13.Qxc4 Nxc5 The
isolated c-pawn is compensates for white’s advantage of the bishop. 14.Bxc5 doesn’t win a
pawn because of Qc7 ! = Black regains the piece with complete equality. Nc5 This leads
down a long, rather forced line which equalises completely. Black’s idea is to play …Nxd3
followed by …Bxc4, picking up the exchange on f1. 12.Ba3 White will win his own exchange
on f8. Nxd3 13.Qxd3 Bxc4 14.Qd4 Bxf1 15.Bxf8 Bc4 A good square for the bishop, where it
hits a2. 16.Bc5 axb6 17.Bxb6 Qb8 ! Black threatens …Nd7. 18.Ne5 Preventing …Nd7. Rxa2
19.Rxa2 Bxa2 = With complete equality. 8.Ne5 White’s third most common move. He tries
to hold onto his light bishop by recapturing on c4 with his knight, but this is a bit awkward
and takes a fairly long time. dxc4 9.Nxc4 Black keeps his light bishop for now, but his knight
is now effectively pinned. 9.Bxc4 This seems a little counterproductive, especially in
conjunction with 8. Ne5, but it is white’s safest choice. Bxc4 10.Nxc4 c5 11.dxc5 Otherwise
white gets saddled with an IQP. Qxd1 12.Rxd1 Bxc5 = With a symmetrical pawn structure
and the better bishop, black has no problems at all. c5 White’s slow play gives us time to
carry out this thematic break. 10.a3 Gaining the bishop pair, however this is only
temporary. Bxc3 11.bxc3 Qc7 ! =+ A nice move, indirectly attacking the knight on c4. Sooner
or later the pressure on c4 will force white to move his knight, allowing us to exchange light
bishop. Black’s position is preferable thanks to white’s bad c1-bishop. }

exd5

{ There is no need to take on d3 beforehand since this just activates white’s queen for
free. }

9. Bxa6

{ White’s main move here by far. 9.Ne5 This was tried by Duda, as well as some others. The
idea is to recapture on d3 with the knight. Bxc3 This has only been tried once, but there is
no need for black to take on d3 yet, unprovoked. 10.bxc3 c5 Carrying out the standard
break. Note that if white takes on a6 here, we transpose to the mainline with 9. Ba6. 11.f3
This is white’s other independent option, planning e4. The e3 pawn is weakened now
though, which black will try to exploit. 11.Ba3 Putting pressure on c5. Re8 ! Stepping out of
the pin and preventing dxc5. 12.c4 Trying to open up the position for white’s bishops. dxc4
13.Nxc4 tries to hold onto the bishop pair, but this doesn’t last long. 13.Bxc4 has been
played twice. Bxc4 14.Nxc4 b5 ! White needs to take care not to allow black 2 powerful
passed pawns here. 15.Qf3 ! The only move to keep equality. Na6 16.Ne5 Qd5 = With
complete equality. b5 14.Ne5 cxd4 15.exd4 Taking on d4 is impossible due to Bxh7+. b4
16.Bxb4 Bxd3 17.Nxd3 Recapturing with the queen is a blunder of course due to …Rxe5.
Nc6 18.Bc3 Nxd4 = Black has equalised fully. Bxd3 12.Qxd3 12.Nxd3 Qd6 = Black has no
problems at all. Re8 13.a4 Nbd7 Exchanging off the knight on e5. 14.Nxd7 Qxd7 = Black is
completely equal. 9.a3 Forcing …Bxc3 probably isn’t the best use of white’s tempo, as we
often play it anyway unprovoked. Bxc3 10.bxc3 Bxd3 11.Qxd3 Nc6 ! A nice idea. The knight
is headed to a5 where it can exploit the weak c4 square. 12.c4 12.Nd2 Covering c4. Na5
13.Bb2 Rc8 Preparing …c5. 14.c4 c5 = Black can also play …c6, but either way black has
equalised. Na5 Hitting the c4 pawn. 13.Ne5 c5 = With good play against white’s centre,
black has equalised. }

Nxa6

{ Our knight on a6 is not ideally placed, but it will typically be redeployed later after an
eventual …c5 break. This is our final junction in this chapter. At the time of writing, 88
games have been played with black scoring above 50%! This is quite understandable, since
our plan from here is quite straightforward. If necessary we will defend the knight on a6
with …Qc8 and then play for the …c5 break. Sometimes we will stay solid with …c6 as well.
The usual guideline is that if …c5 activates white’s dark bishop (such as when the bishop is
already on c3) , we will play solidly with …c6 instead. }

10. Qa4

{ This is white’s other way to attack the knight on a6, and white’s most popular move.
10.Bd2 Natural development is white’s third most common move. Re8 Improving the
rook’s position and clearing the f8 square for our dark bishop. 11.Rc1 Qc8 This hasn’t been
tried yet, but it seems simple and strong. It might be a simpler route to equality than Bf8.
Bf8 !? Ensuring that we keep the dark bishop. This has been black’s most popular move.
12.Ne5 Note that 12. Qa4 here would transpose to our mainline, 10. Qa4. c5 Carrying out
our standard freeing break. 13.f4 Securing the knight on e5. Nc7 14.Be1 Activating the
bishop by bringing it to h4. Rc8 Very natural play so far from both sides. 15.Bh4 Qd6 =
Stepping out of the pin, with a decent, equal position with chances for both sides. 12.a3 Bd6
Taking on c3 is also possible. 13.b4 White expands on the queenside. Qb7 Black looks quite
passive, but this is temporary. We are very solid and have no weaknesses. 14.Qb3 b5 ! = A
good positional move. Black blocks white’s queenside play in its tracks. Next he can plan to
reroute one of his knights to c4 - … Nf6-d7-b6-c4 or … Na6-b8-d7-b6-c4. 10.Ne5 Bxc3
11.bxc3 c5 12.Qe2 Qc8 13.a4 Re8 = Black is still super solid here. Next he can activate his
knight on a6 either by …Nc7 or …Nb8-d7/c6. 10.Qd3 Hitting the knight on a6. Qc8 The
queen covers a6 and clears d8 for our rook. 11.Bd2 11.a3 White probably shouldn’t
provoke …Bxc3, without the bishop on d2, ready to recapture on c3. Bxc3 12.Qxc3 We have
seen the structure after 12. bxc3 many times before and it is clear that black has no
problems there after c5. c5 13.dxc5 bxc5 Our hanging pawns are well supported by black’s
knights. 14.b3 A necessary evil to activate white’s bishop. White would probably prefer the
pawn to be on a2 instead of a3, since now we are able to target b3. Ne4 15.Qc2 Rb8 Putting
some pressure on b3. 16.Bd2 Rb5 = Black prepares to hit the b3 pawn with …Qb7 - we have
fully equalised. Qb7 A good square for the queen, where it supports d5 - which is important
after …c5 - and also frees up the rook on a8. 12.a3 Bxc3 13.Bxc3 The only challenging
capture. The other two can just be met by …c5. Ne4 We can also play …c5 here, but there is
no need to give white an IQP to play against and activate white’s bishop. 14.b4 c6 15.Rfc1
Nd6 = Targeting the c4 hole. Black is super solid here - next he can bring his rooks - …Rac8
and …Rfe8 - into the game and his other knight - possibly …Nb8-d7. }

Qc8 { Our usual way to defend the knight on a6. } 11. Bd2

{ Natural development while also making … Bxc3 ineffective since white recapture with the
bishop. 11.Qc6 leads to a possible draw after Qe8 12.Qb7 Qc8 = With a threefold repetition.
White can also try 12. ..Bxc3 followed by Qa4 if he is playing to win. }

Re8 { A standard move, activating the rook and clearing f8. } 12. Rac1
{ With white’s other rook coming to d1, it makes less sense to open the d-file with …c5.
Instead, we will be playing solidly here with …c6. 12.Rfc1 With white’s other rook ‘trapped’
on a1, we can play for the standard …c5 - if white’s other rook could go to d1, …c5 might
not be as good since the d-file would be opened up. Qb7 The usual square for our queen.
We can also go for a different plan of …Bf8 followed by …c5. 13.a3 Bxc3 14.Bxc3 Rac8 15.b4
c6 = Black is super solid here and has equalised. }

Bf8 { Tucking the bishop away. } 13. Rfd1 Qb7 { Preparing for …Rac8. }

14. Be1 Rac8 15. Ne5 c6

{ Black is super solid. Next he can reroute his a6 knight to d7, with either … Nc5-d7 or …
Nb8-d7. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.e3”]

[Black “5.Nge2 Variation 1”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4

{ By pinning the knight, black indirectly fights for control over e4. This is the Nimzo-Indian,
named after Aron Nimzowitsch, who promoted the hypermodern idea of controlling the
centre with pieces as opposed to pawns. The Nimzo-Indian is seen as one of the strongest
defences available against 1. d4 and it has caused many players to switch to 3. Nf3 since it
is such a tough nut to crack. One of the most appealing things about the Nimzo-Indian is its
flexibility. Since black hasn’t committed his pawns anywhere, he is able to choose from a
variety of pawn structures and strategies - for example, black can go for a dark-squared
strategy based on … d6 and …e5 (or …c5) or a light squared strategy with …b6 and …Bb7,
but our play will mostly revolve around staking out our share of the centre by playing …d5.
We have chosen this strategy since it synergises perfectly with the Ragozin, meaning that
many of the ideas, plans and even variations are transferable. In some cases where this
clearly isn’t the best way to play we will opt for something else, but otherwise we will stick
to the …d5 strategy in most cases. }
4. e3

{ 4. e3, commonly known as the Rubinstein Variation, is - together with 4. Qc2 - far and
away White’s most popular and challenging option against the Nimzo-Indian. It might seem
strange to think that blocking White’s dark-squared bishop in like this is critical, but as we
will see in a later chapter, active development with 4.Bg5 can be met strongly by c5 , and
4.Nf3 transposes to the Ragozin after d5. 4. e3 seems quite inflexible and committal,
however it is important to keep in mind that White hasn’t committed his g1-knight yet. This
means that he has a couple of possible setups involving Ng1-e2, in addition to the more
obvious Nf3 plans. }

O-O

{ Black’s most flexible option and probably the best. Black doesn’t commit his central
pawns too early, which allows us to opt for either a dark-squared strategy (with …c5) or a
light-squared strategy (with …d5) , depending on how White continues. In most situations
we will be opting for the light-squared strategy with …d5, as this is in keeping with this
repertoire’s theme, but in one specific case we go for a dark-squared plan: when White
plays an early a3 to gain the bishop pair. }

5. Ne2

{ White’s second most common move here , behind 5.Bd3. It is an important line to know
since it was the recommendation of GM Schandorff in his popular Playing 1. d4 series.
White blocks his bishop, but this is meant to just be temporary. His idea is to play a3,
kicking our bishop away, and recapture with the knight in the event of …Bxc3+. Because of
this, Black should rather retreat his dark bishop to e7 or d6 after White plays a3. White will
then usually redevelop his knight on e2 to either f4 or g3, or sometimes develop his light
bishop with a kingside fianchetto (g3 followed by Bg2) . }

d5

{ The most natural and most common move , staking out our claim in the centre. Black does
have one notable alternative though , which is the super flexible Re8. It does score quite
well for Black, but d5 is more in line with our repertoire and it is just as good. }

6. cxd5

{ This is often just another move order to reach the mainline - with 6.a3 followed by 7.
cxd5, but White does have an extra, independent option here. }

exd5 7. a3 { This just transposes to our mainline. } Be7

{ We have transposed to variation 13. Black does have the extra option of Bd6, but they are
not very different in objective strength and Be7 saves us from learning 2 rather different
setups against one variation. }
[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.e3”]

[Black “5.Nge2 Variation 2”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4

{ By pinning the knight, black indirectly fights for control over e4. This is the Nimzo-Indian,
named after Aron Nimzowitsch, who promoted the hypermodern idea of controlling the
centre with pieces as opposed to pawns. The Nimzo-Indian is seen as one of the strongest
defences available against 1. d4 and it has caused many players to switch to 3. Nf3 since it
is such a tough nut to crack. One of the most appealing things about the Nimzo-Indian is its
flexibility. Since black hasn’t committed his pawns anywhere, he is able to choose from a
variety of pawn structures and strategies - for example, black can go for a dark-squared
strategy based on … d6 and …e5 (or …c5) or a light squared strategy with …b6 and …Bb7,
but our play will mostly revolve around staking out our share of the centre by playing …d5.
We have chosen this strategy since it synergises perfectly with the Ragozin, meaning that
many of the ideas, plans and even variations are transferable. In some cases where this
clearly isn’t the best way to play we will opt for something else, but otherwise we will stick
to the …d5 strategy in most cases. }

4. e3

{ 4. e3, commonly known as the Rubinstein Variation, is - together with 4. Qc2 - far and
away White’s most popular and challenging option against the Nimzo-Indian. It might seem
strange to think that blocking White’s dark-squared bishop in like this is critical, but as we
will see in a later chapter, active development with 4.Bg5 can be met strongly by c5 , and
4.Nf3 transposes to the Ragozin after d5. 4. e3 seems quite inflexible and committal,
however it is important to keep in mind that White hasn’t committed his g1-knight yet. This
means that he has a couple of possible setups involving Ng1-e2, in addition to the more
obvious Nf3 plans. }

O-O
{ Black’s most flexible option and probably the best. Black doesn’t commit his central
pawns too early, which allows us to opt for either a dark-squared strategy (with …c5) or a
light-squared strategy (with …d5) , depending on how White continues. In most situations
we will be opting for the light-squared strategy with …d5, as this is in keeping with this
repertoire’s theme, but in one specific case we go for a dark-squared plan: when White
plays an early a3 to gain the bishop pair. }

5. Ne2

{ White’s second most common move here , behind 5.Bd3. It is an important line to know
since it was the recommendation of GM Schandorff in his popular Playing 1. d4 series.
White blocks his bishop, but this is meant to just be temporary. His idea is to play a3,
kicking our bishop away, and recapture with the knight in the event of …Bxc3+. Because of
this, Black should rather retreat his dark bishop to e7 or d6 after White plays a3. White will
then usually redevelop his knight on e2 to either f4 or g3, or sometimes develop his light
bishop with a kingside fianchetto (g3 followed by Bg2) . }

d5

{ The most natural and most common move , staking out our claim in the centre. Black does
have one notable alternative though , which is the super flexible Re8. It does score quite
well for Black, but d5 is more in line with our repertoire and it is just as good. }

6. cxd5

{ This is often just another move order to reach the mainline - with 6.a3 followed by 7.
cxd5, but White does have an extra, independent option here. }

exd5 7. g3

{ This is White’s independent option. White intends to just develop his kingside and ignore
our bishop on b4 for now. He hopes that eventually we retreat our bishop, thus saving him
a move since he didn’t play a3. However, as we shall see, whether or not this helps him is
very debatable because our bishop will retreat to f8, which is a better square than e7 in the
mainline. }

Re8

{ A very natural multipurpose move, putting the rook on the semi-open e-file. From here it
supports a possible …Ne4 later, and also frees up the f8 square for when our dark bishop
retreats. }

8. Bg2 c6 9. O-O Bf8

{ Bringing the bishop all the way back to f8 is a very flexible way for Black to play. }

10. f3
{ Planning the e4 break of course, however this does weaken the e3-pawn. }

c5

{ The weakened e3 pawn and blocked bishop on g2 make this break much stronger than it
would have been otherwise. }

11. g4

{ Black has no problems after dxc5 so White has tried the g4-g5 idea the most here, in order
to undermine the d5-pawn. }

h6 { Simply preventing White’s idea. } 12. h3 Nc6

{ Black’s activity and the weakness of e3 give us an edge here. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.e3”]

[Black “5.Nge2 Variation 3”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3

{ 4. e3, commonly known as the Rubinstein Variation, is - together with 4. Qc2 - far and
away White’s most popular and challenging option against the Nimzo-Indian. It might seem
strange to think that blocking White’s dark-squared bishop in like this is critical, but as we
will see in a later chapter, active development with 4.Bg5 can be met strongly by c5 , and
4.Nf3 transposes to the Ragozin after d5. 4. e3 seems quite inflexible and committal,
however it is important to keep in mind that White hasn’t committed his g1-knight yet. This
means that he has a couple of possible setups involving Ng1-e2, in addition to the more
obvious Nf3 plans. }

O-O
{ Black’s most flexible option and probably the best. Black doesn’t commit his central
pawns too early, which allows us to opt for either a dark-squared strategy (with …c5) or a
light-squared strategy (with …d5) , depending on how White continues. In most situations
we will be opting for the light-squared strategy with …d5, as this is in keeping with this
repertoire’s theme, but in one specific case we go for a dark-squared plan: when White
plays an early a3 to gain the bishop pair. }

5. Ne2

{ White’s second most common move here , behind 5.Bd3. It is an important line to know
since it was the recommendation of GM Schandorff in his popular Playing 1. d4 series.
White blocks his bishop, but this is meant to just be temporary. His idea is to play a3,
kicking our bishop away, and recapture with the knight in the event of …Bxc3+. Because of
this, Black should rather retreat his dark bishop to e7 or d6 after White plays a3. White will
then usually redevelop his knight on e2 to either f4 or g3, or sometimes develop his light
bishop with a kingside fianchetto (g3 followed by Bg2) . }

d5

{ The most natural and most common move , staking out our claim in the centre. Black does
have one notable alternative though , which is the super flexible Re8. It does score quite
well for Black, but d5 is more in line with our repertoire and it is just as good. }

6. cxd5

{ This is often just another move order to reach the mainline - with 6.a3 followed by 7.
cxd5, but White does have an extra, independent option here. }

exd5 7. g3

{ This is White’s independent option. White intends to just develop his kingside and ignore
our bishop on b4 for now. He hopes that eventually we retreat our bishop, thus saving him
a move since he didn’t play a3. However, as we shall see, whether or not this helps him is
very debatable because our bishop will retreat to f8, which is a better square than e7 in the
mainline. }

Re8

{ A very natural multipurpose move, putting the rook on the semi-open e-file. From here it
supports a possible …Ne4 later, and also frees up the f8 square for when our dark bishop
retreats. }

8. Bg2 c6 9. O-O Bf8

{ Bringing the bishop all the way back to f8 is a very flexible way for Black to play. }

10. Nf4 { Putting pressure on d5 and dissuading the …c5 break. } Na6
{ With the idea of rerouting the knight to e6 …Nb8-a6-c7-e6 . } 11. f3 Nc7

{ Black has developed harmoniously with no weaknesses. White’s issue is that the e4 break
is never quite as effective as he hopes, since Black often has the …c5 counter-break at his
disposal. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.e3”]

[Black “5.Nge2 Variation 4”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3

{ 4. e3, commonly known as the Rubinstein Variation, is - together with 4. Qc2 - far and
away White’s most popular and challenging option against the Nimzo-Indian. It might seem
strange to think that blocking White’s dark-squared bishop in like this is critical, but as we
will see in a later chapter, active development with 4.Bg5 can be met strongly by c5 , and
4.Nf3 transposes to the Ragozin after d5. 4. e3 seems quite inflexible and committal,
however it is important to keep in mind that White hasn’t committed his g1-knight yet. This
means that he has a couple of possible setups involving Ng1-e2, in addition to the more
obvious Nf3 plans. }

O-O

{ Black’s most flexible option and probably the best. Black doesn’t commit his central
pawns too early, which allows us to opt for either a dark-squared strategy (with …c5) or a
light-squared strategy (with …d5) , depending on how White continues. In most situations
we will be opting for the light-squared strategy with …d5, as this is in keeping with this
repertoire’s theme, but in one specific case we go for a dark-squared plan: when White
plays an early a3 to gain the bishop pair. }

5. Ne2
{ White’s second most common move here , behind 5.Bd3. It is an important line to know
since it was the recommendation of GM Schandorff in his popular Playing 1. d4 series.
White blocks his bishop, but this is meant to just be temporary. His idea is to play a3,
kicking our bishop away, and recapture with the knight in the event of …Bxc3+. Because of
this, Black should rather retreat his dark bishop to e7 or d6 after White plays a3. White will
then usually redevelop his knight on e2 to either f4 or g3, or sometimes develop his light
bishop with a kingside fianchetto (g3 followed by Bg2) . }

d5

{ The most natural and most common move , staking out our claim in the centre. Black does
have one notable alternative though , which is the super flexible Re8. It does score quite
well for Black, but d5 is more in line with our repertoire and it is just as good. }

6. a3

{ Kicking our bishop back. Of course, taking on c3 just fully justifies White’s opening
strategy, so retreating is the only good option. }

Be7

{ Not the only move. The second most common choice , and also a good one , is Bd6. On the
plus side, the bishop is more active on d6 than on e7, but the issue is that it allows White
the extra, pretty decent option of 7.c5. }

7. Ng3

{ The knight on g3 is useful since it controls the f5 square (which is often where our light-
squared bishop would go) , but the downside is that it doesn’t influence the centre at all. }

c5

{ Black also has …b6 at his disposal, however …c5 scores better and is more popular. }

8. dxc5 { The second most common move, although it isn’t too critical. }

dxc4 9. Qc2

{ White hopes to keep some pressure in this symmetrical pawn structure, but there is a
slim chance of that. }

Nbd7

{ Black can recapture on c5 with the bishop, the knight or even the queen. It doesn’t really
matter too much - they are all approximately of equal strength. }

10. Bxc4 Nxc5 11. b4

{ Logically kicking our knight back, however the downside is that it makes our …a5 lever
stronger. }

Ncd7 12. Bb2 a5 { Black has no problems at all. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.e3”]

[Black “5.Nge2 Variation 5”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3

{ 4. e3, commonly known as the Rubinstein Variation, is - together with 4. Qc2 - far and
away White’s most popular and challenging option against the Nimzo-Indian. It might seem
strange to think that blocking White’s dark-squared bishop in like this is critical, but as we
will see in a later chapter, active development with 4.Bg5 can be met strongly by c5 , and
4.Nf3 transposes to the Ragozin after d5. 4. e3 seems quite inflexible and committal,
however it is important to keep in mind that White hasn’t committed his g1-knight yet. This
means that he has a couple of possible setups involving Ng1-e2, in addition to the more
obvious Nf3 plans. }

O-O

{ Black’s most flexible option and probably the best. Black doesn’t commit his central
pawns too early, which allows us to opt for either a dark-squared strategy (with …c5) or a
light-squared strategy (with …d5) , depending on how White continues. In most situations
we will be opting for the light-squared strategy with …d5, as this is in keeping with this
repertoire’s theme, but in one specific case we go for a dark-squared plan: when White
plays an early a3 to gain the bishop pair. }

5. Ne2

{ White’s second most common move here , behind 5.Bd3. It is an important line to know
since it was the recommendation of GM Schandorff in his popular Playing 1. d4 series.
White blocks his bishop, but this is meant to just be temporary. His idea is to play a3,
kicking our bishop away, and recapture with the knight in the event of …Bxc3+. Because of
this, Black should rather retreat his dark bishop to e7 or d6 after White plays a3. White will
then usually redevelop his knight on e2 to either f4 or g3, or sometimes develop his light
bishop with a kingside fianchetto (g3 followed by Bg2) . }

d5

{ The most natural and most common move , staking out our claim in the centre. Black does
have one notable alternative though , which is the super flexible Re8. It does score quite
well for Black, but d5 is more in line with our repertoire and it is just as good. }

6. a3

{ Kicking our bishop back. Of course, taking on c3 just fully justifies White’s opening
strategy, so retreating is the only good option. }

Be7

{ Not the only move. The second most common choice , and also a good one , is Bd6. On the
plus side, the bishop is more active on d6 than on e7, but the issue is that it allows White
the extra, pretty decent option of 7.c5. }

7. Ng3

{ The knight on g3 is useful since it controls the f5 square (which is often where our light-
squared bishop would go) , but the downside is that it doesn’t influence the centre at all. }

c5

{ Black also has …b6 at his disposal, however …c5 scores better and is more popular. }

8. dxc5 { The second most common move, although it isn’t too critical. }

dxc4 9. Qxd8 { Exchanging queens isn’t challenging at all here. } Rxd8 10.

Bxc4 Bxc5 { White has absolutely nothing in this equal endgame. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]
[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.e3”]

[Black “5.Nge2 Variation 6”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3

{ 4. e3, commonly known as the Rubinstein Variation, is - together with 4. Qc2 - far and
away White’s most popular and challenging option against the Nimzo-Indian. It might seem
strange to think that blocking White’s dark-squared bishop in like this is critical, but as we
will see in a later chapter, active development with 4.Bg5 can be met strongly by c5 , and
4.Nf3 transposes to the Ragozin after d5. 4. e3 seems quite inflexible and committal,
however it is important to keep in mind that White hasn’t committed his g1-knight yet. This
means that he has a couple of possible setups involving Ng1-e2, in addition to the more
obvious Nf3 plans. }

O-O

{ Black’s most flexible option and probably the best. Black doesn’t commit his central
pawns too early, which allows us to opt for either a dark-squared strategy (with …c5) or a
light-squared strategy (with …d5) , depending on how White continues. In most situations
we will be opting for the light-squared strategy with …d5, as this is in keeping with this
repertoire’s theme, but in one specific case we go for a dark-squared plan: when White
plays an early a3 to gain the bishop pair. }

5. Ne2

{ White’s second most common move here , behind 5.Bd3. It is an important line to know
since it was the recommendation of GM Schandorff in his popular Playing 1. d4 series.
White blocks his bishop, but this is meant to just be temporary. His idea is to play a3,
kicking our bishop away, and recapture with the knight in the event of …Bxc3+. Because of
this, Black should rather retreat his dark bishop to e7 or d6 after White plays a3. White will
then usually redevelop his knight on e2 to either f4 or g3, or sometimes develop his light
bishop with a kingside fianchetto (g3 followed by Bg2) . }

d5

{ The most natural and most common move , staking out our claim in the centre. Black does
have one notable alternative though , which is the super flexible Re8. It does score quite
well for Black, but d5 is more in line with our repertoire and it is just as good. }

6. a3
{ Kicking our bishop back. Of course, taking on c3 just fully justifies White’s opening
strategy, so retreating is the only good option. }

Be7

{ Not the only move. The second most common choice , and also a good one , is Bd6. On the
plus side, the bishop is more active on d6 than on e7, but the issue is that it allows White
the extra, pretty decent option of 7.c5. }

7. Ng3

{ The knight on g3 is useful since it controls the f5 square (which is often where our light-
squared bishop would go) , but the downside is that it doesn’t influence the centre at all. }

c5

{ Black also has …b6 at his disposal, however …c5 scores better and is more popular. }

8. cxd5 cxd4

{ Recapturing on d5 with the pawn is not ideal, since we don’t want to be saddled with an
IQP. }

9. exd4 Nxd5

{ We reach an IQP position where White lacks his usual kingside attacking potential. His
knight is a bit misplaced on g3 as well - usually the knight is on f3, where it defends d4 and
often goes to e5. }

10. Bd3 Nc6 11. O-O Bf6

{ Putting the bishop where it can pressure the d4-pawn. } 12. Be3

{ Defending d4. } Nxe3

{ Grabbing the bishop pair is a long-term decision. White’s d4-pawn will now be protected,
but later on in the game, when the position opens up, it is the bishop pair that will shine. }

13. fxe3 g6

{ Fianchettoing the bishop and tucking it away on g7. Black has a slight edge thanks to his
bishop pair. }

[Site “?”]
[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.e3”]

[Black “5.Nge2 Variation 7”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3

{ 4. e3, commonly known as the Rubinstein Variation, is - together with 4. Qc2 - far and
away White’s most popular and challenging option against the Nimzo-Indian. It might seem
strange to think that blocking White’s dark-squared bishop in like this is critical, but as we
will see in a later chapter, active development with 4.Bg5 can be met strongly by c5 , and
4.Nf3 transposes to the Ragozin after d5. 4. e3 seems quite inflexible and committal,
however it is important to keep in mind that White hasn’t committed his g1-knight yet. This
means that he has a couple of possible setups involving Ng1-e2, in addition to the more
obvious Nf3 plans. }

O-O

{ Black’s most flexible option and probably the best. Black doesn’t commit his central
pawns too early, which allows us to opt for either a dark-squared strategy (with …c5) or a
light-squared strategy (with …d5) , depending on how White continues. In most situations
we will be opting for the light-squared strategy with …d5, as this is in keeping with this
repertoire’s theme, but in one specific case we go for a dark-squared plan: when White
plays an early a3 to gain the bishop pair. }

5. Ne2

{ White’s second most common move here , behind 5.Bd3. It is an important line to know
since it was the recommendation of GM Schandorff in his popular Playing 1. d4 series.
White blocks his bishop, but this is meant to just be temporary. His idea is to play a3,
kicking our bishop away, and recapture with the knight in the event of …Bxc3+. Because of
this, Black should rather retreat his dark bishop to e7 or d6 after White plays a3. White will
then usually redevelop his knight on e2 to either f4 or g3, or sometimes develop his light
bishop with a kingside fianchetto (g3 followed by Bg2) . }

d5

{ The most natural and most common move , staking out our claim in the centre. Black does
have one notable alternative though , which is the super flexible Re8. It does score quite
well for Black, but d5 is more in line with our repertoire and it is just as good. }
6. a3

{ Kicking our bishop back. Of course, taking on c3 just fully justifies White’s opening
strategy, so retreating is the only good option. }

Be7

{ Not the only move. The second most common choice , and also a good one , is Bd6. On the
plus side, the bishop is more active on d6 than on e7, but the issue is that it allows White
the extra, pretty decent option of 7.c5. }

7. Nf4

{ The advantage of having the knight on f4 is that it puts a lot of pressure on d5. This is
quite useful for White, since it dissuades us from playing …c5, which is a typical equalising
break. However, as we shall see, there are also downsides to the knight being on f4. }

c6 { Supporting the d5 pawn. } 8. cxd5 exd5

{ This transposes to 7. cxd5 exd5 8. Nf4 - variation #13. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.e3”]

[Black “5.Nge2 Variation 8”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3

{ 4. e3, commonly known as the Rubinstein Variation, is - together with 4. Qc2 - far and
away White’s most popular and challenging option against the Nimzo-Indian. It might seem
strange to think that blocking White’s dark-squared bishop in like this is critical, but as we
will see in a later chapter, active development with 4.Bg5 can be met strongly by c5 , and
4.Nf3 transposes to the Ragozin after d5. 4. e3 seems quite inflexible and committal,
however it is important to keep in mind that White hasn’t committed his g1-knight yet. This
means that he has a couple of possible setups involving Ng1-e2, in addition to the more
obvious Nf3 plans. }

O-O

{ Black’s most flexible option and probably the best. Black doesn’t commit his central
pawns too early, which allows us to opt for either a dark-squared strategy (with …c5) or a
light-squared strategy (with …d5) , depending on how White continues. In most situations
we will be opting for the light-squared strategy with …d5, as this is in keeping with this
repertoire’s theme, but in one specific case we go for a dark-squared plan: when White
plays an early a3 to gain the bishop pair. }

5. Ne2

{ White’s second most common move here , behind 5.Bd3. It is an important line to know
since it was the recommendation of GM Schandorff in his popular Playing 1. d4 series.
White blocks his bishop, but this is meant to just be temporary. His idea is to play a3,
kicking our bishop away, and recapture with the knight in the event of …Bxc3+. Because of
this, Black should rather retreat his dark bishop to e7 or d6 after White plays a3. White will
then usually redevelop his knight on e2 to either f4 or g3, or sometimes develop his light
bishop with a kingside fianchetto (g3 followed by Bg2) . }

d5

{ The most natural and most common move , staking out our claim in the centre. Black does
have one notable alternative though , which is the super flexible Re8. It does score quite
well for Black, but d5 is more in line with our repertoire and it is just as good. }

6. a3

{ Kicking our bishop back. Of course, taking on c3 just fully justifies White’s opening
strategy, so retreating is the only good option. }

Be7

{ Not the only move. The second most common choice , and also a good one , is Bd6. On the
plus side, the bishop is more active on d6 than on e7, but the issue is that it allows White
the extra, pretty decent option of 7.c5. }

7. Nf4

{ The advantage of having the knight on f4 is that it puts a lot of pressure on d5. This is
quite useful for White, since it dissuades us from playing …c5, which is a typical equalising
break. However, as we shall see, there are also downsides to the knight being on f4. }

c6 { Supporting the d5 pawn. } 8. Be2

{ This is less common than 8.Bd3 and it has no independent value since we meet it in the
same way. }

dxc4

{ This isn’t a situation where White can sacrifice the c4 pawn and get some positional
compensation. If White doesn’t recapture, we just play …b5 and hold the pawn. }

9. Bxc4 Nbd7 { Transposing to 8. Bd3 - variation #11. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.e3”]

[Black “5.Nge2 Variation 9”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3

{ 4. e3, commonly known as the Rubinstein Variation, is - together with 4. Qc2 - far and
away White’s most popular and challenging option against the Nimzo-Indian. It might seem
strange to think that blocking White’s dark-squared bishop in like this is critical, but as we
will see in a later chapter, active development with 4.Bg5 can be met strongly by c5 , and
4.Nf3 transposes to the Ragozin after d5. 4. e3 seems quite inflexible and committal,
however it is important to keep in mind that White hasn’t committed his g1-knight yet. This
means that he has a couple of possible setups involving Ng1-e2, in addition to the more
obvious Nf3 plans. }

O-O

{ Black’s most flexible option and probably the best. Black doesn’t commit his central
pawns too early, which allows us to opt for either a dark-squared strategy (with …c5) or a
light-squared strategy (with …d5) , depending on how White continues. In most situations
we will be opting for the light-squared strategy with …d5, as this is in keeping with this
repertoire’s theme, but in one specific case we go for a dark-squared plan: when White
plays an early a3 to gain the bishop pair. }
5. Ne2

{ White’s second most common move here , behind 5.Bd3. It is an important line to know
since it was the recommendation of GM Schandorff in his popular Playing 1. d4 series.
White blocks his bishop, but this is meant to just be temporary. His idea is to play a3,
kicking our bishop away, and recapture with the knight in the event of …Bxc3+. Because of
this, Black should rather retreat his dark bishop to e7 or d6 after White plays a3. White will
then usually redevelop his knight on e2 to either f4 or g3, or sometimes develop his light
bishop with a kingside fianchetto (g3 followed by Bg2) . }

d5

{ The most natural and most common move , staking out our claim in the centre. Black does
have one notable alternative though , which is the super flexible Re8. It does score quite
well for Black, but d5 is more in line with our repertoire and it is just as good. }

6. a3

{ Kicking our bishop back. Of course, taking on c3 just fully justifies White’s opening
strategy, so retreating is the only good option. }

Be7

{ Not the only move. The second most common choice , and also a good one , is Bd6. On the
plus side, the bishop is more active on d6 than on e7, but the issue is that it allows White
the extra, pretty decent option of 7.c5. }

7. Nf4

{ The advantage of having the knight on f4 is that it puts a lot of pressure on d5. This is
quite useful for White, since it dissuades us from playing …c5, which is a typical equalising
break. However, as we shall see, there are also downsides to the knight being on f4. }

c6 { Supporting the d5 pawn. } 8. b3

{ Supporting c4 in anticipation of …dxc4. } Nbd7 9. Bb2 dxc4 10. Bxc4

{ Recapturing with the pawn is met in the same way. } e5

{ Once again, with the …e5 break in White is fighting for equality. }

[Site “?”]
[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.e3”]

[Black “5.Nge2 Variation 10”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3

{ 4. e3, commonly known as the Rubinstein Variation, is - together with 4. Qc2 - far and
away White’s most popular and challenging option against the Nimzo-Indian. It might seem
strange to think that blocking White’s dark-squared bishop in like this is critical, but as we
will see in a later chapter, active development with 4.Bg5 can be met strongly by c5 , and
4.Nf3 transposes to the Ragozin after d5. 4. e3 seems quite inflexible and committal,
however it is important to keep in mind that White hasn’t committed his g1-knight yet. This
means that he has a couple of possible setups involving Ng1-e2, in addition to the more
obvious Nf3 plans. }

O-O

{ Black’s most flexible option and probably the best. Black doesn’t commit his central
pawns too early, which allows us to opt for either a dark-squared strategy (with …c5) or a
light-squared strategy (with …d5) , depending on how White continues. In most situations
we will be opting for the light-squared strategy with …d5, as this is in keeping with this
repertoire’s theme, but in one specific case we go for a dark-squared plan: when White
plays an early a3 to gain the bishop pair. }

5. Ne2

{ White’s second most common move here , behind 5.Bd3. It is an important line to know
since it was the recommendation of GM Schandorff in his popular Playing 1. d4 series.
White blocks his bishop, but this is meant to just be temporary. His idea is to play a3,
kicking our bishop away, and recapture with the knight in the event of …Bxc3+. Because of
this, Black should rather retreat his dark bishop to e7 or d6 after White plays a3. White will
then usually redevelop his knight on e2 to either f4 or g3, or sometimes develop his light
bishop with a kingside fianchetto (g3 followed by Bg2) . }

d5

{ The most natural and most common move , staking out our claim in the centre. Black does
have one notable alternative though , which is the super flexible Re8. It does score quite
well for Black, but d5 is more in line with our repertoire and it is just as good. }
6. a3

{ Kicking our bishop back. Of course, taking on c3 just fully justifies White’s opening
strategy, so retreating is the only good option. }

Be7

{ Not the only move. The second most common choice , and also a good one , is Bd6. On the
plus side, the bishop is more active on d6 than on e7, but the issue is that it allows White
the extra, pretty decent option of 7.c5. }

7. Nf4

{ The advantage of having the knight on f4 is that it puts a lot of pressure on d5. This is
quite useful for White, since it dissuades us from playing …c5, which is a typical equalising
break. However, as we shall see, there are also downsides to the knight being on f4. }

c6 { Supporting the d5 pawn. } 8. b4

{ White doesn’t commit his light bishop, instead prefering to expand on the queenside. }

Nbd7 { As is typical with the knight on f4, we prepare the …e5 break. }

9. c5

{ White tries to press his queenside advantage, but Black is much faster in the centre. }

e5 10. dxe5 Nxe5

{ White’s queenside play is far slower than Black’s initiative in the centre. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.e3”]

[Black “5.Nge2 Variation 11”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3

{ 4. e3, commonly known as the Rubinstein Variation, is - together with 4. Qc2 - far and
away White’s most popular and challenging option against the Nimzo-Indian. It might seem
strange to think that blocking White’s dark-squared bishop in like this is critical, but as we
will see in a later chapter, active development with 4.Bg5 can be met strongly by c5 , and
4.Nf3 transposes to the Ragozin after d5. 4. e3 seems quite inflexible and committal,
however it is important to keep in mind that White hasn’t committed his g1-knight yet. This
means that he has a couple of possible setups involving Ng1-e2, in addition to the more
obvious Nf3 plans. }

O-O

{ Black’s most flexible option and probably the best. Black doesn’t commit his central
pawns too early, which allows us to opt for either a dark-squared strategy (with …c5) or a
light-squared strategy (with …d5) , depending on how White continues. In most situations
we will be opting for the light-squared strategy with …d5, as this is in keeping with this
repertoire’s theme, but in one specific case we go for a dark-squared plan: when White
plays an early a3 to gain the bishop pair. }

5. Ne2

{ White’s second most common move here , behind 5.Bd3. It is an important line to know
since it was the recommendation of GM Schandorff in his popular Playing 1. d4 series.
White blocks his bishop, but this is meant to just be temporary. His idea is to play a3,
kicking our bishop away, and recapture with the knight in the event of …Bxc3+. Because of
this, Black should rather retreat his dark bishop to e7 or d6 after White plays a3. White will
then usually redevelop his knight on e2 to either f4 or g3, or sometimes develop his light
bishop with a kingside fianchetto (g3 followed by Bg2) . }

d5

{ The most natural and most common move , staking out our claim in the centre. Black does
have one notable alternative though , which is the super flexible Re8. It does score quite
well for Black, but d5 is more in line with our repertoire and it is just as good. }

6. a3

{ Kicking our bishop back. Of course, taking on c3 just fully justifies White’s opening
strategy, so retreating is the only good option. }

Be7

{ Not the only move. The second most common choice , and also a good one , is Bd6. On the
plus side, the bishop is more active on d6 than on e7, but the issue is that it allows White
the extra, pretty decent option of 7.c5. }
7. Nf4

{ The advantage of having the knight on f4 is that it puts a lot of pressure on d5. This is
quite useful for White, since it dissuades us from playing …c5, which is a typical equalising
break. However, as we shall see, there are also downsides to the knight being on f4. }

c6 { Supporting the d5 pawn. } 8. Bd3 { White’s most popular move. }

dxc4

{ The right time to play this, now that White has already spent a tempo moving his bishop. }

9. Bxc4 Nbd7

{ We are planning the …e5 equalising break and with the knight on f4, White is not in a
good position to prevent it. }

10. Nd3

{ White prevents …e5, but the knight is awkwardly-placed on d3 which gives Black good
play on the queenside. }

b5 { Black switches his focus to the queenside. } 11. Ba2 a5

{ Threatening …b4. } 12. b4

{ Blocking …b4, but weakening the light squares. } Nb6

{ Targeting the light squares weakened by b4. } 13. O-O Nfd5

{ Black’s strong knights and queenside pressure give him a slight edge. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.e3”]

[Black “5.Nge2 Variation 12”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3

{ 4. e3, commonly known as the Rubinstein Variation, is - together with 4. Qc2 - far and
away White’s most popular and challenging option against the Nimzo-Indian. It might seem
strange to think that blocking White’s dark-squared bishop in like this is critical, but as we
will see in a later chapter, active development with 4.Bg5 can be met strongly by c5 , and
4.Nf3 transposes to the Ragozin after d5. 4. e3 seems quite inflexible and committal,
however it is important to keep in mind that White hasn’t committed his g1-knight yet. This
means that he has a couple of possible setups involving Ng1-e2, in addition to the more
obvious Nf3 plans. }

O-O

{ Black’s most flexible option and probably the best. Black doesn’t commit his central
pawns too early, which allows us to opt for either a dark-squared strategy (with …c5) or a
light-squared strategy (with …d5) , depending on how White continues. In most situations
we will be opting for the light-squared strategy with …d5, as this is in keeping with this
repertoire’s theme, but in one specific case we go for a dark-squared plan: when White
plays an early a3 to gain the bishop pair. }

5. Ne2

{ White’s second most common move here , behind 5.Bd3. It is an important line to know
since it was the recommendation of GM Schandorff in his popular Playing 1. d4 series.
White blocks his bishop, but this is meant to just be temporary. His idea is to play a3,
kicking our bishop away, and recapture with the knight in the event of …Bxc3+. Because of
this, Black should rather retreat his dark bishop to e7 or d6 after White plays a3. White will
then usually redevelop his knight on e2 to either f4 or g3, or sometimes develop his light
bishop with a kingside fianchetto (g3 followed by Bg2) . }

d5

{ The most natural and most common move , staking out our claim in the centre. Black does
have one notable alternative though , which is the super flexible Re8. It does score quite
well for Black, but d5 is more in line with our repertoire and it is just as good. }

6. a3

{ Kicking our bishop back. Of course, taking on c3 just fully justifies White’s opening
strategy, so retreating is the only good option. }

Be7
{ Not the only move. The second most common choice , and also a good one , is Bd6. On the
plus side, the bishop is more active on d6 than on e7, but the issue is that it allows White
the extra, pretty decent option of 7.c5. }

7. Nf4

{ The advantage of having the knight on f4 is that it puts a lot of pressure on d5. This is
quite useful for White, since it dissuades us from playing …c5, which is a typical equalising
break. However, as we shall see, there are also downsides to the knight being on f4. }

c6 { Supporting the d5 pawn. } 8. Bd3 { White’s most popular move. }

dxc4

{ The right time to play this, now that White has already spent a tempo moving his bishop. }

9. Bxc4 Nbd7

{ We are planning the …e5 equalising break and with the knight on f4, White is not in a
good position to prevent it. }

10. O-O e5

{ With the …e5 break achieved, White is on the back foot and fighting for equality. Black’s
light-squared bishop is free to be developed, while White’s dark-squared bishop is still
blocked by the e3 pawn. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.e3”]

[Black “5.Nge2 Variation 13”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3

{ 4. e3, commonly known as the Rubinstein Variation, is - together with 4. Qc2 - far and
away White’s most popular and challenging option against the Nimzo-Indian. It might seem
strange to think that blocking White’s dark-squared bishop in like this is critical, but as we
will see in a later chapter, active development with 4.Bg5 can be met strongly by c5 , and
4.Nf3 transposes to the Ragozin after d5. 4. e3 seems quite inflexible and committal,
however it is important to keep in mind that White hasn’t committed his g1-knight yet. This
means that he has a couple of possible setups involving Ng1-e2, in addition to the more
obvious Nf3 plans. }

O-O

{ Black’s most flexible option and probably the best. Black doesn’t commit his central
pawns too early, which allows us to opt for either a dark-squared strategy (with …c5) or a
light-squared strategy (with …d5) , depending on how White continues. In most situations
we will be opting for the light-squared strategy with …d5, as this is in keeping with this
repertoire’s theme, but in one specific case we go for a dark-squared plan: when White
plays an early a3 to gain the bishop pair. }

5. Ne2

{ White’s second most common move here , behind 5.Bd3. It is an important line to know
since it was the recommendation of GM Schandorff in his popular Playing 1. d4 series.
White blocks his bishop, but this is meant to just be temporary. His idea is to play a3,
kicking our bishop away, and recapture with the knight in the event of …Bxc3+. Because of
this, Black should rather retreat his dark bishop to e7 or d6 after White plays a3. White will
then usually redevelop his knight on e2 to either f4 or g3, or sometimes develop his light
bishop with a kingside fianchetto (g3 followed by Bg2) . }

d5

{ The most natural and most common move , staking out our claim in the centre. Black does
have one notable alternative though , which is the super flexible Re8. It does score quite
well for Black, but d5 is more in line with our repertoire and it is just as good. }

6. a3

{ Kicking our bishop back. Of course, taking on c3 just fully justifies White’s opening
strategy, so retreating is the only good option. }

Be7

{ Not the only move. The second most common choice , and also a good one , is Bd6. On the
plus side, the bishop is more active on d6 than on e7, but the issue is that it allows White
the extra, pretty decent option of 7.c5. }

7. cxd5
{ White’s most common move. It is in White’s favour to remove the central tension before
Black can liquidate the whole centre with …c5 or play …c6 and get the extra option of …
cxd5 later. }

exd5

{ We reach an important branching point in this variation. The position (the pawn
structure) is reminiscent of the Queen’s Gambit Declined Exchange Variation. However, the
key difference is that White’s dark-squared bishop is inside the pawn chain. White has 4
main options: 1. He can develop his kingside with a fianchetto, with 8. g3. 2. He can put his
knight on f4 where it puts pressure on d5 and develop the bishop to d3/e2 - 8. Nf4. This
was GM Schandorff’s choice in his book. 3. The knight can go to g3 instead of f4, where it
has more influence over f5. 4. White can prioritise queenside play with 8. b4. }

8. Nf4

{ Together with 8. g3, this is White’s main option. GM Schandorff recommended this move
as well. The knight on f4 serves the important purpose of pressurising d5, which makes it
harder for Black to achieve the …c5 break. Black tends to forego this break altogether and
focus on other ideas instead. }

c6 9. Bd3

{ This is quite an important junction for Black. Black has a number of different plans and
development schemes to choose from. }

Na6

{ This is only the 5th most common move, but it is a strong one which has been popular at
the top level recently. It has been played repeatedly by Karjakin and once by Carlsen, albeit
in a blitz game. The knight is heading to c7, from where it can do 2 things. The knight on c7
supports d5 in the event that Black wants to play the …c5 break and it can also exchange
White’s knight on f4 with …Ne6, which frees up our position a bit and grants our light-
squared bishop the e6-square. }

10. O-O

{ Note that taking on a6 just hands Black the bishop pair without any real compensation for
White. }

Nc7 11. b4

{ White decides to play on the queenside with a minority attack, but Black is very well
placed to meet this. }

Bd6 12. b5 cxb5 13. Nxb5 Nxb5 14. Bxb5 Bf5

{ Black is a bit better thanks to his more active bishops. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.e3”]

[Black “5.Nge2 Variation 14”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3

{ 4. e3, commonly known as the Rubinstein Variation, is - together with 4. Qc2 - far and
away White’s most popular and challenging option against the Nimzo-Indian. It might seem
strange to think that blocking White’s dark-squared bishop in like this is critical, but as we
will see in a later chapter, active development with 4.Bg5 can be met strongly by c5 , and
4.Nf3 transposes to the Ragozin after d5. 4. e3 seems quite inflexible and committal,
however it is important to keep in mind that White hasn’t committed his g1-knight yet. This
means that he has a couple of possible setups involving Ng1-e2, in addition to the more
obvious Nf3 plans. }

O-O

{ Black’s most flexible option and probably the best. Black doesn’t commit his central
pawns too early, which allows us to opt for either a dark-squared strategy (with …c5) or a
light-squared strategy (with …d5) , depending on how White continues. In most situations
we will be opting for the light-squared strategy with …d5, as this is in keeping with this
repertoire’s theme, but in one specific case we go for a dark-squared plan: when White
plays an early a3 to gain the bishop pair. }

5. Ne2

{ White’s second most common move here , behind 5.Bd3. It is an important line to know
since it was the recommendation of GM Schandorff in his popular Playing 1. d4 series.
White blocks his bishop, but this is meant to just be temporary. His idea is to play a3,
kicking our bishop away, and recapture with the knight in the event of …Bxc3+. Because of
this, Black should rather retreat his dark bishop to e7 or d6 after White plays a3. White will
then usually redevelop his knight on e2 to either f4 or g3, or sometimes develop his light
bishop with a kingside fianchetto (g3 followed by Bg2) . }

d5

{ The most natural and most common move , staking out our claim in the centre. Black does
have one notable alternative though , which is the super flexible Re8. It does score quite
well for Black, but d5 is more in line with our repertoire and it is just as good. }

6. a3

{ Kicking our bishop back. Of course, taking on c3 just fully justifies White’s opening
strategy, so retreating is the only good option. }

Be7

{ Not the only move. The second most common choice , and also a good one , is Bd6. On the
plus side, the bishop is more active on d6 than on e7, but the issue is that it allows White
the extra, pretty decent option of 7.c5. }

7. cxd5

{ White’s most common move. It is in White’s favour to remove the central tension before
Black can liquidate the whole centre with …c5 or play …c6 and get the extra option of …
cxd5 later. }

exd5

{ We reach an important branching point in this variation. The position (the pawn
structure) is reminiscent of the Queen’s Gambit Declined Exchange Variation. However, the
key difference is that White’s dark-squared bishop is inside the pawn chain. White has 4
main options: 1. He can develop his kingside with a fianchetto, with 8. g3. 2. He can put his
knight on f4 where it puts pressure on d5 and develop the bishop to d3/e2 - 8. Nf4. This
was GM Schandorff’s choice in his book. 3. The knight can go to g3 instead of f4, where it
has more influence over f5. 4. White can prioritise queenside play with 8. b4. }

8. Nf4

{ Together with 8. g3, this is White’s main option. GM Schandorff recommended this move
as well. The knight on f4 serves the important purpose of pressurising d5, which makes it
harder for Black to achieve the …c5 break. Black tends to forego this break altogether and
focus on other ideas instead. }

c6 9. Bd3

{ This is quite an important junction for Black. Black has a number of different plans and
development schemes to choose from. }
Na6

{ This is only the 5th most common move, but it is a strong one which has been popular at
the top level recently. It has been played repeatedly by Karjakin and once by Carlsen, albeit
in a blitz game. The knight is heading to c7, from where it can do 2 things. The knight on c7
supports d5 in the event that Black wants to play the …c5 break and it can also exchange
White’s knight on f4 with …Ne6, which frees up our position a bit and grants our light-
squared bishop the e6-square. }

10. O-O

{ Note that taking on a6 just hands Black the bishop pair without any real compensation for
White. }

Nc7 11. f3

{ White’s plan usually involves f3 at some point, usually with the idea of e4 later. }

Ne6 12. Nfe2

{ Slightly more common than exchanging on e6, but not any better. Black’s knight is
perfectly placed now to support the …c5 break, so if White plays too passively this is a
promising idea. }

Bd6

{ A typical idea to improve the placement of our dark bishop slightly. } 13.

Bd2 Nh5 { Preparing …f5. } 14. Kh1 f5

{ Black has decent play on the kingside, while White will get some queenside counterplay.
Both sides have decent chances with approximate equality. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.e3”]

[Black “5.Nge2 Variation 15”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3

{ 4. e3, commonly known as the Rubinstein Variation, is - together with 4. Qc2 - far and
away White’s most popular and challenging option against the Nimzo-Indian. It might seem
strange to think that blocking White’s dark-squared bishop in like this is critical, but as we
will see in a later chapter, active development with 4.Bg5 can be met strongly by c5 , and
4.Nf3 transposes to the Ragozin after d5. 4. e3 seems quite inflexible and committal,
however it is important to keep in mind that White hasn’t committed his g1-knight yet. This
means that he has a couple of possible setups involving Ng1-e2, in addition to the more
obvious Nf3 plans. }

O-O

{ Black’s most flexible option and probably the best. Black doesn’t commit his central
pawns too early, which allows us to opt for either a dark-squared strategy (with …c5) or a
light-squared strategy (with …d5) , depending on how White continues. In most situations
we will be opting for the light-squared strategy with …d5, as this is in keeping with this
repertoire’s theme, but in one specific case we go for a dark-squared plan: when White
plays an early a3 to gain the bishop pair. }

5. Ne2

{ White’s second most common move here , behind 5.Bd3. It is an important line to know
since it was the recommendation of GM Schandorff in his popular Playing 1. d4 series.
White blocks his bishop, but this is meant to just be temporary. His idea is to play a3,
kicking our bishop away, and recapture with the knight in the event of …Bxc3+. Because of
this, Black should rather retreat his dark bishop to e7 or d6 after White plays a3. White will
then usually redevelop his knight on e2 to either f4 or g3, or sometimes develop his light
bishop with a kingside fianchetto (g3 followed by Bg2) . }

d5

{ The most natural and most common move , staking out our claim in the centre. Black does
have one notable alternative though , which is the super flexible Re8. It does score quite
well for Black, but d5 is more in line with our repertoire and it is just as good. }

6. a3

{ Kicking our bishop back. Of course, taking on c3 just fully justifies White’s opening
strategy, so retreating is the only good option. }

Be7
{ Not the only move. The second most common choice , and also a good one , is Bd6. On the
plus side, the bishop is more active on d6 than on e7, but the issue is that it allows White
the extra, pretty decent option of 7.c5. }

7. cxd5

{ White’s most common move. It is in White’s favour to remove the central tension before
Black can liquidate the whole centre with …c5 or play …c6 and get the extra option of …
cxd5 later. }

exd5

{ We reach an important branching point in this variation. The position (the pawn
structure) is reminiscent of the Queen’s Gambit Declined Exchange Variation. However, the
key difference is that White’s dark-squared bishop is inside the pawn chain. White has 4
main options: 1. He can develop his kingside with a fianchetto, with 8. g3. 2. He can put his
knight on f4 where it puts pressure on d5 and develop the bishop to d3/e2 - 8. Nf4. This
was GM Schandorff’s choice in his book. 3. The knight can go to g3 instead of f4, where it
has more influence over f5. 4. White can prioritise queenside play with 8. b4. }

8. Nf4

{ Together with 8. g3, this is White’s main option. GM Schandorff recommended this move
as well. The knight on f4 serves the important purpose of pressurising d5, which makes it
harder for Black to achieve the …c5 break. Black tends to forego this break altogether and
focus on other ideas instead. }

c6 9. Bd3

{ This is quite an important junction for Black. Black has a number of different plans and
development schemes to choose from. }

Na6

{ This is only the 5th most common move, but it is a strong one which has been popular at
the top level recently. It has been played repeatedly by Karjakin and once by Carlsen, albeit
in a blitz game. The knight is heading to c7, from where it can do 2 things. The knight on c7
supports d5 in the event that Black wants to play the …c5 break and it can also exchange
White’s knight on f4 with …Ne6, which frees up our position a bit and grants our light-
squared bishop the e6-square. }

10. O-O

{ Note that taking on a6 just hands Black the bishop pair without any real compensation for
White. }

Nc7 11. f3
{ White’s plan usually involves f3 at some point, usually with the idea of e4 later. }

Ne6 12. Nxe6

{ This exchange makes Black’s development a bit easier as we now have the e6-square for
our bishop. }

Bxe6 13. Bd2 Ne8

{ Not the only move, but this has the idea of rerouting the knight to d6 and playing …f5. }

14. Qc2 f5 { Discouraging White from playing his e4 break. } 15. Ne2 Nd6 16.

Nf4 Qd7

{ Black doesn’t have to worry about White exchanging his light-squared bishop, seeing as it
is his bad bishop and the position is relatively closed. Black can look to expand on the
kingside in the future if White plays passively. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.e3”]

[Black “5.Nge2 Variation 16”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3

{ 4. e3, commonly known as the Rubinstein Variation, is - together with 4. Qc2 - far and
away White’s most popular and challenging option against the Nimzo-Indian. It might seem
strange to think that blocking White’s dark-squared bishop in like this is critical, but as we
will see in a later chapter, active development with 4.Bg5 can be met strongly by c5 , and
4.Nf3 transposes to the Ragozin after d5. 4. e3 seems quite inflexible and committal,
however it is important to keep in mind that White hasn’t committed his g1-knight yet. This
means that he has a couple of possible setups involving Ng1-e2, in addition to the more
obvious Nf3 plans. }
O-O

{ Black’s most flexible option and probably the best. Black doesn’t commit his central
pawns too early, which allows us to opt for either a dark-squared strategy (with …c5) or a
light-squared strategy (with …d5) , depending on how White continues. In most situations
we will be opting for the light-squared strategy with …d5, as this is in keeping with this
repertoire’s theme, but in one specific case we go for a dark-squared plan: when White
plays an early a3 to gain the bishop pair. }

5. Ne2

{ White’s second most common move here , behind 5.Bd3. It is an important line to know
since it was the recommendation of GM Schandorff in his popular Playing 1. d4 series.
White blocks his bishop, but this is meant to just be temporary. His idea is to play a3,
kicking our bishop away, and recapture with the knight in the event of …Bxc3+. Because of
this, Black should rather retreat his dark bishop to e7 or d6 after White plays a3. White will
then usually redevelop his knight on e2 to either f4 or g3, or sometimes develop his light
bishop with a kingside fianchetto (g3 followed by Bg2) . }

d5

{ The most natural and most common move , staking out our claim in the centre. Black does
have one notable alternative though , which is the super flexible Re8. It does score quite
well for Black, but d5 is more in line with our repertoire and it is just as good. }

6. a3

{ Kicking our bishop back. Of course, taking on c3 just fully justifies White’s opening
strategy, so retreating is the only good option. }

Be7

{ Not the only move. The second most common choice , and also a good one , is Bd6. On the
plus side, the bishop is more active on d6 than on e7, but the issue is that it allows White
the extra, pretty decent option of 7.c5. }

7. cxd5

{ White’s most common move. It is in White’s favour to remove the central tension before
Black can liquidate the whole centre with …c5 or play …c6 and get the extra option of …
cxd5 later. }

exd5

{ We reach an important branching point in this variation. The position (the pawn
structure) is reminiscent of the Queen’s Gambit Declined Exchange Variation. However, the
key difference is that White’s dark-squared bishop is inside the pawn chain. White has 4
main options: 1. He can develop his kingside with a fianchetto, with 8. g3. 2. He can put his
knight on f4 where it puts pressure on d5 and develop the bishop to d3/e2 - 8. Nf4. This
was GM Schandorff’s choice in his book. 3. The knight can go to g3 instead of f4, where it
has more influence over f5. 4. White can prioritise queenside play with 8. b4. }

8. b4

{ White’s third most common option prioritises White’s queenside play. 8. b4 clamps down
on the c5 square, making that break more difficult for us, but also it creates other
possibilities for us involving …a5 or the newly weakened c4-square. }

c6 9. Ng3

{ The knight goes to f5 and sometimes h5 from here, while also preventing black’s …Bf5. }

Re8 10. Bd3 Nbd7 11. O-O Nb6

{ The knight is on a good square here. It supports the d5-pawn (which is useful, in the event
of …c5) , emphasises the weakened c4-square and also blocks White’s pressure down the b-
file when it opens after b5. }

12. Rb1 a5 { A typical pawn lever in this line. } 13. b5 c5

{ Keeping the b-file closed and counterattacking in the centre. } 14. dxc5 Bxc5

{ We reach an equal position with decent chances for both sides. Black can look at ideas
such as …Nc4 and …d4 in the future, or maybe …a4 to fix the weak pawn on a3. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.e3”]

[Black “5.Nge2 Variation 17”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3

{ 4. e3, commonly known as the Rubinstein Variation, is - together with 4. Qc2 - far and
away White’s most popular and challenging option against the Nimzo-Indian. It might seem
strange to think that blocking White’s dark-squared bishop in like this is critical, but as we
will see in a later chapter, active development with 4.Bg5 can be met strongly by c5 , and
4.Nf3 transposes to the Ragozin after d5. 4. e3 seems quite inflexible and committal,
however it is important to keep in mind that White hasn’t committed his g1-knight yet. This
means that he has a couple of possible setups involving Ng1-e2, in addition to the more
obvious Nf3 plans. }

O-O

{ Black’s most flexible option and probably the best. Black doesn’t commit his central
pawns too early, which allows us to opt for either a dark-squared strategy (with …c5) or a
light-squared strategy (with …d5) , depending on how White continues. In most situations
we will be opting for the light-squared strategy with …d5, as this is in keeping with this
repertoire’s theme, but in one specific case we go for a dark-squared plan: when White
plays an early a3 to gain the bishop pair. }

5. Ne2

{ White’s second most common move here , behind 5.Bd3. It is an important line to know
since it was the recommendation of GM Schandorff in his popular Playing 1. d4 series.
White blocks his bishop, but this is meant to just be temporary. His idea is to play a3,
kicking our bishop away, and recapture with the knight in the event of …Bxc3+. Because of
this, Black should rather retreat his dark bishop to e7 or d6 after White plays a3. White will
then usually redevelop his knight on e2 to either f4 or g3, or sometimes develop his light
bishop with a kingside fianchetto (g3 followed by Bg2) . }

d5

{ The most natural and most common move , staking out our claim in the centre. Black does
have one notable alternative though , which is the super flexible Re8. It does score quite
well for Black, but d5 is more in line with our repertoire and it is just as good. }

6. a3

{ Kicking our bishop back. Of course, taking on c3 just fully justifies White’s opening
strategy, so retreating is the only good option. }

Be7

{ Not the only move. The second most common choice , and also a good one , is Bd6. On the
plus side, the bishop is more active on d6 than on e7, but the issue is that it allows White
the extra, pretty decent option of 7.c5. }

7. cxd5
{ White’s most common move. It is in White’s favour to remove the central tension before
Black can liquidate the whole centre with …c5 or play …c6 and get the extra option of …
cxd5 later. }

exd5

{ We reach an important branching point in this variation. The position (the pawn
structure) is reminiscent of the Queen’s Gambit Declined Exchange Variation. However, the
key difference is that White’s dark-squared bishop is inside the pawn chain. White has 4
main options: 1. He can develop his kingside with a fianchetto, with 8. g3. 2. He can put his
knight on f4 where it puts pressure on d5 and develop the bishop to d3/e2 - 8. Nf4. This
was GM Schandorff’s choice in his book. 3. The knight can go to g3 instead of f4, where it
has more influence over f5. 4. White can prioritise queenside play with 8. b4. }

8. Ng3

{ Preventing black’s …Bf5, however, unlike the knight on f4, it does nothing to pressure d5.
Black should take advantage of this by using the typical …c5 break. }

c5

{ It is possible to play more slowly with moves like …Re8 as well, but this seems like a
pretty easy equaliser. }

9. dxc5 Bxc5 10. Bd3

{ We reach an IQP position where White’s misplaced knight on g3 (since it has no influence
over the important d4 square) allows Black to equalise without any real problems. Even
putting the bishop on e2 instead of d3 does not fix this - we just follow the same plan of …
Nc6 followed by …d4. }

Nc6

{ Black should also consider the immediate d4 , which also seems good. }

11. O-O d4

{ A rather natural move which wasn’t mentioned by GM Schandorff. The more popular
choice here is Be6 though. }

12. Nce4

{ Taking immediately on d4 doesn’t challenge black, so White needs to try something else. }

Nxe4 13. Nxe4 Bb6 14. Qh5

{ Black needs to be a bit careful here - Nf6+ with mate is threatened. }

h6 15. exd4 Bxd4

{ Black has the upper hand in a fairly symmetrical position thanks to his more active pieces.
}

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.e3”]

[Black “5.Nge2 Variation 18”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3

{ 4. e3, commonly known as the Rubinstein Variation, is - together with 4. Qc2 - far and
away White’s most popular and challenging option against the Nimzo-Indian. It might seem
strange to think that blocking White’s dark-squared bishop in like this is critical, but as we
will see in a later chapter, active development with 4.Bg5 can be met strongly by c5 , and
4.Nf3 transposes to the Ragozin after d5. 4. e3 seems quite inflexible and committal,
however it is important to keep in mind that White hasn’t committed his g1-knight yet. This
means that he has a couple of possible setups involving Ng1-e2, in addition to the more
obvious Nf3 plans. }

O-O

{ Black’s most flexible option and probably the best. Black doesn’t commit his central
pawns too early, which allows us to opt for either a dark-squared strategy (with …c5) or a
light-squared strategy (with …d5) , depending on how White continues. In most situations
we will be opting for the light-squared strategy with …d5, as this is in keeping with this
repertoire’s theme, but in one specific case we go for a dark-squared plan: when White
plays an early a3 to gain the bishop pair. }

5. Ne2

{ White’s second most common move here , behind 5.Bd3. It is an important line to know
since it was the recommendation of GM Schandorff in his popular Playing 1. d4 series.
White blocks his bishop, but this is meant to just be temporary. His idea is to play a3,
kicking our bishop away, and recapture with the knight in the event of …Bxc3+. Because of
this, Black should rather retreat his dark bishop to e7 or d6 after White plays a3. White will
then usually redevelop his knight on e2 to either f4 or g3, or sometimes develop his light
bishop with a kingside fianchetto (g3 followed by Bg2) . }

d5

{ The most natural and most common move , staking out our claim in the centre. Black does
have one notable alternative though , which is the super flexible Re8. It does score quite
well for Black, but d5 is more in line with our repertoire and it is just as good. }

6. a3

{ Kicking our bishop back. Of course, taking on c3 just fully justifies White’s opening
strategy, so retreating is the only good option. }

Be7

{ Not the only move. The second most common choice , and also a good one , is Bd6. On the
plus side, the bishop is more active on d6 than on e7, but the issue is that it allows White
the extra, pretty decent option of 7.c5. }

7. cxd5

{ White’s most common move. It is in White’s favour to remove the central tension before
Black can liquidate the whole centre with …c5 or play …c6 and get the extra option of …
cxd5 later. }

exd5

{ We reach an important branching point in this variation. The position (the pawn
structure) is reminiscent of the Queen’s Gambit Declined Exchange Variation. However, the
key difference is that White’s dark-squared bishop is inside the pawn chain. White has 4
main options: 1. He can develop his kingside with a fianchetto, with 8. g3. 2. He can put his
knight on f4 where it puts pressure on d5 and develop the bishop to d3/e2 - 8. Nf4. This
was GM Schandorff’s choice in his book. 3. The knight can go to g3 instead of f4, where it
has more influence over f5. 4. White can prioritise queenside play with 8. b4. }

8. Ng3

{ Preventing black’s …Bf5, however, unlike the knight on f4, it does nothing to pressure d5.
Black should take advantage of this by using the typical …c5 break. }

c5
{ It is possible to play more slowly with moves like …Rc8 as well, but this seems like a
pretty easy equaliser. }

9. dxc5 Bxc5 10. Bd3

{ We reach an IQP position where White’s misplaced knight on g3 (since it has no influence
over the important d4 square) allows Black to equalise without any real problems. Even
putting the bishop on e2 instead of d3 does not fix this - we just follow the same plan of …
Nc6 followed by …d4. }

Nc6

{ Black should also consider the immediate d4 , which also seems good. }

11. O-O d4

{ A rather natural move which wasn’t mentioned by GM Schandorff. The more popular
choice here is Be6 though. }

12. Na4 { The knight on a4 dissuades the …Bb6 retreat. } Bd6

{ Preparing to grab on g3. } 13. exd4 Bxg3 14. hxg3 Bg4

{ The point behind Bxg3. White has no comfortable way to deal with this attack without
giving back the bishop pair. }

15. Be2 { Basically forced. } Bxe2 16. Qxe2 Nxd4

{ With complete equality. White has the bishop, but Black is more active. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.e3”]

[Black “5.Nge2 Variation 19”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3

{ 4. e3, commonly known as the Rubinstein Variation, is - together with 4. Qc2 - far and
away White’s most popular and challenging option against the Nimzo-Indian. It might seem
strange to think that blocking White’s dark-squared bishop in like this is critical, but as we
will see in a later chapter, active development with 4.Bg5 can be met strongly by c5 , and
4.Nf3 transposes to the Ragozin after d5. 4. e3 seems quite inflexible and committal,
however it is important to keep in mind that White hasn’t committed his g1-knight yet. This
means that he has a couple of possible setups involving Ng1-e2, in addition to the more
obvious Nf3 plans. }

O-O

{ Black’s most flexible option and probably the best. Black doesn’t commit his central
pawns too early, which allows us to opt for either a dark-squared strategy (with …c5) or a
light-squared strategy (with …d5) , depending on how White continues. In most situations
we will be opting for the light-squared strategy with …d5, as this is in keeping with this
repertoire’s theme, but in one specific case we go for a dark-squared plan: when White
plays an early a3 to gain the bishop pair. }

5. Ne2

{ White’s second most common move here , behind 5.Bd3. It is an important line to know
since it was the recommendation of GM Schandorff in his popular Playing 1. d4 series.
White blocks his bishop, but this is meant to just be temporary. His idea is to play a3,
kicking our bishop away, and recapture with the knight in the event of …Bxc3+. Because of
this, Black should rather retreat his dark bishop to e7 or d6 after White plays a3. White will
then usually redevelop his knight on e2 to either f4 or g3, or sometimes develop his light
bishop with a kingside fianchetto (g3 followed by Bg2) . }

d5

{ The most natural and most common move , staking out our claim in the centre. Black does
have one notable alternative though , which is the super flexible Re8. It does score quite
well for Black, but d5 is more in line with our repertoire and it is just as good. }

6. a3

{ Kicking our bishop back. Of course, taking on c3 just fully justifies White’s opening
strategy, so retreating is the only good option. }

Be7

{ Not the only move. The second most common choice , and also a good one , is Bd6. On the
plus side, the bishop is more active on d6 than on e7, but the issue is that it allows White
the extra, pretty decent option of 7.c5. }
7. cxd5

{ White’s most common move. It is in White’s favour to remove the central tension before
Black can liquidate the whole centre with …c5 or play …c6 and get the extra option of …
cxd5 later. }

exd5

{ We reach an important branching point in this variation. The position (the pawn
structure) is reminiscent of the Queen’s Gambit Declined Exchange Variation. However, the
key difference is that White’s dark-squared bishop is inside the pawn chain. White has 4
main options: 1. He can develop his kingside with a fianchetto, with 8. g3. 2. He can put his
knight on f4 where it puts pressure on d5 and develop the bishop to d3/e2 - 8. Nf4. This
was GM Schandorff’s choice in his book. 3. The knight can go to g3 instead of f4, where it
has more influence over f5. 4. White can prioritise queenside play with 8. b4. }

8. g3

{ Fianchettoing the light-squared bishop is White’s second most common plan in this
position. }

Re8

{ The best square for Black’s rook, while also freeing f8 for the dark-squared bishop. }

9. Bg2 c6 10. O-O Nbd7 { The knight is on its way to b6. } 11. b4

{ White’s queenside play is quite ineffective here. } Nb6 12. b5 Bf5

{ White doesn’t have any real pressure on the queenside. Black will have …c5 coming soon,
after which he will have the more active pieces and good play. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.e3”]

[Black “5.Nge2 Variation 20”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3

{ 4. e3, commonly known as the Rubinstein Variation, is - together with 4. Qc2 - far and
away White’s most popular and challenging option against the Nimzo-Indian. It might seem
strange to think that blocking White’s dark-squared bishop in like this is critical, but as we
will see in a later chapter, active development with 4.Bg5 can be met strongly by c5 , and
4.Nf3 transposes to the Ragozin after d5. 4. e3 seems quite inflexible and committal,
however it is important to keep in mind that White hasn’t committed his g1-knight yet. This
means that he has a couple of possible setups involving Ng1-e2, in addition to the more
obvious Nf3 plans. }

O-O

{ Black’s most flexible option and probably the best. Black doesn’t commit his central
pawns too early, which allows us to opt for either a dark-squared strategy (with …c5) or a
light-squared strategy (with …d5) , depending on how White continues. In most situations
we will be opting for the light-squared strategy with …d5, as this is in keeping with this
repertoire’s theme, but in one specific case we go for a dark-squared plan: when White
plays an early a3 to gain the bishop pair. }

5. Ne2

{ White’s second most common move here , behind 5.Bd3. It is an important line to know
since it was the recommendation of GM Schandorff in his popular Playing 1. d4 series.
White blocks his bishop, but this is meant to just be temporary. His idea is to play a3,
kicking our bishop away, and recapture with the knight in the event of …Bxc3+. Because of
this, Black should rather retreat his dark bishop to e7 or d6 after White plays a3. White will
then usually redevelop his knight on e2 to either f4 or g3, or sometimes develop his light
bishop with a kingside fianchetto (g3 followed by Bg2) . }

d5

{ The most natural and most common move , staking out our claim in the centre. Black does
have one notable alternative though , which is the super flexible Re8. It does score quite
well for Black, but d5 is more in line with our repertoire and it is just as good. }

6. a3

{ Kicking our bishop back. Of course, taking on c3 just fully justifies White’s opening
strategy, so retreating is the only good option. }

Be7
{ Not the only move. The second most common choice , and also a good one , is Bd6. On the
plus side, the bishop is more active on d6 than on e7, but the issue is that it allows White
the extra, pretty decent option of 7.c5. }

7. cxd5

{ White’s most common move. It is in White’s favour to remove the central tension before
Black can liquidate the whole centre with …c5 or play …c6 and get the extra option of …
cxd5 later. }

exd5

{ We reach an important branching point in this variation. The position (the pawn
structure) is reminiscent of the Queen’s Gambit Declined Exchange Variation. However, the
key difference is that White’s dark-squared bishop is inside the pawn chain. White has 4
main options: 1. He can develop his kingside with a fianchetto, with 8. g3. 2. He can put his
knight on f4 where it puts pressure on d5 and develop the bishop to d3/e2 - 8. Nf4. This
was GM Schandorff’s choice in his book. 3. The knight can go to g3 instead of f4, where it
has more influence over f5. 4. White can prioritise queenside play with 8. b4. }

8. g3

{ Fianchettoing the light-squared bishop is White’s second most common plan in this
position. }

Re8

{ The best square for Black’s rook, while also freeing f8 for the dark-squared bishop. }

9. Bg2 c6 10. O-O Nbd7 { The knight is on its way to b6. } 11. f3

{ White’s main plan involves e4 at some point, however we can take advantage of the
blocked bishop on g2. }

c5 { This break is good enough to equalise here. } 12. Nf4

{ Hitting d5. } cxd4

{ Nb6 is also possible , but this seems to be a bit more forcing. } 13.

exd4 { This is not challenging of course. } Nb6

{ with complete equality. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.e3”]

[Black “5.Nge2 Variation 21”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3

{ 4. e3, commonly known as the Rubinstein Variation, is - together with 4. Qc2 - far and
away White’s most popular and challenging option against the Nimzo-Indian. It might seem
strange to think that blocking White’s dark-squared bishop in like this is critical, but as we
will see in a later chapter, active development with 4.Bg5 can be met strongly by c5 , and
4.Nf3 transposes to the Ragozin after d5. 4. e3 seems quite inflexible and committal,
however it is important to keep in mind that White hasn’t committed his g1-knight yet. This
means that he has a couple of possible setups involving Ng1-e2, in addition to the more
obvious Nf3 plans. }

O-O

{ Black’s most flexible option and probably the best. Black doesn’t commit his central
pawns too early, which allows us to opt for either a dark-squared strategy (with …c5) or a
light-squared strategy (with …d5) , depending on how White continues. In most situations
we will be opting for the light-squared strategy with …d5, as this is in keeping with this
repertoire’s theme, but in one specific case we go for a dark-squared plan: when White
plays an early a3 to gain the bishop pair. }

5. Ne2

{ White’s second most common move here , behind 5.Bd3. It is an important line to know
since it was the recommendation of GM Schandorff in his popular Playing 1. d4 series.
White blocks his bishop, but this is meant to just be temporary. His idea is to play a3,
kicking our bishop away, and recapture with the knight in the event of …Bxc3+. Because of
this, Black should rather retreat his dark bishop to e7 or d6 after White plays a3. White will
then usually redevelop his knight on e2 to either f4 or g3, or sometimes develop his light
bishop with a kingside fianchetto (g3 followed by Bg2) . }

d5
{ The most natural and most common move , staking out our claim in the centre. Black does
have one notable alternative though , which is the super flexible Re8. It does score quite
well for Black, but d5 is more in line with our repertoire and it is just as good. }

6. a3

{ Kicking our bishop back. Of course, taking on c3 just fully justifies White’s opening
strategy, so retreating is the only good option. }

Be7

{ Not the only move. The second most common choice , and also a good one , is Bd6. On the
plus side, the bishop is more active on d6 than on e7, but the issue is that it allows White
the extra, pretty decent option of 7.c5. }

7. cxd5

{ White’s most common move. It is in White’s favour to remove the central tension before
Black can liquidate the whole centre with …c5 or play …c6 and get the extra option of …
cxd5 later. }

exd5

{ We reach an important branching point in this variation. The position (the pawn
structure) is reminiscent of the Queen’s Gambit Declined Exchange Variation. However, the
key difference is that White’s dark-squared bishop is inside the pawn chain. White has 4
main options: 1. He can develop his kingside with a fianchetto, with 8. g3. 2. He can put his
knight on f4 where it puts pressure on d5 and develop the bishop to d3/e2 - 8. Nf4. This
was GM Schandorff’s choice in his book. 3. The knight can go to g3 instead of f4, where it
has more influence over f5. 4. White can prioritise queenside play with 8. b4. }

8. g3

{ Fianchettoing the light-squared bishop is White’s second most common plan in this
position. }

Re8

{ The best square for Black’s rook, while also freeing f8 for the dark-squared bishop. }

9. Bg2 c6 10. O-O Nbd7 { The knight is on its way to b6. } 11. f3

{ White’s main plan involves e4 at some point, however we can take advantage of the
blocked bishop on g2. }

c5 { This break is good enough to equalise here. } 12. Nf4

{ Hitting d5. } cxd4

{ Nb6 is also possible , but this seems to be a bit more forcing. } 13.

Ncxd5 { The only challenging move. } Nxd5 14. Nxd5 dxe3 15. Bxe3 Nf6

{ It seems like White gets the bishop pair and a slight edge here, but as we will see this is
just an illusion. }

16. Nxe7+ Qxe7

{ White’s bishop pair is nothing more than symbolic here, since black’s Bishop will reach d5
after …Be6-d5 with easy equality. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.e3”]

[Black “5.Nf3 6.Bd3”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3

{ 4. e3, commonly known as the Rubinstein Variation, is - together with 4. Qc2 - far and
away White’s most popular and challenging option against the Nimzo-Indian. It might seem
strange to think that blocking White’s dark-squared bishop in like this is critical, but as we
will see in a later chapter, active development with 4.Bg5 can be met strongly by c5 , and
4.Nf3 transposes to the Ragozin after d5. 4. e3 seems quite inflexible and committal,
however it is important to keep in mind that White hasn’t committed his g1-knight yet. This
means that he has a couple of possible setups involving Ng1-e2, in addition to the more
obvious Nf3 plans. }

O-O

{ Black’s most flexible option and probably the best. Black doesn’t commit his central
pawns too early, which allows us to opt for either a dark-squared strategy (with …c5) or a
light-squared strategy (with …d5) , depending on how White continues. In most situations
we will be opting for the light-squared strategy with …d5, as this is in keeping with this
repertoire’s theme, but in one specific case we go for a dark-squared plan: when White
plays an early a3 to gain the bishop pair. }

5. Nf3

{ A very natural move, and the third in popularity - behind 5. Bd3 and 5. Nge2, however it
doesn’t have that much independent value, since it is most likely to transpose to either 5.
Bd3 or 5. a3 within a couple of moves. }

d5

{ Other moves are possible, but we need to cover d5 due to the transpositional
possibilities. We have, in effect, reached a Ragozin with 5. e3. }

6. Bd3 { This transposes straight into the mainline after } b6

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.e3”]

[Black “5.Nf3 6.a3 Variation 1”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3

{ 4. e3, commonly known as the Rubinstein Variation, is - together with 4. Qc2 - far and
away White’s most popular and challenging option against the Nimzo-Indian. It might seem
strange to think that blocking White’s dark-squared bishop in like this is critical, but as we
will see in a later chapter, active development with 4.Bg5 can be met strongly by c5 , and
4.Nf3 transposes to the Ragozin after d5. 4. e3 seems quite inflexible and committal,
however it is important to keep in mind that White hasn’t committed his g1-knight yet. This
means that he has a couple of possible setups involving Ng1-e2, in addition to the more
obvious Nf3 plans. }

O-O
{ Black’s most flexible option and probably the best. Black doesn’t commit his central
pawns too early, which allows us to opt for either a dark-squared strategy (with …c5) or a
light-squared strategy (with …d5) , depending on how White continues. In most situations
we will be opting for the light-squared strategy with …d5, as this is in keeping with this
repertoire’s theme, but in one specific case we go for a dark-squared plan: when White
plays an early a3 to gain the bishop pair. }

5. Nf3

{ A very natural move, and the third in popularity - behind 5. Bd3 and 5. Nge2, however it
doesn’t have that much independent value, since it is most likely to transpose to either 5.
Bd3 or 5. a3 within a couple of moves. }

d5

{ Other moves are possible, but we need to cover d5 due to the transpositional
possibilities. We have, in effect, reached a Ragozin with 5. e3. }

6. a3 Bxc3+ 7. bxc3 c5 8. cxd5

{ This is not too good with the white knight on f3. } exd5 9. Bd3 Bg4

{ With the knight on e2, developing the bishop actively like this would be undesirable since
white could just kick it away with f3. }

10. O-O c4

{ White’s terrible dark-squared bishop and the closed nature of the position give the edge
to Black’s knights. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.e3”]

[Black “5.Nf3 6.a3 Variation 2”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3

{ 4. e3, commonly known as the Rubinstein Variation, is - together with 4. Qc2 - far and
away White’s most popular and challenging option against the Nimzo-Indian. It might seem
strange to think that blocking White’s dark-squared bishop in like this is critical, but as we
will see in a later chapter, active development with 4.Bg5 can be met strongly by c5 , and
4.Nf3 transposes to the Ragozin after d5. 4. e3 seems quite inflexible and committal,
however it is important to keep in mind that White hasn’t committed his g1-knight yet. This
means that he has a couple of possible setups involving Ng1-e2, in addition to the more
obvious Nf3 plans. }

O-O

{ Black’s most flexible option and probably the best. Black doesn’t commit his central
pawns too early, which allows us to opt for either a dark-squared strategy (with …c5) or a
light-squared strategy (with …d5) , depending on how White continues. In most situations
we will be opting for the light-squared strategy with …d5, as this is in keeping with this
repertoire’s theme, but in one specific case we go for a dark-squared plan: when White
plays an early a3 to gain the bishop pair. }

5. Nf3

{ A very natural move, and the third in popularity - behind 5. Bd3 and 5. Nge2, however it
doesn’t have that much independent value, since it is most likely to transpose to either 5.
Bd3 or 5. a3 within a couple of moves. }

d5

{ Other moves are possible, but we need to cover d5 due to the transpositional
possibilities. We have, in effect, reached a Ragozin with 5. e3. }

6. a3 Bxc3+ 7. bxc3 c5 8. Bd3 Qc7 { Black gets an improved version of 7. Bd3. }

9. Qc2 dxc4 10. Bxc4 b6

{ This transposes to a position we look at after 5. Bd3. The queen on c2 isn’t the best use
White could have made of the tempo. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]
[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.e3”]

[Black “5.Nf3 6.a3 Variation 3”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3

{ 4. e3, commonly known as the Rubinstein Variation, is - together with 4. Qc2 - far and
away White’s most popular and challenging option against the Nimzo-Indian. It might seem
strange to think that blocking White’s dark-squared bishop in like this is critical, but as we
will see in a later chapter, active development with 4.Bg5 can be met strongly by c5 , and
4.Nf3 transposes to the Ragozin after d5. 4. e3 seems quite inflexible and committal,
however it is important to keep in mind that White hasn’t committed his g1-knight yet. This
means that he has a couple of possible setups involving Ng1-e2, in addition to the more
obvious Nf3 plans. }

O-O

{ Black’s most flexible option and probably the best. Black doesn’t commit his central
pawns too early, which allows us to opt for either a dark-squared strategy (with …c5) or a
light-squared strategy (with …d5) , depending on how White continues. In most situations
we will be opting for the light-squared strategy with …d5, as this is in keeping with this
repertoire’s theme, but in one specific case we go for a dark-squared plan: when White
plays an early a3 to gain the bishop pair. }

5. Nf3

{ A very natural move, and the third in popularity - behind 5. Bd3 and 5. Nge2, however it
doesn’t have that much independent value, since it is most likely to transpose to either 5.
Bd3 or 5. a3 within a couple of moves. }

d5

{ Other moves are possible, but we need to cover d5 due to the transpositional
possibilities. We have, in effect, reached a Ragozin with 5. e3. }

6. a3 Bxc3+ 7. bxc3 c5 8. Bb2

{ This is an interesting idea from White. He is making as many useful moves as possible,
while the bishop stays at home on f1. He hopes that Black will play …dxc4 prematurely,
thus saving a tempo on the lines after 7. Bd3. }

Nc6 9. Rc1 { Continuing the waiting game. } Na5

{ Forcing White to take on d5, which in turn frees our light-squared bishop. }

10. cxd5 exd5 11. dxc5

{ Otherwise Black just plays …c4 with a good positional edge. } Be6

{ Covering d5. } 12. c4

{ Otherwise Black can just recoup the pawn with a good position after, for example, …
Ne4xc5. }
Nxc4 13. Bxc4 dxc4 14. Qxd8 Rfxd8 { With complete equality. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.e3”]

[Black “5.Nf3 6.Bd2”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3

{ 4. e3, commonly known as the Rubinstein Variation, is - together with 4. Qc2 - far and
away White’s most popular and challenging option against the Nimzo-Indian. It might seem
strange to think that blocking White’s dark-squared bishop in like this is critical, but as we
will see in a later chapter, active development with 4.Bg5 can be met strongly by c5 , and
4.Nf3 transposes to the Ragozin after d5. 4. e3 seems quite inflexible and committal,
however it is important to keep in mind that White hasn’t committed his g1-knight yet. This
means that he has a couple of possible setups involving Ng1-e2, in addition to the more
obvious Nf3 plans. }

O-O

{ Black’s most flexible option and probably the best. Black doesn’t commit his central
pawns too early, which allows us to opt for either a dark-squared strategy (with …c5) or a
light-squared strategy (with …d5) , depending on how White continues. In most situations
we will be opting for the light-squared strategy with …d5, as this is in keeping with this
repertoire’s theme, but in one specific case we go for a dark-squared plan: when White
plays an early a3 to gain the bishop pair. }

5. Nf3

{ A very natural move, and the third in popularity - behind 5. Bd3 and 5. Nge2, however it
doesn’t have that much independent value, since it is most likely to transpose to either 5.
Bd3 or 5. a3 within a couple of moves. }
d5

{ Other moves are possible, but we need to cover d5 due to the transpositional
possibilities. We have, in effect, reached a Ragozin with 5. e3. }

6. Bd2

{ This is quite a rare line but one which has picked up in popularity recently at the top level.
We will cover this in the Nimzo-Indian chapter dealing with 4. Bd2. }

b6 { reaching a line we look in Chapter 5. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.e3”]

[Black “5.a3 Variation 1”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3

{ 4. e3, commonly known as the Rubinstein Variation, is - together with 4. Qc2 - far and
away White’s most popular and challenging option against the Nimzo-Indian. It might seem
strange to think that blocking White’s dark-squared bishop in like this is critical, but as we
will see in a later chapter, active development with 4.Bg5 can be met strongly by c5 , and
4.Nf3 transposes to the Ragozin after d5. 4. e3 seems quite inflexible and committal,
however it is important to keep in mind that White hasn’t committed his g1-knight yet. This
means that he has a couple of possible setups involving Ng1-e2, in addition to the more
obvious Nf3 plans. }

O-O

{ Black’s most flexible option and probably the best. Black doesn’t commit his central
pawns too early, which allows us to opt for either a dark-squared strategy (with …c5) or a
light-squared strategy (with …d5) , depending on how White continues. In most situations
we will be opting for the light-squared strategy with …d5, as this is in keeping with this
repertoire’s theme, but in one specific case we go for a dark-squared plan: when White
plays an early a3 to gain the bishop pair. }

5. a3 { An idea we will also encounter in the 4. a3 chapter. } Bxc3+ 6.

bxc3 Nc6

{ We will also see this idea featured in the fourth chapter after 4. a3 Bxc3+ 5. bxc3 O-O 6. f3
Nc6 !. It is important for Black not to play the automatic d5 instead , as White scores well
and gets a slight edge after 7.cxd5. The point behind …Nc6 is two-fold: it prepares the …e5
break and possibly …e4 later as well, and also it allows black to target the c4 pawn in the
typical way with …Na5, …b6 and …Ba6. }

7. Ne2

{ This seems a little unnatural, but it has been played a few times. By not committing his
bishop to d3 yet, White takes some of the sting out of our …e5-e4 plan. Instead, we will now
attack c4 in this line. }

b6 8. Ng3 Ba6 9. e4 { White threatens Bg5 now. } Ne8

{ Prophylaxis against Bg5. } 10. Bd3 Na5 11. Qe2 c5 12. d5 f5

{ A difficult move to find over the board, but an important move to remember ! This break
hits out at e4 and ensures that White’s impressive-looking centre crumbles in a few
moves. }

13. dxe6 f4 { This is an important intermezzo to see. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.e3”]

[Black “5.a3 Variation 2”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3

{ 4. e3, commonly known as the Rubinstein Variation, is - together with 4. Qc2 - far and
away White’s most popular and challenging option against the Nimzo-Indian. It might seem
strange to think that blocking White’s dark-squared bishop in like this is critical, but as we
will see in a later chapter, active development with 4.Bg5 can be met strongly by c5 , and
4.Nf3 transposes to the Ragozin after d5. 4. e3 seems quite inflexible and committal,
however it is important to keep in mind that White hasn’t committed his g1-knight yet. This
means that he has a couple of possible setups involving Ng1-e2, in addition to the more
obvious Nf3 plans. }

O-O

{ Black’s most flexible option and probably the best. Black doesn’t commit his central
pawns too early, which allows us to opt for either a dark-squared strategy (with …c5) or a
light-squared strategy (with …d5) , depending on how White continues. In most situations
we will be opting for the light-squared strategy with …d5, as this is in keeping with this
repertoire’s theme, but in one specific case we go for a dark-squared plan: when White
plays an early a3 to gain the bishop pair. }

5. a3 { An idea we will also encounter in the 4. a3 chapter. } Bxc3+ 6.

bxc3 Nc6

{ We will also see this idea featured in the fourth chapter after 4. a3 Bxc3+ 5. bxc3 O-O 6. f3
Nc6 !. It is important for Black not to play the automatic d5 instead , as White scores well
and gets a slight edge after 7.cxd5. The point behind …Nc6 is two-fold: it prepares the …e5
break and possibly …e4 later as well, and also it allows black to target the c4 pawn in the
typical way with …Na5, …b6 and …Ba6. }

7. Ne2

{ This seems a little unnatural, but it has been played a few times. By not committing his
bishop to d3 yet, White takes some of the sting out of our …e5-e4 plan. Instead, we will now
attack c4 in this line. }

b6 8. Ng3 Ba6 9. e4 { White threatens Bg5 now. } Ne8

{ Prophylaxis against Bg5. } 10. Bd3 Na5 11. Qe2 c5 12. d5 f5

{ A difficult move to find over the board, but an important move to remember ! This break
hits out at e4 and ensures that White’s impressive-looking centre crumbles in a few
moves. }

13. exf5 exd5 14. cxd5 Bxd3 15. Qxd3 c4 16. Qe2 Nd6 17. O-O Nxf5

{ Black regains his pawn with full equality. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.e3”]

[Black “5.a3 Variation 3”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3

{ 4. e3, commonly known as the Rubinstein Variation, is - together with 4. Qc2 - far and
away White’s most popular and challenging option against the Nimzo-Indian. It might seem
strange to think that blocking White’s dark-squared bishop in like this is critical, but as we
will see in a later chapter, active development with 4.Bg5 can be met strongly by c5 , and
4.Nf3 transposes to the Ragozin after d5. 4. e3 seems quite inflexible and committal,
however it is important to keep in mind that White hasn’t committed his g1-knight yet. This
means that he has a couple of possible setups involving Ng1-e2, in addition to the more
obvious Nf3 plans. }

O-O

{ Black’s most flexible option and probably the best. Black doesn’t commit his central
pawns too early, which allows us to opt for either a dark-squared strategy (with …c5) or a
light-squared strategy (with …d5) , depending on how White continues. In most situations
we will be opting for the light-squared strategy with …d5, as this is in keeping with this
repertoire’s theme, but in one specific case we go for a dark-squared plan: when White
plays an early a3 to gain the bishop pair. }

5. a3 { An idea we will also encounter in the 4. a3 chapter. } Bxc3+ 6.

bxc3 Nc6

{ We will also see this idea featured in the fourth chapter after 4. a3 Bxc3+ 5. bxc3 O-O 6. f3
Nc6 !. It is important for Black not to play the automatic d5 instead , as White scores well
and gets a slight edge after 7.cxd5. The point behind …Nc6 is two-fold: it prepares the …e5
break and possibly …e4 later as well, and also it allows black to target the c4 pawn in the
typical way with …Na5, …b6 and …Ba6. }

7. Nf3
{ Controlling e5, but all this means is that we must now prepare …e5 a bit more. }

d6 8. Be2 { With …e5-e4 coming, e2 is a better square for the bishop. }

e5 9. O-O Bg4 10. h3 Bh5 11. Bb2 Re8

{ Black is at least equal here and probably even a bit better due to White’s poor pawn
structure and his bishops’ limited scope. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.e3”]

[Black “5.a3 Variation 4”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3

{ 4. e3, commonly known as the Rubinstein Variation, is - together with 4. Qc2 - far and
away White’s most popular and challenging option against the Nimzo-Indian. It might seem
strange to think that blocking White’s dark-squared bishop in like this is critical, but as we
will see in a later chapter, active development with 4.Bg5 can be met strongly by c5 , and
4.Nf3 transposes to the Ragozin after d5. 4. e3 seems quite inflexible and committal,
however it is important to keep in mind that White hasn’t committed his g1-knight yet. This
means that he has a couple of possible setups involving Ng1-e2, in addition to the more
obvious Nf3 plans. }

O-O

{ Black’s most flexible option and probably the best. Black doesn’t commit his central
pawns too early, which allows us to opt for either a dark-squared strategy (with …c5) or a
light-squared strategy (with …d5) , depending on how White continues. In most situations
we will be opting for the light-squared strategy with …d5, as this is in keeping with this
repertoire’s theme, but in one specific case we go for a dark-squared plan: when White
plays an early a3 to gain the bishop pair. }
5. a3 { An idea we will also encounter in the 4. a3 chapter. } Bxc3+ 6.

bxc3 Nc6

{ We will also see this idea featured in the fourth chapter after 4. a3 Bxc3+ 5. bxc3 O-O 6. f3
Nc6 !. It is important for Black not to play the automatic d5 instead , as White scores well
and gets a slight edge after 7.cxd5. The point behind …Nc6 is two-fold: it prepares the …e5
break and possibly …e4 later as well, and also it allows black to target the c4 pawn in the
typical way with …Na5, …b6 and …Ba6. }

7. Bd3 { White’s main move, developing naturally. } e5

{ White doesn’t have enough control over e4 which means that we can look to play …e4
ourselves. }

8. f3

{ This has only been tried once, but maybe it is one of White’s best options. }

d6 { Our idea in this line is to target the c4 pawn. } 9. Ne2 Na5

{ This looks a bit funny, but we attack c4 which is surprisingly difficult to defend. }

10. e4 Be6 { Attacking c4 and provoking d5. } 11. d5 Bc8

{ Our last few moves might look a bit strange, but all these provocative moves are very
sound positionally. By provoking d5, we get the fantastic c5 outpost for our knight and
ensure that the c4 pawn stays weak for a long time. The reason for retreating to c8 instead
of d7 is to leave the d7 square free for our knight. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.e3”]

[Black “5.a3 Variation 5”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3

{ 4. e3, commonly known as the Rubinstein Variation, is - together with 4. Qc2 - far and
away White’s most popular and challenging option against the Nimzo-Indian. It might seem
strange to think that blocking White’s dark-squared bishop in like this is critical, but as we
will see in a later chapter, active development with 4.Bg5 can be met strongly by c5 , and
4.Nf3 transposes to the Ragozin after d5. 4. e3 seems quite inflexible and committal,
however it is important to keep in mind that White hasn’t committed his g1-knight yet. This
means that he has a couple of possible setups involving Ng1-e2, in addition to the more
obvious Nf3 plans. }

O-O

{ Black’s most flexible option and probably the best. Black doesn’t commit his central
pawns too early, which allows us to opt for either a dark-squared strategy (with …c5) or a
light-squared strategy (with …d5) , depending on how White continues. In most situations
we will be opting for the light-squared strategy with …d5, as this is in keeping with this
repertoire’s theme, but in one specific case we go for a dark-squared plan: when White
plays an early a3 to gain the bishop pair. }

5. a3 { An idea we will also encounter in the 4. a3 chapter. } Bxc3+ 6.

bxc3 Nc6

{ We will also see this idea featured in the fourth chapter after 4. a3 Bxc3+ 5. bxc3 O-O 6. f3
Nc6 !. It is important for Black not to play the automatic d5 instead , as White scores well
and gets a slight edge after 7.cxd5. The point behind …Nc6 is two-fold: it prepares the …e5
break and possibly …e4 later as well, and also it allows black to target the c4 pawn in the
typical way with …Na5, …b6 and …Ba6. }

7. Bd3 { White’s main move, developing naturally. } e5

{ White doesn’t have enough control over e4 which means that we can look to play …e4
ourselves. }

8. Ne2 { White’s most common choice by far. } e4 { Grabbing space. } 9.

Bc2

{ This has little independent value and should transpose to White’s main move , 9.Bb1 , in a
couple moves time. }

b6 10. Ng3 Ba6 11. Nxe4 Nxe4 12. Bxe4 Bxc4

{ Transposing to variation #6. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.e3”]

[Black “5.a3 Variation 6”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3

{ 4. e3, commonly known as the Rubinstein Variation, is - together with 4. Qc2 - far and
away White’s most popular and challenging option against the Nimzo-Indian. It might seem
strange to think that blocking White’s dark-squared bishop in like this is critical, but as we
will see in a later chapter, active development with 4.Bg5 can be met strongly by c5 , and
4.Nf3 transposes to the Ragozin after d5. 4. e3 seems quite inflexible and committal,
however it is important to keep in mind that White hasn’t committed his g1-knight yet. This
means that he has a couple of possible setups involving Ng1-e2, in addition to the more
obvious Nf3 plans. }

O-O

{ Black’s most flexible option and probably the best. Black doesn’t commit his central
pawns too early, which allows us to opt for either a dark-squared strategy (with …c5) or a
light-squared strategy (with …d5) , depending on how White continues. In most situations
we will be opting for the light-squared strategy with …d5, as this is in keeping with this
repertoire’s theme, but in one specific case we go for a dark-squared plan: when White
plays an early a3 to gain the bishop pair. }

5. a3 { An idea we will also encounter in the 4. a3 chapter. } Bxc3+ 6.

bxc3 Nc6

{ We will also see this idea featured in the fourth chapter after 4. a3 Bxc3+ 5. bxc3 O-O 6. f3
Nc6 !. It is important for Black not to play the automatic d5 instead , as White scores well
and gets a slight edge after 7.cxd5. The point behind …Nc6 is two-fold: it prepares the …e5
break and possibly …e4 later as well, and also it allows black to target the c4 pawn in the
typical way with …Na5, …b6 and …Ba6. }

7. Bd3 { White’s main move, developing naturally. } e5

{ White doesn’t have enough control over e4 which means that we can look to play …e4
ourselves. }

8. Ne2 { White’s most common choice by far. } e4 { Grabbing space. } 9.

Bb1 b6 { Preparing to attack c4. } 10. Ng3

{ White counterattacks our e4-pawn instead of defending c4. } Ba6 11.

Nxe4 Nxe4 12. Bxe4 Bxc4 { After } 13. Bd3 { we can now improve by playing }

Na5 { with a dream good knight vs bad bishop position for us. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.e3”]

[Black “5.Bd3 6.Nge2 Variation 1”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3

{ 4. e3, commonly known as the Rubinstein Variation, is - together with 4. Qc2 - far and
away White’s most popular and challenging option against the Nimzo-Indian. It might seem
strange to think that blocking White’s dark-squared bishop in like this is critical, but as we
will see in a later chapter, active development with 4.Bg5 can be met strongly by c5 , and
4.Nf3 transposes to the Ragozin after d5. 4. e3 seems quite inflexible and committal,
however it is important to keep in mind that White hasn’t committed his g1-knight yet. This
means that he has a couple of possible setups involving Ng1-e2, in addition to the more
obvious Nf3 plans. }

O-O

{ Black’s most flexible option and probably the best. Black doesn’t commit his central
pawns too early, which allows us to opt for either a dark-squared strategy (with …c5) or a
light-squared strategy (with …d5) , depending on how White continues. In most situations
we will be opting for the light-squared strategy with …d5, as this is in keeping with this
repertoire’s theme, but in one specific case we go for a dark-squared plan: when White
plays an early a3 to gain the bishop pair. }

5. Bd3 { The most common move, fighting for the e4 square. } d5

{ The main move here. We continue to follow our … d5 light-squared strategy in order to
fight for the e4 square and the centre. }

6. Ne2

{ White’s second most common with, with the same idea as 5. Nge2 - White wants to
recapture on c3 with the knight. However, that extra tempo gives Black the chance to
liquidate most of the centre. }

dxc4 { Starting to break down White’s centre. } 7. Bxc4 c5

{ Continuing the central exchanges. Black can also try e5 if he wants to avoid an IQP
position, but this is a very good IQP position for Black, so there is no need to avoid c5. }

8. a3 { This isn’t very critical in this variation. } Bxc3+ 9. bxc3 Qc7

{ just transposes to a position we analyse after 6. a3. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.e3”]

[Black “5.Bd3 6.Nge2 Variation 2”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3

{ 4. e3, commonly known as the Rubinstein Variation, is - together with 4. Qc2 - far and
away White’s most popular and challenging option against the Nimzo-Indian. It might seem
strange to think that blocking White’s dark-squared bishop in like this is critical, but as we
will see in a later chapter, active development with 4.Bg5 can be met strongly by c5 , and
4.Nf3 transposes to the Ragozin after d5. 4. e3 seems quite inflexible and committal,
however it is important to keep in mind that White hasn’t committed his g1-knight yet. This
means that he has a couple of possible setups involving Ng1-e2, in addition to the more
obvious Nf3 plans. }

O-O

{ Black’s most flexible option and probably the best. Black doesn’t commit his central
pawns too early, which allows us to opt for either a dark-squared strategy (with …c5) or a
light-squared strategy (with …d5) , depending on how White continues. In most situations
we will be opting for the light-squared strategy with …d5, as this is in keeping with this
repertoire’s theme, but in one specific case we go for a dark-squared plan: when White
plays an early a3 to gain the bishop pair. }

5. Bd3 { The most common move, fighting for the e4-square. } d5

{ The main move here. We continue to follow our … d5 light-squared strategy in order to
fight for the e4-square and the centre. }

6. Ne2

{ White’s second most common with, with the same idea as 5. Nge2 - White wants to
recapture on c3 with the knight. However, that extra tempo gives Black the chance to
liquidate most of the centre. }

dxc4 { Starting to break down White’s centre. } 7. Bxc4 c5

{ Continuing the central exchanges. Black can also try e5 if he wants to avoid an IQP
position, but this is a very good IQP position for Black, so there is no need to avoid c5. }

8. a3 { isn’t very critical in this variation. } Bxc3+ 9. Nxc3

{ The only independent try in this line. } cxd4 10. exd4

{ We have reached a very poor IQP position for White. A pair of minor pieces have already
been exchanged, and White’s remaining knight does nothing to support d4, which makes
tying White down to its defence easy. }

Nc6 { Hitting d4. } 11. Be3 b6 { Preparing to develop the bishop. } 12.

O-O Bb7

{ Black is fully equal - it is difficult to find any attempt for an advantage for White. Next,
Black can reroute his knight to e7 and then to either d5 or f5. }
[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.e3”]

[Black “5.Bd3 6.Nge2 Variation 3”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3

{ 4. e3, commonly known as the Rubinstein Variation, is - together with 4. Qc2 - far and
away White’s most popular and challenging option against the Nimzo-Indian. It might seem
strange to think that blocking White’s dark-squared bishop in like this is critical, but as we
will see in a later chapter, active development with 4.Bg5 can be met strongly by c5 , and
4.Nf3 transposes to the Ragozin after d5. 4. e3 seems quite inflexible and committal,
however it is important to keep in mind that White hasn’t committed his g1-knight yet. This
means that he has a couple of possible setups involving Ng1-e2, in addition to the more
obvious Nf3 plans. }

O-O

{ Black’s most flexible option and probably the best. Black doesn’t commit his central
pawns too early, which allows us to opt for either a dark-squared strategy (with …c5) or a
light-squared strategy (with …d5) , depending on how White continues. In most situations
we will be opting for the light-squared strategy with …d5, as this is in keeping with this
repertoire’s theme, but in one specific case we go for a dark-squared plan: when White
plays an early a3 to gain the bishop pair. }

5. Bd3 { The most common move, fighting for the e4-square. } d5

{ The main move here. We continue to follow our … d5 light-squared strategy in order to
fight for the e4-square and the centre. }

6. Ne2

{ White’s second most common with, with the same idea as 5. Nge2 - White wants to
recapture on c3 with the knight. However, that extra tempo gives Black the chance to
liquidate most of the centre. }

dxc4 { Starting to break down White’s centre. } 7. Bxc4 c5

{ Continuing the central exchanges. Black can also try e5 if he wants to avoid an IQP
position, but this is a very good IQP position for Black, so there is no need to avoid c5. }

8. O-O cxd4 9. exd4 Nc6

{ Once again, White has a very innocuous IQP position. This is mostly due to the passive
knight on e2, which has few prospects besides the defence of d4. White’s usual kingside
attack ideas aren’t really present in this position, and Black can easily restrain and attack
the d4-pawn. Here are two sample lines of how play might go. }

10. a3 Bd6

{ Of course, there is no need to take on c3 in this situation. The bishop is active on d6, and
moreover it keeps e7 free for our knight. }

11. h3 h6 { A good prophylactic move against Bg5. } 12. Be3 Ne7

{ A thematic manoeuvre. From here the knight can head to d5 or f5. } 13. Bd3 b6

{ Black has the IQP locked down completely and is 100% in the driver’s seat. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.e3”]

[Black “5.Bd3 6.Nge2 Variation 4”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3

{ 4. e3, commonly known as the Rubinstein Variation, is - together with 4. Qc2 - far and
away White’s most popular and challenging option against the Nimzo-Indian. It might seem
strange to think that blocking White’s dark-squared bishop in like this is critical, but as we
will see in a later chapter, active development with 4.Bg5 can be met strongly by c5 , and
4.Nf3 transposes to the Ragozin after d5. 4. e3 seems quite inflexible and committal,
however it is important to keep in mind that White hasn’t committed his g1-knight yet. This
means that he has a couple of possible setups involving Ng1-e2, in addition to the more
obvious Nf3 plans. }

O-O

{ Black’s most flexible option and probably the best. Black doesn’t commit his central
pawns too early, which allows us to opt for either a dark-squared strategy (with …c5) or a
light-squared strategy (with …d5) , depending on how White continues. In most situations
we will be opting for the light-squared strategy with …d5, as this is in keeping with this
repertoire’s theme, but in one specific case we go for a dark-squared plan: when White
plays an early a3 to gain the bishop pair. }

5. Bd3 { The most common move, fighting for the e4-square. } d5

{ The main move here. We continue to follow our … d5 light-squared strategy in order to
fight for the e4-square and the centre. }

6. Ne2

{ White’s second most common with, with the same idea as 5. Nge2 - White wants to
recapture on c3 with the knight. However, that extra tempo gives Black the chance to
liquidate most of the centre. }

dxc4 { Starting to break down White’s centre. } 7. Bxc4 c5

{ Continuing the central exchanges. Black can also try e5 if he wants to avoid an IQP
position, but this is a very good IQP position for Black, so there is no need to avoid c5. }

8. O-O cxd4 9. exd4 Nc6

{ Once again, White has a very innocuous IQP position. This is mostly due to the passive
knight on e2, which has few prospects besides the defence of d4. White’s usual kingside
attack ideas aren’t really present in this position, and Black can easily restrain and attack
the d4-pawn. Here are two sample lines of how play might go. }

10. Bg5 { The usual, active square for White’s bishop. } Be7 11. a3 b6

{ Getting the light-squared bishop out. } 12. Qd3 Bb7 13. Rad1 h6

{ Forcing White’s bishop to choose a diagonal. } 14. Bh4 Nh5

{ A nice little exchanging idea that fast-tracks simplifications and equality. }

15. Bxe7 Nxe7

{ Once again, Black has the IQP under control - White’s best bet is just to go d5 and
liquidate everything. }
[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.e3”]

[Black “5.Bd3 6.a3 Variation 1”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3

{ 4. e3, commonly known as the Rubinstein Variation, is - together with 4. Qc2 - far and
away White’s most popular and challenging option against the Nimzo-Indian. It might seem
strange to think that blocking White’s dark-squared bishop in like this is critical, but as we
will see in a later chapter, active development with 4.Bg5 can be met strongly by c5 , and
4.Nf3 transposes to the Ragozin after d5. 4. e3 seems quite inflexible and committal,
however it is important to keep in mind that White hasn’t committed his g1-knight yet. This
means that he has a couple of possible setups involving Ng1-e2, in addition to the more
obvious Nf3 plans. }

O-O

{ Black’s most flexible option and probably the best. Black doesn’t commit his central
pawns too early, which allows us to opt for either a dark-squared strategy (with …c5) or a
light-squared strategy (with …d5) , depending on how White continues. In most situations
we will be opting for the light-squared strategy with …d5, as this is in keeping with this
repertoire’s theme, but in one specific case we go for a dark-squared plan: when White
plays an early a3 to gain the bishop pair. }

5. Bd3 { The most common move, fighting for the e4-square. } d5

{ The main move here. We continue to follow our … d5 light-squared strategy in order to
fight for the e4-square and the centre. }

6. a3 Bxc3+ 7. bxc3 dxc4

{ Once White has moved his f1-bishop, this is rarely a bad idea. What Black wants to avoid
in this position is a situation where White plays cxd5 and develops his knight to e2, as he
gets simple and strong play based on f3 and e4 there. }

8. Bxc4 c5 9. Ne2

{ One of the two possible squares for the knight. Nf3 is slightly more popular, although it is
very close. Ne2 has the benefit of protecting c3, while after Nf3 something like Ne5 could be
possible later. }

Qc7 { Indirectly attacking White’s bishop. } 10. Ba2

{ White keeps control of the g8-a2 diagonal, but on the other hand White gives up f1-a6,
which we will exploit. }

b6 11. O-O Ba6

{ Exploiting the diagonal left unprotected by White’s light-squared bishop. }

12. Bb2

{ Developing the bishop to b2 first involves a different pawn expansion to 12. Re1: white is
going for c4 here instead. }

Nc6 13. Rc1 Rfd8 14. c4

{ White gets his desired c4 expansion, but it quickly becomes clear that this is not
necessarily even so desirable. }

cxd4 15. exd4 b5

{ Black tears apart White’s hanging pawns, leaving more light-squared weaknesses
behind. }

16. cxb5 Bxb5

{ With just a lone IQP under heavy pressure, White can only hope for equality here. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]
[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.e3”]

[Black “5.Bd3 6.a3 Variation 2”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3

{ 4. e3, commonly known as the Rubinstein Variation, is - together with 4. Qc2 - far and
away White’s most popular and challenging option against the Nimzo-Indian. It might seem
strange to think that blocking White’s dark-squared bishop in like this is critical, but as we
will see in a later chapter, active development with 4.Bg5 can be met strongly by c5 , and
4.Nf3 transposes to the Ragozin after d5. 4. e3 seems quite inflexible and committal,
however it is important to keep in mind that White hasn’t committed his g1-knight yet. This
means that he has a couple of possible setups involving Ng1-e2, in addition to the more
obvious Nf3 plans. }

O-O

{ Black’s most flexible option and probably the best. Black doesn’t commit his central
pawns too early, which allows us to opt for either a dark-squared strategy (with …c5) or a
light-squared strategy (with …d5) , depending on how White continues. In most situations
we will be opting for the light-squared strategy with …d5, as this is in keeping with this
repertoire’s theme, but in one specific case we go for a dark-squared plan: when White
plays an early a3 to gain the bishop pair. }

5. Bd3 { The most common move, fighting for the e4-square. } d5

{ The main move here. We continue to follow our … d5 light-squared strategy in order to
fight for the e4-square and the centre. }

6. a3 Bxc3+ 7. bxc3 dxc4

{ Once White has moved his f1-bishop, this is rarely a bad idea. What Black wants to avoid
in this position is a situation where White plays cxd5 and develops his knight to e2, as he
gets simple and strong play based on f3 and e4 there. }

8. Bxc4 c5 9. Ne2

{ One of the two possible squares for the knight. Nf3 is slightly more popular, although it is
very close. Ne2 has the benefit of protecting c3, while after Nf3 something like Ne5 could be
possible later. }

Qc7 { Indirectly attacking White’s bishop. } 10. Ba2

{ White keeps control of the g8-a2 diagonal, but on the other hand White gives up f1-a6,
which we will exploit. }

b6 11. O-O Ba6

{ Exploiting the diagonal left unprotected by White’s light-squared bishop. }

12. Re1

{ Stepping out of the pin and preparing to support an e4-advance in the future. }

Nc6 13. Ng3 { White seems to be ready to start advancing with e4. }

Rfd8

{ Black keeps piling the pressure on d4, making any e4 expansion impossible for now. }

14. Bb2 { Reinforcing d4. } Na5

{ Clearly e4 is on its way, so Black switches plans and begins to exploit the weak c4-
square. }

15. e4 Bc4

{ By putting the bishop on c4, Black is able to neutralise both of White’s bishops. }

16. Bxc4 Nxc4 17. Bc1 { White holds onto his bishop and threatens 18. Bg5. }

Ne8

{ Prophylaxis against Bg5. Black is doing well here - his knight on c4 is very strong and
there is a lot of pressure against White’s d4-pawn. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.e3”]

[Black “5.Bd3 6.a3 Variation 3”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3

{ 4. e3, commonly known as the Rubinstein Variation, is - together with 4. Qc2 - far and
away White’s most popular and challenging option against the Nimzo-Indian. It might seem
strange to think that blocking White’s dark-squared bishop in like this is critical, but as we
will see in a later chapter, active development with 4.Bg5 can be met strongly by c5 , and
4.Nf3 transposes to the Ragozin after d5. 4. e3 seems quite inflexible and committal,
however it is important to keep in mind that White hasn’t committed his g1-knight yet. This
means that he has a couple of possible setups involving Ng1-e2, in addition to the more
obvious Nf3 plans. }

O-O

{ Black’s most flexible option and probably the best. Black doesn’t commit his central
pawns too early, which allows us to opt for either a dark-squared strategy (with …c5) or a
light-squared strategy (with …d5) , depending on how White continues. In most situations
we will be opting for the light-squared strategy with …d5, as this is in keeping with this
repertoire’s theme, but in one specific case we go for a dark-squared plan: when White
plays an early a3 to gain the bishop pair. }

5. Bd3 { The most common move, fighting for the e4-square. } d5

{ The main move here. We continue to follow our … d5 light-squared strategy in order to
fight for the e4 square and the centre. }

6. a3 Bxc3+ 7. bxc3 dxc4

{ Once White has moved his f1-bishop, this is rarely a bad idea. What Black wants to avoid
in this position is a situation where White plays cxd5 and develops his knight to e2, as he
gets simple and strong play based on f3 and e4 there. }

8. Bxc4 c5 9. Ne2

{ One of the two possible squares for the knight. Nf3 is slightly more popular, although it is
very close. Ne2 has the benefit of protecting c3, while after Nf3 something like Ne5 could be
possible later. }

Qc7 { Indirectly attacking White’s bishop. } 10. Bd3

{ The more popular of the two bishop retreats. White surrenders the g8-a2 diagonal, which
makes the …e5 break more effective, but does control e4 and the f1-a6 diagonal. }

Nc6

{ With the light bishop off the g8-a2 diagonal, Black is playing for the …e5 break. }
11. f4

{ This has been tried, in a Stonewall fashion, to prevent Black’s …e5. }

b6

{ Natural development is fine for Black here. Although he didn’t carry out the …e5 break, f4
is quite weakening and a definite concession. }

12. O-O Bb7 13. Ng3 Na5

{ With good play for Black. Black’s knights are well-poised to exploit the light squares
which were weakened by f4. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.e3”]

[Black “5.Bd3 6.a3 Variation 4”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3

{ 4. e3, commonly known as the Rubinstein Variation, is - together with 4. Qc2 - far and
away White’s most popular and challenging option against the Nimzo-Indian. It might seem
strange to think that blocking White’s dark-squared bishop in like this is critical, but as we
will see in a later chapter, active development with 4.Bg5 can be met strongly by c5 , and
4.Nf3 transposes to the Ragozin after d5. 4. e3 seems quite inflexible and committal,
however it is important to keep in mind that White hasn’t committed his g1-knight yet. This
means that he has a couple of possible setups involving Ng1-e2, in addition to the more
obvious Nf3 plans. }

O-O

{ Black’s most flexible option and probably the best. Black doesn’t commit his central
pawns too early, which allows us to opt for either a dark-squared strategy (with …c5) or a
light-squared strategy (with …d5) , depending on how White continues. In most situations
we will be opting for the light-squared strategy with …d5, as this is in keeping with this
repertoire’s theme, but in one specific case we go for a dark-squared plan: when White
plays an early a3 to gain the bishop pair. }

5. Bd3 { The most common move, fighting for the e4-square. } d5

{ The main move here. We continue to follow our … d5 light-squared strategy in order to
fight for the e4-square and the centre. }

6. a3 Bxc3+ 7. bxc3 dxc4

{ Once White has moved his f1-bishop, this is rarely a bad idea. What Black wants to avoid
in this position is a situation where White plays cxd5 and develops his knight to e2, as he
gets simple and strong play based on f3 and e4 there. }

8. Bxc4 c5 9. Ne2

{ One of the two possible squares for the knight. Nf3 is slightly more popular, although it is
very close. Ne2 has the benefit of protecting c3, while after Nf3 something like Ne5 could be
possible later. }

Qc7 { Indirectly attacking White’s bishop. } 10. Bd3

{ The more popular of the two bishop retreats. White surrenders the g8-a2 diagonal, which
makes the …e5 break more effective, but does control e4 and the f1-a6 diagonal. }

Nc6

{ With the light bishop off the g8-a2 diagonal, Black is playing for the …e5 break. }

11. O-O e5 12. Qc2 { Preventing …e4. } Be6 13. f4

{ This has been tried a few times surprisingly, but it is just bad. It seems like White
panicked and tried to get rid of the central tension. }

c4

{ Forcing an exchange of White’s light-squared bishop, which leaves the light squares
critically weakened. }

14. Bf5 Bxf5 15. Qxf5 exd4 16. cxd4

{ Taking with the other pawn is just as bad, since it gives Black a monstrous outpost on
d5. }

Ne7 { Kicking the queen back. } 17. Qc2 Qc6

{ Black’s domination on the light squares, combined with his queenside majority give him a
clear advantage. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.e3”]

[Black “5.Bd3 6.a3 Variation 5”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3

{ 4. e3, commonly known as the Rubinstein Variation, is - together with 4. Qc2 - far and
away White’s most popular and challenging option against the Nimzo-Indian. It might seem
strange to think that blocking White’s dark-squared bishop in like this is critical, but as we
will see in a later chapter, active development with 4.Bg5 can be met strongly by c5 , and
4.Nf3 transposes to the Ragozin after d5. 4. e3 seems quite inflexible and committal,
however it is important to keep in mind that White hasn’t committed his g1-knight yet. This
means that he has a couple of possible setups involving Ng1-e2, in addition to the more
obvious Nf3 plans. }

O-O

{ Black’s most flexible option and probably the best. Black doesn’t commit his central
pawns too early, which allows us to opt for either a dark-squared strategy (with …c5) or a
light-squared strategy (with …d5) , depending on how White continues. In most situations
we will be opting for the light-squared strategy with …d5, as this is in keeping with this
repertoire’s theme, but in one specific case we go for a dark-squared plan: when White
plays an early a3 to gain the bishop pair. }

5. Bd3 { The most common move, fighting for the e4-square. } d5

{ The main move here. We continue to follow our … d5 light-squared strategy in order to
fight for the e4-square and the centre. }

6. a3 Bxc3+ 7. bxc3 dxc4

{ Once White has moved his f1-bishop, this is rarely a bad idea. What Black wants to avoid
in this position is a situation where White plays cxd5 and develops his knight to e2, as he
gets simple and strong play based on f3 and e4 there. }

8. Bxc4 c5 9. Ne2

{ One of the two possible squares for the knight. Nf3 is slightly more popular, although it is
very close. Ne2 has the benefit of protecting c3, while after Nf3 something like Ne5 could be
possible later. }

Qc7 { Indirectly attacking White’s bishop. } 10. Bd3

{ The more popular of the two bishop retreats. White surrenders the g8-a2 diagonal, which
makes the …e5 break more effective, but does control e4 and the f1-a6 diagonal. }

Nc6

{ With the light bishop off the g8-a2 diagonal, Black is playing for the …e5 break. }

11. O-O e5 12. Bb2 Be6

{ Black has very good play against White’s centre. Next he can just bring his rooks to the
central files. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.e3”]

[Black “5.Bd3 6.a3 Variation 6”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3

{ 4. e3, commonly known as the Rubinstein Variation, is - together with 4. Qc2 - far and
away White’s most popular and challenging option against the Nimzo-Indian. It might seem
strange to think that blocking White’s dark-squared bishop in like this is critical, but as we
will see in a later chapter, active development with 4.Bg5 can be met strongly by c5 , and
4.Nf3 transposes to the Ragozin after d5. 4. e3 seems quite inflexible and committal,
however it is important to keep in mind that White hasn’t committed his g1-knight yet. This
means that he has a couple of possible setups involving Ng1-e2, in addition to the more
obvious Nf3 plans. }

O-O

{ Black’s most flexible option and probably the best. Black doesn’t commit his central
pawns too early, which allows us to opt for either a dark-squared strategy (with …c5) or a
light-squared strategy (with …d5) , depending on how White continues. In most situations
we will be opting for the light-squared strategy with …d5, as this is in keeping with this
repertoire’s theme, but in one specific case we go for a dark-squared plan: when White
plays an early a3 to gain the bishop pair. }

5. Bd3 { The most common move, fighting for the e4-square. } d5

{ The main move here. We continue to follow our … d5 light-squared strategy in order to
fight for the e4-square and the centre. }

6. a3 Bxc3+ 7. bxc3 dxc4

{ Once White has moved his f1-bishop, this is rarely a bad idea. What Black wants to avoid
in this position is a situation where White plays cxd5 and develops his knight to e2, as he
gets simple and strong play based on f3 and e4 there. }

8. Bxc4 c5 9. Nf3 Qc7

{ Once again indirectly attacking White’s bishop. Note that this time, Bd3 is a blunder
because of … cxd4 followed by …Qc3+. }

10. Be2

{ The bishop seems quite passive on e2, and it has no influence over the g8-a2 diagonal, but
on the other hand White is just looking to play c4 and get a hanging pawns pawn
structure. }

b6 11. O-O Bb7 12. Bb2 Nbd7 13. c4 Rac8 14. Rc1 Rfd8

{ Black has a sound setup which has scored well in practice, including a notable win by
Anand against Carlsen (in rapid) . Black has a few ways to shuffle his knights around here,
including …Ne4, …Ne4-d6 or …Nf8-g6. }

[Site “?”]
[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.e3”]

[Black “5.Bd3 6.a3 Variation 7”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3

{ 4. e3, commonly known as the Rubinstein Variation, is - together with 4. Qc2 - far and
away White’s most popular and challenging option against the Nimzo-Indian. It might seem
strange to think that blocking White’s dark-squared bishop in like this is critical, but as we
will see in a later chapter, active development with 4.Bg5 can be met strongly by c5 , and
4.Nf3 transposes to the Ragozin after d5. 4. e3 seems quite inflexible and committal,
however it is important to keep in mind that White hasn’t committed his g1-knight yet. This
means that he has a couple of possible setups involving Ng1-e2, in addition to the more
obvious Nf3 plans. }

O-O

{ Black’s most flexible option and probably the best. Black doesn’t commit his central
pawns too early, which allows us to opt for either a dark-squared strategy (with …c5) or a
light-squared strategy (with …d5) , depending on how White continues. In most situations
we will be opting for the light-squared strategy with …d5, as this is in keeping with this
repertoire’s theme, but in one specific case we go for a dark-squared plan: when White
plays an early a3 to gain the bishop pair. }

5. Bd3 { The most common move, fighting for the e4-square. } d5

{ The main move here. We continue to follow our … d5 light-squared strategy in order to
fight for the e4-square and the centre. }

6. a3 Bxc3+ 7. bxc3 dxc4

{ Once White has moved his f1-bishop, this is rarely a bad idea. What Black wants to avoid
in this position is a situation where White plays cxd5 and develops his knight to e2, as he
gets simple and strong play based on f3 and e4 there. }

8. Bxc4 c5 9. Nf3 Qc7

{ Once again indirectly attacking White’s bishop. Note that this time, Bd3 is a blunder
because of … cxd4 followed by …Qc3+. }
10. Qe2

{ This has been played a few times, although it is a blunder, for a similar reason to 10.
Bd3 ?: }

cxd4 11. cxd4 b5 { followed by …Qc3+. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.e3”]

[Black “5.Bd3 6.a3 Variation 8”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3

{ 4. e3, commonly known as the Rubinstein Variation, is - together with 4. Qc2 - far and
away White’s most popular and challenging option against the Nimzo-Indian. It might seem
strange to think that blocking White’s dark-squared bishop in like this is critical, but as we
will see in a later chapter, active development with 4.Bg5 can be met strongly by c5 , and
4.Nf3 transposes to the Ragozin after d5. 4. e3 seems quite inflexible and committal,
however it is important to keep in mind that White hasn’t committed his g1-knight yet. This
means that he has a couple of possible setups involving Ng1-e2, in addition to the more
obvious Nf3 plans. }

O-O

{ Black’s most flexible option and probably the best. Black doesn’t commit his central
pawns too early, which allows us to opt for either a dark-squared strategy (with …c5) or a
light-squared strategy (with …d5) , depending on how White continues. In most situations
we will be opting for the light-squared strategy with …d5, as this is in keeping with this
repertoire’s theme, but in one specific case we go for a dark-squared plan: when White
plays an early a3 to gain the bishop pair. }

5. Bd3 { The most common move, fighting for the e4-square. } d5

{ The main move here. We continue to follow our … d5 light-squared strategy in order to
fight for the e4-square and the centre. }

6. a3 Bxc3+ 7. bxc3 dxc4

{ Once White has moved his f1-bishop, this is rarely a bad idea. What Black wants to avoid
in this position is a situation where White plays cxd5 and develops his knight to e2, as he
gets simple and strong play based on f3 and e4 there. }

8. Bxc4 c5 9. Nf3 Qc7

{ Once again indirectly attacking White’s bishop. Note that this time, Bd3 is a blunder
because of … cxd4 followed by …Qc3+. }

10. Qc2

{ This is bound to tranpose to either 10. Be2 or 10. Ba2, since White can’t leave the bishop
on c4 indefinitely. }

b6 11. O-O

{ Already a losing blunder, which has been played 13 times to date ! }

cxd4 12. cxd4 Ba6 { White loses an exchange at least. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.e3”]

[Black “5.Bd3 6.a3 Variation 9”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3

{ 4. e3, commonly known as the Rubinstein Variation, is - together with 4. Qc2 - far and
away White’s most popular and challenging option against the Nimzo-Indian. It might seem
strange to think that blocking White’s dark-squared bishop in like this is critical, but as we
will see in a later chapter, active development with 4.Bg5 can be met strongly by c5 , and
4.Nf3 transposes to the Ragozin after d5. 4. e3 seems quite inflexible and committal,
however it is important to keep in mind that White hasn’t committed his g1-knight yet. This
means that he has a couple of possible setups involving Ng1-e2, in addition to the more
obvious Nf3 plans. }

O-O

{ Black’s most flexible option and probably the best. Black doesn’t commit his central
pawns too early, which allows us to opt for either a dark-squared strategy (with …c5) or a
light-squared strategy (with …d5) , depending on how White continues. In most situations
we will be opting for the light-squared strategy with …d5, as this is in keeping with this
repertoire’s theme, but in one specific case we go for a dark-squared plan: when White
plays an early a3 to gain the bishop pair. }

5. Bd3 { The most common move, fighting for the e4-square. } d5

{ The main move here. We continue to follow our … d5 light-squared strategy in order to
fight for the e4-square and the centre. }

6. a3 Bxc3+ 7. bxc3 dxc4

{ Once White has moved his f1-bishop, this is rarely a bad idea. What Black wants to avoid
in this position is a situation where White plays cxd5 and develops his knight to e2, as he
gets simple and strong play based on f3 and e4 there. }

8. Bxc4 c5 9. Nf3 Qc7

{ Once again indirectly attacking White’s bishop. Note that this time, Bd3 is a blunder
because of … cxd4 followed by …Qc3+. }

10. Ba2

{ The more popular of the bishop retreats keeps control over the g8-a2 diagonal. }

b6 11. O-O Nbd7 12. Bb2 Bb7

{ Threatening …Ng4 with the idea of …Bxf3 and …Qxh2#. White has to be careful here and
deal with that threat. }

13. c4 { This move immediately is also possible. } cxd4 14. exd4 Qf4

{ With the idea of …Bxf3 at some point. Black has good play against White’s hanging
pawns. }
[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.e3”]

[Black “5.Bd3 6.a3 Variation 10”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3

{ 4. e3, commonly known as the Rubinstein Variation, is - together with 4. Qc2 - far and
away White’s most popular and challenging option against the Nimzo-Indian. It might seem
strange to think that blocking White’s dark-squared bishop in like this is critical, but as we
will see in a later chapter, active development with 4.Bg5 can be met strongly by c5 , and
4.Nf3 transposes to the Ragozin after d5. 4. e3 seems quite inflexible and committal,
however it is important to keep in mind that White hasn’t committed his g1-knight yet. This
means that he has a couple of possible setups involving Ng1-e2, in addition to the more
obvious Nf3 plans. }

O-O

{ Black’s most flexible option and probably the best. Black doesn’t commit his central
pawns too early, which allows us to opt for either a dark-squared strategy (with …c5) or a
light-squared strategy (with …d5) , depending on how White continues. In most situations
we will be opting for the light-squared strategy with …d5, as this is in keeping with this
repertoire’s theme, but in one specific case we go for a dark-squared plan: when White
plays an early a3 to gain the bishop pair. }

5. Bd3 { The most common move, fighting for the e4-square. } d5

{ The main move here. We continue to follow our … d5 light-squared strategy in order to
fight for the e4-square and the centre. }

6. a3 Bxc3+ 7. bxc3 dxc4

{ Once White has moved his f1-bishop, this is rarely a bad idea. What Black wants to avoid
in this position is a situation where White plays cxd5 and develops his knight to e2, as he
gets simple and strong play based on f3 and e4 there. }
8. Bxc4 c5 9. Nf3 Qc7

{ Once again indirectly attacking White’s bishop. Note that this time, Bd3 is a blunder
because of … cxd4 followed by …Qc3+. }

10. Ba2

{ The more popular of the bishop retreats keeps control over the g8-a2 diagonal. }

b6 11. O-O Nbd7 12. Bb2 Bb7

{ Threatening …Ng4 with the idea of …Bxf3 and …Qxh2#. White has to be careful here and
deal with that threat. }

13. Qe2 Rfe8

{ It’s always useful to put the rook on the same file as the opponent’s queen, and moreover
the rook helps support a possible …e5. }

14. c4

{ Slightly inaccurate, but there is an important idea to illustrate here. }

cxd4 15. exd4

{ White should rather recapture with the knight here with approximate equality. }

Ng4

{ An important idea to be aware of - …Bxf3 followed by …Qxh2#. White needs to defend

against this threat, but he will need to make a serious concession one way or another. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.e3”]

[Black “5.Bd3 6.cxd5 Variation 1”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3

{ 4. e3, commonly known as the Rubinstein Variation, is - together with 4. Qc2 - far and
away White’s most popular and challenging option against the Nimzo-Indian. It might seem
strange to think that blocking White’s dark-squared bishop in like this is critical, but as we
will see in a later chapter, active development with 4.Bg5 can be met strongly by c5 , and
4.Nf3 transposes to the Ragozin after d5. 4. e3 seems quite inflexible and committal,
however it is important to keep in mind that White hasn’t committed his g1-knight yet. This
means that he has a couple of possible setups involving Ng1-e2, in addition to the more
obvious Nf3 plans. }

O-O

{ Black’s most flexible option and probably the best. Black doesn’t commit his central
pawns too early, which allows us to opt for either a dark-squared strategy (with …c5) or a
light-squared strategy (with …d5) , depending on how White continues. In most situations
we will be opting for the light-squared strategy with …d5, as this is in keeping with this
repertoire’s theme, but in one specific case we go for a dark-squared plan: when White
plays an early a3 to gain the bishop pair. }

5. Bd3 { The most common move, fighting for the e4-square. } d5

{ The main move here. We continue to follow our … d5 light-squared strategy in order to
fight for the e4-square and the centre. }

6. cxd5

{ Exchanging on d5 leads to positions reminiscent of the Queen’s Gambit Declined

Exchange Variation, but with the key difference (in Black’s favour) being that White’s dark-
squared bishop is trapped inside his pawn chain. }

exd5 7. Ne2

{ As mentioned before, e2 is preferable for the knight in this structure since White usually
plans f3 and e4. 7.Nf3 allows black to equalise very easily with Bg4. }

Re8

{ The rook is well-placed here, and now the f8 square is also vacated for our dark-squared
bishop or knight. }

8. Bd2 { Normal, slow play doesn’t really challenge Black’s solid setup. }

Bd6 { The most active square for the bishop. } 9. Rc1 c6

{ a6 is also possible to prevent Nb5 ideas. } 10. O-O Nbd7

{ Black has no problems here at all. } 11. f3 c5

{ With similar to play as in our mainline with 8. O-O. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.e3”]

[Black “5.Bd3 6.cxd5 Variation 2”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3

{ 4. e3, commonly known as the Rubinstein Variation, is - together with 4. Qc2 - far and
away White’s most popular and challenging option against the Nimzo-Indian. It might seem
strange to think that blocking White’s dark-squared bishop in like this is critical, but as we
will see in a later chapter, active development with 4.Bg5 can be met strongly by c5 , and
4.Nf3 transposes to the Ragozin after d5. 4. e3 seems quite inflexible and committal,
however it is important to keep in mind that White hasn’t committed his g1-knight yet. This
means that he has a couple of possible setups involving Ng1-e2, in addition to the more
obvious Nf3 plans. }

O-O

{ Black’s most flexible option and probably the best. Black doesn’t commit his central
pawns too early, which allows us to opt for either a dark-squared strategy (with …c5) or a
light-squared strategy (with …d5) , depending on how White continues. In most situations
we will be opting for the light-squared strategy with …d5, as this is in keeping with this
repertoire’s theme, but in one specific case we go for a dark-squared plan: when White
plays an early a3 to gain the bishop pair. }

5. Bd3 { The most common move, fighting for the e4-square. } d5

{ The main move here. We continue to follow our … d5 light-squared strategy in order to
fight for the e4-square and the centre. }

6. cxd5

{ Exchanging on d5 leads to positions reminiscent of the Queen’s Gambit Declined

Exchange Variation, but with the key difference (in Black’s favour) being that White’s dark-
squared bishop is trapped inside his pawn chain. }

exd5 7. Ne2

{ As mentioned before, e2 is preferable for the knight in this structure since White usually
plans f3 and e4. 7.Nf3 allows black to equalise very easily with Bg4. }

Re8

{ The rook is well-placed here, and now the f8 is also vacated for our dark-squared bishop
or knight. }

8. O-O Bd6 { The most active square for the bishop. } 9. f3

{ White’s only challenging plan is to play for e4. } c5

{ Now is the ideal time to counter-strike in the centre. f3 leaves the e3 pawn weakened,
which means dxc5 …Bxc5 is not desirable. Additionally, the central tension makes it very
difficult for White to carry out his e4 break. }

10. Kh1

{ This is perhaps White’s safest way to play: he is going to try and simplify the centre. }

Nc6 11. dxc5 Bxc5 12. e4 { Necessary to equalise. } dxe4

{ The game just fizzles out now with mass exchanges. } 13. Nxe4 Nxe4 14. Bxe4

Qxd1 15. Rxd1 f5 { with complete equality. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.e3”]

[Black “5.Bd3 6.cxd5 Variation 3”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3

{ 4. e3, commonly known as the Rubinstein Variation, is - together with 4. Qc2 - far and
away White’s most popular and challenging option against the Nimzo-Indian. It might seem
strange to think that blocking White’s dark-squared bishop in like this is critical, but as we
will see in a later chapter, active development with 4.Bg5 can be met strongly by c5 , and
4.Nf3 transposes to the Ragozin after d5. 4. e3 seems quite inflexible and committal,
however it is important to keep in mind that White hasn’t committed his g1-knight yet. This
means that he has a couple of possible setups involving Ng1-e2, in addition to the more
obvious Nf3 plans. }

O-O

{ Black’s most flexible option and probably the best. Black doesn’t commit his central
pawns too early, which allows us to opt for either a dark-squared strategy (with …c5) or a
light-squared strategy (with …d5) , depending on how White continues. In most situations
we will be opting for the light-squared strategy with …d5, as this is in keeping with this
repertoire’s theme, but in one specific case we go for a dark-squared plan: when White
plays an early a3 to gain the bishop pair. }

5. Bd3 { The most common move, fighting for the e4-square. } d5

{ The main move here. We continue to follow our … d5 light-squared strategy in order to
fight for the e4-square and the centre. }

6. cxd5

{ Exchanging on d5 leads to positions reminiscent of the Queen’s Gambit Declined

Exchange Variation, but with the key difference (in Black’s favour) being that White’s dark-
squared bishop is trapped inside his pawn chain. }

exd5 7. Ne2

{ As mentioned before, e2 is preferable for the knight in this structure since White usually
plans f3 and e4. 7.Nf3 allows black to equalise very easily with Bg4. }

Re8

{ The rook is well-placed here, and now the f8 is also vacated for our dark-squared bishop
or knight. }
8. O-O Bd6 { The most active square for the bishop. } 9. f3

{ White’s only challenging plan is to play for e4. } c5

{ Now is the ideal time to counter-strike in the centre. f3 leaves the e3 pawn weakened,
which means dxc5 …Bxc5 is not desirable. Additionally, the central tension makes it very
difficult for White to carry out his e4 break. }

10. Qe1 { White is trying to conjure up a kingside attack with Qh4. } Nc6

11. Qh4

{ Black needs to deal with the vulnerability of the h7-pawn sooner or later. }

h6 12. g4

{ This is a direct way to attack Black’s king, but it objectively shouldn’t be dangerous. }

a6 { Black begins his queenside play. } 13. Qf2 b5 14. Ng3

{ So far this has been played once in a game between Giorgardze and Hjartarson, which
White went on to win. It seems like Black should get his queenside counterplay underway
as quickly as possible and begin rolling those pawns forward. }

c4 15. Bc2 b4 16. Nce2 a5

{ Black’s queenside play is far faster than White’s kingside play. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.e3”]

[Black “5.Bd3 6.cxd5 Variation 4”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3

{ 4. e3, commonly known as the Rubinstein Variation, is - together with 4. Qc2 - far and
away White’s most popular and challenging option against the Nimzo-Indian. It might seem
strange to think that blocking White’s dark-squared bishop in like this is critical, but as we
will see in a later chapter, active development with 4.Bg5 can be met strongly by c5 , and
4.Nf3 transposes to the Ragozin after d5. 4. e3 seems quite inflexible and committal,
however it is important to keep in mind that White hasn’t committed his g1-knight yet. This
means that he has a couple of possible setups involving Ng1-e2, in addition to the more
obvious Nf3 plans. }

O-O

{ Black’s most flexible option and probably the best. Black doesn’t commit his central
pawns too early, which allows us to opt for either a dark-squared strategy (with …c5) or a
light-squared strategy (with …d5) , depending on how White continues. In most situations
we will be opting for the light-squared strategy with …d5, as this is in keeping with this
repertoire’s theme, but in one specific case we go for a dark-squared plan: when White
plays an early a3 to gain the bishop pair. }

5. Bd3 { The most common move, fighting for the e4-square. } d5

{ The main move here. We continue to follow our … d5 light-squared strategy in order to
fight for the e4-square and the centre. }

6. cxd5

{ Exchanging on d5 leads to positions reminiscent of the Queen’s Gambit Declined

Exchange Variation, but with the key difference (in Black’s favour) being that White’s dark-
squared bishop is trapped inside his pawn chain. }

exd5 7. Ne2

{ As mentioned before, e2 is preferable for the knight in this structure since White usually
plans f3 and e4. 7.Nf3 allows black to equalise very easily with Bg4. }

Re8

{ The rook is well-placed here, and now the f8 is also vacated for our dark-squared bishop
or knight. }

8. O-O Bd6 { The most active square for the bishop. } 9. f3

{ White’s only challenging plan is to play for e4. } c5

{ Now is the ideal time to counter-strike in the centre. f3 leaves the e3 pawn weakened,
which means dxc5 …Bxc5 is not desirable. Additionally, the central tension makes it very
difficult for White to carry out his e4 break. }
10. Qe1 { White is trying to conjure up a kingside attack with Qh4. } Nc6

11. Qh4

{ Black needs to deal with the vulnerability of the h7-pawn sooner or later. }

h6 12. Kh1 { This is a bit less direct and committal. } Bd7

{ Black retains an advantage thanks to his well-developed pieces and White’s weakness on
e3. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.e3”]

[Black “5.Bd3 6.Nf3 7.a3”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3

{ 4. e3, commonly known as the Rubinstein Variation, is - together with 4. Qc2 - far and
away White’s most popular and challenging option against the Nimzo-Indian. It might seem
strange to think that blocking White’s dark-squared bishop in like this is critical, but as we
will see in a later chapter, active development with 4.Bg5 can be met strongly by c5 , and
4.Nf3 transposes to the Ragozin after d5. 4. e3 seems quite inflexible and committal,
however it is important to keep in mind that White hasn’t committed his g1-knight yet. This
means that he has a couple of possible setups involving Ng1-e2, in addition to the more
obvious Nf3 plans. }

O-O

{ Black’s most flexible option and probably the best. Black doesn’t commit his central
pawns too early, which allows us to opt for either a dark-squared strategy (with …c5) or a
light-squared strategy (with …d5) , depending on how White continues. In most situations
we will be opting for the light-squared strategy with …d5, as this is in keeping with this
repertoire’s theme, but in one specific case we go for a dark-squared plan: when White
plays an early a3 to gain the bishop pair. }

5. Bd3 { The most common move, fighting for the e4-square. } d5

{ The main move here. We continue to follow our … d5 light-squared strategy in order to
fight for the e4-square and the centre. }

6. Nf3

{ White develops, very naturally. This is the main position in the 4. e3 Nimzo-Indian, and
possibly the whole Nimzo-Indian. Black has tried at least a dozen setups and variations
from this position onwards, each of which have their own character, pawn structure and
positional [Link], we tried to choose the setup with the most synergy with the rest
of the repertoire. The 3 main options examined were: 1. The ideal choice would have been
c5 7.O-O Nc6 8.a3 Bxc3+ 9.bxc3 Qc7 , as the structures we get after 10.cxd5 exd5 feature
very frequently in the Ragozin. Unfortunately, White has a number of irritating deviations
on the way to that mainline, such 8. cxd5 exd5 9. dxc5 - which leads to Black getting an IQP
where it is surprisingly difficult to equalise. 2. One of the current mainlines and a
recommendation in a handfull of repertoire books is c5 7.O-O cxd4 8.exd4 dxc4 9.Bxc4. This
leads to a very topical position with decent chances for both sides. However , it is an IQP
position where White has decent chances for an edge and where Black needs to know his
stuff. IQP positions have not featured too prominently in this repertoire , and additionally
covering it in sufficient detail (when this is just one chapter in a comprehensive repertoire)
(for Black to be truly prepared is a difficult task.) 3. b6 was the third option. It leads to a
structure which does feature elsewhere in the repertoire. Additionally, it is only about a
fifth as popular as the main move here, c5, so white players should be a little less prepared
for it. In recent years it has been played by a whole host of top players, including Carlsen,
Karjakin and Harikrishna. Finally, b6 seems to be just as strong objectively as any of the
other lines, so it seemed like the best choice for this repertoire. }

b6

{ As mentioned above, b6 is our choice for this repertoire. The c7-pawn stays at home, at
least for now, while we prioritise developing our light bishop. b6 allows the light bishop to
go to a6 or to b7, depending on what Black prefers. In this repertoire, our fundamental plan
will be to play …Ba6, exchanging the light-squared bishops and then playing for …c5. }

7. a3

{ This is White’s third most common choice here, but it leads to very similar play to our
mainline. }

Bxc3+ 8. bxc3 Ba6

{ As mentioned before, our general idea is to exchange light-squared bishops so that White
is left with his bad dark-squared bishop. }

9. cxd5 exd5 10. Bxa6

{ 10.O-O would transpose directly to one of our mainlines - variation #10. }

Nxa6 11. Qd3 Qc8

{ We usually defend the knight in this way. The queen can support the …c5 advance from
here, while Black’s rook is now free to go to d8. }

12. c4 { 12.O-O would transpose to the mainline , once again. } c5

{ Carrying out the usual equalising break. } 13. cxd5 cxd4 14. Nxd4 Rd8

{ Recouping the pawn. } 15. Bb2 Rxd5

{ With Black’s active pieces and a good outpost for our knight on c5, he has fully equalised. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.e3”]

[Black “5.Bd3 6.Nf3 7.cxd5”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3

{ 4. e3, commonly known as the Rubinstein Variation, is - together with 4. Qc2 - far and
away White’s most popular and challenging option against the Nimzo-Indian. It might seem
strange to think that blocking White’s dark-squared bishop in like this is critical, but as we
will see in a later chapter, active development with 4.Bg5 can be met strongly by c5 , and
4.Nf3 transposes to the Ragozin after d5. 4. e3 seems quite inflexible and committal,
however it is important to keep in mind that White hasn’t committed his g1-knight yet. This
means that he has a couple of possible setups involving Ng1-e2, in addition to the more
obvious Nf3 plans. }
O-O

{ Black’s most flexible option and probably the best. Black doesn’t commit his central
pawns too early, which allows us to opt for either a dark-squared strategy (with …c5) or a
light-squared strategy (with …d5) , depending on how White continues. In most situations
we will be opting for the light-squared strategy with …d5, as this is in keeping with this
repertoire’s theme, but in one specific case we go for a dark-squared plan: when White
plays an early a3 to gain the bishop pair. }

5. Bd3 { The most common move, fighting for the e4-square. } d5

{ The main move here. We continue to follow our … d5 light-squared strategy in order to
fight for the e4-square and the centre. }

6. Nf3

{ White develops, very naturally. This is the main position in the 4. e3 Nimzo-Indian, and
possibly the whole Nimzo-Indian. Black has tried at least a dozen setups and variations
from this position onwards, each of which have their own character, pawn structure and
positional [Link], we tried to choose the setup with the most synergy with the rest
of the repertoire. The 3 main options examined were: 1. The ideal choice would have been
c5 7.O-O Nc6 8.a3 Bxc3+ 9.bxc3 Qc7 , as the structures we get after 10.cxd5 exd5 feature
very frequently in the Ragozin. Unfortunately, White has a number of irritating deviations
on the way to that mainline, such 8. cxd5 exd5 9. dxc5 - which leads to Black getting an IQP
where it is surprisingly difficult to equalise. 2. One of the current mainlines and a
recommendation in a handfull of repertoire books is c5 7.O-O cxd4 8.exd4 dxc4 9.Bxc4. This
leads to a very topical position with decent chances for both sides. However , it is an IQP
position where White has decent chances for an edge and where Black needs to know his
stuff. IQP positions have not featured too prominently in this repertoire , and additionally
covering it in sufficient detail (when this is just one chapter in a comprehensive repertoire)
(for Black to be truly prepared is a difficult task.) 3. b6 was the third option. It leads to a
structure which does feature elsewhere in the repertoire. Additionally, it is only about a
fifth as popular as the main move here, c5, so white players should be a little less prepared
for it. In recent years it has been played by a whole host of top players, including Carlsen,
Karjakin and Harikrishna. Finally, b6 seems to be just as strong objectively as any of the
other lines, so it seemed like the best choice for this repertoire. }

b6

{ As mentioned above, b6 is our choice for this repertoire. The c7-pawn stays at home, at
least for now, while we prioritise developing our light bishop. b6 allows the light bishop to
go to a6 or to b7, depending on what Black prefers. In this repertoire, our fundamental plan
will be to play …Ba6, exchanging the light-squared bishops and then playing for …c5. }

7. cxd5 exd5 8. O-O

{ We meet all other White moves in pretty much the same way: Ba6, with a near-
guaranteed transposition to our mainline. }

Ba6

{ transposes to the position we examine after 7. O-O Ba6. Carlsen reached our mainline via
this move order, after Ba6. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.e3”]

[Black “5.Bd3 6.Nf3 Mainline Variation 1”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3

{ 4. e3, commonly known as the Rubinstein Variation, is - together with 4. Qc2 - far and
away White’s most popular and challenging option against the Nimzo-Indian. It might seem
strange to think that blocking White’s dark-squared bishop in like this is critical, but as we
will see in a later chapter, active development with 4.Bg5 can be met strongly by c5 , and
4.Nf3 transposes to the Ragozin after d5. 4. e3 seems quite inflexible and committal,
however it is important to keep in mind that White hasn’t committed his g1-knight yet. This
means that he has a couple of possible setups involving Ng1-e2, in addition to the more
obvious Nf3 plans. }

O-O

{ Black’s most flexible option and probably the best. Black doesn’t commit his central
pawns too early, which allows us to opt for either a dark-squared strategy (with …c5) or a
light-squared strategy (with …d5) , depending on how White continues. In most situations
we will be opting for the light-squared strategy with …d5, as this is in keeping with this
repertoire’s theme, but in one specific case we go for a dark-squared plan: when White
plays an early a3 to gain the bishop pair. }

5. Bd3 { The most common move, fighting for the e4-square. } d5

{ The main move here. We continue to follow our … d5 light-squared strategy in order to
fight for the e4-square and the centre. }

6. Nf3

{ White develops, very naturally. This is the main position in the 4. e3 Nimzo-Indian, and
possibly the whole Nimzo-Indian. Black has tried at least a dozen setups and variations
from this position onwards, each of which have their own character, pawn structure and
positional [Link], we tried to choose the setup with the most synergy with the rest
of the repertoire. The 3 main options examined were: 1. The ideal choice would have been
c5 7.O-O Nc6 8.a3 Bxc3+ 9.bxc3 Qc7 , as the structures we get after 10.cxd5 exd5 feature
very frequently in the Ragozin. Unfortunately, White has a number of irritating deviations
on the way to that mainline, such 8. cxd5 exd5 9. dxc5 - which leads to Black getting an IQP
where it is surprisingly difficult to equalise. 2. One of the current mainlines and a
recommendation in a handful of repertoire books is c5 7.O-O cxd4 8.exd4 dxc4 9.Bxc4. This
leads to a very topical position with decent chances for both sides. However , it is an IQP
position where White has decent chances for an edge and where Black needs to know his
stuff. IQP positions have not featured too prominently in this repertoire , and additionally
covering it in sufficient detail (when this is just one chapter in a comprehensive repertoire)
(for Black to be truly prepared is a difficult task.) 3. b6 was the third option. It leads to a
structure which does feature elsewhere in the repertoire. Additionally, it is only about a
fifth as popular as the main move here, c5, so white players should be a little less prepared
for it. In recent years it has been played by a whole host of top players, including Carlsen,
Karjakin and Harikrishna. Finally, b6 seems to be just as strong objectively as any of the
other lines, so it seemed like the best choice for this repertoire. }

b6

{ As mentioned above, b6 is our choice for this repertoire. The c7-pawn stays at home, at
least for now, while we prioritise developing our light bishop. b6 allows the light bishop to
go to a6 or to b7, depending on what Black prefers. In this repertoire, our fundamental plan
will be to play …Ba6, exchanging the light-squared bishops and then playing for …c5. }

7. O-O { Very natural and the most common move. } Ba6

{ This move is significantly less popular than Bb7 (800 games vs 120 games) , but it has
been played by a number of top players and it seems like a rock solid choice. It is unclear
why it is so much less popular than Bb7, when Ba6 seems to equalise even more easily.
Bb7 keeps more pieces on the board , which might appeal to players who are hoping for a
double-edged , complicated fight. Both moves score very well for Black (around 50%) (and
they are probably equally strong objectively, so it might just be a matter of choice.) The
idea behind Ba6 is simple: we want to exchange White’s good bishop, which leaves him
with his bad bishop. On the other hand, this exchange leaves our knight on a6 a bit
misplaced, but this can be rectified later, especially after …c5. We typically will play for the
…c5 break in this variation. }
8. Qe2

{ White tries to make trading bishops difficult for us, by ensuring that after the c4 trades his
queen will be active on c4. }

c5

{ Taking on c4 would play into White’s hands, so we rather play the standard …c5 break
first. }

9. cxd5 Bxd3 { Forced. } 10. Qxd3 cxd4 11. exd4 Bxc3 12. bxc3 exd5

{ With complete equality again. White’s backward pawn on c3 makes it difficult to try for
anything more, since playing c4 would leave White with a rather weak IQP. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.e3”]

[Black “5.Bd3 6.Nf3 Mainline Variation 2”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3

{ 4. e3, commonly known as the Rubinstein Variation, is - together with 4. Qc2 - far and
away White’s most popular and challenging option against the Nimzo-Indian. It might seem
strange to think that blocking White’s dark-squared bishop in like this is critical, but as we
will see in a later chapter, active development with 4.Bg5 can be met strongly by c5 , and
4.Nf3 transposes to the Ragozin after d5. 4. e3 seems quite inflexible and committal,
however it is important to keep in mind that White hasn’t committed his g1-knight yet. This
means that he has a couple of possible setups involving Ng1-e2, in addition to the more
obvious Nf3 plans. }

O-O

{ Black’s most flexible option and probably the best. Black doesn’t commit his central
pawns too early, which allows us to opt for either a dark-squared strategy (with …c5) or a
light-squared strategy (with …d5) , depending on how White continues. In most situations
we will be opting for the light-squared strategy with …d5, as this is in keeping with this
repertoire’s theme, but in one specific case we go for a dark-squared plan: when White
plays an early a3 to gain the bishop pair. }

5. Bd3 { The most common move, fighting for the e4-square. } d5

{ The main move here. We continue to follow our … d5 light-squared strategy in order to
fight for the e4-square and the centre. }

6. Nf3

{ White develops, very naturally. This is the main position in the 4. e3 Nimzo-Indian, and
possibly the whole Nimzo-Indian. Black has tried at least a dozen setups and variations
from this position onwards, each of which have their own character, pawn structure and
positional [Link], we tried to choose the setup with the most synergy with the rest
of the repertoire. The 3 main options examined were: 1. The ideal choice would have been
c5 7.O-O Nc6 8.a3 Bxc3+ 9.bxc3 Qc7 , as the structures we get after 10.cxd5 exd5 feature
very frequently in the Ragozin. Unfortunately, White has a number of irritating deviations
on the way to that mainline, such 8. cxd5 exd5 9. dxc5 - which leads to Black getting an IQP
where it is surprisingly difficult to equalise. 2. One of the current mainlines and a
recommendation in a handfull of repertoire books is c5 7.O-O cxd4 8.exd4 dxc4 9.Bxc4. This
leads to a very topical position with decent chances for both sides. However , it is an IQP
position where White has decent chances for an edge and where Black needs to know his
stuff. IQP positions have not featured too prominently in this repertoire , and additionally
covering it in sufficient detail (when this is just one chapter in a comprehensive repertoire)
(for Black to be truly prepared is a difficult task.) 3. b6 was the third option. It leads to a
structure which does feature elsewhere in the repertoire. Additionally, it is only about a
fifth as popular as the main move here, c5, so white players should be a little less prepared
for it. In recent years it has been played by a whole host of top players, including Carlsen,
Karjakin and Harikrishna. Finally, b6 seems to be just as strong objectively as any of the
other lines, so it seemed like the best choice for this repertoire. }

b6

{ As mentioned above, b6 is our choice for this repertoire. The c7-pawn stays at home, at
least for now, while we prioritise developing our light bishop. b6 allows the light bishop to
go to a6 or to b7, depending on what Black prefers. In this repertoire, our fundamental plan
will be to play …Ba6, exchanging the light-squared bishops and then playing for …c5. }

7. O-O { Very natural and the most common move. } Ba6

{ This move is significantly less popular than Bb7 (800 games vs 120 games) , but it has
been played by a number of top players and it seems like a rock solid choice. It is unclear
why it is so much less popular than Bb7, when Ba6 seems to equalise even more easily.
Bb7 keeps more pieces on the board , which might appeal to players who are hoping for a
double-edged , complicated fight. Both moves score very well for Black (around 50%) (and
they are probably equally strong objectively, so it might just be a matter of choice.) The
idea behind Ba6 is simple: we want to exchange White’s good bishop, which leaves him
with his bad bishop. On the other hand, this exchange leaves our knight on a6 a bit
misplaced, but this can be rectified later, especially after …c5. We typically will play for the
…c5 break in this variation. }

8. Qe2

{ White tries to make trading bishops difficult for us, by ensuring that after the c4 trades his
queen will be active on c4. }

c5

{ Taking on c4 would play into White’s hands, so we rather play the standard …c5 break
first. }

9. dxc5 { White’s main move. } Bxc3

{ The right time to damage White’s pawn structure. } 10. bxc3 Nbd7

{ The simple bxc5 is also possible , but this is better. Black temporarily sacrifices a pawn ,
but because of some clever tactics this forces equality. }

11. Ba3 { This leads to mass exchanges. } dxc4 12. Bxc4 Bxc4 13. Qxc4

Nxc5 { The isolated c-pawn compensates for White’s advantage of the bishop. }

14. Bxc5 { This doesn’t win a pawn because of the following. } Qc7

{ Black regains the piece with complete equality. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.e3”]

[Black “5.Bd3 6.Nf3 Mainline Variation 3”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3

{ 4. e3, commonly known as the Rubinstein Variation, is - together with 4. Qc2 - far and
away White’s most popular and challenging option against the Nimzo-Indian. It might seem
strange to think that blocking White’s dark-squared bishop in like this is critical, but as we
will see in a later chapter, active development with 4.Bg5 can be met strongly by c5 , and
4.Nf3 transposes to the Ragozin after d5. 4. e3 seems quite inflexible and committal,
however it is important to keep in mind that White hasn’t committed his g1-knight yet. This
means that he has a couple of possible setups involving Ng1-e2, in addition to the more
obvious Nf3 plans. }

O-O

{ Black’s most flexible option and probably the best. Black doesn’t commit his central
pawns too early, which allows us to opt for either a dark-squared strategy (with …c5) or a
light-squared strategy (with …d5) , depending on how White continues. In most situations
we will be opting for the light-squared strategy with …d5, as this is in keeping with this
repertoire’s theme, but in one specific case we go for a dark-squared plan: when White
plays an early a3 to gain the bishop pair. }

5. Bd3 { The most common move, fighting for the e4-square. } d5

{ The main move here. We continue to follow our … d5 light-squared strategy in order to
fight for the e4-square and the centre. }

6. Nf3

{ White develops, very naturally. This is the main position in the 4. e3 Nimzo-Indian, and
possibly the whole Nimzo-Indian. Black has tried at least a dozen setups and variations
from this position onwards, each of which have their own character, pawn structure and
positional [Link], we tried to choose the setup with the most synergy with the rest
of the repertoire. The 3 main options examined were: 1. The ideal choice would have been
c5 7.O-O Nc6 8.a3 Bxc3+ 9.bxc3 Qc7 , as the structures we get after 10.cxd5 exd5 feature
very frequently in the Ragozin. Unfortunately, White has a number of irritating deviations
on the way to that mainline, such 8. cxd5 exd5 9. dxc5 - which leads to Black getting an IQP
where it is surprisingly difficult to equalise. 2. One of the current mainlines and a
recommendation in a handfull of repertoire books is c5 7.O-O cxd4 8.exd4 dxc4 9.Bxc4. This
leads to a very topical position with decent chances for both sides. However , it is an IQP
position where White has decent chances for an edge and where Black needs to know his
stuff. IQP positions have not featured too prominently in this repertoire , and additionally
covering it in sufficient detail (when this is just one chapter in a comprehensive repertoire)
(for Black to be truly prepared is a difficult task.) 3. b6 was the third option. It leads to a
structure which does feature elsewhere in the repertoire. Additionally, it is only about a
fifth as popular as the main move here, c5, so white players should be a little less prepared
for it. In recent years it has been played by a whole host of top players, including Carlsen,
Karjakin and Harikrishna. Finally, b6 seems to be just as strong objectively as any of the
other lines, so it seemed like the best choice for this repertoire. }

b6

{ As mentioned above, b6 is our choice for this repertoire. The c7-pawn stays at home, at
least for now, while we prioritise developing our light bishop. b6 allows the light bishop to
go to a6 or to b7, depending on what Black prefers. In this repertoire, our fundamental plan
will be to play …Ba6, exchanging the light-squared bishops and then playing for …c5. }

7. O-O { Very natural and the most common move. } Ba6

{ This move is significantly less popular than Bb7 (800 games vs 120 games) , but it has
been played by a number of top players and it seems like a rock solid choice. It is unclear
why it is so much less popular than Bb7, when Ba6 seems to equalise even more easily.
Bb7 keeps more pieces on the board , which might appeal to players who are hoping for a
double-edged , complicated fight. Both moves score very well for Black (around 50%) (and
they are probably equally strong objectively, so it might just be a matter of choice.) The
idea behind Ba6 is simple: we want to exchange White’s good bishop, which leaves him
with his bad bishop. On the other hand, this exchange leaves our knight on a6 a bit
misplaced, but this can be rectified later, especially after …c5. We typically will play for the
…c5 break in this variation. }

8. Qe2

{ White tries to make trading bishops difficult for us, by ensuring that after the c4 trades his
queen will be active on c4. }

c5

{ Taking on c4 would play into White’s hands, so we rather play the standard …c5 break
first. }

9. dxc5 { White’s main move. } Bxc3

{ The right time to damage white’s pawn structure. } 10. bxc3 Nbd7

{ The simple bxc5 is also possible , but this is better. Black temporarily sacrifices a pawn ,
but because of some clever tactics this forces equality. }

11. cxb6 Nc5

{ This leads down a long, rather forced line which equalises completely. Black’s idea is to
play …Nxd3 followed by …Bxc4, picking up the exchange on f1. }

12. Ba3 { White will win his own exchange on f8. } Nxd3 13. Qxd3 Bxc4 14.
Qd4 Bxf1 15. Bxf8 Bc4 { A good square for the bishop, where it hits a2. } 16.

Bc5 axb6 17. Bxb6 Qb8 { Black threatens …Nd7. } 18. Ne5

{ Preventing …Nd7. } Rxa2 19. Rxa2 Bxa2 { With complete equality. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.e3”]

[Black “5.Bd3 6.Nf3 Mainline Variation 4”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3

{ 4. e3, commonly known as the Rubinstein Variation, is - together with 4. Qc2 - far and
away White’s most popular and challenging option against the Nimzo-Indian. It might seem
strange to think that blocking White’s dark-squared bishop in like this is critical, but as we
will see in a later chapter, active development with 4.Bg5 can be met strongly by c5 , and
4.Nf3 transposes to the Ragozin after d5. 4. e3 seems quite inflexible and committal,
however it is important to keep in mind that White hasn’t committed his g1-knight yet. This
means that he has a couple of possible setups involving Ng1-e2, in addition to the more
obvious Nf3 plans. }

O-O

{ Black’s most flexible option and probably the best. Black doesn’t commit his central
pawns too early, which allows us to opt for either a dark-squared strategy (with …c5) or a
light-squared strategy (with …d5) , depending on how White continues. In most situations
we will be opting for the light-squared strategy with …d5, as this is in keeping with this
repertoire’s theme, but in one specific case we go for a dark-squared plan: when White
plays an early a3 to gain the bishop pair. }

5. Bd3 { The most common move, fighting for the e4-square. } d5

{ The main move here. We continue to follow our … d5 light-squared strategy in order to
fight for the e4-square and the centre. }

6. Nf3

{ White develops, very naturally. This is the main position in the 4. e3 Nimzo-Indian, and
possibly the whole Nimzo-Indian. Black has tried at least a dozen setups and variations
from this position onwards, each of which have their own character, pawn structure and
positional [Link], we tried to choose the setup with the most synergy with the rest
of the repertoire. The 3 main options examined were: 1. The ideal choice would have been
c5 7.O-O Nc6 8.a3 Bxc3+ 9.bxc3 Qc7 , as the structures we get after 10.cxd5 exd5 feature
very frequently in the Ragozin. Unfortunately, White has a number of irritating deviations
on the way to that mainline, such 8. cxd5 exd5 9. dxc5 - which leads to Black getting an IQP
where it is surprisingly difficult to equalise. 2. One of the current mainlines and a
recommendation in a handfull of repertoire books is c5 7.O-O cxd4 8.exd4 dxc4 9.Bxc4. This
leads to a very topical position with decent chances for both sides. However , it is an IQP
position where White has decent chances for an edge and where Black needs to know his
stuff. IQP positions have not featured too prominently in this repertoire , and additionally
covering it in sufficient detail (when this is just one chapter in a comprehensive repertoire)
(for Black to be truly prepared is a difficult task.) 3. b6 was the third option. It leads to a
structure which does feature elsewhere in the repertoire. Additionally, it is only about a
fifth as popular as the main move here, c5, so white players should be a little less prepared
for it. In recent years it has been played by a whole host of top players, including Carlsen,
Karjakin and Harikrishna. Finally, b6 seems to be just as strong objectively as any of the
other lines, so it seemed like the best choice for this repertoire. }

b6

{ As mentioned above, b6 is our choice for this repertoire. The c7-pawn stays at home, at
least for now, while we prioritise developing our light bishop. b6 allows the light bishop to
go to a6 or to b7, depending on what Black prefers. In this repertoire, our fundamental plan
will be to play …Ba6, exchanging the light-squared bishops and then playing for …c5. }

7. O-O { Very natural and the most common move. } Ba6

{ This move is significantly less popular than Bb7 (800 games vs 120 games) , but it has
been played by a number of top players and it seems like a rock solid choice. It is unclear
why it is so much less popular than Bb7, when Ba6 seems to equalise even more easily.
Bb7 keeps more pieces on the board , which might appeal to players who are hoping for a
double-edged , complicated fight. Both moves score very well for Black (around 50%) (and
they are probably equally strong objectively, so it might just be a matter of choice.) The
idea behind Ba6 is simple: we want to exchange White’s good bishop, which leaves him
with his bad bishop. On the other hand, this exchange leaves our knight on a6 a bit
misplaced, but this can be rectified later, especially after …c5. We typically will play for the
…c5 break in this variation. }
8. Ne5

{ White’s third most common move. He tries to hold onto his light-squared bishop by
recapturing on c4 with his knight, but this is a bit awkward and takes a fairly long time. }

dxc4 9. Bxc4

{ This seems a little counterproductive, especially in conjunction with 8. Ne5, but it is

White’s safest choice. }

Bxc4 10. Nxc4 c5 11. dxc5 { Otherwise White gets saddled with an IQP. }

Qxd1 12. Rxd1 Bxc5

{ With a symmetrical pawn structure and the better bishop, Black has no problems at all. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.e3”]

[Black “5.Bd3 6.Nf3 Mainline Variation 5”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3

{ 4. e3, commonly known as the Rubinstein Variation, is - together with 4. Qc2 - far and
away White’s most popular and challenging option against the Nimzo-Indian. It might seem
strange to think that blocking White’s dark-squared bishop in like this is critical, but as we
will see in a later chapter, active development with 4.Bg5 can be met strongly by c5 , and
4.Nf3 transposes to the Ragozin after d5. 4. e3 seems quite inflexible and committal,
however it is important to keep in mind that White hasn’t committed his g1-knight yet. This
means that he has a couple of possible setups involving Ng1-e2, in addition to the more
obvious Nf3 plans. }

O-O
{ Black’s most flexible option and probably the best. Black doesn’t commit his central
pawns too early, which allows us to opt for either a dark-squared strategy (with …c5) or a
light-squared strategy (with …d5) , depending on how White continues. In most situations
we will be opting for the light-squared strategy with …d5, as this is in keeping with this
repertoire’s theme, but in one specific case we go for a dark-squared plan: when White
plays an early a3 to gain the bishop pair. }

5. Bd3 { The most common move, fighting for the e4-square. } d5

{ The main move here. We continue to follow our … d5 light-squared strategy in order to
fight for the e4-square and the centre. }

6. Nf3

{ White develops, very naturally. This is the main position in the 4. e3 Nimzo-Indian, and
possibly the whole Nimzo-Indian. Black has tried at least a dozen setups and variations
from this position onwards, each of which have their own character, pawn structure and
positional [Link], we tried to choose the setup with the most synergy with the rest
of the repertoire. The 3 main options examined were: 1. The ideal choice would have been
c5 7.O-O Nc6 8.a3 Bxc3+ 9.bxc3 Qc7 , as the structures we get after 10.cxd5 exd5 feature
very frequently in the Ragozin. Unfortunately, White has a number of irritating deviations
on the way to that mainline, such 8. cxd5 exd5 9. dxc5 - which leads to Black getting an IQP
where it is surprisingly difficult to equalise. 2. One of the current mainlines and a
recommendation in a handfull of repertoire books is c5 7.O-O cxd4 8.exd4 dxc4 9.Bxc4. This
leads to a very topical position with decent chances for both sides. However , it is an IQP
position where White has decent chances for an edge and where Black needs to know his
stuff. IQP positions have not featured too prominently in this repertoire , and additionally
covering it in sufficient detail (when this is just one chapter in a comprehensive repertoire)
(for Black to be truly prepared is a difficult task.) 3. b6 was the third option. It leads to a
structure which does feature elsewhere in the repertoire. Additionally, it is only about a
fifth as popular as the main move here, c5, so white players should be a little less prepared
for it. In recent years it has been played by a whole host of top players, including Carlsen,
Karjakin and Harikrishna. Finally, b6 seems to be just as strong objectively as any of the
other lines, so it seemed like the best choice for this repertoire. }

b6

{ As mentioned above, b6 is our choice for this repertoire. The c7-pawn stays at home, at
least for now, while we prioritise developing our light bishop. b6 allows the light bishop to
go to a6 or to b7, depending on what Black prefers. In this repertoire, our fundamental plan
will be to play …Ba6, exchanging the light-squared bishops and then playing for …c5. }

7. O-O { Very natural and the most common move. } Ba6

{ This move is significantly less popular than Bb7 (800 games vs 120 games) , but it has
been played by a number of top players and it seems like a rock solid choice. It is unclear
why it is so much less popular than Bb7, when Ba6 seems to equalise even more easily.
Bb7 keeps more pieces on the board , which might appeal to players who are hoping for a
double-edged , complicated fight. Both moves score very well for Black (around 50%) (and
they are probably equally strong objectively, so it might just be a matter of choice.) The
idea behind Ba6 is simple: we want to exchange White’s good bishop, which leaves him
with his bad bishop. On the other hand, this exchange leaves our knight on a6 a bit
misplaced, but this can be rectified later, especially after …c5. We typically will play for the
…c5 break in this variation. }

8. Ne5

{ White’s third most common move. He tries to hold onto his light-squared bishop by
recapturing on c4 with his knight, but this is a bit awkward and takes a fairly long time. }

dxc4 9. Nxc4

{ White keeps his light-squared bishop for now, but his knight is now effectively pinned. }

c5 { White’s slow play gives us time to carry out this thematic break. }

10. a3 { Gaining the bishop pair, however this is only temporary. } Bxc3

11. bxc3 Qc7

{ A nice move, indirectly attacking the knight on c4. Sooner or later the pressure on c4 will
force White to move his knight, allowing us to exchange light-squared bishops. Black’s
position is preferable thanks to White’s bad c1-bishop. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]
[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.e3”]

[Black “5.Bd3 6.Nf3 Mainline Variation 6”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3

{ 4. e3, commonly known as the Rubinstein Variation, is - together with 4. Qc2 - far and
away White’s most popular and challenging option against the Nimzo-Indian. It might seem
strange to think that blocking White’s dark-squared bishop in like this is critical, but as we
will see in a later chapter, active development with 4.Bg5 can be met strongly by c5 , and
4.Nf3 transposes to the Ragozin after d5. 4. e3 seems quite inflexible and committal,
however it is important to keep in mind that White hasn’t committed his g1-knight yet. This
means that he has a couple of possible setups involving Ng1-e2, in addition to the more
obvious Nf3 plans. }

O-O

{ Black’s most flexible option and probably the best. Black doesn’t commit his central
pawns too early, which allows us to opt for either a dark-squared strategy (with …c5) or a
light-squared strategy (with …d5) , depending on how White continues. In most situations
we will be opting for the light-squared strategy with …d5, as this is in keeping with this
repertoire’s theme, but in one specific case we go for a dark-squared plan: when White
plays an early a3 to gain the bishop pair. }

5. Bd3 { The most common move, fighting for the e4-square. } d5

{ The main move here. We continue to follow our … d5 light-squared strategy in order to
fight for the e4-square and the centre. }

6. Nf3

{ White develops, very naturally. This is the main position in the 4. e3 Nimzo-Indian, and
possibly the whole Nimzo-Indian. Black has tried at least a dozen setups and variations
from this position onwards, each of which have their own character, pawn structure and
positional [Link], we tried to choose the setup with the most synergy with the rest
of the repertoire. The 3 main options examined were: 1. The ideal choice would have been
c5 7.O-O Nc6 8.a3 Bxc3+ 9.bxc3 Qc7 , as the structures we get after 10.cxd5 exd5 feature
very frequently in the Ragozin. Unfortunately, White has a number of irritating deviations
on the way to that mainline, such 8. cxd5 exd5 9. dxc5 - which leads to Black getting an IQP
where it is surprisingly difficult to equalise. 2. One of the current mainlines and a
recommendation in a handfull of repertoire books is c5 7.O-O cxd4 8.exd4 dxc4 9.Bxc4. This
leads to a very topical position with decent chances for both sides. However , it is an IQP
position where White has decent chances for an edge and where Black needs to know his
stuff. IQP positions have not featured too prominently in this repertoire , and additionally
covering it in sufficient detail (when this is just one chapter in a comprehensive repertoire)
(for Black to be truly prepared is a difficult task.) 3. b6 was the third option. It leads to a
structure which does feature elsewhere in the repertoire. Additionally, it is only about a
fifth as popular as the main move here, c5, so white players should be a little less prepared
for it. In recent years it has been played by a whole host of top players, including Carlsen,
Karjakin and Harikrishna. Finally, b6 seems to be just as strong objectively as any of the
other lines, so it seemed like the best choice for this repertoire. }

b6

{ As mentioned above, b6 is our choice for this repertoire. The c7-pawn stays at home, at
least for now, while we prioritise developing our light bishop. b6 allows the light bishop to
go to a6 or to b7, depending on what Black prefers. In this repertoire, our fundamental plan
will be to play …Ba6, exchanging the light-squared bishops and then playing for …c5. }

7. O-O { Very natural and the most common move. } Ba6

{ This move is significantly less popular than Bb7 (800 games vs 120 games) , but it has
been played by a number of top players and it seems like a rock solid choice. It is unclear
why it is so much less popular than Bb7, when Ba6 seems to equalise even more easily.
Bb7 keeps more pieces on the board , which might appeal to players who are hoping for a
double-edged , complicated fight. Both moves score very well for Black (around 50%) (and
they are probably equally strong objectively, so it might just be a matter of choice.) The
idea behind Ba6 is simple: we want to exchange White’s good bishop, which leaves him
with his bad bishop. On the other hand, this exchange leaves our knight on a6 a bit
misplaced, but this can be rectified later, especially after …c5. We typically will play for the
…c5 break in this variation. }

8. cxd5 { White’s most common move by far. } exd5

{ There is no need to take on d3 beforehand since this just activates White’s queen for
free. }

9. Ne5

{ This was tried by Duda, as well as some others. The idea is to recapture on d3 with the
knight. }

Bxc3

{ This has only been tried once, but there is no need for Black to take on d3 yet,
unprovoked. }

10. bxc3 c5
{ Carrying out the standard break. Note that if White takes on a6 here, we transpose to the
mainline with 9. Ba6 - variation #14. }

11. Ba3 { Putting pressure on c5. } Re8

{ Stepping out of the pin and preventing dxc5. } 12. c4

{ Trying to open up the position for White’s bishops. } dxc4 13. Bxc4

{ This has been played twice. } Bxc4 14. Nxc4 b5

{ White needs to take care not to allow Black 2 powerful passed pawns here. }

15. Qf3 { The only move to keep equality. } Na6 16. Ne5 Qd5

{ With complete equality. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.e3”]

[Black “5.Bd3 6.Nf3 Mainline Variation 7”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3

{ 4. e3, commonly known as the Rubinstein Variation, is - together with 4. Qc2 - far and
away White’s most popular and challenging option against the Nimzo-Indian. It might seem
strange to think that blocking White’s dark-squared bishop in like this is critical, but as we
will see in a later chapter, active development with 4.Bg5 can be met strongly by c5 , and
4.Nf3 transposes to the Ragozin after d5. 4. e3 seems quite inflexible and committal,
however it is important to keep in mind that White hasn’t committed his g1-knight yet. This
means that he has a couple of possible setups involving Ng1-e2, in addition to the more
obvious Nf3 plans. }

O-O
{ Black’s most flexible option and probably the best. Black doesn’t commit his central
pawns too early, which allows us to opt for either a dark-squared strategy (with …c5) or a
light-squared strategy (with …d5) , depending on how White continues. In most situations
we will be opting for the light-squared strategy with …d5, as this is in keeping with this
repertoire’s theme, but in one specific case we go for a dark-squared plan: when White
plays an early a3 to gain the bishop pair. }

5. Bd3 { The most common move, fighting for the e4-square. } d5

{ The main move here. We continue to follow our … d5 light-squared strategy in order to
fight for the e4-square and the centre. }

6. Nf3

{ White develops, very naturally. This is the main position in the 4. e3 Nimzo-Indian, and
possibly the whole Nimzo-Indian. Black has tried at least a dozen setups and variations
from this position onwards, each of which have their own character, pawn structure and
positional [Link], we tried to choose the setup with the most synergy with the rest
of the repertoire. The 3 main options examined were: 1. The ideal choice would have been
c5 7.O-O Nc6 8.a3 Bxc3+ 9.bxc3 Qc7 , as the structures we get after 10.cxd5 exd5 feature
very frequently in the Ragozin. Unfortunately, White has a number of irritating deviations
on the way to that mainline, such 8. cxd5 exd5 9. dxc5 - which leads to Black getting an IQP
where it is surprisingly difficult to equalise. 2. One of the current mainlines and a
recommendation in a handfull of repertoire books is c5 7.O-O cxd4 8.exd4 dxc4 9.Bxc4. This
leads to a very topical position with decent chances for both sides. However , it is an IQP
position where White has decent chances for an edge and where Black needs to know his
stuff. IQP positions have not featured too prominently in this repertoire , and additionally
covering it in sufficient detail (when this is just one chapter in a comprehensive repertoire)
(for Black to be truly prepared is a difficult task.) 3. b6 was the third option. It leads to a
structure which does feature elsewhere in the repertoire. Additionally, it is only about a
fifth as popular as the main move here, c5, so white players should be a little less prepared
for it. In recent years it has been played by a whole host of top players, including Carlsen,
Karjakin and Harikrishna. Finally, b6 seems to be just as strong objectively as any of the
other lines, so it seemed like the best choice for this repertoire. }

b6

{ As mentioned above, b6 is our choice for this repertoire. The c7-pawn stays at home, at
least for now, while we prioritise developing our light bishop. b6 allows the light bishop to
go to a6 or to b7, depending on what Black prefers. In this repertoire, our fundamental plan
will be to play …Ba6, exchanging the light-squared bishops and then playing for …c5. }

7. O-O { Very natural and the most common move. } Ba6

{ This move is significantly less popular than Bb7 (800 games vs 120 games) , but it has
been played by a number of top players and it seems like a rock solid choice. It is unclear
why it is so much less popular than Bb7, when Ba6 seems to equalise even more easily.
Bb7 keeps more pieces on the board , which might appeal to players who are hoping for a
double-edged , complicated fight. Both moves score very well for Black (around 50%) (and
they are probably equally strong objectively, so it might just be a matter of choice.) The
idea behind Ba6 is simple: we want to exchange White’s good bishop, which leaves him
with his bad bishop. On the other hand, this exchange leaves our knight on a6 a bit
misplaced, but this can be rectified later, especially after …c5. We typically will play for the
…c5 break in this variation. }

8. cxd5 { White’s most common move by far. } exd5

{ There is no need to take on d3 beforehand since this just activates White’s queen for
free. }

9. Ne5

{ This was tried by Duda, as well as some others. The idea is to recapture on d3 with the
knight. }

Bxc3

{ This has only been tried once, but there is no need for Black to take on d3 yet,
unprovoked. }

10. bxc3 c5

{ Carrying out the standard break. Note that if White takes on a6 here, we transpose to the
mainline with 9. Ba6 - variation #14. }

11. Ba3 { Putting pressure on c5. } Re8

{ Stepping out of the pin and preventing dxc5. } 12. c4

{ Trying to open up the position for White’s bishops. } dxc4 13. Nxc4

{ White tries to hold onto the bishop pair, but this doesn’t last long. }

b5 14. Ne5 cxd4 15. exd4 { Now taking on d4 is impossible due to Bxh7+. }

b4 16. Bxb4 Bxd3 17. Nxd3

{ Recapturing with the queen is a blunder of course due to …Rxe5. } Nc6

18. Bc3 Nxd4 { Black has equalised fully. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.e3”]

[Black “5.Bd3 6.Nf3 Mainline Variation 8”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3

{ 4. e3, commonly known as the Rubinstein Variation, is - together with 4. Qc2 - far and
away White’s most popular and challenging option against the Nimzo-Indian. It might seem
strange to think that blocking White’s dark-squared bishop in like this is critical, but as we
will see in a later chapter, active development with 4.Bg5 can be met strongly by c5 , and
4.Nf3 transposes to the Ragozin after d5. 4. e3 seems quite inflexible and committal,
however it is important to keep in mind that White hasn’t committed his g1-knight yet. This
means that he has a couple of possible setups involving Ng1-e2, in addition to the more
obvious Nf3 plans. }

O-O

{ Black’s most flexible option and probably the best. Black doesn’t commit his central
pawns too early, which allows us to opt for either a dark-squared strategy (with …c5) or a
light-squared strategy (with …d5) , depending on how White continues. In most situations
we will be opting for the light-squared strategy with …d5, as this is in keeping with this
repertoire’s theme, but in one specific case we go for a dark-squared plan: when White
plays an early a3 to gain the bishop pair. }

5. Bd3 { The most common move, fighting for the e4-square. } d5

{ The main move here. We continue to follow our … d5 light-squared strategy in order to
fight for the e4-square and the centre. }

6. Nf3

{ White develops, very naturally. This is the main position in the 4. e3 Nimzo-Indian, and
possibly the whole Nimzo-Indian. Black has tried at least a dozen setups and variations
from this position onwards, each of which have their own character, pawn structure and
positional [Link], we tried to choose the setup with the most synergy with the rest
of the repertoire. The 3 main options examined were: 1. The ideal choice would have been
c5 7.O-O Nc6 8.a3 Bxc3+ 9.bxc3 Qc7 , as the structures we get after 10.cxd5 exd5 feature
very frequently in the Ragozin. Unfortunately, White has a number of irritating deviations
on the way to that mainline, such 8. cxd5 exd5 9. dxc5 - which leads to Black getting an IQP
where it is surprisingly difficult to equalise. 2. One of the current mainlines and a
recommendation in a handfull of repertoire books is c5 7.O-O cxd4 8.exd4 dxc4 9.Bxc4. This
leads to a very topical position with decent chances for both sides. However , it is an IQP
position where White has decent chances for an edge and where Black needs to know his
stuff. IQP positions have not featured too prominently in this repertoire , and additionally
covering it in sufficient detail (when this is just one chapter in a comprehensive repertoire)
(for Black to be truly prepared is a difficult task.) 3. b6 was the third option. It leads to a
structure which does feature elsewhere in the repertoire. Additionally, it is only about a
fifth as popular as the main move here, c5, so white players should be a little less prepared
for it. In recent years it has been played by a whole host of top players, including Carlsen,
Karjakin and Harikrishna. Finally, b6 seems to be just as strong objectively as any of the
other lines, so it seemed like the best choice for this repertoire. }

b6

{ As mentioned above, b6 is our choice for this repertoire. The c7-pawn stays at home, at
least for now, while we prioritise developing our light bishop. b6 allows the light bishop to
go to a6 or to b7, depending on what Black prefers. In this repertoire, our fundamental plan
will be to play …Ba6, exchanging the light-squared bishops and then playing for …c5. }

7. O-O { Very natural and the most common move. } Ba6

{ This move is significantly less popular than Bb7 (800 games vs 120 games) , but it has
been played by a number of top players and it seems like a rock solid choice. It is unclear
why it is so much less popular than Bb7, when Ba6 seems to equalise even more easily.
Bb7 keeps more pieces on the board , which might appeal to players who are hoping for a
double-edged , complicated fight. Both moves score very well for Black (around 50%) (and
they are probably equally strong objectively, so it might just be a matter of choice.) The
idea behind Ba6 is simple: we want to exchange White’s good bishop, which leaves him
with his bad bishop. On the other hand, this exchange leaves our knight on a6 a bit
misplaced, but this can be rectified later, especially after …c5. We typically will play for the
…c5 break in this variation. }

8. cxd5 { White’s most common move by far. } exd5

{ There is no need to take on d3 beforehand since this just activates White’s queen for
free. }

9. Ne5

{ This was tried by Duda, as well as some others. The idea is to recapture on d3 with the
knight. }

Bxc3
{ This has only been tried once, but there is no need for Black to take on d3 yet,
unprovoked. }

10. bxc3 c5

{ Carrying out the standard break. Note that if White takes on a6 here, we transpose to the
mainline with 9. Ba6 - variation #14. }

11. f3

{ This is White’s other independent option, planning e4. The e3 pawn is weakened now
though, which Black will try to exploit. }

Bxd3 12. Nxd3 Qd6 { Black has no problems at all. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.e3”]

[Black “5.Bd3 6.Nf3 Mainline Variation 9”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3

{ 4. e3, commonly known as the Rubinstein Variation, is - together with 4. Qc2 - far and
away White’s most popular and challenging option against the Nimzo-Indian. It might seem
strange to think that blocking White’s dark-squared bishop in like this is critical, but as we
will see in a later chapter, active development with 4.Bg5 can be met strongly by c5 , and
4.Nf3 transposes to the Ragozin after d5. 4. e3 seems quite inflexible and committal,
however it is important to keep in mind that White hasn’t committed his g1-knight yet. This
means that he has a couple of possible setups involving Ng1-e2, in addition to the more
obvious Nf3 plans. }

O-O

{ Black’s most flexible option and probably the best. Black doesn’t commit his central
pawns too early, which allows us to opt for either a dark-squared strategy (with …c5) or a
light-squared strategy (with …d5) , depending on how White continues. In most situations
we will be opting for the light-squared strategy with …d5, as this is in keeping with this
repertoire’s theme, but in one specific case we go for a dark-squared plan: when White
plays an early a3 to gain the bishop pair. }

5. Bd3 { The most common move, fighting for the e4-square. } d5

{ The main move here. We continue to follow our … d5 light-squared strategy in order to
fight for the e4-square and the centre. }

6. Nf3

{ White develops, very naturally. This is the main position in the 4. e3 Nimzo-Indian, and
possibly the whole Nimzo-Indian. Black has tried at least a dozen setups and variations
from this position onwards, each of which have their own character, pawn structure and
positional [Link], we tried to choose the setup with the most synergy with the rest
of the repertoire. The 3 main options examined were: 1. The ideal choice would have been
c5 7.O-O Nc6 8.a3 Bxc3+ 9.bxc3 Qc7 , as the structures we get after 10.cxd5 exd5 feature
very frequently in the Ragozin. Unfortunately, White has a number of irritating deviations
on the way to that mainline, such 8. cxd5 exd5 9. dxc5 - which leads to Black getting an IQP
where it is surprisingly difficult to equalise. 2. One of the current mainlines and a
recommendation in a handfull of repertoire books is c5 7.O-O cxd4 8.exd4 dxc4 9.Bxc4. This
leads to a very topical position with decent chances for both sides. However , it is an IQP
position where White has decent chances for an edge and where Black needs to know his
stuff. IQP positions have not featured too prominently in this repertoire , and additionally
covering it in sufficient detail (when this is just one chapter in a comprehensive repertoire)
(for Black to be truly prepared is a difficult task.) 3. b6 was the third option. It leads to a
structure which does feature elsewhere in the repertoire. Additionally, it is only about a
fifth as popular as the main move here, c5, so white players should be a little less prepared
for it. In recent years it has been played by a whole host of top players, including Carlsen,
Karjakin and Harikrishna. Finally, b6 seems to be just as strong objectively as any of the
other lines, so it seemed like the best choice for this repertoire. }

b6

{ As mentioned above, b6 is our choice for this repertoire. The c7-pawn stays at home, at
least for now, while we prioritise developing our light bishop. b6 allows the light bishop to
go to a6 or to b7, depending on what Black prefers. In this repertoire, our fundamental plan
will be to play …Ba6, exchanging the light-squared bishops and then playing for …c5. }

7. O-O { Very natural and the most common move. } Ba6

{ This move is significantly less popular than Bb7 (800 games vs 120 games) , but it has
been played by a number of top players and it seems like a rock solid choice. It is unclear
why it is so much less popular than Bb7, when Ba6 seems to equalise even more easily.
Bb7 keeps more pieces on the board , which might appeal to players who are hoping for a
double-edged , complicated fight. Both moves score very well for Black (around 50%) (and
they are probably equally strong objectively, so it might just be a matter of choice.) The
idea behind Ba6 is simple: we want to exchange White’s good bishop, which leaves him
with his bad bishop. On the other hand, this exchange leaves our knight on a6 a bit
misplaced, but this can be rectified later, especially after …c5. We typically will play for the
…c5 break in this variation. }

8. cxd5 { White’s most common move by far. } exd5

{ There is no need to take on d3 beforehand since this just activates White’s queen for
free. }

9. Ne5

{ This was tried by Duda, as well as some others. The idea is to recapture on d3 with the
knight. }

Bxc3

{ This has only been tried once, but there is no need for Black to take on d3 yet,
unprovoked. }

10. bxc3 c5

{ Carrying out the standard break. Note that if White takes on a6 here, we transpose to the
mainline with 9. Ba6 - variation #14. }

11. f3

{ This is White’s other independent option, planning e4. The e3-pawn is weakened now
though, which Black will try to exploit. }

Bxd3 12. Qxd3 Re8 13. a4 Nbd7 { Exchanging off the knight on e5. } 14.

Nxd7 Qxd7 { Black is completely equal. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.e3”]

[Black “5.Bd3 6.Nf3 Mainline Variation 10”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3

{ 4. e3, commonly known as the Rubinstein Variation, is - together with 4. Qc2 - far and
away White’s most popular and challenging option against the Nimzo-Indian. It might seem
strange to think that blocking White’s dark-squared bishop in like this is critical, but as we
will see in a later chapter, active development with 4.Bg5 can be met strongly by c5 , and
4.Nf3 transposes to the Ragozin after d5. 4. e3 seems quite inflexible and committal,
however it is important to keep in mind that White hasn’t committed his g1-knight yet. This
means that he has a couple of possible setups involving Ng1-e2, in addition to the more
obvious Nf3 plans. }

O-O

{ Black’s most flexible option and probably the best. Black doesn’t commit his central
pawns too early, which allows us to opt for either a dark-squared strategy (with …c5) or a
light-squared strategy (with …d5) , depending on how White continues. In most situations
we will be opting for the light-squared strategy with …d5, as this is in keeping with this
repertoire’s theme, but in one specific case we go for a dark-squared plan: when White
plays an early a3 to gain the bishop pair. }

5. Bd3 { The most common move, fighting for the e4-square. } d5

{ The main move here. We continue to follow our … d5 light-squared strategy in order to
fight for the e4-square and the centre. }

6. Nf3

{ White develops, very naturally. This is the main position in the 4. e3 Nimzo-Indian, and
possibly the whole Nimzo-Indian. Black has tried at least a dozen setups and variations
from this position onwards, each of which have their own character, pawn structure and
positional [Link], we tried to choose the setup with the most synergy with the rest
of the repertoire. The 3 main options examined were: 1. The ideal choice would have been
c5 7.O-O Nc6 8.a3 Bxc3+ 9.bxc3 Qc7 , as the structures we get after 10.cxd5 exd5 feature
very frequently in the Ragozin. Unfortunately, White has a number of irritating deviations
on the way to that mainline, such 8. cxd5 exd5 9. dxc5 - which leads to Black getting an IQP
where it is surprisingly difficult to equalise. 2. One of the current mainlines and a
recommendation in a handfull of repertoire books is c5 7.O-O cxd4 8.exd4 dxc4 9.Bxc4. This
leads to a very topical position with decent chances for both sides. However , it is an IQP
position where White has decent chances for an edge and where Black needs to know his
stuff. IQP positions have not featured too prominently in this repertoire , and additionally
covering it in sufficient detail (when this is just one chapter in a comprehensive repertoire)
(for Black to be truly prepared is a difficult task.) 3. b6 was the third option. It leads to a
structure which does feature elsewhere in the repertoire. Additionally, it is only about a
fifth as popular as the main move here, c5, so white players should be a little less prepared
for it. In recent years it has been played by a whole host of top players, including Carlsen,
Karjakin and Harikrishna. Finally, b6 seems to be just as strong objectively as any of the
other lines, so it seemed like the best choice for this repertoire. }

b6

{ As mentioned above, b6 is our choice for this repertoire. The c7-pawn stays at home, at
least for now, while we prioritise developing our light bishop. b6 allows the light bishop to
go to a6 or to b7, depending on what Black prefers. In this repertoire, our fundamental plan
will be to play …Ba6, exchanging the light-squared bishops and then playing for …c5. }

7. O-O { Very natural and the most common move. } Ba6

{ This move is significantly less popular than Bb7 (800 games vs 120 games) , but it has
been played by a number of top players and it seems like a rock solid choice. It is unclear
why it is so much less popular than Bb7, when Ba6 seems to equalise even more easily.
Bb7 keeps more pieces on the board , which might appeal to players who are hoping for a
double-edged , complicated fight. Both moves score very well for Black (around 50%) (and
they are probably equally strong objectively, so it might just be a matter of choice.) The
idea behind Ba6 is simple: we want to exchange White’s good bishop, which leaves him
with his bad bishop. On the other hand, this exchange leaves our knight on a6 a bit
misplaced, but this can be rectified later, especially after …c5. We typically will play for the
…c5 break in this variation. }

8. cxd5 { White’s most common move by far. } exd5

{ There is no need to take on d3 beforehand since this just activates White’s queen for
free. }

9. a3

{ Forcing …Bxc3 probably isn’t the best use of White’s tempo, as we often play it anyway
unprovoked. }

Bxc3 10. bxc3 Bxd3 11. Qxd3 Nc6

{ A nice idea. The knight is headed to a5 where it can exploit the weak c4-square. }

12. Nd2 { Covering c4. } Na5 13. Bb2 Rc8 { Preparing …c5. } 14. c4 c5

{ Black can also play …c6, but either way Black has equalised. }
[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.e3”]

[Black “5.Bd3 6.Nf3 Mainline Variation 11”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3

{ 4. e3, commonly known as the Rubinstein Variation, is - together with 4. Qc2 - far and
away White’s most popular and challenging option against the Nimzo-Indian. It might seem
strange to think that blocking White’s dark-squared bishop in like this is critical, but as we
will see in a later chapter, active development with 4.Bg5 can be met strongly by c5 , and
4.Nf3 transposes to the Ragozin after d5. 4. e3 seems quite inflexible and committal,
however it is important to keep in mind that White hasn’t committed his g1-knight yet. This
means that he has a couple of possible setups involving Ng1-e2, in addition to the more
obvious Nf3 plans. }

O-O

{ Black’s most flexible option and probably the best. Black doesn’t commit his central
pawns too early, which allows us to opt for either a dark-squared strategy (with …c5) or a
light-squared strategy (with …d5) , depending on how White continues. In most situations
we will be opting for the light-squared strategy with …d5, as this is in keeping with this
repertoire’s theme, but in one specific case we go for a dark-squared plan: when White
plays an early a3 to gain the bishop pair. }

5. Bd3 { The most common move, fighting for the e4-square. } d5

{ The main move here. We continue to follow our … d5 light-squared strategy in order to
fight for the e4-square and the centre. }

6. Nf3

{ White develops, very naturally. This is the main position in the 4. e3 Nimzo-Indian, and
possibly the whole Nimzo-Indian. Black has tried at least a dozen setups and variations
from this position onwards, each of which have their own character, pawn structure and
positional [Link], we tried to choose the setup with the most synergy with the rest
of the repertoire. The 3 main options examined were: 1. The ideal choice would have been
c5 7.O-O Nc6 8.a3 Bxc3+ 9.bxc3 Qc7 , as the structures we get after 10.cxd5 exd5 feature
very frequently in the Ragozin. Unfortunately, White has a number of irritating deviations
on the way to that mainline, such 8. cxd5 exd5 9. dxc5 - which leads to Black getting an IQP
where it is surprisingly difficult to equalise. 2. One of the current mainlines and a
recommendation in a handfull of repertoire books is c5 7.O-O cxd4 8.exd4 dxc4 9.Bxc4. This
leads to a very topical position with decent chances for both sides. However , it is an IQP
position where White has decent chances for an edge and where Black needs to know his
stuff. IQP positions have not featured too prominently in this repertoire , and additionally
covering it in sufficient detail (when this is just one chapter in a comprehensive repertoire)
(for Black to be truly prepared is a difficult task.) 3. b6 was the third option. It leads to a
structure which does feature elsewhere in the repertoire. Additionally, it is only about a
fifth as popular as the main move here, c5, so white players should be a little less prepared
for it. In recent years it has been played by a whole host of top players, including Carlsen,
Karjakin and Harikrishna. Finally, b6 seems to be just as strong objectively as any of the
other lines, so it seemed like the best choice for this repertoire. }

b6

{ As mentioned above, b6 is our choice for this repertoire. The c7-pawn stays at home, at
least for now, while we prioritise developing our light bishop. b6 allows the light bishop to
go to a6 or to b7, depending on what Black prefers. In this repertoire, our fundamental plan
will be to play …Ba6, exchanging the light-squared bishops and then playing for …c5. }

7. O-O { Very natural and the most common move. } Ba6

{ This move is significantly less popular than Bb7 (800 games vs 120 games) , but it has
been played by a number of top players and it seems like a rock solid choice. It is unclear
why it is so much less popular than Bb7, when Ba6 seems to equalise even more easily.
Bb7 keeps more pieces on the board , which might appeal to players who are hoping for a
double-edged , complicated fight. Both moves score very well for Black (around 50%) (and
they are probably equally strong objectively, so it might just be a matter of choice.) The
idea behind Ba6 is simple: we want to exchange White’s good bishop, which leaves him
with his bad bishop. On the other hand, this exchange leaves our knight on a6 a bit
misplaced, but this can be rectified later, especially after …c5. We typically will play for the
…c5 break in this variation. }

8. cxd5 { White’s most common move by far. } exd5

{ There is no need to take on d3 beforehand since this just activates White’s queen for
free. }

9. a3

{ Forcing …Bxc3 probably isn’t the best use of White’s tempo, as we often play it anyway
unprovoked. }
Bxc3 10. bxc3 Bxd3 11. Qxd3 Nc6

{ A nice idea. The knight is headed to a5 where it can exploit the weak c4-square. }

12. c4 Na5 { Hitting the c4 pawn. } 13. Ne5 c5

{ With good play against White’s centre. Black has equalised. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.e3”]

[Black “5.Bd3 6.Nf3 Mainline Variation 12”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3

{ 4. e3, commonly known as the Rubinstein Variation, is - together with 4. Qc2 - far and
away White’s most popular and challenging option against the Nimzo-Indian. It might seem
strange to think that blocking White’s dark-squared bishop in like this is critical, but as we
will see in a later chapter, active development with 4.Bg5 can be met strongly by c5 , and
4.Nf3 transposes to the Ragozin after d5. 4. e3 seems quite inflexible and committal,
however it is important to keep in mind that White hasn’t committed his g1-knight yet. This
means that he has a couple of possible setups involving Ng1-e2, in addition to the more
obvious Nf3 plans. }

O-O

{ Black’s most flexible option and probably the best. Black doesn’t commit his central
pawns too early, which allows us to opt for either a dark-squared strategy (with …c5) or a
light-squared strategy (with …d5) , depending on how White continues. In most situations
we will be opting for the light-squared strategy with …d5, as this is in keeping with this
repertoire’s theme, but in one specific case we go for a dark-squared plan: when White
plays an early a3 to gain the bishop pair. }

5. Bd3 { The most common move, fighting for the e4-square. } d5

{ The main move here. We continue to follow our … d5 light-squared strategy in order to
fight for the e4-square and the centre. }

6. Nf3

{ White develops, very naturally. This is the main position in the 4. e3 Nimzo-Indian, and
possibly the whole Nimzo-Indian. Black has tried at least a dozen setups and variations
from this position onwards, each of which have their own character, pawn structure and
positional [Link], we tried to choose the setup with the most synergy with the rest
of the repertoire. The 3 main options examined were: 1. The ideal choice would have been
c5 7.O-O Nc6 8.a3 Bxc3+ 9.bxc3 Qc7 , as the structures we get after 10.cxd5 exd5 feature
very frequently in the Ragozin. Unfortunately, White has a number of irritating deviations
on the way to that mainline, such 8. cxd5 exd5 9. dxc5 - which leads to Black getting an IQP
where it is surprisingly difficult to equalise. 2. One of the current mainlines and a
recommendation in a handfull of repertoire books is c5 7.O-O cxd4 8.exd4 dxc4 9.Bxc4. This
leads to a very topical position with decent chances for both sides. However , it is an IQP
position where White has decent chances for an edge and where Black needs to know his
stuff. IQP positions have not featured too prominently in this repertoire , and additionally
covering it in sufficient detail (when this is just one chapter in a comprehensive repertoire)
(for Black to be truly prepared is a difficult task.) 3. b6 was the third option. It leads to a
structure which does feature elsewhere in the repertoire. Additionally, it is only about a
fifth as popular as the main move here, c5, so white players should be a little less prepared
for it. In recent years it has been played by a whole host of top players, including Carlsen,
Karjakin and Harikrishna. Finally, b6 seems to be just as strong objectively as any of the
other lines, so it seemed like the best choice for this repertoire. }

b6

{ As mentioned above, b6 is our choice for this repertoire. The c7-pawn stays at home, at
least for now, while we prioritise developing our light bishop. b6 allows the light bishop to
go to a6 or to b7, depending on what Black prefers. In this repertoire, our fundamental plan
will be to play …Ba6, exchanging the light-squared bishops and then playing for …c5. }

7. O-O { Very natural and the most common move. } Ba6

{ This move is significantly less popular than Bb7 (800 games vs 120 games) , but it has
been played by a number of top players and it seems like a rock solid choice. It is unclear
why it is so much less popular than Bb7, when Ba6 seems to equalise even more easily.
Bb7 keeps more pieces on the board , which might appeal to players who are hoping for a
double-edged , complicated fight. Both moves score very well for Black (around 50%) (and
they are probably equally strong objectively, so it might just be a matter of choice.) The
idea behind Ba6 is simple: we want to exchange White’s good bishop, which leaves him
with his bad bishop. On the other hand, this exchange leaves our knight on a6 a bit
misplaced, but this can be rectified later, especially after …c5. We typically will play for the
…c5 break in this variation. }
8. cxd5 { White’s most common move by far. } exd5

{ There is no need to take on d3 beforehand since this just activates White’s queen for
free. }

9. Bxa6 { White’s main move here by far. } Nxa6

{ Our knight on a6 is not ideally placed, but it will typically be redeployed later after an
eventual …c5 break. This is our final junction in this chapter. At the time of writing, 88
games have been played with Black scoring above 50%! This is quite understandable, since
our plan from here is quite straightforward. If necessary we will defend the knight on a6
with …Qc8 and then play for the …c5 break. Sometimes we will stay solid with …c6 as well.
The usual guideline is that if …c5 activates white’s dark bishop (such as when the bishop is
already on c3) , we will play solidly with …c6 instead. }

10. Bd2 { Natural development is White’s third most common move. } Re8

{ Improving the rook’s position and clearing the f8-square for our dark-squared bishop. }

11. Rc1 Qc8

{ This hasn’t been tried yet , but it seems simple and strong. It might be a simpler route to
equality than Bf8. }

12. a3 Bd6 { Taking on c3 is also possible. } 13. b4

{ White expands on the queenside. } Qb7

{ Black looks quite passive, but this is temporary. We are very solid and have no
weaknesses. }

14. Qb3 b5

{ A good positional move. Black blocks white’s queenside play in its tracks. Next he can plan
to reroute one of his knights to c4 (… Nf6-d7-b6-c4 or … Na6-b8-d7-b6-c4) . }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.e3”]

[Black “5.Bd3 6.Nf3 Mainline Variation 13”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3

{ 4. e3, commonly known as the Rubinstein Variation, is - together with 4. Qc2 - far and
away White’s most popular and challenging option against the Nimzo-Indian. It might seem
strange to think that blocking White’s dark-squared bishop in like this is critical, but as we
will see in a later chapter, active development with 4.Bg5 can be met strongly by c5 , and
4.Nf3 transposes to the Ragozin after d5. 4. e3 seems quite inflexible and committal,
however it is important to keep in mind that White hasn’t committed his g1-knight yet. This
means that he has a couple of possible setups involving Ng1-e2, in addition to the more
obvious Nf3 plans. }

O-O

{ Black’s most flexible option and probably the best. Black doesn’t commit his central
pawns too early, which allows us to opt for either a dark-squared strategy (with …c5) or a
light-squared strategy (with …d5) , depending on how White continues. In most situations
we will be opting for the light-squared strategy with …d5, as this is in keeping with this
repertoire’s theme, but in one specific case we go for a dark-squared plan: when White
plays an early a3 to gain the bishop pair. }

5. Bd3 { The most common move, fighting for the e4-square. } d5

{ The main move here. We continue to follow our … d5 light-squared strategy in order to
fight for the e4-square and the centre. }

6. Nf3

{ White develops, very naturally. This is the main position in the 4. e3 Nimzo-Indian, and
possibly the whole Nimzo-Indian. Black has tried at least a dozen setups and variations
from this position onwards, each of which have their own character, pawn structure and
positional [Link], we tried to choose the setup with the most synergy with the rest
of the repertoire. The 3 main options examined were: 1. The ideal choice would have been
c5 7.O-O Nc6 8.a3 Bxc3+ 9.bxc3 Qc7 , as the structures we get after 10.cxd5 exd5 feature
very frequently in the Ragozin. Unfortunately, White has a number of irritating deviations
on the way to that mainline, such 8. cxd5 exd5 9. dxc5 - which leads to Black getting an IQP
where it is surprisingly difficult to equalise. 2. One of the current mainlines and a
recommendation in a handfull of repertoire books is c5 7.O-O cxd4 8.exd4 dxc4 9.Bxc4. This
leads to a very topical position with decent chances for both sides. However , it is an IQP
position where White has decent chances for an edge and where Black needs to know his
stuff. IQP positions have not featured too prominently in this repertoire , and additionally
covering it in sufficient detail (when this is just one chapter in a comprehensive repertoire)
(for Black to be truly prepared is a difficult task.) 3. b6 was the third option. It leads to a
structure which does feature elsewhere in the repertoire. Additionally, it is only about a
fifth as popular as the main move here, c5, so white players should be a little less prepared
for it. In recent years it has been played by a whole host of top players, including Carlsen,
Karjakin and Harikrishna. Finally, b6 seems to be just as strong objectively as any of the
other lines, so it seemed like the best choice for this repertoire. }

b6

{ As mentioned above, b6 is our choice for this repertoire. The c7-pawn stays at home, at
least for now, while we prioritise developing our light bishop. b6 allows the light bishop to
go to a6 or to b7, depending on what Black prefers. In this repertoire, our fundamental plan
will be to play …Ba6, exchanging the light-squared bishops and then playing for …c5. }

7. O-O { Very natural and the most common move. } Ba6

{ This move is significantly less popular than Bb7 (800 games vs 120 games) , but it has
been played by a number of top players and it seems like a rock solid choice. It is unclear
why it is so much less popular than Bb7, when Ba6 seems to equalise even more easily.
Bb7 keeps more pieces on the board , which might appeal to players who are hoping for a
double-edged , complicated fight. Both moves score very well for Black (around 50%) (and
they are probably equally strong objectively, so it might just be a matter of choice.) The
idea behind Ba6 is simple: we want to exchange White’s good bishop, which leaves him
with his bad bishop. On the other hand, this exchange leaves our knight on a6 a bit
misplaced, but this can be rectified later, especially after …c5. We typically will play for the
…c5 break in this variation. }

8. cxd5 { White’s most common move by far. } exd5

{ There is no need to take on d3 beforehand since this just activates White’s queen for
free. }

9. Bxa6 { White’s main move here by far. } Nxa6

{ Our knight on a6 is not ideally placed, but it will typically be redeployed later after an
eventual …c5 break. This is our final junction in this chapter. At the time of writing, 88
games have been played with Black scoring above 50%! This is quite understandable, since
our plan from here is quite straightforward. If necessary we will defend the knight on a6
with …Qc8 and then play for the …c5 break. Sometimes we will stay solid with …c6 as well.
The usual guideline is that if …c5 activates white’s dark bishop (such as when the bishop is
already on c3) , we will play solidly with …c6 instead. }

10. Bd2 { Natural development is White’s third most common move. } Re8

{ Improving the rook’s position and clearing the f8-square for our dark-squared bishop. }
11. Rc1 Bf8

{ Ensuring that we keep the dark-squared bishop. This has been Black’s most popular
move. }

12. Ne5

{ Note that 12.Qa4 here would transpose to our mainline, 10. Qa4 (- variation #17-19.) }

c5 { Carrying out our standard freeing break. } 13. f4

{ Securing the knight on e5. } Nc7 14. Be1

{ Activating the bishop by bringing it to h4. } Rc8

{ Very natural play so far from both sides. } 15. Bh4 Qd6

{ Stepping out of the pin, with a decent, equal position with chances for both sides. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.e3”]

[Black “5.Bd3 6.Nf3 Mainline Variation 14”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3

{ 4. e3, commonly known as the Rubinstein Variation, is - together with 4. Qc2 - far and
away White’s most popular and challenging option against the Nimzo-Indian. It might seem
strange to think that blocking White’s dark-squared bishop in like this is critical, but as we
will see in a later chapter, active development with 4.Bg5 can be met strongly by c5 , and
4.Nf3 transposes to the Ragozin after d5. 4. e3 seems quite inflexible and committal,
however it is important to keep in mind that White hasn’t committed his g1-knight yet. This
means that he has a couple of possible setups involving Ng1-e2, in addition to the more
obvious Nf3 plans. }
O-O

{ Black’s most flexible option and probably the best. Black doesn’t commit his central
pawns too early, which allows us to opt for either a dark-squared strategy (with …c5) or a
light-squared strategy (with …d5) , depending on how White continues. In most situations
we will be opting for the light-squared strategy with …d5, as this is in keeping with this
repertoire’s theme, but in one specific case we go for a dark-squared plan: when White
plays an early a3 to gain the bishop pair. }

5. Bd3 { The most common move, fighting for the e4-square. } d5

{ The main move here. We continue to follow our … d5 light-squared strategy in order to
fight for the e4-square and the centre. }

6. Nf3

{ White develops, very naturally. This is the main position in the 4. e3 Nimzo-Indian, and
possibly the whole Nimzo-Indian. Black has tried at least a dozen setups and variations
from this position onwards, each of which have their own character, pawn structure and
positional [Link], we tried to choose the setup with the most synergy with the rest
of the repertoire. The 3 main options examined were: 1. The ideal choice would have been
c5 7.O-O Nc6 8.a3 Bxc3+ 9.bxc3 Qc7 , as the structures we get after 10.cxd5 exd5 feature
very frequently in the Ragozin. Unfortunately, White has a number of irritating deviations
on the way to that mainline, such 8. cxd5 exd5 9. dxc5 - which leads to Black getting an IQP
where it is surprisingly difficult to equalise. 2. One of the current mainlines and a
recommendation in a handfull of repertoire books is c5 7.O-O cxd4 8.exd4 dxc4 9.Bxc4. This
leads to a very topical position with decent chances for both sides. However , it is an IQP
position where White has decent chances for an edge and where Black needs to know his
stuff. IQP positions have not featured too prominently in this repertoire , and additionally
covering it in sufficient detail (when this is just one chapter in a comprehensive repertoire)
(for Black to be truly prepared is a difficult task.) 3. b6 was the third option. It leads to a
structure which does feature elsewhere in the repertoire. Additionally, it is only about a
fifth as popular as the main move here, c5, so white players should be a little less prepared
for it. In recent years it has been played by a whole host of top players, including Carlsen,
Karjakin and Harikrishna. Finally, b6 seems to be just as strong objectively as any of the
other lines, so it seemed like the best choice for this repertoire. }

b6

{ As mentioned above, b6 is our choice for this repertoire. The c7-pawn stays at home, at
least for now, while we prioritise developing our light bishop. b6 allows the light bishop to
go to a6 or to b7, depending on what Black prefers. In this repertoire, our fundamental plan
will be to play …Ba6, exchanging the light-squared bishops and then playing for …c5. }

7. O-O { Very natural and the most common move. } Ba6

{ This move is significantly less popular than Bb7 (800 games vs 120 games) , but it has
been played by a number of top players and it seems like a rock solid choice. It is unclear
why it is so much less popular than Bb7, when Ba6 seems to equalise even more easily.
Bb7 keeps more pieces on the board , which might appeal to players who are hoping for a
double-edged , complicated fight. Both moves score very well for Black (around 50%) (and
they are probably equally strong objectively, so it might just be a matter of choice.) The
idea behind Ba6 is simple: we want to exchange White’s good bishop, which leaves him
with his bad bishop. On the other hand, this exchange leaves our knight on a6 a bit
misplaced, but this can be rectified later, especially after …c5. We typically will play for the
…c5 break in this variation. }

8. cxd5 { White’s most common move by far. } exd5

{ There is no need to take on d3 beforehand since this just activates White’s queen for
free. }

9. Bxa6 { White’s main move here by far. } Nxa6

{ Our knight on a6 is not ideally placed, but it will typically be redeployed later after an
eventual …c5 break. This is our final junction in this chapter. At the time of writing, 88
games have been played with Black scoring above 50%! This is quite understandable, since
our plan from here is quite straightforward. If necessary we will defend the knight on a6
with …Qc8 and then play for the …c5 break. Sometimes we will stay solid with …c6 as well.
The usual guideline is that if …c5 activates white’s dark bishop (such as when the bishop is
already on c3) , we will play solidly with …c6 instead. }

10. Ne5 Bxc3 11. bxc3 c5 12. Qe2 Qc8 13. a4 Re8

{ Black is still super solid here. Next he can activate his knight on a6 either by …Nc7 or …
Nb8-d7/c6. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.e3”]

[Black “5.Bd3 6.Nf3 Mainline Variation 15”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3

{ 4. e3, commonly known as the Rubinstein Variation, is - together with 4. Qc2 - far and
away White’s most popular and challenging option against the Nimzo-Indian. It might seem
strange to think that blocking White’s dark-squared bishop in like this is critical, but as we
will see in a later chapter, active development with 4.Bg5 can be met strongly by c5 , and
4.Nf3 transposes to the Ragozin after d5. 4. e3 seems quite inflexible and committal,
however it is important to keep in mind that White hasn’t committed his g1-knight yet. This
means that he has a couple of possible setups involving Ng1-e2, in addition to the more
obvious Nf3 plans. }

O-O

{ Black’s most flexible option and probably the best. Black doesn’t commit his central
pawns too early, which allows us to opt for either a dark-squared strategy (with …c5) or a
light-squared strategy (with …d5) , depending on how White continues. In most situations
we will be opting for the light-squared strategy with …d5, as this is in keeping with this
repertoire’s theme, but in one specific case we go for a dark-squared plan: when White
plays an early a3 to gain the bishop pair. }

5. Bd3 { The most common move, fighting for the e4-square. } d5

{ The main move here. We continue to follow our … d5 light-squared strategy in order to
fight for the e4-square and the centre. }

6. Nf3

{ White develops, very naturally. This is the main position in the 4. e3 Nimzo-Indian, and
possibly the whole Nimzo-Indian. Black has tried at least a dozen setups and variations
from this position onwards, each of which have their own character, pawn structure and
positional [Link], we tried to choose the setup with the most synergy with the rest
of the repertoire. The 3 main options examined were: 1. The ideal choice would have been
c5 7.O-O Nc6 8.a3 Bxc3+ 9.bxc3 Qc7 , as the structures we get after 10.cxd5 exd5 feature
very frequently in the Ragozin. Unfortunately, White has a number of irritating deviations
on the way to that mainline, such 8. cxd5 exd5 9. dxc5 - which leads to Black getting an IQP
where it is surprisingly difficult to equalise. 2. One of the current mainlines and a
recommendation in a handfull of repertoire books is c5 7.O-O cxd4 8.exd4 dxc4 9.Bxc4. This
leads to a very topical position with decent chances for both sides. However , it is an IQP
position where White has decent chances for an edge and where Black needs to know his
stuff. IQP positions have not featured too prominently in this repertoire , and additionally
covering it in sufficient detail (when this is just one chapter in a comprehensive repertoire)
(for Black to be truly prepared is a difficult task.) 3. b6 was the third option. It leads to a
structure which does feature elsewhere in the repertoire. Additionally, it is only about a
fifth as popular as the main move here, c5, so white players should be a little less prepared
for it. In recent years it has been played by a whole host of top players, including Carlsen,
Karjakin and Harikrishna. Finally, b6 seems to be just as strong objectively as any of the
other lines, so it seemed like the best choice for this repertoire. }

b6

{ As mentioned above, b6 is our choice for this repertoire. The c7-pawn stays at home, at
least for now, while we prioritise developing our light bishop. b6 allows the light bishop to
go to a6 or to b7, depending on what Black prefers. In this repertoire, our fundamental plan
will be to play …Ba6, exchanging the light-squared bishops and then playing for …c5. }

7. O-O { Very natural and the most common move. } Ba6

{ This move is significantly less popular than Bb7 (800 games vs 120 games) , but it has
been played by a number of top players and it seems like a rock solid choice. It is unclear
why it is so much less popular than Bb7, when Ba6 seems to equalise even more easily.
Bb7 keeps more pieces on the board , which might appeal to players who are hoping for a
double-edged , complicated fight. Both moves score very well for Black (around 50%) (and
they are probably equally strong objectively, so it might just be a matter of choice.) The
idea behind Ba6 is simple: we want to exchange White’s good bishop, which leaves him
with his bad bishop. On the other hand, this exchange leaves our knight on a6 a bit
misplaced, but this can be rectified later, especially after …c5. We typically will play for the
…c5 break in this variation. }

8. cxd5 { White’s most common move by far. } exd5

{ There is no need to take on d3 beforehand since this just activates White’s queen for
free. }

9. Bxa6 { White’s main move here by far. } Nxa6

{ Our knight on a6 is not ideally placed, but it will typically be redeployed later after an
eventual …c5 break. This is our final junction in this chapter. At the time of writing, 88
games have been played with Black scoring above 50%! This is quite understandable, since
our plan from here is quite straightforward. If necessary we will defend the knight on a6
with …Qc8 and then play for the …c5 break. Sometimes we will stay solid with …c6 as well.
The usual guideline is that if …c5 activates white’s dark bishop (such as when the bishop is
already on c3) , we will play solidly with …c6 instead. }

10. Qd3 { Hitting the knight on a6. } Qc8

{ The queen covers a6 and clears d8 for our rook. } 11. a3

{ White probably shouldn’t provoke …Bxc3 without the bishop on d2 ready to recapture on
c3. }

Bxc3 12. Qxc3

{ We have seen the structure after 12.bxc3 many times before and it is clear that black has
no problems there after c5. }

c5 13. dxc5 bxc5

{ Our hanging pawns are well supported by Black’s knights. } 14. b3

{ A necessary evil to activate White’s bishop. White would probably prefer the pawn to be
on a2 instead of a3, since now we are able to target b3. }

Ne4 15. Qc2 Rb8 { Putting some pressure on b3. } 16. Bd2 Rb5

{ Black prepares to hit the b3-pawn with …Qb7 - we have fully equalised. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.e3”]

[Black “5.Bd3 6.Nf3 Mainline Variation 16”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3

{ 4. e3, commonly known as the Rubinstein Variation, is - together with 4. Qc2 - far and
away White’s most popular and challenging option against the Nimzo-Indian. It might seem
strange to think that blocking White’s dark-squared bishop in like this is critical, but as we
will see in a later chapter, active development with 4.Bg5 can be met strongly by c5 , and
4.Nf3 transposes to the Ragozin after d5. 4. e3 seems quite inflexible and committal,
however it is important to keep in mind that White hasn’t committed his g1-knight yet. This
means that he has a couple of possible setups involving Ng1-e2, in addition to the more
obvious Nf3 plans. }

O-O

{ Black’s most flexible option and probably the best. Black doesn’t commit his central
pawns too early, which allows us to opt for either a dark-squared strategy (with …c5) or a
light-squared strategy (with …d5) , depending on how White continues. In most situations
we will be opting for the light-squared strategy with …d5, as this is in keeping with this
repertoire’s theme, but in one specific case we go for a dark-squared plan: when White
plays an early a3 to gain the bishop pair. }

5. Bd3 { The most common move, fighting for the e4-square. } d5

{ The main move here. We continue to follow our … d5 light-squared strategy in order to
fight for the e4-square and the centre. }

6. Nf3

{ White develops, very naturally. This is the main position in the 4. e3 Nimzo-Indian, and
possibly the whole Nimzo-Indian. Black has tried at least a dozen setups and variations
from this position onwards, each of which have their own character, pawn structure and
positional [Link], we tried to choose the setup with the most synergy with the rest
of the repertoire. The 3 main options examined were: 1. The ideal choice would have been
c5 7.O-O Nc6 8.a3 Bxc3+ 9.bxc3 Qc7 , as the structures we get after 10.cxd5 exd5 feature
very frequently in the Ragozin. Unfortunately, White has a number of irritating deviations
on the way to that mainline, such 8. cxd5 exd5 9. dxc5 - which leads to Black getting an IQP
where it is surprisingly difficult to equalise. 2. One of the current mainlines and a
recommendation in a handfull of repertoire books is c5 7.O-O cxd4 8.exd4 dxc4 9.Bxc4. This
leads to a very topical position with decent chances for both sides. However , it is an IQP
position where White has decent chances for an edge and where Black needs to know his
stuff. IQP positions have not featured too prominently in this repertoire , and additionally
covering it in sufficient detail (when this is just one chapter in a comprehensive repertoire)
(for Black to be truly prepared is a difficult task.) 3. b6 was the third option. It leads to a
structure which does feature elsewhere in the repertoire. Additionally, it is only about a
fifth as popular as the main move here, c5, so white players should be a little less prepared
for it. In recent years it has been played by a whole host of top players, including Carlsen,
Karjakin and Harikrishna. Finally, b6 seems to be just as strong objectively as any of the
other lines, so it seemed like the best choice for this repertoire. }

b6

{ As mentioned above, b6 is our choice for this repertoire. The c7-pawn stays at home, at
least for now, while we prioritise developing our light bishop. b6 allows the light bishop to
go to a6 or to b7, depending on what Black prefers. In this repertoire, our fundamental plan
will be to play …Ba6, exchanging the light-squared bishops and then playing for …c5. }

7. O-O { Very natural and the most common move. } Ba6

{ This move is significantly less popular than Bb7 (800 games vs 120 games) , but it has
been played by a number of top players and it seems like a rock solid choice. It is unclear
why it is so much less popular than Bb7, when Ba6 seems to equalise even more easily.
Bb7 keeps more pieces on the board , which might appeal to players who are hoping for a
double-edged , complicated fight. Both moves score very well for Black (around 50%) (and
they are probably equally strong objectively, so it might just be a matter of choice.) The
idea behind Ba6 is simple: we want to exchange White’s good bishop, which leaves him
with his bad bishop. On the other hand, this exchange leaves our knight on a6 a bit
misplaced, but this can be rectified later, especially after …c5. We typically will play for the
…c5 break in this variation. }

8. cxd5 { White’s most common move by far. } exd5

{ There is no need to take on d3 beforehand since this just activates White’s queen for
free. }

9. Bxa6 { White’s main move here by far. } Nxa6

{ Our knight on a6 is not ideally placed, but it will typically be redeployed later after an
eventual …c5 break. This is our final junction in this chapter. At the time of writing, 88
games have been played with Black scoring above 50%! This is quite understandable, since
our plan from here is quite straightforward. If necessary we will defend the knight on a6
with …Qc8 and then play for the …c5 break. Sometimes we will stay solid with …c6 as well.
The usual guideline is that if …c5 activates white’s dark bishop (such as when the bishop is
already on c3) , we will play solidly with …c6 instead. }

10. Qd3 { Hitting the knight on a6. } Qc8

{ The queen covers a6 and clears d8 for our rook. } 11. Bd2 Qb7

{ A good square for the queen, where it supports d5 (which is important after …c5) and also
frees up the rook on a8. }

12. a3 Bxc3 13. Bxc3

{ The only challenging capture. The other two can just be met by …c5. }

Ne4

{ We can also play …c5 here, but there is no need to give White an IQP to play against and
activate White’s bishop. }

14. b4 c6 15. Rfc1 Nd6

{ Targeting the c4 hole. Black is super solid here - next he can bring his rooks (…Rac8 and …
Rfe8) into the game and his other knight (possibly …Nb8-d7) . }

[Site “?”]
[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.e3”]

[Black “5.Bd3 6.Nf3 Mainline Variation 17”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3

{ 4. e3, commonly known as the Rubinstein Variation, is - together with 4. Qc2 - far and
away White’s most popular and challenging option against the Nimzo-Indian. It might seem
strange to think that blocking White’s dark-squared bishop in like this is critical, but as we
will see in a later chapter, active development with 4.Bg5 can be met strongly by c5 , and
4.Nf3 transposes to the Ragozin after d5. 4. e3 seems quite inflexible and committal,
however it is important to keep in mind that White hasn’t committed his g1-knight yet. This
means that he has a couple of possible setups involving Ng1-e2, in addition to the more
obvious Nf3 plans. }

O-O

{ Black’s most flexible option and probably the best. Black doesn’t commit his central
pawns too early, which allows us to opt for either a dark-squared strategy (with …c5) or a
light-squared strategy (with …d5) , depending on how White continues. In most situations
we will be opting for the light-squared strategy with …d5, as this is in keeping with this
repertoire’s theme, but in one specific case we go for a dark-squared plan: when White
plays an early a3 to gain the bishop pair. }

5. Bd3 { The most common move, fighting for the e4-square. } d5

{ The main move here. We continue to follow our … d5 light-squared strategy in order to
fight for the e4-square and the centre. }

6. Nf3

{ White develops, very naturally. This is the main position in the 4. e3 Nimzo-Indian, and
possibly the whole Nimzo-Indian. Black has tried at least a dozen setups and variations
from this position onwards, each of which have their own character, pawn structure and
positional [Link], we tried to choose the setup with the most synergy with the rest
of the repertoire. The 3 main options examined were: 1. The ideal choice would have been
c5 7.O-O Nc6 8.a3 Bxc3+ 9.bxc3 Qc7 , as the structures we get after 10.cxd5 exd5 feature
very frequently in the Ragozin. Unfortunately, White has a number of irritating deviations
on the way to that mainline, such 8. cxd5 exd5 9. dxc5 - which leads to Black getting an IQP
where it is surprisingly difficult to equalise. 2. One of the current mainlines and a
recommendation in a handfull of repertoire books is c5 7.O-O cxd4 8.exd4 dxc4 9.Bxc4. This
leads to a very topical position with decent chances for both sides. However , it is an IQP
position where White has decent chances for an edge and where Black needs to know his
stuff. IQP positions have not featured too prominently in this repertoire , and additionally
covering it in sufficient detail (when this is just one chapter in a comprehensive repertoire)
(for Black to be truly prepared is a difficult task.) 3. b6 was the third option. It leads to a
structure which does feature elsewhere in the repertoire. Additionally, it is only about a
fifth as popular as the main move here, c5, so white players should be a little less prepared
for it. In recent years it has been played by a whole host of top players, including Carlsen,
Karjakin and Harikrishna. Finally, b6 seems to be just as strong objectively as any of the
other lines, so it seemed like the best choice for this repertoire. }

b6

{ As mentioned above, b6 is our choice for this repertoire. The c7-pawn stays at home, at
least for now, while we prioritise developing our light bishop. b6 allows the light bishop to
go to a6 or to b7, depending on what Black prefers. In this repertoire, our fundamental plan
will be to play …Ba6, exchanging the light-squared bishops and then playing for …c5. }

7. O-O { Very natural and the most common move. } Ba6

{ This move is significantly less popular than Bb7 (800 games vs 120 games) , but it has
been played by a number of top players and it seems like a rock solid choice. It is unclear
why it is so much less popular than Bb7, when Ba6 seems to equalise even more easily.
Bb7 keeps more pieces on the board , which might appeal to players who are hoping for a
double-edged , complicated fight. Both moves score very well for Black (around 50%) (and
they are probably equally strong objectively, so it might just be a matter of choice.) The
idea behind Ba6 is simple: we want to exchange White’s good bishop, which leaves him
with his bad bishop. On the other hand, this exchange leaves our knight on a6 a bit
misplaced, but this can be rectified later, especially after …c5. We typically will play for the
…c5 break in this variation. }

8. cxd5 { White’s most common move by far. } exd5

{ There is no need to take on d3 beforehand since this just activates White’s queen for
free. }

9. Bxa6 { White’s main move here by far. } Nxa6

{ Our knight on a6 is not ideally placed, but it will typically be redeployed later after an
eventual …c5 break. This is our final junction in this chapter. At the time of writing, 88
games have been played with Black scoring above 50%! This is quite understandable, since
our plan from here is quite straightforward. If necessary we will defend the knight on a6
with …Qc8 and then play for the …c5 break. Sometimes we will stay solid with …c6 as well.
The usual guideline is that if …c5 activates white’s dark bishop (such as when the bishop is
already on c3) , we will play solidly with …c6 instead. }

10. Qa4

{ This is White’s other way to attack the knight on a6, and White’s most popular move. }

Qc8 { Our usual way to defend the knight on a6. } 11. Qc6

{ This leads to a possible draw after } Qe8 12. Qb7 Qc8

{ With a threefold repetition. Black can also try Bxc3 followed by Qa4 if he is playing to
win. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.e3”]

[Black “5.Bd3 6.Nf3 Mainline Variation 18”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3

{ 4. e3, commonly known as the Rubinstein Variation, is - together with 4. Qc2 - far and
away White’s most popular and challenging option against the Nimzo-Indian. It might seem
strange to think that blocking White’s dark-squared bishop in like this is critical, but as we
will see in a later chapter, active development with 4.Bg5 can be met strongly by c5 , and
4.Nf3 transposes to the Ragozin after d5. 4. e3 seems quite inflexible and committal,
however it is important to keep in mind that White hasn’t committed his g1-knight yet. This
means that he has a couple of possible setups involving Ng1-e2, in addition to the more
obvious Nf3 plans. }

O-O

{ Black’s most flexible option and probably the best. Black doesn’t commit his central
pawns too early, which allows us to opt for either a dark-squared strategy (with …c5) or a
light-squared strategy (with …d5) , depending on how White continues. In most situations
we will be opting for the light-squared strategy with …d5, as this is in keeping with this
repertoire’s theme, but in one specific case we go for a dark-squared plan: when White
plays an early a3 to gain the bishop pair. }

5. Bd3 { The most common move, fighting for the e4-square. } d5

{ The main move here. We continue to follow our … d5 light-squared strategy in order to
fight for the e4-square and the centre. }

6. Nf3

{ White develops, very naturally. This is the main position in the 4. e3 Nimzo-Indian, and
possibly the whole Nimzo-Indian. Black has tried at least a dozen setups and variations
from this position onwards, each of which have their own character, pawn structure and
positional [Link], we tried to choose the setup with the most synergy with the rest
of the repertoire. The 3 main options examined were: 1. The ideal choice would have been
c5 7.O-O Nc6 8.a3 Bxc3+ 9.bxc3 Qc7 , as the structures we get after 10.cxd5 exd5 feature
very frequently in the Ragozin. Unfortunately, White has a number of irritating deviations
on the way to that mainline, such 8. cxd5 exd5 9. dxc5 - which leads to Black getting an IQP
where it is surprisingly difficult to equalise. 2. One of the current mainlines and a
recommendation in a handfull of repertoire books is c5 7.O-O cxd4 8.exd4 dxc4 9.Bxc4. This
leads to a very topical position with decent chances for both sides. However , it is an IQP
position where White has decent chances for an edge and where Black needs to know his
stuff. IQP positions have not featured too prominently in this repertoire , and additionally
covering it in sufficient detail (when this is just one chapter in a comprehensive repertoire)
(for Black to be truly prepared is a difficult task.) 3. b6 was the third option. It leads to a
structure which does feature elsewhere in the repertoire. Additionally, it is only about a
fifth as popular as the main move here, c5, so white players should be a little less prepared
for it. In recent years it has been played by a whole host of top players, including Carlsen,
Karjakin and Harikrishna. Finally, b6 seems to be just as strong objectively as any of the
other lines, so it seemed like the best choice for this repertoire. }

b6

{ As mentioned above, b6 is our choice for this repertoire. The c7-pawn stays at home, at
least for now, while we prioritise developing our light bishop. b6 allows the light bishop to
go to a6 or to b7, depending on what Black prefers. In this repertoire, our fundamental plan
will be to play …Ba6, exchanging the light-squared bishops and then playing for …c5. }

7. O-O { Very natural and the most common move. } Ba6

{ This move is significantly less popular than Bb7 (800 games vs 120 games) , but it has
been played by a number of top players and it seems like a rock solid choice. It is unclear
why it is so much less popular than Bb7, when Ba6 seems to equalise even more easily.
Bb7 keeps more pieces on the board , which might appeal to players who are hoping for a
double-edged , complicated fight. Both moves score very well for Black (around 50%) (and
they are probably equally strong objectively, so it might just be a matter of choice.) The
idea behind Ba6 is simple: we want to exchange White’s good bishop, which leaves him
with his bad bishop. On the other hand, this exchange leaves our knight on a6 a bit
misplaced, but this can be rectified later, especially after …c5. We typically will play for the
…c5 break in this variation. }

8. cxd5 { White’s most common move by far. } exd5

{ There is no need to take on d3 beforehand since this just activates White’s queen for
free. }

9. Bxa6 { White’s main move here by far. } Nxa6

{ Our knight on a6 is not ideally placed, but it will typically be redeployed later after an
eventual …c5 break. This is our final junction in this chapter. At the time of writing, 88
games have been played with Black scoring above 50%! This is quite understandable, since
our plan from here is quite straightforward. If necessary we will defend the knight on a6
with …Qc8 and then play for the …c5 break. Sometimes we will stay solid with …c6 as well.
The usual guideline is that if …c5 activates white’s dark bishop (such as when the bishop is
already on c3) , we will play solidly with …c6 instead. }

10. Qa4

{ This is White’s other way to attack the knight on a6, and White’s most popular move. }

Qc8 { Our usual way to defend the knight on a6. } 11. Bd2

{ Natural development while also making …Bxc3 ineffective since White recaptures with
the bishop. }

Re8 { A standard move, activating the rook and clearing f8. } 12. Rfc1

{ With White’s other rook ‘trapped’ on a1, we can play for the standard …c5 - if White’s
other rook could go to d1, …c5 might not be as good since the d-file would be opened up. }

Qb7

{ The usual square for our queen. We can also go for a different plan of …Bf8 followed by …
c5. }

13. a3 Bxc3 14. Bxc3 Rac8 15. b4 c6

{ Black is super solid here and has equalised. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.e3”]

[Black “5.Bd3 6.Nf3 Mainline Variation 19”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3

{ 4. e3, commonly known as the Rubinstein Variation, is - together with 4. Qc2 - far and
away White’s most popular and challenging option against the Nimzo-Indian. It might seem
strange to think that blocking White’s dark-squared bishop in like this is critical, but as we
will see in a later chapter, active development with 4.Bg5 can be met strongly by c5 , and
4.Nf3 transposes to the Ragozin after d5. 4. e3 seems quite inflexible and committal,
however it is important to keep in mind that White hasn’t committed his g1-knight yet. This
means that he has a couple of possible setups involving Ng1-e2, in addition to the more
obvious Nf3 plans. }

O-O

{ Black’s most flexible option and probably the best. Black doesn’t commit his central
pawns too early, which allows us to opt for either a dark-squared strategy (with …c5) or a
light-squared strategy (with …d5) , depending on how White continues. In most situations
we will be opting for the light-squared strategy with …d5, as this is in keeping with this
repertoire’s theme, but in one specific case we go for a dark-squared plan: when White
plays an early a3 to gain the bishop pair. }

5. Bd3 { The most common move, fighting for the e4-square. } d5

{ The main move here. We continue to follow our … d5 light-squared strategy in order to
fight for the e4-square and the centre. }

6. Nf3

{ White develops, very naturally. This is the main position in the 4. e3 Nimzo-Indian, and
possibly the whole Nimzo-Indian. Black has tried at least a dozen setups and variations
from this position onwards, each of which have their own character, pawn structure and
positional [Link], we tried to choose the setup with the most synergy with the rest
of the repertoire. The 3 main options examined were: 1. The ideal choice would have been
c5 7.O-O Nc6 8.a3 Bxc3+ 9.bxc3 Qc7 , as the structures we get after 10.cxd5 exd5 feature
very frequently in the Ragozin. Unfortunately, White has a number of irritating deviations
on the way to that mainline, such 8. cxd5 exd5 9. dxc5 - which leads to Black getting an IQP
where it is surprisingly difficult to equalise. 2. One of the current mainlines and a
recommendation in a handfull of repertoire books is c5 7.O-O cxd4 8.exd4 dxc4 9.Bxc4. This
leads to a very topical position with decent chances for both sides. However , it is an IQP
position where White has decent chances for an edge and where Black needs to know his
stuff. IQP positions have not featured too prominently in this repertoire , and additionally
covering it in sufficient detail (when this is just one chapter in a comprehensive repertoire)
(for Black to be truly prepared is a difficult task.) 3. b6 was the third option. It leads to a
structure which does feature elsewhere in the repertoire. Additionally, it is only about a
fifth as popular as the main move here, c5, so white players should be a little less prepared
for it. In recent years it has been played by a whole host of top players, including Carlsen,
Karjakin and Harikrishna. Finally, b6 seems to be just as strong objectively as any of the
other lines, so it seemed like the best choice for this repertoire. }

b6

{ As mentioned above, b6 is our choice for this repertoire. The c7-pawn stays at home, at
least for now, while we prioritise developing our light bishop. b6 allows the light bishop to
go to a6 or to b7, depending on what Black prefers. In this repertoire, our fundamental plan
will be to play …Ba6, exchanging the light-squared bishops and then playing for …c5. }

7. O-O { Very natural and the most common move. } Ba6

{ This move is significantly less popular than Bb7 (800 games vs 120 games) , but it has
been played by a number of top players and it seems like a rock solid choice. It is unclear
why it is so much less popular than Bb7, when Ba6 seems to equalise even more easily.
Bb7 keeps more pieces on the board , which might appeal to players who are hoping for a
double-edged , complicated fight. Both moves score very well for Black (around 50%) (and
they are probably equally strong objectively, so it might just be a matter of choice.) The
idea behind Ba6 is simple: we want to exchange White’s good bishop, which leaves him
with his bad bishop. On the other hand, this exchange leaves our knight on a6 a bit
misplaced, but this can be rectified later, especially after …c5. We typically will play for the
…c5 break in this variation. }

8. cxd5 { White’s most common move by far. } exd5

{ There is no need to take on d3 beforehand since this just activates White’s queen for
free. }

9. Bxa6 { White’s main move here by far. } Nxa6

{ Our knight on a6 is not ideally placed, but it will typically be redeployed later after an
eventual …c5 break. This is our final junction in this chapter. At the time of writing, 88
games have been played with Black scoring above 50%! This is quite understandable, since
our plan from here is quite straightforward. If necessary we will defend the knight on a6
with …Qc8 and then play for the …c5 break. Sometimes we will stay solid with …c6 as well.
The usual guideline is that if …c5 activates white’s dark bishop (such as when the bishop is
already on c3) , we will play solidly with …c6 instead. }

10. Qa4

{ This is White’s other way to attack the knight on a6, and White’s most popular move. }

Qc8 { Our usual way to defend the knight on a6. } 11. Bd2

{ Natural development while also making …Bxc3 ineffective since White recaptures with
the bishop. }

Re8 { A standard move, activating the rook and clearing f8. } 12. Rac1

{ With White’s other rook coming to d1, it makes less sense to open the d-file with …c5.
Instead, we will be playing solidly here with …c6. }

Bf8 { Tucking the bishop away. } 13. Rfd1 Qb7 { Preparing for …Rac8. }

14. Be1 Rac8 15. Ne5 c6

{ Black is super solid. Next he can reroute his a6-knight to d7, with either … Nc5-d7 or …
Nb8-d7. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.Qc2”]

[Black “Nimzo-Indian with 4.Qc2 Overview”]

{ @@HeaderStart@@Key Points@@HeaderEnd@@

We cover the Classical variation, 4.Qc2, of the Nimzo here. It has the idea of recapturing on
c3 with the queen instead of the pawn. There is a tricky sideline in the form of 5.e4. We
meet this with d5. Unfortunately, black really needs to learn his theory here - there is no
way around it. Fortunately, black has absolutely no issues theoretically if he knows his
stuff. The mainline is 5.a3, gaining the bishop pair. We meet this by taking on c3 and then
playing QGD-style with …d5. Typically, we are trying to exploit our lead in development
here before white can take advantage of his bishop pair. To do so, we often take on c4,
forcing white to recapture with his queen, and then follow up with moves like …b6, …Ba6
and …c5. }

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

{ 4. Qc2, often known as the Classical Variation, is the most challenging and topical
variation of the Nimzo-Indian, together with the Rubinstein Variation 4.e3 . White wants to
get the best of the both worlds in this variation: the bishop pair (after a3 …bxc3+) without
incurring irritating doubled c-pawns after bxc3. Another important characteristic of 4. Qc2
is that white can now play 5. e4 without losing a pawn, if white chooses to. All is not doom
and gloom for black, however. The issue with 4. Qc2 is that it does nothing to contribute to
white’s development. As a result, it is typical to reach positions in this variation where
black has a lead in development, while white has won the bishop pair. In this situation,
black needs to play actively in order to keep the initiative and not allow white’s pair of
bishops to wreak havoc. }

O-O

{ Black’s most popular choice. He remains flexible in the centre. Black does have two other
good options though: 1. c5 exploits another consequence of 4. Qc2: the queen left d4
unsupported. This is a decent line, however it doesn’t fit in with our …d5 theme in this
repertoire. 2. d5 is the most logical move for this repertoire in terms of our …d5 theme. In
fact, it is quite likely to transpose to our choice, O-O. The reason we didn’t go for this
option is that it can lead to some sharp and unconventional lines after 5. cxd5 exd5 6. Bg5.
Black often has to play … h6 and …g5, which is something we have tried to avoid in this
repertoire. }

5. a3

{ The main move by far. White collects the bishop pair, which is what he set out to achieve.
5.e4 Grabbing the whole centre is certainly ambitious. Formerly quite a rare line, with the
help of computer analysis it has become quite a formidable weapon. d5 ! The main move
here. Black immediately starts chipping away at white’s centre before he has a chance to
solidify. This line can get a bit sharp, but black fully equalises if he knows some theory here.
6.e5 White lunges forwards of course. 6.cxd5 is non-critical. exd5 7.e5 Ne4 8.Bd3 c5
Continuing to attack white’s centre. 9.Nge2 cxd4 10.Nxd4 Bc5 ! A very rare move, but
probably the simplest path to equality. 11.Bxe4 White grabs a pawn. 11.Nxe4 dxe4 12.Qxc5
exd3 13.O-O Nc6 = With full equality. Black’s activity and threats make it near impossible
for white to pick up the seemingly exposed d3 pawn. dxe4 12.Nb3 Bb6 13.Qxe4 Nc6 = Our
pressure on e5 together with our development lead and bishop pair give us full
compensation for the pawn. Ne4 7.Bd3 White’s most common move, attack our knight. 7.a3
Forcing the capture on c3 so another pawn can support the d4 pawn. Bxc3+ 8.bxc3 c5 Once
again, black plays actively and attacks white’s centre. 9.Bd3 Attacking e4. 9.Bb2 White’s
second most popular choice. cxd4 10.cxd4 Bd7 No need to give the very tempting check …
Qa5. 11.Ne2 Nc6 ��� Black just seems to be better here. Next he can crack open white’s
centre with …f6. Qa5 Counterattacking c3, which indirectly defends e4. 10.Ne2 cxd4 This
line does get quite sharp now. 11.cxd5 exd5 12.f3 Opening the diagonal for the bishop by
forcing our knight away. Nxc3 13.Nxd4 Ne4+ Nb5+ is the other option and it is simpler, as
it leads to a roughly equal endgame. 14.Ke2 Nc5 15.Bxh7+ Kh8 16.Kf2 Bd7 = The position
remains very sharp with chances for both sides. Black will want to play actively and get the
rest of his pieces into the game, with …Rc8 and …Nc6. c5 ! Black should continue to attack
white’s unsupported centre. 8.Nf3 cxd4 We remove the pawn supporting e5. 9.Nxd4 Nd7
Attacking e5. 10.Bf4 Defending e5 is white’s most common move by far. Ndc5 Supporting
e4 while simultaneously planning …Nxd3+. 11.O-O Bxc3 12.bxc3 Bd7 With the idea of …Ba4
or playing …Na4 to attack c3. 13.Be2 White retreats his bishop due to the threat of …Ba4.
Na4 Attacking c3. 14.cxd5 exd5 15.c4 Advancing the weak pawn. 15.f3 White sacrifices his
c3 pawn. Nexc3 16.Bd3 g6 Blunting the bishop. 17.Rac1 b5 = White has enough
compensation for the pawn for equality, but nothing more. The position remains complex
though, with chances for both sides. Rc8 16.Rac1 Nac3 17.cxd5 Qa5 Recouping the d5
pawn. 18.Bf3 Qxd5 = The position remains quite complex, but black should be equal. 5.Bg5
White develops actively, but this is slightly premature. A downside of 4. Qc2 was that it left
white’s centre d4 unsupported, which is something black can certainly exploit. c5 Attacking
the unprotected d4 pawn. Now 6. dxc5 must surely be critical. A: c5 6.e3 is hardly
challenging. cxd4 7.exd4 h6 8.Bh4 Nc6 Forcing white’s knight to f3 before we play …d5.
9.Nf3 d5 Fighting for the centre. 10.a3 Bxc3+ ! This is rare, but quite good. The solid, usual
Be7 is perfectly fine too. 11.bxc3 11.Qxc3 g5 12.Bg3 Ne4 =+ Black is definitely to be
preferred here thanks to his initiative. b6 =+ Black is probably for choice here, as he will
have good play down the c-file soon. B: c5 6.d5 A pawn sacrifice recommended in
‘Dangerous Weapons’. d6 Black can go for the pawn after …h6 followed by …g5, but this is
simpler and better. 7.O-O-O White’s main move here. h6 8.Bh4 Bxc3 9.Qxc3 Ne4 ! Forcing
exchanges. 10.Bxd8 Nxc3 11.bxc3 Rxd8 =+ With his good bishop and the doubled white c-
pawns, black is definitely for choice in this endgame. C: 6.dxc5 Na6 Just like after 5. Nf3, we
want to recapture on c5 with our knight - from there it can maybe go to e4. 7.a3 White’s
main move. 7.Nf3 Nxc5 8.Nd2 Fighting for e4. h6 9.Bh4 b6 10.a3 Bxc3 11.Qxc3 Bb7 =+
Black’s lead in development gives him the edge. Bxc3+ 8.Qxc3 Nxc5 Black threatens …Nce4
here of course. 9.Bxf6 White goes for an endgame where black’s pawn structure is slightly
damaged. 9.f3 ?! This looks like a logical way to stop …Ne4 ideas once and for all, but it is
ineffective. Nfe4 ! Hitting white’s queen. 10.fxe4 Qxg5 =+ Only black can be better here.
Qxf6 10.Qxf6 gxf6 11.b4 Na4 The knight is least vulnerable here. 12.e3 b6 Preparing to
develop our bishop. 13.Nf3 Ba6 = Black has no problems in this endgame at all. Next we
prepare …d5 with …Rfd8. 5.Nf3 White’s most flexible choice. Our issue here is that the most
natural move, d5, allows white to transpose into a line which is outside our repertoire after
6. cxd5 exd5. c5 Black’s main move here, exploiting the poorly supported d4 pawn. As
mentioned before, d5 6. cxd5 would take us out of our repertoire. 6.dxc5 Supporting the
pawn with 6. e3 is completely innocuous. 6.a3 Bxc3+ 7.Qxc3 Taking with the pawn makes
little sense with the queen on c2. cxd4 8.Nxd4 d5 =+ Black’s lead in development gives him
a good position. Na6 ! We plan to regain the pawn with the knight - from c5, the knight can
fight for the e4 square. 7.g3 Fianchettoing the light bishop is white’s most popular and
probably best choice. 7.Bg5 Nxc5 transposes to 5. Bg5. 7.a3 Bxc3+ 8.Qxc3 Nxc5 = Black’s
lead in development gives him a comfortable game. Next he can develop his light bishop
with …b6. 7.Bd2 Planning to recapture on c3 with the bishop. Nxc5 8.a3 Bxc3 9.Bxc3 Nce4
Unfortunately for white, the bishop on c3 gets eliminated quite quickly. 10.e3 Nxc3 11.Qxc3
b6 = Black is comfortably equal here. Nxc5 8.Bg2 Nce4 Aiming to double white’s c-pawns.
9.O-O Nxc3 10.bxc3 Be7 11.e4 d6 12.e5 ! White needs to open the position for his bishops.
dxe5 13.Nxe5 Qc7 14.Qe2 Bd6 This position has been reached nearly a hundred times, and
now there is a split. 15.Bf4 Probably the most natural way to protect e5. 15.Re1 Nd7
Initiating exchanges. 16.Bf4 Nxe5 17.Bxe5 Bxe5 18.Qxe5 Qxc4 = with complete equality.
Ne8 ! Planning …f6. 16.c5 Qxc5 17.c4 f6 = White has full compensation for the pawn, but
nothing more. 5.e3 We can reach this position via the Rubinstein 4.e3 as well. d5 should
transpose to either one of the Rubinstein lines, or our mainline in this chapter within a few
moves. }

Bxc3+

{ Of course, retreating isn’t really an option - we have already lost too much time. }

6. Qxc3

{ Taking with the pawn is completely pointless - there is no need to even analyse it, since
play is similar to 4. a3. In this position, thanks to black’s flexibility, black can choose from a
wide range of setups: light square strategies start with b6, while dark square strategies
begin with d6. However, true to our repertoire theme, we will be playing }

d5

{ . This is only black’s 4th most common move, however it has become the near-exclusive
choice of the chess elite in recent years sometimes b6 is also played . Black’s idea is to stake
out a claim in the centre and try to take advantage of our lead in development. Often, to do
this we will be taking on c4, thus making white lose more time moving his queen. }

7. Nf3

{ Natural development. 7.cxd5 ?! White captures on d5, removing the tension, before we
have a chance to take on c4. This is white’s 4th most common move here, and it isn’t very
challenging. The issue here for white is that our bishop comes alive. Ne4 We can play in a
number of other ways here, however this is the main move. Before recapturing on d5 with
…exd5, we throw in a little intermezzo so that white doesn’t have the Bg5 pin available any
more. 8.Qc2 The most natural option - and the best, but as we shall see, even on c2 the
queen is not entirely safe. exd5 We are free to develop our light bishop actively now seeing
as the diagonal has been opened. 9.Bf4 Developing the bishop outside the pawn chain
before playing e3. 9.e3 Bf5 ! Threatening …Ng3 and gaining more time on white’s queen.
10.Bd3 Qg5 ! Hitting the now-vulnerable g2 pawn. 11.Kf1 c5 ! ��� Black’s initiative has
white under huge pressure. Nc6 It seems a bit unusual to block our c-pawn like this, but
keep in mind that we need to prioritise active play to keep our initiative. An interesting
alternative here though is Bf5. 10.e3 Re8 Setting up tactical ideas along the e-file based on
…Nxd4. 11.Nf3 11.O-O-O is a common try of white’s, getting the king off the e-file. However,
white’s king isn’t very comforable on the queenside either, black’s initiative has not fizzled
out yet. Bf5 Keeping up the pressure. 12.Bd3 Ne7 Protecting f5 and preparing …c5. 13.f3
Nd6 14.e4 Ng6 ! A strong intermediate move. 15.Bxd6 cxd6 Our bishop is immune thanks
to …Rc8. 16.Ne2 dxe4 17.fxe4 Rc8 18.Nc3 Be6 ��� Black’s activity gives him a
commanding advantage. g5 ! Keeping up the pressure on white. 12.Bg3 g4 Again, forceful.
13.Ne5 Nxe5 14.Bxe5 c5 =+ Black retains his initiative with a good position. Possible ideas
in the future are …f6, …Bf5 and … Qa5+. 7.Bg5 White’s most common choice and a very
natural one. By pinning our knight white prevents the irritiating …Ne4 hop. dxc4 Luring
white’s queen to c4, where we can gain more time by attacking. c5 is another decent
option. 8.Qxc4 b6 The thematic follow up to …dxc4. Our bishop heads to a6 to attack
white’s queen. 9.Rd1 White’s only serious independent option here. 9.Nf3 Ba6 transposes
to our mainline after 7. Nf3. Ba6 Developing with tempo. 10.Qa4 White’s more popular
choice. The point is to pressure a6 so that black can’t develop his knight. 10.Qc2 The queen
has the advantage of supporting e4 from here. h6 11.Bh4 Nbd7 12.e4 Bxf1 13.Kxf1 White
has good control over the centre, but his kingside remains undeveloped and his king is still
in the centre. Qc8 ! Intending to activate the queen via a6, while also supporting …c5.
14.Qc6 ! Blocking black from playing his …c5 break. 14.Ne2 allows the immediate c5 =
Black has fully equalised. Qa6+ 15.Ne2 Rac8 Preparing to kick white’s queen back and play
…c5. 16.f3 Nb8 17.Qc2 Nbd7 The immediate c5 is also good. 18.Kf2 c5 = Black has good
play here and approximate equality. h6 Kicking the bishop back. 11.Bh4 Qe7 Freeing up d8
for our rook. 12.Nf3 Rd8 Black is now in a good position to play …c5. 13.g4 is an interesting
idea to develop white’s bishop to g2, while simultaneously introducing the idea of g5. 13.e3
Bxf1 14.Rxf1 Nbd7 = followed by …c5 with full equality. Bb7 Pulling the bishop back so we
can develop our knigh.t 14.Bg2 Nbd7 15.O-O c5 = With the …c5 break in, black has fully
equalised. 7.e3 White wants to recapture on c4 with his bishop, but by playing e3 he blocks
in his dark bishop, which makes his one advantage, the bishop pair, less effective. b6 Black
is satisfied with white’s concession on the previous move - now we are simply planning to
develop the light bishop to b7. 8.Nf3 8.cxd5 Nxd5 All the other recaptures are also decent
options. 9.Qc2 Bb7 We will simply be playing for the …c5 break. 10.Nf3 Nd7 11.e4 Ne7
Better than …Nf6, due to e5. 12.Be3 c5 = Black has no issues here at all. Bb7 Natural
development. 9.Be2 9.b4 White tries to pre-emptively prevent our …c5 break. a5 ! A
novelty and quite a strong one. We try to open up the a-file while white is under developed.
10.c5 axb4 11.axb4 Rxa1 12.Qxa1 Nbd7 = The closed nature of the position is ideal for our
knights. Ne4 10.Qc2 dxc4 11.Bxc4 c5 = Black has equalised comfortably thanks to the …c5
break. Next comes the natural …Nd7. }

dxc4

{ We take on c4 to get white’s queen to c4, so that we can later develop with tempo after …
b6 and …Ba6. }

8. Qxc4 b6 { Preparing to play …Ba6, developing with tempo. } 9. Bg5

{ Pinning our knight is the main move and a very natural one. 9.Bf4 Targeting our c7 pawn.
Ba6 ! Sacrificing the c7 pawn. Typically in this variation, black has more than enough
compensation whenever white tries to greedily grab the c7 pawn. 10.Qxc7 Qd5 Black needs
to avoid the trade of queens to keep his initiative. 11.Qc2 is perhaps a better try for white.
11.Qd6 ?! White persists with the queen trade offer. Qf5 We continue to decline the trade.
12.g4 !? Qe4 =+ Grabbing the pawn loses to 13. Rg1. Black’s activity here gives him full
compensation for the pawn. Rc8 Developing with tempo. 12.Qb1 Qb3 Threatening …Nd5
followed by …Rc2. 13.Nd2 Qa4 = Attacking d4 with full equality. 9.g3 Quite a logical
decision. White realises our bishop is headed to a6, so in order to preserve his bishop pair,
white switches his own bishop to the long diagonal. Unfortunately for white, it is a bit slow,
meaning that black has more than enough time to carry out the …c5 break. Bb7 10.Bg2
Nbd7 Preparing …c5. 11.O-O Bd5 12.Qa4 c5 = Black has fully equalised with this thematic
break. }

Ba6 { Developing with tempo. } 10. Qa4

{ White’s more popular choice puts pressure on a6 so that our knight can’t develop for now.
10.Qc2 The queen aids the e4 advance and hinders …c5 from here. h6 11.Bh4 Nbd7
Preparing .. .c5. The immediate c5 is also often played. 12.e4 12.e3 Bxf1 13.Kxf1 c5 = Black
has fully equalised. Qc8 ! We bring our queen to the queenside, where it can potentially
attack e4 from b7. 13.Be2 Bxe2 14.Qxe2 Qb7 = with pressure on e4, black is at least equal. }

c5

{ Black doesn’t waste time trying to support …c5 with …Nbd7, so instead we break
immediately. }

11. dxc5

{ 11.Rd1 b5 cxd4 is also possible, but perhaps this is even better. 12.Qc2 c4 13.e3 13.Bxf6
Qxf6 14.a4 Nc6 15.axb5 Bxb5 = White can equalise with accuracy. Bb7 14.Be2 Nbd7 15.O-O
Qb6 = Black’s queenside pawn majority gives black at least equal chances here. }

bxc5 12. Rd1

{ 12.Rc1 Hitting our isolated pawn. h6 13.Bh4 Qb6 Protecting c5 and counter attacking b2.
Black doesn’t have to worry about Bxf6, since our king is safer than he looks. 14.Bxf6 gxf6
15.Rc2 Rd8 Activating the rook. 16.e3 Bxf1 17.Rxf1 Rd5 Our rook is well-placed here,
protecting c5. 18.Ke2 Nc6 Developing our knight. 19.Rd1 Rad8 20.Rxd5 Rxd5 = Black’s
activity compensates for his pawn weaknesses. }

Qb6

{ Just like after 12. Rc1, black is willing to accept a slightly damaged pawn structure and
exposed king in exchange for quick development, piece activity and play on the queenside. }
13. Bxf6 gxf6 14. Rd2

{ 14.e3 is white’s only real winning try, which means that it is surprising that it has only
been twice. Bxf1 15.Kxf1 Qxb2 Black can safely grab this pawn. 16.g3 White gets his king to
safety and activates his rooks. Qb7 17.Kg2 Rc8 18.Rd2 Nc6 19.Qf4 Kg7 = And here a
perpetual is white’s best bet. }

Nc6 15. Qg4+ Kh8

{ with a threefold repetition draw after 16. Qh4 or 16. Qf4. This has been played over 60
times ! }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.Qc2”]

[Black “4.Qc2 d5”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Qc2 d5

{ In this chapter, we have opted for the most common move O-O here instead of d5,
however it is useful to be aware of these lines in case you need a backup option or would
simply prefer something different. }

5. cxd5

{ This is White’s main independent option which differentiates d5 from O-O. Black needs to
decide if he’d rather allow 5. e4 after O-O or 5. cxd5 after d5. While both O-O and d5 are
very playable, 5. cxd5 seems a bit more theoretically challenging after d5, which is why we
opted for O-O. After 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.Qxc3 O-O play would just transpose into lines covered in
this chapter. }

exd5 6. Bg5 h6 7. Bh4 c5 8. dxc5

{ So far this is the mainline after d5. In this position Black has a few options. }
O-O

{ This is an interesting idea which would probably be our choice if we were to go for d5. g5
is the main move, but we’d prefer not to play …g5 unless it really is necessary. }

9. e3 Be6 10. a3

{ White’s second most common move seems to be the most challenging. 10.Nf3 is the more
common move, and Black seems to need to do a bit of work to equalise there but he should
be fine. }

Bxc5

{ Bxc3+ perhaps this is Black’s best bet, but now the positions become quite tricky. 11.Qxc3
g5 12.Bg3 Ne4 13.Qc2 with an unclear position. }

11. Rd1 { And White has definite pressure here. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.Qc2”]

[Black “5.e4 Variation 1”]

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

{ This move is often referred to as the Classical Variation. It is the most challenging and
topical variation of the Nimzo-Indian together with 4. e3, the Rubinstein Variation. White
wants to avoid getting doubled pawns and keep the bishop pair after a3 …bxc3+ without
incurring the irritating doubled c-pawn. Another important characteristic of 4. Qc2 is that
White can now play 5. e4 without losing a pawn, since the Queen on c2 supports the e4-
pawn push. All is not doom and gloom for Black, however. The issue with 4. Qc2 is that it
does nothing to contribute to White’s development. As a result, it is typical to reach
positions in this variation where Black has a lead in development, while White has won the
Bishop pair. In this situation, Black needs to play actively in order to keep the initiative and
not allow White’s pair of bishops to wreak havoc. }

O-O

{ Black’s most popular choice. He remains flexible in the centre. Black does have two other
good options though: c5 exploits another consequence of 4. Qc2: the queen left d4
unsupported. This is a decent line, however it doesn’t fit in with our …d5 theme in this
repertoire. d5 is the most logical move for this repertoire in terms of our d5-theme. In fact,
it is quite likely to transpose to our choice line with O-O. The reason we didn’t go for this
d5-push on the fourth move here is that this can lead to some sharp and unconventional
lines after d5 5.cxd5 exd5 6.Bg5. Black often has to play …h6 and …g5, which is something
we have tried to avoid in this repertoire. }

5. e4

{ Grabbing the whole centre is certainly ambitious. Formerly quite a rare line, with the help
of computer analysis it has become quite a formidable weapon. }

d5

{ The main move here. Black immediately starts chipping away at White’s centre before he
has a chance to solidify. This line can get a bit sharp, but Black fully equalises if he knows
some theory here. }

6. cxd5 { This is non-critical. } exd5 7. e5 Ne4 8. Bd3 c5

{ Continuing to attack White’s centre. } 9. Ne2 cxd4 10. Nxd4 Bc5

{ A very rare move, but probably the simplest path to equality. } 11. Nxe4 dxe4

12. Qxc5 exd3 13. O-O Nc6

{ With full equality. Black’s activity and threats make it near impossible for White to pick
up the seemingly exposed d3-pawn. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.Qc2”]

[Black “5.e4 Variation 2”]

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

{ This move is often referred to as the Classical Variation. It is the most challenging and
topical variation of the Nimzo-Indian together with 4. e3, the Rubinstein Variation. White
wants to avoid getting doubled pawns and keep the bishop pair after a3 …bxc3+ without
incurring the irritating doubled c-pawn. Another important characteristic of 4. Qc2 is that
White can now play 5. e4 without losing a pawn, since the Queen on c2 supports the e4-
pawn push. All is not doom and gloom for Black, however. The issue with 4. Qc2 is that it
does nothing to contribute to White’s development. As a result, it is typical to reach
positions in this variation where Black has a lead in development, while White has won the
Bishop pair. In this situation, Black needs to play actively in order to keep the initiative and
not allow White’s pair of bishops to wreak havoc. }

O-O

{ Black’s most popular choice. He remains flexible in the centre. Black does have two other
good options though: c5 exploits another consequence of 4. Qc2: the queen left d4
unsupported. This is a decent line, however it doesn’t fit in with our …d5 theme in this
repertoire. d5 is the most logical move for this repertoire in terms of our d5-theme. In fact,
it is quite likely to transpose to our choice line with O-O. The reason we didn’t go for this
d5-push on the fourth move here is that this can lead to some sharp and unconventional
lines after d5 5.cxd5 exd5 6.Bg5. Black often has to play …h6 and …g5, which is something
we have tried to avoid in this repertoire. }

5. e4

{ Grabbing the whole centre is certainly ambitious. Formerly quite a rare line, with the help
of computer analysis it has become quite a formidable weapon. }

d5

{ The main move here. Black immediately starts chipping away at White’s centre before he
has a chance to solidify. This line can get a bit sharp, but Black fully equalises if he knows
some theory here. }

6. cxd5 { This is non-critical. } exd5 7. e5 Ne4 8. Bd3 c5

{ Continuing to attack White’s centre. } 9. Ne2 cxd4 10. Nxd4 Bc5

{ A very rare move, but probably the simplest path to equality. } 11. Bxe4
{ White grabs a pawn. } dxe4 12. Nb3 Bb6 13. Qxe4 Nc6

{ Our pressure on e5 together with our development lead and bishop pair give us full
compensation for the pawn. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.Qc2”]

[Black “5.e4 Variation 3”]

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

{ This move is often referred to as the Classical Variation. It is the most challenging and
topical variation of the Nimzo-Indian together with 4. e3, the Rubinstein Variation. White
wants to avoid getting doubled pawns and keep the bishop pair after a3 …bxc3+ without
incurring the irritating doubled c-pawn. Another important characteristic of 4. Qc2 is that
White can now play 5. e4 without losing a pawn, since the Queen on c2 supports the e4-
pawn push. All is not doom and gloom for Black, however. The issue with 4. Qc2 is that it
does nothing to contribute to White’s development. As a result, it is typical to reach
positions in this variation where Black has a lead in development, while White has won the
Bishop pair. In this situation, Black needs to play actively in order to keep the initiative and
not allow White’s pair of bishops to wreak havoc. }

O-O

{ Black’s most popular choice. He remains flexible in the centre. Black does have two other
good options though: c5 exploits another consequence of 4. Qc2: the queen left d4
unsupported. This is a decent line, however it doesn’t fit in with our …d5 theme in this
repertoire. d5 is the most logical move for this repertoire in terms of our d5-theme. In fact,
it is quite likely to transpose to our choice line with O-O. The reason we didn’t go for this
d5-push on the fourth move here is that this can lead to some sharp and unconventional
lines after d5 5.cxd5 exd5 6.Bg5. Black often has to play …h6 and …g5, which is something
we have tried to avoid in this repertoire. }
5. e4

{ Grabbing the whole centre is certainly ambitious. Formerly quite a rare line, with the help
of computer analysis it has become quite a formidable weapon. }

d5

{ The main move here. Black immediately starts chipping away at White’s centre before he
has a chance to solidify. This line can get a bit sharp, but Black fully equalises if he knows
some theory here. }

6. e5 { White lunges forwards of course. } Ne4 7. a3

{ Forcing the capture on c3 so another pawn can support the d4-pawn. }

Bxc3+ 8. bxc3 c5

{ Once again, Black plays actively and attacks White’s centre. } 9. Bb2

{ White’s second most popular choice. } cxd4 10. cxd4 Bd7

{ No need to give the very tempting check …Qa5+. } 11. Ne2 Nc6

{ Black just seems to be better here. Next he can crack open White’s centre with …f6. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.Qc2”]

[Black “5.e4 Variation 4”]

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

{ This move is often referred to as the Classical Variation. It is the most challenging and
topical variation of the Nimzo-Indian together with 4. e3, the Rubinstein Variation. White
wants to avoid getting doubled pawns and keep the bishop pair after a3 …bxc3+ without
incurring the irritating doubled c-pawn. Another important characteristic of 4. Qc2 is that
White can now play 5. e4 without losing a pawn, since the Queen on c2 supports the e4-
pawn push. All is not doom and gloom for Black, however. The issue with 4. Qc2 is that it
does nothing to contribute to White’s development. As a result, it is typical to reach
positions in this variation where Black has a lead in development, while White has won the
Bishop pair. In this situation, Black needs to play actively in order to keep the initiative and
not allow White’s pair of bishops to wreak havoc. }

O-O

{ Black’s most popular choice. He remains flexible in the centre. Black does have two other
good options though: c5 exploits another consequence of 4. Qc2: the queen left d4
unsupported. This is a decent line, however it doesn’t fit in with our …d5 theme in this
repertoire. d5 is the most logical move for this repertoire in terms of our d5-theme. In fact,
it is quite likely to transpose to our choice line with O-O. The reason we didn’t go for this
d5-push on the fourth move here is that this can lead to some sharp and unconventional
lines after d5 5.cxd5 exd5 6.Bg5. Black often has to play …h6 and …g5, which is something
we have tried to avoid in this repertoire. }

5. e4

{ Grabbing the whole centre is certainly ambitious. Formerly quite a rare line, with the help
of computer analysis it has become quite a formidable weapon. }

d5

{ The main move here. Black immediately starts chipping away at White’s centre before he
has a chance to solidify. This line can get a bit sharp, but Black fully equalises if he knows
some theory here. }

6. e5 { White lunges forwards of course. } Ne4 7. a3

{ Forcing the capture on c3 so another pawn can support the d4-pawn. }

Bxc3+ 8. bxc3 c5

{ Once again, Black plays actively and attacks White’s centre. } 9. Bd3

{ Attacking e4. } Qa5

{ Counterattacking c3, which indirectly defends e4. } 10. Ne2 cxd4

{ This line does get quite sharp now. } 11. cxd5 exd5 12. f3

{ Opening the diagonal for the bishop by forcing our knight away. } Nxc3

13. Nxd4 Ne4+

{ Nb5+ is the other option and it is simpler , as it leads to a roughly equal endgame. }

14. Ke2 Nc5 15. Bxh7+ Kh8 16. Kf2 Bd7

{ The position remains very sharp with chances for both sides. Black will want to play
actively and get the rest of his pieces into the game, with …Rc8 and …Nc6. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.Qc2”]

[Black “5.e4 Variation 5”]

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

{ This move is often referred to as the Classical Variation. It is the most challenging and
topical variation of the Nimzo-Indian together with 4. e3, the Rubinstein Variation. White
wants to avoid getting doubled pawns and keep the bishop pair after a3 …bxc3+ without
incurring the irritating doubled c-pawn. Another important characteristic of 4. Qc2 is that
White can now play 5. e4 without losing a pawn, since the Queen on c2 supports the e4-
pawn push. All is not doom and gloom for Black, however. The issue with 4. Qc2 is that it
does nothing to contribute to White’s development. As a result, it is typical to reach
positions in this variation where Black has a lead in development, while White has won the
Bishop pair. In this situation, Black needs to play actively in order to keep the initiative and
not allow White’s pair of bishops to wreak havoc. }

O-O

{ Black’s most popular choice. He remains flexible in the centre. Black does have two other
good options though: c5 exploits another consequence of 4. Qc2: the queen left d4
unsupported. This is a decent line, however it doesn’t fit in with our …d5 theme in this
repertoire. d5 is the most logical move for this repertoire in terms of our d5-theme. In fact,
it is quite likely to transpose to our choice line with O-O. The reason we didn’t go for this
d5-push on the fourth move here is that this can lead to some sharp and unconventional
lines after d5 5.cxd5 exd5 6.Bg5. Black often has to play …h6 and …g5, which is something
we have tried to avoid in this repertoire. }

5. e4

{ Grabbing the whole centre is certainly ambitious. Formerly quite a rare line, with the help
of computer analysis it has become quite a formidable weapon. }

d5

{ The main move here. Black immediately starts chipping away at White’s centre before he
has a chance to solidify. This line can get a bit sharp, but Black fully equalises if he knows
some theory here. }

6. e5 { White lunges forwards of course. } Ne4 7. Bd3

{ White’s most common move, attacking our knight. } c5

{ Black should continue to attack White’s unsupported centre. } 8. Nf3

{ 8.Nge2 will transpose after cxd4. } cxd4

{ We remove the pawn supporting e5. } 9. Nxd4 Nd7 { Attacking e5. } 10. Bf4

{ Defending e5 is White’s most common move by far. } Ndc5

{ Supporting e4 while simultaneously planning …Nxd3+. } 11. O-O Bxc3 12. bxc3

Bd7 { With the idea of …Ba4 or playing …Na4 to attack c3. } 13. Be2

{ White retreats his bishop due to the threat of …Ba4. } Na4

{ Attacking c3. } 14. cxd5 exd5 15. f3 { White sacrifices his c3-pawn. }

Nexc3 16. Bd3 g6 { Blunting the bishop. } 17. Rac1 b5

{ White has enough compensation for the pawn for equality, but nothing more. The position
remains complex though, with chances for both sides. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]
[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.Qc2”]

[Black “5.e4 Variation 6”]

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

{ This move is often referred to as the Classical Variation. It is the most challenging and
topical variation of the Nimzo-Indian together with 4. e3, the Rubinstein Variation. White
wants to avoid getting doubled pawns and keep the bishop pair after a3 …bxc3+ without
incurring the irritating doubled c-pawn. Another important characteristic of 4. Qc2 is that
White can now play 5. e4 without losing a pawn, since the Queen on c2 supports the e4-
pawn push. All is not doom and gloom for Black, however. The issue with 4. Qc2 is that it
does nothing to contribute to White’s development. As a result, it is typical to reach
positions in this variation where Black has a lead in development, while White has won the
Bishop pair. In this situation, Black needs to play actively in order to keep the initiative and
not allow White’s pair of bishops to wreak havoc. }

O-O

{ Black’s most popular choice. He remains flexible in the centre. Black does have two other
good options though: c5 exploits another consequence of 4. Qc2: the queen left d4
unsupported. This is a decent line, however it doesn’t fit in with our …d5 theme in this
repertoire. d5 is the most logical move for this repertoire in terms of our d5-theme. In fact,
it is quite likely to transpose to our choice line with O-O. The reason we didn’t go for this
d5-push on the fourth move here is that this can lead to some sharp and unconventional
lines after d5 5.cxd5 exd5 6.Bg5. Black often has to play …h6 and …g5, which is something
we have tried to avoid in this repertoire. }

5. e4

{ Grabbing the whole centre is certainly ambitious. Formerly quite a rare line, with the help
of computer analysis it has become quite a formidable weapon. }

d5

{ The main move here. Black immediately starts chipping away at White’s centre before he
has a chance to solidify. This line can get a bit sharp, but Black fully equalises if he knows
some theory here. }

6. e5 { White lunges forwards of course. } Ne4 7. Bd3

{ White’s most common move, attacking our knight. } c5

{ Black should continue to attack White’s unsupported centre. } 8. Nf3

{ 8.Nge2 will transpose after cxd4. } cxd4

{ We remove the pawn supporting e5. } 9. Nxd4 Nd7 { Attacking e5. } 10. Bf4

{ Defending e5 is White’s most common move by far. } Ndc5

{ Supporting e4 while simultaneously planning …Nxd3+. } 11. O-O Bxc3 12. bxc3

Bd7 { With the idea of …Ba4 or playing …Na4 to attack c3. } 13. Be2

{ White retreats his bishop due to the threat of …Ba4. } Na4

{ Attacking c3. } 14. cxd5 exd5 15. c4 { Advancing the weak pawn. } Rc8

16. Rac1 Nac3 17. cxd5 Qa5 { Recouping the d5 pawn. } 18. Bf3 Qxd5

{ The position remains quite complex, but Black should be equal. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.Qc2”]

[Black “4.Qc2 5.e4 Qh4 - Backup 1”]

1. d4 Nf6

{ In this chapter we will be dealing with white’s various early deviations after 1. d4 - in
other words, all white’s options that are not a Nimzo-Indian, Ragozin or a Catalan. This
means that options such as the Trompowsky, London and Veresov will be covered here.
Naturally, we can’t cover all of white’s deviations in a single chapter, as there are simply far
too many - however, we will recommend lines against the most common and most critical
ones. Against any deviations not covered yet, common sense development should suffice
for equality. After analysing the d4 deviations white can throw at us, it became apparent
that it’s best to go for lines which are low-theory, safe and solid. There’s already enough
theory as it is in the Nimzo-Indian and Ragozin without learning more against rare white
tries. One of the difficult things about learning to counter many of these d4 deviations is the
fact that white can switch up the move order very easily and there are plenty of
transpositions. This is why we recommend, for this chapter especially, to pay more
attention to the plans and development schemes we use. }

2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Qc2

{ 4. Qc2, often known as the Classical Variation, is the most challenging and topical
variation of the Nimzo-Indian, together with the Rubinstein Variation 4.e3 . White wants to
get the best of the both worlds in this variation: the bishop pair (after a3 …bxc3+) without
incurring irritating doubled c-pawns after bxc3. Another important characteristic of 4. Qc2
is that white can now play 5. e4 without losing a pawn, if white chooses to. All is not doom
and gloom for black, however. The issue with 4. Qc2 is that it does nothing to contribute to
white’s development. As a result, it is typical to reach positions in this variation where
black has a lead in development, while white has won the bishop pair. In this situation,
black needs to play actively in order to keep the initiative and not allow white’s pair of
bishops to wreak havoc. }

O-O

{ Black’s most popular choice. He remains flexible in the centre. Black does have two other
good options though: 1. c5 exploits another consequence of 4. Qc2: the queen left d4
unsupported. This is a decent line, however it doesn’t fit in with our …d5 theme in this
repertoire. 2. d5 is the most logical move for this repertoire in terms of our …d5 theme. In
fact, it is quite likely to transpose to our choice, O-O. The reason we didn’t go for this
option is that it can lead to some sharp and unconventional lines after 5. cxd5 exd5 6. Bg5.
Black often has to play … h6 and …g5, which is something we have tried to avoid in this
repertoire. }

5. e4

{ Grabbing the whole centre is certainly ambitious. Formerly quite a rare line, with the help
of computer analysis it has become quite a formidable weapon. }

d5

{ The main move here. Black immediately starts chipping away at white’s centre before he
has a chance to solidify. This line can get a bit sharp, but black fully equalises if he knows
some theory here. }

6. e5 { White lunges forwards of course. } Ne4 7. Bd3

{ White’s most common move, attack our knight. } c5

{ Black should continue to attack white’s unsupported centre. } 8. Nf3 cxd4

{ We remove the pawn supporting e5. } 9. Nxd4 Nd7 { Attacking e5. } 10. Bf4

{ Defending e5 is white’s most common move by far. } Qh4

{ Our other recommendation here is Ndc5, which has the advantage of leading to a
complex and unbalanced game with chances for both sides, which is why it was
recommended. However, Qh4 is the main choice of most elite players who reach this
position from the black side. It is probably a bit better objectively-speaking, but it can fizzle
out to a draw quite quickly unfortunately. This line is quite sharp but the line is relatively
forcing, so just pay attention to the theory here. }

11. g3 Qh5

{ Qh3 is another try but it’s a bit more risky. Qh5 has the simple idea of playing …g5 next
to boot the defender of e5 away. }

12. O-O g5 13. cxd5 Bxc3

{ gxf4 is rarer and also a decent way to play, but this is the tried and tested route to
equality for Black. }

14. bxc3 exd5 15. Be3

{ is probably the only decent way for white to avoid the long drawn line that follows after
15. e6 or 15. Bxe4. }

Nxe5 16. f3 Nc5 { Nxd3 is also playable. } 17. Bf5 f6

{ Supporting g5 and creating a fallback square for the queen. The position remains complex
with chances for both sides. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.Qc2”]

[Black “4.Qc2 5.e4 Qh4 - Backup 2”]

1. d4 Nf6

{ In this chapter we will be dealing with white’s various early deviations after 1. d4 - in
other words, all white’s options that are not a Nimzo-Indian, Ragozin or a Catalan. This
means that options such as the Trompowsky, London and Veresov will be covered here.
Naturally, we can’t cover all of white’s deviations in a single chapter, as there are simply far
too many - however, we will recommend lines against the most common and most critical
ones. Against any deviations not covered yet, common sense development should suffice
for equality. After analysing the d4 deviations white can throw at us, it became apparent
that it’s best to go for lines which are low-theory, safe and solid. There’s already enough
theory as it is in the Nimzo-Indian and Ragozin without learning more against rare white
tries. One of the difficult things about learning to counter many of these d4 deviations is the
fact that white can switch up the move order very easily and there are plenty of
transpositions. This is why we recommend, for this chapter especially, to pay more
attention to the plans and development schemes we use. }

2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Qc2

{ 4. Qc2, often known as the Classical Variation, is the most challenging and topical
variation of the Nimzo-Indian, together with the Rubinstein Variation 4.e3 . White wants to
get the best of the both worlds in this variation: the bishop pair (after a3 …bxc3+) without
incurring irritating doubled c-pawns after bxc3. Another important characteristic of 4. Qc2
is that white can now play 5. e4 without losing a pawn, if white chooses to. All is not doom
and gloom for black, however. The issue with 4. Qc2 is that it does nothing to contribute to
white’s development. As a result, it is typical to reach positions in this variation where
black has a lead in development, while white has won the bishop pair. In this situation,
black needs to play actively in order to keep the initiative and not allow white’s pair of
bishops to wreak havoc. }

O-O

{ Black’s most popular choice. He remains flexible in the centre. Black does have two other
good options though: 1. c5 exploits another consequence of 4. Qc2: the queen left d4
unsupported. This is a decent line, however it doesn’t fit in with our …d5 theme in this
repertoire. 2. d5 is the most logical move for this repertoire in terms of our …d5 theme. In
fact, it is quite likely to transpose to our choice, O-O. The reason we didn’t go for this
option is that it can lead to some sharp and unconventional lines after 5. cxd5 exd5 6. Bg5.
Black often has to play … h6 and …g5, which is something we have tried to avoid in this
repertoire. }

5. e4

{ Grabbing the whole centre is certainly ambitious. Formerly quite a rare line, with the help
of computer analysis it has become quite a formidable weapon. }

d5
{ The main move here. Black immediately starts chipping away at white’s centre before he
has a chance to solidify. This line can get a bit sharp, but black fully equalises if he knows
some theory here. }

6. e5 { White lunges forwards of course. } Ne4 7. Bd3

{ White’s most common move, attack our knight. } c5

{ Black should continue to attack white’s unsupported centre. } 8. Nf3 cxd4

{ We remove the pawn supporting e5. } 9. Nxd4 Nd7 { Attacking e5. } 10. Bf4

{ Defending e5 is white’s most common move by far. } Qh4

{ Our other recommendation here is Ndc5, which has the advantage of leading to a
complex and unbalanced game with chances for both sides, which is why it was
recommended. However, Qh4 is the main choice of most elite players who reach this
position from the black side. It is probably a bit better objectively-speaking, but it can fizzle
out to a draw quite quickly unfortunately. This line is quite sharp but the line is relatively
forcing, so just pay attention to the theory here. }

11. g3 Qh5

{ Qh3 is another try but it’s a bit more risky. Qh5 has the simple idea of playing …g5 next
to boot the defender of e5 away. }

12. O-O g5 13. cxd5 Bxc3

{ gxf4 is rarer and also a decent way to play, but this is the tried and tested route to
equality for Black. }

14. bxc3 exd5 15. Bxe4 dxe4 16. e6

{ Counterattacking our knight. This leads to a flurry of exchanges that whimper out to a
draw. }

gxf4 17. exd7 Bxd7 18. Qxe4 fxg3 19. fxg3 b6

{ followed by . ..Rae8 with a completely equal position. Incredibly, this position has been
reached 42 times at the time of writing, with all 42 games drawn ! }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]
[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.Qc2”]

[Black “5.Bg5 Variation 1”]

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

{ This move is often referred to as the Classical Variation. It is the most challenging and
topical variation of the Nimzo-Indian together with 4. e3, the Rubinstein Variation. White
wants to avoid getting doubled pawns and keep the bishop pair after a3 …bxc3+ without
incurring the irritating doubled c-pawn. Another important characteristic of 4. Qc2 is that
White can now play 5. e4 without losing a pawn, since the Queen on c2 supports the e4-
pawn push. All is not doom and gloom for Black, however. The issue with 4. Qc2 is that it
does nothing to contribute to White’s development. As a result, it is typical to reach
positions in this variation where Black has a lead in development, while White has won the
Bishop pair. In this situation, Black needs to play actively in order to keep the initiative and
not allow White’s pair of bishops to wreak havoc. }

O-O

{ Black’s most popular choice. He remains flexible in the centre. Black does have two other
good options though: c5 exploits another consequence of 4. Qc2: the queen left d4
unsupported. This is a decent line, however it doesn’t fit in with our …d5 theme in this
repertoire. d5 is the most logical move for this repertoire in terms of our d5-theme. In fact,
it is quite likely to transpose to our choice line with O-O. The reason we didn’t go for this
d5-push on the fourth move here is that this can lead to some sharp and unconventional
lines after d5 5.cxd5 exd5 6.Bg5. Black often has to play …h6 and …g5, which is something
we have tried to avoid in this repertoire. }

5. Bg5

{ White develops actively, but this is slightly premature. A downside of 4. Qc2 was that it
left White’s centre d4 unsupported, which is something Black can certainly exploit. }

c5 { Attacking the unprotected d4-pawn. } 6. e3

{ This is hardly challenging. } cxd4 7. exd4 h6 8. Bh4 Nc6

{ Forcing White’s knight to f3 before we play …d5. } 9. Nf3 d5

{ Fighting for the centre. } 10. a3 Bxc3+

{ This is rare , but quite good. The solid , usual Be7 is perfectly fine too. }

11. Qxc3 g5 12. Bg3 Ne4

{ Black is definitely to be preferred here thanks to his initiative. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.Qc2”]

[Black “5.Bg5 Variation 2”]

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

{ This move is often referred to as the Classical Variation. It is the most challenging and
topical variation of the Nimzo-Indian together with 4. e3, the Rubinstein Variation. White
wants to avoid getting doubled pawns and keep the bishop pair after a3 …bxc3+ without
incurring the irritating doubled c-pawn. Another important characteristic of 4. Qc2 is that
White can now play 5. e4 without losing a pawn, since the Queen on c2 supports the e4-
pawn push. All is not doom and gloom for Black, however. The issue with 4. Qc2 is that it
does nothing to contribute to White’s development. As a result, it is typical to reach
positions in this variation where Black has a lead in development, while White has won the
Bishop pair. In this situation, Black needs to play actively in order to keep the initiative and
not allow White’s pair of bishops to wreak havoc. }

O-O

{ Black’s most popular choice. He remains flexible in the centre. Black does have two other
good options though: c5 exploits another consequence of 4. Qc2: the queen left d4
unsupported. This is a decent line, however it doesn’t fit in with our …d5 theme in this
repertoire. d5 is the most logical move for this repertoire in terms of our d5-theme. In fact,
it is quite likely to transpose to our choice line with O-O. The reason we didn’t go for this
d5-push on the fourth move here is that this can lead to some sharp and unconventional
lines after d5 5.cxd5 exd5 6.Bg5. Black often has to play …h6 and …g5, which is something
we have tried to avoid in this repertoire. }
5. Bg5

{ White develops actively, but this is slightly premature. A downside of 4. Qc2 was that it
left White’s centre d4 unsupported, which is something Black can certainly exploit. }

c5 { Attacking the unprotected d4-pawn. } 6. e3

{ THis is hardly challenging. } cxd4 7. exd4 h6 8. Bh4 Nc6

{ Forcing White’s knight to f3 before we play …d5. } 9. Nf3 d5

{ Fighting for the centre. } 10. a3 Bxc3+

{ This is rare , but quite good. The solid , usual Be7 is perfectly fine too. }

11. bxc3 b6

{ Black is probably for choice here, as he will have good play down the c-file soon. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.Qc2”]

[Black “5.Bg5 Variation 3”]

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

{ This move is often referred to as the Classical Variation. It is the most challenging and
topical variation of the Nimzo-Indian together with 4. e3, the Rubinstein Variation. White
wants to avoid getting doubled pawns and keep the bishop pair after a3 …bxc3+ without
incurring the irritating doubled c-pawn. Another important characteristic of 4. Qc2 is that
White can now play 5. e4 without losing a pawn, since the Queen on c2 supports the e4-
pawn push. All is not doom and gloom for Black, however. The issue with 4. Qc2 is that it
does nothing to contribute to White’s development. As a result, it is typical to reach
positions in this variation where Black has a lead in development, while White has won the
Bishop pair. In this situation, Black needs to play actively in order to keep the initiative and
not allow White’s pair of bishops to wreak havoc. }

O-O

{ Black’s most popular choice. He remains flexible in the centre. Black does have two other
good options though: c5 exploits another consequence of 4. Qc2: the queen left d4
unsupported. This is a decent line, however it doesn’t fit in with our …d5 theme in this
repertoire. d5 is the most logical move for this repertoire in terms of our d5-theme. In fact,
it is quite likely to transpose to our choice line with O-O. The reason we didn’t go for this
d5-push on the fourth move here is that this can lead to some sharp and unconventional
lines after d5 5.cxd5 exd5 6.Bg5. Black often has to play …h6 and …g5, which is something
we have tried to avoid in this repertoire. }

5. Bg5

{ White develops actively, but this is slightly premature. A downside of 4. Qc2 was that it
left White’s centre d4 unsupported, which is something Black can certainly exploit. }

c5 { Attacking the unprotected d4-pawn. } 6. d5

{ A pawn sacrifice recommended in ‘Dangerous Weapons’. } d6

{ Black can go for the pawn after h6 followed by …g5, but this is simpler and better. }

7. O-O-O { White’s main move here. } h6 8. Bh4 Bxc3 9. Qxc3 Ne4

{ Forcing exchanges. } 10. Bxd8 Nxc3 11. bxc3 Rxd8

{ With his good bishop and the doubled white c-pawns, Black is definitely for choice in this
endgame. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.Qc2”]

[Black “5.Bg5 Variation 4”]

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

{ This move is often referred to as the Classical Variation. It is the most challenging and
topical variation of the Nimzo-Indian together with 4. e3, the Rubinstein Variation. White
wants to avoid getting doubled pawns and keep the bishop pair after a3 …bxc3+ without
incurring the irritating doubled c-pawn. Another important characteristic of 4. Qc2 is that
White can now play 5. e4 without losing a pawn, since the Queen on c2 supports the e4-
pawn push. All is not doom and gloom for Black, however. The issue with 4. Qc2 is that it
does nothing to contribute to White’s development. As a result, it is typical to reach
positions in this variation where Black has a lead in development, while White has won the
Bishop pair. In this situation, Black needs to play actively in order to keep the initiative and
not allow White’s pair of bishops to wreak havoc. }

O-O

{ Black’s most popular choice. He remains flexible in the centre. Black does have two other
good options though: c5 exploits another consequence of 4. Qc2: the queen left d4
unsupported. This is a decent line, however it doesn’t fit in with our …d5 theme in this
repertoire. d5 is the most logical move for this repertoire in terms of our d5-theme. In fact,
it is quite likely to transpose to our choice line with O-O. The reason we didn’t go for this
d5-push on the fourth move here is that this can lead to some sharp and unconventional
lines after d5 5.cxd5 exd5 6.Bg5. Black often has to play …h6 and …g5, which is something
we have tried to avoid in this repertoire. }

5. Bg5

{ White develops actively, but this is slightly premature. A downside of 4. Qc2 was that it
left White’s centre d4 unsupported, which is something Black can certainly exploit. }

c5 { Attacking the unprotected d4-pawn. } 6. dxc5

{ This must surely be critical. } Na6

{ Just like in the lines we will see after 5. Nf3, we want to recapture on c5 with our knight -
from there it can maybe go to e4. }

7. Nf3 Nxc5 8. Nd2 { Fighting for e4. } h6 9. Bh4 b6 10. a3 Bxc3 11. Qxc3

Bb7 { Black’s lead in development gives him the edge. }

[Site “?”]
[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.Qc2”]

[Black “5.Bg5 Variation 5”]

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

{ This move is often referred to as the Classical Variation. It is the most challenging and
topical variation of the Nimzo-Indian together with 4. e3, the Rubinstein Variation. White
wants to avoid getting doubled pawns and keep the bishop pair after a3 …bxc3+ without
incurring the irritating doubled c-pawn. Another important characteristic of 4. Qc2 is that
White can now play 5. e4 without losing a pawn, since the Queen on c2 supports the e4-
pawn push. All is not doom and gloom for Black, however. The issue with 4. Qc2 is that it
does nothing to contribute to White’s development. As a result, it is typical to reach
positions in this variation where Black has a lead in development, while White has won the
Bishop pair. In this situation, Black needs to play actively in order to keep the initiative and
not allow White’s pair of bishops to wreak havoc. }

O-O

{ Black’s most popular choice. He remains flexible in the centre. Black does have two other
good options though: c5 exploits another consequence of 4. Qc2: the queen left d4
unsupported. This is a decent line, however it doesn’t fit in with our …d5 theme in this
repertoire. d5 is the most logical move for this repertoire in terms of our d5-theme. In fact,
it is quite likely to transpose to our choice line with O-O. The reason we didn’t go for this
d5-push on the fourth move here is that this can lead to some sharp and unconventional
lines after d5 5.cxd5 exd5 6.Bg5. Black often has to play …h6 and …g5, which is something
we have tried to avoid in this repertoire. }

5. Bg5

{ White develops actively, but this is slightly premature. A downside of 4. Qc2 was that it
left White’s centre d4 unsupported, which is something Black can certainly exploit. }

c5 { Attacking the unprotected d4-pawn. } 6. dxc5

{ This must surely be critical. } Na6

{ Just like in the lines we will see after 5. Nf3, we want to recapture on c5 with our knight -
from there it can maybe go to e4. }
7. a3 { White’s main move. } Bxc3+ 8. Qxc3 Nxc5

{ Black threatens …Nce4 here of course. } 9. f3

{ This looks like a logical way to stop …Ne4 ideas once and for all, but it is ineffective. }

Nfe4 { Hitting White’s queen. } 10. fxe4 Qxg5

{ Only Black can be better here. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.Qc2”]

[Black “5.Bg5 Variation 6”]

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

{ This move is often referred to as the Classical Variation. It is the most challenging and
topical variation of the Nimzo-Indian together with 4. e3, the Rubinstein Variation. White
wants to avoid getting doubled pawns and keep the bishop pair after a3 …bxc3+ without
incurring the irritating doubled c-pawn. Another important characteristic of 4. Qc2 is that
White can now play 5. e4 without losing a pawn, since the Queen on c2 supports the e4-
pawn push. All is not doom and gloom for Black, however. The issue with 4. Qc2 is that it
does nothing to contribute to White’s development. As a result, it is typical to reach
positions in this variation where Black has a lead in development, while White has won the
Bishop pair. In this situation, Black needs to play actively in order to keep the initiative and
not allow White’s pair of bishops to wreak havoc. }

O-O

{ Black’s most popular choice. He remains flexible in the centre. Black does have two other
good options though: c5 exploits another consequence of 4. Qc2: the queen left d4
unsupported. This is a decent line, however it doesn’t fit in with our …d5 theme in this
repertoire. d5 is the most logical move for this repertoire in terms of our d5-theme. In fact,
it is quite likely to transpose to our choice line with O-O. The reason we didn’t go for this
d5-push on the fourth move here is that this can lead to some sharp and unconventional
lines after d5 5.cxd5 exd5 6.Bg5. Black often has to play …h6 and …g5, which is something
we have tried to avoid in this repertoire. }

5. Bg5

{ White develops actively, but this is slightly premature. A downside of 4. Qc2 was that it
left White’s centre d4 unsupported, which is something Black can certainly exploit. }

c5 { Attacking the unprotected d4-pawn. } 6. dxc5

{ This must surely be critical. } Na6

{ Just like in the lines we will see after 5. Nf3, we want to recapture on c5 with our knight -
from there it can maybe go to e4. }

7. a3 { White’s main move. } Bxc3+ 8. Qxc3 Nxc5

{ Black threatens …Nce4 here of course. } 9. Bxf6

{ White goes for an endgame where Black’s pawn structure is slightly damaged. }

Qxf6 10. Qxf6 gxf6 11. b4 Na4 { The knight is least vulnerable here. } 12.
e3 b6 { Preparing to develop our bishop. } 13. Nf3 Ba6

{ Black has no problems in this endgame at all. Next we prepare …d5 with …Rfd8. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.Qc2”]

[Black “5.Nf3 Variation 1”]

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

{ This move is often referred to as the Classical Variation. It is the most challenging and
topical variation of the Nimzo-Indian together with 4. e3, the Rubinstein Variation. White
wants to avoid getting doubled pawns and keep the bishop pair after a3 …bxc3+ without
incurring the irritating doubled c-pawn. Another important characteristic of 4. Qc2 is that
White can now play 5. e4 without losing a pawn, since the Queen on c2 supports the e4-
pawn push. All is not doom and gloom for Black, however. The issue with 4. Qc2 is that it
does nothing to contribute to White’s development. As a result, it is typical to reach
positions in this variation where Black has a lead in development, while White has won the
Bishop pair. In this situation, Black needs to play actively in order to keep the initiative and
not allow White’s pair of bishops to wreak havoc. }

O-O

{ Black’s most popular choice. He remains flexible in the centre. Black does have two other
good options though: c5 exploits another consequence of 4. Qc2: the queen left d4
unsupported. This is a decent line, however it doesn’t fit in with our …d5 theme in this
repertoire. d5 is the most logical move for this repertoire in terms of our d5-theme. In fact,
it is quite likely to transpose to our choice line with O-O. The reason we didn’t go for this
d5-push on the fourth move here is that this can lead to some sharp and unconventional
lines after d5 5.cxd5 exd5 6.Bg5. Black often has to play …h6 and …g5, which is something
we have tried to avoid in this repertoire. }

5. Nf3
{ White’s most flexible choice. Our issue here is that the most natural move , d5 , allows
White to transpose into a line which is outside our repertoire after 6.cxd5 exd5. }

c5

{ Black’s main move here, exploiting the poorly supported d4-pawn. As mentioned before,
d5 6.cxd5 would take us out of our repertoire. }

6. a3 Bxc3+ 7. Qxc3

{ Taking with the pawn makes little sense with the queen on c2. } cxd4 8.

Nxd4 d5 { Black’s lead in development gives him a good position. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.Qc2”]

[Black “5.Nf3 Variation 2”]

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

{ This move is often referred to as the Classical Variation. It is the most challenging and
topical variation of the Nimzo-Indian together with 4. e3, the Rubinstein Variation. White
wants to avoid getting doubled pawns and keep the bishop pair after a3 …bxc3+ without
incurring the irritating doubled c-pawn. Another important characteristic of 4. Qc2 is that
White can now play 5. e4 without losing a pawn, since the Queen on c2 supports the e4-
pawn push. All is not doom and gloom for Black, however. The issue with 4. Qc2 is that it
does nothing to contribute to White’s development. As a result, it is typical to reach
positions in this variation where Black has a lead in development, while White has won the
Bishop pair. In this situation, Black needs to play actively in order to keep the initiative and
not allow White’s pair of bishops to wreak havoc. }

O-O
{ Black’s most popular choice. He remains flexible in the centre. Black does have two other
good options though: c5 exploits another consequence of 4. Qc2: the queen left d4
unsupported. This is a decent line, however it doesn’t fit in with our …d5 theme in this
repertoire. d5 is the most logical move for this repertoire in terms of our d5-theme. In fact,
it is quite likely to transpose to our choice line with O-O. The reason we didn’t go for this
d5-push on the fourth move here is that this can lead to some sharp and unconventional
lines after d5 5.cxd5 exd5 6.Bg5. Black often has to play …h6 and …g5, which is something
we have tried to avoid in this repertoire. }

5. Nf3

{ White’s most flexible choice. Our issue here is that the most natural move , d5 , allows
White to transpose into a line which is outside our repertoire after 6.cxd5 exd5. }

c5

{ Black’s main move here, exploiting the poorly supported d4-pawn. As mentioned before,
d5 6.cxd5 would take us out of our repertoire. }

6. dxc5 { Supporting the pawn with 6.e3 is completely innocuous. } Na6

{ We plan to regain the pawn with the knight - from c5, the knight can fight for the e4-
square. }

7. Bg5 Nxc5 { This transposes to 5. Bg5 variation #4. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.Qc2”]

[Black “5.Nf3 Variation 3”]

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

{ This move is often referred to as the Classical Variation. It is the most challenging and
topical variation of the Nimzo-Indian together with 4. e3, the Rubinstein Variation. White
wants to avoid getting doubled pawns and keep the bishop pair after a3 …bxc3+ without
incurring the irritating doubled c-pawn. Another important characteristic of 4. Qc2 is that
White can now play 5. e4 without losing a pawn, since the Queen on c2 supports the e4-
pawn push. All is not doom and gloom for Black, however. The issue with 4. Qc2 is that it
does nothing to contribute to White’s development. As a result, it is typical to reach
positions in this variation where Black has a lead in development, while White has won the
Bishop pair. In this situation, Black needs to play actively in order to keep the initiative and
not allow White’s pair of bishops to wreak havoc. }

O-O

{ Black’s most popular choice. He remains flexible in the centre. Black does have two other
good options though: c5 exploits another consequence of 4. Qc2: the queen left d4
unsupported. This is a decent line, however it doesn’t fit in with our …d5 theme in this
repertoire. d5 is the most logical move for this repertoire in terms of our d5-theme. In fact,
it is quite likely to transpose to our choice line with O-O. The reason we didn’t go for this
d5-push on the fourth move here is that this can lead to some sharp and unconventional
lines after d5 5.cxd5 exd5 6.Bg5. Black often has to play …h6 and …g5, which is something
we have tried to avoid in this repertoire. }

5. Nf3

{ White’s most flexible choice. Our issue here is that the most natural move , d5 , allows
White to transpose into a line which is outside our repertoire after 6.cxd5 exd5. }

c5

{ Black’s main move here, exploiting the poorly supported d4-pawn. As mentioned before,
d5 6.cxd5 would take us out of our repertoire. }

6. dxc5 { Supporting the pawn with 6.e3 is completely innocuous. } Na6

{ We plan to regain the pawn with the knight - from c5, the knight can fight for the e4-
square. }

7. a3 Bxc3+ 8. Qxc3 Nxc5

{ Black’s lead in development gives him a comfortable game. Next he can develop his light-
squared bishop with …b6. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]
[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.Qc2”]

[Black “5.Nf3 Variation 4”]

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

{ This move is often referred to as the Classical Variation. It is the most challenging and
topical variation of the Nimzo-Indian together with 4. e3, the Rubinstein Variation. White
wants to avoid getting doubled pawns and keep the bishop pair after a3 …bxc3+ without
incurring the irritating doubled c-pawn. Another important characteristic of 4. Qc2 is that
White can now play 5. e4 without losing a pawn, since the Queen on c2 supports the e4-
pawn push. All is not doom and gloom for Black, however. The issue with 4. Qc2 is that it
does nothing to contribute to White’s development. As a result, it is typical to reach
positions in this variation where Black has a lead in development, while White has won the
Bishop pair. In this situation, Black needs to play actively in order to keep the initiative and
not allow White’s pair of bishops to wreak havoc. }

O-O

{ Black’s most popular choice. He remains flexible in the centre. Black does have two other
good options though: c5 exploits another consequence of 4. Qc2: the queen left d4
unsupported. This is a decent line, however it doesn’t fit in with our …d5 theme in this
repertoire. d5 is the most logical move for this repertoire in terms of our d5-theme. In fact,
it is quite likely to transpose to our choice line with O-O. The reason we didn’t go for this
d5-push on the fourth move here is that this can lead to some sharp and unconventional
lines after d5 5.cxd5 exd5 6.Bg5. Black often has to play …h6 and …g5, which is something
we have tried to avoid in this repertoire. }

5. Nf3

{ White’s most flexible choice. Our issue here is that the most natural move , d5 , allows
White to transpose into a line which is outside our repertoire after 6.cxd5 exd5. }

c5

{ Black’s main move here, exploiting the poorly supported d4-pawn. As mentioned before,
d5 6.cxd5 would take us out of our repertoire. }

6. dxc5 { Supporting the pawn with 6.e3 is completely innocuous. } Na6

{ We plan to regain the pawn with the knight - from c5, the knight can fight for the e4-
square. }

7. Bd2 { Planning to recapture on c3 with the bishop. } Nxc5 8. a3 Bxc3 9.

Bxc3 Nce4

{ Unfortunately for White, the bishop on c3 gets eliminated quite quickly. }

10. e3 Nxc3 11. Qxc3 b6 { Black is comfortably equal here. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.Qc2”]

[Black “5.Nf3 Variation 5”]

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

{ This move is often referred to as the Classical Variation. It is the most challenging and
topical variation of the Nimzo-Indian together with 4. e3, the Rubinstein Variation. White
wants to avoid getting doubled pawns and keep the bishop pair after a3 …bxc3+ without
incurring the irritating doubled c-pawn. Another important characteristic of 4. Qc2 is that
White can now play 5. e4 without losing a pawn, since the Queen on c2 supports the e4-
pawn push. All is not doom and gloom for Black, however. The issue with 4. Qc2 is that it
does nothing to contribute to White’s development. As a result, it is typical to reach
positions in this variation where Black has a lead in development, while White has won the
Bishop pair. In this situation, Black needs to play actively in order to keep the initiative and
not allow White’s pair of bishops to wreak havoc. }

O-O

{ Black’s most popular choice. He remains flexible in the centre. Black does have two other
good options though: c5 exploits another consequence of 4. Qc2: the queen left d4
unsupported. This is a decent line, however it doesn’t fit in with our …d5 theme in this
repertoire. d5 is the most logical move for this repertoire in terms of our d5-theme. In fact,
it is quite likely to transpose to our choice line with O-O. The reason we didn’t go for this
d5-push on the fourth move here is that this can lead to some sharp and unconventional
lines after d5 5.cxd5 exd5 6.Bg5. Black often has to play …h6 and …g5, which is something
we have tried to avoid in this repertoire. }

5. Nf3

{ White’s most flexible choice. Our issue here is that the most natural move , d5 , allows
White to transpose into a line which is outside our repertoire after 6.cxd5 exd5. }

c5

{ Black’s main move here, exploiting the poorly supported d4-pawn. As mentioned before,
d5 6.cxd5 would take us out of our repertoire. }

6. dxc5 { Supporting the pawn with 6.e3 is completely innocuous. } Na6

{ We plan to regain the pawn with the knight - from c5, the knight can fight for the e4-
square. }

7. g3

{ Fianchettoing the light-squared bishop is White’s most popular and probably best
choice. }

Nxc5 8. Bg2 Nce4 { Aiming to double White’s c-pawns. } 9. O-O Nxc3 10.

bxc3 Be7 11. e4 d6 12. e5 { White needs to open the position for his bishops. }

dxe5 13. Nxe5 Qc7 14. Qe2 Bd6

{ This position has been reached nearly a hundred times, and now there is a split. }

15. Re1 Nd7 { Initiating exchanges. } 16. Bf4 Nxe5 17. Bxe5 Bxe5 18. Qxe5 Qxc4

{ With complete equality. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]
[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.Qc2”]

[Black “5.Nf3 Variation 6”]

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

{ This move is often referred to as the Classical Variation. It is the most challenging and
topical variation of the Nimzo-Indian together with 4. e3, the Rubinstein Variation. White
wants to avoid getting doubled pawns and keep the bishop pair after a3 …bxc3+ without
incurring the irritating doubled c-pawn. Another important characteristic of 4. Qc2 is that
White can now play 5. e4 without losing a pawn, since the Queen on c2 supports the e4-
pawn push. All is not doom and gloom for Black, however. The issue with 4. Qc2 is that it
does nothing to contribute to White’s development. As a result, it is typical to reach
positions in this variation where Black has a lead in development, while White has won the
Bishop pair. In this situation, Black needs to play actively in order to keep the initiative and
not allow White’s pair of bishops to wreak havoc. }

O-O

{ Black’s most popular choice. He remains flexible in the centre. Black does have two other
good options though: c5 exploits another consequence of 4. Qc2: the queen left d4
unsupported. This is a decent line, however it doesn’t fit in with our …d5 theme in this
repertoire. d5 is the most logical move for this repertoire in terms of our d5-theme. In fact,
it is quite likely to transpose to our choice line with O-O. The reason we didn’t go for this
d5-push on the fourth move here is that this can lead to some sharp and unconventional
lines after d5 5.cxd5 exd5 6.Bg5. Black often has to play …h6 and …g5, which is something
we have tried to avoid in this repertoire. }

5. Nf3

{ White’s most flexible choice. Our issue here is that the most natural move , d5 , allows
White to transpose into a line which is outside our repertoire after 6.cxd5 exd5. }

c5

{ Black’s main move here, exploiting the poorly supported d4-pawn. As mentioned before,
d5 6.cxd5 would take us out of our repertoire. }

6. dxc5 { Supporting the pawn with 6.e3 is completely innocuous. } Na6

{ We plan to regain the pawn with the knight - from c5, the knight can fight for the e4-
square. }
7. g3

{ Fianchettoing the light-squared bishop is White’s most popular and probably best
choice. }

Nxc5 8. Bg2 Nce4 { Aiming to double white’s c-pawns. } 9. O-O Nxc3 10.

bxc3 Be7 11. e4 d6 12. e5 { White needs to open the position for his bishops. }

dxe5 13. Nxe5 Qc7 14. Qe2 Bd6

{ This position has been reached nearly a hundred times, and now there is a split. }

15. Bf4 { Probably the most natural way to protect e5. } Ne8

{ Planning …f6. } 16. c5 Qxc5 17. c4 f6

{ White has full compensation for the pawn, but nothing more. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.Qc2”]

[Black “5.e3”]

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

{ This move is often referred to as the Classical Variation. It is the most challenging and
topical variation of the Nimzo-Indian together with 4. e3, the Rubinstein Variation. White
wants to avoid getting doubled pawns and keep the bishop pair after a3 …bxc3+ without
incurring the irritating doubled c-pawn. Another important characteristic of 4. Qc2 is that
White can now play 5. e4 without losing a pawn, since the Queen on c2 supports the e4-
pawn push. All is not doom and gloom for Black, however. The issue with 4. Qc2 is that it
does nothing to contribute to White’s development. As a result, it is typical to reach
positions in this variation where Black has a lead in development, while White has won the
Bishop pair. In this situation, Black needs to play actively in order to keep the initiative and
not allow White’s pair of bishops to wreak havoc. }

O-O

{ Black’s most popular choice. He remains flexible in the centre. Black does have two other
good options though: c5 exploits another consequence of 4. Qc2: the queen left d4
unsupported. This is a decent line, however it doesn’t fit in with our …d5 theme in this
repertoire. d5 is the most logical move for this repertoire in terms of our d5-theme. In fact,
it is quite likely to transpose to our choice line with O-O. The reason we didn’t go for this
d5-push on the fourth move here is that this can lead to some sharp and unconventional
lines after d5 5.cxd5 exd5 6.Bg5. Black often has to play …h6 and …g5, which is something
we have tried to avoid in this repertoire. }

5. e3 { We can reach this position via the Rubinstein 4.e3 as well. }

d5

{ This should transpose to either one of the Rubinstein lines, or our mainline in this chapter
within a few moves. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.Qc2”]

[Black “5.a3 7.cxd5 Variation 1”]

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

{ This move is often referred to as the Classical Variation. It is the most challenging and
topical variation of the Nimzo-Indian together with 4. e3, the Rubinstein Variation. White
wants to avoid getting doubled pawns and keep the bishop pair after a3 …bxc3+ without
incurring the irritating doubled c-pawn. Another important characteristic of 4. Qc2 is that
White can now play 5. e4 without losing a pawn, since the Queen on c2 supports the e4-
pawn push. All is not doom and gloom for Black, however. The issue with 4. Qc2 is that it
does nothing to contribute to White’s development. As a result, it is typical to reach
positions in this variation where Black has a lead in development, while White has won the
Bishop pair. In this situation, Black needs to play actively in order to keep the initiative and
not allow White’s pair of bishops to wreak havoc. }

O-O

{ Black’s most popular choice. He remains flexible in the centre. Black does have two other
good options though: c5 exploits another consequence of 4. Qc2: the queen left d4
unsupported. This is a decent line, however it doesn’t fit in with our …d5 theme in this
repertoire. d5 is the most logical move for this repertoire in terms of our d5-theme. In fact,
it is quite likely to transpose to our choice line with O-O. The reason we didn’t go for this
d5-push on the fourth move here is that this can lead to some sharp and unconventional
lines after d5 5.cxd5 exd5 6.Bg5. Black often has to play …h6 and …g5, which is something
we have tried to avoid in this repertoire. }

5. a3

{ The main move by far. White collects the bishop pair, which is what he set out to
achieve. }

Bxc3+

{ Of course, retreating isn’t really an option - we have already lost too much time. }

6. Qxc3

{ Taking with the pawn is completely pointless - there is no need to even analyse it, since
play is similar to 4. [Link] this position, thanks to Black’s flexibility, Black can choose from a
wide range of setups: light square strategies start with b6, while dark square strategies
begin with d6. However, true to our repertoire theme, we will be playing d5. }

d5

{ This is only Black’s 4th most common move, however it has become the near-exclusive
choice of the chess elite in recent years - sometimes b6 is also played. Black’s idea is to
stake out a claim in the centre and try to take advantage of our lead in development. Often,
to do this we will be taking on c4, thus making White lose more time moving his queen. }

7. cxd5

{ White captures on d5, removing the tension, before we have a chance to take on c4. This is
White’s 4th most common move here, and it isn’t very challenging. The issue here for White
is that our light-squared bishop comes alive. }

Ne4
{ We can play in a number of other ways here, however this is the main move. Before
recapturing on d5 with …exd5, we throw in a little intermezzo so that White doesn’t have
the Bg5 pin available any more. }

8. Qc2

{ The most natural option (and the best) , but as we shall see, even on c2 the queen is not
entirely safe. }

exd5

{ We are free to develop our light-squared bishop actively now seeing as the diagonal has
been opened. }

9. e3 Bf5 { Threatening …Ng3 and gaining more time on white’s queen. } 10.

Bd3 Qg5 { Hitting the now-vulnerable g2-pawn. } 11. Kf1

{ Note that 11.g3 is met by Qg6!. The threat of …Nxg3 is decisive. } c5

{ Black’s initiative has White under huge pressure. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.Qc2”]

[Black “5.a3 7.cxd5 Variation 2”]

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

{ This move is often referred to as the Classical Variation. It is the most challenging and
topical variation of the Nimzo-Indian together with 4. e3, the Rubinstein Variation. White
wants to avoid getting doubled pawns and keep the bishop pair after a3 …bxc3+ without
incurring the irritating doubled c-pawn. Another important characteristic of 4. Qc2 is that
White can now play 5. e4 without losing a pawn, since the Queen on c2 supports the e4-
pawn push. All is not doom and gloom for Black, however. The issue with 4. Qc2 is that it
does nothing to contribute to White’s development. As a result, it is typical to reach
positions in this variation where Black has a lead in development, while White has won the
Bishop pair. In this situation, Black needs to play actively in order to keep the initiative and
not allow White’s pair of bishops to wreak havoc. }

O-O

{ Black’s most popular choice. He remains flexible in the centre. Black does have two other
good options though: c5 exploits another consequence of 4. Qc2: the queen left d4
unsupported. This is a decent line, however it doesn’t fit in with our …d5 theme in this
repertoire. d5 is the most logical move for this repertoire in terms of our d5-theme. In fact,
it is quite likely to transpose to our choice line with O-O. The reason we didn’t go for this
d5-push on the fourth move here is that this can lead to some sharp and unconventional
lines after d5 5.cxd5 exd5 6.Bg5. Black often has to play …h6 and …g5, which is something
we have tried to avoid in this repertoire. }

5. a3

{ The main move by far. White collects the bishop pair, which is what he set out to
achieve. }

Bxc3+

{ Of course, retreating isn’t really an option - we have already lost too much time. }

6. Qxc3

{ Taking with the pawn is completely pointless - there is no need to even analyse it, since
play is similar to 4. [Link] this position, thanks to Black’s flexibility, Black can choose from a
wide range of setups: light square strategies start with b6, while dark square strategies
begin with d6. However, true to our repertoire theme, we will be playing d5. }

d5

{ This is only Black’s 4th most common move, however it has become the near-exclusive
choice of the chess elite in recent years - sometimes b6 is also played. Black’s idea is to
stake out a claim in the centre and try to take advantage of our lead in development. Often,
to do this we will be taking on c4, thus making White lose more time moving his queen. }

7. cxd5

{ White captures on d5, removing the tension, before we have a chance to take on c4. This is
White’s 4th most common move here, and it isn’t very challenging. The issue here for White
is that our light-squared bishop comes alive. }

Ne4
{ We can play in a number of other ways here, however this is the main move. Before
recapturing on d5 with …exd5, we throw in a little intermezzo so that White doesn’t have
the Bg5 pin available any more. }

8. Qc2

{ The most natural option (and the best) , but as we shall see, even on c2 the queen is not
entirely safe. }

exd5

{ We are free to develop our light-squared bishop actively now seeing as the diagonal has
been opened. }

9. Bf4 { Developing the bishop outside the pawn chain before playing e3. }

Nc6

{ It seems a bit unusual to block our c-pawn like this , but keep in mind that we need to
prioritise active play to keep our initiative. An interesting alternative here though is Bf5. }

10. e3 Re8 { Setting up tactical ideas along the e-file based on …Nxd4. } 11.

O-O-O

{ This is a common try of White’s, getting the king off the e-file. However, White’s king isn’t
very comforable on the queenside either, Black’s initiative has not fizzled out yet. }

Bf5 { Keeping up the pressure. } 12. Bd3 Ne7

{ Protecting f5 and preparing …c5. } 13. f3 Nd6 14. e4 Ng6

{ A strong intermediate move. } 15. Bxd6 cxd6

{ Our bishop is immune thanks to …Rc8. } 16. Ne2 dxe4 17. fxe4 Rc8 18. Nc3

Be6 { Black’s activity gives him a commanding advantage. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]
[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.Qc2”]

[Black “5.a3 7.cxd5 Variation 3”]

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

{ This move is often referred to as the Classical Variation. It is the most challenging and
topical variation of the Nimzo-Indian together with 4. e3, the Rubinstein Variation. White
wants to avoid getting doubled pawns and keep the bishop pair after a3 …bxc3+ without
incurring the irritating doubled c-pawn. Another important characteristic of 4. Qc2 is that
White can now play 5. e4 without losing a pawn, since the Queen on c2 supports the e4-
pawn push. All is not doom and gloom for Black, however. The issue with 4. Qc2 is that it
does nothing to contribute to White’s development. As a result, it is typical to reach
positions in this variation where Black has a lead in development, while White has won the
Bishop pair. In this situation, Black needs to play actively in order to keep the initiative and
not allow White’s pair of bishops to wreak havoc. }

O-O

{ Black’s most popular choice. He remains flexible in the centre. Black does have two other
good options though: c5 exploits another consequence of 4. Qc2: the queen left d4
unsupported. This is a decent line, however it doesn’t fit in with our …d5 theme in this
repertoire. d5 is the most logical move for this repertoire in terms of our d5-theme. In fact,
it is quite likely to transpose to our choice line with O-O. The reason we didn’t go for this
d5-push on the fourth move here is that this can lead to some sharp and unconventional
lines after d5 5.cxd5 exd5 6.Bg5. Black often has to play …h6 and …g5, which is something
we have tried to avoid in this repertoire. }

5. a3

{ The main move by far. White collects the bishop pair, which is what he set out to
achieve. }

Bxc3+

{ Of course, retreating isn’t really an option - we have already lost too much time. }

6. Qxc3

{ Taking with the pawn is completely pointless - there is no need to even analyse it, since
play is similar to 4. [Link] this position, thanks to Black’s flexibility, Black can choose from a
wide range of setups: light square strategies start with b6, while dark square strategies
begin with d6. However, true to our repertoire theme, we will be playing d5. }
d5

{ This is only Black’s 4th most common move, however it has become the near-exclusive
choice of the chess elite in recent years - sometimes b6 is also played. Black’s idea is to
stake out a claim in the centre and try to take advantage of our lead in development. Often,
to do this we will be taking on c4, thus making White lose more time moving his queen. }

7. cxd5

{ White captures on d5, removing the tension, before we have a chance to take on c4. This is
White’s 4th most common move here, and it isn’t very challenging. The issue here for White
is that our light-squared bishop comes alive. }

Ne4

{ We can play in a number of other ways here, however this is the main move. Before
recapturing on d5 with …exd5, we throw in a little intermezzo so that White doesn’t have
the Bg5 pin available any more. }

8. Qc2

{ The most natural option (and the best) , but as we shall see, even on c2 the queen is not
entirely safe. }

exd5

{ We are free to develop our light-squared bishop actively now seeing as the diagonal has
been opened. }

9. Bf4 { Developing the bishop outside the pawn chain before playing e3. }

Nc6

{ It seems a bit unusual to block our c-pawn like this , but keep in mind that we need to
prioritise active play to keep our initiative. An interesting alternative here though is Bf5. }

10. e3 Re8 { Setting up tactical ideas along the e-file based on …Nxd4. } 11.

Nf3 g5 { Keeping up the pressure on White. } 12. Bg3 g4 { Again, forceful. }

13. Ne5 Nxe5 14. Bxe5 c5

{ Black retains his initiative with a good position. Possible ideas in the future are …f6, …Bf5
and … Qa5+. }
[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.Qc2”]

[Black “5.a3 7.Bg5 Variation 1”]

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

{ This move is often referred to as the Classical Variation. It is the most challenging and
topical variation of the Nimzo-Indian together with 4. e3, the Rubinstein Variation. White
wants to avoid getting doubled pawns and keep the bishop pair after a3 …bxc3+ without
incurring the irritating doubled c-pawn. Another important characteristic of 4. Qc2 is that
White can now play 5. e4 without losing a pawn, since the Queen on c2 supports the e4-
pawn push. All is not doom and gloom for Black, however. The issue with 4. Qc2 is that it
does nothing to contribute to White’s development. As a result, it is typical to reach
positions in this variation where Black has a lead in development, while White has won the
Bishop pair. In this situation, Black needs to play actively in order to keep the initiative and
not allow White’s pair of bishops to wreak havoc. }

O-O

{ Black’s most popular choice. He remains flexible in the centre. Black does have two other
good options though: c5 exploits another consequence of 4. Qc2: the queen left d4
unsupported. This is a decent line, however it doesn’t fit in with our …d5 theme in this
repertoire. d5 is the most logical move for this repertoire in terms of our d5-theme. In fact,
it is quite likely to transpose to our choice line with O-O. The reason we didn’t go for this
d5-push on the fourth move here is that this can lead to some sharp and unconventional
lines after d5 5.cxd5 exd5 6.Bg5. Black often has to play …h6 and …g5, which is something
we have tried to avoid in this repertoire. }

5. a3

{ The main move by far. White collects the bishop pair, which is what he set out to
achieve. }

Bxc3+

{ Of course, retreating isn’t really an option - we have already lost too much time. }
6. Qxc3

{ Taking with the pawn is completely pointless - there is no need to even analyse it, since
play is similar to 4. [Link] this position, thanks to Black’s flexibility, Black can choose from a
wide range of setups: light square strategies start with b6, while dark square strategies
begin with d6. However, true to our repertoire theme, we will be playing d5. }

d5

{ This is only Black’s 4th most common move, however it has become the near-exclusive
choice of the chess elite in recent years - sometimes b6 is also played. Black’s idea is to
stake out a claim in the centre and try to take advantage of our lead in development. Often,
to do this we will be taking on c4, thus making White lose more time moving his queen. }

7. Bg5

{ White’s most common choice and a very natural one. By pinning our knight White
prevents the irritiating …Ne4 hop. }

dxc4

{ Luring white’s queen to c4, where we can gain more time by attacking. c5 is another
decent option. }

8. Qxc4 b6

{ The thematic follow up to …dxc4. Our bishop heads to a6 to attack White’s queen. }

9. Nf3 Ba6 { This transposes to our mainline after 7. Nf3. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.Qc2”]

[Black “5.a3 7.Bg5 Variation 2”]

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

{ This move is often referred to as the Classical Variation. It is the most challenging and
topical variation of the Nimzo-Indian together with 4. e3, the Rubinstein Variation. White
wants to avoid getting doubled pawns and keep the bishop pair after a3 …bxc3+ without
incurring the irritating doubled c-pawn. Another important characteristic of 4. Qc2 is that
White can now play 5. e4 without losing a pawn, since the Queen on c2 supports the e4-
pawn push. All is not doom and gloom for Black, however. The issue with 4. Qc2 is that it
does nothing to contribute to White’s development. As a result, it is typical to reach
positions in this variation where Black has a lead in development, while White has won the
Bishop pair. In this situation, Black needs to play actively in order to keep the initiative and
not allow White’s pair of bishops to wreak havoc. }

O-O

{ Black’s most popular choice. He remains flexible in the centre. Black does have two other
good options though: c5 exploits another consequence of 4. Qc2: the queen left d4
unsupported. This is a decent line, however it doesn’t fit in with our …d5 theme in this
repertoire. d5 is the most logical move for this repertoire in terms of our d5-theme. In fact,
it is quite likely to transpose to our choice line with O-O. The reason we didn’t go for this
d5-push on the fourth move here is that this can lead to some sharp and unconventional
lines after d5 5.cxd5 exd5 6.Bg5. Black often has to play …h6 and …g5, which is something
we have tried to avoid in this repertoire. }

5. a3

{ The main move by far. White collects the bishop pair, which is what he set out to
achieve. }

Bxc3+

{ Of course, retreating isn’t really an option - we have already lost too much time. }

6. Qxc3

{ Taking with the pawn is completely pointless - there is no need to even analyse it, since
play is similar to 4. [Link] this position, thanks to Black’s flexibility, Black can choose from a
wide range of setups: light square strategies start with b6, while dark square strategies
begin with d6. However, true to our repertoire theme, we will be playing d5. }

d5

{ This is only Black’s 4th most common move, however it has become the near-exclusive
choice of the chess elite in recent years - sometimes b6 is also played. Black’s idea is to
stake out a claim in the centre and try to take advantage of our lead in development. Often,
to do this we will be taking on c4, thus making White lose more time moving his queen. }
7. Bg5

{ White’s most common choice and a very natural one. By pinning our knight White
prevents the irritiating …Ne4 hop. }

dxc4

{ Luring white’s queen to c4, where we can gain more time by attacking. c5 is another
decent option. }

8. Qxc4 b6

{ The thematic follow up to …dxc4. Our bishop heads to a6 to attack White’s queen. }

9. Rd1 { White’s only serious independent option here. } Ba6

{ Developing with tempo. } 10. Qc2

{ The queen has the advantage of supporting e4 from here. } h6 11. Bh4

Nbd7 12. e4 Bxf1 13. Kxf1

{ White has good control over the centre, but his kingside remains undeveloped and his
king is still in the centre. }

Qc8

{ Intending to activate the queen via a6, while also supporting …c5. } 14.

Ne2 { This allows the immediate pawn break …c5. } c5

{ Black has fully equalised. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.Qc2”]

[Black “5.a3 7.Bg5 Variation 3”]

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

{ This move is often referred to as the Classical Variation. It is the most challenging and
topical variation of the Nimzo-Indian together with 4. e3, the Rubinstein Variation. White
wants to avoid getting doubled pawns and keep the bishop pair after a3 …bxc3+ without
incurring the irritating doubled c-pawn. Another important characteristic of 4. Qc2 is that
White can now play 5. e4 without losing a pawn, since the Queen on c2 supports the e4-
pawn push. All is not doom and gloom for Black, however. The issue with 4. Qc2 is that it
does nothing to contribute to White’s development. As a result, it is typical to reach
positions in this variation where Black has a lead in development, while White has won the
Bishop pair. In this situation, Black needs to play actively in order to keep the initiative and
not allow White’s pair of bishops to wreak havoc. }

O-O

{ Black’s most popular choice. He remains flexible in the centre. Black does have two other
good options though: c5 exploits another consequence of 4. Qc2: the queen left d4
unsupported. This is a decent line, however it doesn’t fit in with our …d5 theme in this
repertoire. d5 is the most logical move for this repertoire in terms of our d5-theme. In fact,
it is quite likely to transpose to our choice line with O-O. The reason we didn’t go for this
d5-push on the fourth move here is that this can lead to some sharp and unconventional
lines after d5 5.cxd5 exd5 6.Bg5. Black often has to play …h6 and …g5, which is something
we have tried to avoid in this repertoire. }

5. a3

{ The main move by far. White collects the bishop pair, which is what he set out to
achieve. }

Bxc3+

{ Of course, retreating isn’t really an option - we have already lost too much time. }

6. Qxc3

{ Taking with the pawn is completely pointless - there is no need to even analyse it, since
play is similar to 4. [Link] this position, thanks to Black’s flexibility, Black can choose from a
wide range of setups: light square strategies start with b6, while dark square strategies
begin with d6. However, true to our repertoire theme, we will be playing d5. }

d5

{ This is only Black’s 4th most common move, however it has become the near-exclusive
choice of the chess elite in recent years - sometimes b6 is also played. Black’s idea is to
stake out a claim in the centre and try to take advantage of our lead in development. Often,
to do this we will be taking on c4, thus making White lose more time moving his queen. }

7. Bg5

{ White’s most common choice and a very natural one. By pinning our knight White
prevents the irritiating …Ne4 hop. }

dxc4

{ Luring white’s queen to c4, where we can gain more time by attacking. c5 is another
decent option. }

8. Qxc4 b6

{ The thematic follow up to …dxc4. Our bishop heads to a6 to attack White’s queen. }

9. Rd1 { White’s only serious independent option here. } Ba6

{ Developing with tempo. } 10. Qc2

{ The queen has the advantage of supporting e4 from here. } h6 11. Bh4

Nbd7 12. e4 Bxf1 13. Kxf1

{ White has good control over the centre, but his kingside remains undeveloped and his
king is still in the centre. }

Qc8

{ Intending to activate the queen via a6, while also supporting …c5. } 14.

Qc6 { Blocking black from playing his …c5 break. } Qa6+ 15. Ne2 Rac8

{ Preparing to kick White’s queen back and play …c5. } 16. f3 Nb8 17. Qc2

Nbd7 { The immediate c5 is also good. } 18. Kf2 c5

{ Black has good play here and approximate equality. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]
[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.Qc2”]

[Black “5.a3 7.Bg5 Variation 4”]

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

{ This move is often referred to as the Classical Variation. It is the most challenging and
topical variation of the Nimzo-Indian together with 4. e3, the Rubinstein Variation. White
wants to avoid getting doubled pawns and keep the bishop pair after a3 …bxc3+ without
incurring the irritating doubled c-pawn. Another important characteristic of 4. Qc2 is that
White can now play 5. e4 without losing a pawn, since the Queen on c2 supports the e4-
pawn push. All is not doom and gloom for Black, however. The issue with 4. Qc2 is that it
does nothing to contribute to White’s development. As a result, it is typical to reach
positions in this variation where Black has a lead in development, while White has won the
Bishop pair. In this situation, Black needs to play actively in order to keep the initiative and
not allow White’s pair of bishops to wreak havoc. }

O-O

{ Black’s most popular choice. He remains flexible in the centre. Black does have two other
good options though: c5 exploits another consequence of 4. Qc2: the queen left d4
unsupported. This is a decent line, however it doesn’t fit in with our …d5 theme in this
repertoire. d5 is the most logical move for this repertoire in terms of our d5-theme. In fact,
it is quite likely to transpose to our choice line with O-O. The reason we didn’t go for this
d5-push on the fourth move here is that this can lead to some sharp and unconventional
lines after d5 5.cxd5 exd5 6.Bg5. Black often has to play …h6 and …g5, which is something
we have tried to avoid in this repertoire. }

5. a3

{ The main move by far. White collects the bishop pair, which is what he set out to
achieve. }

Bxc3+

{ Of course, retreating isn’t really an option - we have already lost too much time. }

6. Qxc3

{ Taking with the pawn is completely pointless - there is no need to even analyse it, since
play is similar to 4. [Link] this position, thanks to Black’s flexibility, Black can choose from a
wide range of setups: light square strategies start with b6, while dark square strategies
begin with d6. However, true to our repertoire theme, we will be playing d5. }

d5

{ This is only Black’s 4th most common move, however it has become the near-exclusive
choice of the chess elite in recent years - sometimes b6 is also played. Black’s idea is to
stake out a claim in the centre and try to take advantage of our lead in development. Often,
to do this we will be taking on c4, thus making White lose more time moving his queen. }

7. Bg5

{ White’s most common choice and a very natural one. By pinning our knight White
prevents the irritiating …Ne4 hop. }

dxc4

{ Luring white’s queen to c4, where we can gain more time by attacking. c5 is another
decent option. }

8. Qxc4 b6

{ The thematic follow up to …dxc4. Our bishop heads to a6 to attack White’s queen. }

9. Rd1 { White’s only serious independent option here. } Ba6

{ Developing with tempo. } 10. Qa4

{ White’s more popular choice. The point is to pressure a6 so that Black can’t develop his
knight. }

h6 { Kicking the bishop back. } 11. Bh4 Qe7

{ Freeing up d8 for our rook. } 12. Nf3 Rd8

{ Black is now in a good position to play …c5. } 13. e3 Bxf1 14. Rxf1 Nbd7

{ followed by …c5 with full equality. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]
[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.Qc2”]

[Black “5.a3 7.Bg5 Variation 5”]

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

{ This move is often referred to as the Classical Variation. It is the most challenging and
topical variation of the Nimzo-Indian together with 4. e3, the Rubinstein Variation. White
wants to avoid getting doubled pawns and keep the bishop pair after a3 …bxc3+ without
incurring the irritating doubled c-pawn. Another important characteristic of 4. Qc2 is that
White can now play 5. e4 without losing a pawn, since the Queen on c2 supports the e4-
pawn push. All is not doom and gloom for Black, however. The issue with 4. Qc2 is that it
does nothing to contribute to White’s development. As a result, it is typical to reach
positions in this variation where Black has a lead in development, while White has won the
Bishop pair. In this situation, Black needs to play actively in order to keep the initiative and
not allow White’s pair of bishops to wreak havoc. }

O-O

{ Black’s most popular choice. He remains flexible in the centre. Black does have two other
good options though: c5 exploits another consequence of 4. Qc2: the queen left d4
unsupported. This is a decent line, however it doesn’t fit in with our …d5 theme in this
repertoire. d5 is the most logical move for this repertoire in terms of our d5-theme. In fact,
it is quite likely to transpose to our choice line with O-O. The reason we didn’t go for this
d5-push on the fourth move here is that this can lead to some sharp and unconventional
lines after d5 5.cxd5 exd5 6.Bg5. Black often has to play …h6 and …g5, which is something
we have tried to avoid in this repertoire. }

5. a3

{ The main move by far. White collects the bishop pair, which is what he set out to
achieve. }

Bxc3+

{ Of course, retreating isn’t really an option - we have already lost too much time. }

6. Qxc3

{ Taking with the pawn is completely pointless - there is no need to even analyse it, since
play is similar to 4. [Link] this position, thanks to Black’s flexibility, Black can choose from a
wide range of setups: light square strategies start with b6, while dark square strategies
begin with d6. However, true to our repertoire theme, we will be playing d5. }
d5

{ This is only Black’s 4th most common move, however it has become the near-exclusive
choice of the chess elite in recent years - sometimes b6 is also played. Black’s idea is to
stake out a claim in the centre and try to take advantage of our lead in development. Often,
to do this we will be taking on c4, thus making White lose more time moving his queen. }

7. Bg5

{ White’s most common choice and a very natural one. By pinning our knight White
prevents the irritiating …Ne4 hop. }

dxc4

{ Luring white’s queen to c4, where we can gain more time by attacking. c5 is another
decent option. }

8. Qxc4 b6

{ The thematic follow up to …dxc4. Our bishop heads to a6 to attack White’s queen. }

9. Rd1 { White’s only serious independent option here. } Ba6

{ Developing with tempo. } 10. Qa4

{ White’s more popular choice. The point is to pressure a6 so that Black can’t develop his
knight. }

h6 { Kicking the bishop back. } 11. Bh4 Qe7

{ Freeing up d8 for our rook. } 12. Nf3 Rd8

{ Black is now in a good position to play …c5. } 13. g4

{ This is an interesting idea to develop White’s bishop to g2, while simultaneously

introducing the idea of g5. }

Bb7 { Pulling the bishop back so we can develop our knight. } 14. Bg2

Nbd7 15. O-O c5 { With the …c5 break in, Black has fully equalised. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]
[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.Qc2”]

[Black “5.a3 7.e3 Variation 1”]

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

{ This move is often referred to as the Classical Variation. It is the most challenging and
topical variation of the Nimzo-Indian together with 4. e3, the Rubinstein Variation. White
wants to avoid getting doubled pawns and keep the bishop pair after a3 …bxc3+ without
incurring the irritating doubled c-pawn. Another important characteristic of 4. Qc2 is that
White can now play 5. e4 without losing a pawn, since the Queen on c2 supports the e4-
pawn push. All is not doom and gloom for Black, however. The issue with 4. Qc2 is that it
does nothing to contribute to White’s development. As a result, it is typical to reach
positions in this variation where Black has a lead in development, while White has won the
Bishop pair. In this situation, Black needs to play actively in order to keep the initiative and
not allow White’s pair of bishops to wreak havoc. }

O-O

{ Black’s most popular choice. He remains flexible in the centre. Black does have two other
good options though: c5 exploits another consequence of 4. Qc2: the queen left d4
unsupported. This is a decent line, however it doesn’t fit in with our …d5 theme in this
repertoire. d5 is the most logical move for this repertoire in terms of our d5-theme. In fact,
it is quite likely to transpose to our choice line with O-O. The reason we didn’t go for this
d5-push on the fourth move here is that this can lead to some sharp and unconventional
lines after d5 5.cxd5 exd5 6.Bg5. Black often has to play …h6 and …g5, which is something
we have tried to avoid in this repertoire. }

5. a3

{ The main move by far. White collects the bishop pair, which is what he set out to
achieve. }

Bxc3+

{ Of course, retreating isn’t really an option - we have already lost too much time. }

6. Qxc3

{ Taking with the pawn is completely pointless - there is no need to even analyse it, since
play is similar to 4. [Link] this position, thanks to Black’s flexibility, Black can choose from a
wide range of setups: light square strategies start with b6, while dark square strategies
begin with d6. However, true to our repertoire theme, we will be playing d5. }

d5

{ This is only Black’s 4th most common move, however it has become the near-exclusive
choice of the chess elite in recent years - sometimes b6 is also played. Black’s idea is to
stake out a claim in the centre and try to take advantage of our lead in development. Often,
to do this we will be taking on c4, thus making White lose more time moving his queen. }

7. e3

{ White wants to recapture on c4 with his bishop, but by playing e3 he blocks in his dark-
squared bishop, which makes his one advantage, the bishop pair, less effective. }

b6

{ Black is satisfied with White’s concession on the previous move - now we are simply
planning to develop the light-squared bishop to b7. }

8. cxd5 Nxd5 { All the other recaptures are also decent options. } 9. Qc2 Bb7

{ We will simply be playing for the …c5 break. } 10. Nf3 Nd7 11. e4 Ne7

{ Better than Nf6 , due to 12.e5. } 12. Be3 c5

{ Black has no issues here at all. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.Qc2”]

[Black “5.a3 7.e3 Variation 2”]

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

{ This move is often referred to as the Classical Variation. It is the most challenging and
topical variation of the Nimzo-Indian together with 4. e3, the Rubinstein Variation. White
wants to avoid getting doubled pawns and keep the bishop pair after a3 …bxc3+ without
incurring the irritating doubled c-pawn. Another important characteristic of 4. Qc2 is that
White can now play 5. e4 without losing a pawn, since the Queen on c2 supports the e4-
pawn push. All is not doom and gloom for Black, however. The issue with 4. Qc2 is that it
does nothing to contribute to White’s development. As a result, it is typical to reach
positions in this variation where Black has a lead in development, while White has won the
Bishop pair. In this situation, Black needs to play actively in order to keep the initiative and
not allow White’s pair of bishops to wreak havoc. }

O-O

{ Black’s most popular choice. He remains flexible in the centre. Black does have two other
good options though: c5 exploits another consequence of 4. Qc2: the queen left d4
unsupported. This is a decent line, however it doesn’t fit in with our …d5 theme in this
repertoire. d5 is the most logical move for this repertoire in terms of our d5-theme. In fact,
it is quite likely to transpose to our choice line with O-O. The reason we didn’t go for this
d5-push on the fourth move here is that this can lead to some sharp and unconventional
lines after d5 5.cxd5 exd5 6.Bg5. Black often has to play …h6 and …g5, which is something
we have tried to avoid in this repertoire. }

5. a3

{ The main move by far. White collects the bishop pair, which is what he set out to
achieve. }

Bxc3+

{ Of course, retreating isn’t really an option - we have already lost too much time. }

6. Qxc3

{ Taking with the pawn is completely pointless - there is no need to even analyse it, since
play is similar to 4. [Link] this position, thanks to Black’s flexibility, Black can choose from a
wide range of setups: light square strategies start with b6, while dark square strategies
begin with d6. However, true to our repertoire theme, we will be playing d5. }

d5

{ This is only Black’s 4th most common move, however it has become the near-exclusive
choice of the chess elite in recent years - sometimes b6 is also played. Black’s idea is to
stake out a claim in the centre and try to take advantage of our lead in development. Often,
to do this we will be taking on c4, thus making White lose more time moving his queen. }

7. e3
{ White wants to recapture on c4 with his bishop, but by playing e3 he blocks in his dark-
squared bishop, which makes his one advantage, the bishop pair, less effective. }

b6

{ Black is satisfied with White’s concession on the previous move - now we are simply
planning to develop the light-squared bishop to b7. }

8. Nf3 Bb7 { Natural development. } 9. b4

{ White tries to pre-emptively prevent our …c5 break. } a5

{ A novelty and quite a strong one. We try to open up the a-file while White is under
developed. }

10. c5 axb4 11. axb4 Rxa1 12. Qxa1 Nbd7

{ The closed nature of the position is ideal for our knights. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.Qc2”]

[Black “5.a3 7.e3 Variation 3”]

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

{ This move is often referred to as the Classical Variation. It is the most challenging and
topical variation of the Nimzo-Indian together with 4. e3, the Rubinstein Variation. White
wants to avoid getting doubled pawns and keep the bishop pair after a3 …bxc3+ without
incurring the irritating doubled c-pawn. Another important characteristic of 4. Qc2 is that
White can now play 5. e4 without losing a pawn, since the Queen on c2 supports the e4-
pawn push. All is not doom and gloom for Black, however. The issue with 4. Qc2 is that it
does nothing to contribute to White’s development. As a result, it is typical to reach
positions in this variation where Black has a lead in development, while White has won the
Bishop pair. In this situation, Black needs to play actively in order to keep the initiative and
not allow White’s pair of bishops to wreak havoc. }

O-O

{ Black’s most popular choice. He remains flexible in the centre. Black does have two other
good options though: c5 exploits another consequence of 4. Qc2: the queen left d4
unsupported. This is a decent line, however it doesn’t fit in with our …d5 theme in this
repertoire. d5 is the most logical move for this repertoire in terms of our d5-theme. In fact,
it is quite likely to transpose to our choice line with O-O. The reason we didn’t go for this
d5-push on the fourth move here is that this can lead to some sharp and unconventional
lines after d5 5.cxd5 exd5 6.Bg5. Black often has to play …h6 and …g5, which is something
we have tried to avoid in this repertoire. }

5. a3

{ The main move by far. White collects the bishop pair, which is what he set out to
achieve. }

Bxc3+

{ Of course, retreating isn’t really an option - we have already lost too much time. }

6. Qxc3

{ Taking with the pawn is completely pointless - there is no need to even analyse it, since
play is similar to 4. [Link] this position, thanks to Black’s flexibility, Black can choose from a
wide range of setups: light square strategies start with b6, while dark square strategies
begin with d6. However, true to our repertoire theme, we will be playing d5. }

d5

{ This is only Black’s 4th most common move, however it has become the near-exclusive
choice of the chess elite in recent years - sometimes b6 is also played. Black’s idea is to
stake out a claim in the centre and try to take advantage of our lead in development. Often,
to do this we will be taking on c4, thus making White lose more time moving his queen. }

7. e3

{ White wants to recapture on c4 with his bishop, but by playing e3 he blocks in his dark-
squared bishop, which makes his one advantage, the bishop pair, less effective. }

b6

{ Black is satisfied with White’s concession on the previous move - now we are simply
planning to develop the light-squared bishop to b7. }
8. Nf3 Bb7 { Natural development. } 9. Be2 Ne4 10. Qc2 dxc4 11. Bxc4 c5

{ Black has equalised comfortably thanks to the …c5 break. Next comes the natural …Nd7. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.Qc2”]

[Black “5.a3 7.Nf3 Variation 1”]

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

{ This move is often referred to as the Classical Variation. It is the most challenging and
topical variation of the Nimzo-Indian together with 4. e3, the Rubinstein Variation. White
wants to avoid getting doubled pawns and keep the bishop pair after a3 …bxc3+ without
incurring the irritating doubled c-pawn. Another important characteristic of 4. Qc2 is that
White can now play 5. e4 without losing a pawn, since the Queen on c2 supports the e4-
pawn push. All is not doom and gloom for Black, however. The issue with 4. Qc2 is that it
does nothing to contribute to White’s development. As a result, it is typical to reach
positions in this variation where Black has a lead in development, while White has won the
Bishop pair. In this situation, Black needs to play actively in order to keep the initiative and
not allow White’s pair of bishops to wreak havoc. }

O-O

{ Black’s most popular choice. He remains flexible in the centre. Black does have two other
good options though: c5 exploits another consequence of 4. Qc2: the queen left d4
unsupported. This is a decent line, however it doesn’t fit in with our …d5 theme in this
repertoire. d5 is the most logical move for this repertoire in terms of our d5-theme. In fact,
it is quite likely to transpose to our choice line with O-O. The reason we didn’t go for this
d5-push on the fourth move here is that this can lead to some sharp and unconventional
lines after d5 5.cxd5 exd5 6.Bg5. Black often has to play …h6 and …g5, which is something
we have tried to avoid in this repertoire. }

5. a3
{ The main move by far. White collects the bishop pair, which is what he set out to
achieve. }

Bxc3+

{ Of course, retreating isn’t really an option - we have already lost too much time. }

6. Qxc3

{ Taking with the pawn is completely pointless - there is no need to even analyse it, since
play is similar to 4. [Link] this position, thanks to Black’s flexibility, Black can choose from a
wide range of setups: light square strategies start with b6, while dark square strategies
begin with d6. However, true to our repertoire theme, we will be playing d5. }

d5

{ This is only Black’s 4th most common move, however it has become the near-exclusive
choice of the chess elite in recent years - sometimes b6 is also played. Black’s idea is to
stake out a claim in the centre and try to take advantage of our lead in development. Often,
to do this we will be taking on c4, thus making White lose more time moving his queen. }

7. Nf3 { Natural development. } dxc4

{ We take on c4 to get White’s queen to c4, so that we can later develop with tempo after …
b6 and …Ba6. }

8. Qxc4 b6 { Preparing to play …Ba6, developing with tempo. } 9. Bf4

{ Targeting our c7 pawn. } Ba6

{ Sacrificing the c7 pawn. Typically in this variation, Black has more than enough
compensation whenever White tries to greedily grab the c7-pawn. }

10. Qxc7 Qd5

{ Black needs to avoid the trade of queens to keep his initiative. } 11. Qd6

{ White persists with the queen trade offer. } Qf5

{ We continue to decline the trade. } 12. g4 Qe4

{ Grabbing the pawn loses to Qxg4 ? 13.Rg1. Black’s activity here gives him full
compensation for the pawn. }
[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.Qc2”]

[Black “5.a3 7.Nf3 Variation 2”]

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

{ This move is often referred to as the Classical Variation. It is the most challenging and
topical variation of the Nimzo-Indian together with 4. e3, the Rubinstein Variation. White
wants to avoid getting doubled pawns and keep the bishop pair after a3 …bxc3+ without
incurring the irritating doubled c-pawn. Another important characteristic of 4. Qc2 is that
White can now play 5. e4 without losing a pawn, since the Queen on c2 supports the e4-
pawn push. All is not doom and gloom for Black, however. The issue with 4. Qc2 is that it
does nothing to contribute to White’s development. As a result, it is typical to reach
positions in this variation where Black has a lead in development, while White has won the
Bishop pair. In this situation, Black needs to play actively in order to keep the initiative and
not allow White’s pair of bishops to wreak havoc. }

O-O

{ Black’s most popular choice. He remains flexible in the centre. Black does have two other
good options though: c5 exploits another consequence of 4. Qc2: the queen left d4
unsupported. This is a decent line, however it doesn’t fit in with our …d5 theme in this
repertoire. d5 is the most logical move for this repertoire in terms of our d5-theme. In fact,
it is quite likely to transpose to our choice line with O-O. The reason we didn’t go for this
d5-push on the fourth move here is that this can lead to some sharp and unconventional
lines after d5 5.cxd5 exd5 6.Bg5. Black often has to play …h6 and …g5, which is something
we have tried to avoid in this repertoire. }

5. a3

{ The main move by far. White collects the bishop pair, which is what he set out to
achieve. }

Bxc3+

{ Of course, retreating isn’t really an option - we have already lost too much time. }
6. Qxc3

{ Taking with the pawn is completely pointless - there is no need to even analyse it, since
play is similar to 4. [Link] this position, thanks to Black’s flexibility, Black can choose from a
wide range of setups: light square strategies start with b6, while dark square strategies
begin with d6. However, true to our repertoire theme, we will be playing d5. }

d5

{ This is only Black’s 4th most common move, however it has become the near-exclusive
choice of the chess elite in recent years - sometimes b6 is also played. Black’s idea is to
stake out a claim in the centre and try to take advantage of our lead in development. Often,
to do this we will be taking on c4, thus making White lose more time moving his queen. }

7. Nf3 { Natural development. } dxc4

{ We take on c4 to get White’s queen to c4, so that we can later develop with tempo after …
b6 and …Ba6. }

8. Qxc4 b6 { Preparing to play …Ba6, developing with tempo. } 9. Bf4

{ Targeting our c7-pawn. } Ba6

{ Sacrificing the c7-pawn. Typically in this variation, Black has more than enough
compensation whenever White tries to greedily grab the c7-pawn. }

10. Qxc7 Qd5

{ Black needs to avoid the trade of queens to keep his initiative. } 11. Qc2

{ This is perhaps a better try for White. } Rc8

{ Developing with tempo. } 12. Qb1 Qb3

{ Threatening …Nd5 followed by …Rc2. } 13. Nd2 Qa4

{ Attacking d4 with full equality. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]
[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.Qc2”]

[Black “5.a3 7.Nf3 Variation 3”]

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

{ This move is often referred to as the Classical Variation. It is the most challenging and
topical variation of the Nimzo-Indian together with 4. e3, the Rubinstein Variation. White
wants to avoid getting doubled pawns and keep the bishop pair after a3 …bxc3+ without
incurring the irritating doubled c-pawn. Another important characteristic of 4. Qc2 is that
White can now play 5. e4 without losing a pawn, since the Queen on c2 supports the e4-
pawn push. All is not doom and gloom for Black, however. The issue with 4. Qc2 is that it
does nothing to contribute to White’s development. As a result, it is typical to reach
positions in this variation where Black has a lead in development, while White has won the
Bishop pair. In this situation, Black needs to play actively in order to keep the initiative and
not allow White’s pair of bishops to wreak havoc. }

O-O

{ Black’s most popular choice. He remains flexible in the centre. Black does have two other
good options though: c5 exploits another consequence of 4. Qc2: the queen left d4
unsupported. This is a decent line, however it doesn’t fit in with our …d5 theme in this
repertoire. d5 is the most logical move for this repertoire in terms of our d5-theme. In fact,
it is quite likely to transpose to our choice line with O-O. The reason we didn’t go for this
d5-push on the fourth move here is that this can lead to some sharp and unconventional
lines after d5 5.cxd5 exd5 6.Bg5. Black often has to play …h6 and …g5, which is something
we have tried to avoid in this repertoire. }

5. a3

{ The main move by far. White collects the bishop pair, which is what he set out to
achieve. }

Bxc3+

{ Of course, retreating isn’t really an option - we have already lost too much time. }

6. Qxc3

{ Taking with the pawn is completely pointless - there is no need to even analyse it, since
play is similar to 4. [Link] this position, thanks to Black’s flexibility, Black can choose from a
wide range of setups: light square strategies start with b6, while dark square strategies
begin with d6. However, true to our repertoire theme, we will be playing d5. }
d5

{ This is only Black’s 4th most common move, however it has become the near-exclusive
choice of the chess elite in recent years - sometimes b6 is also played. Black’s idea is to
stake out a claim in the centre and try to take advantage of our lead in development. Often,
to do this we will be taking on c4, thus making White lose more time moving his queen. }

7. Nf3 { Natural development. } dxc4

{ We take on c4 to get White’s queen to c4, so that we can later develop with tempo after …
b6 and …Ba6. }

8. Qxc4 b6 { Preparing to play …Ba6, developing with tempo. } 9. g3

{ Quite a logical decision. White realises our bishop is headed to a6, so in order to preserve
his bishop pair, white switches his own bishop to the long diagonal. Unfortunately for
White, it is a bit slow, meaning that Black has more than enough time to carry out the …c5
break. }

Bb7 10. Bg2 Nbd7 { Preparing …c5. } 11. O-O Bd5 12. Qa4 c5

{ Black has fully equalised with this thematic break. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.Qc2”]

[Black “5.a3 7.Nf3 Variation 4”]

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

{ This move is often referred to as the Classical Variation. It is the most challenging and
topical variation of the Nimzo-Indian together with 4. e3, the Rubinstein Variation. White
wants to avoid getting doubled pawns and keep the bishop pair after a3 …bxc3+ without
incurring the irritating doubled c-pawn. Another important characteristic of 4. Qc2 is that
White can now play 5. e4 without losing a pawn, since the Queen on c2 supports the e4-
pawn push. All is not doom and gloom for Black, however. The issue with 4. Qc2 is that it
does nothing to contribute to White’s development. As a result, it is typical to reach
positions in this variation where Black has a lead in development, while White has won the
Bishop pair. In this situation, Black needs to play actively in order to keep the initiative and
not allow White’s pair of bishops to wreak havoc. }

O-O

{ Black’s most popular choice. He remains flexible in the centre. Black does have two other
good options though: c5 exploits another consequence of 4. Qc2: the queen left d4
unsupported. This is a decent line, however it doesn’t fit in with our …d5 theme in this
repertoire. d5 is the most logical move for this repertoire in terms of our d5-theme. In fact,
it is quite likely to transpose to our choice line with O-O. The reason we didn’t go for this
d5-push on the fourth move here is that this can lead to some sharp and unconventional
lines after d5 5.cxd5 exd5 6.Bg5. Black often has to play …h6 and …g5, which is something
we have tried to avoid in this repertoire. }

5. a3

{ The main move by far. White collects the bishop pair, which is what he set out to
achieve. }

Bxc3+

{ Of course, retreating isn’t really an option - we have already lost too much time. }

6. Qxc3

{ Taking with the pawn is completely pointless - there is no need to even analyse it, since
play is similar to 4. [Link] this position, thanks to Black’s flexibility, Black can choose from a
wide range of setups: light square strategies start with b6, while dark square strategies
begin with d6. However, true to our repertoire theme, we will be playing d5. }

d5

{ This is only Black’s 4th most common move, however it has become the near-exclusive
choice of the chess elite in recent years - sometimes b6 is also played. Black’s idea is to
stake out a claim in the centre and try to take advantage of our lead in development. Often,
to do this we will be taking on c4, thus making White lose more time moving his queen. }

7. Nf3 { Natural development. } dxc4

{ We take on c4 to get White’s queen to c4, so that we can later develop with tempo after …
b6 and …Ba6. }

8. Qxc4 b6 { Preparing to play …Ba6, developing with tempo. } 9. Bg5

{ Pinning our knight is the main move and a very natural one. } Ba6

{ Developing with tempo. } 10. Qc2

{ The queen aids the e4 advance and hinders …c5 from here. } h6 11. Bh4

Nbd7 { Preparing …c5. The immediate c5 is also often played. } 12. e3

Bxf1 13. Kxf1 c5 { Black has fully equalised. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.Qc2”]

[Black “5.a3 7.Nf3 Variation 5”]

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

{ This move is often referred to as the Classical Variation. It is the most challenging and
topical variation of the Nimzo-Indian together with 4. e3, the Rubinstein Variation. White
wants to avoid getting doubled pawns and keep the bishop pair after a3 …bxc3+ without
incurring the irritating doubled c-pawn. Another important characteristic of 4. Qc2 is that
White can now play 5. e4 without losing a pawn, since the Queen on c2 supports the e4-
pawn push. All is not doom and gloom for Black, however. The issue with 4. Qc2 is that it
does nothing to contribute to White’s development. As a result, it is typical to reach
positions in this variation where Black has a lead in development, while White has won the
Bishop pair. In this situation, Black needs to play actively in order to keep the initiative and
not allow White’s pair of bishops to wreak havoc. }

O-O

{ Black’s most popular choice. He remains flexible in the centre. Black does have two other
good options though: c5 exploits another consequence of 4. Qc2: the queen left d4
unsupported. This is a decent line, however it doesn’t fit in with our …d5 theme in this
repertoire. d5 is the most logical move for this repertoire in terms of our d5-theme. In fact,
it is quite likely to transpose to our choice line with O-O. The reason we didn’t go for this
d5-push on the fourth move here is that this can lead to some sharp and unconventional
lines after d5 5.cxd5 exd5 6.Bg5. Black often has to play …h6 and …g5, which is something
we have tried to avoid in this repertoire. }

5. a3

{ The main move by far. White collects the bishop pair, which is what he set out to
achieve. }

Bxc3+

{ Of course, retreating isn’t really an option - we have already lost too much time. }

6. Qxc3

{ Taking with the pawn is completely pointless - there is no need to even analyse it, since
play is similar to 4. [Link] this position, thanks to Black’s flexibility, Black can choose from a
wide range of setups: light square strategies start with b6, while dark square strategies
begin with d6. However, true to our repertoire theme, we will be playing d5. }

d5

{ This is only Black’s 4th most common move, however it has become the near-exclusive
choice of the chess elite in recent years - sometimes b6 is also played. Black’s idea is to
stake out a claim in the centre and try to take advantage of our lead in development. Often,
to do this we will be taking on c4, thus making White lose more time moving his queen. }

7. Nf3 { Natural development. } dxc4

{ We take on c4 to get White’s queen to c4, so that we can later develop with tempo after …
b6 and …Ba6. }

8. Qxc4 b6 { Preparing to play …Ba6, developing with tempo. } 9. Bg5

{ Pinning our knight is the main move and a very natural one. } Ba6

{ Developing with tempo. } 10. Qc2

{ The queen aids the e4 advance and hinders …c5 from here. } h6 11. Bh4

Nbd7 { Preparing …c5. The immediate c5 is also often played. } 12. e4

Qc8

{ We bring our queen to the queenside, where it can potentially attack e4 from b7. }

13. Be2 Bxe2 14. Qxe2 Qb7 { with pressure on e4, black is at least equal. }
[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.Qc2”]

[Black “5.a3 7.Nf3 Variation 6”]

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

{ This move is often referred to as the Classical Variation. It is the most challenging and
topical variation of the Nimzo-Indian together with 4. e3, the Rubinstein Variation. White
wants to avoid getting doubled pawns and keep the bishop pair after a3 …bxc3+ without
incurring the irritating doubled c-pawn. Another important characteristic of 4. Qc2 is that
White can now play 5. e4 without losing a pawn, since the Queen on c2 supports the e4-
pawn push. All is not doom and gloom for Black, however. The issue with 4. Qc2 is that it
does nothing to contribute to White’s development. As a result, it is typical to reach
positions in this variation where Black has a lead in development, while White has won the
Bishop pair. In this situation, Black needs to play actively in order to keep the initiative and
not allow White’s pair of bishops to wreak havoc. }

O-O

{ Black’s most popular choice. He remains flexible in the centre. Black does have two other
good options though: c5 exploits another consequence of 4. Qc2: the queen left d4
unsupported. This is a decent line, however it doesn’t fit in with our …d5 theme in this
repertoire. d5 is the most logical move for this repertoire in terms of our d5-theme. In fact,
it is quite likely to transpose to our choice line with O-O. The reason we didn’t go for this
d5-push on the fourth move here is that this can lead to some sharp and unconventional
lines after d5 5.cxd5 exd5 6.Bg5. Black often has to play …h6 and …g5, which is something
we have tried to avoid in this repertoire. }

5. a3

{ The main move by far. White collects the bishop pair, which is what he set out to
achieve. }
Bxc3+

{ Of course, retreating isn’t really an option - we have already lost too much time. }

6. Qxc3

{ Taking with the pawn is completely pointless - there is no need to even analyse it, since
play is similar to 4. [Link] this position, thanks to Black’s flexibility, Black can choose from a
wide range of setups: light square strategies start with b6, while dark square strategies
begin with d6. However, true to our repertoire theme, we will be playing d5. }

d5

{ This is only Black’s 4th most common move, however it has become the near-exclusive
choice of the chess elite in recent years - sometimes b6 is also played. Black’s idea is to
stake out a claim in the centre and try to take advantage of our lead in development. Often,
to do this we will be taking on c4, thus making White lose more time moving his queen. }

7. Nf3 { Natural development. } dxc4

{ We take on c4 to get White’s queen to c4, so that we can later develop with tempo after …
b6 and …Ba6. }

8. Qxc4 b6 { Preparing to play …Ba6, developing with tempo. } 9. Bg5

{ Pinning our knight is the main move and a very natural one. } Ba6

{ Developing with tempo. } 10. Qa4

{ White’s more popular choice puts pressure on a6 so that our knight can’t develop for now.
}

c5

{ Black doesn’t waste time trying to support …c5 with …Nbd7, so instead we break
immediately. }

11. Rd1 b5 { cxd4 is also possible , but perhaps this is even better. }

12. Qc2 c4 13. Bxf6 Qxf6 14. a4 Nc6 15. axb5 Bxb5

{ White can equalise with accuracy. }

[Site “?”]
[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.Qc2”]

[Black “5.a3 7.Nf3 Variation 7”]

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

{ This move is often referred to as the Classical Variation. It is the most challenging and
topical variation of the Nimzo-Indian together with 4. e3, the Rubinstein Variation. White
wants to avoid getting doubled pawns and keep the bishop pair after a3 …bxc3+ without
incurring the irritating doubled c-pawn. Another important characteristic of 4. Qc2 is that
White can now play 5. e4 without losing a pawn, since the Queen on c2 supports the e4-
pawn push. All is not doom and gloom for Black, however. The issue with 4. Qc2 is that it
does nothing to contribute to White’s development. As a result, it is typical to reach
positions in this variation where Black has a lead in development, while White has won the
Bishop pair. In this situation, Black needs to play actively in order to keep the initiative and
not allow White’s pair of bishops to wreak havoc. }

O-O

{ Black’s most popular choice. He remains flexible in the centre. Black does have two other
good options though: c5 exploits another consequence of 4. Qc2: the queen left d4
unsupported. This is a decent line, however it doesn’t fit in with our …d5 theme in this
repertoire. d5 is the most logical move for this repertoire in terms of our d5-theme. In fact,
it is quite likely to transpose to our choice line with O-O. The reason we didn’t go for this
d5-push on the fourth move here is that this can lead to some sharp and unconventional
lines after d5 5.cxd5 exd5 6.Bg5. Black often has to play …h6 and …g5, which is something
we have tried to avoid in this repertoire. }

5. a3

{ The main move by far. White collects the bishop pair, which is what he set out to
achieve. }

Bxc3+

{ Of course, retreating isn’t really an option - we have already lost too much time. }

6. Qxc3
{ Taking with the pawn is completely pointless - there is no need to even analyse it, since
play is similar to 4. [Link] this position, thanks to Black’s flexibility, Black can choose from a
wide range of setups: light square strategies start with b6, while dark square strategies
begin with d6. However, true to our repertoire theme, we will be playing d5. }

d5

{ This is only Black’s 4th most common move, however it has become the near-exclusive
choice of the chess elite in recent years - sometimes b6 is also played. Black’s idea is to
stake out a claim in the centre and try to take advantage of our lead in development. Often,
to do this we will be taking on c4, thus making White lose more time moving his queen. }

7. Nf3 { Natural development. } dxc4

{ We take on c4 to get White’s queen to c4, so that we can later develop with tempo after …
b6 and …Ba6. }

8. Qxc4 b6 { Preparing to play …Ba6, developing with tempo. } 9. Bg5

{ Pinning our knight is the main move and a very natural one. } Ba6

{ Developing with tempo. } 10. Qa4

{ White’s more popular choice puts pressure on a6 so that our knight can’t develop for now.
}

c5

{ Black doesn’t waste time trying to support …c5 with …Nbd7, so instead we break
immediately. }

11. Rd1 b5 { cxd4 is also possible , but perhaps this is even better. }

12. Qc2 c4 13. e3 Bb7 14. Be2 Nbd7 15. O-O Qb6

{ Black’s queenside pawn majority gives him at least equal chances here. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.Qc2”]

[Black “5.a3 7.Nf3 Variation 8”]

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

{ This move is often referred to as the Classical Variation. It is the most challenging and
topical variation of the Nimzo-Indian together with 4. e3, the Rubinstein Variation. White
wants to avoid getting doubled pawns and keep the bishop pair after a3 …bxc3+ without
incurring the irritating doubled c-pawn. Another important characteristic of 4. Qc2 is that
White can now play 5. e4 without losing a pawn, since the Queen on c2 supports the e4-
pawn push. All is not doom and gloom for Black, however. The issue with 4. Qc2 is that it
does nothing to contribute to White’s development. As a result, it is typical to reach
positions in this variation where Black has a lead in development, while White has won the
Bishop pair. In this situation, Black needs to play actively in order to keep the initiative and
not allow White’s pair of bishops to wreak havoc. }

O-O

{ Black’s most popular choice. He remains flexible in the centre. Black does have two other
good options though: c5 exploits another consequence of 4. Qc2: the queen left d4
unsupported. This is a decent line, however it doesn’t fit in with our …d5 theme in this
repertoire. d5 is the most logical move for this repertoire in terms of our d5-theme. In fact,
it is quite likely to transpose to our choice line with O-O. The reason we didn’t go for this
d5-push on the fourth move here is that this can lead to some sharp and unconventional
lines after d5 5.cxd5 exd5 6.Bg5. Black often has to play …h6 and …g5, which is something
we have tried to avoid in this repertoire. }

5. a3

{ The main move by far. White collects the bishop pair, which is what he set out to
achieve. }

Bxc3+

{ Of course, retreating isn’t really an option - we have already lost too much time. }

6. Qxc3

{ Taking with the pawn is completely pointless - there is no need to even analyse it, since
play is similar to 4. [Link] this position, thanks to Black’s flexibility, Black can choose from a
wide range of setups: light square strategies start with b6, while dark square strategies
begin with d6. However, true to our repertoire theme, we will be playing d5. }

d5
{ This is only Black’s 4th most common move, however it has become the near-exclusive
choice of the chess elite in recent years - sometimes b6 is also played. Black’s idea is to
stake out a claim in the centre and try to take advantage of our lead in development. Often,
to do this we will be taking on c4, thus making White lose more time moving his queen. }

7. Nf3 { Natural development. } dxc4

{ We take on c4 to get White’s queen to c4, so that we can later develop with tempo after …
b6 and …Ba6. }

8. Qxc4 b6 { Preparing to play …Ba6, developing with tempo. } 9. Bg5

{ Pinning our knight is the main move and a very natural one. } Ba6

{ Developing with tempo. } 10. Qa4

{ White’s more popular choice puts pressure on a6 so that our knight can’t develop for now.
}

c5

{ Black doesn’t waste time trying to support …c5 with …Nbd7, so instead we break
immediately. }

11. dxc5 bxc5 12. Rc1 { Hitting our isolated pawn. } h6 13. Bh4 Qb6

{ Protecting c5 and counter attacking b2. Black doesn’t have to worry about Bxf6, since our
king is safer than he looks. }

14. Bxf6 gxf6 15. Rc2 Rd8 { Activating the rook. } 16. e3 Bxf1 17. Rxf1 Rd5

{ Our rook is well-placed here, protecting c5. } 18. Ke2 Nc6

{ Developing our knight. } 19. Rd1 Rad8 20. Rxd5 Rxd5

{ Black’s activity compensates for his pawn weaknesses. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.Qc2”]

[Black “5.a3 7.Nf3 Variation 9”]

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

{ This move is often referred to as the Classical Variation. It is the most challenging and
topical variation of the Nimzo-Indian together with 4. e3, the Rubinstein Variation. White
wants to avoid getting doubled pawns and keep the bishop pair after a3 …bxc3+ without
incurring the irritating doubled c-pawn. Another important characteristic of 4. Qc2 is that
White can now play 5. e4 without losing a pawn, since the Queen on c2 supports the e4-
pawn push. All is not doom and gloom for Black, however. The issue with 4. Qc2 is that it
does nothing to contribute to White’s development. As a result, it is typical to reach
positions in this variation where Black has a lead in development, while White has won the
Bishop pair. In this situation, Black needs to play actively in order to keep the initiative and
not allow White’s pair of bishops to wreak havoc. }

O-O

{ Black’s most popular choice. He remains flexible in the centre. Black does have two other
good options though: c5 exploits another consequence of 4. Qc2: the queen left d4
unsupported. This is a decent line, however it doesn’t fit in with our …d5 theme in this
repertoire. d5 is the most logical move for this repertoire in terms of our d5-theme. In fact,
it is quite likely to transpose to our choice line with O-O. The reason we didn’t go for this
d5-push on the fourth move here is that this can lead to some sharp and unconventional
lines after d5 5.cxd5 exd5 6.Bg5. Black often has to play …h6 and …g5, which is something
we have tried to avoid in this repertoire. }

5. a3

{ The main move by far. White collects the bishop pair, which is what he set out to
achieve. }

Bxc3+

{ Of course, retreating isn’t really an option - we have already lost too much time. }

6. Qxc3

{ Taking with the pawn is completely pointless - there is no need to even analyse it, since
play is similar to 4. [Link] this position, thanks to Black’s flexibility, Black can choose from a
wide range of setups: light square strategies start with b6, while dark square strategies
begin with d6. However, true to our repertoire theme, we will be playing d5. }

d5
{ This is only Black’s 4th most common move, however it has become the near-exclusive
choice of the chess elite in recent years - sometimes b6 is also played. Black’s idea is to
stake out a claim in the centre and try to take advantage of our lead in development. Often,
to do this we will be taking on c4, thus making White lose more time moving his queen. }

7. Nf3 { Natural development. } dxc4

{ We take on c4 to get White’s queen to c4, so that we can later develop with tempo after …
b6 and …Ba6. }

8. Qxc4 b6 { Preparing to play …Ba6, developing with tempo. } 9. Bg5

{ Pinning our knight is the main move and a very natural one. } Ba6

{ Developing with tempo. } 10. Qa4

{ White’s more popular choice puts pressure on a6 so that our knight can’t develop for now.
}

c5

{ Black doesn’t waste time trying to support …c5 with …Nbd7, so instead we break
immediately. }

11. dxc5 bxc5 12. Rd1 Qb6

{ Just like after 12. Rc1, black is willing to accept a slightly damaged pawn structure and
exposed king in exchange for quick development, piece activity and play on the queenside. }

13. Bxf6 gxf6 14. e3

{ This is White’s only real winning try, which means that it is surprising that it has only
been twice. }

Bxf1 15. Kxf1 Qxb2 { Black can safely grab this pawn. } 16. g3

{ White gets his king to safety and activates his rooks. } Qb7 17. Kg2

Rc8 18. Rd2 Nc6 19. Qf4 Kg7 { And here a perpetual is White’s best bet. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]
[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.Qc2”]

[Black “5.a3 7.Nf3 Variation 10”]

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

{ 4. Qc2, often known as the Classical Variation, is the most challenging and topical
variation of the Nimzo-Indian, together with the Rubinstein Variation 4.e3 . White wants to
get the best of the both worlds in this variation: the bishop pair (after a3 …bxc3+) without
incurring irritating doubled c-pawns after bxc3. Another important characteristic of 4. Qc2
is that white can now play 5. e4 without losing a pawn, if white chooses to. All is not doom
and gloom for black, however. The issue with 4. Qc2 is that it does nothing to contribute to
white’s development. As a result, it is typical to reach positions in this variation where
black has a lead in development, while white has won the bishop pair. In this situation,
black needs to play actively in order to keep the initiative and not allow white’s pair of
bishops to wreak havoc. }

O-O

{ Black’s most popular choice. He remains flexible in the centre. Black does have two other
good options though: 1. c5 exploits another consequence of 4. Qc2: the queen left d4
unsupported. This is a decent line, however it doesn’t fit in with our …d5 theme in this
repertoire. 2. d5 is the most logical move for this repertoire in terms of our …d5 theme. In
fact, it is quite likely to transpose to our choice, O-O. The reason we didn’t go for this
option is that it can lead to some sharp and unconventional lines after 5. cxd5 exd5 6. Bg5.
Black often has to play … h6 and …g5, which is something we have tried to avoid in this
repertoire. }

5. a3

{ The main move by far. White collects the bishop pair, which is what he set out to
achieve. }

Bxc3+

{ Of course, retreating isn’t really an option - we have already lost too much time. }

6. Qxc3

{ Taking with the pawn is completely pointless - there is no need to even analyse it, since
play is similar to 4. a3. In this position, thanks to black’s flexibility, black can choose from a
wide range of setups: light square strategies start with b6, while dark square strategies
begin with d6. However, true to our repertoire theme, we will be playing }

d5

{ . This is only black’s 4th most common move, however it has become the near-exclusive
choice of the chess elite in recent years sometimes b6 is also played . Black’s idea is to stake
out a claim in the centre and try to take advantage of our lead in development. Often, to do
this we will be taking on c4, thus making white lose more time moving his queen. }

7. Nf3 { Natural development. } dxc4

{ We take on c4 to get white’s queen to c4, so that we can later develop with tempo after …
b6 and …Ba6. }

8. Qxc4 b6 { Preparing to play …Ba6, developing with tempo. } 9. Bg5

{ Pinning our knight is the main move and a very natural one. } Ba6

{ Developing with tempo. } 10. Qa4

{ White’s more popular choice puts pressure on a6 so that our knight can’t develop for now.
}

c5

{ Black doesn’t waste time trying to support …c5 with …Nbd7, so instead we break
immediately. }

11. dxc5 bxc5 12. Rd1 Qb6

{ Just like after 12. Rc1, black is willing to accept a slightly damaged pawn structure and
exposed king in exchange for quick development, piece activity and play on the queenside. }

13. Bxf6 gxf6 14. Rd2 Nc6 15. Qg4+ Kh8

{ with a threefold repetition draw after 16. Qh4 or 16. Qf4. This has been played over 60
times ! }
[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.Qc2”]

[Black “5.a3 with d6 - Backup 1”]

1. d4 Nf6

{ In this chapter we will be dealing with white’s various early deviations after 1. d4 - in
other words, all white’s options that are not a Nimzo-Indian, Ragozin or a Catalan. This
means that options such as the Trompowsky, London and Veresov will be covered here.
Naturally, we can’t cover all of white’s deviations in a single chapter, as there are simply far
too many - however, we will recommend lines against the most common and most critical
ones. Against any deviations not covered yet, common sense development should suffice
for equality. After analysing the d4 deviations white can throw at us, it became apparent
that it’s best to go for lines which are low-theory, safe and solid. There’s already enough
theory as it is in the Nimzo-Indian and Ragozin without learning more against rare white
tries. One of the difficult things about learning to counter many of these d4 deviations is the
fact that white can switch up the move order very easily and there are plenty of
transpositions. This is why we recommend, for this chapter especially, to pay more
attention to the plans and development schemes we use. }

2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Qc2

{ 4. Qc2, often known as the Classical Variation, is the most challenging and topical
variation of the Nimzo-Indian, together with the Rubinstein Variation 4.e3 . White wants to
get the best of the both worlds in this variation: the bishop pair (after a3 …bxc3+) without
incurring irritating doubled c-pawns after bxc3. Another important characteristic of 4. Qc2
is that white can now play 5. e4 without losing a pawn, if white chooses to. All is not doom
and gloom for black, however. The issue with 4. Qc2 is that it does nothing to contribute to
white’s development. As a result, it is typical to reach positions in this variation where
black has a lead in development, while white has won the bishop pair. In this situation,
black needs to play actively in order to keep the initiative and not allow white’s pair of
bishops to wreak havoc. }

O-O
{ Black’s most popular choice. He remains flexible in the centre. Black does have two other
good options though: 1. c5 exploits another consequence of 4. Qc2: the queen left d4
unsupported. This is a decent line, however it doesn’t fit in with our …d5 theme in this
repertoire. 2. d5 is the most logical move for this repertoire in terms of our …d5 theme. In
fact, it is quite likely to transpose to our choice, O-O. The reason we didn’t go for this
option is that it can lead to some sharp and unconventional lines after 5. cxd5 exd5 6. Bg5.
Black often has to play … h6 and …g5, which is something we have tried to avoid in this
repertoire. }

5. a3

{ The main move by far. White collects the bishop pair, which is what he set out to
achieve. }

Bxc3+

{ Of course, retreating isn’t really an option - we have already lost too much time. }

6. Qxc3

{ Taking with the pawn is completely pointless - there is no need to even analyse it, since
play is similar to 4. a3. In this position, thanks to black’s flexibility, black can choose from a
wide range of setups: light square strategies start with b6, while dark square strategies
begin with d6, or our main recommendation with d5. }

d6

{ This is a relatively simple and solid way to play, which avoids any of the forced draws that
white has at his disposal after our main recommendation of d5. d5 is probably marginally
better objectively-speaking, but this is perfectly viable and works well for black in practice.
The intention is to play …b6, …Bb7, . ..Nbd7 and eventually fight back in the centre with …
e5 or maybe …c5. We won’t be covering this in excruciating depth as it’s not our main
recommendation, but instead give a couple sample variations. }

7. f3

{ This is relatively rare, but it seems like a critical attempt with the intention of just
grabbing the whole centre with e4. }

c5

{ The downside to white’s last move is that it weakens the dark squares, which we take
advantage of by hitting d4. d5 is a good alternative. }

8. dxc5 dxc5 9. Bg5 Nc6 10. e3 e5

{ The position is roughly balanced with good winning chances for both sides. We can
possible expand on the kingside later with …h6 and …g5. If this doesn’t appeal to you,
consider d5 instead perhaps, or take a look at our solid main recommendation of d5. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.Qc2”]

[Black “5.a3 with d6 - Backup 2”]

1. d4 Nf6

{ In this chapter we will be dealing with white’s various early deviations after 1. d4 - in
other words, all white’s options that are not a Nimzo-Indian, Ragozin or a Catalan. This
means that options such as the Trompowsky, London and Veresov will be covered here.
Naturally, we can’t cover all of white’s deviations in a single chapter, as there are simply far
too many - however, we will recommend lines against the most common and most critical
ones. Against any deviations not covered yet, common sense development should suffice
for equality. After analysing the d4 deviations white can throw at us, it became apparent
that it’s best to go for lines which are low-theory, safe and solid. There’s already enough
theory as it is in the Nimzo-Indian and Ragozin without learning more against rare white
tries. One of the difficult things about learning to counter many of these d4 deviations is the
fact that white can switch up the move order very easily and there are plenty of
transpositions. This is why we recommend, for this chapter especially, to pay more
attention to the plans and development schemes we use. }

2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Qc2

{ 4. Qc2, often known as the Classical Variation, is the most challenging and topical
variation of the Nimzo-Indian, together with the Rubinstein Variation 4.e3 . White wants to
get the best of the both worlds in this variation: the bishop pair (after a3 …bxc3+) without
incurring irritating doubled c-pawns after bxc3. Another important characteristic of 4. Qc2
is that white can now play 5. e4 without losing a pawn, if white chooses to. All is not doom
and gloom for black, however. The issue with 4. Qc2 is that it does nothing to contribute to
white’s development. As a result, it is typical to reach positions in this variation where
black has a lead in development, while white has won the bishop pair. In this situation,
black needs to play actively in order to keep the initiative and not allow white’s pair of
bishops to wreak havoc. }

O-O

{ Black’s most popular choice. He remains flexible in the centre. Black does have two other
good options though: 1. c5 exploits another consequence of 4. Qc2: the queen left d4
unsupported. This is a decent line, however it doesn’t fit in with our …d5 theme in this
repertoire. 2. d5 is the most logical move for this repertoire in terms of our …d5 theme. In
fact, it is quite likely to transpose to our choice, O-O. The reason we didn’t go for this
option is that it can lead to some sharp and unconventional lines after 5. cxd5 exd5 6. Bg5.
Black often has to play … h6 and …g5, which is something we have tried to avoid in this
repertoire. }

5. a3

{ The main move by far. White collects the bishop pair, which is what he set out to
achieve. }

Bxc3+

{ Of course, retreating isn’t really an option - we have already lost too much time. }

6. Qxc3

{ Taking with the pawn is completely pointless - there is no need to even analyse it, since
play is similar to 4. a3. In this position, thanks to black’s flexibility, black can choose from a
wide range of setups: light square strategies start with b6, while dark square strategies
begin with d6, or our main recommendation with d5. }

d6

{ This is a relatively simple and solid way to play, which avoids any of the forced draws that
white has at his disposal after our main recommendation of d5. d5 is probably marginally
better objectively-speaking, but this is perfectly viable and works well for black in practice.
The intention is to play …b6, …Bb7, . ..Nbd7 and eventually fight back in the centre with …
e5 or maybe …c5. We won’t be covering this in excruciating depth as it’s not our main
recommendation, but instead give a couple sample variations. }

7. Bg5 Nbd7 8. e3 b6 9. Bd3 c5 10. Ne2 Ba6

{ with the plan of eventually ramping up the pressure on c4. We can continue with …h6, …
Rc8, …Qc7 etc. with a balanced position. }
[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.a3 and 4.f3”]

[Black “Nimzo-Indian with 4.a3 and 4.f3 Overview”]

{ @@HeaderStart@@Key Points@@HeaderEnd@@

This chapter deals with one of white’s sharpest tries against the Nimzo: 4.f3. We also cover
4.a3, which is closely related. Our plan here is to challenge white’s centre with d5 and then
c5. The other key thing to remember here is to recapture on d5 with the knight and then
meet 8.dxc5 with the important f5!. One other important thing to remember is how to meet
the move order trick 4.a3 Bxc3+ 5.bxc3 O-O 6.f3. Trying to transpose to d5 backfires after
7.cxd5 Nxd5 because our knight can get trapped after 8.e4. So instead of d5, remember to
play Nc6!. }

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4

{ In this chapter we will be covering the 4. f3 and 4. a3, since they both can transpose fairly
easily. They both are both known as the Saemisch Variation of the Nimzo-Indian. }

4. f3

{ 4. f3 is one of the sharpest and most interesting variations in the whole of the Nimzo-
Indian. It can lead to fresh and interesting positions, which are often quite sharp, from both
black’s …d5 and …c5 variations. White’s idea is quite simple: he intends to take over the
centre with e4, possiby with a3 …Bxc3+ bxc3 thrown in. 4.a3 This move, as we’ve seen in
the previous chapters, can pretty much be thrown in at any point. In most cases we will be
taking the knight on c3, which results in white getting the bishop pair but also doubled c-
pawns. Often what black wants to do in these situations, if possible, is block and immobilise
white’s centre (typically with something like …d6, …c5 and … e5) and then play on the
flanks and try to exploit the doubled c-pawns (especially the weak and relatively exposed
c4-pawn) . As mentioned before though, our idea general strategy in this repertoire (due to
transpositions and coherence) is to go for …d5 setups. Because of these transpositions, we
will cover …d5 when white can force that setup to arise via a different move order - two
specific examples are 5. a3 in the Ragozin and 4. e3 in the Nimzo followed by a3 at some
point. Due to all these move order tricks, it might be easiest to boil it down to 3 main white
setups: 1. White plays f3 at some point instead of Nf3. This will be covered in this chapter,
but after 4. f3. 2. White develops his knight to f3 and his bishop outside the pawn chain to
g5 before he plays e3. This will also be covered in this chapter. 3. White plays e3. This
transposes to the Rubinstein Variation - 4. e3 - which was already covered. Bxc3+ 5.bxc3 O-
O This is the best option for our purposes since it is very flexible. We can play for a …d5 or
a …c5 strategy depending on what white does. 6.f3 ! White’s most common choice here
with the idea of supporting the e4 advance. This is actually a rather unpleasant move order,
since we can’t simply transpose to our line against 4. f3 with d5 since it can be met by 7.
cxd5 and now Nxd5 doesn’t work because our knight gets trapped after 8. e4 Nxc3 9. Qb3.
However, in this position black has a large amount of decent options. The main move is d5
followed by exd5, however this takes us out of our repertoire. The 2 main independent
options are Ne8 and Nh5. Nh5 is a good choice which scores quite well, however it leads to
unusual positions which are tricky to play (for both sides) and it is unclear if black fully
equalises in all lines. As a result, we’ve opted for something a little different. 6.Nf3 d5 It is
important to note that this position can also come from the Ragozin in Chapter 4 with 5.a3 .
White only has 2 independent options here: 7. Bg5 and 7. cxd5 7.e3 transposes to the next
chapter . Black doesn’t have too many issues here as long as he just develops naturally and
plays …c5. Typically the light bishop will be developed on the queenside after …b6. 7.Bg5
7.e3 c5 We have transposed into a line we will be covering next chapter, after 4. e3. 7.cxd5
exd5 8.Bg5 h6 9.Bh4 Nbd7 10.e3 c5 = with good play. Nbd7 8.e3 c5 9.cxd5 Taking on d5
before developing the light bishop. 9.Bd3 dxc4 The standard way to take advantage of the
bishop’s development before taking on d5. 10.Bxc4 Qa5 11.O-O b5 12.Bd3 Bb7 = All of
black’s pieces have good squares and he has equalised comfortably. exd5 = with the . ..c5
break in, black has good play. 6.e3 Nc6 transposes to the first chapter. 6.Bg5 This seems
active but it isn’t challenging at all. h6 7.Bh4 7.Bxf6 White can’t really claim to have any
advantage without his bishop pair, but black can start pushing for an edge. Qxf6 8.Nf3 d6
Keeping the pawns on the dark squares is better with the light bishop remaining. 9.e3 b6
10.Bd3 Bb7 =+ Black has no problems here at all. d6 ! Black has not committed to … d5 and
this flexibility allows us to place our pawns on the dark squares, which is better with a light
bishop of course. 8.Nf3 Nbd7 9.e3 Supporting d4. 9.e4 ?! 9. e4 is a bit inaccurate since white
should also try to keep white’s pawns on dark squares. e5 We close the position to
neutralise white’s bishops. 10.Bd3 c5 =+ After d5, closing the centre, black is able to get
good play on the flanks. b6 10.Nd2 Bb7 11.f3 e5 = Black has developed soundly and has
equalised. Nc6 ! This is only black’s 7th most common move, but it has been played by
some strong players, most notably Ivanchuk. In this line we switch to a dark-squared
strategy based on …d6, … b6 and possibly …e5 or …c5 with the idea of putting pressure on
c4 by playing …Ba6 and …Na5. This line is quite rare (with only around 40 games) so it
hasn’t developed any significant theory and might still come as a surprise to your
opponent. It has the advantage of being relatively simple to play, as black’s moves generally
following basic positional ideas - put the pawns on dark squares, keep the position closed,
attack c4 etc. Objectively it is also very strong and probably one of black’s best ways to
equalise after 6. f3. 7.e4 7.Bg5 This has been played a few times, but 7. e4 is much more
critical. h6 8.Bh4 e5 ! 9.e4 d6 = White’s bishop is misplaced on h4. Black’s play will develop
quite similarly to the line with 9. Bg5 - …b6, … Na5 etc. In some cases we might want to
clamp down on the dark squares on the kingside with …g5 followed by …Nh5-f4. d6
Another interesting option here which hasn’t been tried yet is the very provocative Na5 !?,
but in many cases it will just transpose to our mainline. 8.Bd3 b6 With the idea of …Ba6.
Note that black wants to stay as flexible as possible, which means that …e5 shouldn’t be
rushed. Often we would rather play …c5 instead of …e5. 9.Ne2 9.Bg5 White’s most common
move. h6 10.Bh4 e5 11.Ne2 Na5 12.O-O g5 ! An important idea to keep in mind here. We
clamp down on the kingside, preventing white’s f4 idea. White isn’t able to exploit the
apparent weakening of our kingside. 13.Bf2 Nh5 14.Qc2 Ba6 = Black’s position is already
slightly preferable most likely, with good play against the c4 pawn, while white’s idea is not
clear. Nd7 Staying as flexible as possible. 10.O-O Na5 Beginning to target c4. 11.Ng3 Ba6
Attacking c4. 12.Qe2 12.f4 White ignores the attack on the c4 pawn and launches an attack
on our kingside. This has only been tried 3 times, but it seems to be the critical test of Nc6.
f5 ! This novelty seems to be black’s best practical choice. Grabbing the pawn with Bxc4 is
also fine theoretically and has been played 3 times, however it seems like black has to do
some defending in those lines, whereas after f5 our position is simpler to play. 13.exf5 exf5
14.Nxf5 Bxc4 15.Re1 Kh8 16.Bxc4 Nxc4 = The position is quite unusual, but balanced. Given
the chance black would like to play …d5 and … Nf6. c5 ! This is why we stay flexible and
avoid playing …e5 too early. In this case, where we are attacking c4, we play …c5 with the
idea of opening the c-file to put more pressure on c4. 13.Be3 Rc8 = The position is balanced,
but black’s position seems more straightforward to play. If white ever goes d5, our knight
gets the fantastic e5 outpost. }

d5

{ c5 is the other big move here. It is a bit less common, but it is played by many top players
(especially recently) and it scores well. However, the positions that c5 leads to are quite
unconventional and sharp, which is not in keeping with the theme of this repertoire.
Instead, we will opt for d5. This has the simple idea of directly stopping white’s e4 advance
for now. }

5. a3

{ Forcing the bishop to either take on c3 or retreat, with the purpose of clarifying the
situation with the pinned c3-knight. By doing this, white is trying to make the e4 advance
easier to carry out. 5.Bg5 ? White tries to develop his bishop actively before blocking it in
with e3, but this is a bad idea since his centre is not well supported. h6 6.Bh4 Taking on f6,
surrendering the bishop pair, doesn’t challenge black. dxc4 ! Grabbing the pawn here
exploits white’s vulnerable centre. 7.a3 White spends time to secure the d4 pawn (after …
Bxc3+ bxc3) before regaining the c4 pawn. 7.e4 Prepares to regain the c4 pawn, but it
leaves d4 exposed. c5 Hitting d4 immediately. 8.dxc5 White can’t support d4 in a
comfortable way, so this is somewhat forced. Qa5 ��� Black is far more active and has a
clear advantage. Bxc3+ 8.bxc3 c5 Playing actively, attacking d4. 9.e3 Qa5 ��� We keep
up the pressure on white, so he doesn’t get a chance to take on c4. 5.cxd5 ? Grabbing on d5
before eliminating the pin on the c3-knight is a bad idea and allows black to get too much
play. Nxd5 ! Recapturing with the knight is best here since black can make use of the
pressure on c3. 6.Qd3 Probably the more natural way to protect c3. 6.Qd2 It does seem a bit
strange to put the queen here, but white’s point is that the bishop can be developed to b2 or
a3 after …Bxc3+ bxc3. Ba5 A useful move - prophylaxis against … Nxc3 bxc3. 7.e4 Nxc3
8.bxc3 e5 =+ Black has strong pressure against white’s centre. Ba5 Again useful, pre-
empting bxc3, attacking the bishop. 7.e4 Nxc3 8.bxc3 c5 9.Bd2 O-O ��� Once again,
black has very good play against white’s centre. 5.e3 O-O 6.a3 Bxc3+ 7.bxc3 This reaches a
structure/position that can arise from a variety of different lines, such as the Rubinsein
4.e3 , the 4. a3 Samisch, and of course the 4. f3 Samisch as well. c5 Putting some pressure
on the centre and preparing to develop the rest of the queenside. 8.cxd5 Logically
undoubling the c-pawns. 8.Bd3 ?! This is inaccurate. White should take on d5 before
developing his bishop. Qc7 This is the simplest way to exploit white’s move order
inaccuracy. There are a number of tactical issues white now has to deal with along the c-
file. 9.cxd5 9.Qc2 Indirectly protecting c4 after …cxd4 cxd4. Bd7 Natural development.
10.Bd2 dxc4 11.Bxc4 Nc6 =+ Black has great play against white’s centre and on the light
squares. cxd4 ! Tactics related to … Qc3+ make this intermezzo better than the standard
exd5. 10.Ne2 Recapturing d4 loses material to …Qc3+. dxc3 11.Qc2 exd5 =+ White doesn’t
have full compensation for his pawn deficit. Nxd5 Taking with the pawn is perfectly
playable too, but just like in the mainline, we opted for the more dynamic knight recapture.
It might seem like nothing, but the hanging c3 pawn gives white quite a few headaches.
9.Bd2 ?! The most natural way to cover the c3 pawn, but after this white already has
problems. 9.Ne2 Protecting c3, but blocking the bishop. f5 ! Black’s second most common
move and an idea we will see much more of later. Black is trying to prevent e4. 10.g3 White
needs to fianchetto to develop his bishop. Nc6 11.Bg2 b6 =+ Black has good squares for all
his pieces while white is still having issues developing, giving us the edge. 9.c4 By dealing
with the issue of the hanging c3 pawn in this way, white has left his centre (d4 in
particular) even more vulnerable. Ne7 The knight can possibly head to f5 from here to put
more pressure on d4. 10.Bd3 cxd4 We are trying to put as much pressure on d4 as possible.
11.exd4 Nbc6 12.Ne2 b6 = White’s hanging pawns are more of a weakness than an asset
here, but white should be able to equalise. 9.Qd2 Quite an awkward way to defend c3. Nc6
We are looking at playing the …e5 break. 10.Bd3 e5 ! d4 is under a lot of pressure, so white
must advance. 11.c4 Nb6 12.d5 e4 ! The key move and a very nice intermezzo. We sacrifice
a pawn for a huge amount of positional benefits, most notably a fantastic e5 outpost for our
knight. 13.fxe4 Ne5 =+ The doubled e-pawns, very weak c4-pawn and black’s fantastic
knights are more than enough compensation for the pawn. Nc6 The most common move,
but the engine’s choice of Qh4+, a novelty, was also worth considering. 10.Bd3 This is by
far white’s most common choice, but black’s initiative almost gives him a decisive
advantage within a few moves. 10.f4 Preventing …e5 with this Stonewall-like move is the
engine’s top choice, but it has only been played once. Clearly white is fighting to equalise if
he plays like this. f6 Playing for the …e5 break, but other plans are also possible. 11.Bc4
Na5 Chasing the bishop away before playig …e5, since the immediate e5 would lose to 12.
e4. 12.Bd3 e5 ! Breaking down the Stonewall before white can finish developing. 13.fxe5
fxe5 14.Nf3 Taking the e5 pawn gives black a decisive kingside attack, so white must try get
his king to safety as soon as possible. exd4 15.cxd4 cxd4 16.exd4 Qe8+ 17.Be2 Ne3 18.Bxe3
Qxe3 =+ The weakness of the isolated d-pawn gives black a lasting and comfortable edge.
cxd4 11.cxd4 Taking with the e-pawn has never been tried, but perhaps it is the better
choice. e5 ! After this break, white has serious problems and is clearly worse. He is far
behind in development, his centre is falling apart and the king is still in the centre, and
therefore in danger. 12.e4 12.dxe5 Less popular than 12. e4 and not much better. Nxe5
13.Be2 Qf6 14.e4 Nb6 White still has no straightforward way to develop his kingside. This,
together with black’s development lead and white’s exposed king give black a decisive
advantage. Nf4 13.Bxf4 exf4 14.d5 Perhaps it is best to just sacrifice the pawn and get the
king to safety with 14. Ne2, but white is obviously clearly worse there too. Ne5 -+ Although
it might not be immediately apparent, white is already losing, simply because he is
positionally bust. His bad bishop, chronically weak dark squares and undeveloped kingside
combined with his exposed king are decisive. Even if there might not be a direct threat
black has, white will be unable to castle, while black activates his pieces and creates a
winning attack. }

Bxc3+

{ Retreating with the bishop is also played, but it is less common. } 6. bxc3

{ A very important position in this chapter since it can arise via both 4. f3 and 4. a3, which
is also the reason for both of these moves being grouped into a single chapter. Most of this
chapter is dedicated to analysing this position in greater detail. }

c5

{ Black needs to attack white’s centre before he has the chance to fully develop. }

7. cxd5 { 7.e3 O-O transposes to 5. e3. } Nxd5

{ Taking with the pawn is also an option, but it leads to a very different kind of game. White
tends to score better there, since he has time to solidify and build up his centre, which
allows him to make use of his bishop pair in the long run. That is why the knight recapture
is more common and probably objectively better as well. Black relies on his lead in
development to put white under as much pressure as possible so that he doesn’t have a
chance to unravel. }

8. dxc5

{ The most popular move by far and the only one that can challenge black. White indirectly
defends c3, since …Nxc3 can be met by exchanging queens followed by Bb2, winning the g7
pawn. White also hopes that black spends time trying to recoup the c5 pawn, which will
give white a chance to complete development and take full advantage of his bishop pair.
8.Qd2 The queen protects c3, but blocks the dark bishop. O-O 9.e4 Nb6 Retreating to b6 has
the advantage of being able to meet white’s Bb2 with …Na4. 10.a4 White’s best bet is to
march his a-pawn down the board. Otherwise, it is difficult for white to develop - d4 is
surprisingly difficult to defend after simply …Nc6. Bd7 We switch targets and start
attacking a4. 11.Bb5 Protecting a4, but this just moves the weakness to b5. On the upside
though, white does manage to untangle his kingside. 11.a5 White lunges forward with his
pawn, although this just leaves a5 weakened. Na4 ! Cutting off protection to a5 and
preparing to grab the pawn with …Qxa5. 12.Bd3 Qxa5 13.Ne2 cxd4 14.cxd4 Qxd2+ 15.Kxd2
b5 =+ White has some compensation for the pawn in the form of the bishop pair and good
central control/activity, but he isn’t fully equal. cxd4 12.cxd4 Bxb5 13.axb5 f5 ! A typical
break in these Grunfeld-style positions. 14.exf5 Allowing black to open the f-file is risky, so
this is probably white’s best bet. Rxf5 = With the weakness of b5 and d4, black is definitely
a bit more comfortable here. 8.Qd3 Protecting c3 just like 8. Qd2, but this time white blocks
the other bishop. O-O 9.e4 Nb6 From b6 the knight can sometimes hop to a4 an also it can
help create a knight outpost after …Nc6-a5. 10.Be3 Nc6 11.dxc5 Grabbing the pawn rarely
challenges black too much in this Grunfeld-type structure. Black usually gets full
compensation against the doubled isolated c-pawns and is able to regain the lost pawn.
11.Be2 Natural development. Na5 Planning …Nbc4. 12.Nh3 Completing development and
preparing to castle. Nbc4 13.Bf4 White needs to try hold onto the bishop pair. Bd7 =+ Black
has good play on the queenside and especially the light squares. He can look at playing …
Bb5/…Ba4 next and getting his rooks to the c-and d-files. Na4 12.Qxd8 Rxd8 = Black has no
problems in this endgame - …Na5, …Bd7, …Rac8 etc. Soon we will recoup the c5 pawn with
complete equality. }

f5

{ A funny-looking move but a good one. Even though it seems quite anti-positional and
risky to play like this, many of the world’s top players (past and present) have opted for f5,
including Karpov, Kortschnoj and Kramnik. The other option, Qa5, is more popular but this
scores quite a bit better in practice. Black’s idea here is purely prophylactic. We ignore the
c5 pawn for now and rather direct our focus to hamstring white’s planned e4 expansion. By
dissuading white from e4, black makes white’s kingside development significantly more
difficult than it already was. This position is a bit of a tabiya as well as the most important
position in this chapter. It has been reached in around 370 games at the time of writing,
with black scoring a solid 47% or so. White is behind in development and needs to find a
way to untangle his kingside. His 4 main options, which we will analyse, are 9. Qc2, 9. e4, 9.
c4 and the most popular move, 9. Nh3. }

9. Nh3

{ Developing the knight is white’s most common choice, but it doesn’t seem like white’s
most critical try. Most top players have been opting for one of the other options, which is a
good indication that white needs to search elsewhere for an edge. 9.Qc2 White plays
simply, covering c3 and preparing to play e4. Nd7 ! This line was actually one of the
trickiest to analyse. The two most common moves, O-O and f4, were analysed deeply, but
black’s position didn’t seem to be 100% comfortable in either case. With accurate play, it
seems like white retains the bishop pair and some pressure after O-O while after f4 white
unravels his kingside quite easily 10.Bxf4 and might have a slight edge. Nd7 is a bit rarer
(it is only the 4th most common move) , but it scores relatively well and it got the backing
of Kramnik is 2008 World Championship match against Anand. The idea is quite simply to
regain the c5 pawn with …Nxc5, but beyond that there is another idea, which is to gain
control over e4 (after white inevitably plays e4) and install a knight there (. ..Nd5-f6-e4) .
With a knight on e4 it is very difficult for white to keep the bishop pair. 10.e4 The only
move which has been tried. White kicks the knight away and prepares to develop the rest
of his minor pieces. fxe4 11.fxe4 N5f6 The only good retreat. We need our knight on f6 to
pressurise e4. 12.Nf3 Natural development. 12.c6 White sacrifices his pawn back (before it
is recaptured with …Nxc5) in order to damage black’s pawns structure. bxc6 13.Nf3 Natural
development is the only move which white has played so far. Ng4 ! The knight controls the
dark squares and can also head to the e5 outpost. 14.Be2 O-O 15.h3 White wants to chase
the knight away since castling allows …Qb6+. Rxf3 ! Another purpose of the knight on g4
becomes clear: the weakened dark squares gives black ideas such as …Rxf3 followed by …
Qh4+. 16.hxg4 Rf7 = White’s wrecked pawn structure and exposed king offset his bishop
pair. Nxc5 13.e5 Nfe4 Our basic plan from Nd7 has been achieved: we have planted a
knight on e4. 14.Bc4 A natural square for the bishop, putting pressure on e6. 14.Be3 Bd7
15.Bxc5 Nxc5 16.Bc4 O-O = Without the bishop pair, white has no way to claim an edge. O-O
15.O-O Both players have got their kings to safety. b6 The fianchettoed bishop will support
the knight on e4 even more. 16.Be3 Qc7 17.Kh1 Bb7 = Black’s strong knights grant us full
equality. White can’t really utilise his bishops, meaning that sooner or later he will have to
trade one of them for a knight, after which black has absolutely nothing to worry about.
9.c4 Kicking the knight away, but on the flipside this exposes the h8-a1 diagonal, which is
something black can exploit. This is probably the least dangerous (theoretically) of white’s
4 options. Qf6 Black’s other idea is to grab the c4 pawn with …Qh4xc3 but it seems like
white gets good play here. 10.Bd2 ?! This is the most common (and most natural) way to
defend the rook on a1, but it’s not white’s best choice. 10.Bg5 ! This is white’s best bet, but
it is significantly rarer than 10. Bd2. Qxg5 11.cxd5 O-O 12.Nh3 Qe3 13.Qc1 Qe5 14.e3 exd5
= Black has no problems here. Nc3 11.Qc1 11.Bxc3 ?! is simply quite bad. Qxc3+ 12.Kf2 O-O
��� Black’s activity and white’s exposed king give us a clear advantage. Na4 12.Nh3 e5
13.e3 Nxc5 =+ Black seems to gave a slight edge here, thanks to his central control and
extra space. 9.e4 Our previous move is designed to dissuade this, but white can of course
play it anyway. fxe4 10.Qc2 Since the immediate recapture isn’t possible, white prepares
fxe4 first with 10. Qc2. In effect, white hopes to transpose into the 9. Qc2 line, but we would
be move order tricked into playing a different line than Nd7. 10.fxe4 ?? is obviously a
blunder because of Qh4+ 11.Kd2 Qxe4 -+ and black is just much better. Qh4+ ! A good way
to take advantage of white’s move order and avoid the transposition trick after something
like O-O. Qh4+ is actually an engine suggestion and hasn’t been tried in a game yet, but it is
a good equaliser. 11.g3 Qh5 Hitting f3 of course, but the other idea behind the queen on h5
is to recoup the c5 pawn after moving the knight from d5. 12.Be2 12.fxe4 is perfectly
natural. Nf6 13.Be2 Qxc5 14.Nf3 O-O = Black has regained the pawn with comfortable
equality. The queen on c5 is a thorn in white’s side, preventing him from castling. 12.Qxe4
leaves the queen a bit too exposed. O-O 13.Ne2 Bd7 = White still is quite far from
unraveling his kingside and his queen is a bit misplaced. Nf6 13.fxe4 Qxc5 This transposes
to 12. fxe4. 14.Rb1 a6 = Covering b5, with easy equality. }

Qa5

{ The other big move here is O-O, but it seems like black has troubles equalising after 10.
Nf4 (since we are saddled with an isolated d-pawn which gives white good long-term
pressure) . Recently, most top players have opted for this move instead. We have the option
of grabbing either the c3 or the c5 pawn on the next move. }

10. e4

{ White’s second most common choice, behind 10. Nf4.10. e4 allows white to develop his
bishop and kicks our bishop away. 10.Qd2 Defending c3 and planning c4 on the next move.
Nf6 Prophylaxis against c4. 11.e3 O-O 12.c4 Qc7 = with the idea of recapturing on c5 with
the knight (e.g. …Na6xc5) . White still has his bishop pair, but black has a slight lead in
development and the c4 weakness to play against. 10.Nf4 White develops with the idea of
exchanging the strong knight on d5. If black takes on f4, white gets to develop his bishop
for free, while if black ignores the knight he will be saddled with an isolated d-pawn. This is
white’s most common move here. Nc6 ! Black develops quickly without worrying about the
isolated d-pawn. Note that black doesn’t lose a pawn here because of black’s …Qxc3+.
11.Nxd5 exd5 12.Qd3 White’s most common move here by far. 12.Be3 Saving the c5 pawn,
but blocking in white’s kingside. Qxc3+ 13.Kf2 d4 14.Bf4 Qxc5 = White gets enough
compensation for the pawn, but nothing more than that. Qxc5 13.Bf4 O-O 14.e3 Be6 15.Be2
Rac8 = The weakness of c3 and e3 offsets black’s weak d5 pawn and bad bishop. Black
should target the c3 pawn quickly with … Na5 and be careful not to fall into the trap of
defending d5 passively. It is easy to become worse here if you don’t play actively and force
white to defend his own pawn weaknesses. }

fxe4 11. Nf2

{ This is another way for white to offer the pawn sacrifice. 11.fxe4 This is the most obvious,
as well as the most common, option at white’s disposal, but it doesn’t seem to challenge
black much. Qxc3+ Black has time to recoup his pawn. 12.Bd2 Qe5 13.Bb5+ Bd7 14.Bxd7+
Nxd7 15.O-O N5f6 = Grabbing on e4 is disastrous after 16. Ng5, but after the simple N5f6
black has no problems at all - next he can castle with a good positions. 11.Ng5 This has
been tried once, with the idea of sacrificing a pawn to get some active play and open lines
for white’s pieces. Nf6 ! Black should ignore the pawn and just complete development.
Taking on f3 gives white far too much play. 12.Be2 O-O 13.O-O Qxc5+ 14.Kh1 e3 = White
will regain the e3 pawn sooner or later, but by then black’s pieces will be in the game. Black
has no problems here and has achieved full equality. }

Nf6

{ Once again, black should decline the pawn and get on with development instead. }

12. fxe4 O-O 13. Qd4 { Trying to hold onto both pawns. } Nc6 14. Qe3 Nd7

{ Targeting c5. } 15. Rb1 Qxc5 16. Qxc5 Nxc5

{ Black has regained the pawn with equality. White’s poor pawn structure offsets his bishop
pair advantage. }
[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.a3 and 4.f3”]

[Black “4.a3 Variation 1”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4

{ In this chapter we will be covering 4. f3 and 4. a3, since they both can transpose fairly
easily. They both are both known as the Saemisch Variation of the Nimzo-Indian. }

4. a3

{ This move, as we’ve seen in the previous chapters, can pretty much be thrown in at any
point. In most cases we will be taking the knight on c3, which results in white getting the
bishop pair but also doubled c-pawns. Often what black wants to do in these situations, if
possible, is block and immobilise white’s centre typically with something like …d6, …c5 and
… e5 and then play on the flanks and try to exploit the doubled c-pawns, especially the
weak and relatively exposed c4-pawn. As mentioned before though, our general strategy in
this repertoire due to transpositions and coherence is to go for …d5 setups. Because of
these transpositions, we will cover …d5 when white can force that setup to arise via a
different move order - two specific examples are 5. a3 in the Ragozin and 4. e3 in the Nimzo
followed by a3 at some point. Due to all these move order tricks, it might be easiest to boil
it down to 3 main white setups: 1. White plays f3 at some point instead of Nf3. This will be
covered in this chapter, but after 4. f3. 2. White develops his knight to f3 and his bishop
outside the pawn chain to g5 before he plays e3. This will also be covered in this chapter. 3.
White plays e3. This transposes to the Rubinstein Variation - 4. e3. }

Bxc3+ 5. bxc3 O-O

{ This is the best option for our purposes since it is very flexible. We can play for a …d5 or a
…c5 strategy depending on what white does. }

6. Nf3 d5
{ It is important to note that this position can also come from the Ragozin with 5. a3. White
only has 2 independent options here: 7. Bg5 and 7. cxd5 - 7. e3 transposes to the next
chapter. Black doesn’t have too many issues here as long as he just develops naturally and
plays …c5. Typically the light bishop will be developed on the queenside after …b6. }

7. e3 c5 { We have transposed into a line we look at 4. e3. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.a3 and 4.f3”]

[Black “4.a3 Variation 2”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4

{ In this chapter we will be covering the 4. f3 and 4. a3, since they both can transpose fairly
easily. They both are both known as the Saemisch Variation of the Nimzo-Indian. }

4. a3

{ This move, as we’ve seen in the previous chapters, can pretty much be thrown in at any
point. In most cases we will be taking the knight on c3, which results in white getting the
bishop pair but also doubled c-pawns. Often what black wants to do in these situations, if
possible, is block and immobilise white’s centre (typically with something like …d6, …c5
and … e5) and then play on the flanks and try to exploit the doubled c-pawns (especially
the weak and relatively exposed c4-pawn) . As mentioned before though, our idea general
strategy in this repertoire (due to transpositions and coherence) is to go for …d5 setups.
Because of these transpositions, we will cover …d5 when white can force that setup to arise
via a different move order two specific examples are 5.a3 in the Ragozin and 4.e3 in the
Nimzo followed by a3 at some point . Due to all these move order tricks, it might be easiest
to boil it down to 3 main white setups: 1. White plays f3 at some point instead of Nf3. This
will be covered in this chapter, but after 4. f3.2. White develops his knight to f3 and his
bishop outside the pawn chain to g5 before he plays e3. This will also be covered in this
chapter. 3. White plays e3. This transposes to the Rubinstein Variation 4.e3 which will be
covered in the next chapter. }
Bxc3+ 5. bxc3 O-O

{ This is the best option for our purposes since it is very flexible. We can play for a …d5 or a
…c5 strategy depending on what white does. }

6. Nf3 d5

{ It is important to note that this position can also come from the Ragozin in Chapter 4 with
5.a3 . White only has 2 independent options here: 7. Bg5 and 7. cxd5 7.e3 transposes to the
next chapter . Black doesn’t have too many issues here as long as he just develops naturally
and plays …c5. Typically the light bishop will be developed on the queenside after …b6. }

7. cxd5 exd5 8. Bg5 h6 9. Bh4 Nbd7 10. e3 c5 { with good play. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.a3 and 4.f3”]

[Black “4.a3 Variation 3”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4

{ In this chapter we will be covering the 4. f3 and 4. a3, since they both can transpose fairly
easily. They both are both known as the Saemisch Variation of the Nimzo-Indian. }

4. a3

{ This move, as we’ve seen in the previous chapters, can pretty much be thrown in at any
point. In most cases we will be taking the knight on c3, which results in white getting the
bishop pair but also doubled c-pawns. Often what black wants to do in these situations, if
possible, is block and immobilise white’s centre (typically with something like …d6, …c5
and … e5) and then play on the flanks and try to exploit the doubled c-pawns (especially
the weak and relatively exposed c4-pawn) . As mentioned before though, our idea general
strategy in this repertoire (due to transpositions and coherence) is to go for …d5 setups.
Because of these transpositions, we will cover …d5 when white can force that setup to arise
via a different move order two specific examples are 5.a3 in the Ragozin and 4.e3 in the
Nimzo followed by a3 at some point . Due to all these move order tricks, it might be easiest
to boil it down to 3 main white setups: 1. White plays f3 at some point instead of Nf3. This
will be covered in this chapter, but after 4. f3.2. White develops his knight to f3 and his
bishop outside the pawn chain to g5 before he plays e3. This will also be covered in this
chapter. 3. White plays e3. This transposes to the Rubinstein Variation 4.e3 which will be
covered in the next chapter. }

Bxc3+ 5. bxc3 O-O

{ This is the best option for our purposes since it is very flexible. We can play for a …d5 or a
…c5 strategy depending on what white does. }

6. Nf3 d5

{ It is important to note that this position can also come from the Ragozin in Chapter 4 with
5.a3 . White only has 2 independent options here: 7. Bg5 and 7. cxd5 7.e3 transposes to the
next chapter . Black doesn’t have too many issues here as long as he just develops naturally
and plays …c5. Typically the light bishop will be developed on the queenside after …b6. }

7. Bg5 Nbd7 8. e3 c5 9. Bd3 dxc4

{ The standard way to take advantage of the bishop’s development before taking on d5. }

10. Bxc4 Qa5 11. O-O b5

{ Qxc3 is actually not a bad move, albeit a risky one. The problem is that black’s queen
becomes a target and he falls even further behind in development. A sample line might be
Qxc3 12.Rc1 Qxa3 13.dxc5 Qxc5 14.Bxe6 Qe7 15.Bb3. The position is actually very
interesting and objectively equal - black has a pawn, but as compensation white has the
bishop pair on an open board and a lead in development. As a result I prefer the given
move b5, which I also feel might be a little better objectively, but Qxa3 is playable too. }

12. Bd3 Bb7

{ All of black’s pieces have good squares and he has equalised comfortably. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]
[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.a3 and 4.f3”]

[Black “4.a3 Variation 4”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4

{ In this chapter we will be covering the 4. f3 and 4. a3, since they both can transpose fairly
easily. They both are both known as the Saemisch Variation of the Nimzo-Indian. }

4. a3

{ This move, as we’ve seen in the previous chapters, can pretty much be thrown in at any
point. In most cases we will be taking the knight on c3, which results in white getting the
bishop pair but also doubled c-pawns. Often what black wants to do in these situations, if
possible, is block and immobilise white’s centre (typically with something like …d6, …c5
and … e5) and then play on the flanks and try to exploit the doubled c-pawns (especially
the weak and relatively exposed c4-pawn) . As mentioned before though, our idea general
strategy in this repertoire (due to transpositions and coherence) is to go for …d5 setups.
Because of these transpositions, we will cover …d5 when white can force that setup to arise
via a different move order two specific examples are 5.a3 in the Ragozin and 4.e3 in the
Nimzo followed by a3 at some point . Due to all these move order tricks, it might be easiest
to boil it down to 3 main white setups: 1. White plays f3 at some point instead of Nf3. This
will be covered in this chapter, but after 4. f3.2. White develops his knight to f3 and his
bishop outside the pawn chain to g5 before he plays e3. This will also be covered in this
chapter. 3. White plays e3. This transposes to the Rubinstein Variation 4.e3 which will be
covered in the next chapter. }

Bxc3+ 5. bxc3 O-O

{ This is the best option for our purposes since it is very flexible. We can play for a …d5 or a
…c5 strategy depending on what white does. }

6. Nf3 d5

{ It is important to note that this position can also come from the Ragozin in Chapter 4 with
5.a3 . White only has 2 independent options here: 7. Bg5 and 7. cxd5 7.e3 transposes to the
next chapter . Black doesn’t have too many issues here as long as he just develops naturally
and plays …c5. Typically the light bishop will be developed on the queenside after …b6. }

7. Bg5 Nbd7 8. e3 c5 9. cxd5

{ Taking on d5 before developing the light bishop. } exd5

{ with the . ..c5 break in, black has good play. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.a3 and 4.f3”]

[Black “4.a3 Variation 5”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4

{ In this chapter we will be covering the 4. f3 and 4. a3, since they both can transpose fairly
easily. They both are both known as the Saemisch Variation of the Nimzo-Indian. }

4. a3

{ This move, as we’ve seen in the previous chapters, can pretty much be thrown in at any
point. In most cases we will be taking the knight on c3, which results in white getting the
bishop pair but also doubled c-pawns. Often what black wants to do in these situations, if
possible, is block and immobilise white’s centre (typically with something like …d6, …c5
and … e5) and then play on the flanks and try to exploit the doubled c-pawns (especially
the weak and relatively exposed c4-pawn) . As mentioned before though, our idea general
strategy in this repertoire (due to transpositions and coherence) is to go for …d5 setups.
Because of these transpositions, we will cover …d5 when white can force that setup to arise
via a different move order two specific examples are 5.a3 in the Ragozin and 4.e3 in the
Nimzo followed by a3 at some point . Due to all these move order tricks, it might be easiest
to boil it down to 3 main white setups: 1. White plays f3 at some point instead of Nf3. This
will be covered in this chapter, but after 4. f3.2. White develops his knight to f3 and his
bishop outside the pawn chain to g5 before he plays e3. This will also be covered in this
chapter. 3. White plays e3. This transposes to the Rubinstein Variation 4.e3 which will be
covered in the next chapter. }

Bxc3+ 5. bxc3 O-O

{ This is the best option for our purposes since it is very flexible. We can play for a …d5 or a
…c5 strategy depending on what white does. }
6. e3 Nc6 { transposes to the chapter on the 4.e3 Nimzo-Indian. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.a3 and 4.f3”]

[Black “4.a3 Variation 6”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4

{ In this chapter we will be covering the 4. f3 and 4. a3, since they both can transpose fairly
easily. They both are both known as the Saemisch Variation of the Nimzo-Indian. }

4. a3

{ This move, as we’ve seen in the previous chapters, can pretty much be thrown in at any
point. In most cases we will be taking the knight on c3, which results in white getting the
bishop pair but also doubled c-pawns. Often what black wants to do in these situations, if
possible, is block and immobilise white’s centre (typically with something like …d6, …c5
and … e5) and then play on the flanks and try to exploit the doubled c-pawns (especially
the weak and relatively exposed c4-pawn) . As mentioned before though, our idea general
strategy in this repertoire (due to transpositions and coherence) is to go for …d5 setups.
Because of these transpositions, we will cover …d5 when white can force that setup to arise
via a different move order two specific examples are 5.a3 in the Ragozin and 4.e3 in the
Nimzo followed by a3 at some point . Due to all these move order tricks, it might be easiest
to boil it down to 3 main white setups: 1. White plays f3 at some point instead of Nf3. This
will be covered in this chapter, but after 4. f3.2. White develops his knight to f3 and his
bishop outside the pawn chain to g5 before he plays e3. This will also be covered in this
chapter. 3. White plays e3. This transposes to the Rubinstein Variation 4.e3 which will be
covered in the next chapter. }

Bxc3+ 5. bxc3 O-O

{ This is the best option for our purposes since it is very flexible. We can play for a …d5 or a
…c5 strategy depending on what white does. }
6. Bg5 { This seems active but it isn’t challenging at all. } h6 7. Bxf6

{ White can’t really claim to have any advantage without his bishop pair, but black can start
pushing for an edge. }

Qxf6 8. Nf3 d6

{ Keeping the pawns on the dark squares is better with the light bishop remaining. }

9. e3 b6 10. Bd3 Bb7 { Black has no problems here at all. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.a3 and 4.f3”]

[Black “4.a3 Variation 7”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4

{ In this chapter we will be covering the 4. f3 and 4. a3, since they both can transpose fairly
easily. They both are both known as the Saemisch Variation of the Nimzo-Indian. }

4. a3

{ This move, as we’ve seen in the previous chapters, can pretty much be thrown in at any
point. In most cases we will be taking the knight on c3, which results in white getting the
bishop pair but also doubled c-pawns. Often what black wants to do in these situations, if
possible, is block and immobilise white’s centre (typically with something like …d6, …c5
and … e5) and then play on the flanks and try to exploit the doubled c-pawns (especially
the weak and relatively exposed c4-pawn) . As mentioned before though, our idea general
strategy in this repertoire (due to transpositions and coherence) is to go for …d5 setups.
Because of these transpositions, we will cover …d5 when white can force that setup to arise
via a different move order two specific examples are 5.a3 in the Ragozin and 4.e3 in the
Nimzo followed by a3 at some point . Due to all these move order tricks, it might be easiest
to boil it down to 3 main white setups: 1. White plays f3 at some point instead of Nf3. This
will be covered in this chapter, but after 4. f3.2. White develops his knight to f3 and his
bishop outside the pawn chain to g5 before he plays e3. This will also be covered in this
chapter. 3. White plays e3. This transposes to the Rubinstein Variation 4.e3 which will be
covered in the next chapter. }

Bxc3+ 5. bxc3 O-O

{ This is the best option for our purposes since it is very flexible. We can play for a …d5 or a
…c5 strategy depending on what white does. }

6. Bg5 { This seems active but it isn’t challenging at all. } h6 7. Bh4 d6

{ Black has not committed to … d5 and this flexibility allows us to place our pawns on the
dark squares, which is better with a light bishop of course. }

8. Nf3 Nbd7 9. e4

{ 9. e4 is a bit inaccurate since white should also try to keep white’s pawns on dark squares.
}

e5 { We close the position to neutralise white’s bishops. } 10. Bd3 c5

{ After d5, closing the centre, black is able to get good play on the flanks. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.a3 and 4.f3”]

[Black “4.a3 Variation 8”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4

{ In this chapter we will be covering the 4. f3 and 4. a3, since they both can transpose fairly
easily. They both are both known as the Saemisch Variation of the Nimzo-Indian. }

4. a3
{ This move, as we’ve seen in the previous chapters, can pretty much be thrown in at any
point. In most cases we will be taking the knight on c3, which results in white getting the
bishop pair but also doubled c-pawns. Often what black wants to do in these situations, if
possible, is block and immobilise white’s centre (typically with something like …d6, …c5
and … e5) and then play on the flanks and try to exploit the doubled c-pawns (especially
the weak and relatively exposed c4-pawn) . As mentioned before though, our idea general
strategy in this repertoire (due to transpositions and coherence) is to go for …d5 setups.
Because of these transpositions, we will cover …d5 when white can force that setup to arise
via a different move order two specific examples are 5.a3 in the Ragozin and 4.e3 in the
Nimzo followed by a3 at some point . Due to all these move order tricks, it might be easiest
to boil it down to 3 main white setups: 1. White plays f3 at some point instead of Nf3. This
will be covered in this chapter, but after 4. f3.2. White develops his knight to f3 and his
bishop outside the pawn chain to g5 before he plays e3. This will also be covered in this
chapter. 3. White plays e3. This transposes to the Rubinstein Variation 4.e3 which will be
covered in the next chapter. }

Bxc3+ 5. bxc3 O-O

{ This is the best option for our purposes since it is very flexible. We can play for a …d5 or a
…c5 strategy depending on what white does. }

6. Bg5 { This seems active but it isn’t challenging at all. } h6 7. Bh4 d6

{ Black has not committed to … d5 and this flexibility allows us to place our pawns on the
dark squares, which is better with a light bishop of course. }

8. Nf3 Nbd7 9. e3 { Supporting d4. } b6 10. Nd2 Bb7 11. f3 e5

{ Black has developed soundly and has equalised. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.a3 and 4.f3”]

[Black “4.a3 Variation 9”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4

{ In this chapter we will be covering the 4. f3 and 4. a3, since they both can transpose fairly
easily. They are both known as the Saemisch Variation of the Nimzo-Indian. }

4. a3

{ This move, as we’ve seen in the previous chapters, can pretty much be thrown in at any
point. In most cases we will be taking the knight on c3, which results in white getting the
bishop pair but also doubled c-pawns. Often what black wants to do in these situations, if
possible, is block and immobilise white’s centre (typically with something like …d6, …c5
and … e5) and then play on the flanks and try to exploit the doubled c-pawns (especially
the weak and relatively exposed c4-pawn) . As mentioned before though, our idea general
strategy in this repertoire (due to transpositions and coherence) is to go for …d5 setups.
Because of these transpositions, we will cover …d5 when white can force that setup to arise
via a different move order two specific examples are 5.a3 in the Ragozin and 4.e3 in the
Nimzo followed by a3 at some point . Due to all these move order tricks, it might be easiest
to boil it down to 3 main white setups: 1. White plays f3 at some point instead of Nf3. This
will be covered in this chapter, but after 4. f3. 2. White develops his knight to f3 and his
bishop outside the pawn chain to g5 before he plays e3. This will also be covered in this
chapter. 3. White plays e3. This transposes to the Rubinstein Variation 4.e3 which will be
covered in the next chapter. }

Bxc3+ 5. bxc3 O-O

{ This is the best option for our purposes since it is very flexible. We can play for a …d5 or a
…c5 strategy depending on what white does. }

6. f3

{ White’s most common choice here with the idea of supporting the e4 advance. This is
actually a rather unpleasant move order, since we can’t simply transpose to our line against
4. f3 with d5 since it can be met by 7. cxd5 and now Nxd5 doesn’t work because our knight
gets trapped after 8. e4 Nxc3 9. Qb3. However, in this position black has a large amount of
decent options. The main move is d5 followed by exd5, however this takes us out of our
repertoire. The 2 main independent options are Ne8 and Nh5. Nh5 is a good choice which
scores quite well, however it leads to unusual positions which are tricky to play (for both
sides) and it is unclear if black fully equalises in all lines. As a result, we’ve opted for
something a little different. }

Nc6

{ This is only black’s 7th most common move, but it has been played by some strong
players, most notably Ivanchuk. In this line we switch to a dark-squared strategy based on
…d6, … b6 and possibly …e5 or …c5 with the idea of putting pressure on c4 by playing …
Ba6 and …Na5. This line is quite rare (with only around 40 games) so it hasn’t developed
any significant theory and might still come as a surprise to your opponent. It has the
advantage of being relatively simple to play, as black’s moves generally following basic
positional ideas - put the pawns on dark squares, keep the position closed, attack c4 etc.
Objectively it is also very strong and probably one of black’s best ways to equalise after 6.
f3. }

7. Bg5 { This has been played a few times, but 7. e4 is much more critical. }

h6 8. Bh4 e5 9. e4 d6

{ White’s bishop is misplaced on h4. Black’s play will develop quite similarly to the line
with 9. Bg5 - …b6, … Na5 etc. In some cases we might want to clamp down on the dark
squares on the kingside with …g5 followed by …Nh5-f4. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.a3 and 4.f3”]

[Black “4.a3 Variation 10”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4

{ In this chapter we will be covering the 4. f3 and 4. a3, since they both can transpose fairly
easily. They both are both known as the Saemisch Variation of the Nimzo-Indian. }

4. a3

{ This move, as we’ve seen in the previous chapters, can pretty much be thrown in at any
point. In most cases we will be taking the knight on c3, which results in white getting the
bishop pair but also doubled c-pawns. Often what black wants to do in these situations, if
possible, is block and immobilise white’s centre (typically with something like …d6, …c5
and … e5) and then play on the flanks and try to exploit the doubled c-pawns (especially
the weak and relatively exposed c4-pawn) . As mentioned before though, our idea general
strategy in this repertoire (due to transpositions and coherence) is to go for …d5 setups.
Because of these transpositions, we will cover …d5 when white can force that setup to arise
via a different move order two specific examples are 5.a3 in the Ragozin and 4.e3 in the
Nimzo followed by a3 at some point . Due to all these move order tricks, it might be easiest
to boil it down to 3 main white setups: 1. White plays f3 at some point instead of Nf3. This
will be covered in this chapter, but after 4. f3.2. White develops his knight to f3 and his
bishop outside the pawn chain to g5 before he plays e3. This will also be covered in this
chapter. 3. White plays e3. This transposes to the Rubinstein Variation 4.e3 which will be
covered in the next chapter. }

Bxc3+ 5. bxc3 O-O

{ This is the best option for our purposes since it is very flexible. We can play for a …d5 or a
…c5 strategy depending on what white does. }

6. f3

{ White’s most common choice here with the idea of supporting the e4 advance. This is
actually a rather unpleasant move order, since we can’t simply transpose to our line against
4. f3 with d5 since it can be met by 7. cxd5 and now Nxd5 doesn’t work because our knight
gets trapped after 8. e4 Nxc3 9. Qb3. However, in this position black has a large amount of
decent options. The main move is d5 followed by exd5, however this takes us out of our
repertoire. The 2 main independent options are Ne8 and Nh5. Nh5 is a good choice which
scores quite well, however it leads to unusual positions which are tricky to play (for both
sides) and it is unclear if black fully equalises in all lines. As a result, we’ve opted for
something a little different. }

Nc6

{ This is only black’s 7th most common move, but it has been played by some strong
players, most notably Ivanchuk. In this line we switch to a dark-squared strategy based on
…d6, … b6 and possibly …e5 or …c5 with the idea of putting pressure on c4 by playing …
Ba6 and …Na5. This line is quite rare (with only around 40 games) so it hasn’t developed
any significant theory and might still come as a surprise to your opponent. It has the
advantage of being relatively simple to play, as black’s moves generally following basic
positional ideas - put the pawns on dark squares, keep the position closed, attack c4 etc.
Objectively it is also very strong and probably one of black’s best ways to equalise after 6.
f3. }

7. e4 d6

{ Another interesting option here which hasn’t been tried yet is the very provocative
Na5 !?, but in many cases it will just transpose to our mainline. }

8. Bd3 b6

{ With the idea of …Ba6. Note that black wants to stay as flexible as possible, which means
that …e5 shouldn’t be rushed. Often we would rather play …c5 instead of …e5. }
9. Bg5 { White’s most common move. } h6 10. Bh4 e5 11. Ne2 Na5 12. O-O g5

{ An important idea to keep in mind here. We clamp down on the kingside, preventing
white’s f4 idea. White isn’t able to exploit the apparent weakening of our kingside. }

13. Bf2 Nh5 14. Qc2 Ba6

{ Black’s position is already slightly preferable most likely, with good play against the c4
pawn, while white’s idea is not clear. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.a3 and 4.f3”]

[Black “4.a3 Variation 11”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4

{ In this chapter we will be covering the 4. f3 and 4. a3, since they both can transpose fairly
easily. They both are both known as the Saemisch Variation of the Nimzo-Indian. }

4. a3

{ This move, as we’ve seen in the previous chapters, can pretty much be thrown in at any
point. In most cases we will be taking the knight on c3, which results in white getting the
bishop pair but also doubled c-pawns. Often what black wants to do in these situations, if
possible, is block and immobilise white’s centre (typically with something like …d6, …c5
and … e5) and then play on the flanks and try to exploit the doubled c-pawns (especially
the weak and relatively exposed c4-pawn) . As mentioned before though, our idea general
strategy in this repertoire (due to transpositions and coherence) is to go for …d5 setups.
Because of these transpositions, we will cover …d5 when white can force that setup to arise
via a different move order two specific examples are 5.a3 in the Ragozin and 4.e3 in the
Nimzo followed by a3 at some point . Due to all these move order tricks, it might be easiest
to boil it down to 3 main white setups: 1. White plays f3 at some point instead of Nf3. This
will be covered in this chapter, but after 4. f3.2. White develops his knight to f3 and his
bishop outside the pawn chain to g5 before he plays e3. This will also be covered in this
chapter. 3. White plays e3. This transposes to the Rubinstein Variation 4.e3 which will be
covered in the next chapter. }

Bxc3+ 5. bxc3 O-O

{ This is the best option for our purposes since it is very flexible. We can play for a …d5 or a
…c5 strategy depending on what white does. }

6. f3

{ White’s most common choice here with the idea of supporting the e4 advance. This is
actually a rather unpleasant move order, since we can’t simply transpose to our line against
4. f3 with d5 since it can be met by 7. cxd5 and now Nxd5 doesn’t work because our knight
gets trapped after 8. e4 Nxc3 9. Qb3. However, in this position black has a large amount of
decent options. The main move is d5 followed by exd5, however this takes us out of our
repertoire. The 2 main independent options are Ne8 and Nh5. Nh5 is a good choice which
scores quite well, however it leads to unusual positions which are tricky to play (for both
sides) and it is unclear if black fully equalises in all lines. As a result, we’ve opted for
something a little different. }

Nc6

{ This is only black’s 7th most common move, but it has been played by some strong
players, most notably Ivanchuk. In this line we switch to a dark-squared strategy based on
…d6, … b6 and possibly …e5 or …c5 with the idea of putting pressure on c4 by playing …
Ba6 and …Na5. This line is quite rare (with only around 40 games) so it hasn’t developed
any significant theory and might still come as a surprise to your opponent. It has the
advantage of being relatively simple to play, as black’s moves generally following basic
positional ideas - put the pawns on dark squares, keep the position closed, attack c4 etc.
Objectively it is also very strong and probably one of black’s best ways to equalise after 6.
f3. }

7. e4 d6

{ Another interesting option here which hasn’t been tried yet is the very provocative
Na5 !?, but in many cases it will just transpose to our mainline. }

8. Bd3 b6

{ With the idea of …Ba6. Note that black wants to stay as flexible as possible, which means
that …e5 shouldn’t be rushed. Often we would rather play …c5 instead of …e5. }

9. Ne2 Nd7 { Staying as flexible as possible. } 10. O-O Na5

{ Beginning to target c4. } 11. Ng3 Ba6 { Attacking c4. } 12. f4

{ White ignores the attack on the c4 pawn and launches an attack on our kingside. This has
only been tried 3 times, but it seems to be the critical test of Nc6. }

f5

{ This novelty seems to be black’s best practical choice. Grabbing the pawn with Bxc4 is
also fine theoretically and has been played 3 times, however it seems like black has to do
some defending in those lines, whereas after f5 our position is simpler to play. }

13. exf5 exf5 14. Nxf5 Bxc4 15. Re1 Kh8 16. Bxc4 Nxc4

{ The position is quite unusual, but balanced. Given the chance black would like to play …d5
and … Nf6. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.a3 and 4.f3”]

[Black “4.a3 Variation 12”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4

{ In this chapter we will be covering the 4. f3 and 4. a3, since they both can transpose fairly
easily. They both are both known as the Saemisch Variation of the Nimzo-Indian. }

4. a3

{ This move, as we’ve seen in the previous chapters, can pretty much be thrown in at any
point. In most cases we will be taking the knight on c3, which results in white getting the
bishop pair but also doubled c-pawns. Often what black wants to do in these situations, if
possible, is block and immobilise white’s centre (typically with something like …d6, …c5
and … e5) and then play on the flanks and try to exploit the doubled c-pawns (especially
the weak and relatively exposed c4-pawn) . As mentioned before though, our idea general
strategy in this repertoire (due to transpositions and coherence) is to go for …d5 setups.
Because of these transpositions, we will cover …d5 when white can force that setup to arise
via a different move order two specific examples are 5.a3 in the Ragozin and 4.e3 in the
Nimzo followed by a3 at some point . Due to all these move order tricks, it might be easiest
to boil it down to 3 main white setups: 1. White plays f3 at some point instead of Nf3. This
will be covered in this chapter, but after 4. f3.2. White develops his knight to f3 and his
bishop outside the pawn chain to g5 before he plays e3. This will also be covered in this
chapter. 3. White plays e3. This transposes to the Rubinstein Variation 4.e3 which will be
covered in the next chapter. }

Bxc3+ 5. bxc3 O-O

{ This is the best option for our purposes since it is very flexible. We can play for a …d5 or a
…c5 strategy depending on what white does. }

6. f3

{ White’s most common choice here with the idea of supporting the e4 advance. This is
actually a rather unpleasant move order, since we can’t simply transpose to our line against
4. f3 with d5 since it can be met by 7. cxd5 and now Nxd5 doesn’t work because our knight
gets trapped after 8. e4 Nxc3 9. Qb3. However, in this position black has a large amount of
decent options. The main move is d5 followed by exd5, however this takes us out of our
repertoire. The 2 main independent options are Ne8 and Nh5. Nh5 is a good choice which
scores quite well, however it leads to unusual positions which are tricky to play (for both
sides) and it is unclear if black fully equalises in all lines. As a result, we’ve opted for
something a little different. }

Nc6

{ This is only black’s 7th most common move, but it has been played by some strong
players, most notably Ivanchuk. In this line we switch to a dark-squared strategy based on
…d6, … b6 and possibly …e5 or …c5 with the idea of putting pressure on c4 by playing …
Ba6 and …Na5. This line is quite rare (with only around 40 games) so it hasn’t developed
any significant theory and might still come as a surprise to your opponent. It has the
advantage of being relatively simple to play, as black’s moves generally following basic
positional ideas - put the pawns on dark squares, keep the position closed, attack c4 etc.
Objectively it is also very strong and probably one of black’s best ways to equalise after 6.
f3. }

7. e4 d6

{ Another interesting option here which hasn’t been tried yet is the very provocative
Na5 !?, but in many cases it will just transpose to our mainline. }

8. Bd3 b6

{ With the idea of …Ba6. Note that black wants to stay as flexible as possible, which means
that …e5 shouldn’t be rushed. Often we would rather play …c5 instead of …e5. }
9. Ne2 Nd7 { Staying as flexible as possible. } 10. O-O Na5

{ Beginning to target c4. } 11. Ng3 Ba6 { Attacking c4. } 12. Qe2 c5

{ This is why we stay flexible and avoid playing …e5 too early. In this case, where we are
attacking c4, we play …c5 with the idea of opening the c-file to put more pressure on c4. }

13. Be3 Rc8

{ The position is balanced, but black’s position seems more straightforward to play. If white
ever goes d5, our knight gets the fantastic e5 outpost. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.a3 and 4.f3”]

[Black “4.f3 Sidelines Variation 1”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4

{ In this chapter we will be covering the 4. f3 and 4. a3, since they both can transpose fairly
easily. They both are both known as the Saemisch Variation of the Nimzo-Indian. }

4. f3

{ 4. f3 is one of the sharpest and most interesting variations in the whole of the Nimzo-
Indian. It can lead to fresh and interesting positions, which are often quite sharp, from both
black’s …d5 and …c5 variations. White’s idea is quite simple: he intends to take over the
centre with e4, possiby with a3 …Bxc3+ bxc3 thrown in. }

d5

{ c5 is the other big move here. It is a bit less common, but it is played by many top players
(especially recently) and it scores well. However, the positions that c5 leads to are quite
unconventional and sharp, which is not in keeping with the theme of this repertoire.
Instead, we will opt for d5. This has the simple idea of directly stopping white’s e4 advance
for now. }

5. Bg5

{ White tries to develop his bishop actively before blocking it in with e3, but this is a bad
idea since his centre is not well supported. }

h6 6. Bh4

{ Taking on f6, surrendering the bishop pair, doesn’t challenge black. }

dxc4 { Grabbing the pawn here exploits white’s vulnerable centre. } 7. e4

{ Prepares to regain the c4 pawn, but it leaves d4 exposed. } c5

{ Hitting d4 immediately. } 8. dxc5

{ White can’t support d4 in a comfortable way, so this is somewhat forced. }

Qa5 { Black is far more active and has a clear advantage. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.a3 and 4.f3”]

[Black “4.f3 Sidelines Variation 2”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4

{ In this chapter we will be covering the 4. f3 and 4. a3, since they both can transpose fairly
easily. They both are both known as the Saemisch Variation of the Nimzo-Indian. }

4. f3
{ 4. f3 is one of the sharpest and most interesting variations in the whole of the Nimzo-
Indian. It can lead to fresh and interesting positions, which are often quite sharp, from both
black’s …d5 and …c5 variations. White’s idea is quite simple: he intends to take over the
centre with e4, possiby with a3 …Bxc3+ bxc3 thrown in. }

d5

{ c5 is the other big move here. It is a bit less common, but it is played by many top players
(especially recently) and it scores well. However, the positions that c5 leads to are quite
unconventional and sharp, which is not in keeping with the theme of this repertoire.
Instead, we will opt for d5. This has the simple idea of directly stopping white’s e4 advance
for now. }

5. Bg5

{ White tries to develop his bishop actively before blocking it in with e3, but this is a bad
idea since his centre is not well supported. }

h6 6. Bh4

{ Taking on f6, surrendering the bishop pair, doesn’t challenge black. }

dxc4 { Grabbing the pawn here exploits white’s vulnerable centre. } 7. a3

{ White spends time to secure the d4 pawn (after …Bxc3+ bxc3) before regaining the c4
pawn. }

Bxc3+ 8. bxc3 c5 { Playing actively, attacking d4. } 9. e3 Qa5

{ We keep up the pressure on white, so he doesn’t get a chance to take on c4. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.a3 and 4.f3”]

[Black “4.f3 Sidelines Variation 3”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4

{ In this chapter we will be covering the 4. f3 and 4. a3, since they both can transpose fairly
easily. They both are both known as the Saemisch Variation of the Nimzo-Indian. }

4. f3

{ 4. f3 is one of the sharpest and most interesting variations in the whole of the Nimzo-
Indian. It can lead to fresh and interesting positions, which are often quite sharp, from both
black’s …d5 and …c5 variations. White’s idea is quite simple: he intends to take over the
centre with e4, possiby with a3 …Bxc3+ bxc3 thrown in. }

d5

{ c5 is the other big move here. It is a bit less common, but it is played by many top players
(especially recently) and it scores well. However, the positions that c5 leads to are quite
unconventional and sharp, which is not in keeping with the theme of this repertoire.
Instead, we will opt for d5. This has the simple idea of directly stopping white’s e4 advance
for now. }

5. cxd5

{ Grabbing on d5 before eliminating the pin on the c3-knight is a bad idea and allows black
to get too much play. }

Nxd5

{ Recapturing with the knight is best here since black can make use of the pressure on c3. }

6. Qd2

{ It does seem a bit strange to put the queen here, but white’s point is that the bishop can
be developed to b2 or a3 after …Bxc3+ bxc3. }

Ba5 { A useful move - prophylaxis against … Nxc3 bxc3. } 7. e4 Nxc3 8.

bxc3 e5 { Black has strong pressure against white’s centre. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]
[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.a3 and 4.f3”]

[Black “4.f3 Sidelines Variation 4”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4

{ In this chapter we will be covering the 4. f3 and 4. a3, since they both can transpose fairly
easily. They both are both known as the Saemisch Variation of the Nimzo-Indian. }

4. f3

{ 4. f3 is one of the sharpest and most interesting variations in the whole of the Nimzo-
Indian. It can lead to fresh and interesting positions, which are often quite sharp, from both
black’s …d5 and …c5 variations. White’s idea is quite simple: he intends to take over the
centre with e4, possiby with a3 …Bxc3+ bxc3 thrown in. }

d5

{ c5 is the other big move here. It is a bit less common, but it is played by many top players
(especially recently) and it scores well. However, the positions that c5 leads to are quite
unconventional and sharp, which is not in keeping with the theme of this repertoire.
Instead, we will opt for d5. This has the simple idea of directly stopping white’s e4 advance
for now. }

5. cxd5

{ Grabbing on d5 before eliminating the pin on the c3-knight is a bad idea and allows black
to get too much play. }

Nxd5

{ Recapturing with the knight is best here since black can make use of the pressure on c3. }

6. Qd3 { Probably the more natural way to protect c3. } Ba5

{ Again useful, pre-empting bxc3, attacking the bishop. } 7. e4 Nxc3 8. bxc3 c5

9. Bd2 O-O { Once again, black has very good play against white’s centre. }

[Site “?”]
[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.a3 and 4.f3”]

[Black “4.f3 Sidelines Variation 5”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4

{ In this chapter we will be covering the 4. f3 and 4. a3, since they both can transpose fairly
easily. They both are both known as the Saemisch Variation of the Nimzo-Indian. }

4. f3

{ 4. f3 is one of the sharpest and most interesting variations in the whole of the Nimzo-
Indian. It can lead to fresh and interesting positions, which are often quite sharp, from both
black’s …d5 and …c5 variations. White’s idea is quite simple: he intends to take over the
centre with e4, possiby with a3 …Bxc3+ bxc3 thrown in. }

d5

{ c5 is the other big move here. It is a bit less common, but it is played by many top players
(especially recently) and it scores well. However, the positions that c5 leads to are quite
unconventional and sharp, which is not in keeping with the theme of this repertoire.
Instead, we will opt for d5. This has the simple idea of directly stopping white’s e4 advance
for now. }

5. e3 O-O 6. a3 Bxc3+ 7. bxc3

{ This reaches a structure/position that can arise from a variety of different lines, such as
the Rubinsein 4.e3 , the 4. a3 Samisch, and of course the 4. f3 Samisch as well. }

c5

{ Putting some pressure on the centre and preparing to develop the rest of the queenside. }

8. Bd3

{ This is inaccurate. White should take on d5 before developing his bishop. }

Qc7
{ This is the simplest way to exploit white’s move order inaccuracy. There are a number of
tactical issues white now has to deal with along the c-file. }

9. Qc2 { Indirectly protecting c4 after …cxd4 cxd4. } Bd7

{ Natural development. } 10. Bd2 dxc4 11. Bxc4 Nc6

{ Black has great play against white’s centre and on the light squares. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.a3 and 4.f3”]

[Black “4.f3 Sidelines Variation 6”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4

{ In this chapter we will be covering the 4. f3 and 4. a3, since they both can transpose fairly
easily. They both are both known as the Saemisch Variation of the Nimzo-Indian. }

4. f3

{ 4. f3 is one of the sharpest and most interesting variations in the whole of the Nimzo-
Indian. It can lead to fresh and interesting positions, which are often quite sharp, from both
black’s …d5 and …c5 variations. White’s idea is quite simple: he intends to take over the
centre with e4, possiby with a3 …Bxc3+ bxc3 thrown in. }

d5

{ c5 is the other big move here. It is a bit less common, but it is played by many top players
(especially recently) and it scores well. However, the positions that c5 leads to are quite
unconventional and sharp, which is not in keeping with the theme of this repertoire.
Instead, we will opt for d5. This has the simple idea of directly stopping white’s e4 advance
for now. }

5. e3 O-O 6. a3 Bxc3+ 7. bxc3

{ This reaches a structure/position that can arise from a variety of different lines, such as
the Rubinsein 4.e3 , the 4. a3 Samisch, and of course the 4. f3 Samisch as well. }

c5

{ Putting some pressure on the centre and preparing to develop the rest of the queenside. }

8. Bd3

{ This is inaccurate. White should take on d5 before developing his bishop. }

Qc7

{ This is the simplest way to exploit white’s move order inaccuracy. There are a number of
tactical issues white now has to deal with along the c-file. }

9. cxd5 cxd4

{ Tactics related to … Qc3+ make this intermezzo better than the standard exd5. }

10. Ne2 { Recapturing d4 loses material to …Qc3+. } dxc3 11. Qc2 exd5

{ White doesn’t have full compensation for his pawn deficit. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.a3 and 4.f3”]

[Black “4.f3 Sidelines Variation 7”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4

{ In this chapter we will be covering the 4. f3 and 4. a3, since they both can transpose fairly
easily. They both are both known as the Saemisch Variation of the Nimzo-Indian. }

4. f3
{ 4. f3 is one of the sharpest and most interesting variations in the whole of the Nimzo-
Indian. It can lead to fresh and interesting positions, which are often quite sharp, from both
black’s …d5 and …c5 variations. White’s idea is quite simple: he intends to take over the
centre with e4, possiby with a3 …Bxc3+ bxc3 thrown in. }

d5

{ c5 is the other big move here. It is a bit less common, but it is played by many top players
(especially recently) and it scores well. However, the positions that c5 leads to are quite
unconventional and sharp, which is not in keeping with the theme of this repertoire.
Instead, we will opt for d5. This has the simple idea of directly stopping white’s e4 advance
for now. }

5. e3 O-O 6. a3 Bxc3+ 7. bxc3

{ This reaches a structure/position that can arise from a variety of different lines, such as
the Rubinsein 4.e3 , the 4. a3 Samisch, and of course the 4. f3 Samisch as well. }

c5

{ Putting some pressure on the centre and preparing to develop the rest of the queenside. }

8. cxd5 { Logically undoubling the c-pawns. } Nxd5

{ Taking with the pawn is perfectly playable too, but just like in the mainline, we opted for
the more dynamic knight recapture. It might seem like nothing, but the hanging c3 pawn
gives white quite a few headaches. }

9. Ne2 { Protecting c3, but blocking the bishop. } f5

{ Black’s second most common move and an idea we will see much more of later. Black is
trying to prevent e4. }

10. g3 { White needs to fianchetto to develop his bishop. } Nc6 11. Bg2

b6

{ Black has good squares for all his pieces while white is still having issues developing,
giving us the edge. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]
[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.a3 and 4.f3”]

[Black “4.f3 Sidelines Variation 8”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4

{ In this chapter we will be covering the 4. f3 and 4. a3, since they both can transpose fairly
easily. They both are both known as the Saemisch Variation of the Nimzo-Indian. }

4. f3

{ 4. f3 is one of the sharpest and most interesting variations in the whole of the Nimzo-
Indian. It can lead to fresh and interesting positions, which are often quite sharp, from both
black’s …d5 and …c5 variations. White’s idea is quite simple: he intends to take over the
centre with e4, possiby with a3 …Bxc3+ bxc3 thrown in. }

d5

{ c5 is the other big move here. It is a bit less common, but it is played by many top players
(especially recently) and it scores well. However, the positions that c5 leads to are quite
unconventional and sharp, which is not in keeping with the theme of this repertoire.
Instead, we will opt for d5. This has the simple idea of directly stopping white’s e4 advance
for now. }

5. e3 O-O 6. a3 Bxc3+ 7. bxc3

{ This reaches a structure/position that can arise from a variety of different lines, such as
the Rubinsein 4.e3 , the 4. a3 Samisch, and of course the 4. f3 Samisch as well. }

c5

{ Putting some pressure on the centre and preparing to develop the rest of the queenside. }

8. cxd5 { Logically undoubling the c-pawns. } Nxd5

{ Taking with the pawn is perfectly playable too, but just like in the mainline, we opted for
the more dynamic knight recapture. It might seem like nothing, but the hanging c3 pawn
gives white quite a few headaches. }

9. c4
{ By dealing with the issue of the hanging c3 pawn in this way, white has left his centre (d4
in particular) even more vulnerable. }

Ne7

{ The knight can possibly head to f5 from here to put more pressure on d4. }

10. Bd3 cxd4 { We are trying to put as much pressure on d4 as possible. } 11.

exd4 Nbc6 12. Ne2 b6

{ White’s hanging pawns are more of a weakness than an asset here, but white should be
able to equalise. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.a3 and 4.f3”]

[Black “4.f3 Sidelines Variation 9”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4

{ In this chapter we will be covering the 4. f3 and 4. a3, since they both can transpose fairly
easily. They both are both known as the Saemisch Variation of the Nimzo-Indian. }

4. f3

{ 4. f3 is one of the sharpest and most interesting variations in the whole of the Nimzo-
Indian. It can lead to fresh and interesting positions, which are often quite sharp, from both
black’s …d5 and …c5 variations. White’s idea is quite simple: he intends to take over the
centre with e4, possiby with a3 …Bxc3+ bxc3 thrown in. }

d5

{ c5 is the other big move here. It is a bit less common, but it is played by many top players
(especially recently) and it scores well. However, the positions that c5 leads to are quite
unconventional and sharp, which is not in keeping with the theme of this repertoire.
Instead, we will opt for d5. This has the simple idea of directly stopping white’s e4 advance
for now. }

5. e3 O-O 6. a3 Bxc3+ 7. bxc3

{ This reaches a structure/position that can arise from a variety of different lines, such as
the Rubinsein 4.e3 , the 4. a3 Samisch, and of course the 4. f3 Samisch as well. }

c5

{ Putting some pressure on the centre and preparing to develop the rest of the queenside. }

8. cxd5 { Logically undoubling the c-pawns. } Nxd5

{ Taking with the pawn is perfectly playable too, but just like in the mainline, we opted for
the more dynamic knight recapture. It might seem like nothing, but the hanging c3 pawn
gives white quite a few headaches. }

9. Qd2 { Quite an awkward way to defend c3. } Nc6

{ We are looking at playing the …e5 break. } 10. Bd3 e5

{ d4 is under a lot of pressure, so white must advance. } 11. c4 Nb6 12. d5 e4

{ The key move and a very nice intermezzo. We sacrifice a pawn for a huge amount of
positional benefits, most notably a fantastic e5 outpost for our knight. }

13. fxe4 Ne5

{ The doubled e-pawns, very weak c4-pawn and black’s fantastic knights are more than
enough compensation for the pawn. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.a3 and 4.f3”]

[Black “4.f3 Sidelines Variation 10”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4

{ In this chapter we will be covering the 4. f3 and 4. a3, since they both can transpose fairly
easily. They both are both known as the Saemisch Variation of the Nimzo-Indian. }

4. f3

{ 4. f3 is one of the sharpest and most interesting variations in the whole of the Nimzo-
Indian. It can lead to fresh and interesting positions, which are often quite sharp, from both
black’s …d5 and …c5 variations. White’s idea is quite simple: he intends to take over the
centre with e4, possiby with a3 …Bxc3+ bxc3 thrown in. }

d5

{ c5 is the other big move here. It is a bit less common, but it is played by many top players
(especially recently) and it scores well. However, the positions that c5 leads to are quite
unconventional and sharp, which is not in keeping with the theme of this repertoire.
Instead, we will opt for d5. This has the simple idea of directly stopping white’s e4 advance
for now. }

5. e3 O-O 6. a3 Bxc3+ 7. bxc3

{ This reaches a structure/position that can arise from a variety of different lines, such as
the Rubinsein 4.e3 , the 4. a3 Samisch, and of course the 4. f3 Samisch as well. }

c5

{ Putting some pressure on the centre and preparing to develop the rest of the queenside. }

8. cxd5 { Logically undoubling the c-pawns. } Nxd5

{ Taking with the pawn is perfectly playable too, but just like in the mainline, we opted for
the more dynamic knight recapture. It might seem like nothing, but the hanging c3 pawn
gives white quite a few headaches. }

9. Bd2

{ The most natural way to cover the c3 pawn, but after this white already has problems. }

Nc6

{ The most common move, but the engine’s choice of Qh4+, a novelty, was also worth
considering. }

10. f4
{ Preventing …e5 with this Stonewall-like move is the engine’s top choice, but it has only
been played once. Clearly white is fighting to equalise if he plays like this. }

f6 { Playing for the …e5 break, but other plans are also possible. }

11. Bc4 Na5

{ Chasing the bishop away before playig …e5, since the immediate e5 would lose to 12.
e4. }

12. Bd3 e5 { Breaking down the Stonewall before white can finish developing. }

13. fxe5 fxe5 14. Nf3

{ Taking the e5 pawn gives black a decisive kingside attack, so white must try get his king
to safety as soon as possible. }

exd4 15. cxd4 cxd4 16. exd4 Qe8+ 17. Be2 Ne3 18. Bxe3 Qxe3

{ The weakness of the isolated d-pawn gives black a lasting and comfortable edge. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.a3 and 4.f3”]

[Black “4.f3 Sidelines Variation 11”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4

{ In this chapter we will be covering the 4. f3 and 4. a3, since they both can transpose fairly
easily. They both are both known as the Saemisch Variation of the Nimzo-Indian. }

4. f3

{ 4. f3 is one of the sharpest and most interesting variations in the whole of the Nimzo-
Indian. It can lead to fresh and interesting positions, which are often quite sharp, from both
black’s …d5 and …c5 variations. White’s idea is quite simple: he intends to take over the
centre with e4, possiby with a3 …Bxc3+ bxc3 thrown in. }

d5

{ c5 is the other big move here. It is a bit less common, but it is played by many top players
(especially recently) and it scores well. However, the positions that c5 leads to are quite
unconventional and sharp, which is not in keeping with the theme of this repertoire.
Instead, we will opt for d5. This has the simple idea of directly stopping white’s e4 advance
for now. }

5. e3 O-O 6. a3 Bxc3+ 7. bxc3

{ This reaches a structure/position that can arise from a variety of different lines, such as
the Rubinsein 4.e3 , the 4. a3 Samisch, and of course the 4. f3 Samisch as well. }

c5

{ Putting some pressure on the centre and preparing to develop the rest of the queenside. }

8. cxd5 { Logically undoubling the c-pawns. } Nxd5

{ Taking with the pawn is perfectly playable too, but just like in the mainline, we opted for
the more dynamic knight recapture. It might seem like nothing, but the hanging c3 pawn
gives white quite a few headaches. }

9. Bd2

{ The most natural way to cover the c3 pawn, but after this white already has problems. }

Nc6

{ The most common move, but the engine’s choice of Qh4+, a novelty, was also worth
considering. }

10. Bd3

{ This is by far white’s most common choice, but black’s initiative almost gives him a
decisive advantage within a few moves. }

cxd4 11. cxd4

{ Taking with the e-pawn has never been tried, but perhaps it is the better choice. }

e5
{ After this break, white has serious problems and is clearly worse. He is far behind in
development, his centre is falling apart and the king is still in the centre, and therefore in
danger. }

12. dxe5 { Less popular than 12. e4 and not much better. } Nxe5 13. Be2

Qf6 14. e4 Nb6

{ White still has no straightforward way to develop his kingside. This, together with black’s
development lead and white’s exposed king give black a decisive advantage. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.a3 and 4.f3”]

[Black “4.f3 Sidelines Variation 12”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4

{ In this chapter we will be covering the 4. f3 and 4. a3, since they both can transpose fairly
easily. They both are both known as the Saemisch Variation of the Nimzo-Indian. }

4. f3

{ 4. f3 is one of the sharpest and most interesting variations in the whole of the Nimzo-
Indian. It can lead to fresh and interesting positions, which are often quite sharp, from both
black’s …d5 and …c5 variations. White’s idea is quite simple: he intends to take over the
centre with e4, possiby with a3 …Bxc3+ bxc3 thrown in. }

d5

{ c5 is the other big move here. It is a bit less common, but it is played by many top players
(especially recently) and it scores well. However, the positions that c5 leads to are quite
unconventional and sharp, which is not in keeping with the theme of this repertoire.
Instead, we will opt for d5. This has the simple idea of directly stopping white’s e4 advance
for now. }
5. e3 O-O 6. a3 Bxc3+ 7. bxc3

{ This reaches a structure/position that can arise from a variety of different lines, such as
the Rubinsein 4.e3 , the 4. a3 Samisch, and of course the 4. f3 Samisch as well. }

c5

{ Putting some pressure on the centre and preparing to develop the rest of the queenside. }

8. cxd5 { Logically undoubling the c-pawns. } Nxd5

{ Taking with the pawn is perfectly playable too, but just like in the mainline, we opted for
the more dynamic knight recapture. It might seem like nothing, but the hanging c3 pawn
gives white quite a few headaches. }

9. Bd2

{ The most natural way to cover the c3 pawn, but after this white already has problems. }

Nc6

{ The most common move, but the engine’s choice of Qh4+, a novelty, was also worth
considering. }

10. Bd3

{ This is by far white’s most common choice, but black’s initiative almost gives him a
decisive advantage within a few moves. }

cxd4 11. cxd4

{ Taking with the e-pawn has never been tried, but perhaps it is the better choice. }

e5

{ After this break, white has serious problems and is clearly worse. He is far behind in
development, his centre is falling apart and the king is still in the centre, and therefore in
danger. }

12. e4 Nf4 13. Bxf4 exf4 14. d5

{ Perhaps it is best to just sacrifice the pawn and get the king to safety with 14. Ne2, but
white is obviously clearly worse there too. }

Ne5

{ Although it might not be immediately apparent, white is already losing, simply because he
is positionally bust. His bad bishop, chronically weak dark squares and undeveloped
kingside combined with his exposed king are decisive. Even if there might not be a direct
threat black has, white will be unable to castle, while black activates his pieces and creates
a winning attack. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.a3 and 4.f3”]

[Black “4.f3 5.a3 Mainline Variation 1”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4

{ In this chapter we will be covering the 4. f3 and 4. a3, since they both can transpose fairly
easily. They both are both known as the Saemisch Variation of the Nimzo-Indian. }

4. f3

{ 4. f3 is one of the sharpest and most interesting variations in the whole of the Nimzo-
Indian. It can lead to fresh and interesting positions, which are often quite sharp, from both
black’s …d5 and …c5 variations. White’s idea is quite simple: he intends to take over the
centre with e4, possiby with a3 …Bxc3+ bxc3 thrown in. }

d5

{ c5 is the other big move here. It is a bit less common, but it is played by many top players
(especially recently) and it scores well. However, the positions that c5 leads to are quite
unconventional and sharp, which is not in keeping with the theme of this repertoire.
Instead, we will opt for d5. This has the simple idea of directly stopping white’s e4 advance
for now. }

5. a3

{ Forcing the bishop to either take on c3 or retreat, with the purpose of clarifying the
situation with the pinned c3-knight. By doing this, white is trying to make the e4 advance
easier to carry out. }
Bxc3+

{ Retreating with the bishop is also played, but it is less common. } 6. bxc3

{ A very important position in this chapter since it can arise via both 4. f3 and 4. a3, which
is also the reason for both of these moves being grouped into a single chapter. Most of this
chapter is dedicated to analysing this position in greater detail. }

c5

{ Black needs to attack white’s centre before he has the chance to fully develop. }

7. e3 O-O { transposes to 5. e3. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.a3 and 4.f3”]

[Black “4.f3 5.a3 Mainline Variation 2”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4

{ In this chapter we will be covering the 4. f3 and 4. a3, since they both can transpose fairly
easily. They both are both known as the Saemisch Variation of the Nimzo-Indian. }

4. f3

{ 4. f3 is one of the sharpest and most interesting variations in the whole of the Nimzo-
Indian. It can lead to fresh and interesting positions, which are often quite sharp, from both
black’s …d5 and …c5 variations. White’s idea is quite simple: he intends to take over the
centre with e4, possiby with a3 …Bxc3+ bxc3 thrown in. }

d5

{ c5 is the other big move here. It is a bit less common, but it is played by many top players
(especially recently) and it scores well. However, the positions that c5 leads to are quite
unconventional and sharp, which is not in keeping with the theme of this repertoire.
Instead, we will opt for d5. This has the simple idea of directly stopping white’s e4 advance
for now. }

5. a3

{ Forcing the bishop to either take on c3 or retreat, with the purpose of clarifying the
situation with the pinned c3-knight. By doing this, white is trying to make the e4 advance
easier to carry out. }

Bxc3+

{ Retreating with the bishop is also played, but it is less common. } 6. bxc3

{ A very important position in this chapter since it can arise via both 4. f3 and 4. a3, which
is also the reason for both of these moves being grouped into a single chapter. Most of this
chapter is dedicated to analysing this position in greater detail. }

c5

{ Black needs to attack white’s centre before he has the chance to fully develop. }

7. cxd5 Nxd5

{ Taking with the pawn is also an option, but it leads to a very different kind of game. White
tends to score better there, since he has time to solidify and build up his centre, which
allows him to make use of his bishop pair in the long run. That is why the knight recapture
is more common and probably objectively better as well. Black relies on his lead in
development to put white under as much pressure as possible so that he doesn’t have a
chance to unravel. }

8. Qd2 { The queen protects c3, but blocks the dark bishop. } O-O 9. e4

Nb6

{ Retreating to b6 has the advantage of being able to meet white’s Bb2 with …Na4. }

10. a4

{ White’s best bet is to march his a-pawn down the board. Otherwise, it is difficult for white
to develop - d4 is surprisingly difficult to defend after simply …Nc6. }

Bd7 { We switch targets and start attacking a4. } 11. a5

{ White lunges forward with his pawn, although this just leaves a5 weakened. }

Na4
{ Cutting off protection to a5 and preparing to grab the pawn with …Qxa5. }

12. Bd3 Qxa5 13. Ne2 cxd4 14. cxd4 Qxd2+ 15. Kxd2 b5

{ White has some compensation for the pawn in the form of the bishop pair and good
central control/activity, but he isn’t fully equal. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.a3 and 4.f3”]

[Black “4.f3 5.a3 Mainline Variation 3”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4

{ In this chapter we will be covering the 4. f3 and 4. a3, since they both can transpose fairly
easily. They both are both known as the Saemisch Variation of the Nimzo-Indian. }

4. f3

{ 4. f3 is one of the sharpest and most interesting variations in the whole of the Nimzo-
Indian. It can lead to fresh and interesting positions, which are often quite sharp, from both
black’s …d5 and …c5 variations. White’s idea is quite simple: he intends to take over the
centre with e4, possiby with a3 …Bxc3+ bxc3 thrown in. }

d5

{ c5 is the other big move here. It is a bit less common, but it is played by many top players
(especially recently) and it scores well. However, the positions that c5 leads to are quite
unconventional and sharp, which is not in keeping with the theme of this repertoire.
Instead, we will opt for d5. This has the simple idea of directly stopping white’s e4 advance
for now. }

5. a3
{ Forcing the bishop to either take on c3 or retreat, with the purpose of clarifying the
situation with the pinned c3-knight. By doing this, white is trying to make the e4 advance
easier to carry out. }

Bxc3+

{ Retreating with the bishop is also played, but it is less common. } 6. bxc3

{ A very important position in this chapter since it can arise via both 4. f3 and 4. a3, which
is also the reason for both of these moves being grouped into a single chapter. Most of this
chapter is dedicated to analysing this position in greater detail. }

c5

{ Black needs to attack white’s centre before he has the chance to fully develop. }

7. cxd5 Nxd5

{ Taking with the pawn is also an option, but it leads to a very different kind of game. White
tends to score better there, since he has time to solidify and build up his centre, which
allows him to make use of his bishop pair in the long run. That is why the knight recapture
is more common and probably objectively better as well. Black relies on his lead in
development to put white under as much pressure as possible so that he doesn’t have a
chance to unravel. }

8. Qd2 { The queen protects c3, but blocks the dark bishop. } O-O 9. e4

Nb6

{ Retreating to b6 has the advantage of being able to meet white’s Bb2 with …Na4. }

10. a4

{ White’s best bet is to march his a-pawn down the board. Otherwise, it is difficult for white
to develop - d4 is surprisingly difficult to defend after simply …Nc6. }

Bd7 { We switch targets and start attacking a4. } 11. Bb5

{ Protecting a4, but this just moves the weakness to b5. On the upside though, white does
manage to untangle his kingside. }

cxd4 12. cxd4 Bxb5 13. axb5 f5

{ A typical break in these Grunfeld-style positions. } 14. exf5

{ Allowing black to open the f-file is risky, so this is probably white’s best bet. }

Rxf5
{ With the weakness of b5 and d4, black is definitely a bit more comfortable here. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.a3 and 4.f3”]

[Black “4.f3 5.a3 Mainline Variation 4”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4

{ In this chapter we will be covering the 4. f3 and 4. a3, since they both can transpose fairly
easily. They both are both known as the Saemisch Variation of the Nimzo-Indian. }

4. f3

{ 4. f3 is one of the sharpest and most interesting variations in the whole of the Nimzo-
Indian. It can lead to fresh and interesting positions, which are often quite sharp, from both
black’s …d5 and …c5 variations. White’s idea is quite simple: he intends to take over the
centre with e4, possiby with a3 …Bxc3+ bxc3 thrown in. }

d5

{ c5 is the other big move here. It is a bit less common, but it is played by many top players
(especially recently) and it scores well. However, the positions that c5 leads to are quite
unconventional and sharp, which is not in keeping with the theme of this repertoire.
Instead, we will opt for d5. This has the simple idea of directly stopping white’s e4 advance
for now. }

5. a3

{ Forcing the bishop to either take on c3 or retreat, with the purpose of clarifying the
situation with the pinned c3-knight. By doing this, white is trying to make the e4 advance
easier to carry out. }

Bxc3+
{ Retreating with the bishop is also played, but it is less common. } 6. bxc3

{ A very important position in this chapter since it can arise via both 4. f3 and 4. a3, which
is also the reason for both of these moves being grouped into a single chapter. Most of this
chapter is dedicated to analysing this position in greater detail. }

c5

{ Black needs to attack white’s centre before he has the chance to fully develop. }

7. cxd5 Nxd5

{ Taking with the pawn is also an option, but it leads to a very different kind of game. White
tends to score better there, since he has time to solidify and build up his centre, which
allows him to make use of his bishop pair in the long run. That is why the knight recapture
is more common and probably objectively better as well. Black relies on his lead in
development to put white under as much pressure as possible so that he doesn’t have a
chance to unravel. }

8. Qd3

{ Protecting c3 just like 8. Qd2, but this time white blocks the other bishop. }

O-O 9. e4 Nb6

{ From b6 the knight can sometimes hop to a4 an also it can help create a knight outpost
after …Nc6-a5. }

10. Be3 Nc6 11. Be2 { Natural development. } Na5 { Planning …Nbc4. }

12. Nh3 { Completing development and preparing to castle. } Nbc4 13. Bf4

{ White needs to try hold onto the bishop pair. } Bd7

{ Black has good play on the queenside and especially the light squares. He can look at
playing …Bb5/…Ba4 next and getting his rooks to the c-and d-files. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.a3 and 4.f3”]

[Black “4.f3 5.a3 Mainline Variation 5”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4

{ In this chapter we will be covering the 4. f3 and 4. a3, since they both can transpose fairly
easily. They both are both known as the Saemisch Variation of the Nimzo-Indian. }

4. f3

{ 4. f3 is one of the sharpest and most interesting variations in the whole of the Nimzo-
Indian. It can lead to fresh and interesting positions, which are often quite sharp, from both
black’s …d5 and …c5 variations. White’s idea is quite simple: he intends to take over the
centre with e4, possiby with a3 …Bxc3+ bxc3 thrown in. }

d5

{ c5 is the other big move here. It is a bit less common, but it is played by many top players
(especially recently) and it scores well. However, the positions that c5 leads to are quite
unconventional and sharp, which is not in keeping with the theme of this repertoire.
Instead, we will opt for d5. This has the simple idea of directly stopping white’s e4 advance
for now. }

5. a3

{ Forcing the bishop to either take on c3 or retreat, with the purpose of clarifying the
situation with the pinned c3-knight. By doing this, white is trying to make the e4 advance
easier to carry out. }

Bxc3+

{ Retreating with the bishop is also played, but it is less common. } 6. bxc3

{ A very important position in this chapter since it can arise via both 4. f3 and 4. a3, which
is also the reason for both of these moves being grouped into a single chapter. Most of this
chapter is dedicated to analysing this position in greater detail. }

c5

{ Black needs to attack white’s centre before he has the chance to fully develop. }

7. cxd5 Nxd5
{ Taking with the pawn is also an option, but it leads to a very different kind of game. White
tends to score better there, since he has time to solidify and build up his centre, which
allows him to make use of his bishop pair in the long run. That is why the knight recapture
is more common and probably objectively better as well. Black relies on his lead in
development to put white under as much pressure as possible so that he doesn’t have a
chance to unravel. }

8. Qd3

{ Protecting c3 just like 8. Qd2, but this time white blocks the other bishop. }

O-O 9. e4 Nb6

{ From b6 the knight can sometimes hop to a4 and also it can help create a knight outpost
after …Nc6-a5. }

10. Be3 Nc6 11. dxc5

{ Grabbing the pawn rarely challenges black too much in this Grunfeld-type structure. Black
usually gets full compensation against the doubled isolated c-pawns and is able to regain
the lost pawn. }

Na4 12. Qxd8 Rxd8

{ Black has no problems in this endgame - …Na5, …Bd7, …Rac8 etc. Soon we will recoup the
c5 pawn with complete equality. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.a3 and 4.f3”]

[Black “4.f3 5.a3 Mainline Variation 6”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4

{ In this chapter we will be covering the 4. f3 and 4. a3, since they both can transpose fairly
easily. They both are both known as the Saemisch Variation of the Nimzo-Indian. }

4. f3

{ 4. f3 is one of the sharpest and most interesting variations in the whole of the Nimzo-
Indian. It can lead to fresh and interesting positions, which are often quite sharp, from both
black’s …d5 and …c5 variations. White’s idea is quite simple: he intends to take over the
centre with e4, possiby with a3 …Bxc3+ bxc3 thrown in. }

d5

{ c5 is the other big move here. It is a bit less common, but it is played by many top players
(especially recently) and it scores well. However, the positions that c5 leads to are quite
unconventional and sharp, which is not in keeping with the theme of this repertoire.
Instead, we will opt for d5. This has the simple idea of directly stopping white’s e4 advance
for now. }

5. a3

{ Forcing the bishop to either take on c3 or retreat, with the purpose of clarifying the
situation with the pinned c3-knight. By doing this, white is trying to make the e4 advance
easier to carry out. }

Bxc3+

{ Retreating with the bishop is also played, but it is less common. } 6. bxc3

{ A very important position in this chapter since it can arise via both 4. f3 and 4. a3, which
is also the reason for both of these moves being grouped into a single chapter. Most of this
chapter is dedicated to analysing this position in greater detail. }

c5

{ Black needs to attack white’s centre before he has the chance to fully develop. }

7. cxd5 Nxd5

{ Taking with the pawn is also an option, but it leads to a very different kind of game. White
tends to score better there, since he has time to solidify and build up his centre, which
allows him to make use of his bishop pair in the long run. That is why the knight recapture
is more common and probably objectively better as well. Black relies on his lead in
development to put white under as much pressure as possible so that he doesn’t have a
chance to unravel. }

8. dxc5
{ The most popular move by far and the only one that can challenge black. White indirectly
defends c3, since …Nxc3 can be met by exchanging queens followed by Bb2, winning the g7
pawn. White also hopes that black spends time trying to recoup the c5 pawn, which will
give white a chance to complete development and take full advantage of his bishop pair. }

f5

{ A funny-looking move but a good one. Even though it seems quite anti-positional and
risky to play like this, many of the world’s top players (past and present) have opted for f5,
including Karpov, Kortschnoj and Kramnik. The other option, Qa5, is more popular but this
scores quite a bit better in practice. Black’s idea here is purely prophylactic. We ignore the
c5 pawn for now and rather direct our focus to hamstring white’s planned e4 expansion. By
dissuading white from e4, black makes white’s kingside development significantly more
difficult than it already was. This position is a bit of a tabiya as well as the most important
position in this chapter. It has been reached in around 370 games at the time of writing,
with black scoring a solid 47% or so. White is behind in development and needs to find a
way to untangle his kingside. His 4 main options, which we will analyse, are 9. Qc2, 9. e4, 9.
c4 and the most popular move, 9. Nh3. }

9. Qc2 { White plays simply, covering c3 and preparing to play e4. } Nd7

{ This line was actually one of the trickiest to analyse. The two most common moves, O-O
and f4, were analysed deeply, but black’s position didn’t seem to be 100% comfortable in
either case. With accurate play, it seems like white retains the bishop pair and some
pressure after O-O while after f4 white unravels his kingside quite easily 10.Bxf4 and
might have a slight edge. Nd7 is a bit rarer (it is only the 4th most common move) , but it
scores relatively well and it got the backing of Kramnik is 2008 World Championship match
against Anand. The idea is quite simply to regain the c5 pawn with …Nxc5, but beyond that
there is another idea, which is to gain control over e4 (after white inevitably plays e4) and
install a knight there (. ..Nd5-f6-e4) . With a knight on e4 it is very difficult for white to keep
the bishop pair. }

10. e4

{ The only move which has been tried. White kicks the knight away and prepares to
develop the rest of his minor pieces. }

fxe4 11. fxe4 N5f6

{ The only good retreat. We need our knight on f6 to pressurise e4. } 12. c6

{ White sacrifices his pawn back (before it is recaptured with …Nxc5) in order to damage
black’s pawns structure. }

bxc6 13. Nf3

{ Natural development is the only move which white has played so far. }

Ng4

{ The knight controls the dark squares and can also head to the e5 outpost. }

14. Be2 O-O 15. h3

{ White wants to chase the knight away since castling allows …Qb6+. }

Rxf3

{ Another purpose of the knight on g4 becomes clear: the weakened dark squares gives
black ideas such as …Rxf3 followed by …Qh4+. }

16. hxg4 Rf7

{ White’s wrecked pawn structure and exposed king offset his bishop pair. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.a3 and 4.f3”]

[Black “4.f3 5.a3 Mainline Variation 7”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4

{ In this chapter we will be covering the 4. f3 and 4. a3, since they both can transpose fairly
easily. They both are both known as the Saemisch Variation of the Nimzo-Indian. }

4. f3

{ 4. f3 is one of the sharpest and most interesting variations in the whole of the Nimzo-
Indian. It can lead to fresh and interesting positions, which are often quite sharp, from both
black’s …d5 and …c5 variations. White’s idea is quite simple: he intends to take over the
centre with e4, possiby with a3 …Bxc3+ bxc3 thrown in. }
d5

{ c5 is the other big move here. It is a bit less common, but it is played by many top players
(especially recently) and it scores well. However, the positions that c5 leads to are quite
unconventional and sharp, which is not in keeping with the theme of this repertoire.
Instead, we will opt for d5. This has the simple idea of directly stopping white’s e4 advance
for now. }

5. a3

{ Forcing the bishop to either take on c3 or retreat, with the purpose of clarifying the
situation with the pinned c3-knight. By doing this, white is trying to make the e4 advance
easier to carry out. }

Bxc3+

{ Retreating with the bishop is also played, but it is less common. } 6. bxc3

{ A very important position in this chapter since it can arise via both 4. f3 and 4. a3, which
is also the reason for both of these moves being grouped into a single chapter. Most of this
chapter is dedicated to analysing this position in greater detail. }

c5

{ Black needs to attack white’s centre before he has the chance to fully develop. }

7. cxd5 Nxd5

{ Taking with the pawn is also an option, but it leads to a very different kind of game. White
tends to score better there, since he has time to solidify and build up his centre, which
allows him to make use of his bishop pair in the long run. That is why the knight recapture
is more common and probably objectively better as well. Black relies on his lead in
development to put white under as much pressure as possible so that he doesn’t have a
chance to unravel. }

8. dxc5

{ The most popular move by far and the only one that can challenge black. White indirectly
defends c3, since …Nxc3 can be met by exchanging queens followed by Bb2, winning the g7
pawn. White also hopes that black spends time trying to recoup the c5 pawn, which will
give white a chance to complete development and take full advantage of his bishop pair. }

f5

{ A funny-looking move but a good one. Even though it seems quite anti-positional and
risky to play like this, many of the world’s top players (past and present) have opted for f5,
including Karpov, Kortschnoj and Kramnik. The other option, Qa5, is more popular but this
scores quite a bit better in practice. Black’s idea here is purely prophylactic. We ignore the
c5 pawn for now and rather direct our focus to hamstring white’s planned e4 expansion. By
dissuading white from e4, black makes white’s kingside development significantly more
difficult than it already was. This position is a bit of a tabiya as well as the most important
position in this chapter. It has been reached in around 370 games at the time of writing,
with black scoring a solid 47% or so. White is behind in development and needs to find a
way to untangle his kingside. His 4 main options, which we will analyse, are 9. Qc2, 9. e4, 9.
c4 and the most popular move, 9. Nh3. }

9. Qc2 { White plays simply, covering c3 and preparing to play e4. } Nd7

{ This line was actually one of the trickiest to analyse. The two most common moves, O-O
and f4, were analysed deeply, but black’s position didn’t seem to be 100% comfortable in
either case. With accurate play, it seems like white retains the bishop pair and some
pressure after O-O while after f4 white unravels his kingside quite easily 10.Bxf4 and
might have a slight edge. Nd7 is a bit rarer (it is only the 4th most common move) , but it
scores relatively well and it got the backing of Kramnik is 2008 World Championship match
against Anand. The idea is quite simply to regain the c5 pawn with …Nxc5, but beyond that
there is another idea, which is to gain control over e4 (after white inevitably plays e4) and
install a knight there (. ..Nd5-f6-e4) . With a knight on e4 it is very difficult for white to keep
the bishop pair. }

10. e4

{ The only move which has been tried. White kicks the knight away and prepares to
develop the rest of his minor pieces. }

fxe4 11. fxe4 N5f6

{ The only good retreat. We need our knight on f6 to pressurise e4. } 12. Nf3

{ Natural development. } Nxc5 13. e5 Nfe4

{ Our basic plan from Nd7 has been achieved: we have planted a knight on e4. }

14. Be3 Bd7 15. Bxc5 Nxc5 16. Bc4 O-O

{ Without the bishop pair, white has no way to claim an edge. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]
[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.a3 and 4.f3”]

[Black “4.f3 5.a3 Mainline Variation 8”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4

{ In this chapter we will be covering the 4. f3 and 4. a3, since they both can transpose fairly
easily. They both are both known as the Saemisch Variation of the Nimzo-Indian. }

4. f3

{ 4. f3 is one of the sharpest and most interesting variations in the whole of the Nimzo-
Indian. It can lead to fresh and interesting positions, which are often quite sharp, from both
black’s …d5 and …c5 variations. White’s idea is quite simple: he intends to take over the
centre with e4, possiby with a3 …Bxc3+ bxc3 thrown in. }

d5

{ c5 is the other big move here. It is a bit less common, but it is played by many top players
(especially recently) and it scores well. However, the positions that c5 leads to are quite
unconventional and sharp, which is not in keeping with the theme of this repertoire.
Instead, we will opt for d5. This has the simple idea of directly stopping white’s e4 advance
for now. }

5. a3

{ Forcing the bishop to either take on c3 or retreat, with the purpose of clarifying the
situation with the pinned c3-knight. By doing this, white is trying to make the e4 advance
easier to carry out. }

Bxc3+

{ Retreating with the bishop is also played, but it is less common. } 6. bxc3

{ A very important position in this chapter since it can arise via both 4. f3 and 4. a3, which
is also the reason for both of these moves being grouped into a single chapter. Most of this
chapter is dedicated to analysing this position in greater detail. }

c5

{ Black needs to attack white’s centre before he has the chance to fully develop. }
7. cxd5 Nxd5

{ Taking with the pawn is also an option, but it leads to a very different kind of game. White
tends to score better there, since he has time to solidify and build up his centre, which
allows him to make use of his bishop pair in the long run. That is why the knight recapture
is more common and probably objectively better as well. Black relies on his lead in
development to put white under as much pressure as possible so that he doesn’t have a
chance to unravel. }

8. dxc5

{ The most popular move by far and the only one that can challenge black. White indirectly
defends c3, since …Nxc3 can be met by exchanging queens followed by Bb2, winning the g7
pawn. White also hopes that black spends time trying to recoup the c5 pawn, which will
give white a chance to complete development and take full advantage of his bishop pair. }

f5

{ A funny-looking move but a good one. Even though it seems quite anti-positional and
risky to play like this, many of the world’s top players (past and present) have opted for f5,
including Karpov, Kortschnoj and Kramnik. The other option, Qa5, is more popular but this
scores quite a bit better in practice. Black’s idea here is purely prophylactic. We ignore the
c5 pawn for now and rather direct our focus to hamstring white’s planned e4 expansion. By
dissuading white from e4, black makes white’s kingside development significantly more
difficult than it already was. This position is a bit of a tabiya as well as the most important
position in this chapter. It has been reached in around 370 games at the time of writing,
with black scoring a solid 47% or so. White is behind in development and needs to find a
way to untangle his kingside. His 4 main options, which we will analyse, are 9. Qc2, 9. e4, 9.
c4 and the most popular move, 9. Nh3. }

9. Qc2 { White plays simply, covering c3 and preparing to play e4. } Nd7

{ This line was actually one of the trickiest to analyse. The two most common moves, O-O
and f4, were analysed deeply, but black’s position didn’t seem to be 100% comfortable in
either case. With accurate play, it seems like white retains the bishop pair and some
pressure after O-O while after f4 white unravels his kingside quite easily 10.Bxf4 and
might have a slight edge. Nd7 is a bit rarer (it is only the 4th most common move) , but it
scores relatively well and it got the backing of Kramnik is 2008 World Championship match
against Anand. The idea is quite simply to regain the c5 pawn with …Nxc5, but beyond that
there is another idea, which is to gain control over e4 (after white inevitably plays e4) and
install a knight there (. ..Nd5-f6-e4) . With a knight on e4 it is very difficult for white to keep
the bishop pair. }

10. e4
{ The only move which has been tried. White kicks the knight away and prepares to
develop the rest of his minor pieces. }

fxe4 11. fxe4 N5f6

{ The only good retreat. We need our knight on f6 to pressurise e4. } 12. Nf3

{ Natural development. } Nxc5 13. e5 Nfe4

{ Our basic plan from Nd7 has been achieved: we have planted a knight on e4. }

14. Bc4 { A natural square for the bishop, putting pressure on e6. } O-O

15. O-O { Both players have got their kings to safety. } b6

{ The fianchettoed bishop will support the knight on e4 even more. } 16. Be3

Qc7 17. Kh1 Bb7

{ Black’s strong knights grant us full equality. White can’t really utilise his bishops, meaning
that sooner or later he will have to trade one of them for a knight, after which black has
absolutely nothing to worry about. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.a3 and 4.f3”]

[Black “4.f3 5.a3 Mainline Variation 9”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4

{ In this chapter we will be covering the 4. f3 and 4. a3, since they both can transpose fairly
easily. They both are both known as the Saemisch Variation of the Nimzo-Indian. }

4. f3
{ 4. f3 is one of the sharpest and most interesting variations in the whole of the Nimzo-
Indian. It can lead to fresh and interesting positions, which are often quite sharp, from both
black’s …d5 and …c5 variations. White’s idea is quite simple: he intends to take over the
centre with e4, possiby with a3 …Bxc3+ bxc3 thrown in. }

d5

{ c5 is the other big move here. It is a bit less common, but it is played by many top players
(especially recently) and it scores well. However, the positions that c5 leads to are quite
unconventional and sharp, which is not in keeping with the theme of this repertoire.
Instead, we will opt for d5. This has the simple idea of directly stopping white’s e4 advance
for now. }

5. a3

{ Forcing the bishop to either take on c3 or retreat, with the purpose of clarifying the
situation with the pinned c3-knight. By doing this, white is trying to make the e4 advance
easier to carry out. }

Bxc3+

{ Retreating with the bishop is also played, but it is less common. } 6. bxc3

{ A very important position in this chapter since it can arise via both 4. f3 and 4. a3, which
is also the reason for both of these moves being grouped into a single chapter. Most of this
chapter is dedicated to analysing this position in greater detail. }

c5

{ Black needs to attack white’s centre before he has the chance to fully develop. }

7. cxd5 Nxd5

{ Taking with the pawn is also an option, but it leads to a very different kind of game. White
tends to score better there, since he has time to solidify and build up his centre, which
allows him to make use of his bishop pair in the long run. That is why the knight recapture
is more common and probably objectively better as well. Black relies on his lead in
development to put white under as much pressure as possible so that he doesn’t have a
chance to unravel. }

8. dxc5

{ The most popular move by far and the only one that can challenge black. White indirectly
defends c3, since …Nxc3 can be met by exchanging queens followed by Bb2, winning the g7
pawn. White also hopes that black spends time trying to recoup the c5 pawn, which will
give white a chance to complete development and take full advantage of his bishop pair. }
f5

{ A funny-looking move but a good one. Even though it seems quite anti-positional and
risky to play like this, many of the world’s top players (past and present) have opted for f5,
including Karpov, Kortschnoj and Kramnik. The other option, Qa5, is more popular but this
scores quite a bit better in practice. Black’s idea here is purely prophylactic. We ignore the
c5 pawn for now and rather direct our focus to hamstring white’s planned e4 expansion. By
dissuading white from e4, black makes white’s kingside development significantly more
difficult than it already was. This position is a bit of a tabiya as well as the most important
position in this chapter. It has been reached in around 370 games at the time of writing,
with black scoring a solid 47% or so. White is behind in development and needs to find a
way to untangle his kingside. His 4 main options, which we will analyse, are 9. Qc2, 9. e4, 9.
c4 and the most popular move, 9. Nh3. }

9. c4

{ Kicking the knight away, but on the flipside this exposes the h8-a1 diagonal, which is
something black can exploit. This is probably the least dangerous (theoretically) of white’s
4 options. }

Qf6

{ Black’s other idea is to grab the c4 pawn with …Qh4xc3 but it seems like white gets good
play here. }

10. Bg5

{ This is white’s best bet, but it is significantly rarer than 10. Bd2. }

Qxg5 11. cxd5 O-O 12. Nh3 Qe3 13. Qc1 Qe5 14. e3 exd5

{ Black has no problems here. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.a3 and 4.f3”]

[Black “4.f3 5.a3 Mainline Variation 10”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4

{ In this chapter we will be covering the 4. f3 and 4. a3, since they both can transpose fairly
easily. They both are both known as the Saemisch Variation of the Nimzo-Indian. }

4. f3

{ 4. f3 is one of the sharpest and most interesting variations in the whole of the Nimzo-
Indian. It can lead to fresh and interesting positions, which are often quite sharp, from both
black’s …d5 and …c5 variations. White’s idea is quite simple: he intends to take over the
centre with e4, possiby with a3 …Bxc3+ bxc3 thrown in. }

d5

{ c5 is the other big move here. It is a bit less common, but it is played by many top players
(especially recently) and it scores well. However, the positions that c5 leads to are quite
unconventional and sharp, which is not in keeping with the theme of this repertoire.
Instead, we will opt for d5. This has the simple idea of directly stopping white’s e4 advance
for now. }

5. a3

{ Forcing the bishop to either take on c3 or retreat, with the purpose of clarifying the
situation with the pinned c3-knight. By doing this, white is trying to make the e4 advance
easier to carry out. }

Bxc3+

{ Retreating with the bishop is also played, but it is less common. } 6. bxc3

{ A very important position in this chapter since it can arise via both 4. f3 and 4. a3, which
is also the reason for both of these moves being grouped into a single chapter. Most of this
chapter is dedicated to analysing this position in greater detail. }

c5

{ Black needs to attack white’s centre before he has the chance to fully develop. }

7. cxd5 Nxd5

{ Taking with the pawn is also an option, but it leads to a very different kind of game. White
tends to score better there, since he has time to solidify and build up his centre, which
allows him to make use of his bishop pair in the long run. That is why the knight recapture
is more common and probably objectively better as well. Black relies on his lead in
development to put white under as much pressure as possible so that he doesn’t have a
chance to unravel. }

8. dxc5

{ The most popular move by far and the only one that can challenge black. White indirectly
defends c3, since …Nxc3 can be met by exchanging queens followed by Bb2, winning the g7
pawn. White also hopes that black spends time trying to recoup the c5 pawn, which will
give white a chance to complete development and take full advantage of his bishop pair. }

f5

{ A funny-looking move but a good one. Even though it seems quite anti-positional and
risky to play like this, many of the world’s top players (past and present) have opted for f5,
including Karpov, Kortschnoj and Kramnik. The other option, Qa5, is more popular but this
scores quite a bit better in practice. Black’s idea here is purely prophylactic. We ignore the
c5 pawn for now and rather direct our focus to hamstring white’s planned e4 expansion. By
dissuading white from e4, black makes white’s kingside development significantly more
difficult than it already was. This position is a bit of a tabiya as well as the most important
position in this chapter. It has been reached in around 370 games at the time of writing,
with black scoring a solid 47% or so. White is behind in development and needs to find a
way to untangle his kingside. His 4 main options, which we will analyse, are 9. Qc2, 9. e4, 9.
c4 and the most popular move, 9. Nh3. }

9. c4

{ Kicking the knight away, but on the flipside this exposes the h8-a1 diagonal, which is
something black can exploit. This is probably the least dangerous (theoretically) of white’s
4 options. }

Qf6

{ Black’s other idea is to grab the c4 pawn with …Qh4xc3 but it seems like white gets good
play here. }

10. Bd2

{ This is the most common (and most natural) way to defend the rook on a1, but it’s not
white’s best choice. }

Nc3 11. Bxc3 { is simply quite bad. } Qxc3+ 12. Kf2 O-O

{ Black’s activity and white’s exposed king give us a clear advantage. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.a3 and 4.f3”]

[Black “4.f3 5.a3 Mainline Variation 11”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4

{ In this chapter we will be covering the 4. f3 and 4. a3, since they both can transpose fairly
easily. They both are both known as the Saemisch Variation of the Nimzo-Indian. }

4. f3

{ 4. f3 is one of the sharpest and most interesting variations in the whole of the Nimzo-
Indian. It can lead to fresh and interesting positions, which are often quite sharp, from both
black’s …d5 and …c5 variations. White’s idea is quite simple: he intends to take over the
centre with e4, possiby with a3 …Bxc3+ bxc3 thrown in. }

d5

{ c5 is the other big move here. It is a bit less common, but it is played by many top players
(especially recently) and it scores well. However, the positions that c5 leads to are quite
unconventional and sharp, which is not in keeping with the theme of this repertoire.
Instead, we will opt for d5. This has the simple idea of directly stopping white’s e4 advance
for now. }

5. a3

{ Forcing the bishop to either take on c3 or retreat, with the purpose of clarifying the
situation with the pinned c3-knight. By doing this, white is trying to make the e4 advance
easier to carry out. }

Bxc3+

{ Retreating with the bishop is also played, but it is less common. } 6. bxc3
{ A very important position in this chapter since it can arise via both 4. f3 and 4. a3, which
is also the reason for both of these moves being grouped into a single chapter. Most of this
chapter is dedicated to analysing this position in greater detail. }

c5

{ Black needs to attack white’s centre before he has the chance to fully develop. }

7. cxd5 Nxd5

{ Taking with the pawn is also an option, but it leads to a very different kind of game. White
tends to score better there, since he has time to solidify and build up his centre, which
allows him to make use of his bishop pair in the long run. That is why the knight recapture
is more common and probably objectively better as well. Black relies on his lead in
development to put white under as much pressure as possible so that he doesn’t have a
chance to unravel. }

8. dxc5

{ The most popular move by far and the only one that can challenge black. White indirectly
defends c3, since …Nxc3 can be met by exchanging queens followed by Bb2, winning the g7
pawn. White also hopes that black spends time trying to recoup the c5 pawn, which will
give white a chance to complete development and take full advantage of his bishop pair. }

f5

{ A funny-looking move but a good one. Even though it seems quite anti-positional and
risky to play like this, many of the world’s top players (past and present) have opted for f5,
including Karpov, Kortschnoj and Kramnik. The other option, Qa5, is more popular but this
scores quite a bit better in practice. Black’s idea here is purely prophylactic. We ignore the
c5 pawn for now and rather direct our focus to hamstring white’s planned e4 expansion. By
dissuading white from e4, black makes white’s kingside development significantly more
difficult than it already was. This position is a bit of a tabiya as well as the most important
position in this chapter. It has been reached in around 370 games at the time of writing,
with black scoring a solid 47% or so. White is behind in development and needs to find a
way to untangle his kingside. His 4 main options, which we will analyse, are 9. Qc2, 9. e4, 9.
c4 and the most popular move, 9. Nh3. }

9. c4

{ Kicking the knight away, but on the flipside this exposes the h8-a1 diagonal, which is
something black can exploit. This is probably the least dangerous (theoretically) of white’s
4 options. }

Qf6
{ Black’s other idea is to grab the c4 pawn with …Qh4xc3 but it seems like white gets good
play here. }

10. Bd2

{ This is the most common (and most natural) way to defend the rook on a1, but it’s not
white’s best choice. }

Nc3 11. Qc1 Na4 12. Nh3 e5 13. e3 Nxc5

{ Black seems to gave a slight edge here, thanks to his central control and extra space. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.a3 and 4.f3”]

[Black “4.f3 5.a3 Mainline Variation 12”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4

{ In this chapter we will be covering the 4. f3 and 4. a3, since they both can transpose fairly
easily. They both are both known as the Saemisch Variation of the Nimzo-Indian. }

4. f3

{ 4. f3 is one of the sharpest and most interesting variations in the whole of the Nimzo-
Indian. It can lead to fresh and interesting positions, which are often quite sharp, from both
black’s …d5 and …c5 variations. White’s idea is quite simple: he intends to take over the
centre with e4, possiby with a3 …Bxc3+ bxc3 thrown in. }

d5

{ c5 is the other big move here. It is a bit less common, but it is played by many top players
(especially recently) and it scores well. However, the positions that c5 leads to are quite
unconventional and sharp, which is not in keeping with the theme of this repertoire.
Instead, we will opt for d5. This has the simple idea of directly stopping white’s e4 advance
for now. }

5. a3

{ Forcing the bishop to either take on c3 or retreat, with the purpose of clarifying the
situation with the pinned c3-knight. By doing this, white is trying to make the e4 advance
easier to carry out. }

Bxc3+

{ Retreating with the bishop is also played, but it is less common. } 6. bxc3

{ A very important position in this chapter since it can arise via both 4. f3 and 4. a3, which
is also the reason for both of these moves being grouped into a single chapter. Most of this
chapter is dedicated to analysing this position in greater detail. }

c5

{ Black needs to attack white’s centre before he has the chance to fully develop. }

7. cxd5 Nxd5

{ Taking with the pawn is also an option, but it leads to a very different kind of game. White
tends to score better there, since he has time to solidify and build up his centre, which
allows him to make use of his bishop pair in the long run. That is why the knight recapture
is more common and probably objectively better as well. Black relies on his lead in
development to put white under as much pressure as possible so that he doesn’t have a
chance to unravel. }

8. dxc5

{ The most popular move by far and the only one that can challenge black. White indirectly
defends c3, since …Nxc3 can be met by exchanging queens followed by Bb2, winning the g7
pawn. White also hopes that black spends time trying to recoup the c5 pawn, which will
give white a chance to complete development and take full advantage of his bishop pair. }

f5

{ A funny-looking move but a good one. Even though it seems quite anti-positional and
risky to play like this, many of the world’s top players (past and present) have opted for f5,
including Karpov, Kortschnoj and Kramnik. The other option, Qa5, is more popular but this
scores quite a bit better in practice. Black’s idea here is purely prophylactic. We ignore the
c5 pawn for now and rather direct our focus to hamstring white’s planned e4 expansion. By
dissuading white from e4, black makes white’s kingside development significantly more
difficult than it already was. This position is a bit of a tabiya as well as the most important
position in this chapter. It has been reached in around 370 games at the time of writing,
with black scoring a solid 47% or so. White is behind in development and needs to find a
way to untangle his kingside. His 4 main options, which we will analyse, are 9. Qc2, 9. e4, 9.
c4 and the most popular move, 9. Nh3. }

9. e4

{ Our previous move is designed to dissuade this, but white can of course play it anyway. }

fxe4 10. fxe4 { is obviously a blunder because of } Qh4+ 11. Kd2

Qxe4 { and black is just much better. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.a3 and 4.f3”]

[Black “4.f3 5.a3 Mainline Variation 13”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4

{ In this chapter we will be covering the 4. f3 and 4. a3, since they both can transpose fairly
easily. They both are both known as the Saemisch Variation of the Nimzo-Indian. }

4. f3

{ 4. f3 is one of the sharpest and most interesting variations in the whole of the Nimzo-
Indian. It can lead to fresh and interesting positions, which are often quite sharp, from both
black’s …d5 and …c5 variations. White’s idea is quite simple: he intends to take over the
centre with e4, possiby with a3 …Bxc3+ bxc3 thrown in. }

d5

{ c5 is the other big move here. It is a bit less common, but it is played by many top players
(especially recently) and it scores well. However, the positions that c5 leads to are quite
unconventional and sharp, which is not in keeping with the theme of this repertoire.
Instead, we will opt for d5. This has the simple idea of directly stopping white’s e4 advance
for now. }

5. a3

{ Forcing the bishop to either take on c3 or retreat, with the purpose of clarifying the
situation with the pinned c3-knight. By doing this, white is trying to make the e4 advance
easier to carry out. }

Bxc3+

{ Retreating with the bishop is also played, but it is less common. } 6. bxc3

{ A very important position in this chapter since it can arise via both 4. f3 and 4. a3, which
is also the reason for both of these moves being grouped into a single chapter. Most of this
chapter is dedicated to analysing this position in greater detail. }

c5

{ Black needs to attack white’s centre before he has the chance to fully develop. }

7. cxd5 Nxd5

{ Taking with the pawn is also an option, but it leads to a very different kind of game. White
tends to score better there, since he has time to solidify and build up his centre, which
allows him to make use of his bishop pair in the long run. That is why the knight recapture
is more common and probably objectively better as well. Black relies on his lead in
development to put white under as much pressure as possible so that he doesn’t have a
chance to unravel. }

8. dxc5

{ The most popular move by far and the only one that can challenge black. White indirectly
defends c3, since …Nxc3 can be met by exchanging queens followed by Bb2, winning the g7
pawn. White also hopes that black spends time trying to recoup the c5 pawn, which will
give white a chance to complete development and take full advantage of his bishop pair. }

f5

{ A funny-looking move but a good one. Even though it seems quite anti-positional and
risky to play like this, many of the world’s top players (past and present) have opted for f5,
including Karpov, Kortschnoj and Kramnik. The other option, Qa5, is more popular but this
scores quite a bit better in practice. Black’s idea here is purely prophylactic. We ignore the
c5 pawn for now and rather direct our focus to hamstring white’s planned e4 expansion. By
dissuading white from e4, black makes white’s kingside development significantly more
difficult than it already was. This position is a bit of a tabiya as well as the most important
position in this chapter. It has been reached in around 370 games at the time of writing,
with black scoring a solid 47% or so. White is behind in development and needs to find a
way to untangle his kingside. His 4 main options, which we will analyse, are 9. Qc2, 9. e4, 9.
c4 and the most popular move, 9. Nh3. }

9. e4

{ Our previous move is designed to dissuade this, but white can of course play it anyway. }

fxe4 10. Qc2

{ Since the immediate recapture isn’t possible, white prepares fxe4 first with 10. Qc2. In
effect, white hopes to transpose into the 9. Qc2 line, but we would be move order tricked
into playing a different line than Nd7. }

Qh4+

{ A good way to take advantage of white’s move order and avoid the transposition trick
after something like O-O. Qh4+ is actually an engine suggestion and hasn’t been tried in a
game yet, but it is a good equaliser. }

11. g3 Qh5

{ Hitting f3 of course, but the other idea behind the queen on h5 is to recoup the c5 pawn
after moving the knight from d5. }

12. fxe4 { is perfectly natural. } Nf6 13. Be2 Qxc5 14. Nf3 O-O

{ Black has regained the pawn with comfortable equality. The queen on c5 is a thorn in
white’s side, preventing him from castling. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.a3 and 4.f3”]

[Black “4.f3 5.a3 Mainline Variation 14”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4

{ In this chapter we will be covering the 4. f3 and 4. a3, since they both can transpose fairly
easily. They both are both known as the Saemisch Variation of the Nimzo-Indian. }

4. f3

{ 4. f3 is one of the sharpest and most interesting variations in the whole of the Nimzo-
Indian. It can lead to fresh and interesting positions, which are often quite sharp, from both
black’s …d5 and …c5 variations. White’s idea is quite simple: he intends to take over the
centre with e4, possiby with a3 …Bxc3+ bxc3 thrown in. }

d5

{ c5 is the other big move here. It is a bit less common, but it is played by many top players
(especially recently) and it scores well. However, the positions that c5 leads to are quite
unconventional and sharp, which is not in keeping with the theme of this repertoire.
Instead, we will opt for d5. This has the simple idea of directly stopping white’s e4 advance
for now. }

5. a3

{ Forcing the bishop to either take on c3 or retreat, with the purpose of clarifying the
situation with the pinned c3-knight. By doing this, white is trying to make the e4 advance
easier to carry out. }

Bxc3+

{ Retreating with the bishop is also played, but it is less common. } 6. bxc3

{ A very important position in this chapter since it can arise via both 4. f3 and 4. a3, which
is also the reason for both of these moves being grouped into a single chapter. Most of this
chapter is dedicated to analysing this position in greater detail. }

c5

{ Black needs to attack white’s centre before he has the chance to fully develop. }

7. cxd5 Nxd5

{ Taking with the pawn is also an option, but it leads to a very different kind of game. White
tends to score better there, since he has time to solidify and build up his centre, which
allows him to make use of his bishop pair in the long run. That is why the knight recapture
is more common and probably objectively better as well. Black relies on his lead in
development to put white under as much pressure as possible so that he doesn’t have a
chance to unravel. }
8. dxc5

{ The most popular move by far and the only one that can challenge black. White indirectly
defends c3, since …Nxc3 can be met by exchanging queens followed by Bb2, winning the g7
pawn. White also hopes that black spends time trying to recoup the c5 pawn, which will
give white a chance to complete development and take full advantage of his bishop pair. }

f5

{ A funny-looking move but a good one. Even though it seems quite anti-positional and
risky to play like this, many of the world’s top players (past and present) have opted for f5,
including Karpov, Kortschnoj and Kramnik. The other option, Qa5, is more popular but this
scores quite a bit better in practice. Black’s idea here is purely prophylactic. We ignore the
c5 pawn for now and rather direct our focus to hamstring white’s planned e4 expansion. By
dissuading white from e4, black makes white’s kingside development significantly more
difficult than it already was. This position is a bit of a tabiya as well as the most important
position in this chapter. It has been reached in around 370 games at the time of writing,
with black scoring a solid 47% or so. White is behind in development and needs to find a
way to untangle his kingside. His 4 main options, which we will analyse, are 9. Qc2, 9. e4, 9.
c4 and the most popular move, 9. Nh3. }

9. e4

{ Our previous move is designed to dissuade this, but white can of course play it anyway. }

fxe4 10. Qc2

{ Since the immediate recapture isn’t possible, white prepares fxe4 first with 10. Qc2. In
effect, white hopes to transpose into the 9. Qc2 line, but we would be move order tricked
into playing a different line than Nd7. }

Qh4+

{ A good way to take advantage of white’s move order and avoid the transposition trick
after something like O-O. Qh4+ is actually an engine suggestion and hasn’t been tried in a
game yet, but it is a good equaliser. }

11. g3 Qh5

{ Hitting f3 of course, but the other idea behind the queen on h5 is to recoup the c5 pawn
after moving the knight from d5. }

12. Qxe4 { leaves the queen a bit too exposed. } O-O 13. Ne2 Bd7

{ White still is quite far from unraveling his kingside and his queen is a bit misplaced. }
[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.a3 and 4.f3”]

[Black “4.f3 5.a3 Mainline Variation 15”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4

{ In this chapter we will be covering the 4. f3 and 4. a3, since they both can transpose fairly
easily. They both are both known as the Saemisch Variation of the Nimzo-Indian. }

4. f3

{ 4. f3 is one of the sharpest and most interesting variations in the whole of the Nimzo-
Indian. It can lead to fresh and interesting positions, which are often quite sharp, from both
black’s …d5 and …c5 variations. White’s idea is quite simple: he intends to take over the
centre with e4, possiby with a3 …Bxc3+ bxc3 thrown in. }

d5

{ c5 is the other big move here. It is a bit less common, but it is played by many top players
(especially recently) and it scores well. However, the positions that c5 leads to are quite
unconventional and sharp, which is not in keeping with the theme of this repertoire.
Instead, we will opt for d5. This has the simple idea of directly stopping white’s e4 advance
for now. }

5. a3

{ Forcing the bishop to either take on c3 or retreat, with the purpose of clarifying the
situation with the pinned c3-knight. By doing this, white is trying to make the e4 advance
easier to carry out. }

Bxc3+

{ Retreating with the bishop is also played, but it is less common. } 6. bxc3
{ A very important position in this chapter since it can arise via both 4. f3 and 4. a3, which
is also the reason for both of these moves being grouped into a single chapter. Most of this
chapter is dedicated to analysing this position in greater detail. }

c5

{ Black needs to attack white’s centre before he has the chance to fully develop. }

7. cxd5 Nxd5

{ Taking with the pawn is also an option, but it leads to a very different kind of game. White
tends to score better there, since he has time to solidify and build up his centre, which
allows him to make use of his bishop pair in the long run. That is why the knight recapture
is more common and probably objectively better as well. Black relies on his lead in
development to put white under as much pressure as possible so that he doesn’t have a
chance to unravel. }

8. dxc5

{ The most popular move by far and the only one that can challenge black. White indirectly
defends c3, since …Nxc3 can be met by exchanging queens followed by Bb2, winning the g7
pawn. White also hopes that black spends time trying to recoup the c5 pawn, which will
give white a chance to complete development and take full advantage of his bishop pair. }

f5

{ A funny-looking move but a good one. Even though it seems quite anti-positional and
risky to play like this, many of the world’s top players (past and present) have opted for f5,
including Karpov, Kortschnoj and Kramnik. The other option, Qa5, is more popular but this
scores quite a bit better in practice. Black’s idea here is purely prophylactic. We ignore the
c5 pawn for now and rather direct our focus to hamstring white’s planned e4 expansion. By
dissuading white from e4, black makes white’s kingside development significantly more
difficult than it already was. This position is a bit of a tabiya as well as the most important
position in this chapter. It has been reached in around 370 games at the time of writing,
with black scoring a solid 47% or so. White is behind in development and needs to find a
way to untangle his kingside. His 4 main options, which we will analyse, are 9. Qc2, 9. e4, 9.
c4 and the most popular move, 9. Nh3. }

9. e4

{ Our previous move is designed to dissuade this, but white can of course play it anyway. }

fxe4 10. Qc2

{ Since the immediate recapture isn’t possible, white prepares fxe4 first with 10. Qc2. In
effect, white hopes to transpose into the 9. Qc2 line, but we would be move order tricked
into playing a different line than Nd7. }
Qh4+

{ A good way to take advantage of white’s move order and avoid the transposition trick
after something like O-O. Qh4+ is actually an engine suggestion and hasn’t been tried in a
game yet, but it is a good equaliser. }

11. g3 Qh5

{ Hitting f3 of course, but the other idea behind the queen on h5 is to recoup the c5 pawn
after moving the knight from d5. }

12. Be2 Nf6 13. fxe4 Qxc5 { This transposes to 12. fxe4. } 14. Rb1 a6

{ Covering b5, with easy equality. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.a3 and 4.f3”]

[Black “4.f3 5.a3 Mainline Variation 16”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4

{ In this chapter we will be covering the 4. f3 and 4. a3, since they both can transpose fairly
easily. They both are both known as the Saemisch Variation of the Nimzo-Indian. }

4. f3

{ 4. f3 is one of the sharpest and most interesting variations in the whole of the Nimzo-
Indian. It can lead to fresh and interesting positions, which are often quite sharp, from both
black’s …d5 and …c5 variations. White’s idea is quite simple: he intends to take over the
centre with e4, possiby with a3 …Bxc3+ bxc3 thrown in. }

d5
{ c5 is the other big move here. It is a bit less common, but it is played by many top players
(especially recently) and it scores well. However, the positions that c5 leads to are quite
unconventional and sharp, which is not in keeping with the theme of this repertoire.
Instead, we will opt for d5. This has the simple idea of directly stopping white’s e4 advance
for now. }

5. a3

{ Forcing the bishop to either take on c3 or retreat, with the purpose of clarifying the
situation with the pinned c3-knight. By doing this, white is trying to make the e4 advance
easier to carry out. }

Bxc3+

{ Retreating with the bishop is also played, but it is less common. } 6. bxc3

{ A very important position in this chapter since it can arise via both 4. f3 and 4. a3, which
is also the reason for both of these moves being grouped into a single chapter. Most of this
chapter is dedicated to analysing this position in greater detail. }

c5

{ Black needs to attack white’s centre before he has the chance to fully develop. }

7. cxd5 Nxd5

{ Taking with the pawn is also an option, but it leads to a very different kind of game. White
tends to score better there, since he has time to solidify and build up his centre, which
allows him to make use of his bishop pair in the long run. That is why the knight recapture
is more common and probably objectively better as well. Black relies on his lead in
development to put white under as much pressure as possible so that he doesn’t have a
chance to unravel. }

8. dxc5

{ The most popular move by far and the only one that can challenge black. White indirectly
defends c3, since …Nxc3 can be met by exchanging queens followed by Bb2, winning the g7
pawn. White also hopes that black spends time trying to recoup the c5 pawn, which will
give white a chance to complete development and take full advantage of his bishop pair. }

f5

{ A funny-looking move but a good one. Even though it seems quite anti-positional and
risky to play like this, many of the world’s top players (past and present) have opted for f5,
including Karpov, Kortschnoj and Kramnik. The other option, Qa5, is more popular but this
scores quite a bit better in practice. Black’s idea here is purely prophylactic. We ignore the
c5 pawn for now and rather direct our focus to hamstring white’s planned e4 expansion. By
dissuading white from e4, black makes white’s kingside development significantly more
difficult than it already was. This position is a bit of a tabiya as well as the most important
position in this chapter. It has been reached in around 370 games at the time of writing,
with black scoring a solid 47% or so. White is behind in development and needs to find a
way to untangle his kingside. His 4 main options, which we will analyse, are 9. Qc2, 9. e4, 9.
c4 and the most popular move, 9. Nh3. }

9. Nh3

{ Developing the knight is white’s most common choice, but it doesn’t seem like white’s
most critical try. Most top players have been opting for one of the other options, which is a
good indication that white needs to search elsewhere for an edge. }

Qa5

{ The other big move here is O-O, but it seems like black has troubles equalising after 10.
Nf4 (since we are saddled with an isolated d-pawn which gives white good long-term
pressure) . Recently, most top players have opted for this move instead. We have the option
of grabbing either the c3 or the c5 pawn on the next move. }

10. Qd2 { Defending c3 and planning c4 on the next move. } Nf6

{ Prophylaxis against c4. } 11. e3 O-O 12. c4 Qc7

{ with the idea of recapturing on c5 with the knight (e.g. …Na6xc5) . White still has his
bishop pair, but black has a slight lead in development and the c4 weakness to play
against. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.a3 and 4.f3”]

[Black “4.f3 5.a3 Mainline Variation 17”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4

{ In this chapter we will be covering the 4. f3 and 4. a3, since they both can transpose fairly
easily. They both are both known as the Saemisch Variation of the Nimzo-Indian. }

4. f3

{ 4. f3 is one of the sharpest and most interesting variations in the whole of the Nimzo-
Indian. It can lead to fresh and interesting positions, which are often quite sharp, from both
black’s …d5 and …c5 variations. White’s idea is quite simple: he intends to take over the
centre with e4, possiby with a3 …Bxc3+ bxc3 thrown in. }

d5

{ c5 is the other big move here. It is a bit less common, but it is played by many top players
(especially recently) and it scores well. However, the positions that c5 leads to are quite
unconventional and sharp, which is not in keeping with the theme of this repertoire.
Instead, we will opt for d5. This has the simple idea of directly stopping white’s e4 advance
for now. }

5. a3

{ Forcing the bishop to either take on c3 or retreat, with the purpose of clarifying the
situation with the pinned c3-knight. By doing this, white is trying to make the e4 advance
easier to carry out. }

Bxc3+

{ Retreating with the bishop is also played, but it is less common. } 6. bxc3

{ A very important position in this chapter since it can arise via both 4. f3 and 4. a3, which
is also the reason for both of these moves being grouped into a single chapter. Most of this
chapter is dedicated to analysing this position in greater detail. }

c5

{ Black needs to attack white’s centre before he has the chance to fully develop. }

7. cxd5 Nxd5

{ Taking with the pawn is also an option, but it leads to a very different kind of game. White
tends to score better there, since he has time to solidify and build up his centre, which
allows him to make use of his bishop pair in the long run. That is why the knight recapture
is more common and probably objectively better as well. Black relies on his lead in
development to put white under as much pressure as possible so that he doesn’t have a
chance to unravel. }

8. dxc5
{ The most popular move by far and the only one that can challenge black. White indirectly
defends c3, since …Nxc3 can be met by exchanging queens followed by Bb2, winning the g7
pawn. White also hopes that black spends time trying to recoup the c5 pawn, which will
give white a chance to complete development and take full advantage of his bishop pair. }

f5

{ A funny-looking move but a good one. Even though it seems quite anti-positional and
risky to play like this, many of the world’s top players (past and present) have opted for f5,
including Karpov, Kortschnoj and Kramnik. The other option, Qa5, is more popular but this
scores quite a bit better in practice. Black’s idea here is purely prophylactic. We ignore the
c5 pawn for now and rather direct our focus to hamstring white’s planned e4 expansion. By
dissuading white from e4, black makes white’s kingside development significantly more
difficult than it already was. This position is a bit of a tabiya as well as the most important
position in this chapter. It has been reached in around 370 games at the time of writing,
with black scoring a solid 47% or so. White is behind in development and needs to find a
way to untangle his kingside. His 4 main options, which we will analyse, are 9. Qc2, 9. e4, 9.
c4 and the most popular move, 9. Nh3. }

9. Nh3

{ Developing the knight is white’s most common choice, but it doesn’t seem like white’s
most critical try. Most top players have been opting for one of the other options, which is a
good indication that white needs to search elsewhere for an edge. }

Qa5

{ The other big move here is O-O, but it seems like black has troubles equalising after 10.
Nf4 (since we are saddled with an isolated d-pawn which gives white good long-term
pressure) . Recently, most top players have opted for this move instead. We have the option
of grabbing either the c3 or the c5 pawn on the next move. }

10. Nf4

{ White develops with the idea of exchanging the strong knight on d5. If black takes on f4,
white gets to develop his bishop for free, while if black ignores the knight he will be
saddled with an isolated d-pawn. This is white’s most common move here. }

Nc6

{ Black develops quickly without worrying about the isolated d-pawn. This move is
stronger than the more obvious Qxc3+ , because after 11.Bd2 you can’t capture on c5 due to
Rc1. We want to get a pawn back , but it’s better to capture the c5-pawn later and keep the
weaker , backward c-pawn on the board as a target for later. }

11. Nxd5 exd5 12. Be3 { Saving the c5 pawn, but blocking in white’s kingside. }
Qxc3+ 13. Kf2 d4 14. Bf4 Qxc5

{ White gets enough compensation for the pawn, but nothing more than that. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.a3 and 4.f3”]

[Black “4.f3 5.a3 Mainline Variation 18”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4

{ In this chapter we will be covering the 4. f3 and 4. a3, since they both can transpose fairly
easily. They both are both known as the Saemisch Variation of the Nimzo-Indian. }

4. f3

{ 4. f3 is one of the sharpest and most interesting variations in the whole of the Nimzo-
Indian. It can lead to fresh and interesting positions, which are often quite sharp, from both
black’s …d5 and …c5 variations. White’s idea is quite simple: he intends to take over the
centre with e4, possiby with a3 …Bxc3+ bxc3 thrown in. }

d5

{ c5 is the other big move here. It is a bit less common, but it is played by many top players
(especially recently) and it scores well. However, the positions that c5 leads to are quite
unconventional and sharp, which is not in keeping with the theme of this repertoire.
Instead, we will opt for d5. This has the simple idea of directly stopping white’s e4 advance
for now. }

5. a3

{ Forcing the bishop to either take on c3 or retreat, with the purpose of clarifying the
situation with the pinned c3-knight. By doing this, white is trying to make the e4 advance
easier to carry out. }
Bxc3+

{ Retreating with the bishop is also played, but it is less common. } 6. bxc3

{ A very important position in this chapter since it can arise via both 4. f3 and 4. a3, which
is also the reason for both of these moves being grouped into a single chapter. Most of this
chapter is dedicated to analysing this position in greater detail. }

c5

{ Black needs to attack white’s centre before he has the chance to fully develop. }

7. cxd5 Nxd5

{ Taking with the pawn is also an option, but it leads to a very different kind of game. White
tends to score better there, since he has time to solidify and build up his centre, which
allows him to make use of his bishop pair in the long run. That is why the knight recapture
is more common and probably objectively better as well. Black relies on his lead in
development to put white under as much pressure as possible so that he doesn’t have a
chance to unravel. }

8. dxc5

{ The most popular move by far and the only one that can challenge black. White indirectly
defends c3, since …Nxc3 can be met by exchanging queens followed by Bb2, winning the g7
pawn. White also hopes that black spends time trying to recoup the c5 pawn, which will
give white a chance to complete development and take full advantage of his bishop pair. }

f5

{ A funny-looking move but a good one. Even though it seems quite anti-positional and
risky to play like this, many of the world’s top players (past and present) have opted for f5,
including Karpov, Kortschnoj and Kramnik. The other option, Qa5, is more popular but this
scores quite a bit better in practice. Black’s idea here is purely prophylactic. We ignore the
c5 pawn for now and rather direct our focus to hamstring white’s planned e4 expansion. By
dissuading white from e4, black makes white’s kingside development significantly more
difficult than it already was. This position is a bit of a tabiya as well as the most important
position in this chapter. It has been reached in around 370 games at the time of writing,
with black scoring a solid 47% or so. White is behind in development and needs to find a
way to untangle his kingside. His 4 main options, which we will analyse, are 9. Qc2, 9. e4, 9.
c4 and the most popular move, 9. Nh3. }

9. Nh3

{ Developing the knight is white’s most common choice, but it doesn’t seem like white’s
most critical try. Most top players have been opting for one of the other options, which is a
good indication that white needs to search elsewhere for an edge. }
Qa5

{ The other big move here is O-O, but it seems like black has troubles equalising after 10.
Nf4 (since we are saddled with an isolated d-pawn which gives white good long-term
pressure) . Recently, most top players have opted for this move instead. We have the option
of grabbing either the c3 or the c5 pawn on the next move. }

10. Nf4

{ White develops with the idea of exchanging the strong knight on d5. If black takes on f4,
white gets to develop his bishop for free, while if black ignores the knight he will be
saddled with an isolated d-pawn. This is white’s most common move here. }

Nc6

{ Black develops quickly without worrying about the isolated d-pawn. This move is
stronger than the more obvious Qxc3+ , because after 11.Bd2 you can’t capture on c5 due to
Rc1. We want to get a pawn back , but it’s better to capture the c5-pawn later and keep the
weaker , backward c-pawn on the board as a target for later. }

11. Nxd5 exd5 12. Qd3 { White’s most common move here by far. } Qxc5 13.

Bf4 O-O 14. e3 Be6 15. Be2 Rac8

{ The weakness of c3 and e3 offsets black’s weak d5 pawn and bad bishop. Black should
target the c3 pawn quickly with … Na5 and be careful not to fall into the trap of defending
d5 passively. It is easy to become worse here if you don’t play actively and force white to
defend his own pawn weaknesses. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.a3 and 4.f3”]

[Black “4.f3 5.a3 Mainline Variation 19”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4

{ In this chapter we will be covering the 4. f3 and 4. a3, since they both can transpose fairly
easily. They both are both known as the Saemisch Variation of the Nimzo-Indian. }

4. f3

{ 4. f3 is one of the sharpest and most interesting variations in the whole of the Nimzo-
Indian. It can lead to fresh and interesting positions, which are often quite sharp, from both
black’s …d5 and …c5 variations. White’s idea is quite simple: he intends to take over the
centre with e4, possiby with a3 …Bxc3+ bxc3 thrown in. }

d5

{ c5 is the other big move here. It is a bit less common, but it is played by many top players
(especially recently) and it scores well. However, the positions that c5 leads to are quite
unconventional and sharp, which is not in keeping with the theme of this repertoire.
Instead, we will opt for d5. This has the simple idea of directly stopping white’s e4 advance
for now. }

5. a3

{ Forcing the bishop to either take on c3 or retreat, with the purpose of clarifying the
situation with the pinned c3-knight. By doing this, white is trying to make the e4 advance
easier to carry out. }

Bxc3+

{ Retreating with the bishop is also played, but it is less common. } 6. bxc3

{ A very important position in this chapter since it can arise via both 4. f3 and 4. a3, which
is also the reason for both of these moves being grouped into a single chapter. Most of this
chapter is dedicated to analysing this position in greater detail. }

c5

{ Black needs to attack white’s centre before he has the chance to fully develop. }

7. cxd5 Nxd5

{ Taking with the pawn is also an option, but it leads to a very different kind of game. White
tends to score better there, since he has time to solidify and build up his centre, which
allows him to make use of his bishop pair in the long run. That is why the knight recapture
is more common and probably objectively better as well. Black relies on his lead in
development to put white under as much pressure as possible so that he doesn’t have a
chance to unravel. }

8. dxc5
{ The most popular move by far and the only one that can challenge black. White indirectly
defends c3, since …Nxc3 can be met by exchanging queens followed by Bb2, winning the g7
pawn. White also hopes that black spends time trying to recoup the c5 pawn, which will
give white a chance to complete development and take full advantage of his bishop pair. }

f5

{ A funny-looking move but a good one. Even though it seems quite anti-positional and
risky to play like this, many of the world’s top players (past and present) have opted for f5,
including Karpov, Kortschnoj and Kramnik. The other option, Qa5, is more popular but this
scores quite a bit better in practice. Black’s idea here is purely prophylactic. We ignore the
c5 pawn for now and rather direct our focus to hamstring white’s planned e4 expansion. By
dissuading white from e4, black makes white’s kingside development significantly more
difficult than it already was. This position is a bit of a tabiya as well as the most important
position in this chapter. It has been reached in around 370 games at the time of writing,
with black scoring a solid 47% or so. White is behind in development and needs to find a
way to untangle his kingside. His 4 main options, which we will analyse, are 9. Qc2, 9. e4, 9.
c4 and the most popular move, 9. Nh3. }

9. Nh3

{ Developing the knight is white’s most common choice, but it doesn’t seem like white’s
most critical try. Most top players have been opting for one of the other options, which is a
good indication that white needs to search elsewhere for an edge. }

Qa5

{ The other big move here is O-O, but it seems like black has troubles equalising after 10.
Nf4 (since we are saddled with an isolated d-pawn which gives white good long-term
pressure) . Recently, most top players have opted for this move instead. We have the option
of grabbing either the c3 or the c5 pawn on the next move. }

10. e4

{ White’s second most common choice, behind 10. Nf4. 10. e4 allows white to develop his
bishop and kicks our knight away. }

fxe4 11. fxe4

{ This is the most obvious, as well as the most common, option at white’s disposal, but it
doesn’t seem to challenge black much. }

Qxc3+ { Black has time to recoup his pawn. } 12. Bd2 Qe5 13. Bb5+ Bd7 14.

Bxd7+ Nxd7 15. O-O N5f6

{ Grabbing on e4 is disastrous after 16. Ng5, but after the simple N5f6 black has no
problems at all - next he can castle with a good positions. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.a3 and 4.f3”]

[Black “4.f3 5.a3 Mainline Variation 20”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4

{ In this chapter we will be covering the 4. f3 and 4. a3, since they both can transpose fairly
easily. They both are both known as the Saemisch Variation of the Nimzo-Indian. }

4. f3

{ 4. f3 is one of the sharpest and most interesting variations in the whole of the Nimzo-
Indian. It can lead to fresh and interesting positions, which are often quite sharp, from both
black’s …d5 and …c5 variations. White’s idea is quite simple: he intends to take over the
centre with e4, possiby with a3 …Bxc3+ bxc3 thrown in. }

d5

{ c5 is the other big move here. It is a bit less common, but it is played by many top players
(especially recently) and it scores well. However, the positions that c5 leads to are quite
unconventional and sharp, which is not in keeping with the theme of this repertoire.
Instead, we will opt for d5. This has the simple idea of directly stopping white’s e4 advance
for now. }

5. a3

{ Forcing the bishop to either take on c3 or retreat, with the purpose of clarifying the
situation with the pinned c3-knight. By doing this, white is trying to make the e4 advance
easier to carry out. }

Bxc3+
{ Retreating with the bishop is also played, but it is less common. } 6. bxc3

{ A very important position in this chapter since it can arise via both 4. f3 and 4. a3, which
is also the reason for both of these moves being grouped into a single chapter. Most of this
chapter is dedicated to analysing this position in greater detail. }

c5

{ Black needs to attack white’s centre before he has the chance to fully develop. }

7. cxd5 Nxd5

{ Taking with the pawn is also an option, but it leads to a very different kind of game. White
tends to score better there, since he has time to solidify and build up his centre, which
allows him to make use of his bishop pair in the long run. That is why the knight recapture
is more common and probably objectively better as well. Black relies on his lead in
development to put white under as much pressure as possible so that he doesn’t have a
chance to unravel. }

8. dxc5

{ The most popular move by far and the only one that can challenge black. White indirectly
defends c3, since …Nxc3 can be met by exchanging queens followed by Bb2, winning the g7
pawn. White also hopes that black spends time trying to recoup the c5 pawn, which will
give white a chance to complete development and take full advantage of his bishop pair. }

f5

{ A funny-looking move but a good one. Even though it seems quite anti-positional and
risky to play like this, many of the world’s top players (past and present) have opted for f5,
including Karpov, Kortschnoj and Kramnik. The other option, Qa5, is more popular but this
scores quite a bit better in practice. Black’s idea here is purely prophylactic. We ignore the
c5 pawn for now and rather direct our focus to hamstring white’s planned e4 expansion. By
dissuading white from e4, black makes white’s kingside development significantly more
difficult than it already was. This position is a bit of a tabiya as well as the most important
position in this chapter. It has been reached in around 370 games at the time of writing,
with black scoring a solid 47% or so. White is behind in development and needs to find a
way to untangle his kingside. His 4 main options, which we will analyse, are 9. Qc2, 9. e4, 9.
c4 and the most popular move, 9. Nh3. }

9. Nh3

{ Developing the knight is white’s most common choice, but it doesn’t seem like white’s
most critical try. Most top players have been opting for one of the other options, which is a
good indication that white needs to search elsewhere for an edge. }

Qa5
{ The other big move here is O-O, but it seems like black has troubles equalising after 10.
Nf4 (since we are saddled with an isolated d-pawn which gives white good long-term
pressure) . Recently, most top players have opted for this move instead. We have the option
of grabbing either the c3 or the c5 pawn on the next move. }

10. e4

{ White’s second most common choice, behind 10. Nf4. 10. e4 allows white to develop his
bishop and kicks our knight away. }

fxe4 11. Ng5

{ This has been tried once, with the idea of sacrificing a pawn to get some active play and
open lines for white’s pieces. }

Nf6

{ Black should ignore the pawn and just complete development. Taking on f3 gives white
far too much play. }

12. Be2 O-O 13. O-O Qxc5+ 14. Kh1 e3

{ White will regain the e3 pawn sooner or later, but by then black’s pieces will be in the
game. Black has no problems here and has achieved full equality. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian with 4.a3 and 4.f3”]

[Black “4.f3 5.a3 Mainline Variation 21”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4

{ In this chapter we will be covering the 4. f3 and 4. a3, since they both can transpose fairly
easily. They both are both known as the Saemisch Variation of the Nimzo-Indian. }
4. f3

{ 4. f3 is one of the sharpest and most interesting variations in the whole of the Nimzo-
Indian. It can lead to fresh and interesting positions, which are often quite sharp, from both
black’s …d5 and …c5 variations. White’s idea is quite simple: he intends to take over the
centre with e4, possiby with a3 …Bxc3+ bxc3 thrown in. }

d5

{ c5 is the other big move here. It is a bit less common, but it is played by many top players
(especially recently) and it scores well. However, the positions that c5 leads to are quite
unconventional and sharp, which is not in keeping with the theme of this repertoire.
Instead, we will opt for d5. This has the simple idea of directly stopping white’s e4 advance
for now. }

5. a3

{ Forcing the bishop to either take on c3 or retreat, with the purpose of clarifying the
situation with the pinned c3-knight. By doing this, white is trying to make the e4 advance
easier to carry out. }

Bxc3+

{ Retreating with the bishop is also played, but it is less common. } 6. bxc3

{ A very important position in this chapter since it can arise via both 4. f3 and 4. a3, which
is also the reason for both of these moves being grouped into a single chapter. Most of this
chapter is dedicated to analysing this position in greater detail. }

c5

{ Black needs to attack white’s centre before he has the chance to fully develop. }

7. cxd5 Nxd5

{ Taking with the pawn is also an option, but it leads to a very different kind of game. White
tends to score better there, since he has time to solidify and build up his centre, which
allows him to make use of his bishop pair in the long run. That is why the knight recapture
is more common and probably objectively better as well. Black relies on his lead in
development to put white under as much pressure as possible so that he doesn’t have a
chance to unravel. }

8. dxc5

{ The most popular move by far and the only one that can challenge black. White indirectly
defends c3, since …Nxc3 can be met by exchanging queens followed by Bb2, winning the g7
pawn. White also hopes that black spends time trying to recoup the c5 pawn, which will
give white a chance to complete development and take full advantage of his bishop pair. }

f5

{ A funny-looking move but a good one. Even though it seems quite anti-positional and
risky to play like this, many of the world’s top players (past and present) have opted for f5,
including Karpov, Kortschnoj and Kramnik. The other option, Qa5, is more popular but this
scores quite a bit better in practice. Black’s idea here is purely prophylactic. We ignore the
c5 pawn for now and rather direct our focus to hamstring white’s planned e4 expansion. By
dissuading white from e4, black makes white’s kingside development significantly more
difficult than it already was. This position is a bit of a tabiya as well as the most important
position in this chapter. It has been reached in around 370 games at the time of writing,
with black scoring a solid 47% or so. White is behind in development and needs to find a
way to untangle his kingside. His 4 main options, which we will analyse, are 9. Qc2, 9. e4, 9.
c4 and the most popular move, 9. Nh3. }

9. Nh3

{ Developing the knight is white’s most common choice, but it doesn’t seem like white’s
most critical try. Most top players have been opting for one of the other options, which is a
good indication that white needs to search elsewhere for an edge. }

Qa5

{ The other big move here is O-O, but it seems like black has troubles equalising after 10.
Nf4 (since we are saddled with an isolated d-pawn which gives white good long-term
pressure) . Recently, most top players have opted for this move instead. We have the option
of grabbing either the c3 or the c5 pawn on the next move. }

10. e4

{ White’s second most common choice, behind 10. Nf4. 10. e4 allows white to develop his
bishop and kicks our knight away. }

fxe4 11. Nf2

{ This is another way for white to offer the pawn sacrifice. } Nf6

{ Once again, black should decline the pawn and get on with development instead. }

12. fxe4 O-O 13. Qd4 { Trying to hold onto both pawns. } Nc6 14. Qe3 Nd7

{ Targeting c5. } 15. Rb1 Qxc5 16. Qxc5 Nxc5

{ Black has regained the pawn with equality. White’s poor pawn structure offsets his bishop
pair advantage. }
[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian Deviations”]

[Black “Nimzo-Indian Deviations Overview”]

{ @@HeaderStart@@Key Points@@HeaderEnd@@

This chapter deals with 4.Bg5, known as the Leningrad, and other sidelines. The main thing
to remember here is to hit out at the d4 pawn with …c5 after 4.Bg5. White typically respons
with d5. Black typically gets a very good Benoni structure with his bishop on b4. Our idea
here will be to put pressure on d5, as this pawn is often with, with moves like …Qa5. In
many variations we actually win this pawn. }

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3

{ The reason 3. Nf3 is often seen as more theoretically challenging is because it doesn’t
allow black to pin the knight on c3 with …Bb4 like 3. Nc3 does. 3. Nc3 is far more direct -
white is clearly planning to grab the whole centre with 4. e4. Black can fight for the e4
square using the ‘classical’ approach with d5 or the ‘hypermodern’ approach with Bb4. }

Bb4

{ By pinning the knight, black indirectly fights for control over e4. This is the Nimzo-Indian,
named after Aron Nimzowitsch, who promoted the hypermodern idea of controlling the
centre with pieces as opposed to pawns. The Nimzo-Indian is seen as one of the strongest
defences available against 1. d4 and it has caused many players to switch to 3. Nf3 since it
is such a tough nut to crack. One of the most appealing things about the Nimzo-Indian is its
flexibility. Since black hasn’t committed his pawns anywhere, he is able to choose from a
variety of pawn structures and strategies - for example, black can go for a dark-squared
strategy based on … d6 and …e5 (or …c5) or a light squared strategy with …b6 and …Bb7,
but our play will mostly revolve around staking out our share of the centre by playing …d5.
We have chosen this strategy since it synergises perfectly with the Ragozin, meaning that
many of the ideas, plans and even variations are transferable. In some cases where this
clearly isn’t the best way to play we will opt for something else, but otherwise we will stick
to the …d5 strategy in most cases. This chapter deals with white’s smaller options in the
Nimzo-Indian, as well transpositions into other chapters. }

4. Bg5

{ 4. Bg5, known as the Leningrad, is one of the first serious systems we will be examining
against the Nimzo-Indian. White develops naturally, pinning our knight. White at the very
least would like to get an improved version of 4. e3, with the bishop outside the pawn
chain. 4.Nf3 is, in fact, the third most popular move, behind 4. e3 and 4. Qc2. d5 transposes
straight into the Ragozin, which we’ve been looking at in the previous 4 chapters. 4.Bd2 A
standard idea we have seen throughout the other chapters with the idea of recapturing on
c3 without doubling his pawns. O-O 5.Nf3 5.e3 This doesn’t have too much independent
value and should just transpose to the mainline after d5 6.Nf3 b6 transposing to 5. Nf3. 5.a3
White hurries to pick up the bishop pair. Bxc3 6.Bxc3 Ne4 ! This is a nice and simple way to
regain the bishop pair which white has just gained. 7.Qc2 Nxc3 8.Qxc3 b6 Developing the
bishop on the long diagonal. 9.Nf3 Bb7 10.g3 d6 Putting the pawns on the dark squares
makes more sense with a light squared bishop instead of the usual strategy of …d5. 11.Bg2
Nd7 12.O-O Nf6 = Black has a bit less space, but all his pieces have good squares available
since 2 sets of minor pieces have already been exchanged, which means that we have
equalised here. 5.Qc2 This leads to very similar play to the main line - our general idea here
is to play …d5, …b6 and then put our light bishop either on b7 or a6. d5 6.e3 b6 7.Nf3 Ba6
8.a3 Bxc3 9.Qxc3 Nbd7 followed by …c5 with equality. d5 Note that this position can also be
reached from the Ragozin, as we saw in the previous chapter. 6.e3 b6 The simplest way to
get our light bishop into the game. 7.cxd5 7.Bd3 Bb7 8.O-O White has one little trick up his
sleeve here: Nxd5 ! is the threat. dxc4 Dealing with the threat in the easiest way possible.
Taking on c4 is often a good idea once white has already moved his light bishop. 9.Bxc4
Nbd7 10.Qe2 c5 = Black has developed soundly and carried out the …c5 break, equalising.
exd5 8.Bd3 Natural development is the name of the gam here for both sides. We’ll be
looking to play …Bb7, …Nbd7, …Be7 and then go for the …c5 break. Bb7 9.O-O Nbd7 10.Rc1
Be7 11.Be1 c5 = Black has developed harmoniously and the game is roughly level. 4.Qb3
The rarest 4th move in this chapter. White wants to gain the bishop pair as quickly as
possible, but the downside is that d4 loses some of its support. We exploit this fact in the
same way as the last chapter. c5 Just like in the last chapter. 5.dxc5 The logical follow-up to
white’s previous move - everything else is too passive or slow. 5.Nf3 d5 transposing to the
previous chapter. 5.a3 ?! Gaining the bishop pair, but this is simply too slow. Bxc3+ 6.Qxc3
cxd4 7.Qxd4 Nc6 =+ Black gains time on white’s queen and the lead in development give
black a slight edge. 5.e3 Blocking in the bishop pair like this is rarely good, and this is no
exception. Nc6 6.Nf3 d5 transposing to the previous chapter. Nc6 Protecting the bishop and
developing. There’s no need to recapture the c5 pawn immediately since it isn’t going
anywhere - it’s also useful to maintain the pin on white’s knight. 6.Nf3 White’s most
popular move by far. 6.Bg5 Active, but not critical. h6 7.Bxf6 Qxf6 8.e3 Bxc3+ 9.Qxc3 Qxc3+
10.bxc3 Nb8 ! =+ Black is pushing here. This clever rerouting of the knight to a6 to regain
the c5 pawn leaves white having to defend his weak c-pawns. Ne4 ! We take full advantage
of the pressure on the knight on c3. Regaining the c5 pawn isn’t our priority, and instead
we aim to damage white’s pawn structure or gain the bishop pair. 7.Bd2 Nxd2 Picking up
the bishop pair is always nice. 8.Nxd2 Bxc5 Now is a good time to recoup the pawn. 9.e3 O-
O = With the bishop pair, black cannot possibly be worse here. 4.g3 d5 5.Bg2 O-O
transposes into the Catalan, which is covered in Chapter 10. }

c5

{ This is one of the few times where we deviate significantly from the usual strategy of
playing the solid …d5, but that is because d5 in this position is simply not good. After d5
white is able to transpose into a Queen’s Gambit Declined Exchange Variation where
black’s bishop is badly misplaced on b4. Instead, c5 is very good and exploits the
drawbacks behind 4. Bg5. Black hits out at white’s centre which is currently unsupported,
and moreover, the most natural way for white to support the d4 pawn, with 5. e3, just
doesn’t work because of Qa5 !. This forces white to head for a poor Benoni-type structure
with 5. d5, as we shall see. }

5. d5

{ The only critical choice white has. The game is taken into a Benoni structure. 5.e3 ?! This
seems very natural, but it is a mistake. It’s interesting to note that this is white’s second
most common move, having been played over 180 times ! Qa5 ! Attacking c3. 6.Nge2 6.Bxf6
leaves white on the verge of losing. Bxc3+ 7.bxc3 Qxc3+ 8.Ke2 gxf6 ��� Ne4 Black
exploits the fact that the bishop is hanging. 7.Qd3 ! is white’s only way to avoid becoming
far worse, or lose outright. White exploits the fact that a knight on g5 would be trapped
after h4. d5 8.Bf4 cxd4 9.exd4 Nc6 =+ Black is definitely on the offensive here. 5.a3 Bxc3+
6.bxc3 h6 7.Bxf6 Qxf6 =+ White’s poor pawn structure gives black an edge. 5.Nf3 h6 6.Bxf6
Qxf6 7.e3 b6 = Black has no issues here. 5.dxc5 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 h6 7.Bxf6 Qxf6 =+ Noone
would envy white’s tripled c-pawns. }

d6 6. e3

{ An unfortunate necessity. 6.e4 ?! is what white would like to play, but unfortunately it
allows a simple counter, thanks to our active dark bishop: Bxc3+ 7.bxc3 h6 ! Forcing the
exchange since otherwise e4 is hanging. 8.Bxf6 Qxf6 =+ White will be struggling for the rest
of the game from here on, due to his bad bishop and weak, immobile pawn structure. }

exd5 7. cxd5 Nbd7

{ We reach a Modern Benoni structure where our active bishop on b4 makes all the
difference. White will never really be able to get his play in the centre going, since we are
targeting the d5 pawn which is very weak. }

8. Bd3

{ White develops normally, but with a disregard for the d5-pawn. 8.Bb5 White pins the
knight to prevent picking up d5 with …Nd7-b6xd5. h6 9.Bh4 Bxc3+ 10.bxc3 Qa5
Eliminating white’s bishop pair. 11.Bxd7+ Nxd7 12.Ne2 O-O ! The key move to remember
here. Black doesn’t have to worry about losing the d6 pawn since the play he will get for it
are more than enough compensation. 13.O-O 13.Be7 Going for the d6 pawn is a bit greedy
and black does get more than enough play in return. Re8 14.Bxd6 Nf6 15.O-O Bg4 ! Black
has strong pressure against both d5 and c3. 16.Bg3 Bxe2 17.Qxe2 Nxd5 =+ Black’s activity
here does give him the edge. Re8 The best square for this rook in most Benoni structures
and it also nips the Be7 idea in the bud. 14.Bg3 Ne5 =+ Black has a very nice Benoni
structure and can look to expand later on the queenside. }

Qa5 { Hitting c3 and getting out of the pin. } 9. Ne2 Nxd5

{ Black wins a pawn, but white is prioritising his development and hoping for
compensation in the form of activity and the bishop pair. }

10. O-O Bxc3 11. bxc3 c4

{ An important move to insert before grabbing the c3 pawn. It opens up the 5th rank, which
results in a number of tactical ideas on the dark bishop on g5. Taking on c4 just blunders a
piece to …N5b6, of course. }

12. Bc2

{ 12.Bf5 ?! This has been tried a dozen or so times. O-O ! Simple and best. 13.Qd2 Nxc3
��� Black was already clearly better in 0-1 (44) Yuneev,A (2345) -Dautov,R (2535)
Daugavpils 1989. }

O-O { We should get the king to safety first before grabbing on c3. } 13.

Bh4

{ Getting the bishop out of the way and rerouting it to g3 later on where it can attack d6.
13.Ng3 ?! This has been played almost as much as 13. Bh4, but it is not good. White is
hoping to stir up a strong kingside attack with Qh5 but this is doomed to fail. Nxc3 Black
should take this pawn without fear and make white show what compensation he has.
14.Qh5 f5 Blocking the mate threats. 15.Be7 Rf7 16.Bxd6 16.Nxf5 Ne5 Black’s minor pieces
come to the rescue on the kingside. 17.Bxd6 Bxf5 Black is able to completely neutralise
white’s attack by force. 18.Bxf5 Nf3+ ! Continuing the exchanges. 19.Qxf3 Qxf5 20.Qxf5
Ne2+ 21.Kh1 Rxf5 -+ White has ended up in a losing endgame where black’s queenside
pawns, especially the far advanced c-pawn, should decide the game in his favour. Ne5
��� Black has a clear advantage. Taking on f5 will run into the same exchanging tactic
with …Nf3+ we saw previously against 16. Nxf5. }

Nxc3 14. Nxc3 Qxc3 15. Rc1 { Threatening Bxh7+. } Qe5 16. Bg3

{ White needs to recoup at least one of his pawns here. } Qe6 17. Bxd6

{ This is a bit more ambitious than taking on d6 with the queen, but it is probably no better.
17.Qxd6 White goes for the endgame. Qxd6 18.Bxd6 Re8 19.Rfd1 Nb6 = White will be able
to recoup the c4 pawn, but will have nothing more than equality. It doesn’t seem like white
has enough for the pawn here and it is far from easy to capture c4 as well. Black can look to
continue with …b5 and …Nb6 or …Nf6. }

Re8

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian Deviations”]

[Black “4.Nf3”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3

{ The reason 3. Nf3 is often seen as more theoretically challenging is because it doesn’t
allow black to pin the knight on c3 with …Bb4 like 3. Nc3 does. 3. Nc3 is far more direct -
white is clearly planning to grab the whole centre with 4. e4. Black can fight for the e4
square using the ‘classical’ approach with d5 or the ‘hypermodern’ approach with Bb4. }

Bb4

{ By pinning the knight, black indirectly fights for control over e4. This is the Nimzo-Indian,
named after Aron Nimzowitsch, who promoted the hypermodern idea of controlling the
centre with pieces as opposed to pawns. The Nimzo-Indian is seen as one of the strongest
defences available against 1. d4 and it has caused many players to switch to 3. Nf3 since it
is such a tough nut to crack. One of the most appealing things about the Nimzo-Indian is its
flexibility. Since black hasn’t committed his pawns anywhere, he is able to choose from a
variety of pawn structures and strategies - for example, black can go for a dark-squared
strategy based on … d6 and …e5 or …c5 or a light squared strategy with …b6 and …Bb7, but
our play will mostly revolve around staking out our share of the centre by playing …d5. We
have chosen this strategy since it synergises perfectly with the Ragozin, meaning that many
of the ideas, plans and even variations are transferable. In some cases where this clearly
isn’t the best way to play we will opt for something else, but otherwise we will stick to the
…d5 strategy in most cases. }
4. Nf3

{ This chapter deals with white’s smaller options in the Nimzo-Indian, as well
transpositions into other chapters. 4.Nf3 is, in fact, the third most popular move, behind 4.
e3 and 4. Qc2. }

d5

{ transposes straight into the Ragozin, which we will look at a bit later. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian Deviations”]

[Black “4.Bd2 Variation 1”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3

{ The reason 3. Nf3 is often seen as more theoretically challenging is because it doesn’t
allow black to pin the knight on c3 with …Bb4 like 3. Nc3 does. 3. Nc3 is far more direct -
white is clearly planning to grab the whole centre with 4. e4. Black can fight for the e4
square using the ‘classical’ approach with d5 or the ‘hypermodern’ approach with Bb4. }

Bb4

{ By pinning the knight, black indirectly fights for control over e4. This is the Nimzo-Indian,
named after Aron Nimzowitsch, who promoted the hypermodern idea of controlling the
centre with pieces as opposed to pawns. The Nimzo-Indian is seen as one of the strongest
defences available against 1. d4 and it has caused many players to switch to 3. Nf3 since it
is such a tough nut to crack. One of the most appealing things about the Nimzo-Indian is its
flexibility. Since black hasn’t committed his pawns anywhere, he is able to choose from a
variety of pawn structures and strategies - for example, black can go for a dark-squared
strategy based on … d6 and …e5 (or …c5) or a light squared strategy with …b6 and …Bb7,
but our play will mostly revolve around staking out our share of the centre by playing …d5.
We have chosen this strategy since it synergises perfectly with the Ragozin, meaning that
many of the ideas, plans and even variations are transferable. In some cases where this
clearly isn’t the best way to play we will opt for something else, but otherwise we will stick
to the …d5 strategy in most cases. This chapter deals with white’s smaller options in the
Nimzo-Indian, as well transpositions into other chapters. }

4. Bd2

{ A standard idea we have seen throughout the other chapters with the idea of recapturing
on c3 without doubling his pawns. }

O-O 5. e3

{ This doesn’t have too much independent value and should just transpose to the mainline
after }

d5 6. Nf3 b6 { transposing to 5. Nf3. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian Deviations”]

[Black “4.Bd2 Variation 2”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3

{ The reason 3. Nf3 is often seen as more theoretically challenging is because it doesn’t
allow black to pin the knight on c3 with …Bb4 like 3. Nc3 does. 3. Nc3 is far more direct -
white is clearly planning to grab the whole centre with 4. e4. Black can fight for the e4
square using the ‘classical’ approach with d5 or the ‘hypermodern’ approach with Bb4. }

Bb4

{ By pinning the knight, black indirectly fights for control over e4. This is the Nimzo-Indian,
named after Aron Nimzowitsch, who promoted the hypermodern idea of controlling the
centre with pieces as opposed to pawns. The Nimzo-Indian is seen as one of the strongest
defences available against 1. d4 and it has caused many players to switch to 3. Nf3 since it
is such a tough nut to crack. One of the most appealing things about the Nimzo-Indian is its
flexibility. Since black hasn’t committed his pawns anywhere, he is able to choose from a
variety of pawn structures and strategies - for example, black can go for a dark-squared
strategy based on … d6 and …e5 (or …c5) or a light squared strategy with …b6 and …Bb7,
but our play will mostly revolve around staking out our share of the centre by playing …d5.
We have chosen this strategy since it synergises perfectly with the Ragozin, meaning that
many of the ideas, plans and even variations are transferable. In some cases where this
clearly isn’t the best way to play we will opt for something else, but otherwise we will stick
to the …d5 strategy in most cases. This chapter deals with white’s smaller options in the
Nimzo-Indian, as well transpositions into other chapters. }

4. Bd2

{ A standard idea we have seen throughout the other chapters with the idea of recapturing
on c3 without doubling his pawns. }

O-O 5. a3 { White hurries to pick up the bishop pair. } Bxc3 6. Bxc3

Ne4

{ This is a nice and simple way to regain the bishop pair which white has just gained. }

7. Qc2 Nxc3 8. Qxc3 b6 { Developing the bishop on the long diagonal. } 9. Nf3

Bb7 10. g3 d6

{ Putting the pawns on the dark squares makes more sense with a light squared bishop
instead of the usual strategy of …d5. }

11. Bg2 Nd7 12. O-O Nf6

{ Black has a bit less space, but all his pieces have good squares available since 2 sets of
minor pieces have already been exchanged, which means that we have equalised here. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian Deviations”]

[Black “4.Bd2 Variation 3”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3

{ The reason 3. Nf3 is often seen as more theoretically challenging is because it doesn’t
allow black to pin the knight on c3 with …Bb4 like 3. Nc3 does. 3. Nc3 is far more direct -
white is clearly planning to grab the whole centre with 4. e4. Black can fight for the e4
square using the ‘classical’ approach with d5 or the ‘hypermodern’ approach with Bb4. }

Bb4

{ By pinning the knight, black indirectly fights for control over e4. This is the Nimzo-Indian,
named after Aron Nimzowitsch, who promoted the hypermodern idea of controlling the
centre with pieces as opposed to pawns. The Nimzo-Indian is seen as one of the strongest
defences available against 1. d4 and it has caused many players to switch to 3. Nf3 since it
is such a tough nut to crack. One of the most appealing things about the Nimzo-Indian is its
flexibility. Since black hasn’t committed his pawns anywhere, he is able to choose from a
variety of pawn structures and strategies - for example, black can go for a dark-squared
strategy based on … d6 and …e5 (or …c5) or a light squared strategy with …b6 and …Bb7,
but our play will mostly revolve around staking out our share of the centre by playing …d5.
We have chosen this strategy since it synergises perfectly with the Ragozin, meaning that
many of the ideas, plans and even variations are transferable. In some cases where this
clearly isn’t the best way to play we will opt for something else, but otherwise we will stick
to the …d5 strategy in most cases. This chapter deals with white’s smaller options in the
Nimzo-Indian, as well transpositions into other chapters. }

4. Bd2

{ A standard idea we have seen throughout the other chapters with the idea of recapturing
on c3 without doubling his pawns. }

O-O 5. Qc2

{ This leads to very similar play to the main line - our general idea here is to play …d5, …b6
and then put our light bishop either on b7 or a6. }

d5 6. e3 b6 7. Nf3 Ba6 8. a3 Bxc3 9. Qxc3 Nbd7

{ followed by …c5 with equality. }

[Site “?”]
[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian Deviations”]

[Black “4.Bd2 Variation 4”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3

{ The reason 3. Nf3 is often seen as more theoretically challenging is because it doesn’t
allow black to pin the knight on c3 with …Bb4 like 3. Nc3 does. 3. Nc3 is far more direct -
white is clearly planning to grab the whole centre with 4. e4. Black can fight for the e4
square using the ‘classical’ approach with d5 or the ‘hypermodern’ approach with Bb4. }

Bb4

{ By pinning the knight, black indirectly fights for control over e4. This is the Nimzo-Indian,
named after Aron Nimzowitsch, who promoted the hypermodern idea of controlling the
centre with pieces as opposed to pawns. The Nimzo-Indian is seen as one of the strongest
defences available against 1. d4 and it has caused many players to switch to 3. Nf3 since it
is such a tough nut to crack. One of the most appealing things about the Nimzo-Indian is its
flexibility. Since black hasn’t committed his pawns anywhere, he is able to choose from a
variety of pawn structures and strategies - for example, black can go for a dark-squared
strategy based on … d6 and …e5 (or …c5) or a light squared strategy with …b6 and …Bb7,
but our play will mostly revolve around staking out our share of the centre by playing …d5.
We have chosen this strategy since it synergises perfectly with the Ragozin, meaning that
many of the ideas, plans and even variations are transferable. In some cases where this
clearly isn’t the best way to play we will opt for something else, but otherwise we will stick
to the …d5 strategy in most cases. This chapter deals with white’s smaller options in the
Nimzo-Indian, as well transpositions into other chapters. }

4. Bd2

{ A standard idea we have seen throughout the other chapters with the idea of recapturing
on c3 without doubling his pawns. }

O-O 5. Nf3 d5

{ Note that this position can also be reached from the Ragozin. } 6. e3 b6

{ The simplest way to get our light bishop into the game. } 7. Bd3 Bb7 8. O-O
{ White has one little trick up his sleeve here: Nxd5 ! is the threat. }

dxc4

{ Dealing with the threat in the easiest way possible. Taking on c4 is often a good idea once
white has already moved his light bishop. }

9. Bxc4 Nbd7 10. Qe2 c5

{ Black has developed soundly and carried out the …c5 break, equalising. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian Deviations”]

[Black “4.Bd2 Variation 5”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3

{ The reason 3. Nf3 is often seen as more theoretically challenging is because it doesn’t
allow black to pin the knight on c3 with …Bb4 like 3. Nc3 does. 3. Nc3 is far more direct -
white is clearly planning to grab the whole centre with 4. e4. Black can fight for the e4
square using the ‘classical’ approach with d5 or the ‘hypermodern’ approach with Bb4. }

Bb4

{ By pinning the knight, black indirectly fights for control over e4. This is the Nimzo-Indian,
named after Aron Nimzowitsch, who promoted the hypermodern idea of controlling the
centre with pieces as opposed to pawns. The Nimzo-Indian is seen as one of the strongest
defences available against 1. d4 and it has caused many players to switch to 3. Nf3 since it
is such a tough nut to crack. One of the most appealing things about the Nimzo-Indian is its
flexibility. Since black hasn’t committed his pawns anywhere, he is able to choose from a
variety of pawn structures and strategies - for example, black can go for a dark-squared
strategy based on … d6 and …e5 (or …c5) or a light squared strategy with …b6 and …Bb7,
but our play will mostly revolve around staking out our share of the centre by playing …d5.
We have chosen this strategy since it synergises perfectly with the Ragozin, meaning that
many of the ideas, plans and even variations are transferable. In some cases where this
clearly isn’t the best way to play we will opt for something else, but otherwise we will stick
to the …d5 strategy in most cases. This chapter deals with white’s smaller options in the
Nimzo-Indian, as well transpositions into other chapters. }

4. Bd2

{ A standard idea we have seen throughout the other chapters with the idea of recapturing
on c3 without doubling his pawns. }

O-O 5. Nf3 d5

{ Note that this position can also be reached from the Ragozin. } 6. e3 b6

{ The simplest way to get our light bishop into the game. } 7. cxd5 exd5 8. Bd3

{ Natural development is the name of the game here for both sides. We’ll be looking to play
…Bb7, …Nbd7, …Be7 and then go for the …c5 break. }

Bb7 9. O-O Nbd7 10. Rc1 Be7 11. Be1 c5

{ Black has developed harmoniously and the game is roughly level. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian Deviations”]

[Black “4.Qb3 Variation 1”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3

{ The reason 3. Nf3 is often seen as more theoretically challenging is because it doesn’t
allow black to pin the knight on c3 with …Bb4 like 3. Nc3 does. 3. Nc3 is far more direct -
white is clearly planning to grab the whole centre with 4. e4. Black can fight for the e4
square using the ‘classical’ approach with d5 or the ‘hypermodern’ approach with Bb4. }
Bb4

{ By pinning the knight, black indirectly fights for control over e4. This is the Nimzo-Indian,
named after Aron Nimzowitsch, who promoted the hypermodern idea of controlling the
centre with pieces as opposed to pawns. The Nimzo-Indian is seen as one of the strongest
defences available against 1. d4 and it has caused many players to switch to 3. Nf3 since it
is such a tough nut to crack. One of the most appealing things about the Nimzo-Indian is its
flexibility. Since black hasn’t committed his pawns anywhere, he is able to choose from a
variety of pawn structures and strategies - for example, black can go for a dark-squared
strategy based on … d6 and …e5 (or …c5) or a light squared strategy with …b6 and …Bb7,
but our play will mostly revolve around staking out our share of the centre by playing …d5.
We have chosen this strategy since it synergises perfectly with the Ragozin, meaning that
many of the ideas, plans and even variations are transferable. In some cases where this
clearly isn’t the best way to play we will opt for something else, but otherwise we will stick
to the …d5 strategy in most cases. This chapter deals with white’s smaller options in the
Nimzo-Indian, as well transpositions into other chapters. }

4. Qb3

{ The rarest 4th move in this chapter. White wants to gain the bishop pair as quickly as
possible, but the downside is that d4 loses some of its support. We exploit this fact in the
same way as the last chapter. }

c5 { Just like in the last chapter. } 5. Nf3 d5

{ transposing to the chapter dealing with Ragozin Deviations. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian Deviations”]

[Black “4.Qb3 Variation 2”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3
{ The reason 3. Nf3 is often seen as more theoretically challenging is because it doesn’t
allow black to pin the knight on c3 with …Bb4 like 3. Nc3 does. 3. Nc3 is far more direct -
white is clearly planning to grab the whole centre with 4. e4. Black can fight for the e4
square using the ‘classical’ approach with d5 or the ‘hypermodern’ approach with Bb4. }

Bb4

{ By pinning the knight, black indirectly fights for control over e4. This is the Nimzo-Indian,
named after Aron Nimzowitsch, who promoted the hypermodern idea of controlling the
centre with pieces as opposed to pawns. The Nimzo-Indian is seen as one of the strongest
defences available against 1. d4 and it has caused many players to switch to 3. Nf3 since it
is such a tough nut to crack. One of the most appealing things about the Nimzo-Indian is its
flexibility. Since black hasn’t committed his pawns anywhere, he is able to choose from a
variety of pawn structures and strategies - for example, black can go for a dark-squared
strategy based on … d6 and …e5 (or …c5) or a light squared strategy with …b6 and …Bb7,
but our play will mostly revolve around staking out our share of the centre by playing …d5.
We have chosen this strategy since it synergises perfectly with the Ragozin, meaning that
many of the ideas, plans and even variations are transferable. In some cases where this
clearly isn’t the best way to play we will opt for something else, but otherwise we will stick
to the …d5 strategy in most cases. This chapter deals with white’s smaller options in the
Nimzo-Indian, as well transpositions into other chapters. }

4. Qb3

{ The rarest 4th move in this chapter. White wants to gain the bishop pair as quickly as
possible, but the downside is that d4 loses some of its support. We exploit this fact in the
same way as the last chapter. }

c5 { Just like in the last chapter. } 5. a3

{ Gaining the bishop pair, but this is simply too slow. } Bxc3+ 6. Qxc3

cxd4 7. Qxd4 Nc6

{ Black gains time on white’s queen and the lead in development give black a slight edge. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian Deviations”]

[Black “4.Qb3 Variation 3”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3

{ The reason 3. Nf3 is often seen as more theoretically challenging is because it doesn’t
allow black to pin the knight on c3 with …Bb4 like 3. Nc3 does. 3. Nc3 is far more direct -
white is clearly planning to grab the whole centre with 4. e4. Black can fight for the e4
square using the ‘classical’ approach with d5 or the ‘hypermodern’ approach with Bb4. }

Bb4

{ By pinning the knight, black indirectly fights for control over e4. This is the Nimzo-Indian,
named after Aron Nimzowitsch, who promoted the hypermodern idea of controlling the
centre with pieces as opposed to pawns. The Nimzo-Indian is seen as one of the strongest
defences available against 1. d4 and it has caused many players to switch to 3. Nf3 since it
is such a tough nut to crack. One of the most appealing things about the Nimzo-Indian is its
flexibility. Since black hasn’t committed his pawns anywhere, he is able to choose from a
variety of pawn structures and strategies - for example, black can go for a dark-squared
strategy based on … d6 and …e5 (or …c5) or a light squared strategy with …b6 and …Bb7,
but our play will mostly revolve around staking out our share of the centre by playing …d5.
We have chosen this strategy since it synergises perfectly with the Ragozin, meaning that
many of the ideas, plans and even variations are transferable. In some cases where this
clearly isn’t the best way to play we will opt for something else, but otherwise we will stick
to the …d5 strategy in most cases. This chapter deals with white’s smaller options in the
Nimzo-Indian, as well transpositions into other chapters. }

4. Qb3

{ The rarest 4th move in this chapter. White wants to gain the bishop pair as quickly as
possible, but the downside is that d4 loses some of its support. We exploit this fact in the
same way as the last chapter. }

c5 { Just like in the last chapter. } 5. e3

{ Blocking in the bishop pair like this is rarely good, and this is no exception. }

Nc6 6. Nf3 d5 { transposing to the previous chapter. }

[Site “?”]
[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian Deviations”]

[Black “4.Qb3 Variation 4”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3

{ The reason 3. Nf3 is often seen as more theoretically challenging is because it doesn’t
allow black to pin the knight on c3 with …Bb4 like 3. Nc3 does. 3. Nc3 is far more direct -
white is clearly planning to grab the whole centre with 4. e4. Black can fight for the e4
square using the ‘classical’ approach with d5 or the ‘hypermodern’ approach with Bb4. }

Bb4

{ By pinning the knight, black indirectly fights for control over e4. This is the Nimzo-Indian,
named after Aron Nimzowitsch, who promoted the hypermodern idea of controlling the
centre with pieces as opposed to pawns. The Nimzo-Indian is seen as one of the strongest
defences available against 1. d4 and it has caused many players to switch to 3. Nf3 since it
is such a tough nut to crack. One of the most appealing things about the Nimzo-Indian is its
flexibility. Since black hasn’t committed his pawns anywhere, he is able to choose from a
variety of pawn structures and strategies - for example, black can go for a dark-squared
strategy based on … d6 and …e5 (or …c5) or a light squared strategy with …b6 and …Bb7,
but our play will mostly revolve around staking out our share of the centre by playing …d5.
We have chosen this strategy since it synergises perfectly with the Ragozin, meaning that
many of the ideas, plans and even variations are transferable. In some cases where this
clearly isn’t the best way to play we will opt for something else, but otherwise we will stick
to the …d5 strategy in most cases. This chapter deals with white’s smaller options in the
Nimzo-Indian, as well transpositions into other chapters. }

4. Qb3

{ The rarest 4th move in this chapter. White wants to gain the bishop pair as quickly as
possible, but the downside is that d4 loses some of its support. We exploit this fact in the
same way as the last chapter. }

c5 { Just like in the last chapter. } 5. dxc5

{ The logical follow-up to white’s previous move - everything else is too passive or slow. }

Nc6
{ Protecting the bishop and developing. There’s no need to recapture the c5 pawn
immediately since it isn’t going anywhere - it’s also useful to maintain the pin on white’s
knight. }

6. Bg5 { Active, but not critical. } h6 7. Bxf6 Qxf6 8. e3 Bxc3+ 9. Qxc3

Qxc3+ 10. bxc3 Nb8

{ Black is pushing here. This clever rerouting of the knight to a6 to regain the c5 pawn
leaves white having to defend his weak c-pawns. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian Deviations”]

[Black “4.Qb3 Variation 5”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3

{ The reason 3. Nf3 is often seen as more theoretically challenging is because it doesn’t
allow black to pin the knight on c3 with …Bb4 like 3. Nc3 does. 3. Nc3 is far more direct -
white is clearly planning to grab the whole centre with 4. e4. Black can fight for the e4
square using the ‘classical’ approach with d5 or the ‘hypermodern’ approach with Bb4. }

Bb4

{ By pinning the knight, black indirectly fights for control over e4. This is the Nimzo-Indian,
named after Aron Nimzowitsch, who promoted the hypermodern idea of controlling the
centre with pieces as opposed to pawns. The Nimzo-Indian is seen as one of the strongest
defences available against 1. d4 and it has caused many players to switch to 3. Nf3 since it
is such a tough nut to crack. One of the most appealing things about the Nimzo-Indian is its
flexibility. Since black hasn’t committed his pawns anywhere, he is able to choose from a
variety of pawn structures and strategies - for example, black can go for a dark-squared
strategy based on … d6 and …e5 (or …c5) or a light squared strategy with …b6 and …Bb7,
but our play will mostly revolve around staking out our share of the centre by playing …d5.
We have chosen this strategy since it synergises perfectly with the Ragozin, meaning that
many of the ideas, plans and even variations are transferable. In some cases where this
clearly isn’t the best way to play we will opt for something else, but otherwise we will stick
to the …d5 strategy in most cases. This chapter deals with white’s smaller options in the
Nimzo-Indian, as well transpositions into other chapters. }

4. Qb3

{ The rarest 4th move in this chapter. White wants to gain the bishop pair as quickly as
possible, but the downside is that d4 loses some of its support. We exploit this fact in the
same way as the last chapter. }

c5 { Just like in the last chapter. } 5. dxc5

{ The logical follow-up to white’s previous move - everything else is too passive or slow. }

Nc6

{ Protecting the bishop and developing. There’s no need to recapture the c5 pawn
immediately since it isn’t going anywhere - it’s also useful to maintain the pin on white’s
knight. }

6. Nf3 { White’s most popular move by far. } Ne4

{ We take full advantage of the pressure on the knight on c3. Regaining the c5 pawn isn’t
our priority, and instead we aim to damage white’s pawn structure or gain the bishop
pair. }

7. Bd2 Nxd2 { Picking up the bishop pair is always nice. } 8. Nxd2 Bxc5
{ Now is a good time to recoup the pawn. } 9. e3 O-O

{ With the bishop pair, black cannot possibly be worse here. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian Deviations”]

[Black “4.g3”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3

{ The reason 3. Nf3 is often seen as more theoretically challenging is because it doesn’t
allow black to pin the knight on c3 with …Bb4 like 3. Nc3 does. 3. Nc3 is far more direct -
white is clearly planning to grab the whole centre with 4. e4. Black can fight for the e4
square using the ‘classical’ approach with d5 or the ‘hypermodern’ approach with Bb4. }

Bb4

{ By pinning the knight, black indirectly fights for control over e4. This is the Nimzo-Indian,
named after Aron Nimzowitsch, who promoted the hypermodern idea of controlling the
centre with pieces as opposed to pawns. The Nimzo-Indian is seen as one of the strongest
defences available against 1. d4 and it has caused many players to switch to 3. Nf3 since it
is such a tough nut to crack. One of the most appealing things about the Nimzo-Indian is its
flexibility. Since black hasn’t committed his pawns anywhere, he is able to choose from a
variety of pawn structures and strategies - for example, black can go for a dark-squared
strategy based on … d6 and …e5 (or …c5) or a light squared strategy with …b6 and …Bb7,
but our play will mostly revolve around staking out our share of the centre by playing …d5.
We have chosen this strategy since it synergises perfectly with the Ragozin, meaning that
many of the ideas, plans and even variations are transferable. In some cases where this
clearly isn’t the best way to play we will opt for something else, but otherwise we will stick
to the …d5 strategy in most cases. This chapter deals with white’s smaller options in the
Nimzo-Indian, as well transpositions into other chapters. }
4. g3 d5 5. Bg2 O-O

{ transposes into the Catalan, which is covered in Chapter 10. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian Deviations”]

[Black “4.Bg5 Variation 1”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3

{ The reason 3. Nf3 is often seen as more theoretically challenging is because it doesn’t
allow black to pin the knight on c3 with …Bb4 like 3. Nc3 does. 3. Nc3 is far more direct -
white is clearly planning to grab the whole centre with 4. e4. Black can fight for the e4
square using the ‘classical’ approach with d5 or the ‘hypermodern’ approach with Bb4. }

Bb4

{ By pinning the knight, black indirectly fights for control over e4. This is the Nimzo-Indian,
named after Aron Nimzowitsch, who promoted the hypermodern idea of controlling the
centre with pieces as opposed to pawns. The Nimzo-Indian is seen as one of the strongest
defences available against 1. d4 and it has caused many players to switch to 3. Nf3 since it
is such a tough nut to crack. One of the most appealing things about the Nimzo-Indian is its
flexibility. Since black hasn’t committed his pawns anywhere, he is able to choose from a
variety of pawn structures and strategies - for example, black can go for a dark-squared
strategy based on … d6 and …e5 (or …c5) or a light squared strategy with …b6 and …Bb7,
but our play will mostly revolve around staking out our share of the centre by playing …d5.
We have chosen this strategy since it synergises perfectly with the Ragozin, meaning that
many of the ideas, plans and even variations are transferable. In some cases where this
clearly isn’t the best way to play we will opt for something else, but otherwise we will stick
to the …d5 strategy in most cases. This chapter deals with white’s smaller options in the
Nimzo-Indian, as well transpositions into other chapters. }

4. Bg5
{ 4. Bg5, known as the Leningrad, is the most serious system we will be examining in this
chapter. White develops naturally, pinning our knight. White at the very least would like to
get an improved version of 4. e3, with the bishop outside the pawn chain. }

c5

{ This is one of the few times where we deviate significantly from the usual strategy of
playing the solid …d5, but that is because d5 in this position is simply not good. After d5
white is able to transpose into a Queen’s Gambit Declined Exchange Variation where
black’s bishop is badly misplaced on b4. Instead, c5 is very good and exploits the
drawbacks behind 4. Bg5. Black hits out at white’s centre which is currently unsupported,
and moreover, the most natural way for white to support the d4 pawn, with 5. e3, just
doesn’t work because of Qa5 !. This forces white to head for a poor Benoni-type structure
with 5. d5, as we shall see. }

5. e3

{ This seems very natural, but it is a mistake. It’s interesting to note that this is white’s
second most common move, having been played over 180 times ! }

Qa5 { Attacking c3. } 6. Bxf6 { leaves white on the verge of losing. }

Bxc3+ 7. bxc3 Qxc3+ 8. Ke2 gxf6

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian Deviations”]

[Black “4.Bg5 Variation 2”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3

{ The reason 3. Nf3 is often seen as more theoretically challenging is because it doesn’t
allow black to pin the knight on c3 with …Bb4 like 3. Nc3 does. 3. Nc3 is far more direct -
white is clearly planning to grab the whole centre with 4. e4. Black can fight for the e4
square using the ‘classical’ approach with d5 or the ‘hypermodern’ approach with Bb4. }

Bb4

{ By pinning the knight, black indirectly fights for control over e4. This is the Nimzo-Indian,
named after Aron Nimzowitsch, who promoted the hypermodern idea of controlling the
centre with pieces as opposed to pawns. The Nimzo-Indian is seen as one of the strongest
defences available against 1. d4 and it has caused many players to switch to 3. Nf3 since it
is such a tough nut to crack. One of the most appealing things about the Nimzo-Indian is its
flexibility. Since black hasn’t committed his pawns anywhere, he is able to choose from a
variety of pawn structures and strategies - for example, black can go for a dark-squared
strategy based on … d6 and …e5 (or …c5) or a light squared strategy with …b6 and …Bb7,
but our play will mostly revolve around staking out our share of the centre by playing …d5.
We have chosen this strategy since it synergises perfectly with the Ragozin, meaning that
many of the ideas, plans and even variations are transferable. In some cases where this
clearly isn’t the best way to play we will opt for something else, but otherwise we will stick
to the …d5 strategy in most cases. This chapter deals with white’s smaller options in the
Nimzo-Indian, as well transpositions into other chapters. }

4. Bg5

{ 4. Bg5, known as the Leningrad, is the most serious system we will be examining in this
chapter. White develops naturally, pinning our knight. White at the very least would like to
get an improved version of 4. e3, with the bishop outside the pawn chain. }

c5

{ This is one of the few times where we deviate significantly from the usual strategy of
playing the solid …d5, but that is because d5 in this position is simply not good. After d5
white is able to transpose into a Queen’s Gambit Declined Exchange Variation where
black’s bishop is badly misplaced on b4. Instead, c5 is very good and exploits the
drawbacks behind 4. Bg5. Black hits out at white’s centre which is currently unsupported,
and moreover, the most natural way for white to support the d4 pawn, with 5. e3, just
doesn’t work because of Qa5 !. This forces white to head for a poor Benoni-type structure
with 5. d5, as we shall see. }

5. e3

{ This seems very natural, but it is a mistake. It’s interesting to note that this is white’s
second most common move, having been played over 180 times ! }

Qa5 { Attacking c3. } 6. Ne2 Ne4

{ Black exploits the fact that the bishop is hanging. } 7. Qd3

{ is white’s only way to avoid becoming far worse, or lose outright. White exploits the fact
that a knight on g5 would be trapped after h4. }

d5 8. Bf4 cxd4 9. exd4 Nc6 { Black is definitely on the offensive here. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian Deviations”]

[Black “4.Bg5 Variation 3”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3

{ The reason 3. Nf3 is often seen as more theoretically challenging is because it doesn’t
allow black to pin the knight on c3 with …Bb4 like 3. Nc3 does. 3. Nc3 is far more direct -
white is clearly planning to grab the whole centre with 4. e4. Black can fight for the e4
square using the ‘classical’ approach with d5 or the ‘hypermodern’ approach with Bb4. }

Bb4

{ By pinning the knight, black indirectly fights for control over e4. This is the Nimzo-Indian,
named after Aron Nimzowitsch, who promoted the hypermodern idea of controlling the
centre with pieces as opposed to pawns. The Nimzo-Indian is seen as one of the strongest
defences available against 1. d4 and it has caused many players to switch to 3. Nf3 since it
is such a tough nut to crack. One of the most appealing things about the Nimzo-Indian is its
flexibility. Since black hasn’t committed his pawns anywhere, he is able to choose from a
variety of pawn structures and strategies - for example, black can go for a dark-squared
strategy based on … d6 and …e5 (or …c5) or a light squared strategy with …b6 and …Bb7,
but our play will mostly revolve around staking out our share of the centre by playing …d5.
We have chosen this strategy since it synergises perfectly with the Ragozin, meaning that
many of the ideas, plans and even variations are transferable. In some cases where this
clearly isn’t the best way to play we will opt for something else, but otherwise we will stick
to the …d5 strategy in most cases. This chapter deals with white’s smaller options in the
Nimzo-Indian, as well transpositions into other chapters. }
4. Bg5

{ 4. Bg5, known as the Leningrad, is the most serious system we will be examining in this
chapter. White develops naturally, pinning our knight. White at the very least would like to
get an improved version of 4. e3, with the bishop outside the pawn chain. }

c5

{ This is one of the few times where we deviate significantly from the usual strategy of
playing the solid …d5, but that is because d5 in this position is simply not good. After d5
white is able to transpose into a Queen’s Gambit Declined Exchange Variation where
black’s bishop is badly misplaced on b4. Instead, c5 is very good and exploits the
drawbacks behind 4. Bg5. Black hits out at white’s centre which is currently unsupported,
and moreover, the most natural way for white to support the d4 pawn, with 5. e3, just
doesn’t work because of Qa5 !. This forces white to head for a poor Benoni-type structure
with 5. d5, as we shall see. }

5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 h6 7. Bxf6 Qxf6

{ White’s poor pawn structure gives black an edge. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian Deviations”]

[Black “4.Bg5 Variation 4”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3

{ The reason 3. Nf3 is often seen as more theoretically challenging is because it doesn’t
allow black to pin the knight on c3 with …Bb4 like 3. Nc3 does. 3. Nc3 is far more direct -
white is clearly planning to grab the whole centre with 4. e4. Black can fight for the e4
square using the ‘classical’ approach with d5 or the ‘hypermodern’ approach with Bb4. }

Bb4
{ By pinning the knight, black indirectly fights for control over e4. This is the Nimzo-Indian,
named after Aron Nimzowitsch, who promoted the hypermodern idea of controlling the
centre with pieces as opposed to pawns. The Nimzo-Indian is seen as one of the strongest
defences available against 1. d4 and it has caused many players to switch to 3. Nf3 since it
is such a tough nut to crack. One of the most appealing things about the Nimzo-Indian is its
flexibility. Since black hasn’t committed his pawns anywhere, he is able to choose from a
variety of pawn structures and strategies - for example, black can go for a dark-squared
strategy based on … d6 and …e5 (or …c5) or a light squared strategy with …b6 and …Bb7,
but our play will mostly revolve around staking out our share of the centre by playing …d5.
We have chosen this strategy since it synergises perfectly with the Ragozin, meaning that
many of the ideas, plans and even variations are transferable. In some cases where this
clearly isn’t the best way to play we will opt for something else, but otherwise we will stick
to the …d5 strategy in most cases. This chapter deals with white’s smaller options in the
Nimzo-Indian, as well transpositions into other chapters. }

4. Bg5

{ 4. Bg5, known as the Leningrad, is the most serious system we will be examining in this
chapter. White develops naturally, pinning our knight. White at the very least would like to
get an improved version of 4. e3, with the bishop outside the pawn chain. }

c5

{ This is one of the few times where we deviate significantly from the usual strategy of
playing the solid …d5, but that is because d5 in this position is simply not good. After d5
white is able to transpose into a Queen’s Gambit Declined Exchange Variation where
black’s bishop is badly misplaced on b4. Instead, c5 is very good and exploits the
drawbacks behind 4. Bg5. Black hits out at white’s centre which is currently unsupported,
and moreover, the most natural way for white to support the d4 pawn, with 5. e3, just
doesn’t work because of Qa5 !. This forces white to head for a poor Benoni-type structure
with 5. d5, as we shall see. }

5. Nf3 h6 6. Bxf6 Qxf6 7. e3 b6 { Black has no issues here. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian Deviations”]

[Black “4.Bg5 Variation 5”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3

{ The reason 3. Nf3 is often seen as more theoretically challenging is because it doesn’t
allow black to pin the knight on c3 with …Bb4 like 3. Nc3 does. 3. Nc3 is far more direct -
white is clearly planning to grab the whole centre with 4. e4. Black can fight for the e4
square using the ‘classical’ approach with d5 or the ‘hypermodern’ approach with Bb4. }

Bb4

{ By pinning the knight, black indirectly fights for control over e4. This is the Nimzo-Indian,
named after Aron Nimzowitsch, who promoted the hypermodern idea of controlling the
centre with pieces as opposed to pawns. The Nimzo-Indian is seen as one of the strongest
defences available against 1. d4 and it has caused many players to switch to 3. Nf3 since it
is such a tough nut to crack. One of the most appealing things about the Nimzo-Indian is its
flexibility. Since black hasn’t committed his pawns anywhere, he is able to choose from a
variety of pawn structures and strategies - for example, black can go for a dark-squared
strategy based on … d6 and …e5 (or …c5) or a light squared strategy with …b6 and …Bb7,
but our play will mostly revolve around staking out our share of the centre by playing …d5.
We have chosen this strategy since it synergises perfectly with the Ragozin, meaning that
many of the ideas, plans and even variations are transferable. In some cases where this
clearly isn’t the best way to play we will opt for something else, but otherwise we will stick
to the …d5 strategy in most cases. This chapter deals with white’s smaller options in the
Nimzo-Indian, as well transpositions into other chapters. }

4. Bg5

{ 4. Bg5, known as the Leningrad, is the most serious system we will be examining in this
chapter. White develops naturally, pinning our knight. White at the very least would like to
get an improved version of 4. e3, with the bishop outside the pawn chain. }

c5

{ This is one of the few times where we deviate significantly from the usual strategy of
playing the solid …d5, but that is because d5 in this position is simply not good. After d5
white is able to transpose into a Queen’s Gambit Declined Exchange Variation where
black’s bishop is badly misplaced on b4. Instead, c5 is very good and exploits the
drawbacks behind 4. Bg5. Black hits out at white’s centre which is currently unsupported,
and moreover, the most natural way for white to support the d4 pawn, with 5. e3, just
doesn’t work because of Qa5 !. This forces white to head for a poor Benoni-type structure
with 5. d5, as we shall see. }

5. dxc5 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 h6 7. Bxf6 Qxf6

{ No-one would envy white’s tripled c-pawns. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian Deviations”]

[Black “4.Bg5 Variation 6”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3

{ The reason 3. Nf3 is often seen as more theoretically challenging is because it doesn’t
allow black to pin the knight on c3 with …Bb4 like 3. Nc3 does. 3. Nc3 is far more direct -
white is clearly planning to grab the whole centre with 4. e4. Black can fight for the e4
square using the ‘classical’ approach with d5 or the ‘hypermodern’ approach with Bb4. }

Bb4

{ By pinning the knight, black indirectly fights for control over e4. This is the Nimzo-Indian,
named after Aron Nimzowitsch, who promoted the hypermodern idea of controlling the
centre with pieces as opposed to pawns. The Nimzo-Indian is seen as one of the strongest
defences available against 1. d4 and it has caused many players to switch to 3. Nf3 since it
is such a tough nut to crack. One of the most appealing things about the Nimzo-Indian is its
flexibility. Since black hasn’t committed his pawns anywhere, he is able to choose from a
variety of pawn structures and strategies - for example, black can go for a dark-squared
strategy based on … d6 and …e5 (or …c5) or a light squared strategy with …b6 and …Bb7,
but our play will mostly revolve around staking out our share of the centre by playing …d5.
We have chosen this strategy since it synergises perfectly with the Ragozin, meaning that
many of the ideas, plans and even variations are transferable. In some cases where this
clearly isn’t the best way to play we will opt for something else, but otherwise we will stick
to the …d5 strategy in most cases. This chapter deals with white’s smaller options in the
Nimzo-Indian, as well transpositions into other chapters. }

4. Bg5
{ 4. Bg5, known as the Leningrad, is the most serious system we will be examining in this
chapter. White develops naturally, pinning our knight. White at the very least would like to
get an improved version of 4. e3, with the bishop outside the pawn chain. }

c5

{ This is one of the few times where we deviate significantly from the usual strategy of
playing the solid …d5, but that is because d5 in this position is simply not good. After d5
white is able to transpose into a Queen’s Gambit Declined Exchange Variation where
black’s bishop is badly misplaced on b4. Instead, c5 is very good and exploits the
drawbacks behind 4. Bg5. Black hits out at white’s centre which is currently unsupported,
and moreover, the most natural way for white to support the d4 pawn, with 5. e3, just
doesn’t work because of Qa5 !. This forces white to head for a poor Benoni-type structure
with 5. d5, as we shall see. }

5. d5

{ The only critical choice white has. The game is taken into a Benoni structure. }

d6 6. e4

{ is what white would like to play, but unfortunately it allows a simple counter, thanks to
our active dark bishop: }

Bxc3+ 7. bxc3 h6 { Forcing the exchange since otherwise e4 is hanging. }

8. Bxf6 Qxf6

{ White will be struggling for the rest of the game from here on, due to his bad bishop and
weak, immobile pawn structure. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian Deviations”]

[Black “4.Bg5 Variation 7”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3

{ The reason 3. Nf3 is often seen as more theoretically challenging is because it doesn’t
allow black to pin the knight on c3 with …Bb4 like 3. Nc3 does. 3. Nc3 is far more direct -
white is clearly planning to grab the whole centre with 4. e4. Black can fight for the e4
square using the ‘classical’ approach with d5 or the ‘hypermodern’ approach with Bb4. }

Bb4

{ By pinning the knight, black indirectly fights for control over e4. This is the Nimzo-Indian,
named after Aron Nimzowitsch, who promoted the hypermodern idea of controlling the
centre with pieces as opposed to pawns. The Nimzo-Indian is seen as one of the strongest
defences available against 1. d4 and it has caused many players to switch to 3. Nf3 since it
is such a tough nut to crack. One of the most appealing things about the Nimzo-Indian is its
flexibility. Since black hasn’t committed his pawns anywhere, he is able to choose from a
variety of pawn structures and strategies - for example, black can go for a dark-squared
strategy based on … d6 and …e5 (or …c5) or a light squared strategy with …b6 and …Bb7,
but our play will mostly revolve around staking out our share of the centre by playing …d5.
We have chosen this strategy since it synergises perfectly with the Ragozin, meaning that
many of the ideas, plans and even variations are transferable. In some cases where this
clearly isn’t the best way to play we will opt for something else, but otherwise we will stick
to the …d5 strategy in most cases. This chapter deals with white’s smaller options in the
Nimzo-Indian, as well transpositions into other chapters. }

4. Bg5

{ 4. Bg5, known as the Leningrad, is the most serious system we will be examining in this
chapter. White develops naturally, pinning our knight. White at the very least would like to
get an improved version of 4. e3, with the bishop outside the pawn chain. }

c5

{ This is one of the few times where we deviate significantly from the usual strategy of
playing the solid …d5, but that is because d5 in this position is simply not good. After d5
white is able to transpose into a Queen’s Gambit Declined Exchange Variation where
black’s bishop is badly misplaced on b4. Instead, c5 is very good and exploits the
drawbacks behind 4. Bg5. Black hits out at white’s centre which is currently unsupported,
and moreover, the most natural way for white to support the d4 pawn, with 5. e3, just
doesn’t work because of Qa5 !. This forces white to head for a poor Benoni-type structure
with 5. d5, as we shall see. }

5. d5

{ The only critical choice white has. The game is taken into a Benoni structure. }

d6 6. e3 { An unfortunate necessity. } exd5 7. cxd5 Nbd7

{ We reach a Modern Benoni structure where our active bishop on b4 makes all the
difference. White will never really be able to get his play in the centre going, since we are
targeting the d5 pawn which is very weak. }

8. Bb5 { White pins the knight to prevent picking up d5 with …Nd7-b6xd5. }

h6 9. Bh4 Bxc3+ 10. bxc3 Qa5 { Eliminating white’s bishop pair. } 11.

Bxd7+ Nxd7 12. Ne2 O-O

{ The key move to remember here. Black doesn’t have to worry about losing the d6 pawn
since the play he will get for it are more than enough compensation. }

13. Be7

{ Going for the d6 pawn is a bit greedy and black does get more than enough play in
return. }

Re8 14. Bxd6 Nf6 15. O-O Bg4

{ Black has strong pressure against both d5 and c3. } 16. Bg3 Bxe2 17. Qxe2

Nxd5 { Black’s activity here does give him the edge. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian Deviations”]

[Black “4.Bg5 Variation 8”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3

{ The reason 3. Nf3 is often seen as more theoretically challenging is because it doesn’t
allow black to pin the knight on c3 with …Bb4 like 3. Nc3 does. 3. Nc3 is far more direct -
white is clearly planning to grab the whole centre with 4. e4. Black can fight for the e4
square using the ‘classical’ approach with d5 or the ‘hypermodern’ approach with Bb4. }
Bb4

{ By pinning the knight, black indirectly fights for control over e4. This is the Nimzo-Indian,
named after Aron Nimzowitsch, who promoted the hypermodern idea of controlling the
centre with pieces as opposed to pawns. The Nimzo-Indian is seen as one of the strongest
defences available against 1. d4 and it has caused many players to switch to 3. Nf3 since it
is such a tough nut to crack. One of the most appealing things about the Nimzo-Indian is its
flexibility. Since black hasn’t committed his pawns anywhere, he is able to choose from a
variety of pawn structures and strategies - for example, black can go for a dark-squared
strategy based on … d6 and …e5 (or …c5) or a light squared strategy with …b6 and …Bb7,
but our play will mostly revolve around staking out our share of the centre by playing …d5.
We have chosen this strategy since it synergises perfectly with the Ragozin, meaning that
many of the ideas, plans and even variations are transferable. In some cases where this
clearly isn’t the best way to play we will opt for something else, but otherwise we will stick
to the …d5 strategy in most cases. This chapter deals with white’s smaller options in the
Nimzo-Indian, as well transpositions into other chapters. }

4. Bg5

{ 4. Bg5, known as the Leningrad, is the most serious system we will be examining in this
chapter. White develops naturally, pinning our knight. White at the very least would like to
get an improved version of 4. e3, with the bishop outside the pawn chain. }

c5

{ This is one of the few times where we deviate significantly from the usual strategy of
playing the solid …d5, but that is because d5 in this position is simply not good. After d5
white is able to transpose into a Queen’s Gambit Declined Exchange Variation where
black’s bishop is badly misplaced on b4. Instead, c5 is very good and exploits the
drawbacks behind 4. Bg5. Black hits out at white’s centre which is currently unsupported,
and moreover, the most natural way for white to support the d4 pawn, with 5. e3, just
doesn’t work because of Qa5 !. This forces white to head for a poor Benoni-type structure
with 5. d5, as we shall see. }

5. d5

{ The only critical choice white has. The game is taken into a Benoni structure. }

d6 6. e3 { An unfortunate necessity. } exd5 7. cxd5 Nbd7

{ We reach a Modern Benoni structure where our active bishop on b4 makes all the
difference. White will never really be able to get his play in the centre going, since we are
targeting the d5 pawn which is very weak. }

8. Bb5 { White pins the knight to prevent picking up d5 with …Nd7-b6xd5. }

h6 9. Bh4 Bxc3+ 10. bxc3 Qa5 { Eliminating white’s bishop pair. } 11.

Bxd7+ Nxd7 12. Ne2 O-O

{ The key move to remember here. Black doesn’t have to worry about losing the d6 pawn
since the play he will get for it are more than enough compensation. }

13. O-O Re8

{ The best square for this rook in most Benoni structures and it also nips the Be7 idea in the
bud. }

14. Bg3 Ne5

{ Black has a very nice Benoni structure and can look to expand later on the queenside. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian Deviations”]

[Black “4.Bg5 Variation 9”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3

{ The reason 3. Nf3 is often seen as more theoretically challenging is because it doesn’t
allow black to pin the knight on c3 with …Bb4 like 3. Nc3 does. 3. Nc3 is far more direct -
white is clearly planning to grab the whole centre with 4. e4. Black can fight for the e4
square using the ‘classical’ approach with d5 or the ‘hypermodern’ approach with Bb4. }

Bb4

{ By pinning the knight, black indirectly fights for control over e4. This is the Nimzo-Indian,
named after Aron Nimzowitsch, who promoted the hypermodern idea of controlling the
centre with pieces as opposed to pawns. The Nimzo-Indian is seen as one of the strongest
defences available against 1. d4 and it has caused many players to switch to 3. Nf3 since it
is such a tough nut to crack. One of the most appealing things about the Nimzo-Indian is its
flexibility. Since black hasn’t committed his pawns anywhere, he is able to choose from a
variety of pawn structures and strategies - for example, black can go for a dark-squared
strategy based on … d6 and …e5 (or …c5) or a light squared strategy with …b6 and …Bb7,
but our play will mostly revolve around staking out our share of the centre by playing …d5.
We have chosen this strategy since it synergises perfectly with the Ragozin, meaning that
many of the ideas, plans and even variations are transferable. In some cases where this
clearly isn’t the best way to play we will opt for something else, but otherwise we will stick
to the …d5 strategy in most cases. This chapter deals with white’s smaller options in the
Nimzo-Indian, as well transpositions into other chapters. }

4. Bg5

{ 4. Bg5, known as the Leningrad, is the most serious system we will be examining in this
chapter. White develops naturally, pinning our knight. White at the very least would like to
get an improved version of 4. e3, with the bishop outside the pawn chain. }

c5

{ This is one of the few times where we deviate significantly from the usual strategy of
playing the solid …d5, but that is because d5 in this position is simply not good. After d5
white is able to transpose into a Queen’s Gambit Declined Exchange Variation where
black’s bishop is badly misplaced on b4. Instead, c5 is very good and exploits the
drawbacks behind 4. Bg5. Black hits out at white’s centre which is currently unsupported,
and moreover, the most natural way for white to support the d4 pawn, with 5. e3, just
doesn’t work because of Qa5 !. This forces white to head for a poor Benoni-type structure
with 5. d5, as we shall see. }

5. d5

{ The only critical choice white has. The game is taken into a Benoni structure. }

d6 6. e3 { An unfortunate necessity. } exd5 7. cxd5 Nbd7

{ We reach a Modern Benoni structure where our active bishop on b4 makes all the
difference. White will never really be able to get his play in the centre going, since we are
targeting the d5 pawn which is very weak. }

8. Bd3 { White develops normally, but with a disregard for the d5-pawn. }

Qa5 { Hitting c3 and getting out of the pin. } 9. Ne2 Nxd5

{ Black wins a pawn, but white is prioritising his development and hoping for
compensation in the form of activity and the bishop pair. }

10. O-O Bxc3 11. bxc3 c4

{ An important move to insert before grabbing the c3 pawn. It opens up the 5th rank, which
results in a number of tactical ideas on the dark bishop on g5. Taking on c4 just blunders a
piece to …N5b6, of course. }

12. Bf5 { This has been tried a dozen or so times. } O-O

{ Simple and best. } 13. Qd2 Nxc3

{ Black was already clearly better in 0-1 (44) Yuneev,A (2345) - Dautov,R (2535)
Daugavpils 1989. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian Deviations”]

[Black “4.Bg5 Variation 10”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3

{ The reason 3. Nf3 is often seen as more theoretically challenging is because it doesn’t
allow black to pin the knight on c3 with …Bb4 like 3. Nc3 does. 3. Nc3 is far more direct -
white is clearly planning to grab the whole centre with 4. e4. Black can fight for the e4
square using the ‘classical’ approach with d5 or the ‘hypermodern’ approach with Bb4. }

Bb4

{ By pinning the knight, black indirectly fights for control over e4. This is the Nimzo-Indian,
named after Aron Nimzowitsch, who promoted the hypermodern idea of controlling the
centre with pieces as opposed to pawns. The Nimzo-Indian is seen as one of the strongest
defences available against 1. d4 and it has caused many players to switch to 3. Nf3 since it
is such a tough nut to crack. One of the most appealing things about the Nimzo-Indian is its
flexibility. Since black hasn’t committed his pawns anywhere, he is able to choose from a
variety of pawn structures and strategies - for example, black can go for a dark-squared
strategy based on … d6 and …e5 (or …c5) or a light squared strategy with …b6 and …Bb7,
but our play will mostly revolve around staking out our share of the centre by playing …d5.
We have chosen this strategy since it synergises perfectly with the Ragozin, meaning that
many of the ideas, plans and even variations are transferable. In some cases where this
clearly isn’t the best way to play we will opt for something else, but otherwise we will stick
to the …d5 strategy in most cases. This chapter deals with white’s smaller options in the
Nimzo-Indian, as well transpositions into other chapters. }

4. Bg5

{ 4. Bg5, known as the Leningrad, is the most serious system we will be examining in this
chapter. White develops naturally, pinning our knight. White at the very least would like to
get an improved version of 4. e3, with the bishop outside the pawn chain. }

c5

{ This is one of the few times where we deviate significantly from the usual strategy of
playing the solid …d5, but that is because d5 in this position is simply not good. After d5
white is able to transpose into a Queen’s Gambit Declined Exchange Variation where
black’s bishop is badly misplaced on b4. Instead, c5 is very good and exploits the
drawbacks behind 4. Bg5. Black hits out at white’s centre which is currently unsupported,
and moreover, the most natural way for white to support the d4 pawn, with 5. e3, just
doesn’t work because of Qa5 !. This forces white to head for a poor Benoni-type structure
with 5. d5, as we shall see. }

5. d5

{ The only critical choice white has. The game is taken into a Benoni structure. }

d6 6. e3 { An unfortunate necessity. } exd5 7. cxd5 Nbd7

{ We reach a Modern Benoni structure where our active bishop on b4 makes all the
difference. White will never really be able to get his play in the centre going, since we are
targeting the d5 pawn which is very weak. }

8. Bd3 { White develops normally, but with a disregard for the d5-pawn. }

Qa5 { Hitting c3 and getting out of the pin. } 9. Ne2 Nxd5

{ Black wins a pawn, but white is prioritising his development and hoping for
compensation in the form of activity and the bishop pair. }

10. O-O Bxc3 11. bxc3 c4

{ An important move to insert before grabbing the c3 pawn. It opens up the 5th rank, which
results in a number of tactical ideas on the dark bishop on g5. Taking on c4 just blunders a
piece to …N5b6, of course. }

12. Bc2 O-O { We should get the king to safety first before grabbing on c3. }
13. Ng3

{ This has been played almost as much as 13. Bh4, but it is not good. White is hoping to stir
up a strong kingside attack with Qh5 but this is doomed to fail. }

Nxc3

{ Black should take this pawn without fear and make white show what compensation he
has. }

14. Qh5 f5 { Blocking the mate threats. } 15. Be7 Rf7 16. Nxf5 Ne5

{ Black’s minor pieces come to the rescue on the kingside. } 17. Bxd6 Bxf5

{ Black is able to completely neutralise white’s attack by force. } 18. Bxf5

Nf3+ { Continuing the exchanges. } 19. Qxf3 Qxf5 20. Qxf5 Ne2+ 21. Kh1 Rxf5

{ White has ended up in a losing endgame where black’s queenside pawns, especially the
far advanced c-pawn, should decide the game in his favour. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian Deviations”]

[Black “4.Bg5 Variation 11”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3

{ The reason 3. Nf3 is often seen as more theoretically challenging is because it doesn’t
allow black to pin the knight on c3 with …Bb4 like 3. Nc3 does. 3. Nc3 is far more direct -
white is clearly planning to grab the whole centre with 4. e4. Black can fight for the e4
square using the ‘classical’ approach with d5 or the ‘hypermodern’ approach with Bb4. }

Bb4
{ By pinning the knight, black indirectly fights for control over e4. This is the Nimzo-Indian,
named after Aron Nimzowitsch, who promoted the hypermodern idea of controlling the
centre with pieces as opposed to pawns. The Nimzo-Indian is seen as one of the strongest
defences available against 1. d4 and it has caused many players to switch to 3. Nf3 since it
is such a tough nut to crack. One of the most appealing things about the Nimzo-Indian is its
flexibility. Since black hasn’t committed his pawns anywhere, he is able to choose from a
variety of pawn structures and strategies - for example, black can go for a dark-squared
strategy based on … d6 and …e5 (or …c5) or a light squared strategy with …b6 and …Bb7,
but our play will mostly revolve around staking out our share of the centre by playing …d5.
We have chosen this strategy since it synergises perfectly with the Ragozin, meaning that
many of the ideas, plans and even variations are transferable. In some cases where this
clearly isn’t the best way to play we will opt for something else, but otherwise we will stick
to the …d5 strategy in most cases. This chapter deals with white’s smaller options in the
Nimzo-Indian, as well transpositions into other chapters. }

4. Bg5

{ 4. Bg5, known as the Leningrad, is the most serious system we will be examining in this
chapter. White develops naturally, pinning our knight. White at the very least would like to
get an improved version of 4. e3, with the bishop outside the pawn chain. }

c5

{ This is one of the few times where we deviate significantly from the usual strategy of
playing the solid …d5, but that is because d5 in this position is simply not good. After d5
white is able to transpose into a Queen’s Gambit Declined Exchange Variation where
black’s bishop is badly misplaced on b4. Instead, c5 is very good and exploits the
drawbacks behind 4. Bg5. Black hits out at white’s centre which is currently unsupported,
and moreover, the most natural way for white to support the d4 pawn, with 5. e3, just
doesn’t work because of Qa5 !. This forces white to head for a poor Benoni-type structure
with 5. d5, as we shall see. }

5. d5

{ The only critical choice white has. The game is taken into a Benoni structure. }

d6 6. e3 { An unfortunate necessity. } exd5 7. cxd5 Nbd7

{ We reach a Modern Benoni structure where our active bishop on b4 makes all the
difference. White will never really be able to get his play in the centre going, since we are
targeting the d5 pawn which is very weak. }

8. Bd3 { White develops normally, but with a disregard for the d5-pawn. }

Qa5 { Hitting c3 and getting out of the pin. } 9. Ne2 Nxd5

{ Black wins a pawn, but white is prioritising his development and hoping for
compensation in the form of activity and the bishop pair. }

10. O-O Bxc3 11. bxc3 c4

{ An important move to insert before grabbing the c3 pawn. It opens up the 5th rank, which
results in a number of tactical ideas on the dark bishop on g5. Taking on c4 just blunders a
piece to …N5b6, of course. }

12. Bc2 O-O { We should get the king to safety first before grabbing on c3. }

13. Ng3

{ This has been played almost as much as 13. Bh4, but it is not good. White is hoping to stir
up a strong kingside attack with Qh5 but this is doomed to fail. }

Nxc3

{ Black should take this pawn without fear and make white show what compensation he
has. }

14. Qh5 f5 { Blocking the mate threats. } 15. Be7 Rf7 16. Bxd6 Ne5

{ Black has a clear advantage. Taking on f5 will run into the same exchanging tactic with …
Nf3+ we saw previously against 16. Nxf5. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian Deviations”]

[Black “4.Bg5 Variation 12”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3

{ The reason 3. Nf3 is often seen as more theoretically challenging is because it doesn’t
allow black to pin the knight on c3 with …Bb4 like 3. Nc3 does. 3. Nc3 is far more direct -
white is clearly planning to grab the whole centre with 4. e4. Black can fight for the e4
square using the ‘classical’ approach with d5 or the ‘hypermodern’ approach with Bb4. }

Bb4

{ By pinning the knight, black indirectly fights for control over e4. This is the Nimzo-Indian,
named after Aron Nimzowitsch, who promoted the hypermodern idea of controlling the
centre with pieces as opposed to pawns. The Nimzo-Indian is seen as one of the strongest
defences available against 1. d4 and it has caused many players to switch to 3. Nf3 since it
is such a tough nut to crack. One of the most appealing things about the Nimzo-Indian is its
flexibility. Since black hasn’t committed his pawns anywhere, he is able to choose from a
variety of pawn structures and strategies - for example, black can go for a dark-squared
strategy based on … d6 and …e5 (or …c5) or a light squared strategy with …b6 and …Bb7,
but our play will mostly revolve around staking out our share of the centre by playing …d5.
We have chosen this strategy since it synergises perfectly with the Ragozin, meaning that
many of the ideas, plans and even variations are transferable. In some cases where this
clearly isn’t the best way to play we will opt for something else, but otherwise we will stick
to the …d5 strategy in most cases. This chapter deals with white’s smaller options in the
Nimzo-Indian, as well transpositions into other chapters. }

4. Bg5

{ 4. Bg5, known as the Leningrad, is the most serious system we will be examining in this
chapter. White develops naturally, pinning our knight. White at the very least would like to
get an improved version of 4. e3, with the bishop outside the pawn chain. }

c5

{ This is one of the few times where we deviate significantly from the usual strategy of
playing the solid …d5, but that is because d5 in this position is simply not good. After d5
white is able to transpose into a Queen’s Gambit Declined Exchange Variation where
black’s bishop is badly misplaced on b4. Instead, c5 is very good and exploits the
drawbacks behind 4. Bg5. Black hits out at white’s centre which is currently unsupported,
and moreover, the most natural way for white to support the d4 pawn, with 5. e3, just
doesn’t work because of Qa5 !. This forces white to head for a poor Benoni-type structure
with 5. d5, as we shall see. }

5. d5

{ The only critical choice white has. The game is taken into a Benoni structure. }

d6 6. e3 { An unfortunate necessity. } exd5 7. cxd5 Nbd7

{ We reach a Modern Benoni structure where our active bishop on b4 makes all the
difference. White will never really be able to get his play in the centre going, since we are
targeting the d5 pawn which is very weak. }
8. Bd3 { White develops normally, but with a disregard for the d5-pawn. }

Qa5 { Hitting c3 and getting out of the pin. } 9. Ne2 Nxd5

{ Black wins a pawn, but white is prioritising his development and hoping for
compensation in the form of activity and the bishop pair. }

10. O-O Bxc3 11. bxc3 c4

{ An important move to insert before grabbing the c3 pawn. It opens up the 5th rank, which
results in a number of tactical ideas on the dark bishop on g5. Taking on c4 just blunders a
piece to …N5b6, of course. }

12. Bc2 O-O { We should get the king to safety first before grabbing on c3. }

13. Bh4

{ Getting the bishop out of the way and rerouting it to g3 later on where it can attack d6. }

Nxc3 14. Nxc3 Qxc3 15. Rc1 { Threatening Bxh7+. } Qe5 16. Bg3

{ White needs to recoup at least one of his pawns here. } Qe6 17. Qxd6

{ White goes for the endgame. } Qxd6 18. Bxd6 Re8 19. Rfd1 Nb6

{ White will be able to recoup the c4 pawn, but will have nothing more than equality. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Nimzo-Indian Deviations”]

[Black “4.Bg5 Variation 13”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3
{ The reason 3. Nf3 is often seen as more theoretically challenging is because it doesn’t
allow black to pin the knight on c3 with …Bb4 like 3. Nc3 does. 3. Nc3 is far more direct -
white is clearly planning to grab the whole centre with 4. e4. Black can fight for the e4
square using the ‘classical’ approach with d5 or the ‘hypermodern’ approach with Bb4. }

Bb4

{ By pinning the knight, black indirectly fights for control over e4. This is the Nimzo-Indian,
named after Aron Nimzowitsch, who promoted the hypermodern idea of controlling the
centre with pieces as opposed to pawns. The Nimzo-Indian is seen as one of the strongest
defences available against 1. d4 and it has caused many players to switch to 3. Nf3 since it
is such a tough nut to crack. One of the most appealing things about the Nimzo-Indian is its
flexibility. Since black hasn’t committed his pawns anywhere, he is able to choose from a
variety of pawn structures and strategies - for example, black can go for a dark-squared
strategy based on … d6 and …e5 (or …c5) or a light squared strategy with …b6 and …Bb7,
but our play will mostly revolve around staking out our share of the centre by playing …d5.
We have chosen this strategy since it synergises perfectly with the Ragozin, meaning that
many of the ideas, plans and even variations are transferable. In some cases where this
clearly isn’t the best way to play we will opt for something else, but otherwise we will stick
to the …d5 strategy in most cases. This chapter deals with white’s smaller options in the
Nimzo-Indian, as well transpositions into other chapters. }

4. Bg5

{ 4. Bg5, known as the Leningrad, is the most serious system we will be examining in this
chapter. White develops naturally, pinning our knight. White at the very least would like to
get an improved version of 4. e3, with the bishop outside the pawn chain. }

c5

{ This is one of the few times where we deviate significantly from the usual strategy of
playing the solid …d5, but that is because d5 in this position is simply not good. After d5
white is able to transpose into a Queen’s Gambit Declined Exchange Variation where
black’s bishop is badly misplaced on b4. Instead, c5 is very good and exploits the
drawbacks behind 4. Bg5. Black hits out at white’s centre which is currently unsupported,
and moreover, the most natural way for white to support the d4 pawn, with 5. e3, just
doesn’t work because of Qa5 !. This forces white to head for a poor Benoni-type structure
with 5. d5, as we shall see. }

5. d5

{ The only critical choice white has. The game is taken into a Benoni structure. }

d6 6. e3 { An unfortunate necessity. } exd5 7. cxd5 Nbd7

{ We reach a Modern Benoni structure where our active bishop on b4 makes all the
difference. White will never really be able to get his play in the centre going, since we are
targeting the d5 pawn which is very weak. }

8. Bd3 { White develops normally, but with a disregard for the d5-pawn. }

Qa5 { Hitting c3 and getting out of the pin. } 9. Ne2 Nxd5

{ Black wins a pawn, but white is prioritising his development and hoping for
compensation in the form of activity and the bishop pair. }

10. O-O Bxc3 11. bxc3 c4

{ An important move to insert before grabbing the c3 pawn. It opens up the 5th rank, which
results in a number of tactical ideas on the dark bishop on g5. Taking on c4 just blunders a
piece to …N5b6, of course. }

12. Bc2 O-O { We should get the king to safety first before grabbing on c3. }

13. Bh4

{ Getting the bishop out of the way and rerouting it to g3 later on where it can attack d6. }

Nxc3 14. Nxc3 Qxc3 15. Rc1 { Threatening Bxh7+. } Qe5 16. Bg3

{ White needs to recoup at least one of his pawns here. } Qe6 17. Bxd6

{ This is a bit more ambitious than taking on d6 with the queen, but it is probably no better.
}

Re8

{ It doesn’t seem like white has enough for the pawn here and it is far from easy to capture
c4 as well. Black can look to continue with …b5 and …Nb6 or …Nf6. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.Bg5”]

[Black “5.Bg5 Overview”]

{ @@HeaderStart@@Key Points@@HeaderEnd@@

This is white’s most popular response to the Ragozin, so it is important to know well. The
first thing to remember is to immediately attack white’s bishop with …h6. Note that
retreating the bishop to h4 is inaccurate, so white has little choice but to take on f6. Pay
special attention to 7.Qb3. It is a sideline, but quite critical. Take note of the proposed plan
in that endgame: …Nd7-f6, …Bd7 and …Rfc8 to take on c5. Our idea in the mainline is to
take on c4 and follow up with …c5. Keep this idea in mind and pay special attention to
when it is played: after 8.Rc1. }

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Bg5

{ This natural developing move which pins black’s knight is one of white’s most critical
tries. }

h6

{ This is the pure way to play the Ragozin. The Vienna-style dxc4 was recommended by GM
Pert in ‘Playing the Ragozin’, but those positions are of a very different nature to what we
usually reach in this repertoire. The general philosophy in this repertoire will be to avoid,
or at the very least delay, taking on c4 until it is necessary or the best concrete move. }

6. Bxf6

{ This is somewhat forced, for reasons explained after 6. Bh4. 6.Bh4 ?! I think this is an
inaccuracy and now with accurate play from black, white might even be the one fighting for
equality. dxc4 ! An important move to remember, as this is one of the only times we will be
taking on c4 so early. The reason for this is the insertion of h6 6. Bh4. If we took on c4 a
move earlier, we would have transposed into a normal Vienna where white regains the
pawn and gets decent play after 6. e4. If white tries the same idea now and plays 7. e4, this
is met by …g5 !, winning a pawn. As a result, the remaining options white has are relatively
insipid. 7.e3 The most common. White is aiming to simply regain the pawn. 7.e4 ?? doesn’t
work on account of g5 8.Bg3 Nxe4 -+ and white is just down a pawn. 7.a3 Bxc3+ 8.bxc3 c5
b5 and Nbd7 are also possible. 9.Bxf6 Qxf6 10.e3 O-O 11.Bxc4 b6 A typical way to develop
the light-squared ‘problem bishop’. It can now be activated on the long diagonal or possibly
trade itself for white’s bishop with …Ba6. 12.O-O Bb7 = Black is at least equal. 7.Qa4+ This
is a move which we’ll be seeing much more of in the future. White can pretty much throw
this in at any point - at least until we castle, with the idea of forcing our knight to c6. White
reasons that the knight is a bit misplaced on c6, seeing as we usually want to play the …c5
pawn break and the knight gets in the way. However, the knight’s placement also has it’s
advantages - namely it supports the …e5 pawn break, which we will typically be striving for
in these situations. Nc6 Forced. 8.e3 8.a3 Bxc3+ 9.bxc3 Qd5 ! It looks a little awkward to
protect the pawn like this, but white is too slow to take advantage. We have the idea of
reinforcing the c4 pawn further by playing …b5 on the next move. 10.Bxf6 gxf6 11.Nd2 b5
Kicking the queen away and solidifying the c4 pawn. 12.Qc2 a6 =+ White has very little for
the pawn. Bd7 Threatening … Nxd4. 9.Qc2 b5 ! An important idea to remember and a big
advantage of having the bishop on b4 instead of e7. We can play …b5 without preparation
due to the pin on the knight on c3. 10.Be2 a6 11.O-O Bd6 ! =+ A minor novelty - Be7 has
been played a dozen or so times, but Bd6 contains the added idea of playing …g5 at some
point to force exchanges of the dark bishops. For example, 12.Rfd1 O-O 13.Ne4 g5 !
14.Nxf6+ Qxf6 15.Bg3 Rfd8 =+ With his extra pawn and well-developed pieces, white is the
one fighting to find some compensation. b5 8.a4 Hitting b5 immediately is critical. 8.Be2 ?!
Inaccurate, since after Bb7 9.a4 can be met by (a6 =+) White doesn’t have much
compensation for the pawn. c6 9.Be2 9.Nd2 Breaking the pin. Bb7 10.axb5 Bxc3 11.bxc3
cxb5 =+ White lacks full compensation. Bb7 10.O-O a6 11.Ne5 Nbd7 12.f4 O-O 13.Qe1 c5
��� White has nothing for the pawn and is clearly worse. }

Qxf6

{ Black has managed to gain the bishop pair, at least temporarily (before we have to take on
c3) . On the other hand, we have fallen a bit behind in development and d5 is more
vulnerable than it was previously. }

7. e3

{ The most common move by a large margin. 7.Qa4+ Again provoking …Nc6. Nc6 8.e3 Very
natural. 8.a3 Rare, but this can transpose to 8. e3 O-O 9. a3. Bxc3+ 9.bxc3 O-O 10.e3 This
position has been reached nearly 50 times at the time of writing, but most of these were
from the 8. e3 move order. Bd7 Simple development with the threat of …Nxd4. 11.Qc2 Rfd8
This move has only been played once, and it does look a bit funny putting the rook on this
square. However, the d8 square is ideal for the plan we have in mind: …dxc4, …Na5
followed by …c5. 12.Bd3 dxc4 13.Bxc4 Na5 Gaining a tempo on the bishop while freeing up
the c-pawn. 14.Bd3 c5 = Black is fighting for the initiative. All our pieces have good squares
available and the …c5 break gives black good play down the c-and d-files. 8.Ne5 ? This
move is overambitious and in most cases it simply doesn’t work. Bd7 9.Nxc6 9.Nxd7 does
look promising, until you realise that the knight is trapped and we simply are up a pawn
after (Qxd4 ! ���) Bxc3+ 10.bxc3 Bxc6 11.Qb4 dxc4 12.Qxc4 O-O-O ��� White has
fallen very far behind in development and is in serious danger here. 8.cxd5 exd5 transposes
to the next chapter dealing with 5. cxd5. O-O 9.Be2 A natural developing move. The
advantage e2 has over d3 is that white is not forced to recapture on c4 immediately after …
dxc4. 9.cxd5 exd5 transposes to the next chapter. 9.Rc1 White’s idea is a typical one in
these situations. He makes an improving/waiting move before developing his light bishop,
hoping that black takes on c4 anyway, so that white basically gains a tempo compared to
the mainline. Qg6 Black’s most common choice and another useful idea to keep in mind.
White’s bishop is tied down to the defence of the g2 pawn, leaving him with limited options
on how to continue. He usually ends up trading queens on the next move, so if you’d prefer
to avoid this, take a look at Rd8 instead. Rd8 !? is another option if you prefer to leave the
queens on the board. 10.cxd5 exd5 11.Be2 Bf8 = 10.Qc2 Qxc2 11.Rxc2 Rd8 The analysis
looks like it could end here, with a simple ‘=’ sign, but it seems like black has run into a few
problems in practical games so it makes sense to go a bit deeper. 12.a3 Bf8 Keeping the
bishop pair. 13.Nb5 The only critical move. Bd7 ! Almost all the games from here have,
understandably, continued with the natural Rd7, protecting the pawn. However, black has
a better option - because of some tactics, black doesn’t need to protect the pawn and can
just develop his bishop. 14.cxd5 14.Nxc7 ? Taking the pawn can land white in a worse
position. Rac8 15.Nb5 dxc4 16.Bxc4 ?? White should instead play something else, like 16.
Nc3, but black is already doing better there. Na5 ! -+ Black wins a clean piece. exd5
15.Nxc7 ?! Once again, inaccurate, however natural play causes black no problems either.
Rac8 16.Nb5 Na5 ! 17.Rxc8 Rxc8 Even though white seems to just be a pawn up, all of a
sudden black has become very active and has quite a number of threats - most notably, …
Bxb5 followed by …Rc1+ winning the rook. 18.Kd1 a6 19.Nc3 Bxa3 ! =+ Black has regained
the pawn with a more active position. 9.Bd3 A normal move, but the disadvantage of this is
that the bishop is now forced to recapture on c4 immediately. dxc4 10.Bxc4 e5 ! A thematic
central break. Black takes full advantage of the knight on c6 and the queen on f6. 11.O-O
White is too far behind in development to try to counter the central break in another way,
for example, 11. d5 is met by …e4. exd4 12.Nd5 This knight hop sharpens the game for a
few moves, but it fizzles out to equality quickly: Qd6 13.Nxb4 13.a3 Be6 ! It’s important not
to waste time retreating the bishop and instead counterattack white’s vulnerable knight.
The fact that the bishop on c4 is unprotected after Nxb4 makes this riposte possible.
14.axb4 Bxd5 15.Bxd5 Qxd5 16.b5 Ne7 17.Nxd4 Nf5 18.Nxf5 Qxf5 = Black has comfortably
equalised. Qxb4 Taking with the knight is also possible. 14.Qxb4 Nxb4 15.Nxd4 c5 16.Nf3
Be6 = with equality. dxc4 10.O-O White is not obliged to recapture yet and can instead
attend the safety of his king first. Of course, 10. Bxc4 would transpose to the 9. Bd3
variation. Qe7 ! A rather rare idea, but it seems to be quite a clever and clean way to
equalise. Black covers his bishop on b4, which means that black is threatening to play …Na5
protecting his pawn. This forces white to make a decision regarding how to deal with c4.
11.Bxc4 The more obvious way to deal with the threat of protecting c4 is to simply take it
first, but now black’s other idea can be executed. 11.a3 White forces the trade of minor
pieces on c3, simultaneously eliminating the idea of …Na5. Bxc3 12.bxc3 Qd6 Protecting the
knight so that black can fianchetto his bishop with …b6. 13.Qxc4 b6 14.Rfd1 Bb7 = Black
has a bit less space, but all his pieces have good squares and he has no weaknesses. He has
equalised and in the future he can look to play either the …e5 or the …c5 (after …Na5)
breaks. Na5 ! Gaining a tempo on the bishop. 12.Bd3 Bxc3 13.bxc3 b6 = followed by … Bb7
with comfortable equality. Black has unravelled nicely and can continue to play for the …c5
break in the future. 7.Qb3 Based on the analysis, this seems like one of white’s more
challenging tries after 5. Bg5. White attacks the bishop, just like 7. Qa4, but with the extra
benefit of putting pressure on black’s d5 pawn. c5 The main move, but if the lines given
here aren’t to your taste you can also take a look at the simple Bxc3+. 8.cxd5 8.e3 This
should transpose to 8. cxd5 in most cases. O-O cxd4 is maybe a way to try exploit white’s
move order, but it makes no major difference objectively. 9.cxd5 9.a3 spending a tempo to
force …Bxc3+ isn’t too challenging here. Bxc3+ 10.bxc3 10.Qxc3 After this black can
basically just liquidate the centre and equalise: cxd4 11.Qxd4 Qxd4 12.Nxd4 dxc4 13.Bxc4
Bd7 = with complete equality. dxc4 11.Bxc4 b6 = Black will complete develop soon and
equalise fully, as he has no weaknesses and all his pieces have good squares. 9.dxc5 Bxc3+
10.Qxc3 Qxc3+ 11.bxc3 dxc4 12.Bxc4 Nd7 = regaining the pawn with full equality. exd5
transposing to 8. cxd5. exd5 9.e3 As mentioned previously, this is the improved way to play
the 9. dxc5 structure. 9.dxc5 This is an inaccurate way to reach the same structure as after
9. e3. The difference is the inclusion of the moves 9. e3 for white and O-O after 9. e3
followed by 10. dxc5. This benefits white substantially, because as we will see in this line,
black has a simple route to equality with Na6 - which isn’t possible after 9. e3 because
white could play Bxa6. Bxc3+ 10.Qxc3 10.bxc3 O-O 11.Nd4 Covering the c3-pawn. Be6 As is
quite often the case in the Ragozin, black is willing to sacrifice the b7 pawn in exchange for
quick development and threats. 12.Qxb7 Nd7 Black finds himself 2 pawns down, but
white’s exposed queen and lack of development compensate for this. 13.g3 Rfb8 14.Qc7
Qg6 ! Planning …Rb1+. 15.Bg2 Rb1+ 16.Kd2 Rb2+ = with a perpetual. Qxc3+ 11.bxc3 We
reach a fairly standard structure - which will be discussed a bit more after 9. e3 - for this
variation. As mentioned earlier, black equalises easily here due to the lack of the inclusion
of 9. e3 and O-O. Black can recapture the pawn on c5 with …Na6 since the bishop can’t take
on a6. Na6 ! Recapturing this way is better than via d7 since it doesn’t block the bishop.
This is important because after something like 12. Rd1, we need to play Be6. 12.e3 Nxc5
13.Nd4 Bd7 = With the material balance restored and both sides possessing their
respective pawn weaknesses on d5 and c3, the position is dead equal. 9.Qxd5 ?? Grabbing
this pawn is very ill-advised - white can’t hold onto it indefinitely, and black becomes very
active. The queen becomes a massive target for black’s minor pieces and attack almost
plays itself. White needs to take care here not to lose right out of the opening. For example,
Nc6 The pin on the d4 pawn …Bxc3+ makes dxc5 impossible. 10.e3 Be6 11.Qe4 O-O-O
Getting the king to safety and activating the rook simultaneously. 12.Bb5 Bf5 13.Qh4 g5
14.Qg3 cxd4 15.Nxd4 Nxd4 16.exd4 Bd6 17.Qf3 g4 18.Qe2 a6 19.Ba4 Qxd4 ��� Black’s
bishop pair and activity give him a near-winning advantage. 9.a3 Bxc3+ 10.Qxc3 10.bxc3
Not the most challenging way to play - 10. Qxc3 is critical. Qb6 ! c4 has been played a few
times, but this could be a slight improvement. 11.Qxb6 Taking the d5 pawn is met by … Qb2
!. axb6 12.e3 Bf5 =+ Black is to be preferred as the a3-pawn is weak and black is a bit more
active. c4 A rare but strong move chosen by Carlsen. As we will see, the key to justifying
this after 11.b3 is to continue to play actively even though the c4 pawn might be
vulnerable. Tactics work in black’s favour here. 11.b3 White wants to weaken the support
for the c4-pawn while black is unable to take on b3 (the bishop on c8 would hang) . Be6
12.bxc4 The critical try. 12.e3 A non-threatening try which poses black no problems. O-O
13.Be2 White ‘waits’ for black to develop his knight to c6 so he can grab the c4 pawn. after
13.bxc4 dxc4 14.Bxc4 Rc8 ! white loses material. Nc6 ! And we oblige ! It does seem like we
are simply losing a pawn here, but tactics work in black’s favour. 14.bxc4 dxc4 15.Bxc4
Nxd4 ! The key move to remember. The knight clears the c-file in preparation for … Rac8,
regaining the piece. 16.Qxd4 Qxd4 17.Nxd4 Bxc4 = with comfortable equality. 12.Ne5
Dreev’s choice against Carlsen, but an inaccuracy. O-O 13.e3 Nc6 14.Be2 Nxe5 15.dxe5 Qg6
16.O-O d4 17.exd4 cxb3 =+ Carlsen had a healthy advantage and went on to win in 0-1 (32)
Dreev,A (2648) -Carlsen,M (2827) Tbilisi 2017 CBM 181 dxc4 13.e4 It looks quite scary for
black here - the c4 pawn appears weak and white has an ideal centre. However things
aren’t so simple for white unfortunately. O-O White can’t take on c4 on account of …Rc8.
14.Be2 Re8 15.O-O Nc6 = The weakness of c4 is cancelled out by black’s pressure against
white’s centre. White’s centre turns out to be quite immobile and a bit of a weakness, in
fact. O-O 10.dxc5 10.Be2 is not dangerous at all: Nc6 11.O-O c4 12.Qa4 Rd8 =+ Black’s
bishop pair and space give him the edge. Bxc3+ 11.Qxc3 Qxc3+ 12.bxc3 Black has scored
well in practice, but it can be a little tricky to fully equalise here in engine analysis. I spent a
while analysing a few plans here and am happy with what I came up with. Black’s problem
is that he is down a pawn - it does seem like he can regain that pawn quite easily, but the
issue is that this gives white time to counterattack against black’s weak d5 pawn. The other
problem black has is that his minor pieces are tripping over each other - …Na6 is not
possible - because of Bxa6, and …Nd7 blocks the bishop from coming to the defence of the
d5 pawn with …Be6. The solution is to take a bit of time - black needs to realise that the c5
pawn isn’t really going anywhere. We have time to play …Nd7-f6, followed by …Bd7
and ..Rfc8. If white tries to hold onto the pawn with a Nd4-b3 manoeuvre, we can exchange
it with …Bd7-a4xb3 and then regain c5. Nd7 The other big move is Be6. 13.Rd1 Nf6 ! At the
time of writing, the last move has only been played 4 times, but I think it is black’s best plan
to equalise without too many hassles. Nxc5 was recommended instead in ‘The Complete
Ragozin’ with the idea of sacrificing a pawn for activity and it is also a decent option. Our
idea is instead to protect d5 with the knight and regain the c5 pawn with the rook. If the
knight comes to b3 to protect the pawn, we will exchange it by playing Ba4xb3. 14.Nd4
White anticipates the assault on the c5 pawn and prepares to defend it with Nb3. 14.Bd3
does nothing to interrupt our plan of regaining c5. Bg4 ! A nice move to eliminate the only
possible defender of the c5-pawn. 15.h3 Bxf3 16.gxf3 Rfc8 17.Rb1 Rxc5 18.Rxb7 Rxc3 =
14.c4 ?! was played once, but it isn’t challenging. Be6 15.Nd4 Rfc8 16.Nxe6 fxe6 17.cxd5
Nxd5 = followed by doubling rooks on the c-file and taking c5, with equality. Bd7 15.Nb3
15.f3 was GM Anton Guijarro’s choice against GM Inarkiev. Rfc8 16.Nb3 Ba4 = transposes to
our mainline. Rfc8 16.f3 Ba4 Removing the defender of c5. 17.Rd4 Bxb3 18.axb3 Rxc5
19.Kd2 Ra5 20.Ra4 Rxa4 21.bxa4 Nd7 = with a roughly balanced endgame. 7.cxd5 exd5
This transposition is covered in the next chapter. 7.Rc1 Rare and not good. dxc4 ! White’s
time-wasting previous move affords us the chance to grab this pawn. 8.Qa4+ Nc6 9.a3
Bxc3+ 10.bxc3 Qe7 Hitting a3. 11.Ra1 Otherwise …Bd7 is very unpleasant. O-O = }

O-O 8. Rc1

{ White follows the standard waiting strategy before developing his light bishop, to avoid
losing a tempo after …dxc4. 8.Qb3 c5 transposing to 7. Qb3 c5 8. e3 O-O. 8.Be2 is simply
losing a tempo. 8. Bd3 is met in the same way. dxc4 9.Bxc4 b6 10.O-O Bb7 = We have
activated our problem bishop and equalised. Soon we will play the …c5 break with good
play. }

dxc4

{ The mainline. Alternatives do exist though, such as c6, which are worth taking a look at,
especially if you are desperate to avoid the simplified (and equal) positions which dxc4
leads to. }

9. Bxc4 c5
{ Immediately challenging white’s centre. White is a bit better developed, with more space
and central control, but black’s bishop pair offset this. }

10. O-O

{ The main move, which has been played around 250 times. 10.dxc5 This is the main
alternative to 10. O-O. White hopes to gain some time by forcing black’s bishop to recapture
and then use his lead in development to get an initiative. Nd7 The other, more common
move is Bxc5. However, it seems like black has to do a bit more work to equalise there than
after Nd7 - this is confirmed by the choice of most top players being Nd7, including
Carlsen. 11.O-O 11.c6 White converts his advantage in development into an isolated c-pawn
for black, with the hope of getting a long-lasting edge this way. Black’s bishop pair
compensate for this weakness though. bxc6 12.O-O Ne5 13.Nxe5 Qxe5 = The bishop pair
offsets the isolated c-pawn. Black drew easily in - (37) Giri,A (2790) -Carlsen,M (2863)
Shamkir 2015 Bxc3 12.Rxc3 Nxc5 13.Be2 b6 = With the material balance restored and
black having caught up in development, the position is completely equal. 10.a3 Bxc3+
11.bxc3 b6 = followed by developing the light bishop with equality. }

cxd4 11. Nxd4

{ 11.Ne4 This intermezzo has been one of white’s more recent attempts to pose black some
problems here. White rejects any …Bxc3 exchanges in the future and hopes to exploit the
bishop’s misplaced position. Qf5 This has been played far fewer times than Qe7, but it
contains a couple of clever ideas and it also received the backing of Carlsen. Black will be
putting his queen on a5 and retreating his dark bishop to f8 or e7 later, as opposed to after
… Qe7 when the bishop is finds itself lacking good squares. 12.Ng3 Qa5 13.exd4 13.Nxd4 ?!
allows black to equalise easily. Rd8 14.Qg4 Nc6 15.Nxc6 bxc6 16.Rcd1 Bf8 17.Rxd8 Qxd8
18.Rd1 Qc7 = Black’s bishop pair ensures equality. 13.a3 Be7 14.exd4 Nd7 Bringing the
knight to f6 where it can defend the kingside and cover d5. 15.Qe2 Nf6 16.Ne5 Rd8 17.Nf5
Bd6 Forcing some exchanges. 18.Nxd6 Rxd6 = White’s brief initiative has fizzled out and he
is left with an IQP, while black is well-placed to neutralise it. Rd8 Putting some mild
pressure on the IQP. 14.Qe2 Nc6 15.Rfd1 Bd7 A neat little manoeuvre. The bishop is headed
to e8 where it can protect the f7 pawn (which is often targetted in kingside IQP attacks)
and also get out of the way of the a8-rook. 16.Qe4 Be8 17.d5 exd5 18.Bxd5 Bf8 = Black’s
setup seems a bit passive, but he is well-placed to meet any aggressive white ideas. White
has no advantage here. 11.exd4 Rd8 12.Ne4 Qe7 13.Qe2 Nc6 14.Rfd1 Ba5 15.Nc3 Bb6 16.d5
exd5 17.Qxe7 Nxe7 18.Nxd5 Nxd5 19.Bxd5 Rb8 = }

Bd7 12. Qb3

{ 12.Ne4 This is similar to 11. Ne4, with the caveat that the f5 square isn’t available to
black’s queen, but the e5 square is. Qe5 Once again this idea is far rarer than the more
natural e7-square, but it seems to equalise even more easily. 13.Be2 ! A clever little tactic.
The knight is indirectly protected by the idea of Bf3xb7. 13.Ng3 A natural move, but here
black is already equal. Nc6 14.Nc2 Rfd8 15.Nxb4 Nxb4 16.Qb3 a5 = Black has no problems.
13.Bd3 Nc6 Developing and attempting to exchange minor pieces. 14.f4 Qa5 15.Nf6+ White
can head for a perpetual like this. gxf6 16.Qg4+ Kh8 17.Qh4 Kg7 18.Qg3+ Kh8 = with a
draw. Rd8 14.Qb3 a5 15.Nc3 Nc6 16.Nf3 Qf6 17.a3 Bxc3 18.Qxc3 Qxc3 19.Rxc3 Be8 = Black
has no problems at all here. }

Nc6 { Developing and exchanging pieces. } 13. Nxc6 Bxc3

{ We simply vacuum the pieces off the board now and equalise. } 14. Rxc3

{ 14.Qxb7 is another way to reach a slightly different equal position: Bxc6 15.Qxc6 Bxb2 =
Opposite coloured bishops and a near symmetrical pawn structure. }

Bxc6 15. Bb5 Bd5

{ Dozens of games have ended quickly in a draw this way. It seems like black has no
theoretical problems in the mainline presented here, so white needs to search for
deviations earlier to find something which can pose some theoretical challenges to the
Ragozin with 5. Bg5. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.Bg5”]

[Black “6.Bh4 Variation 1”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Bg5

{ This natural developing move which pins Black’s knight is one of White’s most critical
tries. }

h6

{ This is the pure way to play the Ragozin. The Vienna-style dxc4 was recommended by GM
Pert in ‘Playing the Ragozin’, but those positions are of a very different nature to what we
usually reach in this repertoire. The general philosophy in this repertoire will be to avoid,
or at the very least delay, taking on c4 until it is necessary or the best concrete move. }
6. Bh4

{ We think this is an inaccuracy and now with accurate play from Black, White might even
be the one fighting for equality. }

dxc4

{ An important move to remember, as this is one of the only times we will be taking on c4
so early. The reason for this is the insertion of h6 6. Bh4. If we took on c4 a move earlier,
we would have transposed into a normal Vienna where White regains the pawn and gets
decent play after 6. e4. If White tries the same idea now and plays 7.e4 , this is met by …
g5 ! , winning a pawn. As a result, the remaining options White has are relatively insipid. }

7. e4 { This doesn’t work on account of the following. } g5 8. Bg3 Nxe4

{ and White is just down a pawn. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.Bg5”]

[Black “6.Bh4 Variation 2”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Bg5

{ This natural developing move which pins black’s knight is one of white’s most critical
tries. }

h6

{ This is the pure way to play the Ragozin. The Vienna-style dxc4 was recommended by GM
Pert in ‘Playing the Ragozin’, but those positions are of a very different nature to what we
usually reach in this repertoire. The general philosophy in this repertoire will be to avoid,
or at the very least delay, taking on c4 until it is necessary or the best concrete move. }

6. Bh4
{ We think this is an inaccuracy and now with accurate play from black, white might even
be the one fighting for equality. }

dxc4

{ An important move to remember, as this is one of the only times we will be taking on c4
so early. The reason for this is the insertion of h6 6. Bh4. If we took on c4 a move earlier,
we would have transposed into a normal Vienna where white regains the pawn and gets
decent play after 6. e4. If white tries the same idea now and plays 7. e4, this is met by …g5 !,
winning a pawn. As a result, the remaining options white has are relatively insipid. }

7. a3 Bxc3+ 8. bxc3 c5

{ b5 and Nbd7 are also possible with the idea of holding onto the pawn , but giving the
pawn back and developing naturally is a simpler path to equality. }

9. Bxf6 Qxf6 10. e3 O-O 11. Bxc4 b6

{ A typical way to develop the light-squared ‘problem bishop’. It can now be activated on
the long diagonal or possibly trade itself for white’s bishop with …Ba6. }

12. O-O Bb7

{ Black is at least equal. Next black will develop naturally and put his rooks on the c and d
files. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.Bg5”]

[Black “6.Bh4 Variation 3”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Bg5

{ This natural developing move which pins black’s knight is one of white’s most critical
tries. }
h6

{ This is the pure way to play the Ragozin. The Vienna-style dxc4 was recommended by GM
Pert in ‘Playing the Ragozin’, but those positions are of a very different nature to what we
usually reach in this repertoire. The general philosophy in this repertoire will be to avoid,
or at the very least delay, taking on c4 until it is necessary or the best concrete move. }

6. Bh4

{ We think this is an inaccuracy and now with accurate play from black, white might even
be the one fighting for equality. }

dxc4

{ An important move to remember, as this is one of the only times we will be taking on c4
so early. The reason for this is the insertion of h6 6. Bh4. If we took on c4 a move earlier,
we would have transposed into a normal Vienna where white regains the pawn and gets
decent play after 6. e4. If white tries the same idea now and plays 7. e4, this is met by …g5 !,
winning a pawn. As a result, the remaining options white has are relatively insipid. }

7. Qa4+

{ This is a move which we’ll be seeing much more of in the future. White can pretty much
throw this in at any point (at least until we castle) , with the idea of forcing our knight to c6.
White reasons that the knight is a bit misplaced on c6, seeing as we usually want to play the
…c5 pawn break and the knight gets in the way. However, the knight’s placement also has
its advantages - namely it supports the …e5 pawn break, which we will typically be striving
for in these situations. }

Nc6 { Forced. } 8. a3 Bxc3+ 9. bxc3 Qd5

{ It looks a little awkward to protect the pawn like this, but white is too slow to take
advantage. We have the idea of reinforcing the c4 pawn further by playing …b5 on the next
move. }

10. Bxf6 gxf6 11. Nd2 b5

{ Kicking the queen away and solidifying the c4 pawn. } 12. Qc2 a6

{ White has very little for the pawn. }

[Site “?”]
[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.Bg5”]

[Black “6.Bh4 Variation 4”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Bg5

{ This natural developing move which pins black’s knight is one of white’s most critical
tries. }

h6

{ This is the pure way to play the Ragozin. The Vienna-style dxc4 was recommended by GM
Pert in ‘Playing the Ragozin’, but those positions are of a very different nature to what we
usually reach in this repertoire. The general philosophy in this repertoire will be to avoid,
or at the very least delay, taking on c4 until it is necessary or the best concrete move. }

6. Bh4

{ We think this is an inaccuracy and now with accurate play from black, white might even
be the one fighting for equality. }

dxc4

{ An important move to remember, as this is one of the only times we will be taking on c4
so early. The reason for this is the insertion of h6 6. Bh4. If we took on c4 a move earlier,
we would have transposed into a normal Vienna where white regains the pawn and gets
decent play after 6. e4. If white tries the same idea now and plays 7. e4, this is met by …g5 !,
winning a pawn. As a result, the remaining options white has are relatively insipid. }

7. Qa4+

{ This is a move which we’ll be seeing much more of in the future. White can pretty much
throw this in at any point (at least until we castle) , with the idea of forcing our knight to c6.
White reasons that the knight is a bit misplaced on c6, seeing as we usually want to play the
…c5 pawn break and the knight gets in the way. However, the knight’s placement also has
its advantages - namely it supports the …e5 pawn break, which we will typically be striving
for in these situations. }

Nc6 { Forced. } 8. e3 Bd7 { Threatening … Nxd4. } 9. Qc2 b5

{ An important idea to remember and a big advantage of having the bishop on b4 instead of
e7. We can play …b5 without preparation due to the pin on the knight on c3. }

10. Be2 a6 11. O-O Bd6

{ A minor novelty - Be7 has been played a dozen or so times, but Bd6 contains the added
idea of playing …g5 at some point to force exchanges of the dark bishops. For example, }

12. Rfd1 O-O 13. Ne4 g5 14. Nxf6+ Qxf6 15. Bg3 Rfd8

{ With his extra pawn and well-developed pieces, white is the one fighting to find some
compensation. Black is playing for …e5 here, possibly after …Bxg3. …Rfd8 is preparing for
this - black can even drop his bishop back to …e8 now if need be. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.Bg5”]

[Black “6.Bh4 Variation 5”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Bg5

{ This natural developing move which pins black’s knight is one of white’s most critical
tries. }

h6

{ This is the pure way to play the Ragozin. The Vienna-style dxc4 was recommended by GM
Pert in ‘Playing the Ragozin’, but those positions are of a very different nature to what we
usually reach in this repertoire. The general philosophy in this repertoire will be to avoid,
or at the very least delay, taking on c4 until it is necessary or the best concrete move. }

6. Bh4

{ We think this is an inaccuracy and now with accurate play from black, white might even
be the one fighting for equality. }
dxc4

{ An important move to remember, as this is one of the only times we will be taking on c4
so early. The reason for this is the insertion of h6 6. Bh4. If we took on c4 a move earlier,
we would have transposed into a normal Vienna where white regains the pawn and gets
decent play after 6. e4. If white tries the same idea now and plays 7. e4, this is met by …g5 !,
winning a pawn. As a result, the remaining options white has are relatively insipid. }

7. e3 { The most common. White is aiming to simply regain the pawn. } b5

8. Be2 { This is inaccurate, since after } Bb7 9. a4 { can be met by }

a6 { White doesn’t have much compensation for the pawn. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.Bg5”]

[Black “6.Bh4 Variation 6”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Bg5

{ This natural developing move which pins black’s knight is one of white’s most critical
tries. }

h6

{ This is the pure way to play the Ragozin. The Vienna-style dxc4 was recommended by GM
Pert in ‘Playing the Ragozin’, but those positions are of a very different nature to what we
usually reach in this repertoire. The general philosophy in this repertoire will be to avoid,
or at the very least delay, taking on c4 until it is necessary or the best concrete move. }

6. Bh4

{ We think this is an inaccuracy and now with accurate play from black, white might even
be the one fighting for equality. }
dxc4

{ An important move to remember, as this is one of the only times we will be taking on c4
so early. The reason for this is the insertion of h6 6. Bh4. If we took on c4 a move earlier,
we would have transposed into a normal Vienna where white regains the pawn and gets
decent play after 6. e4. If white tries the same idea now and plays 7. e4, this is met by …g5 !,
winning a pawn. As a result, the remaining options white has are relatively insipid. }

7. e3 { The most common. White is aiming to simply regain the pawn. } b5

8. a4 { Hitting b5 immediately is critical. } c6 9. Nd2

{ Breaking the pin. } Bb7 10. axb5 Bxc3 11. bxc3 cxb5

{ White lacks full compensation. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.Bg5”]

[Black “6.Bh4 Variation 7”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Bg5

{ This natural developing move which pins black’s knight is one of white’s most critical
tries. }

h6

{ This is the pure way to play the Ragozin. The Vienna-style dxc4 was recommended by GM
Pert in ‘Playing the Ragozin’, but those positions are of a very different nature to what we
usually reach in this repertoire. The general philosophy in this repertoire will be to avoid,
or at the very least delay, taking on c4 until it is necessary or the best concrete move. }

6. Bh4
{ We think this is an inaccuracy and now with accurate play from black, white might even
be the one fighting for equality. }

dxc4

{ An important move to remember, as this is one of the only times we will be taking on c4
so early. The reason for this is the insertion of h6 6. Bh4. If we took on c4 a move earlier,
we would have transposed into a normal Vienna where white regains the pawn and gets
decent play after 6. e4. If white tries the same idea now and plays 7. e4, this is met by …g5 !,
winning a pawn. As a result, the remaining options white has are relatively insipid. }

7. e3 { The most common. White is aiming to simply regain the pawn. } b5

8. a4 { Hitting b5 immediately is critical. } c6 9. Be2 Bb7 10. O-O

{ Getting the King to safety. } a6 { Supporting b5. } 11. Ne5 Nbd7 12. f4

O-O 13. Qe1 c5 { White has nothing for the pawn and is clearly worse. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.Bg5”]

[Black “6.Bxf6 7.Qa4+ Variation 1”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Bg5

{ This natural developing move which pins black’s knight is one of white’s most critical
tries. }

h6

{ This is the pure way to play the Ragozin. The Vienna-style dxc4 was recommended by GM
Pert in ‘Playing the Ragozin’, but those positions are of a very different nature to what we
usually reach in this repertoire. The general philosophy in this repertoire will be to avoid,
or at the very least delay, taking on c4 until it is necessary or the best concrete move. }
6. Bxf6 { This is somewhat forced, for reasons explained after 6. Bh4. }

Qxf6

{ Black has managed to gain the bishop pair, at least temporarily (before we have to take on
c3) . On the other hand, we have fallen a bit behind in development and d5 is more
vulnerable than it was previously. }

7. Qa4+ { Again provoking …Nc6. } Nc6 8. a3

{ Rare, but this can transpose to 8. e3 O-O 9. a3. } Bxc3+ 9. bxc3 O-O 10.

e3

{ This position has been reached nearly 50 times at the time of writing, but most of these
were from the 8. e3 move order. }

Bd7 { Simple development with the threat of …Nxd4. } 11. Qc2 Rfd8

{ This move has only been played once, and it does look a bit funny putting the rook on this
square. However, the d8 square is ideal for the plan we have in mind: …dxc4, …Na5
followed by …c5. }

12. Bd3 dxc4 13. Bxc4 Na5

{ Gaining a tempo on the bishop while freeing up the c-pawn. } 14. Bd3 c5

{ Black is fighting for the initiative. All our pieces have good squares available and the …c5
break gives black good play down the c-and d-files. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.Bg5”]

[Black “6.Bxf6 7.Qa4+ Variation 2”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Bg5

{ This natural developing move which pins black’s knight is one of white’s most critical
tries. }

h6

{ This is the pure way to play the Ragozin. The Vienna-style dxc4 was recommended by GM
Pert in ‘Playing the Ragozin’, but those positions are of a very different nature to what we
usually reach in this repertoire. The general philosophy in this repertoire will be to avoid,
or at the very least delay, taking on c4 until it is necessary or the best concrete move. }

6. Bxf6 { This is somewhat forced, for reasons explained after 6. Bh4. }

Qxf6

{ Black has managed to gain the bishop pair, at least temporarily (before we have to take on
c3) . On the other hand, we have fallen a bit behind in development and d5 is more
vulnerable than it was previously. }

7. Qa4+ { Again provoking …Nc6. } Nc6 8. Ne5

{ This move is overambitious and in most cases it simply doesn’t work. }

Bd7 9. Nxd7

{ This does look promising, until you realise that the knight is trapped and we simply are
up a pawn after }

Qxd4

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.Bg5”]

[Black “6.Bxf6 7.Qa4+ Variation 3”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Bg5

{ This natural developing move which pins black’s knight is one of white’s most critical
tries. }

h6

{ This is the pure way to play the Ragozin. The Vienna-style dxc4 was recommended by GM
Pert in ‘Playing the Ragozin’, but those positions are of a very different nature to what we
usually reach in this repertoire. The general philosophy in this repertoire will be to avoid,
or at the very least delay, taking on c4 until it is necessary or the best concrete move. }

6. Bxf6 { This is somewhat forced, for reasons explained after 6. Bh4. }

Qxf6

{ Black has managed to gain the bishop pair, at least temporarily (before we have to take on
c3) . On the other hand, we have fallen a bit behind in development and d5 is more
vulnerable than it was previously. }

7. Qa4+ { Again provoking …Nc6. } Nc6 8. Ne5

{ This move is overambitious and in most cases it simply doesn’t work. }

Bd7 9. Nxc6 Bxc3+ 10. bxc3 Bxc6 11. Qb4 dxc4 12. Qxc4 O-O-O

{ White has fallen very far behind in development and is in serious danger here. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.Bg5”]

[Black “6.Bxf6 7.Qa4+ Variation 4”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Bg5

{ This natural developing move which pins black’s knight is one of white’s most critical
tries. }

h6

{ This is the pure way to play the Ragozin. The Vienna-style dxc4 was recommended by GM
Pert in ‘Playing the Ragozin’, but those positions are of a very different nature to what we
usually reach in this repertoire. The general philosophy in this repertoire will be to avoid,
or at the very least delay, taking on c4 until it is necessary or the best concrete move. }

6. Bxf6 { This is somewhat forced, for reasons explained after 6. Bh4. }

Qxf6

{ Black has managed to gain the bishop pair, at least temporarily (before we have to take on
c3) . On the other hand, we have fallen a bit behind in development and d5 is more
vulnerable than it was previously. }

7. Qa4+ { Again provoking …Nc6. } Nc6 8. cxd5 exd5

{ This transposes to the next chapter dealing with 5. cxd5. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.Bg5”]

[Black “6.Bxf6 7.Qa4+ Variation 5”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Bg5

{ This natural developing move which pins black’s knight is one of white’s most critical
tries. }

h6
{ This is the pure way to play the Ragozin. The Vienna-style dxc4 was recommended by GM
Pert in ‘Playing the Ragozin’, but those positions are of a very different nature to what we
usually reach in this repertoire. The general philosophy in this repertoire will be to avoid,
or at the very least delay, taking on c4 until it is necessary or the best concrete move. }

6. Bxf6 { This is somewhat forced, for reasons explained after 6. Bh4. }

Qxf6

{ Black has managed to gain the bishop pair, at least temporarily (before we have to take on
c3) . On the other hand, we have fallen a bit behind in development and d5 is more
vulnerable than it was previously. }

7. Qa4+ { Again provoking …Nc6. } Nc6 8. e3 { Very natural. } O-O

9. cxd5 exd5 { This too transposes to the next chapter. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.Bg5”]

[Black “6.Bxf6 7.Qa4+ Variation 6”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Bg5

{ This natural developing move which pins black’s knight is one of white’s most critical
tries. }

h6

{ This is the pure way to play the Ragozin. The Vienna-style dxc4 was recommended by GM
Pert in ‘Playing the Ragozin’, but those positions are of a very different nature to what we
usually reach in this repertoire. The general philosophy in this repertoire will be to avoid,
or at the very least delay, taking on c4 until it is necessary or the best concrete move. }

6. Bxf6 { This is somewhat forced, for reasons explained after 6. Bh4. }

Qxf6

{ Black has managed to gain the bishop pair, at least temporarily (before we have to take on
c3) . On the other hand, we have fallen a bit behind in development and d5 is more
vulnerable than it was previously. }

7. Qa4+ { Again provoking …Nc6. } Nc6 8. e3 { Very natural. } O-O

9. Rc1

{ White’s idea is a typical one in these situations. He makes an improving/waiting move

before developing his light bishop, hoping that Black takes on c4 anyway, so that White
basically gains a tempo compared to the mainline. }

Rd8

{ This is another option if you prefer to leave the queens on the board. } 10.

cxd5 exd5 11. Be2 Bf8

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.Bg5”]

[Black “6.Bxf6 7.Qa4+ Variation 7”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Bg5

{ This natural developing move which pins black’s knight is one of white’s most critical
tries. }

h6

{ This is the pure way to play the Ragozin. The Vienna-style dxc4 was recommended by GM
Pert in ‘Playing the Ragozin’, but those positions are of a very different nature to what we
usually reach in this repertoire. The general philosophy in this repertoire will be to avoid,
or at the very least delay, taking on c4 until it is necessary or the best concrete move. }

6. Bxf6 { This is somewhat forced, for reasons explained after 6. Bh4. }

Qxf6

{ Black has managed to gain the bishop pair, at least temporarily (before we have to take on
c3) . On the other hand, we have fallen a bit behind in development and d5 is more
vulnerable than it was previously. }

7. Qa4+ { Again provoking …Nc6. } Nc6 8. e3 { Very natural. } O-O

9. Rc1

{ White’s idea is a typical one in these situations. He makes an improving/waiting move

before developing his light bishop, hoping that black takes on c4 anyway, so that white
basically gains a tempo compared to the mainline. }

Qg6

{ Black’s most common choice and another useful idea to keep in mind. White’s bishop is
tied down to the defence of the g2 pawn, leaving him with limited options on how to
continue. He usually ends up trading queens on the next move, so if you’d prefer to avoid
this, take a look at Rd8 instead. }

10. Qc2 Qxc2 11. Rxc2 Rd8

{ The analysis looks like it could end here, with a simple ‘=’ sign, but it seems like black has
run into a few problems in practical games so it makes sense to go a bit deeper. }

12. a3 Bf8 { Keeping the bishop pair. } 13. Nb5 { The only critical move. }

Bd7

{ Almost all the games from here have, understandably, continued with the natural Rd7,
protecting the pawn. However, black has a better option - because of some tactics, black
doesn’t need to protect the pawn and can just develop his bishop. }

14. Nxc7 { Taking the pawn can land white in a worse position. } Rac8 15.

Nb5 dxc4 16. Bxc4

{ White should instead play something else, like 16. Nc3, but black is already doing better
there. }

Na5 { Black wins a clean piece. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.Bg5”]

[Black “6.Bxf6 7.Qa4+ Variation 8”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Bg5

{ This natural developing move which pins black’s knight is one of white’s most critical
tries. }

h6

{ This is the pure way to play the Ragozin. The Vienna-style dxc4 was recommended by GM
Pert in ‘Playing the Ragozin’, but those positions are of a very different nature to what we
usually reach in this repertoire. The general philosophy in this repertoire will be to avoid,
or at the very least delay, taking on c4 until it is necessary or the best concrete move. }

6. Bxf6 { This is somewhat forced, for reasons explained after 6. Bh4. }

Qxf6

{ Black has managed to gain the bishop pair, at least temporarily (before we have to take on
c3) . On the other hand, we have fallen a bit behind in development and d5 is more
vulnerable than it was previously. }

7. Qa4+ { Again provoking …Nc6. } Nc6 8. e3 { Very natural. } O-O

9. Rc1

{ White’s idea is a typical one in these situations. He makes an improving/waiting move

before developing his light bishop, hoping that black takes on c4 anyway, so that white
basically gains a tempo compared to the mainline. }

Qg6
{ Black’s most common choice and another useful idea to keep in mind. White’s bishop is
tied down to the defence of the g2 pawn, leaving him with limited options on how to
continue. He usually ends up trading queens on the next move, so if you’d prefer to avoid
this, take a look at Rd8 instead. }

10. Qc2 Qxc2 11. Rxc2 Rd8

{ The analysis looks like it could end here, with a simple ‘=’ sign, but it seems like black has
run into a few problems in practical games so it makes sense to go a bit deeper. }

12. a3 Bf8 { Keeping the bishop pair. } 13. Nb5 { The only critical move. }

Bd7

{ Almost all the games from here have, understandably, continued with the natural Rd7,
protecting the pawn. However, black has a better option - because of some tactics, black
doesn’t need to protect the pawn and can just develop his bishop. }

14. cxd5 exd5 15. Nxc7

{ Once again, inaccurate, however natural play causes black no problems either. }

Rac8 16. Nb5 Na5 17. Rxc8 Rxc8

{ Even though white seems to just be a pawn up, all of a sudden black has become very
active and has quite a number of threats - most notably, … Bxb5 followed by …Rc1+
winning the rook. }

18. Kd1 a6 19. Nc3 Bxa3

{ Black has regained the pawn with a more active position. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.Bg5”]

[Black “6.Bxf6 7.Qa4+ Variation 9”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Bg5

{ This natural developing move which pins black’s knight is one of white’s most critical
tries. }

h6

{ This is the pure way to play the Ragozin. The Vienna-style dxc4 was recommended by GM
Pert in ‘Playing the Ragozin’, but those positions are of a very different nature to what we
usually reach in this repertoire. The general philosophy in this repertoire will be to avoid,
or at the very least delay, taking on c4 until it is necessary or the best concrete move. }

6. Bxf6 { This is somewhat forced, for reasons explained after 6. Bh4. }

Qxf6

{ Black has managed to gain the bishop pair, at least temporarily (before we have to take on
c3) . On the other hand, we have fallen a bit behind in development and d5 is more
vulnerable than it was previously. }

7. Qa4+ { Again provoking …Nc6. } Nc6 8. e3 { Very natural. } O-O

9. Bd3

{ A normal move, but the disadvantage of this is that the bishop is now forced to recapture
on c4 immediately. }

dxc4 10. Bxc4 e5

{ A thematic central break. Black takes full advantage of the knight on c6 and the queen on
f6. }

11. O-O

{ White is too far behind in development to try to counter the central break in another way ,
for example , 11.d5 is met by e4. }

exd4 12. Nd5

{ This knight hop sharpens the game for a few moves, but it fizzles out to equality quickly: }

Qd6 13. a3 Be6

{ It’s important not to waste time retreating the bishop and instead counterattack white’s
vulnerable knight. The fact that the bishop on c4 is unprotected after Nxb4 makes this
riposte possible. }
14. axb4 Bxd5 15. Bxd5 Qxd5 16. b5 Ne7 17. Nxd4 Nf5 18. Nxf5 Qxf5

{ Black has comfortably equalised. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.Bg5”]

[Black “6.Bxf6 7.Qa4+ Variation 10”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Bg5

{ This natural developing move which pins black’s knight is one of white’s most critical
tries. }

h6

{ This is the pure way to play the Ragozin. The Vienna-style dxc4 was recommended by GM
Pert in ‘Playing the Ragozin’, but those positions are of a very different nature to what we
usually reach in this repertoire. The general philosophy in this repertoire will be to avoid,
or at the very least delay, taking on c4 until it is necessary or the best concrete move. }

6. Bxf6 { This is somewhat forced, for reasons explained after 6. Bh4. }

Qxf6

{ Black has managed to gain the bishop pair, at least temporarily (before we have to take on
c3) . On the other hand, we have fallen a bit behind in development and d5 is more
vulnerable than it was previously. }

7. Qa4+ { Again provoking …Nc6. } Nc6 8. e3 { Very natural. } O-O

9. Bd3

{ A normal move, but the disadvantage of this is that the bishop is now forced to recapture
on c4 immediately. }
dxc4 10. Bxc4 e5

{ A thematic central break. Black takes full advantage of the knight on c6 and the queen on
f6. }

11. O-O

{ White is too far behind in development to try to counter the central break in another way,
for example, 11. d5 is met by …e4. }

exd4 12. Nd5

{ This knight hop sharpens the game for a few moves, but it fizzles out to equality quickly: }

Qd6 13. Nxb4 Qxb4 { Taking with the knight is also possible. } 14. Qxb4

Nxb4 15. Nxd4 c5 16. Nf3 Be6 { with equality. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.Bg5”]

[Black “6.Bxf6 7.Qa4+ Variation 11”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Bg5

{ This natural developing move which pins black’s knight is one of white’s most critical
tries. }

h6

{ This is the pure way to play the Ragozin. The Vienna-style dxc4 was recommended by GM
Pert in ‘Playing the Ragozin’, but those positions are of a very different nature to what we
usually reach in this repertoire. The general philosophy in this repertoire will be to avoid,
or at the very least delay, taking on c4 until it is necessary or the best concrete move. }
6. Bxf6 { This is somewhat forced, for reasons explained after 6. Bh4. }

Qxf6

{ Black has managed to gain the bishop pair, at least temporarily (before we have to take on
c3) . On the other hand, we have fallen a bit behind in development and d5 is more
vulnerable than it was previously. }

7. Qa4+ { Again provoking …Nc6. } Nc6 8. e3 { Very natural. } O-O

9. Be2

{ A natural developing move. The advantage e2 has over d3 is that white is not forced to
recapture on c4 immediately after …dxc4. }

dxc4 10. O-O

{ White is not obliged to recapture yet and can instead attend the safety of his king first. Of
course, 10. Bxc4 would transpose to the 9. Bd3 variation. }

Qe7

{ A rather rare idea, but it seems to be quite a clever and clean way to equalise. Black covers
his bishop on b4, which means that black is threatening to play …Na5 protecting his pawn.
This forces white to make a decision regarding how to deal with c4. }

11. a3

{ White forces the trade of minor pieces on c3, simultaneously eliminating the idea of …
Na5. }

Bxc3 12. bxc3 Qd6

{ Protecting the knight so that black can fianchetto his bishop with …b6. }

13. Qxc4 b6 14. Rfd1 Bb7

{ Black has a bit less space, but all his pieces have good squares and he has no weaknesses.
He has equalised and in the future he can look to play either the …e5 or the …c5 (after …
Na5) breaks. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]
[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.Bg5”]

[Black “6.Bxf6 7.Qa4+ Variation 12”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Bg5

{ This natural developing move which pins black’s knight is one of white’s most critical
tries. }

h6

{ This is the pure way to play the Ragozin. The Vienna-style dxc4 was recommended by GM
Pert in ‘Playing the Ragozin’, but those positions are of a very different nature to what we
usually reach in this repertoire. The general philosophy in this repertoire will be to avoid,
or at the very least delay, taking on c4 until it is necessary or the best concrete move. }

6. Bxf6 { This is somewhat forced, for reasons explained after 6. Bh4. }

Qxf6

{ Black has managed to gain the bishop pair, at least temporarily (before we have to take on
c3) . On the other hand, we have fallen a bit behind in development and d5 is more
vulnerable than it was previously. }

7. Qa4+ { Again provoking …Nc6. } Nc6 8. e3 { Very natural. } O-O

9. Be2

{ A natural developing move. The advantage e2 has over d3 is that white is not forced to
recapture on c4 immediately after …dxc4. }

dxc4 10. O-O

{ White is not obliged to recapture yet and can instead attend the safety of his king first. Of
course, 10. Bxc4 would transpose to the 9. Bd3 variation. }

Qe7

{ A rather rare idea, but it seems to be quite a clever and clean way to equalise. Black covers
his bishop on b4, which means that black is threatening to play …Na5 protecting his pawn.
This forces white to make a decision regarding how to deal with c4. }
11. Bxc4

{ The more obvious way to deal with the threat of protecting c4 is to simply take it first, but
now black’s other idea can be executed. }

Na5 { Gaining a tempo on the bishop. } 12. Bd3 Bxc3 13. bxc3 b6

{ followed by … Bb7 with comfortable equality. Black has unravelled nicely and can
continue to play for the …c5 break in the future. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.Bg5”]

[Black “6.Bxf6 7.Qb3 Variation 1”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Bg5

{ This natural developing move which pins black’s knight is one of white’s most critical
tries. }

h6

{ This is the pure way to play the Ragozin. The Vienna-style dxc4 was recommended by GM
Pert in ‘Playing the Ragozin’, but those positions are of a very different nature to what we
usually reach in this repertoire. The general philosophy in this repertoire will be to avoid,
or at the very least delay, taking on c4 until it is necessary or the best concrete move. }

6. Bxf6 { This is somewhat forced, for reasons explained after 6. Bh4. }

Qxf6

{ Black has managed to gain the bishop pair, at least temporarily (before we have to take on
c3) . On the other hand, we have fallen a bit behind in development and d5 is more
vulnerable than it was previously. }
7. Qb3

{ Based on the analysis, this seems like one of white’s more challenging tries after 5. Bg5.
White attacks the bishop, just like 7. Qa4, but with the extra benefit of putting pressure on
black’s d5 pawn. }

c5

{ The main move, but if the lines given here aren’t to your taste you can also take a look at
the simple Bxc3+. }

8. e3 { This should transpose to 8. cxd5 in most cases. } O-O

{ cxd4 is maybe a way to try exploit white’s move order, but it makes no major difference
objectively. }

9. a3 { spending a tempo to force …Bxc3+ isn’t too challenging here. }

Bxc3+ 10. Qxc3

{ After this black can basically just liquidate the centre and equalise: }

cxd4 11. Qxd4 Qxd4 12. Nxd4 dxc4 13. Bxc4 Bd7 { with complete equality. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.Bg5”]

[Black “6.Bxf6 7.Qb3 Variation 2”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Bg5

{ This natural developing move which pins black’s knight is one of white’s most critical
tries. }

h6
{ This is the pure way to play the Ragozin. The Vienna-style dxc4 was recommended by GM
Pert in ‘Playing the Ragozin’, but those positions are of a very different nature to what we
usually reach in this repertoire. The general philosophy in this repertoire will be to avoid,
or at the very least delay, taking on c4 until it is necessary or the best concrete move. }

6. Bxf6 { This is somewhat forced, for reasons explained after 6. Bh4. }

Qxf6

{ Black has managed to gain the bishop pair, at least temporarily (before we have to take on
c3) . On the other hand, we have fallen a bit behind in development and d5 is more
vulnerable than it was previously. }

7. Qb3

{ Based on the analysis, this seems like one of white’s more challenging tries after 5. Bg5.
White attacks the bishop, just like 7. Qa4, but with the extra benefit of putting pressure on
black’s d5 pawn. }

c5

{ The main move, but if the lines given here aren’t to your taste you can also take a look at
the simple Bxc3+. }

8. e3 { This should transpose to 8. cxd5 in most cases. } O-O

{ cxd4 is maybe a way to try exploit white’s move order, but it makes no major difference
objectively. }

9. a3 { spending a tempo to force …Bxc3+ isn’t too challenging here. }

Bxc3+ 10. bxc3 dxc4 11. Bxc4 b6

{ Black will complete development soon and equalise fully, as he has no weaknesses and all
his pieces have good squares. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.Bg5”]

[Black “6.Bxf6 7.Qb3 Variation 3”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Bg5

{ This natural developing move which pins black’s knight is one of white’s most critical
tries. }

h6

{ This is the pure way to play the Ragozin. The Vienna-style dxc4 was recommended by GM
Pert in ‘Playing the Ragozin’, but those positions are of a very different nature to what we
usually reach in this repertoire. The general philosophy in this repertoire will be to avoid,
or at the very least delay, taking on c4 until it is necessary or the best concrete move. }

6. Bxf6 { This is somewhat forced, for reasons explained after 6. Bh4. }

Qxf6

{ Black has managed to gain the bishop pair, at least temporarily (before we have to take on
c3) . On the other hand, we have fallen a bit behind in development and d5 is more
vulnerable than it was previously. }

7. Qb3

{ Based on the analysis, this seems like one of white’s more challenging tries after 5. Bg5.
White attacks the bishop, just like 7. Qa4, but with the extra benefit of putting pressure on
black’s d5 pawn. }

c5

{ The main move, but if the lines given here aren’t to your taste you can also take a look at
the simple Bxc3+. }

8. e3 { This should transpose to 8. cxd5 in most cases. } O-O

{ cxd4 is maybe a way to try exploit white’s move order, but it makes no major difference
objectively. }

9. dxc5 Bxc3+ 10. Qxc3 Qxc3+ 11. bxc3 dxc4 12. Bxc4 Nd7

{ regaining the pawn with full equality. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.Bg5”]

[Black “6.Bxf6 7.Qb3 Variation 4”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Bg5

{ This natural developing move which pins black’s knight is one of white’s most critical
tries. }

h6

{ This is the pure way to play the Ragozin. The Vienna-style dxc4 was recommended by GM
Pert in ‘Playing the Ragozin’, but those positions are of a very different nature to what we
usually reach in this repertoire. The general philosophy in this repertoire will be to avoid,
or at the very least delay, taking on c4 until it is necessary or the best concrete move. }

6. Bxf6 { This is somewhat forced, for reasons explained after 6. Bh4. }

Qxf6

{ Black has managed to gain the bishop pair, at least temporarily (before we have to take on
c3) . On the other hand, we have fallen a bit behind in development and d5 is more
vulnerable than it was previously. }

7. Qb3

{ Based on the analysis, this seems like one of white’s more challenging tries after 5. Bg5.
White attacks the bishop, just like 7. Qa4, but with the extra benefit of putting pressure on
black’s d5 pawn. }

c5

{ The main move, but if the lines given here aren’t to your taste you can also take a look at
the simple Bxc3+. }

8. e3 { This should transpose to 8. cxd5 in most cases. } O-O

{ cxd4 is maybe a way to try exploit white’s move order, but it makes no major difference
objectively. }

9. cxd5 exd5 { transposing to 8. cxd5. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.Bg5”]

[Black “6.Bxf6 7.Qb3 Variation 5”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Bg5

{ This natural developing move which pins black’s knight is one of white’s most critical
tries. }

h6

{ This is the pure way to play the Ragozin. The Vienna-style dxc4 was recommended by GM
Pert in ‘Playing the Ragozin’, but those positions are of a very different nature to what we
usually reach in this repertoire. The general philosophy in this repertoire will be to avoid,
or at the very least delay, taking on c4 until it is necessary or the best concrete move. }

6. Bxf6 { This is somewhat forced, for reasons explained after 6. Bh4. }

Qxf6

{ Black has managed to gain the bishop pair, at least temporarily (before we have to take on
c3) . On the other hand, we have fallen a bit behind in development and d5 is more
vulnerable than it was previously. }

7. Qb3

{ Based on the analysis, this seems like one of white’s more challenging tries after 5. Bg5.
White attacks the bishop, just like 7. Qa4, but with the extra benefit of putting pressure on
black’s d5 pawn. }
c5

{ The main move, but if the lines given here aren’t to your taste you can also take a look at
the simple Bxc3+. }

8. cxd5 exd5 9. dxc5

{ This is an inaccurate way to reach the same structure as after 9. e3. The difference is the
inclusion of the moves 9. e3 for white and O-O after 9. e3 followed by 10. dxc5. This
benefits white substantially, because as we will see in this line, black has a simple route to
equality with Na6, which isn’t possible after 9. e3 because white could play Bxa6. }

Bxc3+ 10. bxc3 O-O 11. Nd4 { Covering the c3-pawn. } Be6

{ As is quite often the case in the Ragozin, black is willing to sacrifice the b7 pawn in
exchange for quick development and threats. }

12. Qxb7 Nd7

{ Black finds himself 2 pawns down, but white’s exposed queen and lack of development
compensate for this. }

13. g3 Rfb8 14. Qc7 Qg6 { Planning …Rb1+. } 15. Bg2 Rb1+ 16. Kd2 Rb2+

{ with a perpetual. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.Bg5”]

[Black “6.Bxf6 7.Qb3 Variation 6”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Bg5

{ This natural developing move which pins black’s knight is one of white’s most critical
tries. }
h6

{ This is the pure way to play the Ragozin. The Vienna-style dxc4 was recommended by GM
Pert in ‘Playing the Ragozin’, but those positions are of a very different nature to what we
usually reach in this repertoire. The general philosophy in this repertoire will be to avoid,
or at the very least delay, taking on c4 until it is necessary or the best concrete move. }

6. Bxf6 { This is somewhat forced, for reasons explained after 6. Bh4. }

Qxf6

{ Black has managed to gain the bishop pair, at least temporarily (before we have to take on
c3) . On the other hand, we have fallen a bit behind in development and d5 is more
vulnerable than it was previously. }

7. Qb3

{ Based on the analysis, this seems like one of white’s more challenging tries after 5. Bg5.
White attacks the bishop, just like 7. Qa4, but with the extra benefit of putting pressure on
black’s d5 pawn. }

c5

{ The main move, but if the lines given here aren’t to your taste you can also take a look at
the simple Bxc3+. }

8. cxd5 exd5 9. dxc5

{ This is an inaccurate way to reach the same structure as after 9. e3. The difference is the
inclusion of the moves 9. e3 for white and O-O after 9. e3 followed by 10. dxc5. This
benefits white substantially, because as we will see in this line, black has a simple route to
equality with Na6 - which isn’t possible after 9. e3 because white could play Bxa6. }

Bxc3+ 10. Qxc3 Qxc3+ 11. bxc3

{ We reach a fairly standard structure for this variation, which will be discussed a bit more
after 9. e3. As mentioned earlier, black equalises easily here due to the lack of the inclusion
of 9. e3 and O-O. Black can recapture the pawn on c5 with …Na6 since the bishop can’t take
on a6. }

Na6

{ Recapturing this way is better than via d7 since it doesn’t block the bishop. This is
important because after something like 12. Rd1, we need to play Be6. }

12. e3 Nxc5 13. Nd4 Bd7

{ With the material balance restored and both sides possessing their respective pawn
weaknesses on d5 and c3, the position is dead equal. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.Bg5”]

[Black “6.Bxf6 7.Qb3 Variation 7”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Bg5

{ This natural developing move which pins black’s knight is one of white’s most critical
tries. }

h6

{ This is the pure way to play the Ragozin. The Vienna-style dxc4 was recommended by GM
Pert in ‘Playing the Ragozin’, but those positions are of a very different nature to what we
usually reach in this repertoire. The general philosophy in this repertoire will be to avoid,
or at the very least delay, taking on c4 until it is necessary or the best concrete move. }

6. Bxf6 { This is somewhat forced, for reasons explained after 6. Bh4. }

Qxf6

{ Black has managed to gain the bishop pair, at least temporarily (before we have to take on
c3) . On the other hand, we have fallen a bit behind in development and d5 is more
vulnerable than it was previously. }

7. Qb3

{ Based on the analysis, this seems like one of white’s more challenging tries after 5. Bg5.
White attacks the bishop, just like 7. Qa4, but with the extra benefit of putting pressure on
black’s d5 pawn. }

c5
{ The main move, but if the lines given here aren’t to your taste you can also take a look at
the simple Bxc3+. }

8. cxd5 exd5 9. Qxd5

{ Grabbing this pawn is very ill-advised - white can’t hold onto it indefinitely, and black
becomes very active. The queen becomes a massive target for black’s minor pieces and
attack almost plays itself. White needs to take care here not to lose right out of the opening.
For example, }

Nc6 { The pin on the d4 pawn …Bxc3+ makes dxc5 impossible. } 10. e3

Be6 11. Qe4 O-O-O

{ Getting the king to safety and activating the rook simultaneously. } 12. Bb5

Bf5 13. Qh4 g5 14. Qg3 cxd4 15. Nxd4 Nxd4 16. exd4 Bd6

{ Before black grabs the d4 pawn we continue kicking white’s queen around. }

17. Qf3 g4 18. Qe2 a6 19. Ba4 Qxd4

{ Black’s bishop pair and activity give him a near-winning advantage. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.Bg5”]

[Black “6.Bxf6 7.Qb3 Variation 8”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Bg5

{ This natural developing move which pins black’s knight is one of white’s most critical
tries. }

h6
{ This is the pure way to play the Ragozin. The Vienna-style dxc4 was recommended by GM
Pert in ‘Playing the Ragozin’, but those positions are of a very different nature to what we
usually reach in this repertoire. The general philosophy in this repertoire will be to avoid,
or at the very least delay, taking on c4 until it is necessary or the best concrete move. }

6. Bxf6 { This is somewhat forced, for reasons explained after 6. Bh4. }

Qxf6

{ Black has managed to gain the bishop pair, at least temporarily (before we have to take on
c3) . On the other hand, we have fallen a bit behind in development and d5 is more
vulnerable than it was previously. }

7. Qb3

{ Based on the analysis, this seems like one of white’s more challenging tries after 5. Bg5.
White attacks the bishop, just like 7. Qa4, but with the extra benefit of putting pressure on
black’s d5 pawn. }

c5

{ The main move, but if the lines given here aren’t to your taste you can also take a look at
the simple Bxc3+. }

8. cxd5 exd5 9. a3 Bxc3+ 10. bxc3

{ Not the most challenging way to play - 10. Qxc3 is critical. } Qb6

{ c4 has been played a few times, but this could be a slight improvement. }

11. Qxb6 { Taking the d5 pawn is met by … Qb2 !. } axb6 12. e3 Bf5

{ Black is to be preferred as the a3-pawn is weak and black is a bit more active. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.Bg5”]

[Black “6.Bxf6 7.Qb3 Variation 9”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Bg5

{ This natural developing move which pins black’s knight is one of white’s most critical
tries. }

h6

{ This is the pure way to play the Ragozin. The Vienna-style dxc4 was recommended by GM
Pert in ‘Playing the Ragozin’, but those positions are of a very different nature to what we
usually reach in this repertoire. The general philosophy in this repertoire will be to avoid,
or at the very least delay, taking on c4 until it is necessary or the best concrete move. }

6. Bxf6 { This is somewhat forced, for reasons explained after 6. Bh4. }

Qxf6

{ Black has managed to gain the bishop pair, at least temporarily (before we have to take on
c3) . On the other hand, we have fallen a bit behind in development and d5 is more
vulnerable than it was previously. }

7. Qb3

{ Based on the analysis, this seems like one of white’s more challenging tries after 5. Bg5.
White attacks the bishop, just like 7. Qa4, but with the extra benefit of putting pressure on
black’s d5 pawn. }

c5

{ The main move, but if the lines given here aren’t to your taste you can also take a look at
the simple Bxc3+. }

8. cxd5 exd5 9. a3 Bxc3+ 10. Qxc3 c4

{ A rare but strong move chosen by Carlsen. As we will see, the key to justifying this after
11. b3 is to continue to play actively even though the c4-pawn might be vulnerable. Tactics
work in Black’s favour here. }

11. b3

{ White wants to weaken the support for the c4-pawn while black is unable to take on b3
(the bishop on c8 would hang) . }

Be6 12. e3 { A non-threatening try which poses black no problems. }

O-O 13. Be2

{ White ‘waits’ for Black to develop his knight to c6 so he can grab the c4-pawn - after
13.bxc4 dxc4 14.Bxc4 Rc8 ! White loses material. }

Nc6

{ And we oblige ! It does seem like we are simply losing a pawn here, but tactics work in
black’s favour. }

14. bxc4 dxc4 15. Bxc4 Nxd4

{ The key move to remember. The knight clears the c-file in preparation for … Rac8,
regaining the piece. }

16. Qxd4 Qxd4 17. Nxd4 Bxc4 { with comfortable equality. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.Bg5”]

[Black “6.Bxf6 7.Qb3 Variation 10”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Bg5

{ This natural developing move which pins black’s knight is one of white’s most critical
tries. }

h6

{ This is the pure way to play the Ragozin. The Vienna-style dxc4 was recommended by GM
Pert in ‘Playing the Ragozin’, but those positions are of a very different nature to what we
usually reach in this repertoire. The general philosophy in this repertoire will be to avoid,
or at the very least delay, taking on c4 until it is necessary or the best concrete move. }

6. Bxf6 { This is somewhat forced, for reasons explained after 6. Bh4. }

Qxf6

{ Black has managed to gain the bishop pair, at least temporarily (before we have to take on
c3) . On the other hand, we have fallen a bit behind in development and d5 is more
vulnerable than it was previously. }

7. Qb3

{ Based on the analysis, this seems like one of white’s more challenging tries after 5. Bg5.
White attacks the bishop, just like 7. Qa4, but with the extra benefit of putting pressure on
black’s d5 pawn. }

c5

{ The main move, but if the lines given here aren’t to your taste you can also take a look at
the simple Bxc3+. }

8. cxd5 exd5 9. a3 Bxc3+ 10. Qxc3 c4

{ A rare but strong move chosen by Carlsen. As we will see, the key to justifying this after
11.b3 is to continue to play actively even though the c4 pawn might be vulnerable. Tactics
work in black’s favour here. }

11. b3

{ White wants to weaken the support for the c4-pawn while black is unable to take on b3
(the bishop on c8 would hang) . }

Be6 12. Ne5 { Dreev’s choice against Carlsen, but an inaccuracy. }

O-O 13. e3 Nc6 14. Be2

{ 14.bxc4 does little to change the fact that Black is already better after Nxe5 15.dxe5 Qg6. }

Nxe5 15. dxe5 Qg6 16. O-O d4 17. exd4 cxb3

{ Carlsen had a healthy advantage and went on to win in 0-1 (32) Dreev,A (2648) -
Carlsen,M (2827) Tbilisi 2017 CBM 181 }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]
[White “Ragozin with 5.Bg5”]

[Black “6.Bxf6 7.Qb3 Variation 11”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Bg5

{ This natural developing move which pins black’s knight is one of white’s most critical
tries. }

h6

{ This is the pure way to play the Ragozin. The Vienna-style dxc4 was recommended by GM
Pert in ‘Playing the Ragozin’, but those positions are of a very different nature to what we
usually reach in this repertoire. The general philosophy in this repertoire will be to avoid,
or at the very least delay, taking on c4 until it is necessary or the best concrete move. }

6. Bxf6 { This is somewhat forced, for reasons explained after 6. Bh4. }

Qxf6

{ Black has managed to gain the bishop pair, at least temporarily (before we have to take on
c3) . On the other hand, we have fallen a bit behind in development and d5 is more
vulnerable than it was previously. }

7. Qb3

{ Based on the analysis, this seems like one of white’s more challenging tries after 5. Bg5.
White attacks the bishop, just like 7. Qa4, but with the extra benefit of putting pressure on
black’s d5 pawn. }

c5

{ The main move, but if the lines given here aren’t to your taste you can also take a look at
the simple Bxc3+. }

8. cxd5 exd5 9. a3 Bxc3+ 10. Qxc3 c4

{ A rare but strong move chosen by Carlsen. As we will see, the key to justifying this after
11.b3 is to continue to play actively even though the c4 pawn might be vulnerable. Tactics
work in black’s favour here. }

11. b3
{ White wants to weaken the support for the c4-pawn while black is unable to take on b3
(the bishop on c8 would hang) . }

Be6 12. bxc4 { The critical try. } dxc4 13. e4

{ It looks quite scary for black here - the c4 pawn appears weak and white has an ideal
centre. However things aren’t so simple for white unfortunately. }

O-O { White can’t take on c4 on account of …Rc8. } 14. Be2 Re8 15. O-O

Nc6

{ The weakness of c4 is cancelled out by black’s pressure against white’s centre. White’s
centre turns out to be quite immobile and a bit of a weakness, in fact. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.Bg5”]

[Black “6.Bxf6 7.Qb3 Variation 12”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Bg5

{ This natural developing move which pins black’s knight is one of white’s most critical
tries. }

h6

{ This is the pure way to play the Ragozin. The Vienna-style dxc4 was recommended by GM
Pert in ‘Playing the Ragozin’, but those positions are of a very different nature to what we
usually reach in this repertoire. The general philosophy in this repertoire will be to avoid,
or at the very least delay, taking on c4 until it is necessary or the best concrete move. }

6. Bxf6 { This is somewhat forced, for reasons explained after 6. Bh4. }

Qxf6
{ Black has managed to gain the bishop pair, at least temporarily (before we have to take on
c3) . On the other hand, we have fallen a bit behind in development and d5 is more
vulnerable than it was previously. }

7. Qb3

{ Based on the analysis, this seems like one of white’s more challenging tries after 5. Bg5.
White attacks the bishop, just like 7. Qa4, but with the extra benefit of putting pressure on
black’s d5 pawn. }

c5

{ The main move, but if the lines given here aren’t to your taste you can also take a look at
the simple Bxc3+. }

8. cxd5 exd5 9. e3

{ As mentioned previously, this is the improved way to play the 9. dxc5 structure. }

O-O 10. Be2 { This is not dangerous at all: } Nc6 11. O-O c4 12. Qa4

Rd8 { Black’s bishop pair and space give him the edge. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.Bg5”]

[Black “6.Bxf6 7.Qb3 Variation 13”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Bg5

{ This natural developing move which pins black’s knight is one of white’s most critical
tries. }

h6
{ This is the pure way to play the Ragozin. The Vienna-style dxc4 was recommended by GM
Pert in ‘Playing the Ragozin’, but those positions are of a very different nature to what we
usually reach in this repertoire. The general philosophy in this repertoire will be to avoid,
or at the very least delay, taking on c4 until it is necessary or the best concrete move. }

6. Bxf6 { This is somewhat forced, for reasons explained after 6. Bh4. }

Qxf6

{ Black has managed to gain the bishop pair, at least temporarily (before we have to take on
c3) . On the other hand, we have fallen a bit behind in development and d5 is more
vulnerable than it was previously. }

7. Qb3

{ Based on the analysis, this seems like one of white’s more challenging tries after 5. Bg5.
White attacks the bishop, just like 7. Qa4, but with the extra benefit of putting pressure on
black’s d5 pawn. }

c5

{ The main move, but if the lines given here aren’t to your taste you can also take a look at
the simple Bxc3+. }

8. cxd5 exd5 9. e3

{ As mentioned previously, this is the improved way to play the 9. dxc5 structure. }

O-O 10. dxc5 Bxc3+ 11. Qxc3 Qxc3+ 12. bxc3 Nd7

{ Black has scored well in practice, but it can be a little tricky to fully equalise here in
engine analysis. We spent a while analysing a few plans here and am happy with what we
came up with. Black’s problem is that he is down a pawn - it does seem like he can regain
that pawn quite easily, but the issue is that this gives white time to counterattack against
black’s weak d5 pawn. The other problem black has is that his minor pieces are tripping
over each other - …Na6 is not possible (because of Bxa6) , and …Nd7 blocks the bishop
from coming to the defence of the d5 pawn with …Be6. The solution is to take a bit of time -
black needs to realise that the c5 pawn isn’t really going anywhere. We have time to play …
Nd7-f6, followed by …Bd7 and ..Rfc8. If white tries to hold onto the pawn with a Nd4-b3
manoeuvre, we can exchange it with …Bd7-a4xb3 and then regain c5. The other big move is
Be6. }

13. Rd1 Nf6

{ At the time of writing, the last move has only been played 4 times, but I think it is black’s
best plan to equalise without too many hassles. Nxc5 was recommended instead in ‘The
Complete Ragozin’ with the idea of sacrificing a pawn for activity and it is also a decent
option. Our idea is instead to protect d5 with the knight and regain the c5 pawn with the
rook. If the knight comes to b3 to protect the pawn, we will exchange it by playing
Ba4xb3. }

14. Bd3 { This does nothing to interrupt our plan of regaining c5. } Bg4

{ A nice move to eliminate the only possible defender of the c5-pawn. } 15. h3

Bxf3 16. gxf3 Rfc8 17. Rb1 Rxc5 18. Rxb7 Rxc3

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.Bg5”]

[Black “6.Bxf6 7.Qb3 Variation 14”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Bg5

{ This natural developing move which pins black’s knight is one of white’s most critical
tries. }

h6

{ This is the pure way to play the Ragozin. The Vienna-style dxc4 was recommended by GM
Pert in ‘Playing the Ragozin’, but those positions are of a very different nature to what we
usually reach in this repertoire. The general philosophy in this repertoire will be to avoid,
or at the very least delay, taking on c4 until it is necessary or the best concrete move. }

6. Bxf6 { This is somewhat forced, for reasons explained after 6. Bh4. }

Qxf6

{ Black has managed to gain the bishop pair, at least temporarily (before we have to take on
c3) . On the other hand, we have fallen a bit behind in development and d5 is more
vulnerable than it was previously. }
7. Qb3

{ Based on the analysis, this seems like one of white’s more challenging tries after 5. Bg5.
White attacks the bishop, just like 7. Qa4, but with the extra benefit of putting pressure on
black’s d5 pawn. }

c5

{ The main move, but if the lines given here aren’t to your taste you can also take a look at
the simple Bxc3+. }

8. cxd5 exd5 9. e3

{ As mentioned previously, this is the improved way to play the 9. dxc5 structure. }

O-O 10. dxc5 Bxc3+ 11. Qxc3 Qxc3+ 12. bxc3

{ Black has scored well in practice, but it can be a little tricky to fully equalise here in
engine analysis. We spent a while analysing a few plans here and am happy with what we
came up with. Black’s problem is that he is down a pawn - it does seem like he can regain
that pawn quite easily, but the issue is that this gives white time to counterattack against
black’s weak d5 pawn. The other problem black has is that his minor pieces are tripping
over each other - …Na6 is not possible (because of Bxa6) , and …Nd7 blocks the bishop
from coming to the defence of the d5 pawn with …Be6. The solution is to take a bit of time -
black needs to realise that the c5 pawn isn’t really going anywhere. We have time to play …
Nd7-f6, followed by …Bd7 and ..Rfc8. If white tries to hold onto the pawn with a Nd4-b3
manoeuvre, we can exchange it with …Bd7-a4xb3 and then regain c5. }

Nd7 { The other big move is Be6. } 13. Rd1 Nf6

{ At the time of writing, the last move has only been played 4 times, but I think it is black’s
best plan to equalise without too many hassles. Nxc5 was recommended instead in ‘The
Complete Ragozin’ with the idea of sacrificing a pawn for activity and it is also a decent
option. Our idea is instead to protect d5 with the knight and regain the c5 pawn with the
rook. If the knight comes to b3 to protect the pawn, we will exchange it by playing
Ba4xb3. }

14. c4 { This was played once, but it isn’t challenging. } Be6 15. Nd4

Rfc8 16. Nxe6 fxe6 17. cxd5 Nxd5

{ followed by doubling rooks on the c-file and taking c5, with equality. }
[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.Bg5”]

[Black “6.Bxf6 7.Qb3 Variation 15”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Bg5

{ This natural developing move which pins black’s knight is one of white’s most critical
tries. }

h6

{ This is the pure way to play the Ragozin. The Vienna-style dxc4 was recommended by GM
Pert in ‘Playing the Ragozin’, but those positions are of a very different nature to what we
usually reach in this repertoire. The general philosophy in this repertoire will be to avoid,
or at the very least delay, taking on c4 until it is necessary or the best concrete move. }

6. Bxf6 { This is somewhat forced, for reasons explained after 6. Bh4. }

Qxf6

{ Black has managed to gain the bishop pair, at least temporarily (before we have to take on
c3) . On the other hand, we have fallen a bit behind in development and d5 is more
vulnerable than it was previously. }

7. Qb3

{ Based on the analysis, this seems like one of white’s more challenging tries after 5. Bg5.
White attacks the bishop, just like 7. Qa4, but with the extra benefit of putting pressure on
black’s d5 pawn. }

c5

{ The main move, but if the lines given here aren’t to your taste you can also take a look at
the simple Bxc3+. }

8. cxd5 exd5 9. e3

{ As mentioned previously, this is the improved way to play the 9. dxc5 structure. }
O-O 10. dxc5 Bxc3+ 11. Qxc3 Qxc3+ 12. bxc3

{ Black has scored well in practice, but it can be a little tricky to fully equalise here in
engine analysis. We spent a while analysing a few plans here and am happy with what we
came up with. Black’s problem is that he is down a pawn - it does seem like he can regain
that pawn quite easily, but the issue is that this gives white time to counterattack against
black’s weak d5 pawn. The other problem black has is that his minor pieces are tripping
over each other - …Na6 is not possible (because of Bxa6) , and …Nd7 blocks the bishop
from coming to the defence of the d5 pawn with …Be6. The solution is to take a bit of time -
black needs to realise that the c5 pawn isn’t really going anywhere. We have time to play …
Nd7-f6, followed by …Bd7 and ..Rfc8. If white tries to hold onto the pawn with a Nd4-b3
manoeuvre, we can exchange it with …Bd7-a4xb3 and then regain c5. }

Nd7 { The other big move is Be6. } 13. Rd1 Nf6

{ At the time of writing, the last move has only been played 4 times, but I think it is black’s
best plan to equalise without too many hassles. Nxc5 was recommended instead in ‘The
Complete Ragozin’ with the idea of sacrificing a pawn for activity and it is also a decent
option. Our idea is instead to protect d5 with the knight and regain the c5 pawn with the
rook. If the knight comes to b3 to protect the pawn, we will exchange it by playing
Ba4xb3. }

14. Nd4

{ White anticipates the assault on the c5 pawn and prepares to defend it with Nb3. }

Bd7 15. f3 { was GM Anton Guijarro’s choice against GM Inarkiev. }

Rfc8 16. Nb3 Ba4 { This transposes to our mainline. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.Bg5”]

[Black “6.Bxf6 7.Qb3 Variation 16”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Bg5

{ This natural developing move which pins black’s knight is one of white’s most critical
tries. }

h6

{ This is the pure way to play the Ragozin. The Vienna-style dxc4 was recommended by GM
Pert in ‘Playing the Ragozin’, but those positions are of a very different nature to what we
usually reach in this repertoire. The general philosophy in this repertoire will be to avoid,
or at the very least delay, taking on c4 until it is necessary or the best concrete move. }

6. Bxf6 { This is somewhat forced, for reasons explained after 6. Bh4. }

Qxf6

{ Black has managed to gain the bishop pair, at least temporarily (before we have to take on
c3) . On the other hand, we have fallen a bit behind in development and d5 is more
vulnerable than it was previously. }

7. Qb3

{ Based on the analysis, this seems like one of white’s more challenging tries after 5. Bg5.
White attacks the bishop, just like 7. Qa4, but with the extra benefit of putting pressure on
black’s d5 pawn. }

c5

{ The main move, but if the lines given here aren’t to your taste you can also take a look at
the simple Bxc3+. }

8. cxd5 exd5 9. e3

{ As mentioned previously, this is the improved way to play the 9. dxc5 structure. }

O-O 10. dxc5 Bxc3+ 11. Qxc3 Qxc3+ 12. bxc3

{ Black has scored well in practice, but it can be a little tricky to fully equalise here in
engine analysis. We spent a while analysing a few plans here and am happy with what we
came up with. Black’s problem is that he is down a pawn - it does seem like he can regain
that pawn quite easily, but the issue is that this gives white time to counterattack against
black’s weak d5 pawn. The other problem black has is that his minor pieces are tripping
over each other - …Na6 is not possible (because of Bxa6) , and …Nd7 blocks the bishop
from coming to the defence of the d5 pawn with …Be6. The solution is to take a bit of time -
black needs to realise that the c5 pawn isn’t really going anywhere. We have time to play …
Nd7-f6, followed by …Bd7 and ..Rfc8. If white tries to hold onto the pawn with a Nd4-b3
manoeuvre, we can exchange it with …Bd7-a4xb3 and then regain c5. }
Nd7 { The other big move is Be6. } 13. Rd1 Nf6

{ At the time of writing, the last move has only been played 4 times, but I think it is black’s
best plan to equalise without too many hassles. Nxc5 was recommended instead in ‘The
Complete Ragozin’ with the idea of sacrificing a pawn for activity and it is also a decent
option. Our idea is instead to protect d5 with the knight and regain the c5 pawn with the
rook. If the knight comes to b3 to protect the pawn, we will exchange it by playing
Ba4xb3. }

14. Nd4

{ White anticipates the assault on the c5 pawn and prepares to defend it with Nb3. }

Bd7 15. Nb3 Rfc8 16. f3 Ba4 { Removing the defender of c5. } 17. Rd4 Bxb3

18. axb3 Rxc5 19. Kd2 Ra5 20. Ra4 Rxa4 21. bxa4 Nd7

{ with a roughly balanced endgame. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.Bg5”]

[Black “6.Bxf6 7.cxd5”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Bg5

{ This natural developing move which pins black’s knight is one of white’s most critical
tries. }

h6

{ This is the pure way to play the Ragozin. The Vienna-style dxc4 was recommended by GM
Pert in ‘Playing the Ragozin’, but those positions are of a very different nature to what we
usually reach in this repertoire. The general philosophy in this repertoire will be to avoid,
or at the very least delay, taking on c4 until it is necessary or the best concrete move. }
6. Bxf6 { This is somewhat forced, for reasons explained after 6. Bh4. }

Qxf6

{ Black has managed to gain the bishop pair, at least temporarily (before we have to take on
c3) . On the other hand, we have fallen a bit behind in development and d5 is more
vulnerable than it was previously. }

7. cxd5 exd5

{ This transposes to a position that is covered in the next chapter. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.Bg5”]

[Black “6.Bxf6 7.Rc1”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Bg5

{ This natural developing move which pins black’s knight is one of white’s most critical
tries. }

h6

{ This is the pure way to play the Ragozin. The Vienna-style dxc4 was recommended by GM
Pert in ‘Playing the Ragozin’, but those positions are of a very different nature to what we
usually reach in this repertoire. The general philosophy in this repertoire will be to avoid,
or at the very least delay, taking on c4 until it is necessary or the best concrete move. }

6. Bxf6 { This is somewhat forced, for reasons explained after 6. Bh4. }

Qxf6
{ Black has managed to gain the bishop pair, at least temporarily (before we have to take on
c3) . On the other hand, we have fallen a bit behind in development and d5 is more
vulnerable than it was previously. }

7. Rc1 { Rare and not good. } dxc4

{ White’s time-wasting previous move affords us the chance to grab this pawn. }

8. Qa4+ Nc6 9. a3 Bxc3+ 10. bxc3 Qe7 { Hitting a3. } 11. Ra1

{ Otherwise …Bd7 is very unpleasant. } O-O

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.Bg5”]

[Black “6.Bxf6 7.e3 1”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Bg5

{ This natural developing move which pins black’s knight is one of white’s most critical
tries. }

h6

{ This is the pure way to play the Ragozin. The Vienna-style dxc4 was recommended by GM
Pert in ‘Playing the Ragozin’, but those positions are of a very different nature to what we
usually reach in this repertoire. The general philosophy in this repertoire will be to avoid,
or at the very least delay, taking on c4 until it is necessary or the best concrete move. }

6. Bxf6 { This is somewhat forced, for reasons explained after 6. Bh4. }

Qxf6
{ Black has managed to gain the bishop pair, at least temporarily (before we have to take on
c3) . On the other hand, we have fallen a bit behind in development and d5 is more
vulnerable than it was previously. }

7. e3 { The most common move by a large margin. } O-O 8. Qb3 c5

{ This transposes to 7. Qb3 c5 8. e3 O-O. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.Bg5”]

[Black “6.Bxf6 7.e3 2”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Bg5

{ This natural developing move which pins black’s knight is one of white’s most critical
tries. }

h6

{ This is the pure way to play the Ragozin. The Vienna-style dxc4 was recommended by GM
Pert in ‘Playing the Ragozin’, but those positions are of a very different nature to what we
usually reach in this repertoire. The general philosophy in this repertoire will be to avoid,
or at the very least delay, taking on c4 until it is necessary or the best concrete move. }

6. Bxf6 { This is somewhat forced, for reasons explained after 6. Bh4. }

Qxf6

{ Black has managed to gain the bishop pair, at least temporarily (before we have to take on
c3) . On the other hand, we have fallen a bit behind in development and d5 is more
vulnerable than it was previously. }

7. e3 { The most common move by a large margin. } O-O 8. Be2

{ This is simply losing a tempo. 8.Bd3 is met in the same way. } dxc4 9.

Bxc4 b6 10. O-O Bb7

{ We have activated our problem bishop and equalised. Soon we will play the …c5 break
with good play. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.Bg5”]

[Black “6.Bxf6 7.e3 3”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Bg5

{ This natural developing move which pins black’s knight is one of white’s most critical
tries. }

h6

{ This is the pure way to play the Ragozin. The Vienna-style dxc4 was recommended by GM
Pert in ‘Playing the Ragozin’, but those positions are of a very different nature to what we
usually reach in this repertoire. The general philosophy in this repertoire will be to avoid,
or at the very least delay, taking on c4 until it is necessary or the best concrete move. }

6. Bxf6 { This is somewhat forced, for reasons explained after 6. Bh4. }

Qxf6

{ Black has managed to gain the bishop pair, at least temporarily (before we have to take on
c3) . On the other hand, we have fallen a bit behind in development and d5 is more
vulnerable than it was previously. }

7. e3 { The most common move by a large margin. } O-O 8. Rc1

{ White follows the standard waiting strategy before developing his light bishop, to avoid
losing a tempo after …dxc4. }

dxc4

{ The mainline. Alternatives do exist though , such as c6 , which are worth taking a look at,
especially if you are desperate to avoid the simplified - and equal - positions which dxc4
leads to. }

9. Bxc4 c5

{ Immediately challenging White’s centre. White is a bit better developed, with more space
and central control, but Black’s bishop pair offset this. }

10. dxc5

{ This is the main alternative to 10.O-O. White hopes to gain some time by forcing black’s
bishop to recapture and then use his lead in development to get an initiative. }

Nd7

{ The other, more common move is Bxc5. However, it seems like black has to do a bit more
work to equalise there than after Nd7 - this is confirmed by the choice of most top players
being Nd7, including Carlsen. }

11. c6

{ White converts his advantage in development into an isolated c-pawn for black, with the
hope of getting a long-lasting edge this way. Black’s bishop pair compensate for this
weakness though. }

bxc6 12. O-O Ne5 13. Nxe5 Qxe5

{ The bishop pair offsets the isolated c-pawn. Black drew easily in - (37) Giri,A (2790) -
Carlsen,M (2863) Shamkir 2015 }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.Bg5”]

[Black “6.Bxf6 7.e3 4”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Bg5

{ This natural developing move which pins black’s knight is one of white’s most critical
tries. }

h6

{ This is the pure way to play the Ragozin. The Vienna-style dxc4 was recommended by GM
Pert in ‘Playing the Ragozin’, but those positions are of a very different nature to what we
usually reach in this repertoire. The general philosophy in this repertoire will be to avoid,
or at the very least delay, taking on c4 until it is necessary or the best concrete move. }

6. Bxf6 { This is somewhat forced, for reasons explained after 6. Bh4. }

Qxf6

{ Black has managed to gain the bishop pair, at least temporarily (before we have to take on
c3) . On the other hand, we have fallen a bit behind in development and d5 is more
vulnerable than it was previously. }

7. e3 { The most common move by a large margin. } O-O 8. Rc1

{ White follows the standard waiting strategy before developing his light bishop, to avoid
losing a tempo after …dxc4. }

dxc4

{ The mainline. Alternatives do exist though , such as c6 , which are worth taking a look at ,
especially if you are desperate to avoid the simplified (and equal) positions which dxc4
leads to. …c6 just solidifies d5 and keeps pieces on the board in order to try and keep the
position complicated so you can play for the win, whereas …c5 is more like the ‘highway to
equality’. }

9. Bxc4 c5

{ Immediately challenging White’s centre. White is a bit better developed, with more space
and central control, but Black’s bishop pair offset this. }

10. dxc5
{ This is the main alternative to 10. O-O. White hopes to gain some time by forcing Black’s
bishop to recapture and then use his lead in development to get an initiative. }

Nd7

{ The other, more common move is Bxc5. However, it seems like Black has to do a bit more
work to equalise there than after Nd7 - this is confirmed by the choice of most top players
being Nd7, including Carlsen. }

11. O-O Bxc3 12. Rxc3 Nxc5 13. Be2 b6

{ With the material balance restored and Black having caught up in development, the
position is completely equal. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.Bg5”]

[Black “6.Bxf6 7.e3 5”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Bg5

{ This natural developing move which pins black’s knight is one of white’s most critical
tries. }

h6

{ This is the pure way to play the Ragozin. The Vienna-style dxc4 was recommended by GM
Pert in ‘Playing the Ragozin’, but those positions are of a very different nature to what we
usually reach in this repertoire. The general philosophy in this repertoire will be to avoid,
or at the very least delay, taking on c4 until it is necessary or the best concrete move. }

6. Bxf6 { This is somewhat forced, for reasons explained after 6. Bh4. }

Qxf6
{ Black has managed to gain the bishop pair, at least temporarily (before we have to take on
c3) . On the other hand, we have fallen a bit behind in development and d5 is more
vulnerable than it was previously. }

7. e3 { The most common move by a large margin. } O-O 8. Rc1

{ White follows the standard waiting strategy before developing his light bishop, to avoid
losing a tempo after …dxc4. }

dxc4

{ The mainline. Alternatives do exist though, such as c6, which are worth taking a look at,
especially if you are desperate to avoid the simplified (and equal) positions which dxc4
leads to. }

9. Bxc4 c5

{ Immediately challenging white’s centre. White is a bit better developed, with more space
and central control, but black’s bishop pair offset this. }

10. a3 Bxc3+ 11. bxc3 b6

{ followed by developing the light bishop with equality. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.Bg5”]

[Black “6.Bxf6 7.e3 6”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Bg5

{ This natural developing move which pins black’s knight is one of white’s most critical
tries. }

h6
{ This is the pure way to play the Ragozin. The Vienna-style dxc4 was recommended by GM
Pert in ‘Playing the Ragozin’, but those positions are of a very different nature to what we
usually reach in this repertoire. The general philosophy in this repertoire will be to avoid,
or at the very least delay, taking on c4 until it is necessary or the best concrete move. }

6. Bxf6 { This is somewhat forced, for reasons explained after 6. Bh4. }

Qxf6

{ Black has managed to gain the bishop pair, at least temporarily (before we have to take on
c3) . On the other hand, we have fallen a bit behind in development and d5 is more
vulnerable than it was previously. }

7. e3 { The most common move by a large margin. } O-O 8. Rc1

{ White follows the standard waiting strategy before developing his light bishop, to avoid
losing a tempo after …dxc4. }

dxc4

{ The mainline. Alternatives do exist though, such as c6, which are worth taking a look at,
especially if you are desperate to avoid the simplified (and equal) positions which dxc4
leads to. }

9. Bxc4 c5

{ Immediately challenging white’s centre. White is a bit better developed, with more space
and central control, but black’s bishop pair offset this. }

10. O-O { The main move, which has been played around 250 times. } cxd4

11. Ne4

{ This intermezzo has been one of white’s more recent attempts to pose black some
problems here. White rejects any …Bxc3 exchanges in the future and hopes to exploit the
bishop’s misplaced position. }

Qf5

{ This has been played far fewer times than Qe7, but it contains a couple of clever ideas and
it also received the backing of Carlsen. Black will be putting his queen on a5 and retreating
his dark bishop to f8 or e7 later, as opposed to after … Qe7 when the bishop finds itself
lacking good squares. }

12. Ng3 Qa5 13. Nxd4 { This allows black to equalise easily. } Rd8 14.

Qg4 Nc6 15. Nxc6 bxc6 16. Rcd1 Bf8 17. Rxd8 Qxd8 18. Rd1 Qc7
{ Black’s bishop pair ensures equality. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.Bg5”]

[Black “6.Bxf6 7.e3 7”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Bg5

{ This natural developing move which pins black’s knight is one of white’s most critical
tries. }

h6

{ This is the pure way to play the Ragozin. The Vienna-style dxc4 was recommended by GM
Pert in ‘Playing the Ragozin’, but those positions are of a very different nature to what we
usually reach in this repertoire. The general philosophy in this repertoire will be to avoid,
or at the very least delay, taking on c4 until it is necessary or the best concrete move. }

6. Bxf6 { This is somewhat forced, for reasons explained after 6. Bh4. }

Qxf6

{ Black has managed to gain the bishop pair, at least temporarily (before we have to take on
c3) . On the other hand, we have fallen a bit behind in development and d5 is more
vulnerable than it was previously. }

7. e3 { The most common move by a large margin. } O-O 8. Rc1

{ White follows the standard waiting strategy before developing his light bishop, to avoid
losing a tempo after …dxc4. }

dxc4
{ The mainline. Alternatives do exist though, such as c6, which are worth taking a look at,
especially if you are desperate to avoid the simplified (and equal) positions which dxc4
leads to. }

9. Bxc4 c5

{ Immediately challenging white’s centre. White is a bit better developed, with more space
and central control, but black’s bishop pair offset this. }

10. O-O { The main move, which has been played around 250 times. } cxd4

11. Ne4

{ This intermezzo has been one of white’s more recent attempts to pose black some
problems here. White rejects any …Bxc3 exchanges in the future and hopes to exploit the
bishop’s misplaced position. }

Qf5

{ This has been played far fewer times than Qe7, but it contains a couple of clever ideas and
it also received the backing of Carlsen. Black will be putting his queen on a5 and retreating
his dark bishop to f8 or e7 later, as opposed to after … Qe7 when the bishop is finds itself
lacking good squares. }

12. Ng3 Qa5 13. a3 Be7 14. exd4 Nd7

{ Bringing the knight to f6 where it can defend the kingside and cover d5. }

15. Qe2 Nf6 16. Ne5 Rd8 17. Nf5 Bd6 { Forcing some exchanges. } 18. Nxd6 Rxd6

{ White’s brief initiative has fizzled out and he is left with an IQP, while black is well-placed
to neutralise it. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.Bg5”]

[Black “6.Bxf6 7.e3 8”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Bg5

{ This natural developing move which pins black’s knight is one of white’s most critical
tries. }

h6

{ This is the pure way to play the Ragozin. The Vienna-style dxc4 was recommended by GM
Pert in ‘Playing the Ragozin’, but those positions are of a very different nature to what we
usually reach in this repertoire. The general philosophy in this repertoire will be to avoid,
or at the very least delay, taking on c4 until it is necessary or the best concrete move. }

6. Bxf6 { This is somewhat forced, for reasons explained after 6. Bh4. }

Qxf6

{ Black has managed to gain the bishop pair, at least temporarily (before we have to take on
c3) . On the other hand, we have fallen a bit behind in development and d5 is more
vulnerable than it was previously. }

7. e3 { The most common move by a large margin. } O-O 8. Rc1

{ White follows the standard waiting strategy before developing his light bishop, to avoid
losing a tempo after …dxc4. }

dxc4

{ The mainline. Alternatives do exist though, such as c6, which are worth taking a look at,
especially if you are desperate to avoid the simplified (and equal) positions which dxc4
leads to. }

9. Bxc4 c5

{ Immediately challenging white’s centre. White is a bit better developed, with more space
and central control, but black’s bishop pair offset this. }

10. O-O { The main move, which has been played around 250 times. } cxd4

11. Ne4

{ This intermezzo has been one of white’s more recent attempts to pose black some
problems here. White rejects any …Bxc3 exchanges in the future and hopes to exploit the
bishop’s misplaced position. }

Qf5
{ This has been played far fewer times than Qe7, but it contains a couple of clever ideas and
it also received the backing of Carlsen. Black will be putting his queen on a5 and retreating
his dark bishop to f8 or e7 later, as opposed to after … Qe7 when the bishop is finds itself
lacking good squares. }

12. Ng3 Qa5 13. exd4 Rd8 { Putting some mild pressure on the IQP. } 14. Qe2 Nc6

15. Rfd1 Bd7

{ A neat little manoeuvre. The bishop is headed to e8 where it can protect the f7 pawn
(which is often targetted in kingside IQP attacks) and also get out of the way of the a8-rook.
}

16. Qe4 Be8 17. d5 exd5 18. Bxd5 Bf8

{ Black’s setup seems a bit passive, but he is well-placed to meet any aggressive white
ideas. White has no advantage here. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.Bg5”]

[Black “6.Bxf6 7.e3 9”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Bg5

{ This natural developing move which pins black’s knight is one of white’s most critical
tries. }

h6

{ This is the pure way to play the Ragozin. The Vienna-style dxc4 was recommended by GM
Pert in ‘Playing the Ragozin’, but those positions are of a very different nature to what we
usually reach in this repertoire. The general philosophy in this repertoire will be to avoid,
or at the very least delay, taking on c4 until it is necessary or the best concrete move. }
6. Bxf6 { This is somewhat forced, for reasons explained after 6. Bh4. }

Qxf6

{ Black has managed to gain the bishop pair, at least temporarily (before we have to take on
c3) . On the other hand, we have fallen a bit behind in development and d5 is more
vulnerable than it was previously. }

7. e3 { The most common move by a large margin. } O-O 8. Rc1

{ White follows the standard waiting strategy before developing his light bishop, to avoid
losing a tempo after …dxc4. }

dxc4

{ The mainline. Alternatives do exist though, such as c6, which are worth taking a look at,
especially if you are desperate to avoid the simplified (and equal) positions which dxc4
leads to. }

9. Bxc4 c5

{ Immediately challenging white’s centre. White is a bit better developed, with more space
and central control, but black’s bishop pair offset this. }

10. O-O { The main move, which has been played around 250 times. } cxd4

11. exd4 Rd8 12. Ne4 Qe7 13. Qe2 Nc6 14. Rfd1 Ba5 15. Nc3 Bb6 16. d5 exd5 17.

Qxe7 Nxe7 18. Nxd5 Nxd5 19. Bxd5 Rb8

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.Bg5”]

[Black “6.Bxf6 7.e3 10”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Bg5

{ This natural developing move which pins black’s knight is one of white’s most critical
tries. }

h6

{ This is the pure way to play the Ragozin. The Vienna-style dxc4 was recommended by GM
Pert in ‘Playing the Ragozin’, but those positions are of a very different nature to what we
usually reach in this repertoire. The general philosophy in this repertoire will be to avoid,
or at the very least delay, taking on c4 until it is necessary or the best concrete move. }

6. Bxf6 { This is somewhat forced, for reasons explained after 6. Bh4. }

Qxf6

{ Black has managed to gain the bishop pair, at least temporarily (before we have to take on
c3) . On the other hand, we have fallen a bit behind in development and d5 is more
vulnerable than it was previously. }

7. e3 { The most common move by a large margin. } O-O 8. Rc1

{ White follows the standard waiting strategy before developing his light bishop, to avoid
losing a tempo after …dxc4. }

dxc4

{ The mainline. Alternatives do exist though, such as c6, which are worth taking a look at,
especially if you are desperate to avoid the simplified (and equal) positions which dxc4
leads to. }

9. Bxc4 c5

{ Immediately challenging white’s centre. White is a bit better developed, with more space
and central control, but black’s bishop pair offset this. }

10. O-O { The main move, which has been played around 250 times. } cxd4

11. Nxd4 Bd7 12. Ne4

{ This is similar to 11. Ne4, with the caveat that the f5 square isn’t available to black’s
queen, but the e5 square is. }

Qe5

{ Once again this idea is far rarer than the more natural e7-square, but it seems to equalise
even more easily. }
13. Ng3 { A natural move, but here black is already equal. } Nc6 14. Nc2

Rfd8 15. Nxb4 Nxb4 16. Qb3 a5 { Black has no problems. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.Bg5”]

[Black “6.Bxf6 7.e3 11”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Bg5

{ This natural developing move which pins black’s knight is one of white’s most critical
tries. }

h6

{ This is the pure way to play the Ragozin. The Vienna-style dxc4 was recommended by GM
Pert in ‘Playing the Ragozin’, but those positions are of a very different nature to what we
usually reach in this repertoire. The general philosophy in this repertoire will be to avoid,
or at the very least delay, taking on c4 until it is necessary or the best concrete move. }

6. Bxf6 { This is somewhat forced, for reasons explained after 6. Bh4. }

Qxf6

{ Black has managed to gain the bishop pair, at least temporarily (before we have to take on
c3) . On the other hand, we have fallen a bit behind in development and d5 is more
vulnerable than it was previously. }

7. e3 { The most common move by a large margin. } O-O 8. Rc1

{ White follows the standard waiting strategy before developing his light bishop, to avoid
losing a tempo after …dxc4. }

dxc4
{ The mainline. Alternatives do exist though, such as c6, which are worth taking a look at,
especially if you are desperate to avoid the simplified (and equal) positions which dxc4
leads to. }

9. Bxc4 c5

{ Immediately challenging white’s centre. White is a bit better developed, with more space
and central control, but black’s bishop pair offset this. }

10. O-O { The main move, which has been played around 250 times. } cxd4

11. Nxd4 Bd7 12. Ne4

{ This is similar to 11. Ne4, with the caveat that the f5 square isn’t available to black’s
queen, but the e5 square is. }

Qe5

{ Once again this idea is far rarer than the more natural e7-square, but it seems to equalise
even more easily. }

13. Bd3 Nc6 { Developing and attempting to exchange minor pieces. } 14. f4 Qa5

15. Nf6+ { White can head for a perpetual like this. } gxf6 16. Qg4+ Kh8

17. Qh4 Kg7 18. Qg3+ Kh8 { with a draw. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.Bg5”]

[Black “6.Bxf6 7.e3 12”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Bg5

{ This natural developing move which pins black’s knight is one of white’s most critical
tries. }

h6

{ This is the pure way to play the Ragozin. The Vienna-style dxc4 was recommended by GM
Pert in ‘Playing the Ragozin’, but those positions are of a very different nature to what we
usually reach in this repertoire. The general philosophy in this repertoire will be to avoid,
or at the very least delay, taking on c4 until it is necessary or the best concrete move. }

6. Bxf6 { This is somewhat forced, for reasons explained after 6. Bh4. }

Qxf6

{ Black has managed to gain the bishop pair, at least temporarily (before we have to take on
c3) . On the other hand, we have fallen a bit behind in development and d5 is more
vulnerable than it was previously. }

7. e3 { The most common move by a large margin. } O-O 8. Rc1

{ White follows the standard waiting strategy before developing his light bishop, to avoid
losing a tempo after …dxc4. }

dxc4

{ The mainline. Alternatives do exist though, such as c6, which are worth taking a look at,
especially if you are desperate to avoid the simplified (and equal) positions which dxc4
leads to. }

9. Bxc4 c5

{ Immediately challenging white’s centre. White is a bit better developed, with more space
and central control, but black’s bishop pair offset this. }

10. O-O { The main move, which has been played around 250 times. } cxd4

11. Nxd4 Bd7 12. Ne4

{ This is similar to 11. Ne4, with the caveat that the f5 square isn’t available to black’s
queen, but the e5 square is. }

Qe5

{ Once again this idea is far rarer than the more natural e7-square, but it seems to equalise
even more easily. }

13. Be2
{ A clever little tactic. The knight is indirectly protected by the idea of Bf3, attacking the
queen, followed by Bxb7. }

Rd8 14. Qb3 a5 15. Nc3 Nc6 16. Nf3 Qf6 17. a3 Bxc3 18. Qxc3 Qxc3 19. Rxc3

Be8 { Black has no problems at all here. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.Bg5”]

[Black “6.Bxf6 7.e3 13”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Bg5

{ This natural developing move which pins black’s knight is one of white’s most critical
tries. }

h6

{ This is the pure way to play the Ragozin. The Vienna-style dxc4 was recommended by GM
Pert in ‘Playing the Ragozin’, but those positions are of a very different nature to what we
usually reach in this repertoire. The general philosophy in this repertoire will be to avoid,
or at the very least delay, taking on c4 until it is necessary or the best concrete move. }

6. Bxf6 { This is somewhat forced, for reasons explained after 6. Bh4. }

Qxf6

{ Black has managed to gain the bishop pair, at least temporarily (before we have to take on
c3) . On the other hand, we have fallen a bit behind in development and d5 is more
vulnerable than it was previously. }

7. e3 { The most common move by a large margin. } O-O 8. Rc1

{ White follows the standard waiting strategy before developing his light bishop, to avoid
losing a tempo after …dxc4. }

dxc4

{ The mainline. Alternatives do exist though, such as c6, which are worth taking a look at,
especially if you are desperate to avoid the simplified (and equal) positions which dxc4
leads to. }

9. Bxc4 c5

{ Immediately challenging white’s centre. White is a bit better developed, with more space
and central control, but black’s bishop pair offset this. }

10. O-O { The main move, which has been played around 250 times. } cxd4

11. Nxd4 Bd7 12. Qb3 Nc6 { Developing and exchanging pieces. } 13. Nxc6 Bxc3

{ We simply vacuum the pieces off the board now and equalise. } 14. Qxb7

{ This is another way to reach a slightly different equal position: }

Bxc6 15. Qxc6 Bxb2

{ Opposite coloured bishops and a near symmetrical pawn structure. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.Bg5”]

[Black “6.Bxf6 7.e3 14”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Bg5

{ This natural developing move which pins black’s knight is one of white’s most critical
tries. }
h6

{ This is the pure way to play the Ragozin. The Vienna-style dxc4 was recommended by GM
Pert in ‘Playing the Ragozin’, but those positions are of a very different nature to what we
usually reach in this repertoire. The general philosophy in this repertoire will be to avoid,
or at the very least delay, taking on c4 until it is necessary or the best concrete move. }

6. Bxf6 { This is somewhat forced, for reasons explained after 6. Bh4. }

Qxf6

{ Black has managed to gain the bishop pair, at least temporarily (before we have to take on
c3) . On the other hand, we have fallen a bit behind in development and d5 is more
vulnerable than it was previously. }

7. e3 { The most common move by a large margin. } O-O 8. Rc1

{ White follows the standard waiting strategy before developing his light bishop, to avoid
losing a tempo after …dxc4. }

dxc4

{ The mainline. Alternatives do exist though, such as c6, which are worth taking a look at,
especially if you are desperate to avoid the simplified (and equal) positions which dxc4
leads to. }

9. Bxc4 c5

{ Immediately challenging white’s centre. White is a bit better developed, with more space
and central control, but black’s bishop pair offset this. }

10. O-O { The main move, which has been played around 250 times. } cxd4

11. Nxd4 Bd7 12. Qb3 Nc6 { Developing and exchanging pieces. } 13. Nxc6 Bxc3

{ We simply vacuum the pieces off the board now and equalise. } 14. Rxc3 Bxc6

15. Bb5 Bd5

{ Dozens of games have ended quickly in a draw this way. It seems like black has no
theoretical problems in the mainline presented here, so white needs to search for
deviations earlier to find something which can pose some theoretical challenges to the
Ragozin with 5. Bg5. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.Bg5”]

[Black “6.Bxf6 7.e3 with Nc6 - Backup 1”]

1. d4 Nf6

{ In this chapter we will be dealing with white’s various early deviations after 1. d4 - in
other words, all white’s options that are not a Nimzo-Indian, Ragozin or a Catalan. This
means that options such as the Trompowsky, London and Veresov will be covered here.
Naturally, we can’t cover all of white’s deviations in a single chapter, as there are simply far
too many - however, we will recommend lines against the most common and most critical
ones. Against any deviations not covered yet, common sense development should suffice
for equality. After analysing the d4 deviations white can throw at us, it became apparent
that it’s best to go for lines which are low-theory, safe and solid. There’s already enough
theory as it is in the Nimzo-Indian and Ragozin without learning more against rare white
tries. One of the difficult things about learning to counter many of these d4 deviations is the
fact that white can switch up the move order very easily and there are plenty of
transpositions. This is why we recommend, for this chapter especially, to pay more
attention to the plans and development schemes we use. }

2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Bg5

{ This natural developing move which pins black’s knight is one of white’s most critical
tries. }

h6
{ This is the pure way to play the Ragozin. The Vienna-style dxc4 was recommended by GM
Pert in ‘Playing the Ragozin’, but those positions are of a very different nature to what we
usually reach in this repertoire. The general philosophy in this repertoire will be to avoid,
or at the very least delay, taking on c4 until it is necessary or the best concrete move. }

6. Bxf6 { This is somewhat forced, for reasons explained after 6. Bh4. }

Qxf6

{ Black has managed to gain the bishop pair, at least temporarily (before we have to take on
c3) . On the other hand, we have fallen a bit behind in development and d5 is more
vulnerable than it was previously. }

7. e3 { The most common move by a large margin. } O-O 8. Rc1

{ White follows the standard waiting strategy before developing his light bishop, to avoid
losing a tempo after …dxc4. }

Nc6

{ Our main recommendation here, and objectively the best way to play for black, is dxc4
followed by …c5. Unfortunately, if white is particularly dull, this can fizzle out to a draw
rather quickly. Of course, this is the nature of chess - if white plays with no ambition then
there often are certain lines where he can force draws. Regardless, we thought it’d be a
good idea to provide an alternative if you want to avoid a draw at all costs, and what we
came up with is Nc6. It keeps pieces on the board, doesn’t liquidate the centre for the time
being and has the idea of unbalancing the position with …dxc4 followed by the …e5 break.
It has been used on multiple occasions by super GM Harikrishna, and it’s a very decent way
to play. }

9. cxd5

{ White eliminates our plan of …dxc4 followed by …e5, but black is very solid in this
Carlsbad pawn structure as both of white’s usual plans, the minority attack and the e4
break, are very far from being realised. }

exd5 10. a3 Bxc3+ 11. Rxc3 Ne7 12. Be2 c6

{ Black is completely fine here. Black can potentially generate some play on the kingside
later if ambitious, or start by maneuvering the knight to e4 with … Ne7-f5-d6-e4. }

[Site “?”]
[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.Bg5”]

[Black “6.Bxf6 7.e3 with Nc6 - Backup 2”]

1. d4 Nf6

{ In this chapter we will be dealing with white’s various early deviations after 1. d4 - in
other words, all white’s options that are not a Nimzo-Indian, Ragozin or a Catalan. This
means that options such as the Trompowsky, London and Veresov will be covered here.
Naturally, we can’t cover all of white’s deviations in a single chapter, as there are simply far
too many - however, we will recommend lines against the most common and most critical
ones. Against any deviations not covered yet, common sense development should suffice
for equality. After analysing the d4 deviations white can throw at us, it became apparent
that it’s best to go for lines which are low-theory, safe and solid. There’s already enough
theory as it is in the Nimzo-Indian and Ragozin without learning more against rare white
tries. One of the difficult things about learning to counter many of these d4 deviations is the
fact that white can switch up the move order very easily and there are plenty of
transpositions. This is why we recommend, for this chapter especially, to pay more
attention to the plans and development schemes we use. }

2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Bg5

{ This natural developing move which pins black’s knight is one of white’s most critical
tries. }

h6

{ This is the pure way to play the Ragozin. The Vienna-style dxc4 was recommended by GM
Pert in ‘Playing the Ragozin’, but those positions are of a very different nature to what we
usually reach in this repertoire. The general philosophy in this repertoire will be to avoid,
or at the very least delay, taking on c4 until it is necessary or the best concrete move. }

6. Bxf6 { This is somewhat forced, for reasons explained after 6. Bh4. }

Qxf6

{ Black has managed to gain the bishop pair, at least temporarily (before we have to take on
c3) . On the other hand, we have fallen a bit behind in development and d5 is more
vulnerable than it was previously. }
7. e3 { The most common move by a large margin. } O-O 8. Rc1

{ White follows the standard waiting strategy before developing his light bishop, to avoid
losing a tempo after …dxc4. }

Nc6

{ Our main recommendation here, and objectively the best way to play for black, is dxc4
followed by …c5. Unfortunately, if white is particularly dull, this can fizzle out to a draw
rather quickly. Of course, this is the nature of chess - if white plays with no ambition then
there often are certain lines where he can force draws. Regardless, we thought it’d be a
good idea to provide an alternative if you want to avoid a draw at all costs, and what we
came up with is Nc6. It keeps pieces on the board, doesn’t liquidate the centre for the time
being and has the idea of unbalancing the position with …dxc4 followed by the …e5 break.
It has been used on multiple occasions by super GM Harikrishna, and it’s a very decent way
to play. }

9. a3 { allows us to carry out our idea of … dxc4 followed by …e5. }

Bxc3+ 10. Rxc3 dxc4 11. Bxc4 e5

{ Black is pretty close to objective equality and has scored well in practice. Either way, we
have managed to force an imbalance here - after dxe5, we get a queenside pawn majority
while after d5 we can eventually target the d5 pawn, perhaps with … c6 later. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.cxd5”]

[Black “5.cxd5 Overview”]

{ @@HeaderStart@@Key Points@@HeaderEnd@@

This chapter is white’s second most common choice, but it might be even more critical than
the previous chapter. Once again, we need to remember to immediately attack white’s
bishop with …h6. 6.Qa4+ followed by 7.Ne5 is a little sideline, but it is good to keep in mind
the clever response a5 which works because white will get his queen trapped on c6 if he
takes the ‘free material’. Our general plan in the mainline here is simple: we castle and
develop our bishop to f5. The main thing to keep in mind for this chapter is that black can
often sacrifice the b7 pawn. If white’s queen captures on b7, black often gets a big initiative
and strong play down the newly-opened b-file, or an endgame with full compensation. The
main branching point here is on move 10. White can recapture with the pawn on c3 and try
to grab some material, or recapture with the queen and play more positionally. }

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. cxd5

{ This is white’s second most common move behind 5. Bg5 and it bears similarity to the
Queen’s Gambit Declined Exchange Variation. Taking on d5 has the advantage of removing
the hanging c4 pawn, thus preventing any of black’s plans involving …dxc4, but on the
other hand it also opens up the c8-h3 diagonal for our light bishop. In this chapter we will
try to take full advantage of this fact by developing our light bishop to f5 (or in a few cases,
to g4) . }

exd5 6. Bg5

{ The obvious choice - pinning black’s knight and putting a bit of pressure on d5 indirectly.
Black has tried a wide variety of systems and moves in this tabiya, but we will be
recommend something which has become very topical recently since it seems to equalise
without too many hassles. 6.Qa4+ White’s second most common move behind 6. Bg5. We
will see more of this idea in the next chapter, where white will play it without exchanging
on d5. The point is to lure black’s knight to c6, where it is a bit misplaced since it blocks the
pawn on c7 from carrying out our standard …c5 break. Nc6 7.Ne5 The only decent
independent option white has. He spends time with his knight in the hope of gaining our
bishop pair. 7.Bg5 The most common move here, but it basically should just transpose to 6.
Bg5. h6 8.Bh4 ? 8. Bxf6 would transpose to 6. Bg5. g5 9.Bg3 Bd7 =+ White’s queen is badly
misplaced and white is underdeveloped. This results in a number of threats which white
cannot deal with too comfortably, such as …Nxd4 and …g4 followed by …Nxd4. a5 ! A nice,
but very rare move which allows us to keep our bishop pair. The natural Bd7 is also
playable, but there is no need to surrender the bishop pair so easily. Black makes use of the
fact that taking twice on c6 ends up getting white’s queen trapped, so black isn’t really
sacrificing a pawn. 8.Nxc6 8.Bg5 White now actually does threaten to take on c6 - Nxc6 …
bxc6 Qxc6+ - since he can insert Bxf6 which allows white’s queen to escape being trapped
by taking on d5, for example: 9. Nxc6 …bxc6 10. Qxc6+ …Bd7 11. Bxf6 …gxf6 12. Qxd5. Qd6
Covering c6 and threatening …Ne4. 9.Bxf6 Qxf6 =+ Black’s lead in development gives him
the more comfortable side of equality here. bxc6 9.e3 Once again, taking on c6 results in
white’s queen getting trapped. O-O =+ White has spent a lot of time creating a small
concession in black’s position (the doubled c-pawns) , but this has resulted in him falling
behind in development. Black has a slight edge here. 6.Bf4 This move is quite far behind
white’s 2 most common moves, but it has had quite a few very strong players play it over
the last few years. Play in this line does tend to become quite unorthodox, so it is important
to pay attention to some of these lines. Ne4 By choosing f4 over g5, white hasn’t pinned our
knight, which we can use to our advantage by activating it on e4. 7.Rc1 Natural, protecting
c3. 7.Qa4+ This has been played once by Svidler, but it seems to simply be a worse version
of the mainline where we put the knight on c6 in any case. Nc6 8.Rc1 This position has been
more commonly reached by 7. Rc1 followed by 8. Qa4. Bxc3+ 9.bxc3 g5 A thematic idea in
this variation. 10.Bg3 h5 Continuing to harass white’s bishop. 11.Ne5 Bd7 Black is doing
well here, with the idea of playing …h4 next trapping white’s bishop. 12.Qb3 Hitting d5 and
b7. Nxg3 13.hxg3 Nxe5 14.dxe5 Bc6 =+ White’s pawn structure is in disarray and he is
behind in development. Nc6 It might seem quite strange to play …Nc6 without provocation,
but it serves a couple of important purposes in this variation. It puts pressure on d4, which
can be quite important later on, and additionally it covers the e5 square which matters
since we will be kicking white’s dark bishop around with . ..g5 later, and it would otherwise
want to go to e5 possibly. 8.Nd2 Unpinning the knight and hurrying to exchange on e4. 8.g3
This has been played a few times, but it’s not great. Bf5 ! A natural developing move, with a
hidden idea. 9.Bg2 ?! White walks into the trap, but alternatives leave black with a slight
edge too. Nxc3 ! 10.bxc3 Ba3 White loses the exchange. 11.Rb1 Bxb1 12.Qxb1 Rb8 ���
g5 Chasing the dark bishop is thematic in this line, as we’ve already seen. White has tried 2
different development schemes here: 9. Be3 with the kingside fianchetto and 9. Bg3
followed by e3. 9.Bg3 The bishop on g3 allows us to grab a pawn, which we should,
although white does get a good amount of compensation. 9.Be3 With the bishop on e3
instead of g3, we will need to continue harassing it with the f-pawn instead of the h-pawn.
Nxc3 10.bxc3 Ba3 11.Rb1 f5 ! Threatening …f4. 12.g3 Bd6 = Once again threatening …f4,
which white needs to parry. Objectively the position is roughly equal, but black seems to
have the initiative. Nxg3 10.hxg3 Nxd4 Not taking this pawn would leave black worse. 11.e3
Bxc3 Black has gained a pawn at the cost of weakening his kingside with …g5 which puts
his king safety in jeopardy. Over the next few moves we will be looking to either put the
king on the kingside g7 or queenside to take care of king safety. 12.Rxc3 12.bxc3 Ne6 The
knight is well-placed here to assist on the queenside and kingside. 13.Rh6 Preventing h6.
Qe7 Black stays flexible - he could castle long with … Bd7 and …O-O-O or bring his king
over to the kingside with …Ke8-f8-g7. 14.Nf3 The knight on f3 blocks Qh5, so it is now safe
for black’s king to head to g7. Kf8 15.Qxd5 Kg7 =+ With king safety in order, black is doing
well. Ne6 13.Rh6 Preventing h6. c6 14.Bd3 Qe7 15.Kf1 Bd7 =+ Black has developed and
white doesn’t seem to have full compensation for the pawn. 6.Bd2 Very passive and non-
critical. Bd2 makes little sense unless e3 is played or white wants to prevent the doubling
of c-pawns. O-O 7.a3 Bd6 8.Nb5 Be7 = Black has equalised effortlessly. 6.Qc2 An interesting
idea, with the point of taking control of f5 before we can develop our bishop there.
Unfortunately for white, the downside is that the queen on c2 leaves the d4 pawn a bit
shaky. c5 ! Taking full advantage of the queen’s absence from d1. 7. dxc5 is now impossible
due to …d4. 7.Bg5 7.e3 This is harmless, and black is at least equal after c4 8.Be2 O-O =
cxd4 8.Nxd4 Nc6 9.e3 Nxd4 10.exd4 O-O = Black has fully equalised. 6.Qb3 This has the
same downside as 6. Qc2: the d4 pawn is unsupported. c5 Other options exist, but it is best
to cover this since it can be reached via Chapter 4 - 5. Qb3 c5 6. cxd5 exd5. 7.dxc5 Most
common and critical. 7.Bg5 Nc6 8.e3 This is passive and quite bad, but the alternative, 8.
dxc5, transposes to 7. dxc5. c4 ! Taking on d4 is also possible, but black can try to get an
edge with …c4. 9.Qc2 h6 10.Bh4 O-O =+ We reach a very good version of a typical Ragozin
structure. Black should consider following up with …g5 and …Ne4. Nc6 ! Black shouldn’t be
too hasty to take the pawn back - it’s not going anywhere. Instead he should first focus on
exploiting …d4 threats. 8.Bg5 Putting pressure on d5. White has the clever idea of meeting
…d4 with O-O-O, pinning the pawn. 8.e3 White deals with the threat of …d4, but this is
quite passive. O-O 9.Be2 Bxc5 10.O-O a6 = Black has the nicer side of this IQP position, since
a number of white’s pieces are misplaced (most notably his queen) . Black can equalise
fully whenever he wants by playing … d4. Be6 Protecting d5 and threatening …d4 once
again. 9.O-O-O O-O 10.e4 White heads for exchanges. dxe4 11.Rxd8 The game fizzles out
quite quickly with some exchanges. 11.Bc4 ?! This has been played a few times, but it is a
mistake - white should have gone for the equal endgame. Qe7 12.Nd2 ? Another error
which has been played a few times. Better is 12. Bxe6, but black is already better anyway.
Qxc5 13.Bxf6 Na5 14.Qa4 Nxc4 -+ Black is winning here. Bxb3 12.Rxa8 Rxa8 13.Nd2 Be6 =
We reach an equal endgame. 6.e3 Blocking in the bishop voluntarily can never be critical.
O-O 7.Bd3 Re8 8.O-O Bg4 = Black has equalised easily. 6.a3 a3 isn’t as effective when our
remaining light squared bishop (which is usually our bad bishop) is free to develop to f5.
Bxc3+ 7.bxc3 O-O 8.Bg5 c5 = Black is at least equal. }

h6

{ Much like in the previous chapter, the first step is to force white to make a decision with
his bishop: will he save time and grab our knight, thus giving us the bishop pair, or will he
rather retreat to h4 and give us the …h6 move for free ? 7. Bh4 is slightly more common,
but both have been played very frequently. }

7. Bh4

{ The more popular choice and probably also the more challenging one. Black has tried a
wide of variety of lines here. We have gone for one which become quite popular amongst
the top players recently and which seems to equalise fairly easily. 7.Bxf6 This is probably a
bit less critical than 7. Bh4, and as a result it is also a bit less popular. However, this is an
important line to know since it can be reached easily via Chapter 1 - 5. Bg5 h6 6. Bxf6. By
giving up the bishop pair white gets a small lead in development, which he needs to exploit
in order to try to get an edge. Otherwise, if black consolidates and finishes development he
should be at least equal. Qxf6 8.Qb3 8.Qa4+ This has become quite popular with the top
players recently and it is second in popularity, behind 8. Qb3. It is an important line to
know since it is often reached via 6. Qa4+. 8. Qa4+ is very logical here, since the knight is a
bit misplaced on c6. We usually will want to reroute it to e7 later on. Nc6 9.e3 Natural and
best. 9.Rc1 This is played with the idea of recapturing on c3 with the rook so white can put
pressure on the c-file, but this isn’t the best use of white’s tempo. Bxc3+ 10.Rxc3 O-O 11.e3
Ne7 ! An important idea to remember. White’s whole idea has been to pin black’s knight to
the c7 pawn, but now it becomes clear that taking on c7 gets white’s rook trapped. 12.Bd3
c6 13.O-O Bf5 = Black has fully equalised. 9.Ne5 ? White’s idea is to trade off one of black’s
bishops, but it wastes too much time to achieve this. O-O 10.Nxc6 Bxc3+ 11.bxc3 bxc6
��� White’s undeveloped kingside and misplaced queen put him in serious danger. It is
very difficult to unravel on the kingside and get white’s king to safety. O-O 10.Be2 White
wants to avoid the trade of light bishops after 10. Bd3 Bf5. Be6 Many other moves have
been played, which are also decent options. All in all, black shouldn’t have too many issues
here, as long as he plays with a plan - the positions here aren’t too forcing. 11.O-O 11.a3
Bxc3+ 12.bxc3 a6 = This is just one of many black ideas - he intends to play …Rfc8, …Rab8
and then possibly …b5 and …Na5. Another idea is to play Nb8 with the plan of .. .Nd7 and …
c6. a6 A very useful multipurpose move. It secures the bishops retreat to d6 and also
prepares a future …b5. 12.Rfc1 Bd6 There’s no need to give up the bishop pair now,
especially with the rook able to recapture on c3. 13.Qd1 Ne7 Rerouting the knight to e7 is
useful since in many cases it can aid in kingside play, but also it gets out of the way of the c-
pawn. 14.Na4 Heading for c5. 14.a3 c6 = Black is at least equal here, thanks to his bishop
pair. b6 Preventing Nc5. White has difficulties making progress on the queenside since c7 is
basically invulnerable. 15.b4 g5 = with good play on the kingside. 8.e3 This is too slow to
challenge black. c6 9.Bd3 O-O 10.O-O Bg4 = Black has equalised easily. 8.Rc1 Intending to
recapture on c3 with the rook. O-O 9.e3 9.a3 Bxc3+ 10.Rxc3 White has eliminated black’s
bishop pair, but he doesn’t have any pressure anymore. c6 = c6 10.Bd3 Bf5 = is an easy way
to equalise. Black can also try to keep both bishops with Bd6 if he is more ambitious. 8.a3
This just wastes precious time. Bxc3+ 9.bxc3 O-O 10.e3 c5 = Black has already fully
equalised. Qb6 ! Transposing to chapter 1 - 5. Bg5 - with …c5 is also possible, but this is
better. 9.e3 9.a3 wastes too much time too challenge black. Bxc3+ 10.Qxc3 Bf5 11.e3 O-O =
9.Qxd5 Black regains the pawn very quickly. Be6 10.Qe4 Bxc3+ 11.bxc3 Qb2 12.Rd1 Qxc3+
=+ White has to fight for equality here. c6 10.Bd3 O-O 11.O-O Bd6 = Black has kept the
bishop pair and equalised as a result. }

O-O 8. e3

{ 8.Qc2 has the usual disadvantage of leaving d4 without much support. c5 9.e3 cxd4
10.Nxd4 Nc6 Black is completely fine, for example: 11.Rd1 Bg4 12.Be2 Nxd4 13.Rxd4 Bxc3+
14.bxc3 Bxe2 15.Qxe2 Rc8 = The weakness of c3 and d5 cancel out. }

Bf5

{ Nothing could be more natural than developing the bishop to f5, but this move only
caught on recently. Black players were clearly worried about the loose b7-pawn after Qb3,
but as we will see later, black can sacrifice this pawn and get good play. }

9. Qb3

{ The only critical move. White must try to exploit the bishop’s development by attacking
b7, else black’s opening is a success. 9.Bd3 is exactly what black wants. White has no
advantage without his light bishop. Bxd3 10.Qxd3 Nbd7 11.O-O c6 = Black can pull his
bishop back to d6 with complete equality. White cannot fight for an advantage without his
light bishop. 9.Be2 White keeps his bishop at least, but its passivity on e2 doesn’t aid
white’s cause. Black equalises here just as easily. Nbd7 10.O-O c6 = We have reached what
is, in effect, a very bad Queen’s Gambit Declined Exchange Variation for white. Getting the
bishop to f5 is a huge victory for black. }
Bxc3+

{ This is an important junction in this chapter. Recapturing with the pawn is more common
and it is also the critical test of Bf5. By taking with the pawn, the queen continues to attack
b7. It seems like there is no comfortable way to deal with this simple threat, but in fact
black can sacrifice the pawn and get good play. Once white began to realise this, some top
players began to try the queen recapture with the idea of playing with the bishop pair, but
it seems like black is fine there as well. Overall, black seems to be doing well in this whole
variation theoretically and in practice. }

10. bxc3

{ At first, it seems like black is in a bit of trouble since there is no convenient way to cover
the threat against b7. Fortunately, there is no need to ! Black can develop and ignore b7.
10.Qxc3 White foregoes the pressure against b7 and instead is satisfied to play more simply
with the bishop pair. Nbd7 Our general plan is quite simple: we are going to play …c6, and
then aim to exchange pieces with …Ne4. 11.Be2 c6 12.Nd2 12.O-O g5 ! Black doesn’t have to
worry about exposing his king here since white has no way to exploit it. 13.Bg3 Ne4 14.Qb3
Qb6 = White will lose his bishop pair shortly, meaning that black has fully equalised. Ne4
13.Bxd8 13.Nxe4 Qxh4 White doesn’t have much without the bishop pair. 14.Ng3 Bg6 =
Black has no problems here at all. Nxc3 14.bxc3 Raxd8 Up until now we have been follow
Le - Vidit. I think …Raxd8 is a small improvement over …Rfxd8 since the rook is useful on
the f-file to curb white’s kingside expansion (with g4, etc.) . It looks like black has equalised
easily, but this is only partly true. Black needs to play with a plan here to avoid carelessly
falling into a worse position. We will be aiming to equalise with the …c5 or …f5 break here.
Rfxd8 !? I included the Vidit game in case you are interested how it went. 15.f3 Perhaps not
the most critical - maybe 15. g4 was better. c5 16.Kf2 Rac8 17.Rhc1 Rc7 = Vidit equalised
and actually went on to win here. 15.g4 15.a4 The a-pawn lever is a typical idea here. Rc8
Preparing …c5. 16.Nb3 c5 17.Bb5 b6 = Black has equalised quite comfortably here. Be6
16.Rg1 f5 Opening the f-file for our rook. 17.gxf5 Bxf5 = Black is fine here. }

Nbd7

{ A very important move to remember. Black rushes to complete development, while

ignoring the b7 threat. }

11. Be2

{ White wisely decides to leave the pawn on b7 until after he has got his king to safety.
11.Qxb7 This has only been tried once, at the time of writing, which just shows that white
doesn’t have much faith in the greedy pawn grab. Black simply becomes too active and
gains too much time on white’s queen. It is important to take a look at this line though since
it is useful to be aware of black’s attacking ideas here. Rb8 ! Sacrificing another pawn.
12.Qxa7 12.Qa6 Qe7 = with the same idea as after 12. Qxa7. Qe7 ! Another accurate move. It
might not be immediately apparent where black’s compensation is, but once you examine
this position for a while you realise just how careful white must be. For example, one of
black’s ideas here is to invade the second rank with … Qe4-c2 and …Rb2. 13.Be2 13.Bxf6
Nxf6 14.Ne5 White’s idea is to block black’s queen from joining the attack. Ng4 !
Exchanging the defender. 15.Nxg4 Qe4 !! A very nice move - black has enough threats to not
have to worry about the piece. 16.f3 The only move - otherwise …Qc2 is decisive. Qc2
17.Be2 Bxg4 18.O-O Qxe2 19.Rfe1 Qd2 20.Rad1 Qc2 = And white secures the draw by
‘perpetualing our queen’. He has no choice, since otherwise …Rb2 wins. Rb2 ! Preventing
white from castling. 14.Ne5 ! White needs to give one of the pawns back just to get his
queen back into the game. 14.Qa6 ? White tries to castle while holding onto his material
advantage, but this is just too greedy. g5 15.Bg3 Nb6 ! with the idea of …Ra8, trapping
white’s queen. 16.Bd3 Ra8 17.Qxa8+ Nxa8 18.Bxf5 Ne4 ��� Black will soon pick up the
a2 pawn (with …Qa3 and …Rxa2) and retain a clear advantage. Nxe5 15.dxe5 Qxe5 16.Qd4
Qe6 = Exchanging queens is also possible, but black has full compensation for the pawn
here. }

c5

{ While white is getting his king to safety, black should get his queenside play underway
with the standard …c5 break. }

12. dxc5

{ This has been the choice of most of the top players to face this variaton, including
Aronian, So and Grischuk. 12.O-O Probably the most natural move and the most critical
choice, together with 12. dxc5. White gets his king to safety and prepares to take on b7. c4 !
Black still has no fear for the b7 pawn ! 13.Qxb7 This must be critical, of course. Qb6 !
Instead of playing for an attack - as in 11. Qxb7 - black now is going for positional
compensation in the form of endgame pressure. 14.Qxb6 axb6 Black’s pressure down the a-
file and white’s weak c3 and a2 pawns provide full compensation for the sacrificed pawn.
15.a4 White hopes that the a-pawn is more easily defended on a4, thanks to the idea of Bd1.
15.Nd2 The idea here is f3 followed by e4, while the knight is also poised to go to b1 to
protect c3 if need be. Ra5 16.f3 Rfa8 =+ Black is pushing here despite his pawn deficit. Ne4
Keeping up the pressure on white’s other pawn weakness. 16.Rfc1 g5 17.Bg3 Ra6 =+ Black
will soon regain a4 with …Rfa8 followed by …b5 and definitely has the preferable side of an
equal endgame. 12.Bxf6 This has been played a couple of times, but it isn’t too challenging.
Nxf6 13.dxc5 Qe7 = Black will soon regain c5 with equality. 12.Qxb7 ? is even worse than
on the last move, since our queen now enters the game with decisive effect. Qa5 ! Hitting c3.
13.O-O Rab8 14.Qa6 Qxa6 15.Bxa6 c4 ! White’s problem now becomes clear - the bishop is
trapped. 16.a4 Rb6 17.Bb5 Nb8 ��� followed by …a6, winning the bishop. }

Nxc5

{ The other move , which is slightly more common , is g5 followed by Nxc5. While both
seem to equalise, g5 has some extra complications after 13.Nd4 and we’d rather not play …
g5 until really necessary. }

13. Qb4 Rc8 14. O-O Re8

{ Play can go in a number of ways from here. The position is quite unbalanced, but equal -
white’s advantages here are the bishop pair (for now) and the d5 weakness, while black’s
advantages are the c3 weakness, good squares for his knights and the possibility to
eliminate the bishop pair by playing …g5 and . ..Ne4. }

15. Rfd1

{ White puts pressure on d5. 15.Nd4 Bd7 16.Rac1 b6 Ensuring that b7 will never be
hanging. 17.c4 dxc4 18.Bxc4 g5 19.Bg3 Nfe4 = Black has equalised comfortably - next he
can play …Qf6 and go for exchanges with …Ne6. }

g5 { White was threatening Bxf6. } 16. Bg3 Nfe4

{ with the idea of …Nxg3, eliminating the bishop pair. } 17. Rac1 h5

{ Threatening …h4 of course. The position is still quite complex with chances for sides, but
it is equal. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.cxd5”]

[Black “5.cxd5 6.Qa4+ Variation 1”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. cxd5

{ This is white’s second most common move behind 5. Bg5 and it bears similarity to the
Queen’s Gambit Declined Exchange Variation. Taking on d5 has the advantage of removing
the hanging c4 pawn, thus preventing any of black’s plans involving …dxc4, but on the
other hand it also opens up the c8-h3 diagonal for our light bishop. In this chapter we will
try to take full advantage of this fact by developing our light bishop to f5 (or in a few cases,
to g4) . }

exd5 6. Qa4+
{ White’s second most common move behind 6. Bg5. We will see more of this idea in the
next chapter, where white will play it without exchanging on d5. The point is to lure black’s
knight to c6, where it is a bit misplaced since it blocks the pawn on c7 from carrying out
our standard …c5 break. }

Nc6 7. Bg5

{ The most common move here, but it basically should just transpose to 6. Bg5. }

h6 8. Bh4 { 8. Bxf6 would transpose to 6. Bg5. } g5 9. Bg3 Bd7

{ White’s queen is badly misplaced and white is underdeveloped. This results in a number
of threats which white cannot deal with too comfortably, such as …Nxd4 and …g4 followed
by …Nxd4. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.cxd5”]

[Black “5.cxd5 6.Qa4+ Variation 2”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. cxd5

{ This is white’s second most common move behind 5. Bg5 and it bears similarity to the
Queen’s Gambit Declined Exchange Variation. Taking on d5 has the advantage of removing
the hanging c4 pawn, thus preventing any of black’s plans involving …dxc4, but on the
other hand it also opens up the c8-h3 diagonal for our light bishop. In this chapter we will
try to take full advantage of this fact by developing our light bishop to f5 (or in a few cases,
to g4) . }

exd5 6. Qa4+

{ White’s second most common move behind 6. Bg5. We will see more of this idea in the
next chapter, where white will play it without exchanging on d5. The point is to lure black’s
knight to c6, where it is a bit misplaced since it blocks the pawn on c7 from carrying out
our standard …c5 break. }

Nc6 7. Ne5

{ The only decent independent option white has. He spends time with his knight in the
hope of gaining our bishop pair. }

a5

{ A nice , but very rare move which allows us to keep our bishop pair. The natural Bd7 is
also playable, but there is no need to surrender the bishop pair so easily. Black makes use
of the fact that taking twice on c6 ends up getting white’s queen trapped, so black isn’t
really sacrificing a pawn. }

8. Bg5

{ White now actually does threaten to take on c6 Nxc6 …bxc6 Qxc6+ since he can insert
Bxf6 which allows white’s queen to escape being trapped by taking on d5, for example: 9.
Nxc6 …bxc6 10. Qxc6+ …Bd7 11. Bxf6 .. .gxf6 12. Qxd5. }

Qd6 { Covering c6 and threatening …Ne4. } 9. Bxf6 Qxf6

{ Black’s lead in development gives him the more comfortable side of equality here. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.cxd5”]

[Black “5.cxd5 6.Qa4+ Variation 3”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. cxd5

{ This is white’s second most common move behind 5. Bg5 and it bears similarity to the
Queen’s Gambit Declined Exchange Variation. Taking on d5 has the advantage of removing
the hanging c4 pawn, thus preventing any of black’s plans involving …dxc4, but on the
other hand it also opens up the c8-h3 diagonal for our light bishop. In this chapter we will
try to take full advantage of this fact by developing our light bishop to f5 (or in a few cases,
to g4) . }

exd5 6. Qa4+

{ White’s second most common move behind 6. Bg5. We will see more of this idea in the
next chapter, where white will play it without exchanging on d5. The point is to lure black’s
knight to c6, where it is a bit misplaced since it blocks the pawn on c7 from carrying out
our standard …c5 break. }

Nc6 7. Ne5

{ The only decent independent option white has. He spends time with his knight in the
hope of gaining our bishop pair. }

a5

{ A nice, but very rare move which allows us to keep our bishop pair. The natural Bd7 is
also playable, but there is no need to surrender the bishop pair so easily. Black makes use
of the fact that taking twice on c6 ends up getting white’s queen trapped, so black isn’t
really sacrificing a pawn. }

8. Nxc6 bxc6 9. e3

{ Once again, taking on c6 results in white’s queen getting trapped: 9.Qxc6+ ? Bd7 -+. }

O-O

{ White has spent a lot of time creating a small concession in black’s position (the doubled
c-pawns) , but this has resulted in him falling behind in development. Black has a slight
edge here. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.cxd5”]

[Black “5.cxd5 6.Bf4 Variation 1”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. cxd5

{ This is white’s second most common move behind 5. Bg5 and it bears similarity to the
Queen’s Gambit Declined Exchange Variation. Taking on d5 has the advantage of removing
the hanging c4 pawn, thus preventing any of black’s plans involving …dxc4, but on the
other hand it also opens up the c8-h3 diagonal for our light bishop. In this chapter we will
try to take full advantage of this fact by developing our light bishop to f5 (or in a few cases,
to g4) . }

exd5 6. Bf4

{ This move is quite far behind white’s 2 most common moves, but it has had quite a few
very strong players play it over the last few years. Play in this line does tend to become
quite unorthodox, so it is important to pay attention to some of these lines. }

Ne4

{ By choosing f4 over g5 for the bishop, white hasn’t pinned our knight, which we can use to
our advantage by activating it on e4. }

7. Qa4+

{ This has been played once by Svidler, but it seems to simply be a worse version of the
mainline where we put the knight on c6 in any case. }

Nc6 8. Rc1

{ This position has been more commonly reached by 7. Rc1 followed by 8. Qa4. }

Bxc3+ 9. bxc3 g5 { A thematic idea in this variation. } 10. Bg3 h5

{ Continuing to harass white’s bishop. } 11. Ne5 Bd7

{ Black is doing well here, with the idea of playing …h4 next trapping white’s bishop. }

12. Qb3 { Hitting d5 and b7. } Nxg3 13. hxg3 Nxe5 14. dxe5 Bc6

{ White’s pawn structure is in disarray and he is behind in development. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]
[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.cxd5”]

[Black “5.cxd5 6.Bf4 Variation 2”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. cxd5

{ This is white’s second most common move behind 5. Bg5 and it bears similarity to the
Queen’s Gambit Declined Exchange Variation. Taking on d5 has the advantage of removing
the hanging c4 pawn, thus preventing any of black’s plans involving …dxc4, but on the
other hand it also opens up the c8-h3 diagonal for our light bishop. In this chapter we will
try to take full advantage of this fact by developing our light bishop to f5 (or in a few cases,
to g4) . }

exd5 6. Bf4

{ This move is quite far behind white’s 2 most common moves, but it has had quite a few
very strong players play it over the last few years. Play in this line does tend to become
quite unorthodox, so it is important to pay attention to some of these lines. }

Ne4

{ By choosing f4 over g5, white hasn’t pinned our knight, which we can use to our
advantage by activating it on e4. }

7. Rc1 { Natural, protecting c3. } Nc6

{ It might seem quite strange to play …Nc6 without provocation, but it serves a couple of
important purposes in this variation. It puts pressure on d4, which can be quite important
later on, and additionally it covers the e5 square which matters since we will be kicking
white’s dark bishop around with . ..g5 later, and it would otherwise want to go to e5
possibly. }

8. g3 { This has been played a few times, but it’s not great. } Bf5

{ A natural developing move, with a hidden idea. } 9. Bg2

{ White walks into the trap, but alternatives leave black with a slight edge too. }

Nxc3 10. bxc3 Ba3 { The point of Nxc3 - white loses the exchange. }

11. Rb1
{ White rather loses his rook for the light bishop since it is stronger than our dark bishop. }

Bxb1 12. Qxb1 Rb8 { White lacks full compensation. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.cxd5”]

[Black “5.cxd5 6.Bf4 Variation 3”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. cxd5

{ This is white’s second most common move behind 5. Bg5 and it bears similarity to the
Queen’s Gambit Declined Exchange Variation. Taking on d5 has the advantage of removing
the hanging c4 pawn, thus preventing any of black’s plans involving …dxc4, but on the
other hand it also opens up the c8-h3 diagonal for our light bishop. In this chapter we will
try to take full advantage of this fact by developing our light bishop to f5 (or in a few cases,
to g4) . }

exd5 6. Bf4

{ This move is quite far behind white’s 2 most common moves, but it has had quite a few
very strong players play it over the last few years. Play in this line does tend to become
quite unorthodox, so it is important to pay attention to some of these lines. }

Ne4

{ By choosing f4 over g5, white hasn’t pinned our knight, which we can use to our
advantage by activating it on e4. }

7. Rc1 { Natural, protecting c3. } Nc6

{ It might seem quite strange to play …Nc6 without provocation, but it serves a couple of
important purposes in this variation. It puts pressure on d4, which can be quite important
later on, and additionally it covers the e5 square which matters since we will be kicking
white’s dark bishop around with . ..g5 later, and it would otherwise want to go to e5
possibly. }

8. Nd2 { Unpinning the knight and hurrying to exchange on e4. } g5

{ Chasing the dark bishop is thematic in this line, as we’ve already seen. White has tried 2
different development schemes here: 9. Be3 with the kingside fianchetto and 9. Bg3
followed by e3. }

9. Be3

{ With the bishop on e3 instead of g3, we will need to continue harassing it with the f-pawn
instead of the h-pawn. }

Nxc3 10. bxc3 Ba3

{ A recurring theme - we often exchange on c3 with our knight and then play the tempo-
gaining …Ba3. White has to move it with Rb1. }

11. Rb1 { Now we continue with our plan of chasing after the e3-bishop. }

f5 { Threatening …f4. } 12. g3 Bd6

{ Once again threatening …f4, which White needs to parry. Objectively the position is
roughly equal, but Black seems to have the initiative. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.cxd5”]

[Black “5.cxd5 6.Bf4 Variation 4”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. cxd5

{ This is white’s second most common move behind 5. Bg5 and it bears similarity to the
Queen’s Gambit Declined Exchange Variation. Taking on d5 has the advantage of removing
the hanging c4 pawn, thus preventing any of black’s plans involving …dxc4, but on the
other hand it also opens up the c8-h3 diagonal for our light bishop. In this chapter we will
try to take full advantage of this fact by developing our light bishop to f5 (or in a few cases,
to g4) . }

exd5 6. Bf4

{ This move is quite far behind white’s 2 most common moves, but it has had quite a few
very strong players play it over the last few years. Play in this line does tend to become
quite unorthodox, so it is important to pay attention to some of these lines. }

Ne4

{ By choosing f4 over g5, white hasn’t pinned our knight, which we can use to our
advantage by activating it on e4. }

7. Rc1 { Natural, protecting c3. } Nc6

{ It might seem quite strange to play …Nc6 without provocation, but it serves a couple of
important purposes in this variation. It puts pressure on d4, which can be quite important
later on, and additionally it covers the e5 square which matters since we will be kicking
white’s dark bishop around with . ..g5 later, and it would otherwise want to go to e5
possibly. }

8. Nd2 { Unpinning the knight and hurrying to exchange on e4. } g5

{ Chasing the dark bishop is thematic in this line, as we’ve already seen. White has tried 2
different development schemes here: 9. Be3 with the kingside fianchetto and 9. Bg3
followed by e3. }

9. Bg3

{ The bishop on g3 allows us to grab a pawn, which we should, although white does get a
good amount of compensation. }

Nxg3 10. hxg3 Nxd4 { Not taking this pawn would leave black worse. } 11.

e3 Bxc3

{ Black has gained a pawn at the cost of weakening his kingside with …g5 which puts his
king safety in jeopardy. Over the next few moves we will be looking to either put the king
on the kingside g7 or queenside to take care of king safety. }

12. bxc3 Ne6

{ The knight is well-placed here to assist on the queenside and kingside. } 13.
Rh6 { Preventing h6. } Qe7

{ Black stays flexible - he could castle long with … Bd7 and …O-O-O or bring his king over to
the kingside with …Ke8-f8-g7. }

14. Nf3

{ The knight on f3 blocks Qh5, so it is now safe for black’s king to head to g7. }

Kf8 15. Qxd5 Kg7 { With king safety in order, Black is doing well. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.cxd5”]

[Black “5.cxd5 6.Bf4 Variation 5”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. cxd5

{ This is white’s second most common move behind 5. Bg5 and it bears similarity to the
Queen’s Gambit Declined Exchange Variation. Taking on d5 has the advantage of removing
the hanging c4 pawn, thus preventing any of black’s plans involving …dxc4, but on the
other hand it also opens up the c8-h3 diagonal for our light bishop. In this chapter we will
try to take full advantage of this fact by developing our light bishop to f5 (or in a few cases,
to g4) . }

exd5 6. Bf4

{ This move is quite far behind white’s 2 most common moves, but it has had quite a few
very strong players play it over the last few years. Play in this line does tend to become
quite unorthodox, so it is important to pay attention to some of these lines. }

Ne4

{ By choosing f4 over g5, white hasn’t pinned our knight, which we can use to our
advantage by activating it on e4. }
7. Rc1 { Natural, protecting c3. } Nc6

{ It might seem quite strange to play …Nc6 without provocation, but it serves a couple of
important purposes in this variation. It puts pressure on d4, which can be quite important
later on, and additionally it covers the e5 square which matters since we will be kicking
white’s dark bishop around with . ..g5 later, and it would otherwise want to go to e5
possibly. }

8. Nd2 { Unpinning the knight and hurrying to exchange on e4. } g5

{ Chasing the dark bishop is thematic in this line, as we’ve already seen. White has tried 2
different development schemes here: 9. Be3 with the kingside fianchetto and 9. Bg3
followed by e3. }

9. Bg3

{ The bishop on g3 allows us to grab a pawn, which we should, although white does get a
good amount of compensation. }

Nxg3 10. hxg3 Nxd4 { Not taking this pawn would leave black worse. } 11.

e3 Bxc3

{ Black has gained a pawn at the cost of weakening his kingside with …g5 which puts his
king safety in jeopardy. Over the next few moves we will be looking to either put the king
on the kingside g7 or queenside to take care of king safety. }

12. Rxc3 Ne6

{ Black’s knight performs a vital defensive role here by controlling multiple key squares. }

13. Rh6 { Preventing h6. } c6 { Supporting d5. } 14. Bd3

{ Exerting pressure on black’s kingside. } Qe7

{ A useful multipurpose move. One benefit is that black can prepare long castling now. }

15. Kf1 Bd7

{ Black has developed and white doesn’t seem to have full compensation for the pawn. The
position is complex and black has a number of ideas here. }

[Site “?”]
[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.cxd5”]

[Black “5.cxd5 6.Bd2”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. cxd5

{ This is white’s second most common move behind 5. Bg5 and it bears similarity to the
Queen’s Gambit Declined Exchange Variation. Taking on d5 has the advantage of removing
the hanging c4 pawn, thus preventing any of black’s plans involving …dxc4, but on the
other hand it also opens up the c8-h3 diagonal for our light bishop. In this chapter we will
try to take full advantage of this fact by developing our light bishop to f5 (or in a few cases,
to g4) . }

exd5 6. Bd2

{ Very passive and non-critical. Bd2 makes little sense unless e3 is played or White wants
to prevent the doubling of c-pawns. }

O-O 7. a3 Bd6 8. Nb5 Be7 { Black has equalised effortlessly. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.cxd5”]

[Black “5.cxd5 6.Qc2 Variation 1”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. cxd5

{ This is white’s second most common move behind 5. Bg5 and it bears similarity to the
Queen’s Gambit Declined Exchange Variation. Taking on d5 has the advantage of removing
the hanging c4 pawn, thus preventing any of black’s plans involving …dxc4, but on the
other hand it also opens up the c8-h3 diagonal for our light bishop. In this chapter we will
try to take full advantage of this fact by developing our light bishop to f5 (or in a few cases,
to g4) . }

exd5 6. Qc2

{ An interesting idea, with the point of taking control of f5 before we can develop our
bishop there. Unfortunately for White, the downside is that the queen on c2 leaves the d4
pawn a bit shaky. }

c5

{ Taking full advantage of the queen’s absence from d1. 7.dxc5 is now impossible due to
d4. }

7. e3 { This is harmless, and Black is at least equal after the following. }

c4 8. Be2 O-O

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.cxd5”]

[Black “5.cxd5 6.Qc2 Variation 2”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. cxd5

{ This is white’s second most common move behind 5. Bg5 and it bears similarity to the
Queen’s Gambit Declined Exchange Variation. Taking on d5 has the advantage of removing
the hanging c4 pawn, thus preventing any of black’s plans involving …dxc4, but on the
other hand it also opens up the c8-h3 diagonal for our light bishop. In this chapter we will
try to take full advantage of this fact by developing our light bishop to f5 (or in a few cases,
to g4) . }

exd5 6. Qc2

{ An interesting idea, with the point of taking control of f5 before we can develop our
bishop there. Unfortunately for white, the downside is that the queen on c2 leaves the d4
pawn a bit shaky. }

c5

{ Taking full advantage of the queen’s absence from d1. 7. dxc5 is now impossible due to …
d4. }

7. Bg5 cxd4 8. Nxd4 Nc6 9. e3 Nxd4 10. exd4 O-O { Black has fully equalised. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.cxd5”]

[Black “5.cxd5 6.Qb3 Variation 1”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. cxd5

{ This is white’s second most common move behind 5. Bg5 and it bears similarity to the
Queen’s Gambit Declined Exchange Variation. Taking on d5 has the advantage of removing
the hanging c4 pawn, thus preventing any of black’s plans involving …dxc4, but on the
other hand it also opens up the c8-h3 diagonal for our light bishop. In this chapter we will
try to take full advantage of this fact by developing our light bishop to f5 (or in a few cases,
to g4) . }

exd5 6. Qb3

{ This has the same downside as 6. Qc2: the d4 pawn is unsupported. } c5

{ Other options exist, but it is best to cover this since it can be reached via Chapter 4 after 5.
Qb3 c5 6. cxd5 exd5. }

7. Bg5 Nc6 8. e3

{ This is passive and quite bad , but the alternative 8.dxc5 transposes to 7. dxc5. }

c4

{ Taking on d4 is also possible, but black can try to get an edge with …c4. }

9. Qc2 h6 10. Bh4 O-O

{ We reach a very good version of a typical Ragozin structure. Black should consider
following up with …g5 and …Ne4. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.cxd5”]

[Black “5.cxd5 6.Qb3 Variation 2”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. cxd5

{ This is white’s second most common move behind 5. Bg5 and it bears similarity to the
Queen’s Gambit Declined Exchange Variation. Taking on d5 has the advantage of removing
the hanging c4 pawn, thus preventing any of black’s plans involving …dxc4, but on the
other hand it also opens up the c8-h3 diagonal for our light bishop. In this chapter we will
try to take full advantage of this fact by developing our light bishop to f5 (or in a few cases,
to g4) . }

exd5 6. Qb3

{ This has the same downside as 6. Qc2: the d4 pawn is unsupported. } c5

{ Other options exist, but it is best to cover this since it can be reached via Chapter 4 - 5.
Qb3 c5 6. cxd5 exd5. }

7. dxc5 { Most common and critical. } Nc6

{ Black shouldn’t be too hasty to take the pawn back - it’s not going anywhere. Instead he
should first focus on exploiting …d4 threats. }

8. e3 { White deals with the threat of …d4, but this is quite passive. }

O-O 9. Be2 Bxc5 10. O-O a6

{ Black has the nicer side of this IQP position, since a number of white’s pieces are
misplaced (most notably his queen) . Black can equalise fully whenever he wants by
playing … d4. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.cxd5”]

[Black “5.cxd5 6.Qb3 Variation 3”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. cxd5

{ This is white’s second most common move behind 5. Bg5 and it bears similarity to the
Queen’s Gambit Declined Exchange Variation. Taking on d5 has the advantage of removing
the hanging c4 pawn, thus preventing any of black’s plans involving …dxc4, but on the
other hand it also opens up the c8-h3 diagonal for our light bishop. In this chapter we will
try to take full advantage of this fact by developing our light bishop to f5 (or in a few cases,
to g4) . }

exd5 6. Qb3

{ This has the same downside as 6. Qc2: the d4 pawn is unsupported. } c5

{ Other options exist, but it is best to cover this since it can be reached via Chapter 4 5.Qb3
c5 6.cxd5 exd5 . }

7. dxc5 { Most common and critical. } Nc6

{ Black shouldn’t be too hasty to take the pawn back - it’s not going anywhere. Instead he
should first focus on exploiting …d4 threats. }

8. Bg5

{ Putting pressure on d5. White has the clever idea of meeting …d4 with O-O-O, pinning the
pawn. }

Be6 { Protecting d5 and threatening …d4 once again. } 9. O-O-O O-O 10.

e4 { White heads for exchanges. } dxe4

{ Blacke exposes his queen, but simultaneously counterattacks white’s own queen. }

11. Bc4

{ This has been played a few times, but it is a mistake - white should have gone for the
equal endgame. }

Qe7 { Getting the queen out of the way and supporting e6. } 12. Nd2

{ Another error which has been played a few times. Better is 12. Bxe6, but black is already
better anyway. }

Qxc5 13. Bxf6 Na5 { Hitting white’s queen and bishop. } 14. Qa4 Nxc4

{ Black is winning here. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.cxd5”]

[Black “5.cxd5 6.Qb3 Variation 4”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. cxd5

{ This is white’s second most common move behind 5. Bg5 and it bears similarity to the
Queen’s Gambit Declined Exchange Variation. Taking on d5 has the advantage of removing
the hanging c4 pawn, thus preventing any of black’s plans involving …dxc4, but on the
other hand it also opens up the c8-h3 diagonal for our light bishop. In this chapter we will
try to take full advantage of this fact by developing our light bishop to f5 (or in a few cases,
to g4) . }

exd5 6. Qb3

{ This has the same downside as 6. Qc2: the d4 pawn is unsupported. } c5

{ Other options exist, but it is best to cover this since it can be reached via Chapter 4 5.Qb3
c5 6.cxd5 exd5 . }

7. dxc5 { Most common and critical. } Nc6

{ Black shouldn’t be too hasty to take the pawn back - it’s not going anywhere. Instead he
should first focus on exploiting …d4 threats. }

8. Bg5

{ Putting pressure on d5. White has the clever idea of meeting …d4 with O-O-O, pinning the
pawn. }

Be6 { Protecting d5 and threatening …d4 once again. } 9. O-O-O O-O 10.

e4 { White heads for exchanges. } dxe4 11. Rxd8

{ The game fizzles out quite quickly with some exchanges. } Bxb3 12. Rxa8

Rxa8 13. Nd2 Be6 { We reach an equal endgame. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.cxd5”]

[Black “5.cxd5 6.e3”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. cxd5

{ This is white’s second most common move behind 5. Bg5 and it bears similarity to the
Queen’s Gambit Declined Exchange Variation. Taking on d5 has the advantage of removing
the hanging c4 pawn, thus preventing any of black’s plans involving …dxc4, but on the
other hand it also opens up the c8-h3 diagonal for our light bishop. In this chapter we will
try to take full advantage of this fact by developing our light bishop to f5 (or in a few cases,
to g4) . }

exd5 6. e3 { Blocking in the bishop voluntarily can never be critical. }

O-O 7. Bd3 Re8 8. O-O Bg4 { Black has equalised easily. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.cxd5”]

[Black “5.cxd5 6.a3”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. cxd5

{ This is white’s second most common move behind 5. Bg5 and it bears similarity to the
Queen’s Gambit Declined Exchange Variation. Taking on d5 has the advantage of removing
the hanging c4 pawn, thus preventing any of black’s plans involving …dxc4, but on the
other hand it also opens up the c8-h3 diagonal for our light bishop. In this chapter we will
try to take full advantage of this fact by developing our light bishop to f5 (or in a few cases,
to g4) . }

exd5 6. a3
{ a3 isn’t as effective when our remaining light squared bishop (which is usually our bad
bishop) is free to develop to f5. }

Bxc3+ 7. bxc3 O-O 8. Bg5 { Developing actively and pinning our knight. }

c5

{ Black is at least equal thanks to his lead in development and space advantage. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.cxd5”]

[Black “5.cxd5 6.Bg5 Variation 1”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. cxd5

{ This is white’s second most common move behind 5. Bg5 and it bears similarity to the
Queen’s Gambit Declined Exchange Variation. Taking on d5 has the advantage of removing
the hanging c4 pawn, thus preventing any of black’s plans involving …dxc4, but on the
other hand it also opens up the c8-h3 diagonal for our light bishop. In this chapter we will
try to take full advantage of this fact by developing our light bishop to f5 (or in a few cases,
to g4) . }

exd5 6. Bg5

{ The obvious choice - pinning black’s knight and putting a bit of pressure on d5 indirectly.
Black has tried a wide variety of systems and moves in this tabiya, but we will be
recommending something which has become very topical recently since it seems to
equalise without too many hassles. }

h6

{ Much like in the previous chapter, the first step is to force white to make a decision with
his bishop: will he save time and grab our knight, thus giving us the bishop pair, or will he
rather retreat to h4 and give us the …h6 move for free ? 7. Bh4 is slightly more common,
but both have been played very frequently. }

7. Bxf6

{ This is probably a bit less critical than 7. Bh4, and as a result it is also a bit less popular.
However, this is an important line to know since it can be reached easily via Chapter 1 - 5.
Bg5 h6 6. Bxf6. By giving up the bishop pair white gets a small lead in development, which
he needs to exploit in order to try to get an edge. Otherwise, if black consolidates and
finishes development he should be at least equal. }

Qxf6 8. Qa4+

{ This has become quite popular with the top players recently and it is second in popularity,
behind 8. Qb3. It is an important line to know since it is often reached via 6. Qa4+. 8. Qa4+
is very logical here, since the knight is a bit misplaced on c6. We usually will want to
reroute it to e7 later on. }

Nc6 9. Rc1

{ This is played with the idea of recapturing on c3 with the rook so White can put pressure
on the c-file, but this isn’t the best use of White’s tempo. }

Bxc3+ 10. Rxc3 O-O 11. e3 Ne7

{ An important idea to remember. White’s whole idea has been to pin black’s knight to the
c7 pawn, but now it becomes clear that taking on c7 gets white’s rook trapped. }

12. Bd3 c6 13. O-O Bf5 { Black has fully equalised. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.cxd5”]

[Black “5.cxd5 6.Bg5 Variation 2”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. cxd5

{ This is white’s second most common move behind 5. Bg5 and it bears similarity to the
Queen’s Gambit Declined Exchange Variation. Taking on d5 has the advantage of removing
the hanging c4 pawn, thus preventing any of black’s plans involving …dxc4, but on the
other hand it also opens up the c8-h3 diagonal for our light bishop. In this chapter we will
try to take full advantage of this fact by developing our light bishop to f5 (or in a few cases,
to g4) . }

exd5 6. Bg5

{ The obvious choice - pinning black’s knight and putting a bit of pressure on d5 indirectly.
Black has tried a wide variety of systems and moves in this tabiya, but we will be
recommend something which has become very topical recently since it seems to equalise
without too many hassles. }

h6

{ Much like in the previous chapter, the first step is to force white to make a decision with
his bishop: will he save time and grab our knight, thus giving us the bishop pair, or will he
rather retreat to h4 and give us the …h6 move for free ? 7. Bh4 is slightly more common,
but both have been played very frequently. }

7. Bxf6

{ This is probably a bit less critical than 7. Bh4, and as a result it is also a bit less popular.
However, this is an important line to know since it can be reached easily via Chapter 1
5.Bg5 h6 6.Bxf6 . By giving up the bishop pair white gets a small lead in development,
which he needs to exploit in order to try to get an edge. Otherwise, if black consolidates and
finishes development he should be at least equal. }

Qxf6 8. Qa4+

{ This has become quite popular with the top players recently and it is second in popularity,
behind 8. Qb3. It is an important line to know since it is often reached via 6. Qa4+. 8. Qa4+
is very logical here, since the knight is a bit misplaced on c6. We usually will want to
reroute it to e7 later on. }

Nc6 9. Ne5

{ White’s idea is to trade off one of Black’s bishops, but it wastes too much time to achieve
this. }

O-O 10. Nxc6 Bxc3+ 11. bxc3 bxc6

{ White’s undeveloped kingside and misplaced queen put him in serious danger. It is very
difficult to unravel on the kingside and get White’s king to safety. Note that even a natural
continuation such as 12.e3 is met by Qg6! tying down White’s bishop , after which Black has
a winning initiative already. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.cxd5”]

[Black “5.cxd5 6.Bg5 Variation 3”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. cxd5

{ This is white’s second most common move behind 5. Bg5 and it bears similarity to the
Queen’s Gambit Declined Exchange Variation. Taking on d5 has the advantage of removing
the hanging c4 pawn, thus preventing any of black’s plans involving …dxc4, but on the
other hand it also opens up the c8-h3 diagonal for our light bishop. In this chapter we will
try to take full advantage of this fact by developing our light bishop to f5 (or in a few cases,
to g4) . }

exd5 6. Bg5

{ The obvious choice - pinning black’s knight and putting a bit of pressure on d5 indirectly.
Black has tried a wide variety of systems and moves in this tabiya, but we will be
recommend something which has become very topical recently since it seems to equalise
without too many hassles. }

h6

{ Much like in the previous chapter, the first step is to force white to make a decision with
his bishop: will he save time and grab our knight, thus giving us the bishop pair, or will he
rather retreat to h4 and give us the …h6 move for free ? 7. Bh4 is slightly more common,
but both have been played very frequently. }

7. Bxf6
{ This is probably a bit less critical than 7. Bh4, and as a result it is also a bit less popular.
However, this is an important line to know since it can be reached easily via Chapter 1
5.Bg5 h6 6.Bxf6 . By giving up the bishop pair white gets a small lead in development,
which he needs to exploit in order to try to get an edge. Otherwise, if black consolidates and
finishes development he should be at least equal. }

Qxf6 8. Qa4+

{ This has become quite popular with the top players recently and it is second in popularity,
behind 8. Qb3. It is an important line to know since it is often reached via 6. Qa4+. 8. Qa4+
is very logical here, since the knight is a bit misplaced on c6. We usually will want to
reroute it to e7 later on. }

Nc6 9. e3 { Natural and best. } O-O 10. Be2

{ White wants to avoid the trade of light-squared bishops after 10.Bd3 Bf5. }

Be6

{ Many other moves have been played, which are also decent options. All in all, black
shouldn’t have too many issues here, as long as he plays with a plan - the positions here
aren’t too forcing. }

11. a3 Bxc3+ 12. bxc3 a6

{ This is just one of many black ideas - he intends to play …Rfc8, …Rab8 and then possibly …
b5 and …Na5. Another idea is to play Nb8 with the plan of …Nd7 and …c6. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.cxd5”]

[Black “5.cxd5 6.Bg5 Variation 4”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. cxd5

{ This is white’s second most common move behind 5. Bg5 and it bears similarity to the
Queen’s Gambit Declined Exchange Variation. Taking on d5 has the advantage of removing
the hanging c4 pawn, thus preventing any of black’s plans involving …dxc4, but on the
other hand it also opens up the c8-h3 diagonal for our light bishop. In this chapter we will
try to take full advantage of this fact by developing our light bishop to f5 (or in a few cases,
to g4) . }

exd5 6. Bg5

{ The obvious choice - pinning black’s knight and putting a bit of pressure on d5 indirectly.
Black has tried a wide variety of systems and moves in this tabiya, but we will be
recommend something which has become very topical recently since it seems to equalise
without too many hassles. }

h6

{ Much like in the previous chapter, the first step is to force white to make a decision with
his bishop: will he save time and grab our knight, thus giving us the bishop pair, or will he
rather retreat to h4 and give us the …h6 move for free ? 7. Bh4 is slightly more common,
but both have been played very frequently. }

7. Bxf6

{ This is probably a bit less critical than 7. Bh4, and as a result it is also a bit less popular.
However, this is an important line to know since it can be reached easily via Chapter 1
5.Bg5 h6 6.Bxf6 . By giving up the bishop pair white gets a small lead in development,
which he needs to exploit in order to try to get an edge. Otherwise, if black consolidates and
finishes development he should be at least equal. }

Qxf6 8. Qa4+

{ This has become quite popular with the top players recently and it is second in popularity,
behind 8. Qb3. It is an important line to know since it is often reached via 6. Qa4+. 8. Qa4+
is very logical here, since the knight is a bit misplaced on c6. We usually will want to
reroute it to e7 later on. }

Nc6 9. e3 { Natural and best. } O-O 10. Be2

{ The bishop needs to be here to avoid the threat to the knight on f3 after …Bg4. }

Be6

{ Many other moves have been played, which are also decent options. All in all, black
shouldn’t have too many issues here, as long as he plays with a plan - the positions here
aren’t too forcing. }

11. O-O a6
{ A very useful multipurpose move. It secures the bishops retreat to d6 (by preventing Nb5)
and also prepares a future …b5. }

12. Rfc1 Bd6

{ There’s no need to give up the bishop pair now, especially with the rook able to recapture
on c3. }

13. Qd1 Ne7

{ Rerouting the knight to e7 is useful since in many cases it can aid in kingside play, but also
it gets out of the way of the c-pawn. }

14. a3 c6 { Black is at least equal here, thanks to his bishop pair. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.cxd5”]

[Black “5.cxd5 6.Bg5 Variation 5”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. cxd5

{ This is white’s second most common move behind 5. Bg5 and it bears similarity to the
Queen’s Gambit Declined Exchange Variation. Taking on d5 has the advantage of removing
the hanging c4 pawn, thus preventing any of black’s plans involving …dxc4, but on the
other hand it also opens up the c8-h3 diagonal for our light bishop. In this chapter we will
try to take full advantage of this fact by developing our light bishop to f5 (or in a few cases,
to g4) . }

exd5 6. Bg5

{ The obvious choice - pinning black’s knight and putting a bit of pressure on d5 indirectly.
Black has tried a wide variety of systems and moves in this tabiya, but we will be
recommend something which has become very topical recently since it seems to equalise
without too many hassles. }
h6

{ Much like in the previous chapter, the first step is to force white to make a decision with
his bishop: will he save time and grab our knight, thus giving us the bishop pair, or will he
rather retreat to h4 and give us the …h6 move for free ? 7. Bh4 is slightly more common,
but both have been played very frequently. }

7. Bxf6

{ This is probably a bit less critical than 7. Bh4, and as a result it is also a bit less popular.
However, this is an important line to know since it can be reached easily via Chapter 1
5.Bg5 h6 6.Bxf6 . By giving up the bishop pair white gets a small lead in development,
which he needs to exploit in order to try to get an edge. Otherwise, if black consolidates and
finishes development he should be at least equal. }

Qxf6 8. Qa4+

{ This has become quite popular with the top players recently and it is second in popularity,
behind 8. Qb3. It is an important line to know since it is often reached via 6. Qa4+. 8. Qa4+
is very logical here, since the knight is a bit misplaced on c6. We usually will want to
reroute it to e7 later on. }

Nc6 9. e3 { Natural and best. } O-O 10. Be2

{ White wants to avoid the trade of light bishops after 10. Bd3 Bf5. }

Be6

{ Many other moves have been played, which are also decent options. All in all, black
shouldn’t have too many issues here, as long as he plays with a plan - the positions here
aren’t too forcing. }

11. O-O a6

{ A very useful multipurpose move. It secures the bishops retreat to d6 and also prepares a
future …b5. }

12. Rfc1 Bd6

{ There’s no need to give up the bishop pair now, especially with the rook able to recapture
on c3. }

13. Qd1 Ne7

{ Rerouting the knight to e7 is useful since in many cases it can aid in kingside play, but also
it gets out of the way of the c-pawn. }
14. Na4 { Heading for c5. } b6

{ Preventing Nc5. White has difficulties making progress on the queenside since c7 is
basically invulnerable. }

15. b4 g5

{ with good play on the kingside. …g5 is a typical idea in the Ragozin, and while we have
tried to avoid it if we can, here it is clearly the best plan. Black’s king is safe and all his
pieces are on the kingside, primed for a kingside attack. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.cxd5”]

[Black “5.cxd5 6.Bg5 Variation 6”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. cxd5

{ This is white’s second most common move behind 5. Bg5 and it bears similarity to the
Queen’s Gambit Declined Exchange Variation. Taking on d5 has the advantage of removing
the hanging c4 pawn, thus preventing any of black’s plans involving …dxc4, but on the
other hand it also opens up the c8-h3 diagonal for our light bishop. In this chapter we will
try to take full advantage of this fact by developing our light bishop to f5 (or in a few cases,
to g4) . }

exd5 6. Bg5

{ The obvious choice - pinning black’s knight and putting a bit of pressure on d5 indirectly.
Black has tried a wide variety of systems and moves in this tabiya, but we will be
recommend something which has become very topical recently since it seems to equalise
without too many hassles. }

h6
{ Much like in the previous chapter, the first step is to force white to make a decision with
his bishop: will he save time and grab our knight, thus giving us the bishop pair, or will he
rather retreat to h4 and give us the …h6 move for free ? 7. Bh4 is slightly more common,
but both have been played very frequently. }

7. Bxf6

{ This is probably a bit less critical than 7. Bh4, and as a result it is also a bit less popular.
However, this is an important line to know since it can be reached easily via Chapter 1
5.Bg5 h6 6.Bxf6 . By giving up the bishop pair white gets a small lead in development,
which he needs to exploit in order to try to get an edge. Otherwise, if black consolidates and
finishes development he should be at least equal. }

Qxf6 8. e3 { This is too slow to challenge black. } c6 9. Bd3 O-O 10.

O-O Bg4 { Black has equalised easily. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.cxd5”]

[Black “5.cxd5 6.Bg5 Variation 7”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. cxd5

{ This is white’s second most common move behind 5. Bg5 and it bears similarity to the
Queen’s Gambit Declined Exchange Variation. Taking on d5 has the advantage of removing
the hanging c4 pawn, thus preventing any of black’s plans involving …dxc4, but on the
other hand it also opens up the c8-h3 diagonal for our light bishop. In this chapter we will
try to take full advantage of this fact by developing our light bishop to f5 (or in a few cases,
to g4) . }

exd5 6. Bg5
{ The obvious choice - pinning black’s knight and putting a bit of pressure on d5 indirectly.
Black has tried a wide variety of systems and moves in this tabiya, but we will be
recommend something which has become very topical recently since it seems to equalise
without too many hassles. }

h6

{ Much like in the previous chapter, the first step is to force white to make a decision with
his bishop: will he save time and grab our knight, thus giving us the bishop pair, or will he
rather retreat to h4 and give us the …h6 move for free ? 7. Bh4 is slightly more common,
but both have been played very frequently. }

7. Bxf6

{ This is probably a bit less critical than 7. Bh4, and as a result it is also a bit less popular.
However, this is an important line to know since it can be reached easily via Chapter 1
5.Bg5 h6 6.Bxf6 . By giving up the bishop pair white gets a small lead in development,
which he needs to exploit in order to try to get an edge. Otherwise, if black consolidates and
finishes development he should be at least equal. }

Qxf6 8. Rc1 { Intending to recapture on c3 with the rook. } O-O 9. a3

Bxc3+ 10. Rxc3

{ White has eliminated black’s bishop pair, but he doesn’t have any pressure anymore. }

c6

{ White is behind in development and as a result cannot put black under any pressure. Our
bishop can develop easily to f5. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.cxd5”]

[Black “5.cxd5 6.Bg5 Variation 8”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. cxd5

{ This is white’s second most common move behind 5. Bg5 and it bears similarity to the
Queen’s Gambit Declined Exchange Variation. Taking on d5 has the advantage of removing
the hanging c4 pawn, thus preventing any of black’s plans involving …dxc4, but on the
other hand it also opens up the c8-h3 diagonal for our light bishop. In this chapter we will
try to take full advantage of this fact by developing our light bishop to f5 (or in a few cases,
to g4) . }

exd5 6. Bg5

{ The obvious choice - pinning black’s knight and putting a bit of pressure on d5 indirectly.
Black has tried a wide variety of systems and moves in this tabiya, but we will be
recommend something which has become very topical recently since it seems to equalise
without too many hassles. }

h6

{ Much like in the previous chapter, the first step is to force white to make a decision with
his bishop: will he save time and grab our knight, thus giving us the bishop pair, or will he
rather retreat to h4 and give us the …h6 move for free ? 7. Bh4 is slightly more common,
but both have been played very frequently. }

7. Bxf6

{ This is probably a bit less critical than 7. Bh4, and as a result it is also a bit less popular.
However, this is an important line to know since it can be reached easily via Chapter 1
5.Bg5 h6 6.Bxf6 . By giving up the bishop pair white gets a small lead in development,
which he needs to exploit in order to try to get an edge. Otherwise, if black consolidates and
finishes development he should be at least equal. }

Qxf6 8. Rc1 { Intending to recapture on c3 with the rook. } O-O 9. e3

c6 10. Bd3 Bf5

{ This is an easy way to equalise. Black can also try to keep both bishops with Bd6 if he is
more ambitious. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]
[White “Ragozin with 5.cxd5”]

[Black “5.cxd5 6.Bg5 Variation 9”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. cxd5

{ This is white’s second most common move behind 5. Bg5 and it bears similarity to the
Queen’s Gambit Declined Exchange Variation. Taking on d5 has the advantage of removing
the hanging c4 pawn, thus preventing any of black’s plans involving …dxc4, but on the
other hand it also opens up the c8-h3 diagonal for our light bishop. In this chapter we will
try to take full advantage of this fact by developing our light bishop to f5 (or in a few cases,
to g4) . }

exd5 6. Bg5

{ The obvious choice - pinning black’s knight and putting a bit of pressure on d5 indirectly.
Black has tried a wide variety of systems and moves in this tabiya, but we will be
recommend something which has become very topical recently since it seems to equalise
without too many hassles. }

h6

{ Much like in the previous chapter, the first step is to force white to make a decision with
his bishop: will he save time and grab our knight, thus giving us the bishop pair, or will he
rather retreat to h4 and give us the …h6 move for free ? 7. Bh4 is slightly more common,
but both have been played very frequently. }

7. Bxf6

{ This is probably a bit less critical than 7. Bh4, and as a result it is also a bit less popular.
However, this is an important line to know since it can be reached easily via Chapter 1
5.Bg5 h6 6.Bxf6 . By giving up the bishop pair white gets a small lead in development,
which he needs to exploit in order to try to get an edge. Otherwise, if black consolidates and
finishes development he should be at least equal. }

Qxf6 8. a3 { This just wastes precious time. } Bxc3+ 9. bxc3 O-O 10.

e3 c5

{ Black has already fully equalised. Black has a number of plans from here, depending on
what white does. Ideally our bishop should be placed on f5, but if white plays Bd3 then
black can switch plans and go for …Nc6, …b6 and …Bg4 etc. }
[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.cxd5”]

[Black “5.cxd5 6.Bg5 Variation 10”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. cxd5

{ This is white’s second most common move behind 5. Bg5 and it bears similarity to the
Queen’s Gambit Declined Exchange Variation. Taking on d5 has the advantage of removing
the hanging c4 pawn, thus preventing any of black’s plans involving …dxc4, but on the
other hand it also opens up the c8-h3 diagonal for our light bishop. In this chapter we will
try to take full advantage of this fact by developing our light bishop to f5 (or in a few cases,
to g4) . }

exd5 6. Bg5

{ The obvious choice - pinning black’s knight and putting a bit of pressure on d5 indirectly.
Black has tried a wide variety of systems and moves in this tabiya, but we will be
recommend something which has become very topical recently since it seems to equalise
without too many hassles. }

h6

{ Much like in the previous chapter, the first step is to force white to make a decision with
his bishop: will he save time and grab our knight, thus giving us the bishop pair, or will he
rather retreat to h4 and give us the …h6 move for free ? 7. Bh4 is slightly more common,
but both have been played very frequently. }

7. Bxf6

{ This is probably a bit less critical than 7. Bh4, and as a result it is also a bit less popular.
However, this is an important line to know since it can be reached easily via Chapter 1 - 5.
Bg5 h6 6. Bxf6. By giving up the bishop pair White gets a small lead in development, which
he needs to exploit in order to try to get an edge. Otherwise, if black consolidates and
finishes development he should be at least equal. }

Qxf6 8. Qb3 Qb6

{ Transposing to chapter 1 - 5. Bg5 - with c5 is also possible , but this is better. }

9. a3 { This wastes too much time too challenge Black. } Bxc3+ 10. Qxc3

Bf5 11. e3 O-O

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.cxd5”]

[Black “5.cxd5 6.Bg5 Variation 11”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. cxd5

{ This is white’s second most common move behind 5. Bg5 and it bears similarity to the
Queen’s Gambit Declined Exchange Variation. Taking on d5 has the advantage of removing
the hanging c4 pawn, thus preventing any of black’s plans involving …dxc4, but on the
other hand it also opens up the c8-h3 diagonal for our light bishop. In this chapter we will
try to take full advantage of this fact by developing our light bishop to f5 (or in a few cases,
to g4) . }

exd5 6. Bg5

{ The obvious choice - pinning black’s knight and putting a bit of pressure on d5 indirectly.
Black has tried a wide variety of systems and moves in this tabiya, but we will be
recommend something which has become very topical recently since it seems to equalise
without too many hassles. }

h6
{ Much like in the previous chapter, the first step is to force white to make a decision with
his bishop: will he save time and grab our knight, thus giving us the bishop pair, or will he
rather retreat to h4 and give us the …h6 move for free ? 7. Bh4 is slightly more common,
but both have been played very frequently. }

7. Bxf6

{ This is probably a bit less critical than 7. Bh4, and as a result it is also a bit less popular.
However, this is an important line to know since it can be reached easily via Chapter 1
5.Bg5 h6 6.Bxf6 . By giving up the bishop pair white gets a small lead in development,
which he needs to exploit in order to try to get an edge. Otherwise, if black consolidates and
finishes development he should be at least equal. }

Qxf6 8. Qb3 Qb6

{ Transposing to chapter 1 5.Bg5 with …c5 is also possible, but this is better. }

9. Qxd5 { Black regains the pawn very quickly. } Be6 10. Qe4 Bxc3+ 11.

bxc3 Qb2 12. Rd1 Qxc3+ { White has to fight for equality here. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.cxd5”]

[Black “5.cxd5 6.Bg5 Variation 12”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. cxd5

{ This is white’s second most common move behind 5. Bg5 and it bears similarity to the
Queen’s Gambit Declined Exchange Variation. Taking on d5 has the advantage of removing
the hanging c4 pawn, thus preventing any of black’s plans involving …dxc4, but on the
other hand it also opens up the c8-h3 diagonal for our light bishop. In this chapter we will
try to take full advantage of this fact by developing our light bishop to f5 (or in a few cases,
to g4) . }
exd5 6. Bg5

{ The obvious choice - pinning black’s knight and putting a bit of pressure on d5 indirectly.
Black has tried a wide variety of systems and moves in this tabiya, but we will be
recommend something which has become very topical recently since it seems to equalise
without too many hassles. }

h6

{ Much like in the previous chapter, the first step is to force white to make a decision with
his bishop: will he save time and grab our knight, thus giving us the bishop pair, or will he
rather retreat to h4 and give us the …h6 move for free ? 7. Bh4 is slightly more common,
but both have been played very frequently. }

7. Bxf6

{ This is probably a bit less critical than 7. Bh4, and as a result it is also a bit less popular.
However, this is an important line to know since it can be reached easily via Chapter 1
5.Bg5 h6 6.Bxf6 . By giving up the bishop pair white gets a small lead in development,
which he needs to exploit in order to try to get an edge. Otherwise, if black consolidates and
finishes development he should be at least equal. }

Qxf6 8. Qb3 Qb6

{ Transposing to chapter 1 - 5. Bg5 - with …c5 is also possible, but this is better. }

9. e3 c6 10. Bd3 O-O 11. O-O Bd6

{ Black has kept the bishop pair and equalised as a result. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.cxd5”]

[Black “5.cxd5 6.Bg5 Variation 13”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. cxd5

{ This is white’s second most common move behind 5. Bg5 and it bears similarity to the
Queen’s Gambit Declined Exchange Variation. Taking on d5 has the advantage of removing
the hanging c4 pawn, thus preventing any of black’s plans involving …dxc4, but on the
other hand it also opens up the c8-h3 diagonal for our light bishop. In this chapter we will
try to take full advantage of this fact by developing our light bishop to f5 (or in a few cases,
to g4) . }

exd5 6. Bg5

{ The obvious choice - pinning black’s knight and putting a bit of pressure on d5 indirectly.
Black has tried a wide variety of systems and moves in this tabiya, but we will be
recommend something which has become very topical recently since it seems to equalise
without too many hassles. }

h6

{ Much like in the previous chapter, the first step is to force white to make a decision with
his bishop: will he save time and grab our knight, thus giving us the bishop pair, or will he
rather retreat to h4 and give us the …h6 move for free ? 7. Bh4 is slightly more common,
but both have been played very frequently. }

7. Bh4

{ The more popular choice and probably also the more challenging one. Black has tried a
wide of variety of lines here. We have gone for one which become quite popular amongst
the top players recently and which seems to equalise fairly easily. }

O-O 8. Qc2

{ has the usual disadvantage of leaving d4 without much support. } c5 9.

e3 cxd4 10. Nxd4 Nc6 { Black is completely fine, for example: } 11. Rd1 Bg4 12.

Be2 Nxd4 13. Rxd4 Bxc3+ 14. bxc3 Bxe2 15. Qxe2 Rc8

{ The weakness of c3 and d5 cancel out. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]
[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.cxd5”]

[Black “5.cxd5 6.Bg5 Variation 14”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. cxd5

{ This is white’s second most common move behind 5. Bg5 and it bears similarity to the
Queen’s Gambit Declined Exchange Variation. Taking on d5 has the advantage of removing
the hanging c4 pawn, thus preventing any of black’s plans involving …dxc4, but on the
other hand it also opens up the c8-h3 diagonal for our light bishop. In this chapter we will
try to take full advantage of this fact by developing our light bishop to f5 (or in a few cases,
to g4) . }

exd5 6. Bg5

{ The obvious choice - pinning black’s knight and putting a bit of pressure on d5 indirectly.
Black has tried a wide variety of systems and moves in this tabiya, but we will be
recommend something which has become very topical recently since it seems to equalise
without too many hassles. }

h6

{ Much like in the previous chapter, the first step is to force white to make a decision with
his bishop: will he save time and grab our knight, thus giving us the bishop pair, or will he
rather retreat to h4 and give us the …h6 move for free ? 7. Bh4 is slightly more common,
but both have been played very frequently. }

7. Bh4

{ The more popular choice and probably also the more challenging one. Black has tried a
wide of variety of lines here. We have gone for one which become quite popular amongst
the top players recently and which seems to equalise fairly easily. }

O-O 8. e3 Bf5

{ Nothing could be more natural than developing the bishop to f5, but this move only
caught on recently. Black players were clearly worried about the loose b7-pawn after Qb3,
but as we will see later, black can sacrifice this pawn and get good play. }

9. Bd3
{ This is exactly what Black wants. White has no advantage without his light-squared
bishop. }

Bxd3 10. Qxd3 Nbd7 11. O-O c6

{ Black can pull his bishop back to d6 with complete equality. White cannot fight for an
advantage without his light-squared bishop. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.cxd5”]

[Black “5.cxd5 6.Bg5 Variation 15”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. cxd5

{ This is white’s second most common move behind 5. Bg5 and it bears similarity to the
Queen’s Gambit Declined Exchange Variation. Taking on d5 has the advantage of removing
the hanging c4 pawn, thus preventing any of black’s plans involving …dxc4, but on the
other hand it also opens up the c8-h3 diagonal for our light bishop. In this chapter we will
try to take full advantage of this fact by developing our light bishop to f5 (or in a few cases,
to g4) . }

exd5 6. Bg5

{ The obvious choice - pinning black’s knight and putting a bit of pressure on d5 indirectly.
Black has tried a wide variety of systems and moves in this tabiya, but we will be
recommend something which has become very topical recently since it seems to equalise
without too many hassles. }

h6

{ Much like in the previous chapter, the first step is to force white to make a decision with
his bishop: will he save time and grab our knight, thus giving us the bishop pair, or will he
rather retreat to h4 and give us the …h6 move for free ? 7. Bh4 is slightly more common,
but both have been played very frequently. }

7. Bh4

{ The more popular choice and probably also the more challenging one. Black has tried a
wide of variety of lines here. We have gone for one which become quite popular amongst
the top players recently and which seems to equalise fairly easily. }

O-O 8. e3 Bf5

{ Nothing could be more natural than developing the bishop to f5, but this move only
caught on recently. Black players were clearly worried about the loose b7-pawn after Qb3,
but as we will see later, black can sacrifice this pawn and get good play. }

9. Be2

{ White keeps his bishop at least, but its passivity on e2 doesn’t aid White’s cause. Black
equalises here just as easily. }

Nbd7 10. O-O c6

{ We have reached what is, in effect, a very bad Queen’s Gambit Declined Exchange
Variation for White. Getting the bishop to f5 is a huge victory for Black. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.cxd5”]

[Black “5.cxd5 6.Bg5 Variation 16”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. cxd5

{ This is white’s second most common move behind 5. Bg5 and it bears similarity to the
Queen’s Gambit Declined Exchange Variation. Taking on d5 has the advantage of removing
the hanging c4 pawn, thus preventing any of black’s plans involving …dxc4, but on the
other hand it also opens up the c8-h3 diagonal for our light bishop. In this chapter we will
try to take full advantage of this fact by developing our light bishop to f5 (or in a few cases,
to g4) . }

exd5 6. Bg5

{ The obvious choice - pinning black’s knight and putting a bit of pressure on d5 indirectly.
Black has tried a wide variety of systems and moves in this tabiya, but we will be
recommend something which has become very topical recently since it seems to equalise
without too many hassles. }

h6

{ Much like in the previous chapter, the first step is to force white to make a decision with
his bishop: will he save time and grab our knight, thus giving us the bishop pair, or will he
rather retreat to h4 and give us the …h6 move for free ? 7. Bh4 is slightly more common,
but both have been played very frequently. }

7. Bh4

{ The more popular choice and probably also the more challenging one. Black has tried a
wide of variety of lines here. We have gone for one which become quite popular amongst
the top players recently and which seems to equalise fairly easily. }

O-O 8. e3 Bf5

{ Nothing could be more natural than developing the bishop to f5, but this move only
caught on recently. Black players were clearly worried about the loose b7-pawn after Qb3,
but as we will see later, black can sacrifice this pawn and get good play. }

9. Qb3

{ The only critical move. White must try to exploit the bishop’s development by attacking
b7, else black’s opening is a success. }

Bxc3+

{ This is an important junction in this chapter. Recapturing with the pawn is more common
and it is also the critical test of Bf5. By taking with the pawn, the queen continues to attack
b7. It seems like there is no comfortable way to deal with this simple threat, but in fact
Black can sacrifice the pawn and get good play. Once White began to realise this, some top
players began to try the queen recapture with the idea of playing with the bishop pair, but
it seems like Black is fine there as well. Overall, Black seems to be doing well in this whole
variation theoretically and in practice. }

10. Qxc3
{ White foregoes the pressure against b7 and instead is satisfied to play more simply with
the bishop pair. }

Nbd7

{ Our general plan is quite simple: we are going to play …c6, and then aim to exchange
pieces with …Ne4. }

11. Be2 c6 12. O-O g5

{ Black doesn’t have to worry about exposing his king here since White has no way to
exploit it. }

13. Bg3 Ne4 14. Qb3 Qb6

{ White will lose his bishop pair shortly, meaning that black has fully equalised. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.cxd5”]

[Black “5.cxd5 6.Bg5 Variation 17”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. cxd5

{ This is white’s second most common move behind 5. Bg5 and it bears similarity to the
Queen’s Gambit Declined Exchange Variation. Taking on d5 has the advantage of removing
the hanging c4 pawn, thus preventing any of black’s plans involving …dxc4, but on the
other hand it also opens up the c8-h3 diagonal for our light bishop. In this chapter we will
try to take full advantage of this fact by developing our light bishop to f5 (or in a few cases,
to g4) . }

exd5 6. Bg5

{ The obvious choice - pinning black’s knight and putting a bit of pressure on d5 indirectly.
Black has tried a wide variety of systems and moves in this tabiya, but we will be
recommend something which has become very topical recently since it seems to equalise
without too many hassles. }

h6

{ Much like in the previous chapter, the first step is to force white to make a decision with
his bishop: will he save time and grab our knight, thus giving us the bishop pair, or will he
rather retreat to h4 and give us the …h6 move for free ? 7. Bh4 is slightly more common,
but both have been played very frequently. }

7. Bh4

{ The more popular choice and probably also the more challenging one. Black has tried a
wide of variety of lines here. We have gone for one which become quite popular amongst
the top players recently and which seems to equalise fairly easily. }

O-O 8. e3 Bf5

{ Nothing could be more natural than developing the bishop to f5, but this move only
caught on recently. Black players were clearly worried about the loose b7-pawn after Qb3,
but as we will see later, black can sacrifice this pawn and get good play. }

9. Qb3

{ The only critical move. White must try to exploit the bishop’s development by attacking
b7, else black’s opening is a success. }

Bxc3+

{ This is an important junction in this chapter. Recapturing with the pawn is more common
and it is also the critical test of Bf5. By taking with the pawn, the queen continues to attack
b7. It seems like there is no comfortable way to deal with this simple threat, but in fact
black can sacrifice the pawn and get good play. Once white began to realise this, some top
players began to try the queen recapture with the idea of playing with the bishop pair, but
it seems like black is fine there as well. Overall, black seems to be doing well in this whole
variation theoretically and in practice. }

10. Qxc3

{ White foregoes the pressure against b7 and instead is satisfied to play more simply with
the bishop pair. }

Nbd7

{ Our general plan is quite simple: we are going to play …c6, and then aim to exchange
pieces with …Ne4. }
11. Be2 c6 12. Nd2 Ne4 13. Nxe4 Qxh4

{ White doesn’t have much without the bishop pair. } 14. Ng3 Bg6

{ Black has no problems here at all. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.cxd5”]

[Black “5.cxd5 6.Bg5 Variation 18”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. cxd5

{ This is white’s second most common move behind 5. Bg5 and it bears similarity to the
Queen’s Gambit Declined Exchange Variation. Taking on d5 has the advantage of removing
the hanging c4 pawn, thus preventing any of black’s plans involving …dxc4, but on the
other hand it also opens up the c8-h3 diagonal for our light bishop. In this chapter we will
try to take full advantage of this fact by developing our light bishop to f5 (or in a few cases,
to g4) . }

exd5 6. Bg5

{ The obvious choice - pinning black’s knight and putting a bit of pressure on d5 indirectly.
Black has tried a wide variety of systems and moves in this tabiya, but we will be
recommend something which has become very topical recently since it seems to equalise
without too many hassles. }

h6

{ Much like in the previous chapter, the first step is to force white to make a decision with
his bishop: will he save time and grab our knight, thus giving us the bishop pair, or will he
rather retreat to h4 and give us the …h6 move for free ? 7. Bh4 is slightly more common,
but both have been played very frequently. }

7. Bh4
{ The more popular choice and probably also the more challenging one. Black has tried a
wide of variety of lines here. We have gone for one which become quite popular amongst
the top players recently and which seems to equalise fairly easily. }

O-O 8. e3 Bf5

{ Nothing could be more natural than developing the bishop to f5, but this move only
caught on recently. Black players were clearly worried about the loose b7-pawn after Qb3,
but as we will see later, black can sacrifice this pawn and get good play. }

9. Qb3

{ The only critical move. White must try to exploit the bishop’s development by attacking
b7, else black’s opening is a success. }

Bxc3+

{ This is an important junction in this chapter. Recapturing with the pawn is more common
and it is also the critical test of Bf5. By taking with the pawn, the queen continues to attack
b7. It seems like there is no comfortable way to deal with this simple threat, but in fact
black can sacrifice the pawn and get good play. Once white began to realise this, some top
players began to try the queen recapture with the idea of playing with the bishop pair, but
it seems like black is fine there as well. Overall, black seems to be doing well in this whole
variation theoretically and in practice. }

10. Qxc3

{ White foregoes the pressure against b7 and instead is satisfied to play more simply with
the bishop pair. }

Nbd7

{ Our general plan is quite simple: we are going to play …c6, and then aim to exchange
pieces with …Ne4. }

11. Be2 c6 12. Nd2 Ne4 13. Bxd8 Nxc3 14. bxc3 Raxd8

{ Up until now we have been follow Le - Vidit. I think …Raxd8 is a small improvement over
…Rfxd8 since the rook is useful on the f-file to curb white’s kingside expansion (with g4,
etc.) . It looks like black has equalised easily, but this is only partly true. Black needs to play
with a plan here to avoid carelessly falling into a worse position. We will be aiming to
equalise with the …c5 or …f5 break here. }

15. a4 { The a-pawn lever is a typical idea here. } Rc8

{ Preparing …c5. } 16. Nb3 c5 17. Bb5 b6

{ Black has equalised quite comfortably here. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.cxd5”]

[Black “5.cxd5 6.Bg5 Variation 19”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. cxd5

{ This is white’s second most common move behind 5. Bg5 and it bears similarity to the
Queen’s Gambit Declined Exchange Variation. Taking on d5 has the advantage of removing
the hanging c4 pawn, thus preventing any of black’s plans involving …dxc4, but on the
other hand it also opens up the c8-h3 diagonal for our light bishop. In this chapter we will
try to take full advantage of this fact by developing our light bishop to f5 (or in a few cases,
to g4) . }

exd5 6. Bg5

{ The obvious choice - pinning black’s knight and putting a bit of pressure on d5 indirectly.
Black has tried a wide variety of systems and moves in this tabiya, but we will be
recommend something which has become very topical recently since it seems to equalise
without too many hassles. }

h6

{ Much like in the previous chapter, the first step is to force white to make a decision with
his bishop: will he save time and grab our knight, thus giving us the bishop pair, or will he
rather retreat to h4 and give us the …h6 move for free ? 7. Bh4 is slightly more common,
but both have been played very frequently. }

7. Bh4
{ The more popular choice and probably also the more challenging one. Black has tried a
wide of variety of lines here. We have gone for one which become quite popular amongst
the top players recently and which seems to equalise fairly easily. }

O-O 8. e3 Bf5

{ Nothing could be more natural than developing the bishop to f5, but this move only
caught on recently. Black players were clearly worried about the loose b7-pawn after Qb3,
but as we will see later, black can sacrifice this pawn and get good play. }

9. Qb3

{ The only critical move. White must try to exploit the bishop’s development by attacking
b7, else black’s opening is a success. }

Bxc3+

{ This is an important junction in this chapter. Recapturing with the pawn is more common
and it is also the critical test of Bf5. By taking with the pawn, the queen continues to attack
b7. It seems like there is no comfortable way to deal with this simple threat, but in fact
black can sacrifice the pawn and get good play. Once white began to realise this, some top
players began to try the queen recapture with the idea of playing with the bishop pair, but
it seems like black is fine there as well. Overall, black seems to be doing well in this whole
variation theoretically and in practice. }

10. Qxc3

{ White foregoes the pressure against b7 and instead is satisfied to play more simply with
the bishop pair. }

Nbd7

{ Our general plan is quite simple: we are going to play …c6, and then aim to exchange
pieces with …Ne4. }

11. Be2 c6 12. Nd2 Ne4 13. Bxd8 Nxc3 14. bxc3 Raxd8

{ Up until now we have been follow Le - Vidit. I think …Raxd8 is a small improvement over
…Rfxd8 since the rook is useful on the f-file to curb white’s kingside expansion (with g4,
etc.) . It looks like black has equalised easily, but this is only partly true. Black needs to play
with a plan here to avoid carelessly falling into a worse position. We will be aiming to
equalise with the …c5 or …f5 break here. }

15. g4 Be6 16. Rg1 f5 { Opening the f-file for our rook. } 17. gxf5 Bxf5

{ Black is fine here. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.cxd5”]

[Black “5.cxd5 6.Bg5 Variation 20”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. cxd5

{ This is white’s second most common move behind 5. Bg5 and it bears similarity to the
Queen’s Gambit Declined Exchange Variation. Taking on d5 has the advantage of removing
the hanging c4 pawn, thus preventing any of black’s plans involving …dxc4, but on the
other hand it also opens up the c8-h3 diagonal for our light bishop. In this chapter we will
try to take full advantage of this fact by developing our light bishop to f5 (or in a few cases,
to g4) . }

exd5 6. Bg5

{ The obvious choice - pinning black’s knight and putting a bit of pressure on d5 indirectly.
Black has tried a wide variety of systems and moves in this tabiya, but we will be
recommend something which has become very topical recently since it seems to equalise
without too many hassles. }

h6

{ Much like in the previous chapter, the first step is to force white to make a decision with
his bishop: will he save time and grab our knight, thus giving us the bishop pair, or will he
rather retreat to h4 and give us the …h6 move for free ? 7. Bh4 is slightly more common,
but both have been played very frequently. }

7. Bh4

{ The more popular choice and probably also the more challenging one. Black has tried a
wide of variety of lines here. We have gone for one which become quite popular amongst
the top players recently and which seems to equalise fairly easily. }
O-O 8. e3 Bf5

{ Nothing could be more natural than developing the bishop to f5, but this move only
caught on recently. Black players were clearly worried about the loose b7-pawn after Qb3,
but as we will see later, black can sacrifice this pawn and get good play. }

9. Qb3

{ The only critical move. White must try to exploit the bishop’s development by attacking
b7, else black’s opening is a success. }

Bxc3+

{ This is an important junction in this chapter. Recapturing with the pawn is more common
and it is also the critical test of Bf5. By taking with the pawn, the queen continues to attack
b7. It seems like there is no comfortable way to deal with this simple threat, but in fact
black can sacrifice the pawn and get good play. Once white began to realise this, some top
players began to try the queen recapture with the idea of playing with the bishop pair, but
it seems like black is fine there as well. Overall, black seems to be doing well in this whole
variation theoretically and in practice. }

10. Qxc3

{ White foregoes the pressure against b7 and instead is satisfied to play more simply with
the bishop pair. }

Nbd7

{ Our general plan is quite simple: we are going to play …c6, and then aim to exchange
pieces with …Ne4. }

11. Be2 c6 12. Nd2 Ne4 13. Bxd8 Nxc3 14. bxc3 Rfxd8

{ I included the Vidit game in case you are interested how it went. } 15. f3

{ Perhaps not the most critical - maybe 15.g4 was better. } c5 16. Kf2

Rac8 17. Rhc1 Rc7 { Vidit equalised and actually went on to win here. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]
[White “Ragozin with 5.cxd5”]

[Black “5.cxd5 6.Bg5 Variation 21”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. cxd5

{ This is white’s second most common move behind 5. Bg5 and it bears similarity to the
Queen’s Gambit Declined Exchange Variation. Taking on d5 has the advantage of removing
the hanging c4 pawn, thus preventing any of black’s plans involving …dxc4, but on the
other hand it also opens up the c8-h3 diagonal for our light bishop. In this chapter we will
try to take full advantage of this fact by developing our light bishop to f5 (or in a few cases,
to g4) . }

exd5 6. Bg5

{ The obvious choice - pinning black’s knight and putting a bit of pressure on d5 indirectly.
Black has tried a wide variety of systems and moves in this tabiya, but we will be
recommend something which has become very topical recently since it seems to equalise
without too many hassles. }

h6

{ Much like in the previous chapter, the first step is to force white to make a decision with
his bishop: will he save time and grab our knight, thus giving us the bishop pair, or will he
rather retreat to h4 and give us the …h6 move for free ? 7. Bh4 is slightly more common,
but both have been played very frequently. }

7. Bh4

{ The more popular choice and probably also the more challenging one. Black has tried a
wide of variety of lines here. We have gone for one which become quite popular amongst
the top players recently and which seems to equalise fairly easily. }

O-O 8. e3 Bf5

{ Nothing could be more natural than developing the bishop to f5, but this move only
caught on recently. Black players were clearly worried about the loose b7-pawn after Qb3,
but as we will see later, black can sacrifice this pawn and get good play. }

9. Qb3

{ The only critical move. White must try to exploit the bishop’s development by attacking
b7, else black’s opening is a success. }
Bxc3+

{ This is an important junction in this chapter. Recapturing with the pawn is more common
and it is also the critical test of Bf5. By taking with the pawn, the queen continues to attack
b7. It seems like there is no comfortable way to deal with this simple threat, but in fact
black can sacrifice the pawn and get good play. Once white began to realise this, some top
players began to try the queen recapture with the idea of playing with the bishop pair, but
it seems like black is fine there as well. Overall, black seems to be doing well in this whole
variation theoretically and in practice. }

10. bxc3

{ At first, it seems like black is in a bit of trouble since there is no convenient way to cover
the threat against b7. Fortunately, there is no need to ! Black can develop and ignore b7. }

Nbd7

{ A very important move to remember. Black rushes to complete development, while

ignoring the b7 threat. }

11. Qxb7

{ This has only been tried once, at the time of writing, which just shows that white doesn’t
have much faith in the greedy pawn grab. Black simply becomes too active and gains too
much time on white’s queen. It is important to take a look at this line though since it is
useful to be aware of black’s attacking ideas here. }

Rb8 { Sacrificing another pawn. } 12. Qa6 Qe7

{ with the same idea as after 12. Qxa7. One of Black’s ideas here is to invade the second
rank with … ���e4-c2 and …���b2. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.cxd5”]

[Black “5.cxd5 6.Bg5 Variation 22”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. cxd5

{ This is white’s second most common move behind 5. Bg5 and it bears similarity to the
Queen’s Gambit Declined Exchange Variation. Taking on d5 has the advantage of removing
the hanging c4 pawn, thus preventing any of black’s plans involving …dxc4, but on the
other hand it also opens up the c8-h3 diagonal for our light bishop. In this chapter we will
try to take full advantage of this fact by developing our light bishop to f5 (or in a few cases,
to g4) . }

exd5 6. Bg5

{ The obvious choice - pinning black’s knight and putting a bit of pressure on d5 indirectly.
Black has tried a wide variety of systems and moves in this tabiya, but we will be
recommend something which has become very topical recently since it seems to equalise
without too many hassles. }

h6

{ Much like in the previous chapter, the first step is to force white to make a decision with
his bishop: will he save time and grab our knight, thus giving us the bishop pair, or will he
rather retreat to h4 and give us the …h6 move for free ? 7. Bh4 is slightly more common,
but both have been played very frequently. }

7. Bh4

{ The more popular choice and probably also the more challenging one. Black has tried a
wide of variety of lines here. We have gone for one which become quite popular amongst
the top players recently and which seems to equalise fairly easily. }

O-O 8. e3 Bf5

{ Nothing could be more natural than developing the bishop to f5, but this move only
caught on recently. Black players were clearly worried about the loose b7-pawn after Qb3,
but as we will see later, black can sacrifice this pawn and get good play. }

9. Qb3

{ The only critical move. White must try to exploit the bishop’s development by attacking
b7, else black’s opening is a success. }

Bxc3+

{ This is an important junction in this chapter. Recapturing with the pawn is more common
and it is also the critical test of Bf5. By taking with the pawn, the queen continues to attack
b7. It seems like there is no comfortable way to deal with this simple threat, but in fact
black can sacrifice the pawn and get good play. Once white began to realise this, some top
players began to try the queen recapture with the idea of playing with the bishop pair, but
it seems like black is fine there as well. Overall, black seems to be doing well in this whole
variation theoretically and in practice. }

10. bxc3

{ At first, it seems like black is in a bit of trouble since there is no convenient way to cover
the threat against b7. Fortunately, there is no need to ! Black can develop and ignore b7. }

Nbd7

{ A very important move to remember. Black rushes to complete development, while

ignoring the b7 threat. }

11. Qxb7

{ This has only been tried once, at the time of writing, which just shows that white doesn’t
have much faith in the greedy pawn grab. Black simply becomes too active and gains too
much time on white’s queen. It is important to take a look at this line though since it is
useful to be aware of black’s attacking ideas here. }

Rb8 { Sacrificing another pawn. } 12. Qxa7 Qe7

{ Another accurate move. It might not be immediately apparent where Black’s

compensation is, but once you examine this position for a while you realise just how careful
white must be. For example, one of Black’s ideas here is to invade the second rank with …
Qe4-c2 and …Rb2. }

13. Bxf6 Nxf6 14. Ne5

{ White’s idea is to block black’s queen from joining the attack. } Ng4

{ Exchanging the defender. } 15. Nxg4 Qe4

{ A very nice move - Black has enough threats to not have to worry about the piece. }

16. f3 { The only move - otherwise …Qc2 is decisive. } Qc2 17. Be2 Bxg4

18. O-O Qxe2 19. Rfe1 Qd2 20. Rad1 Qc2

{ And White secures the draw by ‘perpetualing our queen’. He has no choice, since
otherwise …Rb2 wins. }
[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.cxd5”]

[Black “5.cxd5 6.Bg5 Variation 23”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. cxd5

{ This is white’s second most common move behind 5. Bg5 and it bears similarity to the
Queen’s Gambit Declined Exchange Variation. Taking on d5 has the advantage of removing
the hanging c4 pawn, thus preventing any of black’s plans involving …dxc4, but on the
other hand it also opens up the c8-h3 diagonal for our light bishop. In this chapter we will
try to take full advantage of this fact by developing our light bishop to f5 (or in a few cases,
to g4) . }

exd5 6. Bg5

{ The obvious choice - pinning black’s knight and putting a bit of pressure on d5 indirectly.
Black has tried a wide variety of systems and moves in this tabiya, but we will be
recommend something which has become very topical recently since it seems to equalise
without too many hassles. }

h6

{ Much like in the previous chapter, the first step is to force white to make a decision with
his bishop: will he save time and grab our knight, thus giving us the bishop pair, or will he
rather retreat to h4 and give us the …h6 move for free ? 7. Bh4 is slightly more common,
but both have been played very frequently. }

7. Bh4

{ The more popular choice and probably also the more challenging one. Black has tried a
wide of variety of lines here. We have gone for one which become quite popular amongst
the top players recently and which seems to equalise fairly easily. }

O-O 8. e3 Bf5
{ Nothing could be more natural than developing the bishop to f5, but this move only
caught on recently. Black players were clearly worried about the loose b7-pawn after Qb3,
but as we will see later, black can sacrifice this pawn and get good play. }

9. Qb3

{ The only critical move. White must try to exploit the bishop’s development by attacking
b7, else black’s opening is a success. }

Bxc3+

{ This is an important junction in this chapter. Recapturing with the pawn is more common
and it is also the critical test of Bf5. By taking with the pawn, the queen continues to attack
b7. It seems like there is no comfortable way to deal with this simple threat, but in fact
black can sacrifice the pawn and get good play. Once white began to realise this, some top
players began to try the queen recapture with the idea of playing with the bishop pair, but
it seems like black is fine there as well. Overall, black seems to be doing well in this whole
variation theoretically and in practice. }

10. bxc3

{ At first, it seems like black is in a bit of trouble since there is no convenient way to cover
the threat against b7. Fortunately, there is no need to ! Black can develop and ignore b7. }

Nbd7

{ A very important move to remember. Black rushes to complete development, while

ignoring the b7 threat. }

11. Qxb7

{ This has only been tried once, at the time of writing, which just shows that white doesn’t
have much faith in the greedy pawn grab. Black simply becomes too active and gains too
much time on white’s queen. It is important to take a look at this line though since it is
useful to be aware of black’s attacking ideas here. }

Rb8 { Sacrificing another pawn. } 12. Qxa7 Qe7

{ Another accurate move. It might not be immediately apparent where black’s

compensation is, but once you examine this position for a while you realise just how careful
white must be. For example, one of black’s ideas here is to invade the second rank with …
Qe4-c2 and …Rb2. }

13. Be2 Rb2 { Preventing white from castling. } 14. Qa6

{ White tries to castle while holding onto his material advantage, but this is just too
greedy. }
g5 15. Bg3 Nb6 { with the idea of …Ra8, trapping White’s queen. } 16.

Bd3 Ra8 17. Qxa8+ Nxa8 18. Bxf5 Ne4

{ Black will soon pick up the a2 pawn (with …Qa3 and …Rxa2) and retain a clear advantage.
}

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.cxd5”]

[Black “5.cxd5 6.Bg5 Variation 24”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. cxd5

{ This is white’s second most common move behind 5. Bg5 and it bears similarity to the
Queen’s Gambit Declined Exchange Variation. Taking on d5 has the advantage of removing
the hanging c4 pawn, thus preventing any of black’s plans involving …dxc4, but on the
other hand it also opens up the c8-h3 diagonal for our light bishop. In this chapter we will
try to take full advantage of this fact by developing our light bishop to f5 (or in a few cases,
to g4) . }

exd5 6. Bg5

{ The obvious choice - pinning black’s knight and putting a bit of pressure on d5 indirectly.
Black has tried a wide variety of systems and moves in this tabiya, but we will be
recommend something which has become very topical recently since it seems to equalise
without too many hassles. }

h6

{ Much like in the previous chapter, the first step is to force white to make a decision with
his bishop: will he save time and grab our knight, thus giving us the bishop pair, or will he
rather retreat to h4 and give us the …h6 move for free ? 7. Bh4 is slightly more common,
but both have been played very frequently. }
7. Bh4

{ The more popular choice and probably also the more challenging one. Black has tried a
wide of variety of lines here. We have gone for one which become quite popular amongst
the top players recently and which seems to equalise fairly easily. }

O-O 8. e3 Bf5

{ Nothing could be more natural than developing the bishop to f5, but this move only
caught on recently. Black players were clearly worried about the loose b7-pawn after Qb3,
but as we will see later, black can sacrifice this pawn and get good play. }

9. Qb3

{ The only critical move. White must try to exploit the bishop’s development by attacking
b7, else black’s opening is a success. }

Bxc3+

{ This is an important junction in this chapter. Recapturing with the pawn is more common
and it is also the critical test of Bf5. By taking with the pawn, the queen continues to attack
b7. It seems like there is no comfortable way to deal with this simple threat, but in fact
black can sacrifice the pawn and get good play. Once white began to realise this, some top
players began to try the queen recapture with the idea of playing with the bishop pair, but
it seems like black is fine there as well. Overall, black seems to be doing well in this whole
variation theoretically and in practice. }

10. bxc3

{ At first, it seems like black is in a bit of trouble since there is no convenient way to cover
the threat against b7. Fortunately, there is no need to ! Black can develop and ignore b7. }

Nbd7

{ A very important move to remember. Black rushes to complete development, while

ignoring the b7 threat. }

11. Qxb7

{ This has only been tried once, at the time of writing, which just shows that white doesn’t
have much faith in the greedy pawn grab. Black simply becomes too active and gains too
much time on white’s queen. It is important to take a look at this line though since it is
useful to be aware of black’s attacking ideas here. }

Rb8 { Sacrificing another pawn. } 12. Qxa7 Qe7

{ Another accurate move. It might not be immediately apparent where black’s
compensation is, but once you examine this position for a while you realise just how careful
white must be. For example, one of black’s ideas here is to invade the second rank with …
Qe4-c2 and …Rb2. }

13. Be2 Rb2 { Preventing White from castling. } 14. Ne5

{ White needs to give one of the pawns back just to get his queen back into the game. }

Nxe5 15. dxe5 Qxe5 16. Qd4 Qe6

{ Exchanging queens is also possible, but Black has full compensation for the pawn here. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.cxd5”]

[Black “5.cxd5 6.Bg5 Variation 25”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. cxd5

{ This is white’s second most common move behind 5. Bg5 and it bears similarity to the
Queen’s Gambit Declined Exchange Variation. Taking on d5 has the advantage of removing
the hanging c4 pawn, thus preventing any of black’s plans involving …dxc4, but on the
other hand it also opens up the c8-h3 diagonal for our light bishop. In this chapter we will
try to take full advantage of this fact by developing our light bishop to f5 (or in a few cases,
to g4) . }

exd5 6. Bg5

{ The obvious choice - pinning black’s knight and putting a bit of pressure on d5 indirectly.
Black has tried a wide variety of systems and moves in this tabiya, but we will be
recommend something which has become very topical recently since it seems to equalise
without too many hassles. }

h6
{ Much like in the previous chapter, the first step is to force white to make a decision with
his bishop: will he save time and grab our knight, thus giving us the bishop pair, or will he
rather retreat to h4 and give us the …h6 move for free ? 7. Bh4 is slightly more common,
but both have been played very frequently. }

7. Bh4

{ The more popular choice and probably also the more challenging one. Black has tried a
wide of variety of lines here. We have gone for one which become quite popular amongst
the top players recently and which seems to equalise fairly easily. }

O-O 8. e3 Bf5

{ Nothing could be more natural than developing the bishop to f5, but this move only
caught on recently. Black players were clearly worried about the loose b7-pawn after Qb3,
but as we will see later, black can sacrifice this pawn and get good play. }

9. Qb3

{ The only critical move. White must try to exploit the bishop’s development by attacking
b7, else black’s opening is a success. }

Bxc3+

{ This is an important junction in this chapter. Recapturing with the pawn is more common
and it is also the critical test of Bf5. By taking with the pawn, the queen continues to attack
b7. It seems like there is no comfortable way to deal with this simple threat, but in fact
black can sacrifice the pawn and get good play. Once white began to realise this, some top
players began to try the queen recapture with the idea of playing with the bishop pair, but
it seems like black is fine there as well. Overall, black seems to be doing well in this whole
variation theoretically and in practice. }

10. bxc3

{ At first, it seems like black is in a bit of trouble since there is no convenient way to cover
the threat against b7. Fortunately, there is no need to ! Black can develop and ignore b7. }

Nbd7

{ A very important move to remember. Black rushes to complete development, while

ignoring the b7 threat. }

11. Be2

{ White wisely decides to leave the pawn on b7 until after he has got his king to safety. }

c5
{ While White is getting his king to safety, Black should get his queenside play underway
with the standard …c5 break. }

12. O-O

{ Probably the most natural move and the most critical choice , together with 12.dxc5.
White gets his king to safety and prepares to take on b7. }

c4 { Black still has no fear for the b7 pawn ! } 13. Qxb7

{ This must be critical, of course. } Qb6

{ Instead of playing for an attack - as in the lines after 11. Qxb7, Black now is going for
positional compensation in the form of endgame pressure. }

14. Qxb6 axb6

{ Black’s pressure down the a-file and white’s weak c3 and a2 pawns provide full
compensation for the sacrificed pawn. }

15. Nd2

{ The idea here is f3 followed by e4, while the knight is also poised to go to b1 to protect c3
if need be. }

Ra5 16. f3 Rfa8 { Black is pushing here despite his pawn deficit. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.cxd5”]

[Black “5.cxd5 6.Bg5 Variation 26”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. cxd5

{ This is white’s second most common move behind 5. Bg5 and it bears similarity to the
Queen’s Gambit Declined Exchange Variation. Taking on d5 has the advantage of removing
the hanging c4 pawn, thus preventing any of black’s plans involving …dxc4, but on the
other hand it also opens up the c8-h3 diagonal for our light bishop. In this chapter we will
try to take full advantage of this fact by developing our light bishop to f5 (or in a few cases,
to g4) . }

exd5 6. Bg5

{ The obvious choice - pinning black’s knight and putting a bit of pressure on d5 indirectly.
Black has tried a wide variety of systems and moves in this tabiya, but we will be
recommend something which has become very topical recently since it seems to equalise
without too many hassles. }

h6

{ Much like in the previous chapter, the first step is to force white to make a decision with
his bishop: will he save time and grab our knight, thus giving us the bishop pair, or will he
rather retreat to h4 and give us the …h6 move for free ? 7. Bh4 is slightly more common,
but both have been played very frequently. }

7. Bh4

{ The more popular choice and probably also the more challenging one. Black has tried a
wide of variety of lines here. We have gone for one which become quite popular amongst
the top players recently and which seems to equalise fairly easily. }

O-O 8. e3 Bf5

{ Nothing could be more natural than developing the bishop to f5, but this move only
caught on recently. Black players were clearly worried about the loose b7-pawn after Qb3,
but as we will see later, black can sacrifice this pawn and get good play. }

9. Qb3

{ The only critical move. White must try to exploit the bishop’s development by attacking
b7, else black’s opening is a success. }

Bxc3+

{ This is an important junction in this chapter. Recapturing with the pawn is more common
and it is also the critical test of Bf5. By taking with the pawn, the queen continues to attack
b7. It seems like there is no comfortable way to deal with this simple threat, but in fact
black can sacrifice the pawn and get good play. Once white began to realise this, some top
players began to try the queen recapture with the idea of playing with the bishop pair, but
it seems like black is fine there as well. Overall, black seems to be doing well in this whole
variation theoretically and in practice. }
10. bxc3

{ At first, it seems like black is in a bit of trouble since there is no convenient way to cover
the threat against b7. Fortunately, there is no need to ! Black can develop and ignore b7. }

Nbd7

{ A very important move to remember. Black rushes to complete development, while

ignoring the b7 threat. }

11. Be2

{ White wisely decides to leave the pawn on b7 until after he has got his king to safety. }

c5

{ While white is getting his king to safety, black should get his queenside play underway
with the standard …c5 break. }

12. O-O

{ Probably the most natural move and the most critical choice, together with 12. dxc5.
White gets his king to safety and prepares to take on b7. }

c4 { Black still has no fear for the b7 pawn ! } 13. Qxb7

{ This must be critical, of course. } Qb6

{ Instead of playing for an attack as in 11.Qxb7 , black now is going for positional
compensation in the form of endgame pressure. }

14. Qxb6 axb6

{ Black’s pressure down the a-file and white’s weak c3 and a2 pawns provide full
compensation for the sacrificed pawn. }

15. a4

{ White hopes that the a-pawn is more easily defended on a4, thanks to the idea of Bd1. }

Ne4 { Keeping up the pressure on white’s other pawn weakness. } 16. Rfc1

g5 17. Bg3 Ra6

{ Black will soon regain a4 with …Rfa8 followed by …b5 and definitely has the preferable
side of an equal endgame. }
[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.cxd5”]

[Black “5.cxd5 6.Bg5 Variation 27”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. cxd5

{ This is white’s second most common move behind 5. Bg5 and it bears similarity to the
Queen’s Gambit Declined Exchange Variation. Taking on d5 has the advantage of removing
the hanging c4 pawn, thus preventing any of black’s plans involving …dxc4, but on the
other hand it also opens up the c8-h3 diagonal for our light bishop. In this chapter we will
try to take full advantage of this fact by developing our light bishop to f5 (or in a few cases,
to g4) . }

exd5 6. Bg5

{ The obvious choice - pinning black’s knight and putting a bit of pressure on d5 indirectly.
Black has tried a wide variety of systems and moves in this tabiya, but we will be
recommend something which has become very topical recently since it seems to equalise
without too many hassles. }

h6

{ Much like in the previous chapter, the first step is to force white to make a decision with
his bishop: will he save time and grab our knight, thus giving us the bishop pair, or will he
rather retreat to h4 and give us the …h6 move for free ? 7. Bh4 is slightly more common,
but both have been played very frequently. }

7. Bh4

{ The more popular choice and probably also the more challenging one. Black has tried a
wide of variety of lines here. We have gone for one which become quite popular amongst
the top players recently and which seems to equalise fairly easily. }

O-O 8. e3 Bf5
{ Nothing could be more natural than developing the bishop to f5, but this move only
caught on recently. Black players were clearly worried about the loose b7-pawn after Qb3,
but as we will see later, black can sacrifice this pawn and get good play. }

9. Qb3

{ The only critical move. White must try to exploit the bishop’s development by attacking
b7, else black’s opening is a success. }

Bxc3+

{ This is an important junction in this chapter. Recapturing with the pawn is more common
and it is also the critical test of Bf5. By taking with the pawn, the queen continues to attack
b7. It seems like there is no comfortable way to deal with this simple threat, but in fact
black can sacrifice the pawn and get good play. Once white began to realise this, some top
players began to try the queen recapture with the idea of playing with the bishop pair, but
it seems like black is fine there as well. Overall, black seems to be doing well in this whole
variation theoretically and in practice. }

10. bxc3

{ At first, it seems like black is in a bit of trouble since there is no convenient way to cover
the threat against b7. Fortunately, there is no need to ! Black can develop and ignore b7. }

Nbd7

{ A very important move to remember. Black rushes to complete development, while

ignoring the b7 threat. }

11. Be2

{ White wisely decides to leave the pawn on b7 until after he has got his king to safety. }

c5

{ While White is getting his king to safety, Black should get his queenside play underway
with the standard …c5 break. }

12. Bxf6

{ This has been played a couple of times, but it isn’t too challenging. }

Nxf6 13. dxc5 Qe7 { Black will soon regain c5 with equality. }
[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.cxd5”]

[Black “5.cxd5 6.Bg5 Variation 28”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. cxd5

{ This is white’s second most common move behind 5. Bg5 and it bears similarity to the
Queen’s Gambit Declined Exchange Variation. Taking on d5 has the advantage of removing
the hanging c4 pawn, thus preventing any of black’s plans involving …dxc4, but on the
other hand it also opens up the c8-h3 diagonal for our light bishop. In this chapter we will
try to take full advantage of this fact by developing our light bishop to f5 (or in a few cases,
to g4) . }

exd5 6. Bg5

{ The obvious choice - pinning black’s knight and putting a bit of pressure on d5 indirectly.
Black has tried a wide variety of systems and moves in this tabiya, but we will be
recommend something which has become very topical recently since it seems to equalise
without too many hassles. }

h6

{ Much like in the previous chapter, the first step is to force white to make a decision with
his bishop: will he save time and grab our knight, thus giving us the bishop pair, or will he
rather retreat to h4 and give us the …h6 move for free ? 7. Bh4 is slightly more common,
but both have been played very frequently. }

7. Bh4

{ The more popular choice and probably also the more challenging one. Black has tried a
wide of variety of lines here. We have gone for one which become quite popular amongst
the top players recently and which seems to equalise fairly easily. }

O-O 8. e3 Bf5
{ Nothing could be more natural than developing the bishop to f5, but this move only
caught on recently. Black players were clearly worried about the loose b7-pawn after Qb3,
but as we will see later, black can sacrifice this pawn and get good play. }

9. Qb3

{ The only critical move. White must try to exploit the bishop’s development by attacking
b7, else black’s opening is a success. }

Bxc3+

{ This is an important junction in this chapter. Recapturing with the pawn is more common
and it is also the critical test of Bf5. By taking with the pawn, the queen continues to attack
b7. It seems like there is no comfortable way to deal with this simple threat, but in fact
black can sacrifice the pawn and get good play. Once white began to realise this, some top
players began to try the queen recapture with the idea of playing with the bishop pair, but
it seems like black is fine there as well. Overall, black seems to be doing well in this whole
variation theoretically and in practice. }

10. bxc3

{ At first, it seems like black is in a bit of trouble since there is no convenient way to cover
the threat against b7. Fortunately, there is no need to ! Black can develop and ignore b7. }

Nbd7

{ A very important move to remember. Black rushes to complete development, while

ignoring the b7 threat. }

11. Be2

{ White wisely decides to leave the pawn on b7 until after he has got his king to safety. }

c5

{ While White is getting his king to safety, Black should get his queenside play underway
with the standard …c5 break. }

12. Qxb7

{ This is even worse than on the last move, since our queen now enters the game with
decisive effect. }

Qa5 { Hitting c3. } 13. O-O Rab8 14. Qa6 Qxa6 15. Bxa6 c4

{ White’s problem now becomes clear - the bishop is trapped. } 16. a4 Rb6 17.
Bb5 Nb8 { followed by …a6, winning the bishop. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.cxd5”]

[Black “5.cxd5 6.Bg5 Variation 29”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. cxd5

{ This is white’s second most common move behind 5. Bg5 and it bears similarity to the
Queen’s Gambit Declined Exchange Variation. Taking on d5 has the advantage of removing
the hanging c4 pawn, thus preventing any of black’s plans involving …dxc4, but on the
other hand it also opens up the c8-h3 diagonal for our light bishop. In this chapter we will
try to take full advantage of this fact by developing our light bishop to f5 (or in a few cases,
to g4) . }

exd5 6. Bg5

{ The obvious choice - pinning black’s knight and putting a bit of pressure on d5 indirectly.
Black has tried a wide variety of systems and moves in this tabiya, but we will be
recommend something which has become very topical recently since it seems to equalise
without too many hassles. }

h6

{ Much like in the previous chapter, the first step is to force white to make a decision with
his bishop: will he save time and grab our knight, thus giving us the bishop pair, or will he
rather retreat to h4 and give us the …h6 move for free ? 7. Bh4 is slightly more common,
but both have been played very frequently. }

7. Bh4
{ The more popular choice and probably also the more challenging one. Black has tried a
wide of variety of lines here. We have gone for one which become quite popular amongst
the top players recently and which seems to equalise fairly easily. }

O-O 8. e3 Bf5

{ Nothing could be more natural than developing the bishop to f5, but this move only
caught on recently. Black players were clearly worried about the loose b7-pawn after Qb3,
but as we will see later, black can sacrifice this pawn and get good play. }

9. Qb3

{ The only critical move. White must try to exploit the bishop’s development by attacking
b7, else black’s opening is a success. }

Bxc3+

{ This is an important junction in this chapter. Recapturing with the pawn is more common
and it is also the critical test of Bf5. By taking with the pawn, the queen continues to attack
b7. It seems like there is no comfortable way to deal with this simple threat, but in fact
black can sacrifice the pawn and get good play. Once white began to realise this, some top
players began to try the queen recapture with the idea of playing with the bishop pair, but
it seems like black is fine there as well. Overall, black seems to be doing well in this whole
variation theoretically and in practice. }

10. bxc3

{ At first, it seems like black is in a bit of trouble since there is no convenient way to cover
the threat against b7. Fortunately, there is no need to ! Black can develop and ignore b7. }

Nbd7

{ A very important move to remember. Black rushes to complete development, while

ignoring the b7 threat. }

11. Be2

{ White wisely decides to leave the pawn on b7 until after he has got his king to safety. }

c5

{ While White is getting his king to safety, Black should get his queenside play underway
with the standard …c5 break. }

12. dxc5
{ This has been the choice of most of the top players to face this variation, including
Aronian, So and Grischuk. }

Nxc5

{ The other move , which is slightly more common , is g5 followed by Nxc5. While both
seem to equalise, g5 has some extra complications - 13.Nd4 - and we’d rather not play …g5
until really necessary. }

13. Qb4 Rc8 14. O-O Re8

{ Play can go in a number of ways from here. The position is quite unbalanced, but equal -
White has the bishop pair (for now) and the d5 weakness, while Black has the c3 weakness,
good squares for his knights and the possibility to eliminate the bishop pair by playing …g5
and …Ne4. }

15. Nd4 Bd7 16. Rac1 b6 { Ensuring that b7 will never be hanging. } 17. c4 dxc4

18. Bxc4 g5 19. Bg3 Nfe4

{ Black has equalised comfortably - next he can play …Qf6 and go for exchanges with …
Ne6. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.cxd5”]

[Black “5.cxd5 6.Bg5 Variation 30”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. cxd5

{ This is white’s second most common move behind 5. Bg5 and it bears similarity to the
Queen’s Gambit Declined Exchange Variation. Taking on d5 has the advantage of removing
the hanging c4 pawn, thus preventing any of black’s plans involving …dxc4, but on the
other hand it also opens up the c8-h3 diagonal for our light bishop. In this chapter we will
try to take full advantage of this fact by developing our light bishop to f5 (or in a few cases,
to g4) . }

exd5 6. Bg5

{ The obvious choice - pinning black’s knight and putting a bit of pressure on d5 indirectly.
Black has tried a wide variety of systems and moves in this tabiya, but we will be
recommend something which has become very topical recently since it seems to equalise
without too many hassles. }

h6

{ Much like in the previous chapter, the first step is to force white to make a decision with
his bishop: will he save time and grab our knight, thus giving us the bishop pair, or will he
rather retreat to h4 and give us the …h6 move for free ? 7. Bh4 is slightly more common,
but both have been played very frequently. }

7. Bh4

{ The more popular choice and probably also the more challenging one. Black has tried a
wide of variety of lines here. We have gone for one which become quite popular amongst
the top players recently and which seems to equalise fairly easily. }

O-O 8. e3 Bf5

{ Nothing could be more natural than developing the bishop to f5, but this move only
caught on recently. Black players were clearly worried about the loose b7-pawn after Qb3,
but as we will see later, black can sacrifice this pawn and get good play. }

9. Qb3

{ The only critical move. White must try to exploit the bishop’s development by attacking
b7, else black’s opening is a success. }

Bxc3+

{ This is an important junction in this chapter. Recapturing with the pawn is more common
and it is also the critical test of Bf5. By taking with the pawn, the queen continues to attack
b7. It seems like there is no comfortable way to deal with this simple threat, but in fact
black can sacrifice the pawn and get good play. Once white began to realise this, some top
players began to try the queen recapture with the idea of playing with the bishop pair, but
it seems like black is fine there as well. Overall, black seems to be doing well in this whole
variation theoretically and in practice. }

10. bxc3
{ At first, it seems like black is in a bit of trouble since there is no convenient way to cover
the threat against b7. Fortunately, there is no need to ! Black can develop and ignore b7. }

Nbd7

{ A very important move to remember. Black rushes to complete development, while

ignoring the b7 threat. }

11. Be2

{ White wisely decides to leave the pawn on b7 until after he has got his king to safety. }

c5

{ While white is getting his king to safety, black should get his queenside play underway
with the standard …c5 break. }

12. dxc5

{ This has been the choice of most of the top players to face this variaton, including
Aronian, So and Grischuk. }

Nxc5

{ The other move , which is slightly more common , is g5 followed by Nxc5. While both
seem to equalise, g5 has some extra complications - 13.Nd4 - and we’d rather not play …g5
until really necessary. }

13. Qb4 Rc8 14. O-O Re8

{ Play can go in a number of ways from here. The position is quite unbalanced, but equal -
white has the bishop pair (for now) and the d5 weakness, while black has the c3 weakness,
good squares for his knights and the possibility to eliminate the bishop pair by playing …g5
and …Ne4. }

15. Rfd1 { White puts pressure on d5. } g5

{ White was threatening Bxf6. } 16. Bg3 Nfe4

{ with the idea of …Nxg3, eliminating the bishop pair. } 17. Rac1 h5

{ Threatening …h4 of course. The position is still quite complex with chances for sides, but
it is equal. }
[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.Qa4+”]

[Black “5.Qa4+ Overview”]

{ @@HeaderStart@@Key Points@@HeaderEnd@@

This chapter deals with 5.Qa4+. We have seen it this idea already in previous chapters.
Black’s general plan will be to try and make use of the “misplaced” knight on c6. To do this,
we will often take on c4, play …Bd6 and follow up with the important …e5 break. Take note
of the rather rare idea of b6 we use to meet 7.Qc2, with the idea of playing …Ba6. If after we
make the …e5 break, White reacts with d5, then it is thematic to continue breaking down
white’s pawn chain with …c6. }

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Qa4+

{ We have already encountered this idea a few times in the previous chapters. As
mentioned already, white’s idea is to force black’s knight to c6, where it blocks the advance
of our c-pawn (thus preventing the standard …c5 break) . On the other hand though, the
queen is a bit misplaced on a4 and we do get to develop ‘for free’. Our plan will generally
revolve around trying to make full advantage of the knight on c6 by playing for the …e5
break. Typically black will play something along the lines of …dxc4, …Bd6 and … e5 }

Nc6 { Forced, of course. } 6. e3

{ The most natural and most common move by quite a wide margin. White protects c4 as
well as d4, but this comes at the cost of locking his bishop inside the pawn chain. His dark
bishop will typically be developed to d2 now, where it is well-placed to recapture on c3.
6.Bg5 A natural move, but it simply leads to transpositions into chapter 1, for example: h6
7.Bxf6 7.Bh4 dxc4 also transposes to chapter 1. Qxf6 transposes to chapter 1. 6.Ne5 looks
harmless, but can be tricky. Bd7 The most natural response, but there are other ideas as
well, such as a5. 7.Nxd7 The only logical follow-up really. White needs to justify moving his
knight repeatedly and losing some time by at least winning the bishop pair. 7.Nxc6 This
doesn’t really make sense in conjunction with white’s last move - there isn’t much point in
spending 2 tempi just to exchange black’s knight on c6. The only benefit white get here is
that black is forced to take on c3, but this seems relatively minor. 7. Nxc6 has been played
quite a few times surprisingly. Bxc3+ This is forced, otherwise the bishop hangs. 8.bxc3
Bxc6 Recapturing the knight with tempo. Black’s lead in development compensates white’s
bishop pair. 9.Qb3 White keeps c4 protected. 9.Qa3 with the idea of preventing black from
castling, but this has the downside of leaving c4 undefended. dxc4 ! Exploiting the hanging
c-pawn. 10.f3 Planning e4. a6 =+ followed by … b5, securing the extra c4-pawn. White lacks
full compensation for the pawn. dxc4 10.Qxc4 O-O =+ Black has a significant lead in
development and white will lose more time with his queen exposed on c4. Black should
play forcefully to take full advantage of his initiative with something like …e5, before white
can mobilise his bishops. Nxd7 This is a bit rarer than the more natural Qxd7, but it seems
to lead to an easier path to equality. Nxd7 has the idea of rerouting the knight to b6 with
tempo, where it stands better than on f6. Also, because of the threat of …Nb6 combined
with . ..dxc4, our choice is more forcing than 7.. .Qxd7. 8.cxd5 White realises the c4 pawn
was in danger (due to …Nb6) and trades it off. 8.e3 ?! Leaving the c4-pawn hanging like this
is an inaccuracy and now black can start fighting for an edge. Nb6 Hitting the queen and the
c4-pawn. 9.Qb3 Other moves haven’t been tried - it’s clear white has virtually no
compensation for the c4-pawn if he sacrifices it. dxc4 10.Bxc4 Nxc4 White loses his one
trump card, the bishop pair. Now he is left with a single bad bishop on c1, which black take
advantage of. 11.Qxc4 Qd5 ! Forcing the exchange of queens, since 12. Qf1 is hardly
playable. By exchanging the queens, as well as by having a pawn on d5 (which keeps
white’s pawns on dark squares) , black fully exploits white’s bad bishop on c1. 12.Qxd5
Bxc3+ ! A good positional move. Black further simplifies the position into one where he has
a clean good knight vs bad bishop advantage. 13.bxc3 exd5 =+ Black’s advantage here is
nothing decisive of course, but he is far more comfortable and black has scored well above
50% in practical play here. White’s bad bishop and weak light squares give black plenty of
things to target. Black should consider employing the …f5-f4 lever later on to create some
more weaknesses in white’s camp. Nb6 A nice intermezzo, attacking white’s queen and
protecting d5. 9.Qb5 As can be seen after 9. Qd1 ?, white needs to keep the pin on the
knight on c6 so that the d4-pawn does not fall. 9.Qd1 ? Looks quite natural, but this in fact
loses a pawn. Nxd5 White needs to protect c3 somehow. 10.Qd3 White seems to be holding
everything together, but… Nxd4 ! ��� is a clever little tactic that just wins a pawn. After
11. Qxd4 ? black wins with Nxc3. a6 Kicking the queen back. 10.Qd3 Qxd5 ! Taking with the
knight and the pawn is also possible, but this looks best. Our idea is to set up a piece
blockade on the central light squares. 11.a3 Bxc3+ So far black has tried Qa5 and Qb3,
which also seem like decent options. 12.bxc3 f5 ! We begin our light-square blockading
strategy. White is prevented from freeing up his position and kicking our queen away by
playing e4. 13.e3 White threatens c4 now. Na5 ! = Taking c4 under control and once again
preventing white from activating his bishops. Although white has the bishop pair here, they
have both been effectively neutralised. Black can continue with short-castling and then
execute either the …c5 or … e5 break. 6.a3 Forcing black to make a decision regarding his
bishop on b4. Bxc3+ The critical test of 6. a3 - black shouldn’t be forced to waste time
retreating his bishop to e7. 7.bxc3 Ne4 8.Qc2 8.Bb2 White defends the c3 pawn, albeit in a
very passive way. Bd7 Threatening …Nxd4. 9.Qc2 Nd6 ! We begin to target the white’s weak
light squares - the c4-square in particular. Our knights are going to close in on the c4
outpost with …Nd6-c4 and …Nc6-a5. 10.c5 Taking on d5 is also possible, but white has the
same problems there, with the extra issue that black can develop his light bishop to f5. Nc4
11.e3 N6a5 =+ Black has achieved a dream position out of the opening. Both of his knights
are on good squares, while white’s bishop pair is completely neutralised. Na5 ! Black
should follow the same strategy as after 8. Bb2: target the c4 outpost. 9.e3 O-O 10.Bd3 b6
With the idea of developing the light bishop. The bishop can either apply more pressure to
c4 from a6, or it could protect the knight on e4 from b7. 11.cxd5 White exchanges on d5
before black has the change to play …Ba6, after which white would be fighting to equalise
since he’d be left with only his bad bishop after the light squared bishops get exchanged.
exd5 12.O-O A natural move, which is the only move which has been played in this position
so far. 12.Bxe4 ? Grabbing the pawn on e4 is too greedy and just leads to problems for
white on the light squares. dxe4 13.Qxe4 ?! Ba6 ��� Black’s dominance on the light
squares gives him a clear advantage. The fact that white hasn’t castled and that there are
opposite coloured bishops on the board exacerbate the dangerous situation that white is in.
Re8 =+ Black is at least equal here, and probably has a slight edge on account of both his
knights having good squares available and white’s bad dark bishop. Black can possibly look
to continue with …Bf5, …c5 and …f6 (if white tries Ne5) . 6.cxd5 exd5 transposes to chapter
2. 6.Bd2 White secures the knight and prevents the doubling of his c-pawns after …Bxc3.
dxc4 ! White is playing rather slowly though and has neglected the c4 pawn. We can exploit
this hanging c-pawn and, with some accurate play, make it difficult for white to recoup the
pawn. 7.e3 Protecting d4 and preparing to regain the c4-pawn. Bd7 Keeping up the
pressure on white. …Nxd4 is threatened. 8.Qc2 Na5 Covering the c4-pawn like this looks a
bit awkward, but it is difficult for white to exploit, and moreover the c4-pawn is becoming a
real thorn in white’s side. 9.Ne5 White decides to recoup the pawn as quickly as possible.
9.Be2 White takes the approach of ignoring the c4-pawn for now and rather decides to
complete development first. O-O 10.O-O c5 Carrying out one of black’s standard equalising
breaks. 11.dxc5 Bxc5 12.Rfd1 Bc6 = Black has comfortably equalised. O-O 10.Rd1
Prophylactic play against black’s planned …c5 break. Be8 ! A prophylactic move, but a very
mysterious one which you have to analyse in some depth in order to understand. One of
white’s ideas here is to play a3, kicking our dark bishop back to e7. After that if white plays
Ne4, our knight on a5 is hanging. Ideally black would want to play …c5 to defend the
hanging knight with his queen, but this wouldn’t be possible with the bishop on d7, because
the queen on d8 would be overloaded. In a nutshell, …Be8 is important just to remove the
pressure white has on it from the knight on e5. 11.Nxc4 White wastes no time in regaining
his pawn. 11.a3 Be7 Taking on c3 and surrendering the bishop pair unnecessarily is poor of
course. 12.Ne4 ? Hitting the knight on a5. Nxe4 13.Qxe4 c5 ! ��� Black is doing very well
here, but c5 wouldn’t be possible with the bishop still on d7. Nxc4 12.Bxc4 Rc8 Preparing
the …c5 equaliser. 13.Ne4 Bxd2+ 14.Rxd2 Nxe4 15.Qxe4 c5 ! Black achieves his standard
equalising break. b7 isn’t really hanging because of … Bc6. 16.O-O cxd4 17.Qxd4 Bc6 =
Black has completely equalised. }

O-O 7. Bd2

{ White’s most common move by a wide margin. He plays the typically waiting game and
delays the development of his light bishop. 7.Qc2 This is white’s second most common
choice, behind 7. Bd2 and it is a logical one. White is trying to find useful, improving moves
before developing his light bishop so he does not waste a tempo after …dxc4.7. Qc2 is
useful, since typically black plays … Bd7 threatening …Nxd4, after which the queen is
forced to move anyway. White reasons that the queen has done its duty on a4 by luring the
knight to the supposedly inferior c6 square, and now can return to the more natural c2
square. b6 Black has tried a wide variety of moves here, all of which have been played by a
number of top GMs. The most popular choices have been dxc4 and Re8, both of which are
perfectly logical and lead to quite different games. However, our choice, b6 tries to take full
advantage of the consequences of white’s queen retreat. Without the queen on a4 attacking
our knight (or a6) , we intend to develop the bishop to a6 so that it can be exchanged with
white’s good bishop (in some cases the bishop can also simply go to b7) . The two most
notable players to opt for b6 have been Grischuk and Fressinet, but a number of other
strong GMs have played it as well. 8.a3 White’s most popular choice here. 8.cxd5 A logical
choice to prevent black’s plan of …Ba6, exchanging the light bishops. On the other hand,
taking on d5 is also a concession since it opens the c8-h3 diagonal and e-file for our bishop
and rook respectively. exd5 9.Bd3 If white does not occupy this diagonal, we will, by
playing …Ne7 and …Bf5. Bg4 Taking full advantage of the newly opened diagonal and
threatening to double white’s f-pawns. 10.Bd2 Re8 Taking on f3 now would be premature
since white hasn’t committed his king to the kingside. 11.O-O White hopes that the doubled
f-pawns will not be so bad and that he can make use of the open g-file. Bxf3 12.gxf3 Ne7
Rerouting the knight to g6 is an important idea here to neutralise white’s pressure on both
the g-file as well the h7-b1 diagonal. Also, from g6 the knight typically goes to h4 to aid
black’s kingside attack. 13.Kh1 Ng6 = Black has a fine position. He should look at playing
the … c5 break next. 8.Bd2 A typical developing move in this position. White plays the usual
waiting game with regards to the development of his light squared bishop. a5 Taking on c4
would be premature since white has not moved his light bishop yet, so we also play an
improving move in the meanwhile. The idea behind …a5 is quite clever - it secures the a6
square for our bishop, so that we can exchange light bishops even in the event of white
exchanging on d5. 9.cxd5 exd5 10.Bd3 Ba6 Achieving our goal of exchanging light bishops,
which leaves white only with his bad bishop. 11.Bxa6 Rxa6 12.O-O Ra8 The downside of the
exchange was that our rook became misplaced on a6, so it needs to be redeployed to c8 at
some point. 13.a3 Bxc3 14.Bxc3 Qd7 = White’s bishop on c3 makes it difficult for him to
generate any real play. 8.Be2 ?! Ba6 9.cxd5 Bxe2 10.Qxe2 exd5 =+ Bxc3+ 9.Qxc3 Ba6 10.b4
White decides to get his queenside play underway as quickly as possible at the cost of
allowing us to trade light bishops. 10.b3 White supports c4 so that he can retain his light
bishop for now. Na5 Putting some pressure on c4, but more importantly clearing the path
for the …c5 break which is coming. 11.Qc2 With the idea of Bd2xa5. Rc8 12.Bd2 c5 With the
…c5 break achieved, white’s centre is under quite a bit of pressure and he needs to display
some accuracy to equalise. 13.dxc5 dxc4 14.Bxa5 cxb3 15.Qxb3 Bxf1 16.Kxf1 bxa5 = With
the vulnerability of c5, black has the more comfortable side of equality here. dxc4 11.Bxc4
Ne4 ! A nice little intermezzo. 12.Qc2 Bxc4 13.Qxc4 Qd5 ! The queen trade fully equalises
for black. 14.Qxd5 exd5 = White’s bad bishop makes it impossible to fight for an advantage
here. 7.Bd3 This can be met in the same way as 7. Be2. dxc4 transposing to 7. Be2. 7.Be2
White develops normally, but this is hardly challenging. dxc4 Since white has already
expended a tempo moving his light bishop, it is the right time for us to take the c4 pawn.
8.Bxc4 8.a3 Bd6 There’s no need for black to give up the bishop pair here. The bishop can
rather be used to prepare the …e5 break. 9.Bxc4 e5 ! Immediately challenging white’s
centre. 10.d5 Ne7 11.e4 Supporting d5 and allowing the dark bishop to develop. Bd7
12.Qc2 Rc8 = The rook is well-placed on c8 to support our long-term goal of carrying our
the …c6 break. Black’s play here is quite straightforward with a simple plan, whereas
finding a good idea for white is more difficult. Black is at least equal. a6 Although it isn’t a
threat yet, …b5 is a useful idea to have available at some point. 9.O-O Bd6 Preparing the …
e5 break. 10.Qc2 e5 As usual, once black achieves this break under decent circumstances,
you can be fairly certain that he has equalised. 11.dxe5 This seems a bit timid, but it is
white’s safest bet. 11.d5 ?! This is the standard response to an …e5 break, but in this case it
doesn’t concretely work out too well for white. Nb4 ! exploiting the queen’s placement on
c2 by gaining some time. 12.Qb1 e4 ! c6 is another solid option where black equalises
comfortably, but the e4 pawn sacrifice seems to pose white more problems. 13.Nxe4 Nxe4
14.Qxe4 Re8 Developing with tempo and kicking white’s queen back. 15.Qb1 Only move.
Bg4 It’s quickly becoming evident that white’s lack of development and black’s pair of
bishops pointing towards white’s undefended kingside could spell trouble for white in the
near future. 16.Bd2 White tries to remedy his lack of development as quickly as possible.
Other moves like 16. Nd4 give black a strong kingside initiative after Qh4. Bxf3 17.gxf3
Bxh2+ ! Black of course can already secure a draw here with a perpetual, but his position is
more than promising enough to play on. White will need to play more accurately than black
to fully equalise. Another decent option here is Qh4 immediately. 18.Kxh2 Qh4+ 19.Kg2
Qxc4 =+ White’s exposed king gives black a distinct edge. Nxe5 12.Nxe5 Bxe5 = Black has
fully equalised. 7.a3 As before, spending a tempo to force the capture on c3 isn’t white’s
most challenging try. Bxc3+ 8.bxc3 Re8 We once again are playing for the … e5 break here.
9.Be2 Bd7 Threatening …Nxd4. 10.cxd5 Taking on d5 is logical since it does not allow black
the chance to make the …e5 break. It also has the additional benefit of preventing the …
Nxd4 threat, since the queen can cover d4 now. However, exchanging on d5 has the
downside of activating black’s bishop and rook. 10.Qd1 Dealing with the …Nxd4 threat, but
falling even further behind in development. Na5 ! Taking advantage of the fact that c4 is
very difficult to protect without the queen on a4. 11.Ne5 c5 =+ Black has good play while
white still needs to find a way to develop his problem piece, the dark bishop. exd5 11.O-O
Ne4 =+ Black is at least equal here. }

dxc4

{ Black has some other options here, but it turns out that if black continues waiting then
white’s 8. a3 could be a little irritating now. Instead black resolves to carry out the …e5
break as quickly as possible, and the first step in preparing it is to take on c4 in order to
remove the central tension. }

8. Bxc4 Bd6

{ Black pulls back the bishop with the plan of …e5 next. This is probably the most critical
junction in this whole chapter, and white has half a dozen decent options at his disposal. }

9. Qc2

{ White pulls his queen back to a more natural square. White’s idea is to meet .. .e5 by
taking it, since he is better poised to do so with his queen on c2. This seems to be white’s
most topical choice at the moment, but black doesn’t have too many problems here either.
9.O-O The most common move, but it is not the most challenging and allows black to carry
out his …e5 break unhindered. e5 10.d5 Taking on e5 is hardly challenging. Ne7 11.e4 The
most natural move, supporting d5. 11.Qc2 Bg4 12.Ng5 Bf5 13.e4 Bg6 = Black seems to have
achieved a slightly better version of the normal structure, since his minor pieces put
pressure on e4. Soon …c6 will be played and white has no advantage to speak of. Bg4
Developing with tempo by threatening …Bxf3. 12.Be2 c6 ! Black immediately follows up by
exchanging white’s restrictive d5 pawn before white can support it further. 13.dxc6 Nxc6
14.Be3 Qe7 = Black has equalised. He can follow up later by bringing his rooks to the
central files and playing …a6 (to prevent any b5 intrusions and maybe also plan …b5 at
some point) . 9.Nb5 In his book, GM Pert considers this to be white’s critical choice and and
an improved version of 9. O-O, but it seems like black can equalise here quite easily since
Nxd6 is not a serious threat. Bd7 ! GM Pert recommends Be7 but this seems unnecessary,
since 10. Nxd6 isn’t dangerous at all. We transpose into a kind of Exchange Slav structure
where too many minor pieces get exchanged for black to face any difficulties. 10.Nxd6 This
should be critical, of course. 10.Qb3 This doesn’t really offer any real advantage over taking
on d6 immediately. a6 11.Nxd6 cxd6 12.Qa3 d5 13.Bd3 Ne4 = White is pretty much just a
tempo down over the mainline. cxd6 Black threatens … Nxd4. 11.Qa3 d5 Black can keep his
structure flexible and maybe play for … e5, but if there is no need to if you are satisfied with
a simple and equal position. By playing d5 we take the game into an Exchange Slav
structure where black has already exchanged his important dark bishop, but on the other
hand …Ne4 guarantees one of white’s bishops will also get exchanged. 12.Bd3 Ne4 Taking
on e4 is plain bad. 13.O-O Nxd2 14.Nxd2 Qe7 = White’s good vs bad bishop advantage here
is mostly symbolic, since he can’t really make use of it. Black can maybe make use of …f6 at
some point, which is a nice multipurpose move with the idea of rerouting our dark bishop
to the kingside by playing …Bd7-e8-g6/h5. 9.h3 White continues his waiting strategy,
althoughthis doesn’t seem like the best use of the tempo. White tries to stay flexible and
prevents our future …Bg4, but this isn’t a major problem. e5 10.d5 Ne7 11.e4 Bd7 12.Qc2
Ng6 13.O-O a6 = Black can prepare the …c6 break more slowly than usual, with …b5, …h6
and …Rc8 first. 9.Rd1 Quite rare and not very threatening. e5 10.dxe5 Nxe5 11.Nxe5 Bxe5 =
9.e4 ?! This seems like quite a serious inaccuracy. White is overreaching with his centre. e5
10.dxe5 If white doesn’t take on e5 and plays 10. d5, Nd4 ! is unpleasant. Nxe5 11.Nxe5
Bxe5 =+ Black is well developed and the e4 pawn is not well-supported. 9.a3 Rather rare,
but it has been tried by a couple of strong players recently. White takes b4 under control
(preventing . ..Nb4 in some cases) but this doesn’t seem like the most effective use of the
tempo. e5 10.d5 Ne7 11.e4 Bg4 12.Be2 c6 13.dxc6 Nxc6 = Black basically has a better
version of 9. O-O. }

e5 10. dxe5 Nxe5 11. Nxe5 Bxe5

{ We have reached a rather open position where white hopes to use his f-pawn and extra
central e-pawn to push us back and control the centre. }

12. f4
{ Critical. White pushes us back as quickly as possible. 12.O-O-O White decides to get his
king to safety first before expanding in the centre. As we will see, this has the advantage of
not weakening the e3 pawn and allowing black to equalise by attacking it. Qe7 On the other
hand, by playing slowly white has given black time to complete development. 13.Kb1 White
moves his king out of the way and now threatens 14. f4 13.f3 wouldn’t work because of …
Bxc3 14.Bxc3 Qxe3+ . Rd8 Preparing to exchange rooks on the d-file. 14.f4 Bxc3 15.Bxc3
Bg4 16.Rxd8+ Rxd8 = Black has equalised here comfortably. Next he can work on
eliminating white’s bishop pair by playing either …Be6 or …Ne4. }

Bxc3

{ Retreating to d6 is more dangerous since it loses time and it looks like black could get
steamrolled in the centre. }

13. Bxc3

{ White has the bishop pair and potentially a nice position, but he hasn’t castled yet. Black
needs to act quickly to take advantage of this and equalise. }

Ng4

{ The alternative is Qe7, which should also equalise, but it leads to a line where black grabs
the e3 pawn and white gets enough compensation in the form of the bishop pair and a
kingside initiative. For the sake of ease-of-play, this should be avoided. Instead, we follow
Wesley So’s choice against Giri which allowed him to equalise quite easily with a semi-
forced line. }

14. Bd4 { The only natural way to defend e3. } c5

{ An important move to remember ! The immediate Re8 would have been met by 15. O-O-
O, after which we can’t take on e3. By playing …c5 the d-file is opened, which prevents
white from castling long. }

15. Bxc5 Re8

{ Hitting e3. As mentioned previously, O-O-O isn’t possible anymore. } 16. O-O

{ White can’t hold onto the pawn, so getting his king to safety is his best bet. }

b6

{ A nice little intermezzo before regaining the pawn, but the immediate Nxe3 is also
playable. }

17. Bd4 Nxe3 18. Bxe3 Rxe3

{ So equalised fully against Giri and after a few more exchanges they reached a draw by
threefold repetition. 5. Qa4+ }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.Qa4+”]

[Black “6.Bg5 Variation 1”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Qa4+

{ We have already encountered this idea a few times in the previous chapters. As
mentioned already, white’s idea is to force black’s knight to c6, where it blocks the advance
of our c-pawn (thus preventing the standard …c5 break) . On the other hand though, the
queen is a bit misplaced on a4 and we do get to develop ‘for free’. Our plan will generally
revolve around trying to make full advantage of the knight on c6 by playing for the …e5
break. Typically black will play something along the lines of …dxc4, …Bd6 and … e5 }

Nc6 { Forced, of course. } 6. Bg5

{ A natural move, but it simply leads to transpositions into the Ragozin with 5.Bg5, for
example: }

h6 7. Bh4 dxc4 { transposes to the Ragozin with 5.Bg5. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.Qa4+”]

[Black “6.Bg5 Variation 2”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Qa4+

{ We have already encountered this idea a few times in the previous chapters. As
mentioned already, white’s idea is to force black’s knight to c6, where it blocks the advance
of our c-pawn (thus preventing the standard …c5 break) . On the other hand though, the
queen is a bit misplaced on a4 and we do get to develop ‘for free’. Our plan will generally
revolve around trying to make full advantage of the knight on c6 by playing for the …e5
break. Typically black will play something along the lines of …dxc4, …Bd6 and … e5 }

Nc6 { Forced, of course. } 6. Bg5

{ A natural move, but it simply leads to transpositions into the Ragozin with 5.Bg5, for
example: }

h6 7. Bxf6 Qxf6 { transposes to the 5.Bg5 Ragozin. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.Qa4+”]

[Black “6.Ne5 Variation 1”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Qa4+

{ We have already encountered this idea a few times in the previous chapters. As
mentioned already, white’s idea is to force black’s knight to c6, where it blocks the advance
of our c-pawn (thus preventing the standard …c5 break) . On the other hand though, the
queen is a bit misplaced on a4 and we do get to develop ‘for free’. Our plan will generally
revolve around trying to make full advantage of the knight on c6 by playing for the …e5
break. Typically black will play something along the lines of …dxc4, …Bd6 and … e5 }
Nc6 { Forced, of course. } 6. Ne5 { looks harmless, but can be tricky. }

Bd7

{ The most natural response, but there are other ideas as well, such as a5. }

7. Nxc6

{ This doesn’t really make sense in conjunction with white’s last move - there isn’t much
point in spending 2 tempi just to exchange black’s knight on c6. The only benefit white get
here is that black is forced to take on c3, but this seems relatively minor. 7. Nxc6 has been
played quite a few times surprisingly. }

Bxc3+ { This is forced, otherwise the bishop hangs. } 8. bxc3 Bxc6

{ Recapturing the knight with tempo. Black’s lead in development compensates white’s
bishop pair. }

9. Qa3

{ with the idea of preventing black from castling, but this has the downside of leaving c4
undefended. }

dxc4 { Exploiting the hanging c-pawn. } 10. f3 { Planning e4. } a6

{ followed by … b5, securing the extra c4-pawn. White lacks full compensation for the
pawn. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.Qa4+”]

[Black “6.Ne5 Variation 2”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Qa4+

{ We have already encountered this idea a few times in the previous chapters. As
mentioned already, white’s idea is to force black’s knight to c6, where it blocks the advance
of our c-pawn (thus preventing the standard …c5 break) . On the other hand though, the
queen is a bit misplaced on a4 and we do get to develop ‘for free’. Our plan will generally
revolve around trying to make full advantage of the knight on c6 by playing for the …e5
break. Typically black will play something along the lines of …dxc4, …Bd6 and … e5 }

Nc6 { Forced, of course. } 6. Ne5 { looks harmless, but can be tricky. }

Bd7

{ The most natural response, but there are other ideas as well, such as a5. }

7. Nxc6

{ This doesn’t really make sense in conjunction with white’s last move - there isn’t much
point in spending 2 tempi just to exchange black’s knight on c6. The only benefit white get
here is that black is forced to take on c3, but this seems relatively minor. 7. Nxc6 has been
played quite a few times surprisingly. }

Bxc3+ { This is forced, otherwise the bishop hangs. } 8. bxc3 Bxc6

{ Recapturing the knight with tempo. Black’s lead in development compensates white’s
bishop pair. }

9. Qb3 { White keeps c4 protected. } dxc4 10. Qxc4 O-O

{ Black has a significant lead in development and white will lose more time with his queen
exposed on c4. Black should play forcefully to take full advantage of his initiative with
something like …e5, before white can mobilise his bishops. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.Qa4+”]

[Black “6.Ne5 Variation 3”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Qa4+

{ We have already encountered this idea a few times in the previous chapters. As
mentioned already, white’s idea is to force black’s knight to c6, where it blocks the advance
of our c-pawn (thus preventing the standard …c5 break) . On the other hand though, the
queen is a bit misplaced on a4 and we do get to develop ‘for free’. Our plan will generally
revolve around trying to make full advantage of the knight on c6 by playing for the …e5
break. Typically black will play something along the lines of …dxc4, …Bd6 and … e5 }

Nc6 { Forced, of course. } 6. Ne5 { looks harmless, but can be tricky. }

Bd7

{ The most natural response, but there are other ideas as well, such as a5. }

7. Nxd7

{ The only logical follow-up really. White needs to justify moving his knight repeatedly and
losing some time by at least winning the bishop pair. }

Nxd7

{ This is a bit rarer than the more natural Qxd7, but it seems to lead to an easier path to
equality. Nxd7 has the idea of rerouting the knight to b6 with tempo, where it stands better
than on f6. Also, because of the threat of …Nb6 combined with . ..dxc4, our choice is more
forcing than 7.. .Qxd7. }

8. e3

{ Leaving the c4-pawn hanging like this is an inaccuracy and now black can start fighting
for an edge. }

Nb6 { Hitting the queen and the c4-pawn. } 9. Qb3

{ Other moves haven’t been tried - it’s clear white has virtually no compensation for the c4-
pawn if he sacrifices it. }

dxc4 10. Bxc4 Nxc4

{ White loses his one trump card, the bishop pair. Now he is left with a single bad bishop on
c1, which black take advantage of. }

11. Qxc4 Qd5

{ Forcing the exchange of queens, since 12. Qf1 is hardly playable. By exchanging the
queens, as well as by having a pawn on d5 (which keeps white’s pawns on dark squares) ,
black fully exploits white’s bad bishop on c1. }
12. Qxd5 Bxc3+

{ A good positional move. Black further simplifies the position into one where he has a
clean good knight vs bad bishop advantage. }

13. bxc3 exd5

{ Black’s advantage here is nothing decisive of course, but he is far more comfortable and
black has scored well above 50% in practical play here. White’s bad bishop and weak light
squares give black plenty of things to target. Black should consider employing the …f5-f4
lever later on to create some more weaknesses in white’s camp. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.Qa4+”]

[Black “6.Ne5 Variation 4”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Qa4+

{ We have already encountered this idea a few times in the previous chapters. As
mentioned already, white’s idea is to force black’s knight to c6, where it blocks the advance
of our c-pawn (thus preventing the standard …c5 break) . On the other hand though, the
queen is a bit misplaced on a4 and we do get to develop ‘for free’. Our plan will generally
revolve around trying to make full advantage of the knight on c6 by playing for the …e5
break. Typically black will play something along the lines of …dxc4, …Bd6 and … e5 }

Nc6 { Forced, of course. } 6. Ne5 { looks harmless, but can be tricky. }

Bd7

{ The most natural response, but there are other ideas as well, such as a5. }

7. Nxd7
{ The only logical follow-up really. White needs to justify moving his knight repeatedly and
losing some time by at least winning the bishop pair. }

Nxd7

{ This is a bit rarer than the more natural Qxd7, but it seems to lead to an easier path to
equality. Nxd7 has the idea of rerouting the knight to b6 with tempo, where it stands better
than on f6. Also, because of the threat of …Nb6 combined with . ..dxc4, our choice is more
forcing than 7.. .Qxd7. }

8. cxd5

{ White realises the c4 pawn was in danger (due to …Nb6) and trades it off. }

Nb6 { A nice intermezzo, attacking white’s queen and protecting d5. } 9.

Qd1 { Looks quite natural, but this in fact loses a pawn. } Nxd5

{ White needs to protect c3 somehow. } 10. Qd3

{ White seems to be holding everything together, but… } Nxd4

{ is a clever little tactic that just wins a pawn. After 11. Qxd4 ? black wins with Nxc3. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.Qa4+”]

[Black “6.Ne5 Variation 5”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Qa4+

{ We have already encountered this idea a few times in the previous chapters. As
mentioned already, white’s idea is to force black’s knight to c6, where it blocks the advance
of our c-pawn (thus preventing the standard …c5 break) . On the other hand though, the
queen is a bit misplaced on a4 and we do get to develop ‘for free’. Our plan will generally
revolve around trying to make full advantage of the knight on c6 by playing for the …e5
break. Typically black will play something along the lines of …dxc4, …Bd6 and … e5 }

Nc6 { Forced, of course. } 6. Ne5 { looks harmless, but can be tricky. }

Bd7

{ The most natural response, but there are other ideas as well, such as a5. }

7. Nxd7

{ The only logical follow-up really. White needs to justify moving his knight repeatedly and
losing some time by at least winning the bishop pair. }

Nxd7

{ This is a bit rarer than the more natural Qxd7, but it seems to lead to an easier path to
equality. Nxd7 has the idea of rerouting the knight to b6 with tempo, where it stands better
than on f6. Also, because of the threat of …Nb6 combined with . ..dxc4, our choice is more
forcing than 7.. .Qxd7. }

8. cxd5

{ White realises the c4 pawn was in danger (due to …Nb6) and trades it off. }

Nb6 { A nice intermezzo, attacking white’s queen and protecting d5. } 9.

Qb5

{ As can be seen after 9. Qd1 ?, white needs to keep the pin on the knight on c6 so that the
d4-pawn does not fall. }

a6 { Kicking the queen back. } 10. Qd3 Qxd5

{ Taking with the knight and the pawn is also possible, but this looks best. Our idea is to set
up a piece blockade on the central light squares. }

11. a3 Bxc3+

{ So far black has tried Qa5 and Qb3, which also seem like decent options. }

12. bxc3 f5

{ We begin our light-square blockading strategy. White is prevented from freeing up his
position and kicking our queen away by playing e4. }

13. e3 { White threatens c4 now. } Na5

{ Taking c4 under control and once again preventing white from activating his bishops.
Although white has the bishop pair here, they have both been effectively neutralised. Black
can continue with short-castling and then execute either the …c5 or … e5 break. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.Qa4+”]

[Black “6.a3 Variation 1”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Qa4+

{ We have already encountered this idea a few times in the previous chapters. As
mentioned already, white’s idea is to force black’s knight to c6, where it blocks the advance
of our c-pawn (thus preventing the standard …c5 break) . On the other hand though, the
queen is a bit misplaced on a4 and we do get to develop ‘for free’. Our plan will generally
revolve around trying to make full advantage of the knight on c6 by playing for the …e5
break. Typically black will play something along the lines of …dxc4, …Bd6 and … e5 }

Nc6 { Forced, of course. } 6. a3

{ Forcing black to make a decision regarding his bishop on b4. } Bxc3+

{ The critical test of 6. a3 - black shouldn’t be forced to waste time retreating his bishop to
e7. }

7. bxc3 Ne4 8. Bb2 { White defends the c3 pawn, albeit in a very passive way. }

Bd7 { Threatening …Nxd4. } 9. Qc2 Nd6

{ We begin to target the white’s weak light squares - the c4-square in particular. Our
knights are going to close in on the c4 outpost with …Nd6-c4 and …Nc6-a5. }

10. c5
{ Taking on d5 is also possible, but white has the same problems there, with the extra issue
that black can develop his light bishop to f5. }

Nc4 11. e3 N6a5

{ Black has achieved a dream position out of the opening. Both of his knights are on good
squares, while white’s bishop pair is completely neutralised. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.Qa4+”]

[Black “6.a3 Variation 2”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Qa4+

{ We have already encountered this idea a few times in the previous chapters. As
mentioned already, white’s idea is to force black’s knight to c6, where it blocks the advance
of our c-pawn (thus preventing the standard …c5 break) . On the other hand though, the
queen is a bit misplaced on a4 and we do get to develop ‘for free’. Our plan will generally
revolve around trying to make full advantage of the knight on c6 by playing for the …e5
break. Typically black will play something along the lines of …dxc4, …Bd6 and … e5 }

Nc6 { Forced, of course. } 6. a3

{ Forcing black to make a decision regarding his bishop on b4. } Bxc3+

{ The critical test of 6. a3 - black shouldn’t be forced to waste time retreating his bishop to
e7. }

7. bxc3 Ne4 8. Qc2 Na5

{ Black should follow the same strategy as after 8. Bb2: target the c4 outpost. }

9. e3 O-O 10. Bd3 b6

{ With the idea of developing the light bishop. The bishop can either apply more pressure
to c4 from a6, or it could protect the knight on e4 from b7. }

11. cxd5

{ White exchanges on d5 before black has the change to play …Ba6, after which white
would be fighting to equalise since he’d be left with only his bad bishop after the light
squared bishops get exchanged. }

exd5 12. Bxe4

{ Grabbing the pawn on e4 is too greedy and just leads to problems for white on the light
squares. }

dxe4 13. Qxe4 Ba6

{ Black’s dominance on the light squares gives him a clear advantage. The fact that white
hasn’t castled and that there are opposite coloured bishops on the board exacerbate the
dangerous situation that white is in. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.Qa4+”]

[Black “6.a3 Variation 3”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Qa4+

{ We have already encountered this idea a few times in the previous chapters. As
mentioned already, white’s idea is to force black’s knight to c6, where it blocks the advance
of our c-pawn (thus preventing the standard …c5 break) . On the other hand though, the
queen is a bit misplaced on a4 and we do get to develop ‘for free’. Our plan will generally
revolve around trying to make full advantage of the knight on c6 by playing for the …e5
break. Typically black will play something along the lines of …dxc4, …Bd6 and … e5 }

Nc6 { Forced, of course. } 6. a3

{ Forcing black to make a decision regarding his bishop on b4. } Bxc3+

{ The critical test of 6. a3 - black shouldn’t be forced to waste time retreating his bishop to
e7. }

7. bxc3 Ne4 8. Qc2 Na5

{ Black should follow the same strategy as after 8. Bb2: target the c4 outpost. }

9. e3 O-O 10. Bd3 b6

{ With the idea of developing the light bishop. The bishop can either apply more pressure
to c4 from a6, or it could protect the knight on e4 from b7. }

11. cxd5

{ White exchanges on d5 before black has the change to play …Ba6, after which white
would be fighting to equalise since he’d be left with only his bad bishop after the light
squared bishops get exchanged. }

exd5 12. O-O

{ A natural move, which is the only move which has been played in this position so far. }

Re8

{ Black is at least equal here, and probably has a slight edge on account of both his knights
having good squares available and white’s bad dark bishop. Black can possibly look to
continue with …Bf5, …c5 and …f6 (if white tries Ne5) . }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.Qa4+”]

[Black “6.cxd5”]
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Qa4+

{ We have already encountered this idea a few times in the previous chapters. As
mentioned already, white’s idea is to force black’s knight to c6, where it blocks the advance
of our c-pawn (thus preventing the standard …c5 break) . On the other hand though, the
queen is a bit misplaced on a4 and we do get to develop ‘for free’. Our plan will generally
revolve around trying to make full advantage of the knight on c6 by playing for the …e5
break. Typically black will play something along the lines of …dxc4, …Bd6 and … e5 }

Nc6 { Forced, of course. } 6. cxd5 exd5

{ transposes to the 5.cxd5 Ragozin. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.Qa4+”]

[Black “6.Bd2 Variation 1”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Qa4+

{ We have already encountered this idea a few times in the previous chapters. As
mentioned already, white’s idea is to force black’s knight to c6, where it blocks the advance
of our c-pawn (thus preventing the standard …c5 break) . On the other hand though, the
queen is a bit misplaced on a4 and we do get to develop ‘for free’. Our plan will generally
revolve around trying to make full advantage of the knight on c6 by playing for the …e5
break. Typically black will play something along the lines of …dxc4, …Bd6 and … e5 }

Nc6 { Forced, of course. } 6. Bd2

{ White secures the knight and prevents the doubling of his c-pawns after …Bxc3. }

dxc4
{ White is playing rather slowly though and has neglected the c4 pawn. We can exploit this
hanging c-pawn and, with some accurate play, make it difficult for white to recoup the
pawn. }

7. e3 { Protecting d4 and preparing to regain the c4-pawn. } Bd7

{ Keeping up the pressure on white. …Nxd4 is threatened. } 8. Qc2 Na5

{ Covering the c4-pawn like this looks a bit awkward, but it is difficult for white to exploit,
and moreover the c4-pawn is becoming a real thorn in white’s side. }

9. Be2

{ White takes the approach of ignoring the c4-pawn for now and rather decides to complete
development first. }

O-O 10. O-O c5 { Carrying out one of black’s standard equalising breaks. }

11. dxc5 Bxc5 12. Rfd1 Bc6 { Black has comfortably equalised. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.Qa4+”]

[Black “6.Bd2 Variation 2”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Qa4+

{ We have already encountered this idea a few times in the previous chapters. As
mentioned already, white’s idea is to force black’s knight to c6, where it blocks the advance
of our c-pawn (thus preventing the standard …c5 break) . On the other hand though, the
queen is a bit misplaced on a4 and we do get to develop ‘for free’. Our plan will generally
revolve around trying to make full advantage of the knight on c6 by playing for the …e5
break. Typically black will play something along the lines of …dxc4, …Bd6 and … e5 }

Nc6 { Forced, of course. } 6. Bd2

{ White secures the knight and prevents the doubling of his c-pawns after …Bxc3. }

dxc4

{ White is playing rather slowly though and has neglected the c4 pawn. We can exploit this
hanging c-pawn and, with some accurate play, make it difficult for white to recoup the
pawn. }

7. e3 { Protecting d4 and preparing to regain the c4-pawn. } Bd7

{ Keeping up the pressure on white. …Nxd4 is threatened. } 8. Qc2 Na5

{ Covering the c4-pawn like this looks a bit awkward, but it is difficult for white to exploit,
and moreover the c4-pawn is becoming a real thorn in white’s side. }

9. Ne5 { White decides to recoup the pawn as quickly as possible. } O-O

10. Rd1 { Prophylactic play against black’s planned …c5 break. } Be8

{ A prophylactic move, but a very mysterious one which you have to analyse in some depth
in order to understand. One of white’s ideas here is to play a3, kicking our dark bishop back
to e7. After that if white plays Ne4, our knight on a5 is hanging. Ideally black would want to
play …c5 to defend the hanging knight with his queen, but this wouldn’t be possible with
the bishop on d7, because the queen on d8 would be overloaded. In a nutshell, …Be8 is
important just to remove the pressure white has on it from the knight on e5. }

11. a3 Be7

{ Taking on c3 and surrendering the bishop pair unnecessarily is poor of course. }

12. Ne4 { Hitting the knight on a5. } Nxe4 13. Qxe4 c5

{ Black is doing very well here, but c5 wouldn’t be possible with the bishop still on d7. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.Qa4+”]

[Black “6.Bd2 Variation 3”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Qa4+

{ We have already encountered this idea a few times in the previous chapters. As
mentioned already, white’s idea is to force black’s knight to c6, where it blocks the advance
of our c-pawn (thus preventing the standard …c5 break) . On the other hand though, the
queen is a bit misplaced on a4 and we do get to develop ‘for free’. Our plan will generally
revolve around trying to make full advantage of the knight on c6 by playing for the …e5
break. Typically black will play something along the lines of …dxc4, …Bd6 and … e5 }

Nc6 { Forced, of course. } 6. Bd2

{ White secures the knight and prevents the doubling of his c-pawns after …Bxc3. }

dxc4

{ White is playing rather slowly though and has neglected the c4 pawn. We can exploit this
hanging c-pawn and, with some accurate play, make it difficult for white to recoup the
pawn. }

7. e3 { Protecting d4 and preparing to regain the c4-pawn. } Bd7

{ Keeping up the pressure on white. …Nxd4 is threatened. } 8. Qc2 Na5

{ Covering the c4-pawn like this looks a bit awkward, but it is difficult for white to exploit,
and moreover the c4-pawn is becoming a real thorn in white’s side. }

9. Ne5 { White decides to recoup the pawn as quickly as possible. } O-O

10. Rd1 { Prophylactic play against black’s planned …c5 break. } Be8

{ A prophylactic move, but a very mysterious one which you have to analyse in some depth
in order to understand. One of white’s ideas here is to play a3, kicking our dark bishop back
to e7. After that if white plays Ne4, our knight on a5 is hanging. Ideally black would want to
play …c5 to defend the hanging knight with his queen, but this wouldn’t be possible with
the bishop on d7, because the queen on d8 would be overloaded. In a nutshell, …Be8 is
important just to remove the pressure white has on it from the knight on e5. }

11. Nxc4 { White wastes no time in regaining his pawn. } Nxc4 12. Bxc4

Rc8 { Preparing the …c5 equaliser. } 13. Ne4 Bxd2+ 14. Rxd2 Nxe4 15. Qxe4 c5

{ Black achieves his standard equalising break. b7 isn’t really hanging because of … Bc6. }
16. O-O cxd4 17. Qxd4 Bc6 { Black has completely equalised. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.Qa4+”]

[Black “6.e3 Variation 1”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Qa4+

{ We have already encountered this idea a few times in the previous chapters. As
mentioned already, white’s idea is to force black’s knight to c6, where it blocks the advance
of our c-pawn (thus preventing the standard …c5 break) . On the other hand though, the
queen is a bit misplaced on a4 and we do get to develop ‘for free’. Our plan will generally
revolve around trying to make full advantage of the knight on c6 by playing for the …e5
break. Typically black will play something along the lines of …dxc4, …Bd6 and … e5 }

Nc6 { Forced, of course. } 6. e3

{ The most natural and most common move by quite a wide margin. White protects c4 as
well as d4, but this comes at the cost of locking his bishop inside the pawn chain. His dark
bishop will typically be developed to d2 now, where it is well-placed to recapture on c3. }

O-O 7. Qc2

{ This is white’s second most common choice, behind 7. Bd2 and it is a logical one. White is
trying to find useful, improving moves before developing his light bishop so he does not
waste a tempo after …dxc4. 7. Qc2 is useful, since typically black plays … Bd7 threatening …
Nxd4, after which the queen is forced to move anyway. White reasons that the queen has
done its duty on a4 by luring the knight to the supposedly inferior c6 square, and now can
return to the more natural c2 square. }

b6
{ Black has tried a wide variety of moves here, all of which have been played by a number
of top GMs. The most popular choices have been dxc4 and Re8, both of which are perfectly
logical and lead to quite different games. However, our choice, b6 tries to take full
advantage of the consequences of white’s queen retreat. Without the queen on a4 attacking
our knight (or a6) , we intend to develop the bishop to a6 so that it can be exchanged with
white’s good bishop (in some cases the bishop can also simply go to b7) . The two most
notable players to opt for b6 have been Grischuk and Fressinet, but a number of other
strong GMs have played it as well. }

8. cxd5

{ A logical choice to prevent black’s plan of …Ba6, exchanging the light bishops. On the
other hand, taking on d5 is also a concession since it opens the c8-h3 diagonal and e-file for
our bishop and rook respectively. }

exd5 9. Bd3

{ If white does not occupy this diagonal, we will, by playing …Ne7 and …Bf5. }

Bg4

{ Taking full advantage of the newly opened diagonal and threatening to double white’s f-
pawns. }

10. Bd2 Re8

{ Taking on f3 now would be premature since white hasn’t committed his king to the
kingside. }

11. O-O

{ White hopes that the doubled f-pawns will not be so bad and that he can make use of the
open g-file. }

Bxf3 12. gxf3 Ne7

{ Rerouting the knight to g6 is an important idea here to neutralise white’s pressure on

both the g-file as well the h7-b1 diagonal. Also, from g6 the knight typically goes to h4 to
aid black’s kingside attack. }

13. Kh1 Ng6

{ Black has a fine position. He should look at playing the … c5 break next. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.Qa4+”]

[Black “6.e3 Variation 2”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Qa4+

{ We have already encountered this idea a few times in the previous chapters. As
mentioned already, white’s idea is to force black’s knight to c6, where it blocks the advance
of our c-pawn (thus preventing the standard …c5 break) . On the other hand though, the
queen is a bit misplaced on a4 and we do get to develop ‘for free’. Our plan will generally
revolve around trying to make full advantage of the knight on c6 by playing for the …e5
break. Typically black will play something along the lines of …dxc4, …Bd6 and … e5 }

Nc6 { Forced, of course. } 6. e3

{ The most natural and most common move by quite a wide margin. White protects c4 as
well as d4, but this comes at the cost of locking his bishop inside the pawn chain. His dark
bishop will typically be developed to d2 now, where it is well-placed to recapture on c3. }

O-O 7. Qc2

{ This is white’s second most common choice, behind 7. Bd2 and it is a logical one. White is
trying to find useful, improving moves before developing his light bishop so he does not
waste a tempo after …dxc4.7. Qc2 is useful, since typically black plays … Bd7 threatening …
Nxd4, after which the queen is forced to move anyway. White reasons that the queen has
done its duty on a4 by luring the knight to the supposedly inferior c6 square, and now can
return to the more natural c2 square. }

b6
{ Black has tried a wide variety of moves here, all of which have been played by a number
of top GMs. The most popular choices have been dxc4 and Re8, both of which are perfectly
logical and lead to quite different games. However, our choice, b6 tries to take full
advantage of the consequences of white’s queen retreat. Without the queen on a4 attacking
our knight (or a6) , we intend to develop the bishop to a6 so that it can be exchanged with
white’s good bishop (in some cases the bishop can also simply go to b7) . The two most
notable players to opt for b6 have been Grischuk and Fressinet, but a number of other
strong GMs have played it as well. }

8. Bd2

{ A typical developing move in this position. White plays the usual waiting game with
regards to the development of his light squared bishop. }

a5

{ Taking on c4 would be premature since white has not moved his light bishop yet, so we
also play an improving move in the meanwhile. The idea behind …a5 is quite clever - it
secures the a6 square for our bishop, so that we can exchange light bishops even in the
event of white exchanging on d5. }

9. cxd5 exd5 10. Bd3 Ba6

{ Achieving our goal of exchanging light bishops, which leaves white only with his bad
bishop. }

11. Bxa6 Rxa6 12. O-O Ra8

{ The downside of the exchange was that our rook became misplaced on a6, so it needs to
be redeployed to c8 at some point. }

13. a3 Bxc3 14. Bxc3 Qd7

{ White’s bishop on c3 makes it difficult for him to generate any real play. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.Qa4+”]

[Black “6.e3 Variation 3”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Qa4+

{ We have already encountered this idea a few times in the previous chapters. As
mentioned already, white’s idea is to force black’s knight to c6, where it blocks the advance
of our c-pawn (thus preventing the standard …c5 break) . On the other hand though, the
queen is a bit misplaced on a4 and we do get to develop ‘for free’. Our plan will generally
revolve around trying to make full advantage of the knight on c6 by playing for the …e5
break. Typically black will play something along the lines of …dxc4, …Bd6 and … e5 }

Nc6 { Forced, of course. } 6. e3

{ The most natural and most common move by quite a wide margin. White protects c4 as
well as d4, but this comes at the cost of locking his bishop inside the pawn chain. His dark
bishop will typically be developed to d2 now, where it is well-placed to recapture on c3. }

O-O 7. Qc2

{ This is white’s second most common choice, behind 7. Bd2 and it is a logical one. White is
trying to find useful, improving moves before developing his light bishop so he does not
waste a tempo after …dxc4.7. Qc2 is useful, since typically black plays … Bd7 threatening …
Nxd4, after which the queen is forced to move anyway. White reasons that the queen has
done its duty on a4 by luring the knight to the supposedly inferior c6 square, and now can
return to the more natural c2 square. }

b6

{ Black has tried a wide variety of moves here, all of which have been played by a number
of top GMs. The most popular choices have been dxc4 and Re8, both of which are perfectly
logical and lead to quite different games. However, our choice, b6 tries to take full
advantage of the consequences of white’s queen retreat. Without the queen on a4 attacking
our knight (or a6) , we intend to develop the bishop to a6 so that it can be exchanged with
white’s good bishop (in some cases the bishop can also simply go to b7) . The two most
notable players to opt for b6 have been Grischuk and Fressinet, but a number of other
strong GMs have played it as well. }

8. Be2 Ba6 9. cxd5 Bxe2 10. Qxe2 exd5

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.Qa4+”]

[Black “6.e3 Variation 4”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Qa4+

{ We have already encountered this idea a few times in the previous chapters. As
mentioned already, white’s idea is to force black’s knight to c6, where it blocks the advance
of our c-pawn (thus preventing the standard …c5 break) . On the other hand though, the
queen is a bit misplaced on a4 and we do get to develop ‘for free’. Our plan will generally
revolve around trying to make full advantage of the knight on c6 by playing for the …e5
break. Typically black will play something along the lines of …dxc4, …Bd6 and … e5 }

Nc6 { Forced, of course. } 6. e3

{ The most natural and most common move by quite a wide margin. White protects c4 as
well as d4, but this comes at the cost of locking his bishop inside the pawn chain. His dark
bishop will typically be developed to d2 now, where it is well-placed to recapture on c3. }

O-O 7. Qc2

{ This is white’s second most common choice, behind 7. Bd2 and it is a logical one. White is
trying to find useful, improving moves before developing his light bishop so he does not
waste a tempo after …dxc4.7. Qc2 is useful, since typically black plays … Bd7 threatening …
Nxd4, after which the queen is forced to move anyway. White reasons that the queen has
done its duty on a4 by luring the knight to the supposedly inferior c6 square, and now can
return to the more natural c2 square. }

b6

{ Black has tried a wide variety of moves here, all of which have been played by a number
of top GMs. The most popular choices have been dxc4 and Re8, both of which are perfectly
logical and lead to quite different games. However, our choice, b6 tries to take full
advantage of the consequences of white’s queen retreat. Without the queen on a4 attacking
our knight (or a6) , we intend to develop the bishop to a6 so that it can be exchanged with
white’s good bishop (in some cases the bishop can also simply go to b7) . The two most
notable players to opt for b6 have been Grischuk and Fressinet, but a number of other
strong GMs have played it as well. }

8. a3 { White’s most popular choice here. } Bxc3+ 9. Qxc3 Ba6 10. b3

{ White supports c4 so that he can retain his light bishop for now. } Na5

{ Putting some pressure on c4, but more importantly clearing the path for the …c5 break
which is coming. }

11. Qc2 { With the idea of Bd2xa5. } Rc8 12. Bd2 c5

{ With the …c5 break achieved, white’s centre is under quite a bit of pressure and he needs
to display some accuracy to equalise. }

13. dxc5 dxc4 14. Bxa5 cxb3 15. Qxb3 Bxf1 16. Kxf1 bxa5

{ With the vulnerability of c5, black has the more comfortable side of equality here. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.Qa4+”]

[Black “6.e3 Variation 5”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Qa4+

{ We have already encountered this idea a few times in the previous chapters. As
mentioned already, white’s idea is to force black’s knight to c6, where it blocks the advance
of our c-pawn (thus preventing the standard …c5 break) . On the other hand though, the
queen is a bit misplaced on a4 and we do get to develop ‘for free’. Our plan will generally
revolve around trying to make full advantage of the knight on c6 by playing for the …e5
break. Typically black will play something along the lines of …dxc4, …Bd6 and … e5 }

Nc6 { Forced, of course. } 6. e3

{ The most natural and most common move by quite a wide margin. White protects c4 as
well as d4, but this comes at the cost of locking his bishop inside the pawn chain. His dark
bishop will typically be developed to d2 now, where it is well-placed to recapture on c3. }

O-O 7. Qc2

{ This is white’s second most common choice, behind 7. Bd2 and it is a logical one. White is
trying to find useful, improving moves before developing his light bishop so he does not
waste a tempo after …dxc4.7. Qc2 is useful, since typically black plays … Bd7 threatening …
Nxd4, after which the queen is forced to move anyway. White reasons that the queen has
done its duty on a4 by luring the knight to the supposedly inferior c6 square, and now can
return to the more natural c2 square. }

b6

{ Black has tried a wide variety of moves here, all of which have been played by a number
of top GMs. The most popular choices have been dxc4 and Re8, both of which are perfectly
logical and lead to quite different games. However, our choice, b6 tries to take full
advantage of the consequences of white’s queen retreat. Without the queen on a4 attacking
our knight (or a6) , we intend to develop the bishop to a6 so that it can be exchanged with
white’s good bishop (in some cases the bishop can also simply go to b7) . The two most
notable players to opt for b6 have been Grischuk and Fressinet, but a number of other
strong GMs have played it as well. }

8. a3 { White’s most popular choice here. } Bxc3+ 9. Qxc3 Ba6 10. b4

{ White decides to get his queenside play underway as quickly as possible at the cost of
allowing us to trade light bishops. }

dxc4 11. Bxc4 Ne4 { A nice little intermezzo. } 12. Qc2 Bxc4 13. Qxc4 Qd5

{ The queen trade fully equalises for black. } 14. Qxd5 exd5

{ White’s bad bishop makes it impossible to fight for an advantage here. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.Qa4+”]

[Black “6.e3 Variation 6”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Qa4+

{ We have already encountered this idea a few times in the previous chapters. As
mentioned already, white’s idea is to force black’s knight to c6, where it blocks the advance
of our c-pawn (thus preventing the standard …c5 break) . On the other hand though, the
queen is a bit misplaced on a4 and we do get to develop ‘for free’. Our plan will generally
revolve around trying to make full advantage of the knight on c6 by playing for the …e5
break. Typically black will play something along the lines of …dxc4, …Bd6 and … e5 }

Nc6 { Forced, of course. } 6. e3

{ The most natural and most common move by quite a wide margin. White protects c4 as
well as d4, but this comes at the cost of locking his bishop inside the pawn chain. His dark
bishop will typically be developed to d2 now, where it is well-placed to recapture on c3. }

O-O 7. Bd3 { This can be met in the same way as 7. Be2. } dxc4

{ transposing to 7. Be2. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.Qa4+”]

[Black “6.e3 Variation 7”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Qa4+

{ We have already encountered this idea a few times in the previous chapters. As
mentioned already, white’s idea is to force black’s knight to c6, where it blocks the advance
of our c-pawn (thus preventing the standard …c5 break) . On the other hand though, the
queen is a bit misplaced on a4 and we do get to develop ‘for free’. Our plan will generally
revolve around trying to make full advantage of the knight on c6 by playing for the …e5
break. Typically black will play something along the lines of …dxc4, …Bd6 and … e5 }

Nc6 { Forced, of course. } 6. e3

{ The most natural and most common move by quite a wide margin. White protects c4 as
well as d4, but this comes at the cost of locking his bishop inside the pawn chain. His dark
bishop will typically be developed to d2 now, where it is well-placed to recapture on c3. }

O-O 7. Be2 { White develops normally, but this is hardly challenging. }

dxc4

{ Since white has already expended a tempo moving his light bishop, it is the right time for
us to take the c4 pawn. }

8. a3 Bd6

{ There’s no need for black to give up the bishop pair here. The bishop can rather be used to
prepare the …e5 break. }

9. Bxc4 e5 { Immediately challenging white’s centre. } 10. d5 Ne7 11. e4

{ Supporting d5 and allowing the dark bishop to develop. } Bd7 12. Qc2

Rc8

{ The rook is well-placed on c8 to support our long-term goal of carrying our the …c6 break.
Black’s play here is quite straightforward with a simple plan, whereas finding a good idea
for white is more difficult. Black is at least equal. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.Qa4+”]

[Black “6.e3 Variation 8”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Qa4+

{ We have already encountered this idea a few times in the previous chapters. As
mentioned already, white’s idea is to force black’s knight to c6, where it blocks the advance
of our c-pawn (thus preventing the standard …c5 break) . On the other hand though, the
queen is a bit misplaced on a4 and we do get to develop ‘for free’. Our plan will generally
revolve around trying to make full advantage of the knight on c6 by playing for the …e5
break. Typically black will play something along the lines of …dxc4, …Bd6 and … e5 }

Nc6 { Forced, of course. } 6. e3

{ The most natural and most common move by quite a wide margin. White protects c4 as
well as d4, but this comes at the cost of locking his bishop inside the pawn chain. His dark
bishop will typically be developed to d2 now, where it is well-placed to recapture on c3. }

O-O 7. Be2 { White develops normally, but this is hardly challenging. }

dxc4

{ Since white has already expended a tempo moving his light bishop, it is the right time for
us to take the c4 pawn. }

8. Bxc4 a6

{ Although it isn’t a threat yet, …b5 is a useful idea to have available at some point. }

9. O-O Bd6 { Preparing the …e5 break. } 10. Qc2 e5

{ As usual, once black achieves this break under decent circumstances, you can be fairly
certain that he has equalised. }

11. d5

{ This is the standard response to an …e5 break, but in this case it doesn’t concretely work
out too well for white. }

Nb4 { exploiting the queen’s placement on c2 by gaining some time. } 12.

Qb1 e4

{ c6 is another solid option where black equalises comfortably, but the e4 pawn sacrifice
seems to pose white more problems. }

13. Nxe4 Nxe4 14. Qxe4 Re8

{ Developing with tempo and kicking white’s queen back. } 15. Qb1
{ Only move. } Bg4

{ It’s quickly becoming evident that white’s lack of development and black’s pair of bishops
pointing towards white’s undefended kingside could spell trouble for white in the near
future. }

16. Bd2

{ White tries to remedy his lack of development as quickly as possible. Other moves like 16.
Nd4 give black a strong kingside initiative after Qh4. }

Bxf3 17. gxf3 Bxh2+

{ Black of course can already secure a draw here with a perpetual, but his position is more
than promising enough to play on. White will need to play more accurately than black to
fully equalise. Another decent option here is Qh4 immediately. }

18. Kxh2 Qh4+ 19. Kg2 Qxc4

{ White’s exposed king gives black a distinct edge. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.Qa4+”]

[Black “6.e3 Variation 9”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Qa4+

{ We have already encountered this idea a few times in the previous chapters. As
mentioned already, white’s idea is to force black’s knight to c6, where it blocks the advance
of our c-pawn (thus preventing the standard …c5 break) . On the other hand though, the
queen is a bit misplaced on a4 and we do get to develop ‘for free’. Our plan will generally
revolve around trying to make full advantage of the knight on c6 by playing for the …e5
break. Typically black will play something along the lines of …dxc4, …Bd6 and … e5 }
Nc6 { Forced, of course. } 6. e3

{ The most natural and most common move by quite a wide margin. White protects c4 as
well as d4, but this comes at the cost of locking his bishop inside the pawn chain. His dark
bishop will typically be developed to d2 now, where it is well-placed to recapture on c3. }

O-O 7. Be2 { White develops normally, but this is hardly challenging. }

dxc4

{ Since white has already expended a tempo moving his light bishop, it is the right time for
us to take the c4 pawn. }

8. Bxc4 a6

{ Although it isn’t a threat yet, …b5 is a useful idea to have available at some point. }

9. O-O Bd6 { Preparing the …e5 break. } 10. Qc2 e5

{ As usual, once black achieves this break under decent circumstances, you can be fairly
certain that he has equalised. }

11. dxe5 { This seems a bit timid, but it is white’s safest bet. } Nxe5

12. Nxe5 Bxe5 { Black has fully equalised. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.Qa4+”]

[Black “6.e3 Variation 10”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Qa4+

{ We have already encountered this idea a few times in the previous chapters. As
mentioned already, white’s idea is to force black’s knight to c6, where it blocks the advance
of our c-pawn (thus preventing the standard …c5 break) . On the other hand though, the
queen is a bit misplaced on a4 and we do get to develop ‘for free’. Our plan will generally
revolve around trying to make full advantage of the knight on c6 by playing for the …e5
break. Typically black will play something along the lines of …dxc4, …Bd6 and … e5 }

Nc6 { Forced, of course. } 6. e3

{ The most natural and most common move by quite a wide margin. White protects c4 as
well as d4, but this comes at the cost of locking his bishop inside the pawn chain. His dark
bishop will typically be developed to d2 now, where it is well-placed to recapture on c3. }

O-O 7. a3

{ As before, spending a tempo to force the capture on c3 isn’t white’s most challenging try. }

Bxc3+ 8. bxc3 Re8

{ This is directed against 9.Bd3, when we get to play the thematic e5 break. }

9. Be2 Bd7 { Threatening …Nxd4. } 10. Qd1

{ Dealing with the …Nxd4 threat, but falling even further behind in development. }

Na5

{ Taking advantage of the fact that c4 is very difficult to protect without the queen on a4. }

11. Ne5 c5

{ Black has good play while white still needs to find a way to develop his problem piece, the
dark bishop. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.Qa4+”]

[Black “6.e3 Variation 11”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Qa4+

{ We have already encountered this idea a few times in the previous chapters. As
mentioned already, white’s idea is to force black’s knight to c6, where it blocks the advance
of our c-pawn (thus preventing the standard …c5 break) . On the other hand though, the
queen is a bit misplaced on a4 and we do get to develop ‘for free’. Our plan will generally
revolve around trying to make full advantage of the knight on c6 by playing for the …e5
break. Typically black will play something along the lines of …dxc4, …Bd6 and … e5 }

Nc6 { Forced, of course. } 6. e3

{ The most natural and most common move by quite a wide margin. White protects c4 as
well as d4, but this comes at the cost of locking his bishop inside the pawn chain. His dark
bishop will typically be developed to d2 now, where it is well-placed to recapture on c3. }

O-O 7. a3

{ As before, spending a tempo to force the capture on c3 isn’t white’s most challenging try. }

Bxc3+ 8. bxc3 Re8 { We once again are playing for the … e5 break here. }

9. Be2 Bd7 { Threatening …Nxd4. } 10. cxd5

{ Taking on d5 is logical since it does not allow black the chance to make the …e5 break. It
also has the additional benefit of preventing the …Nxd4 threat, since the queen can cover
d4 now. However, exchanging on d5 has the downside of activating black’s bishop and
rook. }

exd5 11. O-O Ne4 { Black is at least equal here. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.Qa4+”]

[Black “6.e3 Variation 12”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Qa4+

{ We have already encountered this idea a few times in the previous chapters. As
mentioned already, white’s idea is to force black’s knight to c6, where it blocks the advance
of our c-pawn (thus preventing the standard …c5 break) . On the other hand though, the
queen is a bit misplaced on a4 and we do get to develop ‘for free’. Our plan will generally
revolve around trying to make full advantage of the knight on c6 by playing for the …e5
break. Typically black will play something along the lines of …dxc4, …Bd6 and … e5 }

Nc6 { Forced, of course. } 6. e3

{ The most natural and most common move by quite a wide margin. White protects c4 as
well as d4, but this comes at the cost of locking his bishop inside the pawn chain. His dark
bishop will typically be developed to d2 now, where it is well-placed to recapture on c3. }

O-O 7. Bd2

{ White’s most common move by a wide margin. He plays the typically waiting game and
delays the development of his light bishop. }

dxc4

{ Black has some other options here, but it turns out that if black continues waiting then
white’s 8. a3 could be a little irritating now. Instead black resolves to carry out the …e5
break as quickly as possible, and the first step in preparing it is to take on c4 in order to
remove the central tension. }

8. Bxc4 Bd6

{ Black pulls back the bishop with the plan of …e5 next. This is probably the most critical
junction in this whole chapter, and white has half a dozen decent options at his disposal. }

9. O-O

{ The most common move, but it is not the most challenging and allows black to carry out
his …e5 break unhindered. }

e5 10. d5 { Taking on e5 is hardly challenging. } Ne7 11. Qc2 Bg4

12. Ng5 Bf5 13. e4 Bg6

{ Black seems to have achieved a slightly better version of the normal structure, since his
minor pieces put pressure on e4. Soon …c6 will be played and white has no advantage to
speak of. }
[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.Qa4+”]

[Black “6.e3 Variation 13”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Qa4+

{ We have already encountered this idea a few times in the previous chapters. As
mentioned already, white’s idea is to force black’s knight to c6, where it blocks the advance
of our c-pawn (thus preventing the standard …c5 break) . On the other hand though, the
queen is a bit misplaced on a4 and we do get to develop ‘for free’. Our plan will generally
revolve around trying to make full advantage of the knight on c6 by playing for the …e5
break. Typically black will play something along the lines of …dxc4, …Bd6 and … e5 }

Nc6 { Forced, of course. } 6. e3

{ The most natural and most common move by quite a wide margin. White protects c4 as
well as d4, but this comes at the cost of locking his bishop inside the pawn chain. His dark
bishop will typically be developed to d2 now, where it is well-placed to recapture on c3. }

O-O 7. Bd2

{ White’s most common move by a wide margin. He plays the typically waiting game and
delays the development of his light bishop. }

dxc4

{ Black has some other options here, but it turns out that if black continues waiting then
white’s 8. a3 could be a little irritating now. Instead black resolves to carry out the …e5
break as quickly as possible, and the first step in preparing it is to take on c4 in order to
remove the central tension. }

8. Bxc4 Bd6
{ Black pulls back the bishop with the plan of …e5 next. This is probably the most critical
junction in this whole chapter, and white has half a dozen decent options at his disposal. }

9. O-O

{ The most common move, but it is not the most challenging and allows black to carry out
his …e5 break unhindered. }

e5 10. d5 { Taking on e5 is hardly challenging. } Ne7 11. e4

{ The most natural move, supporting d5. } Bg4

{ Developing with tempo by threatening …Bxf3. } 12. Be2 c6

{ Black immediately follows up by exchanging white’s restrictive d5 pawn before white can
support it further. }

13. dxc6 Nxc6 14. Be3 Qe7

{ Black has equalised. He can follow up later by bringing his rooks to the central files and
playing …a6 (to prevent any b5 intrusions and maybe also plan …b5 at some point) . }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.Qa4+”]

[Black “6.e3 Variation 14”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Qa4+

{ We have already encountered this idea a few times in the previous chapters. As
mentioned already, white’s idea is to force black’s knight to c6, where it blocks the advance
of our c-pawn (thus preventing the standard …c5 break) . On the other hand though, the
queen is a bit misplaced on a4 and we do get to develop ‘for free’. Our plan will generally
revolve around trying to make full advantage of the knight on c6 by playing for the …e5
break. Typically black will play something along the lines of …dxc4, …Bd6 and … e5 }
Nc6 { Forced, of course. } 6. e3

{ The most natural and most common move by quite a wide margin. White protects c4 as
well as d4, but this comes at the cost of locking his bishop inside the pawn chain. His dark
bishop will typically be developed to d2 now, where it is well-placed to recapture on c3. }

O-O 7. Bd2

{ White’s most common move by a wide margin. He plays the typically waiting game and
delays the development of his light bishop. }

dxc4

{ Black has some other options here, but it turns out that if black continues waiting then
white’s 8. a3 could be a little irritating now. Instead black resolves to carry out the …e5
break as quickly as possible, and the first step in preparing it is to take on c4 in order to
remove the central tension. }

8. Bxc4 Bd6

{ Black pulls back the bishop with the plan of …e5 next. This is probably the most critical
junction in this whole chapter, and white has half a dozen decent options at his disposal. }

9. Nb5

{ In his book, IM Pert considers this to be white’s critical choice and and an improved
version of 9. O-O, but it seems like black can equalise here quite easily since Nxd6 is not a
serious threat. }

Bd7

{ GM Pert recommends Be7 but this seems unnecessary, since 10. Nxd6 isn’t dangerous at
all. We transpose into a kind of Exchange Slav structure where too many minor pieces get
exchanged for black to face any difficulties. }

10. Qb3

{ This doesn’t really offer any real advantage over taking on d6 immediately. }

a6 11. Nxd6 cxd6 12. Qa3 d5 13. Bd3 Ne4

{ White is pretty much just a tempo down over the mainline. }

[Site “?”]
[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.Qa4+”]

[Black “6.e3 Variation 15”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Qa4+

{ We have already encountered this idea a few times in the previous chapters. As
mentioned already, white’s idea is to force black’s knight to c6, where it blocks the advance
of our c-pawn (thus preventing the standard …c5 break) . On the other hand though, the
queen is a bit misplaced on a4 and we do get to develop ‘for free’. Our plan will generally
revolve around trying to make full advantage of the knight on c6 by playing for the …e5
break. Typically black will play something along the lines of …dxc4, …Bd6 and … e5 }

Nc6 { Forced, of course. } 6. e3

{ The most natural and most common move by quite a wide margin. White protects c4 as
well as d4, but this comes at the cost of locking his bishop inside the pawn chain. His dark
bishop will typically be developed to d2 now, where it is well-placed to recapture on c3. }

O-O 7. Bd2

{ White’s most common move by a wide margin. He plays the typically waiting game and
delays the development of his light bishop. }

dxc4

{ Black has some other options here, but it turns out that if black continues waiting then
white’s 8. a3 could be a little irritating now. Instead black resolves to carry out the …e5
break as quickly as possible, and the first step in preparing it is to take on c4 in order to
remove the central tension. }

8. Bxc4 Bd6

{ Black pulls back the bishop with the plan of …e5 next. This is probably the most critical
junction in this whole chapter, and white has half a dozen decent options at his disposal. }

9. Nb5
{ In his book, GM Pert considers this to be white’s critical choice and and an improved
version of 9. O-O, but it seems like black can equalise here quite easily since Nxd6 is not a
serious threat. }

Bd7

{ GM Pert recommends Be7 but this seems unnecessary, since 10. Nxd6 isn’t dangerous at
all. We transpose into a kind of Exchange Slav structure where too many minor pieces get
exchanged for black to face any difficulties. }

10. Nxd6 { This should be critical, of course. } cxd6

{ Black threatens … Nxd4. } 11. Qa3 d5

{ Black can keep his structure flexible and maybe play for … e5, but if there is no need to if
you are satisfied with a simple and equal position. By playing d5 we take the game into an
Exchange Slav structure where black has already exchanged his important dark bishop, but
on the other hand …Ne4 guarantees one of white’s bishops will also get exchanged. }

12. Bd3 Ne4 { Taking on e4 is plain bad. } 13. O-O Nxd2 14. Nxd2 Qe7

{ White’s good vs bad bishop advantage here is mostly symbolic, since he can’t really make
use of it. Black can maybe make use of …f6 at some point, which is a nice multipurpose
move with the idea of rerouting our dark bishop to the kingside by playing …Bd7-e8-g6/h5.
}

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.Qa4+”]

[Black “6.e3 Variation 16”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Qa4+

{ We have already encountered this idea a few times in the previous chapters. As
mentioned already, white’s idea is to force black’s knight to c6, where it blocks the advance
of our c-pawn (thus preventing the standard …c5 break) . On the other hand though, the
queen is a bit misplaced on a4 and we do get to develop ‘for free’. Our plan will generally
revolve around trying to make full advantage of the knight on c6 by playing for the …e5
break. Typically black will play something along the lines of …dxc4, …Bd6 and … e5 }

Nc6 { Forced, of course. } 6. e3

{ The most natural and most common move by quite a wide margin. White protects c4 as
well as d4, but this comes at the cost of locking his bishop inside the pawn chain. His dark
bishop will typically be developed to d2 now, where it is well-placed to recapture on c3. }

O-O 7. Bd2

{ White’s most common move by a wide margin. He plays the typically waiting game and
delays the development of his light bishop. }

dxc4

{ Black has some other options here, but it turns out that if black continues waiting then
white’s 8. a3 could be a little irritating now. Instead black resolves to carry out the …e5
break as quickly as possible, and the first step in preparing it is to take on c4 in order to
remove the central tension. }

8. Bxc4 Bd6

{ Black pulls back the bishop with the plan of …e5 next. This is probably the most critical
junction in this whole chapter, and white has half a dozen decent options at his disposal. }

9. h3

{ White continues his waiting strategy, although this doesn’t seem like the best use of the
tempo. White tries to stay flexible and prevents our future …Bg4, but this isn’t a major
problem. }

e5 10. d5 Ne7 11. e4 Bd7 12. Qc2 Ng6 13. O-O a6

{ Black can prepare the …c6 break more slowly than usual, with …b5, …h6 and …Rc8 first. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]
[White “Ragozin with 5.Qa4+”]

[Black “6.e3 Variation 17”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Qa4+

{ We have already encountered this idea a few times in the previous chapters. As
mentioned already, white’s idea is to force black’s knight to c6, where it blocks the advance
of our c-pawn (thus preventing the standard …c5 break) . On the other hand though, the
queen is a bit misplaced on a4 and we do get to develop ‘for free’. Our plan will generally
revolve around trying to make full advantage of the knight on c6 by playing for the …e5
break. Typically black will play something along the lines of …dxc4, …Bd6 and … e5 }

Nc6 { Forced, of course. } 6. e3

{ The most natural and most common move by quite a wide margin. White protects c4 as
well as d4, but this comes at the cost of locking his bishop inside the pawn chain. His dark
bishop will typically be developed to d2 now, where it is well-placed to recapture on c3. }

O-O 7. Bd2

{ White’s most common move by a wide margin. He plays the typically waiting game and
delays the development of his light bishop. }

dxc4

{ Black has some other options here, but it turns out that if black continues waiting then
white’s 8. a3 could be a little irritating now. Instead black resolves to carry out the …e5
break as quickly as possible, and the first step in preparing it is to take on c4 in order to
remove the central tension. }

8. Bxc4 Bd6

{ Black pulls back the bishop with the plan of …e5 next. This is probably the most critical
junction in this whole chapter, and white has half a dozen decent options at his disposal. }

9. Rd1 { Quite rare and not very threatening. } e5 10. dxe5 Nxe5 11. Nxe5

Bxe5
[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.Qa4+”]

[Black “6.e3 Variation 18”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Qa4+

{ We have already encountered this idea a few times in the previous chapters. As
mentioned already, white’s idea is to force black’s knight to c6, where it blocks the advance
of our c-pawn (thus preventing the standard …c5 break) . On the other hand though, the
queen is a bit misplaced on a4 and we do get to develop ‘for free’. Our plan will generally
revolve around trying to make full advantage of the knight on c6 by playing for the …e5
break. Typically black will play something along the lines of …dxc4, …Bd6 and … e5 }

Nc6 { Forced, of course. } 6. e3

{ The most natural and most common move by quite a wide margin. White protects c4 as
well as d4, but this comes at the cost of locking his bishop inside the pawn chain. His dark
bishop will typically be developed to d2 now, where it is well-placed to recapture on c3. }

O-O 7. Bd2

{ White’s most common move by a wide margin. He plays the typically waiting game and
delays the development of his light bishop. }

dxc4

{ Black has some other options here, but it turns out that if black continues waiting then
white’s 8. a3 could be a little irritating now. Instead black resolves to carry out the …e5
break as quickly as possible, and the first step in preparing it is to take on c4 in order to
remove the central tension. }

8. Bxc4 Bd6

{ Black pulls back the bishop with the plan of …e5 next. This is probably the most critical
junction in this whole chapter, and white has half a dozen decent options at his disposal. }

9. e4
{ This seems like quite a serious inaccuracy. White is overreaching with his centre. }

e5 10. dxe5

{ If white doesn’t take on e5 and plays 10. d5, Nd4 ! is unpleasant. }

Nxe5 11. Nxe5 Bxe5

{ Black is well developed and the e4 pawn is not well-supported. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.Qa4+”]

[Black “6.e3 Variation 19”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Qa4+

{ We have already encountered this idea a few times in the previous chapters. As
mentioned already, white’s idea is to force black’s knight to c6, where it blocks the advance
of our c-pawn (thus preventing the standard …c5 break) . On the other hand though, the
queen is a bit misplaced on a4 and we do get to develop ‘for free’. Our plan will generally
revolve around trying to make full advantage of the knight on c6 by playing for the …e5
break. Typically black will play something along the lines of …dxc4, …Bd6 and … e5 }

Nc6 { Forced, of course. } 6. e3

{ The most natural and most common move by quite a wide margin. White protects c4 as
well as d4, but this comes at the cost of locking his bishop inside the pawn chain. His dark
bishop will typically be developed to d2 now, where it is well-placed to recapture on c3. }

O-O 7. Bd2

{ White’s most common move by a wide margin. He plays the typically waiting game and
delays the development of his light bishop. }
dxc4

{ Black has some other options here, but it turns out that if black continues waiting then
white’s 8. a3 could be a little irritating now. Instead black resolves to carry out the …e5
break as quickly as possible, and the first step in preparing it is to take on c4 in order to
remove the central tension. }

8. Bxc4 Bd6

{ Black pulls back the bishop with the plan of …e5 next. This is probably the most critical
junction in this whole chapter, and white has half a dozen decent options at his disposal. }

9. a3

{ Rather rare, but it has been tried by a couple of strong players recently. White takes b4
under control (preventing …Nb4 in some cases) but this doesn’t seem like the most
effective use of the tempo. }

e5 10. d5 Ne7 11. e4 Bg4 12. Be2 c6 13. dxc6 Nxc6

{ Black basically has a better version of 9. O-O. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.Qa4+”]

[Black “6.e3 Variation 20”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Qa4+

{ We have already encountered this idea a few times in the previous chapters. As
mentioned already, white’s idea is to force black’s knight to c6, where it blocks the advance
of our c-pawn (thus preventing the standard …c5 break) . On the other hand though, the
queen is a bit misplaced on a4 and we do get to develop ‘for free’. Our plan will generally
revolve around trying to make full advantage of the knight on c6 by playing for the …e5
break. Typically black will play something along the lines of …dxc4, …Bd6 and … e5 }
Nc6 { Forced, of course. } 6. e3

{ The most natural and most common move by quite a wide margin. White protects c4 as
well as d4, but this comes at the cost of locking his bishop inside the pawn chain. His dark
bishop will typically be developed to d2 now, where it is well-placed to recapture on c3. }

O-O 7. Bd2

{ White’s most common move by a wide margin. He plays the typically waiting game and
delays the development of his light bishop. }

dxc4

{ Black has some other options here, but it turns out that if black continues waiting then
white’s 8. a3 could be a little irritating now. Instead black resolves to carry out the …e5
break as quickly as possible, and the first step in preparing it is to take on c4 in order to
remove the central tension. }

8. Bxc4 Bd6

{ Black pulls back the bishop with the plan of …e5 next. This is probably the most critical
junction in this whole chapter, and white has half a dozen decent options at his disposal. }

9. Qc2

{ White pulls his queen back to a more natural square. White’s idea is to meet …e5 by
taking it, since he is better poised to do so with his queen on c2. This seems to be white’s
most topical choice at the moment, but black doesn’t have too many problems here either. }

e5 10. dxe5 Nxe5 11. Nxe5 Bxe5

{ We have reached a rather open position where white hopes to use his f-pawn and extra
central e-pawn to push us back and control the centre. }

12. O-O-O

{ White decides to get his king to safety first before expanding in the centre. As we will see,
this has the advantage of not weakening the e3 pawn and allowing black to equalise by
attacking it. }

Qe7

{ On the other hand, by playing slowly white has given black time to complete development.
}

13. Kb1
{ White moves his king out of the way and now threatens 14. f4 13.f4 wouldn’t work
because of …Bxc3 14.Bxc3 Qxe3+ . }

Rd8 { Preparing to exchange rooks on the d-file. } 14. f4 Bxc3 15. Bxc3

Bg4 16. Rxd8+ Rxd8

{ Black has equalised here comfortably. Next he can work on eliminating white’s bishop
pair by playing either …Be6 or …Ne4. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin with 5.Qa4+”]

[Black “6.e3 Variation 21”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Qa4+

{ We have already encountered this idea a few times in the previous chapters. As
mentioned already, white’s idea is to force black’s knight to c6, where it blocks the advance
of our c-pawn (thus preventing the standard …c5 break) . On the other hand though, the
queen is a bit misplaced on a4 and we do get to develop ‘for free’. Our plan will generally
revolve around trying to make full advantage of the knight on c6 by playing for the …e5
break. Typically black will play something along the lines of …dxc4, …Bd6 and … e5 }

Nc6 { Forced, of course. } 6. e3

{ The most natural and most common move by quite a wide margin. White protects c4 as
well as d4, but this comes at the cost of locking his bishop inside the pawn chain. His dark
bishop will typically be developed to d2 now, where it is well-placed to recapture on c3. }

O-O 7. Bd2

{ White’s most common move by a wide margin. He plays the typically waiting game and
delays the development of his light bishop. }
dxc4

{ Black has some other options here, but it turns out that if black continues waiting then
white’s 8. a3 could be a little irritating now. Instead black resolves to carry out the …e5
break as quickly as possible, and the first step in preparing it is to take on c4 in order to
remove the central tension. }

8. Bxc4 Bd6

{ Black pulls back the bishop with the plan of …e5 next. This is probably the most critical
junction in this whole chapter, and white has half a dozen decent options at his disposal. }

9. Qc2

{ White pulls his queen back to a more natural square. White’s idea is to meet .. .e5 by
taking it, since he is better poised to do so with his queen on c2. This seems to be white’s
most topical choice at the moment, but black doesn’t have too many problems here either. }

e5 10. dxe5 Nxe5 11. Nxe5 Bxe5

{ We have reached a rather open position where white hopes to use his f-pawn and extra
central e-pawn to push us back and control the centre. }

12. f4 { Critical. White pushes us back as quickly as possible. } Bxc3

{ Retreating to d6 is more dangerous since it loses time and it looks like black could get
steamrolled in the centre. }

13. Bxc3

{ White has the bishop pair and potentially a nice position, but he hasn’t castled yet. Black
needs to act quickly to take advantage of this and equalise. }

Ng4

{ The alternative is Qe7, which should also equalise, but it leads to a line where black grabs
the e3 pawn and white gets enough compensation in the form of the bishop pair and a
kingside initiative. For the sake of ease-of-play, this should be avoided. Instead, we follow
Wesley So’s choice against Giri which allowed him to equalise quite easily with a semi-
forced line. }

14. Bd4 { The only natural way to defend e3. } c5

{ An important move to remember ! The immediate Re8 would have been met by 15. O-O-
O, after which we can’t take on e3. By playing …c5 the d-file is opened, which prevents
white from castling long. }
15. Bxc5 Re8

{ Hitting e3. As mentioned previously, O-O-O isn’t possible anymore. } 16. O-O

{ White can’t hold onto the pawn, so getting his king to safety is his best bet. }

b6

{ A nice little intermezzo before regaining the pawn, but the immediate Nxe3 is also
playable. }

17. Bd4 Nxe3 18. Bxe3 Rxe3

{ So equalised fully against Giri and after a few more exchanges they reached a draw by
threefold repetition. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin Deviations”]

[Black “Ragozin Deviations Overview”]

{ @@HeaderStart@@Key Points@@HeaderEnd@@

This chapter deals with 5.Qb3 as well as other, rarer sidelines. The main thing to remember
here is to immediately counterattack with c5 after 5.Qb3, taking advantage of the loose d4
pawn. If white takes on c5, it is then important to prepare to recapture on c5 with the
knight after …Na6. The mainline heads into an endgame quite quickly, where black should
be fine theoretically and in practice. Take a look at some of the analysis and one of the
model games to get a feel for the endgame. }

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4

{ In this chapter, we will be dealing with a number of transpositions into the Nimzo-Indian,
as well as all of white’s other independent tries which haven’t been looked at yet. }
5. Qb3

{ This is quite a bit less common than the 3 main moves we covered in the previous
chapters, but it has picked up in popularity recently, including at the elite level, so black
definitely needs to know what to do. Moreover, it is the only other independent move
(which doesn’t transpose into the Nimzo-Indian) which is theoretically-challenging. White
attacks our bishop, while also intending to recapture on c3 with his queen. There are a few
drawbacks to 5. Qb3, such as reduced protection for the d4 pawn and the fact that …dxc4
can now be played with tempo (thus forcing an immediate recapture) . 5.e3 O-O transposes
to the Nimzo-Indian (Chapter 8) . 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 O-O transposes to the Nimzo-Indian
(Chapter 7) . 5.Bd2 O-O transposes to the Nimzo-Indian (Chapter 6) . 5.Qc2 c5 Hitting
white’s d4 pawn which has been left unsupported. 6.e3 6.cxd5 exd5 7.Bg5 cxd4 Taking on
d4 before white has a chance to reinforce it with e3. 8.Nxd4 Nc6 9.Nxc6 bxc6 = Black has no
problems here thanks to his solid centre and active pieces. O-O just transposes to a poor
version of the Rubinstein variation 4.e3 for white. 5.g3 O-O transposes to the Catalan
(Chapter 10) . 5.Bf4 This is one of white’s last few independent options which we haven’t
covered yet. It is quite rare and not very good. It doesn’t seem like there are any notable
advantages of developing the bishop to f4 instead of g5, but there are some significant
drawbacks - most importantly, our knight is not pinned and free to move. We are able to
take full advantage of this with our next move. dxc4 ! One of the few times we will be taking
on c4 this early, but the reason for this is that it pretty much buries 5. Bf4. White’s issue
now is that he cannot play the usual 6. e4 like he would after 5.Bg5 because the knight isn’t
pinned and …Nxe4 can be played. 6.a3 6.e3 b5 ! We have no reason not to hold onto the
pawn here - white definitely doesn’t have full compensation. 7.a4 Nd5 ! The other issue
with 5. Bf4 becomes apparent - the bishop is vulnerable on f4. 8.Qc1 Nxf4 9.exf4 c6 ���
The opening has gone miserably for white. Bxc3+ 7.bxc3 Nd5 Once again, we can exploit
the fact that the knight isn’t pinned and the bishop on f4 is vulnerable. 8.Bd2 Nc6 9.e4 Nb6
= White doesn’t have full compensation for the pawn. }

c5

{ A nice move, simultaneously protecting our bishop and putting pressure on white’s
centre. }

6. dxc5

{ The only critical way to play for white and the logical follow up. 6.cxd5 White’s second
most common choice, but we have already covered the position after exd5 in Chapter 3.
6.e3 Quite natural, but not critical at all. Nc6 O-O is also perfectly playable, but …Nc6 has
the extra idea of throwing in …Na5 on the next move. 7.cxd5 7.dxc5 Bxc5 8.Be2 O-O = Black
has no problems here. 7.a3 ?! This is natural move is actually a bit inaccurate since it allows
black to carry out his …Na5 idea. Na5 ! An easy equaliser. 8.Qc2 Bxc3+ 9.Qxc3 cxd4 10.Nxd4
Nxc4 11.Bxc4 dxc4 12.Qxc4 O-O = Black has the better side of a fairly equal position, thanks
to …e5 ideas. exd5 8.dxc5 Bxc5 9.Be2 O-O = Black has a nice IQP position here - white’s
pieces aren’t ideally placed to play against the IQP. 6.a3 White ensures that he grabs the
bishop pair, but this wastes crucial time. Bxc3+ 7.Qxc3 7.bxc3 doesn’t make that much
sense combined with 7. Qxc3 - the whole idea was to avoid doubled pawns by recapturing
with the queen. O-O 8.Bg5 dxc4 9.Qxc4 Nbd7 =+ followed by … b6 with a good position.
cxd4 Ne4 is more common, but it is unclear what black gains by that. 8.Qxd4 The only way
to not become worse. 8.Nxd4 ?! This allows black to expand in the centre quickly. e5 ! 9.Nb5
O-O 10.cxd5 a6 The immediate …Nxd5 is also possible. 11.Nc7 Nxd5 12.Nxd5 Qxd5 =+
Black’s lead in development gives him a slight edge. Nc6 9.Qd1 O-O 10.cxd5 exd5 = Black’s
lead in development gives him an easy game. 6.Bg5 White plays actively, but neglects his
centre which will soon be liquidated. dxc4 ! One of the disadvantages of 5. Qb3 is that …
dxc4 comes with tempo (i.e. white is forced to recapture) . 7.Qxc4 h6 8.Bxf6 8.Bh4 Nbd7
9.dxc5 Qa5 10.Bxf6 Nxf6 11.a3 Bxc3+ 12.Qxc3 Qxc3+ 13.bxc3 Bd7 =+ Black can push a bit in
this endgame - he has a lead in development, and after he recoups the c5 pawn, the c3
pawn will still be weak. Qxf6 9.a3 Bxc3+ 10.Qxc3 b6 = Black can develop comfortably and
has equalised. }

Na6

{ A good, multipurpose move. The knight protects the bishop, while also preparing to
recoup the c5 pawn after …Bxc3+. }

7. a3

{ The most common move by far. White’s goal, pretty much from the start, has been to pick
up the bishop pair. }

Bxc3+ 8. Qxc3 Nxc5

{ We reach a position where white has gained the bishop pair, but fallen behind in
development. Black should play actively and look to exchange one of white’s bishops if
possible. }

9. cxd5

{ White’s most common move by far. 9.Bg5 is not too strong here, since white cedes the
bishop pair which he just worked so hard to gain. Nce4 10.Bxf6 Qxf6 11.Qxf6 Nxf6 =
12.cxd5 Nxd5 = with a fairly straightforward, equal endgame. 9.e3 is not challenging at all
since it blocks white’s bishop in. O-O 10.b4 Nce4 11.Qd4 dxc4 12.Bxc4 Qc7 = Black’s lead in
development and well-placed knights balance out the bishop pair. }

Qxd5 10. Be3 Nce4

{ From here, white heads for an endgame with either 11. Qd4 or 11. Qe5, where he hopes to
be able to take full advantage of his bishop pair on the open board. Once again, black needs
to play actively here to neutralise white’s play before he can fully unravel. }

11. Qe5
{ The more accurate way of heading for an endgame. 11.Qd4 This is just a slightly worse
version of 11. Qe5, since if black doesn’t exchange queens, in this line white can’t force the
exchange by playing 12. Rd1. O-O There’s no need for black to take on d4 yet. 12.g3 b6
13.Bg2 Bb7 14.O-O Qb5 = White has managed to keep the bishop pair, but in this position it
won’t amount to much thanks to blacks well-placed knights and general activity. }

Qxe5 { Other moves are possible, but this is most common. } 12. Nxe5 Nd5

13. Bc1

{ This position has been reached around 25 times at the time of writing. It does seem like
white is able to unravel here and get some long-term pressure with his bishop pair, but
practice and some deeper analysis shows otherwise. The centre/kingside typically ends up
blocked (with pawns on e4 and e5) which limit the scope of white’s bishops. Additionally,
black’s knights are usually able to find good squares quite easily on the queenside, which
means that exchanging them for the bishops isn’t too difficult. In practice, both sides have
one win each, with the rest of the games being drawn, which indicates that black has had no
problems in this endgame practically. We will go a little deeper into this endgame to show
some typical play for both sides and prove that black has nothing to fear. }

Bd7

{ Other moves have been tried, but this is most common - black doesn’t need to worry
about Nxd7 since his knights won’t have much difficulty exchanging themselves for the
bishops. }

14. f3 Nc5 15. e4

{ White is able to kick black’s knights away from good squares, but they have no difficulty
in finding other good squares. }

Nb3 { An important intermezzo. } 16. Rb1 Nb6 17. Be3 Rc8

{ At the time of writing, this position has been reached 14 times, with black scoring slightly
above 50%. Clearly, black has no problems in practice. At some point black usually plays …
Nc4 and begins to trade off his knights for white’s bishops. }

18. Nxd7

{ Most games have gone like this. 18.Bxb6 White trades in his bishop pair to saddle us with
doubled pawns. This weakness is more symbolic though, as it is difficult for white to
exploit. axb6 19.Nc4 Rc6 20.Rd1 Ke7 21.Kf2 f6 = The weakness of the b-pawns isn’t
significant enough for white to have a pull. }

Kxd7 19. Be2 Ke7 20. O-O Rhd8

{ Black’s rooks occupy the only open files on the board, which indicates that mass
exchanges are on their way. }

21. Rfd1 Rxd1+ 22. Bxd1 Nc4 23. Bxb3

{ 23.Bg5+ has also been tried, but it doesn’t change the evaluation. f6 24.Bxb3 fxg5 25.Rc1
b5 = White has no advantage thanks to black’s great knight. }

Nxe3

{ White hasn’t been able to take advantage of the bishop in the 5 games that reached this
position, which shows that it is equal practically as well as in analysis. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin Deviations”]

[Black “5.e3”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4

{ In this chapter, we will be dealing with a number of transpositions into the Nimzo-Indian,
as well as all of white’s other independent tries which haven’t been looked at yet. }

5. e3 O-O { transposes to the Nimzo-Indian (Chapter 8) . }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]
[White “Ragozin Deviations”]

[Black “5.a3”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4

{ In this chapter, we will be dealing with a number of transpositions into the Nimzo-Indian,
as well as all of white’s other independent tries which haven’t been looked at yet. }

5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 O-O { transposes to the Nimzo-Indian Deviations chapter. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin Deviations”]

[Black “5.Bd2”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4

{ In this chapter, we will be dealing with a number of transpositions into the Nimzo-Indian,
as well as all of white’s other independent tries which haven’t been looked at yet. }

5. Bd2 O-O { transposes to the Nimzo-Indian Deviations chapter. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]
[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin Deviations”]

[Black “5.Qc2 Variation 1”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4

{ In this chapter, we will be dealing with a number of transpositions into the Nimzo-Indian,
as well as all of white’s other independent tries which haven’t been looked at yet. }

5. Qc2 c5 { Hitting white’s d4 pawn which has been left unsupported. } 6. cxd5

exd5 7. Bg5 cxd4

{ Taking on d4 before white has a chance to reinforce it with e3. } 8. Nxd4 Nc6

9. Nxc6 bxc6

{ Black has no problems here thanks to his solid centre and active pieces. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin Deviations”]

[Black “5.Qc2 Variation 2”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4

{ In this chapter, we will be dealing with a number of transpositions into the Nimzo-Indian,
as well as all of white’s other independent tries which haven’t been looked at yet. }
5. Qc2 c5 { Hitting white’s d4 pawn which has been left unsupported. } 6. e3

O-O

{ just transposes to a poor version of the Rubinstein variation 4.e3 for white. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin Deviations”]

[Black “5.g3”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4

{ In this chapter, we will be dealing with a number of transpositions into the Nimzo-Indian,
as well as all of white’s other independent tries which haven’t been looked at yet. }

5. g3 O-O { transposes to the Catalan (Chapter 10) . }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin Deviations”]

[Black “5.Bf4 Variation 1”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4

{ In this chapter, we will be dealing with a number of transpositions into the Nimzo-Indian,
as well as all of white’s other independent tries which haven’t been looked at yet. }

5. Bf4

{ This is one of white’s last few independent options which we haven’t covered yet. It is
quite rare and not very good. It doesn’t seem like there are any notable advantages of
developing the bishop to f4 instead of g5, but there are some significant drawbacks - most
importantly, our knight is not pinned and free to move. We are able to take full advantage
of this with our next move. }

dxc4

{ One of the few times we will be taking on c4 this early, but the reason for this is that it
pretty much buries 5. Bf4. White’s issue now is that he cannot play the usual 6. e4 like he
would after 5.Bg5 because the knight isn’t pinned and …Nxe4 can be played. }

6. e3 b5

{ We have no reason not to hold onto the pawn here - white definitely doesn’t have full
compensation. }

7. a4 Nd5

{ The other issue with 5. Bf4 becomes apparent - the bishop is vulnerable on f4. }

8. Qc1 Nxf4 9. exf4 c6 { The opening has gone miserably for white. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin Deviations”]

[Black “5.Bf4 Variation 2”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4

{ In this chapter, we will be dealing with a number of transpositions into the Nimzo-Indian,
as well as all of white’s other independent tries which haven’t been looked at yet. }

5. Bf4

{ This is one of white’s last few independent options which we haven’t covered yet. It is
quite rare and not very good. It doesn’t seem like there are any notable advantages of
developing the bishop to f4 instead of g5, but there are some significant drawbacks - most
importantly, our knight is not pinned and free to move. We are able to take full advantage
of this with our next move. }

dxc4

{ One of the few times we will be taking on c4 this early, but the reason for this is that it
pretty much buries 5. Bf4. White’s issue now is that he cannot play the usual 6. e4 like he
would after 5.Bg5 because the knight isn’t pinned and …Nxe4 can be played. }

6. a3 Bxc3+ 7. bxc3 Nd5

{ Once again, we can exploit the fact that the knight isn’t pinned and the bishop on f4 is
vulnerable. }

8. Bd2 Nc6 9. e4 Nb6 { White doesn’t have full compensation for the pawn. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin Deviations”]

[Black “5.Qb3 Variation 1”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4

{ In this chapter, we will be dealing with a number of transpositions into the Nimzo-Indian,
as well as all of white’s other independent tries which haven’t been looked at yet. }
5. Qb3

{ This is quite a bit less common than the 3 main moves we covered in the previous
chapters, but it has picked up in popularity recently, including at the elite level, so black
definitely needs to know what to do. Moreover, it is the only other independent move
(which doesn’t transpose into the Nimzo-Indian) which is theoretically-challenging. White
attacks our bishop, while also intending to recapture on c3 with his queen. There are a few
drawbacks to 5. Qb3, such as reduced protection for the d4 pawn and the fact that …dxc4
can now be played with tempo (thus forcing an immediate recapture) . }

c5

{ A nice move, simultaneously protecting our bishop and putting pressure on white’s
centre. }

6. cxd5

{ White’s second most common choice, but we have already covered the position after }

exd5 { in the 5.cxd5 Ragozin. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin Deviations”]

[Black “5.Qb3 Variation 2”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4

{ In this chapter, we will be dealing with a number of transpositions into the Nimzo-Indian,
as well as all of white’s other independent tries which haven’t been looked at yet. }

5. Qb3

{ This is quite a bit less common than the 3 main moves we covered in the previous
chapters, but it has picked up in popularity recently, including at the elite level, so black
definitely needs to know what to do. Moreover, it is the only other independent move
(which doesn’t transpose into the Nimzo-Indian) which is theoretically-challenging. White
attacks our bishop, while also intending to recapture on c3 with his queen. There are a few
drawbacks to 5. Qb3, such as reduced protection for the d4 pawn and the fact that …dxc4
can now be played with tempo (thus forcing an immediate recapture) . }

c5

{ A nice move, simultaneously protecting our bishop and putting pressure on white’s
centre. }

6. e3 { Quite natural, but not critical at all. } Nc6

{ O-O is also perfectly playable, but …Nc6 has the extra idea of throwing in …Na5 on the
next move. }

7. dxc5 Bxc5 8. Be2 O-O { Black has no problems here. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin Deviations”]

[Black “5.Qb3 Variation 3”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4

{ In this chapter, we will be dealing with a number of transpositions into the Nimzo-Indian,
as well as all of white’s other independent tries which haven’t been looked at yet. }

5. Qb3

{ This is quite a bit less common than the 3 main moves we covered in the previous
chapters, but it has picked up in popularity recently, including at the elite level, so black
definitely needs to know what to do. Moreover, it is the only other independent move
(which doesn’t transpose into the Nimzo-Indian) which is theoretically-challenging. White
attacks our bishop, while also intending to recapture on c3 with his queen. There are a few
drawbacks to 5. Qb3, such as reduced protection for the d4 pawn and the fact that …dxc4
can now be played with tempo (thus forcing an immediate recapture) . }

c5

{ A nice move, simultaneously protecting our bishop and putting pressure on white’s
centre. }

6. e3 { Quite natural, but not critical at all. } Nc6

{ O-O is also perfectly playable, but …Nc6 has the extra idea of throwing in …Na5 on the
next move. }

7. a3

{ This is natural move is actually a bit inaccurate since it allows black to carry out his …Na5
idea. }

Na5 { An easy equaliser. } 8. Qc2 Bxc3+ 9. Qxc3 cxd4 10. Nxd4 Nxc4 11.

Bxc4 dxc4 12. Qxc4 O-O

{ Black has the better side of a fairly equal position, thanks to …e5 ideas. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin Deviations”]

[Black “5.Qb3 Variation 4”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4

{ In this chapter, we will be dealing with a number of transpositions into the Nimzo-Indian,
as well as all of white’s other independent tries which haven’t been looked at yet. }

5. Qb3
{ This is quite a bit less common than the 3 main moves we covered in the previous
chapters, but it has picked up in popularity recently, including at the elite level, so black
definitely needs to know what to do. Moreover, it is the only other independent move
(which doesn’t transpose into the Nimzo-Indian) which is theoretically-challenging. White
attacks our bishop, while also intending to recapture on c3 with his queen. There are a few
drawbacks to 5. Qb3, such as reduced protection for the d4 pawn and the fact that …dxc4
can now be played with tempo (thus forcing an immediate recapture) . }

c5

{ A nice move, simultaneously protecting our bishop and putting pressure on white’s
centre. }

6. e3 { Quite natural, but not critical at all. } Nc6

{ O-O is also perfectly playable, but …Nc6 has the extra idea of throwing in …Na5 on the
next move. }

7. cxd5 exd5 8. dxc5 Bxc5 9. Be2 O-O

{ Black has a nice IQP position here - white’s pieces aren’t ideally placed to play against the
IQP. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin Deviations”]

[Black “5.Qb3 Variation 5”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4

{ In this chapter, we will be dealing with a number of transpositions into the Nimzo-Indian,
as well as all of white’s other independent tries which haven’t been looked at yet. }

5. Qb3
{ This is quite a bit less common than the 3 main moves we covered in the previous
chapters, but it has picked up in popularity recently, including at the elite level, so black
definitely needs to know what to do. Moreover, it is the only other independent move
(which doesn’t transpose into the Nimzo-Indian) which is theoretically-challenging. White
attacks our bishop, while also intending to recapture on c3 with his queen. There are a few
drawbacks to 5. Qb3, such as reduced protection for the d4 pawn and the fact that …dxc4
can now be played with tempo (thus forcing an immediate recapture) . }

c5

{ A nice move, simultaneously protecting our bishop and putting pressure on white’s
centre. }

6. a3

{ White ensures that he grabs the bishop pair, but this wastes crucial time. }

Bxc3+ 7. bxc3

{ doesn’t make that much sense combined with 7. Qxc3 - the whole idea was to avoid
doubled pawns by recapturing with the queen. }

O-O 8. Bg5 dxc4 9. Qxc4 Nbd7 { followed by … b6 with a good position. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin Deviations”]

[Black “5.Qb3 Variation 6”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4

{ In this chapter, we will be dealing with a number of transpositions into the Nimzo-Indian,
as well as all of white’s other independent tries which haven’t been looked at yet. }

5. Qb3
{ This is quite a bit less common than the 3 main moves we covered in the previous
chapters, but it has picked up in popularity recently, including at the elite level, so black
definitely needs to know what to do. Moreover, it is the only other independent move
(which doesn’t transpose into the Nimzo-Indian) which is theoretically-challenging. White
attacks our bishop, while also intending to recapture on c3 with his queen. There are a few
drawbacks to 5. Qb3, such as reduced protection for the d4 pawn and the fact that …dxc4
can now be played with tempo (thus forcing an immediate recapture) . }

c5

{ A nice move, simultaneously protecting our bishop and putting pressure on white’s
centre. }

6. a3

{ White ensures that he grabs the bishop pair, but this wastes crucial time. }

Bxc3+ 7. Qxc3 cxd4

{ Ne4 is more common, but it is unclear what black gains by that. } 8.

Nxd4 { This allows black to expand in the centre quickly. } e5 9. Nb5 O-O

10. cxd5 a6 { The immediate …Nxd5 is also possible. } 11. Nc7 Nxd5 12. Nxd5

Qxd5 { Black’s lead in development gives him a slight edge. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin Deviations”]

[Black “5.Qb3 Variation 7”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4

{ In this chapter, we will be dealing with a number of transpositions into the Nimzo-Indian,
as well as all of white’s other independent tries which haven’t been looked at yet. }

5. Qb3

{ This is quite a bit less common than the 3 main moves we covered in the previous
chapters, but it has picked up in popularity recently, including at the elite level, so black
definitely needs to know what to do. Moreover, it is the only other independent move
(which doesn’t transpose into the Nimzo-Indian) which is theoretically-challenging. White
attacks our bishop, while also intending to recapture on c3 with his queen. There are a few
drawbacks to 5. Qb3, such as reduced protection for the d4 pawn and the fact that …dxc4
can now be played with tempo (thus forcing an immediate recapture) . }

c5

{ A nice move, simultaneously protecting our bishop and putting pressure on white’s
centre. }

6. a3

{ White ensures that he grabs the bishop pair, but this wastes crucial time. }

Bxc3+ 7. Qxc3 cxd4

{ Ne4 is more common, but it is unclear what black gains by that. } 8.

Qxd4 { The only way to not become worse. } Nc6 9. Qd1 O-O 10. cxd5 exd5

{ Black’s lead in development gives him an easy game. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin Deviations”]

[Black “5.Qb3 Variation 8”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4

{ In this chapter, we will be dealing with a number of transpositions into the Nimzo-Indian,
as well as all of white’s other independent tries which haven’t been looked at yet. }

5. Qb3

{ This is quite a bit less common than the 3 main moves we covered in the previous
chapters, but it has picked up in popularity recently, including at the elite level, so black
definitely needs to know what to do. Moreover, it is the only other independent move
(which doesn’t transpose into the Nimzo-Indian) which is theoretically-challenging. White
attacks our bishop, while also intending to recapture on c3 with his queen. There are a few
drawbacks to 5. Qb3, such as reduced protection for the d4 pawn and the fact that …dxc4
can now be played with tempo (thus forcing an immediate recapture) . }

c5

{ A nice move, simultaneously protecting our bishop and putting pressure on white’s
centre. }

6. Bg5

{ White plays actively, but neglects his centre which will soon be liquidated. }

dxc4

{ One of the disadvantages of 5. Qb3 is that …dxc4 comes with tempo (i.e. white is forced to
recapture) . }

7. Qxc4 h6 8. Bh4 Nbd7 9. dxc5 Qa5 10. Bxf6 Nxf6 11. a3 Bxc3+ 12. Qxc3 Qxc3+

13. bxc3 Bd7

{ Black can push a bit in this endgame - he has a lead in development, and after he recoups
the c5 pawn, the c3 pawn will still be weak. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin Deviations”]

[Black “5.Qb3 Variation 9”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4

{ In this chapter, we will be dealing with a number of transpositions into the Nimzo-Indian,
as well as all of white’s other independent tries which haven’t been looked at yet. }

5. Qb3

{ This is quite a bit less common than the 3 main moves we covered in the previous
chapters, but it has picked up in popularity recently, including at the elite level, so black
definitely needs to know what to do. Moreover, it is the only other independent move
(which doesn’t transpose into the Nimzo-Indian) which is theoretically-challenging. White
attacks our bishop, while also intending to recapture on c3 with his queen. There are a few
drawbacks to 5. Qb3, such as reduced protection for the d4 pawn and the fact that …dxc4
can now be played with tempo (thus forcing an immediate recapture) . }

c5

{ A nice move, simultaneously protecting our bishop and putting pressure on white’s
centre. }

6. Bg5

{ White plays actively, but neglects his centre which will soon be liquidated. }

dxc4

{ One of the disadvantages of 5. Qb3 is that …dxc4 comes with tempo (i.e. white is forced to
recapture) . }

7. Qxc4 h6 8. Bxf6 Qxf6 9. a3 Bxc3+ 10. Qxc3 b6

{ Black can develop comfortably and has equalised. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]
[White “Ragozin Deviations”]

[Black “5.Qb3 Variation 10”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4

{ In this chapter, we will be dealing with a number of transpositions into the Nimzo-Indian,
as well as all of white’s other independent tries which haven’t been looked at yet. }

5. Qb3

{ This is quite a bit less common than the 3 main moves we covered in the previous
chapters, but it has picked up in popularity recently, including at the elite level, so black
definitely needs to know what to do. Moreover, it is the only other independent move
(which doesn’t transpose into the Nimzo-Indian) which is theoretically-challenging. White
attacks our bishop, while also intending to recapture on c3 with his queen. There are a few
drawbacks to 5. Qb3, such as reduced protection for the d4 pawn and the fact that …dxc4
can now be played with tempo (thus forcing an immediate recapture) . }

c5

{ A nice move, simultaneously protecting our bishop and putting pressure on white’s
centre. }

6. dxc5 { The only critical way to play for white and the logical follow up. }

Na6

{ A good, multipurpose move. The knight protects the bishop, while also preparing to
recoup the c5 pawn after …Bxc3+. }

7. a3

{ The most common move by far. White’s goal, pretty much from the start, has been to pick
up the bishop pair. }

Bxc3+ 8. Qxc3 Nxc5

{ We reach a position where white has gained the bishop pair, but fallen behind in
development. Black should play actively and look to exchange one of white’s bishops if
possible. }

9. Bg5
{ is not too strong here, since white cedes the bishop pair which he just worked so hard to
gain. }

Nce4 10. Bxf6 Qxf6 11. Qxf6 Nxf6 12. cxd5 Nxd5

{ with a fairly straightforward, equal endgame. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin Deviations”]

[Black “5.Qb3 Variation 11”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4

{ In this chapter, we will be dealing with a number of transpositions into the Nimzo-Indian,
as well as all of white’s other independent tries which haven’t been looked at yet. }

5. Qb3

{ This is quite a bit less common than the 3 main moves we covered in the previous
chapters, but it has picked up in popularity recently, including at the elite level, so black
definitely needs to know what to do. Moreover, it is the only other independent move
(which doesn’t transpose into the Nimzo-Indian) which is theoretically-challenging. White
attacks our bishop, while also intending to recapture on c3 with his queen. There are a few
drawbacks to 5. Qb3, such as reduced protection for the d4 pawn and the fact that …dxc4
can now be played with tempo (thus forcing an immediate recapture) . }

c5

{ A nice move, simultaneously protecting our bishop and putting pressure on white’s
centre. }

6. dxc5 { The only critical way to play for white and the logical follow up. }

Na6
{ A good, multipurpose move. The knight protects the bishop, while also preparing to
recoup the c5 pawn after …Bxc3+. }

7. a3

{ The most common move by far. White’s goal, pretty much from the start, has been to pick
up the bishop pair. }

Bxc3+ 8. Qxc3 Nxc5

{ We reach a position where white has gained the bishop pair, but fallen behind in
development. Black should play actively and look to exchange one of white’s bishops if
possible. }

9. e3 { is not challenging at all since it blocks white’s bishop in. } O-O

10. b4 Nce4 11. Qd4 dxc4 12. Bxc4 Qc7

{ Black’s lead in development and well-placed knights balance out the bishop pair. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin Deviations”]

[Black “5.Qb3 Variation 12”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4

{ In this chapter, we will be dealing with a number of transpositions into the Nimzo-Indian,
as well as all of white’s other independent tries which haven’t been looked at yet. }

5. Qb3

{ This is quite a bit less common than the 3 main moves we covered in the previous
chapters, but it has picked up in popularity recently, including at the elite level, so black
definitely needs to know what to do. Moreover, it is the only other independent move
(which doesn’t transpose into the Nimzo-Indian) which is theoretically-challenging. White
attacks our bishop, while also intending to recapture on c3 with his queen. There are a few
drawbacks to 5. Qb3, such as reduced protection for the d4 pawn and the fact that …dxc4
can now be played with tempo (thus forcing an immediate recapture) . }

c5

{ A nice move, simultaneously protecting our bishop and putting pressure on white’s
centre. }

6. dxc5 { The only critical way to play for white and the logical follow up. }

Na6

{ A good, multipurpose move. The knight protects the bishop, while also preparing to
recoup the c5 pawn after …Bxc3+. }

7. a3

{ The most common move by far. White’s goal, pretty much from the start, has been to pick
up the bishop pair. }

Bxc3+ 8. Qxc3 Nxc5

{ We reach a position where white has gained the bishop pair, but fallen behind in
development. Black should play actively and look to exchange one of white’s bishops if
possible. }

9. cxd5 { White’s most common move by far. } Qxd5 10. Be3 Nce4

{ From here, white heads for an endgame with either 11. Qd4 or 11. Qe5, where he hopes to
be able to take full advantage of his bishop pair on the open board. Once again, black needs
to play actively here to neutralise white’s play before he can fully unravel. }

11. Qd4

{ This is just a slightly worse version of 11. Qe5, since if black doesn’t exchange queens, in
this line white can’t force the exchange by playing 12. Rd1. }

O-O { There’s no need for black to take on d4 yet. } 12. g3 b6 13. Bg2

Bb7 14. O-O Qb5

{ White has managed to keep the bishop pair, but in this position it won’t amount to much
thanks to blacks well-placed knights and general activity. }
[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin Deviations”]

[Black “5.Qb3 Variation 13”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4

{ In this chapter, we will be dealing with a number of transpositions into the Nimzo-Indian,
as well as all of white’s other independent tries which haven’t been looked at yet. }

5. Qb3

{ This is quite a bit less common than the 3 main moves we covered in the previous
chapters, but it has picked up in popularity recently, including at the elite level, so black
definitely needs to know what to do. Moreover, it is the only other independent move
(which doesn’t transpose into the Nimzo-Indian) which is theoretically-challenging. White
attacks our bishop, while also intending to recapture on c3 with his queen. There are a few
drawbacks to 5. Qb3, such as reduced protection for the d4 pawn and the fact that …dxc4
can now be played with tempo (thus forcing an immediate recapture) . }

c5

{ A nice move, simultaneously protecting our bishop and putting pressure on white’s
centre. }

6. dxc5 { The only critical way to play for white and the logical follow up. }

Na6

{ A good, multipurpose move. The knight protects the bishop, while also preparing to
recoup the c5 pawn after …Bxc3+. }

7. a3

{ The most common move by far. White’s goal, pretty much from the start, has been to pick
up the bishop pair. }
Bxc3+ 8. Qxc3 Nxc5

{ We reach a position where white has gained the bishop pair, but fallen behind in
development. Black should play actively and look to exchange one of white’s bishops if
possible. }

9. cxd5 { White’s most common move by far. } Qxd5 10. Be3 Nce4

{ From here, white heads for an endgame with either 11. Qd4 or 11. Qe5, where he hopes to
be able to take full advantage of his bishop pair on the open board. Once again, black needs
to play actively here to neutralise white’s play before he can fully unravel. }

11. Qe5 { The more accurate way of heading for an endgame. } Qxe5

{ Other moves are possible, but this is most common. } 12. Nxe5 Nd5 13. Bc1

{ This position has been reached around 25 times at the time of writing. It does seem like
white is able to unravel here and get some long-term pressure with his bishop pair, but
practice and some deeper analysis shows otherwise. The centre/kingside typically ends up
blocked (with pawns on e4 and e5) which limit the scope of white’s bishops. Additionally,
black’s knights are usually able to find good squares quite easily on the queenside, which
means that exchanging them for the bishops isn’t too difficult. In practice, both sides have
one win each, with the rest of the games being drawn, which indicates that black has had no
problems in this endgame practically. We will go a little deeper into this endgame to show
some typical play for both sides and prove that black has nothing to fear. }

Bd7

{ Other moves have been tried, but this is most common - black doesn’t need to worry
about Nxd7 since his knights won’t have much difficulty exchanging themselves for the
bishops. }

14. f3 Nc5 15. e4

{ White is able to kick black’s knights away from good squares, but they have no difficulty
in finding other good squares. }

Nb3 { An important intermezzo. } 16. Rb1 Nb6 17. Be3 Rc8

{ At the time of writing, this position has been reached 14 times, with black scoring slightly
above 50%. Clearly, black has no problems in practice. At some point black usually plays …
Nc4 and begins to trade off his knights for white’s bishops. }

18. Bxb6

{ White trades in his bishop pair to saddle us with doubled pawns. This weakness is more
symbolic though, as it is difficult for white to exploit. }
axb6 19. Nc4 Rc6 20. Rd1 Ke7 21. Kf2 f6

{ This little pawn move is not necessarily to support the move …e5, but simply to take the
e5 square away from white’s knight. The weakness of the b-pawns isn’t significant enough
for white to have a pull. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin Deviations”]

[Black “5.Qb3 Variation 14”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4

{ In this chapter, we will be dealing with a number of transpositions into the Nimzo-Indian,
as well as all of white’s other independent tries which haven’t been looked at yet. }

5. Qb3

{ This is quite a bit less common than the 3 main moves we covered in the previous
chapters, but it has picked up in popularity recently, including at the elite level, so black
definitely needs to know what to do. Moreover, it is the only other independent move
(which doesn’t transpose into the Nimzo-Indian) which is theoretically-challenging. White
attacks our bishop, while also intending to recapture on c3 with his queen. There are a few
drawbacks to 5. Qb3, such as reduced protection for the d4 pawn and the fact that …dxc4
can now be played with tempo (thus forcing an immediate recapture) . }

c5

{ A nice move, simultaneously protecting our bishop and putting pressure on white’s
centre. }

6. dxc5 { The only critical way to play for white and the logical follow up. }

Na6
{ A good, multipurpose move. The knight protects the bishop, while also preparing to
recoup the c5 pawn after …Bxc3+. }

7. a3

{ The most common move by far. White’s goal, pretty much from the start, has been to pick
up the bishop pair. }

Bxc3+ 8. Qxc3 Nxc5

{ We reach a position where white has gained the bishop pair, but fallen behind in
development. Black should play actively and look to exchange one of white’s bishops if
possible. }

9. cxd5 { White’s most common move by far. } Qxd5 10. Be3 Nce4

{ From here, white heads for an endgame with either 11. Qd4 or 11. Qe5, where he hopes to
be able to take full advantage of his bishop pair on the open board. Once again, black needs
to play actively here to neutralise white’s play before he can fully unravel. }

11. Qe5 { The more accurate way of heading for an endgame. } Qxe5

{ Other moves are possible, but this is most common. } 12. Nxe5 Nd5 13. Bc1

{ This position has been reached around 25 times at the time of writing. It does seem like
white is able to unravel here and get some long-term pressure with his bishop pair, but
practice and some deeper analysis shows otherwise. The centre/kingside typically ends up
blocked (with pawns on e4 and e5) which limit the scope of white’s bishops. Additionally,
black’s knights are usually able to find good squares quite easily on the queenside, which
means that exchanging them for the bishops isn’t too difficult. In practice, both sides have
one win each, with the rest of the games being drawn, which indicates that black has had no
problems in this endgame practically. We will go a little deeper into this endgame to show
some typical play for both sides and prove that black has nothing to fear. }

Bd7

{ Other moves have been tried, but this is most common - black doesn’t need to worry
about Nxd7 since his knights won’t have much difficulty exchanging themselves for the
bishops. }

14. f3 Nc5 15. e4

{ White is able to kick black’s knights away from good squares, but they have no difficulty
in finding other good squares. }

Nb3 { An important intermezzo. } 16. Rb1 Nb6 17. Be3 Rc8

{ At the time of writing, this position has been reached 14 times, with black scoring slightly
above 50%. Clearly, black has no problems in practice. At some point black usually plays …
Nc4 and begins to trade off his knights for white’s bishops. }

18. Nxd7 { Most games have gone like this. } Kxd7 19. Be2 Ke7 20. O-O

Rhd8

{ Black’s rooks occupy the only open files on the board, which indicates that mass
exchanges are on their way. }

21. Rfd1 Rxd1+ 22. Bxd1 Nc4 23. Bg5+

{ has also been tried, but it doesn’t change the evaluation. } f6 24.

Bxb3 fxg5 25. Rc1 b5 { White has no advantage thanks to black’s great knight. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Ragozin Deviations”]

[Black “5.Qb3 Variation 15”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4

{ In this chapter, we will be dealing with a number of transpositions into the Nimzo-Indian,
as well as all of white’s other independent tries which haven’t been looked at yet. }

5. Qb3

{ This is quite a bit less common than the 3 main moves we covered in the previous
chapters, but it has picked up in popularity recently, including at the elite level, so black
definitely needs to know what to do. Moreover, it is the only other independent move
(which doesn’t transpose into the Nimzo-Indian) which is theoretically-challenging. White
attacks our bishop, while also intending to recapture on c3 with his queen. There are a few
drawbacks to 5. Qb3, such as reduced protection for the d4 pawn and the fact that …dxc4
can now be played with tempo (thus forcing an immediate recapture) . }

c5

{ A nice move, simultaneously protecting our bishop and putting pressure on white’s
centre. }

6. dxc5 { The only critical way to play for white and the logical follow up. }

Na6

{ A good, multipurpose move. The knight protects the bishop, while also preparing to
recoup the c5 pawn after …Bxc3+. }

7. a3

{ The most common move by far. White’s goal, pretty much from the start, has been to pick
up the bishop pair. }

Bxc3+ 8. Qxc3 Nxc5

{ We reach a position where white has gained the bishop pair, but fallen behind in
development. Black should play actively and look to exchange one of white’s bishops if
possible. }

9. cxd5 { White’s most common move by far. } Qxd5 10. Be3 Nce4

{ From here, white heads for an endgame with either 11. Qd4 or 11. Qe5, where he hopes to
be able to take full advantage of his bishop pair on the open board. Once again, black needs
to play actively here to neutralise white’s play before he can fully unravel. }

11. Qe5 { The more accurate way of heading for an endgame. } Qxe5

{ Other moves are possible, but this is most common. } 12. Nxe5 Nd5 13. Bc1

{ This position has been reached around 25 times at the time of writing. It does seem like
white is able to unravel here and get some long-term pressure with his bishop pair, but
practice and some deeper analysis shows otherwise. The centre/kingside typically ends up
blocked (with pawns on e4 and e5) which limit the scope of white’s bishops. Additionally,
black’s knights are usually able to find good squares quite easily on the queenside, which
means that exchanging them for the bishops isn’t too difficult. In practice, both sides have
one win each, with the rest of the games being drawn, which indicates that black has had no
problems in this endgame practically. We will go a little deeper into this endgame to show
some typical play for both sides and prove that black has nothing to fear. }

Bd7
{ Other moves have been tried, but this is most common - black doesn’t need to worry
about Nxd7 since his knights won’t have much difficulty exchanging themselves for the
bishops. }

14. f3 Nc5 15. e4

{ White is able to kick black’s knights away from good squares, but they have no difficulty
in finding other good squares. }

Nb3 { An important intermezzo. } 16. Rb1 Nb6 17. Be3 Rc8

{ At the time of writing, this position has been reached 14 times, with black scoring slightly
above 50%. Clearly, black has no problems in practice. At some point black usually plays …
Nc4 and begins to trade off his knights for white’s bishops. }

18. Nxd7 { Most games have gone like this. } Kxd7 19. Be2 Ke7 20. O-O

Rhd8

{ Black’s rooks occupy the only open files on the board, which indicates that mass
exchanges are on their way. }

21. Rfd1 Rxd1+ 22. Bxd1 Nc4 23. Bxb3 Nxe3

{ White hasn’t been able to take advantage of the bishop in the 5 games that reached this
position, which shows that it is equal practically as well as in analysis. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “The Catalan”]

[Black “The Catalan Overview”]

{ @@HeaderStart@@Key Points@@HeaderEnd@@
This chapter deals with the Catalan. We have chosen a solid line with …d5 and …Bb4+. The
idea is to provoke the bishop to d2 and then retreat our bishop back to e7, claiming that
white’s bishop gets in the way of his knight. We have opted for an active setup involving …
b6 and …Ba6 wherever possible. An important line to look at is the mainline, which was
Avrukh’s recommendation. Pay special attention to the idea of f6! followed by Nxf4 and f5!.
This idea was found after Avrukh’s book was published and has scored very well for
black. }

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3

{ In this chapter we are dealing with the Catalan. White fianchettos his bishop with the
intention of putting black under lasting pressure on the queenside and in the centre. White
aims for a small but long-term edge, which he hopes to milk for the rest of the game
without taking much risk. The Catalan has always been a popular choice at the top level,
but recently it has also picked up in popularity at the amateur and club level, largely thanks
to the success of GM Avrukh’s 1. d4 repertoire series. 3.Nc3 Before carrying on with the
Catalan proper, let’s look at a line which can transpose into pseudo-Catalan via a Nimzo-
Indian move order. Bb4 4.g3 We first encountered this move in Chapter 6, when we
analysed white’s rarer 4th moves in the Nimzo-Indian. d5 There might be other ways to
take advantage of white’s line, but this is good enough. 5.Bg2 O-O This transposes to a line
we will cover after 4. Bg2. }

d5

{ Black can still avoid the Catalan at this point by heading for the Bogo-Indian with Bb4+ or
the Modern Benoni with c5, but we will stay true to the spirit of this repertoire by playing
d5. }

4. Nf3

{ 4.Bg2 should just transpose to 4. Nf3 in most cases. Bb4+ 5.Bd2 5.Nc3 As mentioned
before, we can reach this position easily from a Nimzo-Indian as well. O-O 6.Nf3 6.cxd5
White fixes the pawn structure to avoid black’s …dxc4 ideas, but this also gifts black the e-
file and the h3-c8 diagonal for his rook and bishop respectively. exd5 7.Nf3 c6 8.O-O Re8
9.a3 Bd6 = Black has no issues in this line at all - natural play gets us a good position. dxc4 !
The downside with developing the knight to c3 in the Catalan is this move - it becomes
exceptionally difficult to recoup the c4 pawn with a knight on c3. Some common ways black
will hold onto this pawn in this variation are: Nc6-a5, covering the pawn with the knight.
Rb8 followed by …b5 - this has the benefit of protecting the pawn with another pawn, while
also getting the rook off the long diagonal. a6 with …b5 builds a nice long pawn chain,
making it difficult for white to regain the pawn. 7.O-O Nc6 Attacking white’s d4 pawn to tie
white’s queen and knight down, while also preparing to defend c4 with …Na5. 8.a3 White’s
most common move. 8.Bg5 White wants to get the bishop outside the pawn chain before
playing e3. h6 9.Bxf6 Qxf6 10.e3 Rb8 Getting off the long diagonal and preparing to defend
c4 with … b5. 11.Nd2 Na5 =+ Once again, white lacks full compensation here. 8.e3 White
protects d4 and wants to regain the pawn with Qe2xc4, but this is just too slow. Rb8 !
Preparing …b5. 9.Qe2 b5 =+ White doesn’t have full compensation for the pawn. Be7 No
need to give up the bishop, although it is playable of course. 9.e4 a6 Preparing …b5. 10.Be3
b5 =+ White’s centre looks impressive, but it can’t advance too easily (for example, e5 …
Nd5) . White lacks full compensation here once again. 5.Nd2 is a rare way to block the
check. O-O 6.Qc2 6. Ngf3 will transpose to a line we will see more of after 4. Nf3. c5
Challenging white in the centre while it lacks support. 7.dxc5 Bxc5 8.Ngf3 Qc7 ! Precise.
Black introduces the idea of .. .Bxf2+ after cxd5. 9.e3 Prophylaxis against …Bxf2+ ideas. Be7
=+ Black retreats and pins the c4 pawn. Black has a comfortable edge here, and can
consider ideas such as …b5 on the next move. Be7 6.Nf3 O-O transposes straight into our
mainline. }

Bb4+

{ Our chosen variation against the Catalan is quite possibly the most solid. Our strategy, as
in the rest of the repertoire, is to hold and solidify the pawn on d5. The purpose of …Bb4+ is
to provoke white’s bishop to d2, before we retreat our bishop back to its normal square on
e7. As we shall see later, the bishop on d2 is actually a liability rather than a strength, since
it gets in the way of white’s usual plan in the Closed Catalan. }

5. Bd2

{ By far the most common way of blocking the check. 5.Nbd2 Significantly rarer than the
main move, 5. Bd2, but it isn’t as bad as its popularity suggests. O-O 6.Bg2 6.Qc2 isn’t good
since it leaves white’s centre unsupported. c5 ! Hitting white’s centre immediately. 7.dxc5
Bxc5 8.Bg2 transposing to a line we already looked at after 5. Bg2. dxc4 Black can also play
with the more solid 6.. .b6 here, however this seems like best way to challenge white’s
opening setup. With a knight on d2, it is difficult for white to win back the pawn after we
support it later with …b5, and it is often not too easy to find full compensation for white.
7.Qc2 White hurries to regain the c4 pawn with his queen. 7.a3 is what the engine prefers
initially, but it is countered quite easily: Bxd2+ ! This seems a bit strange, but it works for
concrete reasons. 8.Bxd2 Nc6 Hitting d4. 9.e3 Rb8 10.O-O b5 Protecting c4. 11.b3 cxb3
12.Qxb3 Bb7 ! = White can’t take on b5 because of …Nxd4. This position was reached in a
game between Grischuk and Nakamura, which ended in a draw 11 moves later - white has
enough for the pawn, but not much more. 7.O-O Unpinning the knight and now attacking
c4. b5 8.a4 White chips away at the pawn supporting c4. c6 9.Qc2 9.axb5 cxb5 10.Ng5
White tries his luck with a kingside attack. Nd5 11.e4 Kicking our knight back and opening
up the diagonal for the queen. Nc7 12.Nxh7 This sacrifice was white’s idea since 10. Ng5,
but it doesn’t score very well for white and with some accurate defence (or engine
analysis !) from black he should get an advantage. Kxh7 13.Qh5+ 13.e5 Attacking the rook
on a8. g6 ! Stopping white’s attack in its tracks. 14.Bxa8 Nxa8 15.Qf3 Bd7 ! Leaving the
knight hanging and rather getting the bishop into the game. 16.Ne4 16.Qxa8 ?? is a losing
blunder in fact: Bc6 ! 17.Qxa7 c3 18.bxc3 Bxc3 -+ Black’s monstrous bishops are decisive.
Be7 Covering the dark squares around our king. 17.Qf4 Kg8 18.h4 Nc6 19.Be3 f5 ! ���
White’s attack has mostly fizzled out, leaving us clearly better. Kg8 14.e5 Attacking our
rook on a8. f5 ! A novelty, unsurprisingly. …f5 secures our king. The engine line which
follows is actually quite amazing: 15.Bxa8 Nxa8 16.Rxa7 Bd7 !! A pretty amazing move -
black sacrifices his knight on a8 just to end white’s attacking hopes. The problem with Nc7
is that white’s attack becomes dangerous after 17. Nf3 followed by 18. Ng5. Note that 17.
Nf3 can now be met by …Qe8 !. 17.Rxa8 Bc6 ! Chasing the rook away. 18.Ra7 Be8 With the
rook away from a8, we can kick white’s queen away from h5 without leaving our own
queen tied to the defence of the knight on b8. 19.Qd1 Qxd4 ��� White’s attack is over
and the tables have turned. Despite black being an exchange down, his activity and
attacking chances give him a near-winning advantage. 9.Ne1 White frees up the long
diagonal. Nd5 10.e4 Nb6 11.a5 N6d7 =+ Black is at least equal here. a5 A fairly standard
move in this position, covering the bishop. 10.b3 cxb3 11.Nxb3 bxa4 12.Rxa4 Ba6 =+ White
doesn’t have full compensation for the pawn. a5 ! It’s important to note that the natural b5
runs into tactical problems after 8. a4. 8.Qxc4 White regains the pawn, but we can now
exploit white’s queen’s position. The alternative, 8. O-O, allows us to play …b5 which just
transposes to the lines after 7. O-O. b6 ! With the idea of …Ba6 - white can’t castle now
because e2 would hang. 9.Qc2 Prophylactically retreating the queen. 9.a3 Be7 10.Ne5
Hitting our rook. Ra7 11.Ndf3 Ba6 12.Qa4 c5 13.dxc5 Bxc5 =+ Black’s strong bishops make
his position slightly preferable. Bb7 10.O-O Nbd7 = With all our pieces on good squares,
black has absolutely no problems. Next we can play for the …c5 break. 5.Nc3 O-O 6.Bg2
dxc4 transposes to the line after 4. Bg2. }

Be7

{ Now that the bishop’s job of provoking white’s dark bishop to d2 is done, we bring the
bishop back to its normal square on e7. Recently, black has been playing the bishop to d6 as
well, which has some pros and cons - however, Be7 is the established mainline, so this is
what we’ll cover. }

6. Bg2 O-O 7. O-O c6 { Solidifying the d5 pawn. } 8. Qc2 Nbd7

{ This is the critical ‘starting position’ of this variation, which can be reached via a variety of
move orders. First thing to take note of is the bishop on d2. Usually in the Closed Catalan,
white will play Nbd2 followed by e4 with a good position. Clearly, with the bishop on d2
this isn’t possible. So by playing the …Bb4-e7 manoeuvre and provoking Bd2, black might
have just gained a tempo (at best) . White can try meet our variation with two different
mindsets: he can either try to make use of the bishop on d2, or he will move it at some
point to another square (usually f4, sometimes c1) . Over the next few moves, white will be
playing some improving moves. He wants to see what black is doing with his light bishop
(whether it will go to b7 or a6) before he commits his queenside knight. If the bishop puts
pressure on c4 from a6, then Nc3 is not ideal - otherwise white can develop the knight
actively to c3. In most cases we will be developing our light bishop to a6 so that it can
pressurise c4, as this limits white’s options. The main waiting/improving moves white can
play are Bf4, Rd1 and b3. The order of these can be swapped around quite easily. }

9. Rd1
{ A useful move. The rook will be well placed when the centre eventually opens up. 9.Bf4
Activating the bishop and possibly freeing up d2 for the knight. b6 Note that 10. Rd1 and
10. b3 transpose to lines covered later. 10.cxd5 White hopes to exploit the open c-file
quickly, but this isn’t very challenging. 10.Nbd2 Prepares e4, but blocks the f4-bishop’s
escape route. Nh5 11.Be3 Bb7 12.Rfd1 Nhf6 transposing to a line covered after 9. Rd1.
10.Nc3 Developing the knight like this invites black to exploit the hanging c4 pawn. dxc4 !
11.Nd2 The only good way white can try to regain the pawn. Nd5 Protecting the hanging c6
pawn. 12.Nxc4 Ba6 Aiming for minor piece exchanges. 13.Qa4 Nxf4 14.gxf4 Bxc4 15.Qxc4
Rc8 = Black has no real problems here. He can bring his knight to d5 via f6 to neutralise
white’s strong bishop or play for the …c5 break (maybe …b5, … a6 followed by ..c5) . cxd5
Almost irrespective of what white plays, all black really needs to do is play …Bb7, …Rc8 and
then begin exchanging some pieces. 11.Rc1 Bb7 With only one open file on the board, there
are bound to be mass exchanges soon. 12.Qb3 Rc8 13.Rxc8 Qxc8 = Black has no problems
here at all. 14.Nc3 Ba6 15.Qd1 Qb7 16.a4 Rc8 17.h4 Ne4 18.Nxe4 dxe4 19.Ng5 Bxg5
20.Bxg5 9.b3 Covering c4. b6 10.Bc3 is one way white can try to make use of his bishop.
Unfortunately for white, the bishop is a bit in the way on the c-file which means that we
should try to open it. 10.Bf4 Ba6 White should probably transpose to our mainline here
with 11. Rd1, but he has one independent option. 11.Nbd2 Blocking the bishop’s escape.
Nh5 12.Be3 Rc8 = White doesn’t have anything much better than transposing to the
mainline now with 13. Rfd1. Bb7 11.Nbd2 Rc8 Preparing …c5. 12.e4 c5 ! Black counters
white’s central break with a break of his own. 13.exd5 exd5 = Black has equalised here fully
- the centre will be liquidated within a couple moves, with the game fizzling out into
equality. }

b6 { Activating our light-squared bishop, of course. } 10. Bf4

{ Activating white’s bishop and clearing the d2 square. 10.b3 Supporting c4 is white’s
second most common move. Ba6 11.a4 White’s most common choice in this position. He
tries to make use of the bishop on d2 without moving it by using an a4-a5 pawn lever.
11.Bc1 White spends a tempo to reroute his bishop to b2. Rc8 12.Bb2 Qc7 Preparing the …
c5 break. 13.Nbd2 c5 A typical equalising break in this variation. 14.Rac1 Qb8 = Black has
developed soundly and the central tension is bound to liquidate into complete equality.
11.Bf4 Rc8 is covered in our mainline, after 10. Bf4. Qc8 A small improving move. The d8
square is freed for our rook, the queen supports the …c5 break and can possibly also go to
b7 later. It also has the added benefit of allowing our bishop to retreat to b7 even when
white plays a5, without having to worry about the further a6 advance. 12.Na3 12.a5 The
direct test of black’s setup. dxc4 Black can open the long diagonal now that he can fight for
it with …Bb7. 13.bxc4 c5 Challenging white in the centre. 14.Bf4 cxd4 15.Nxd4 Bb7
Exchanging more pieces. 16.Bxb7 Qxb7 17.Nc3 bxa5 Black deals with the irritating idea of
a6. 18.Nb3 a4 ! An improvement over Tomashevsky - Karjakin, where Karjakin did draw.
19.Nxa4 Rfc8 = Black is well-placed to deal with white’s passed c-pawn. Bb7 13.Qb2 c5
14.Rac1 Bc6 was played by So against Nakamura. The idea is to tuck the queen away on b7.
15.dxc5 bxc5 16.cxd5 exd5 = Black’s hanging pawns are well supported and So went on to
draw against Nakamura. }
Ba6

{ This active development of the bishop is preferred throughout most of this chapter.
Attacking c4 limits white’s options greatly. }

11. Ne5

{ Avrukh’s recommendation against our setup and the main move. White attacks c6 and
activates his light bishop. 11.b3 Supporting c4. This is white’s second most popular move
here. Rc8 A natural developing move. If white plays too passively, black can start opening
the centre up with …c5. 12.Nc3 White is now ready to carry out his highly desirable e4
break. h6 Black makes a small improving move while awaiting white’s e4 break. 13.e4 This
must be critical, of course. 13.h3 White can try make his own, similar improving move, but
this is less effective. dxc4 14.e4 b5 15.bxc4 bxc4 = with similar play to our mainline. dxc4
There is an interesting situation now with our c4 pawn: it is in a kind of limbo. White can’t
take on c4 right now, since our bishop just recaptures and we end up with an extra pawn.
But we also can’t take on b3 due to the fact that the a-file would open and white would grab
the a7 pawn. 14.Nd2 b5 Supporting c4 and threatening …b4. 15.bxc4 Pretty much forced.
bxc4 This is an important position for this variation, but one where black has scored very
well (over 65%!) . Let’s have a look at what white can try. 16.Na4 White’s most common
choice. 16.Qa4 ?! simply doesn’t work here tactically. Bb5 ! 17.Nxb5 Nb6 An important
intermezzo. 18.Qxa7 cxb5 19.Qa6 Na4 -+ Indirectly defending b5 because of …Nc3. Black’s
queenside pawns give him a winning advantage. 16.Bf1 White tries to recoup c4 as quickly
as possible. Bb4 This hasn’t been played yet, but putting pressure on e4 by attacking the
knight seems like black’s easiest route to equality. 17.Nxc4 Bxc3 18.Qxc3 Nxe4 Black wins
another pawn. 19.Qa3 Bxc4 20.Bxc4 Black is up a pawn, but white’s bishop pair puts us
under quite a bit of pressure. Fortunately, a long forcing sequence exists which equalises
for black. g5 ! Kicking white’s bishop. 21.Be5 The bishop needs to stay on the f4-b8
diagonal for black to have any issues. Nd2 ! A pretty nice move. Black’s knight is tactically
defended by …Nxe5. 22.Be2 Nxe5 Most of white’s advantage is gone without his bishop
pair. 23.dxe5 Qd4 Black needs to act quickly to avoid losing his knight. 24.Rac1 White
threatens Rc2, winning our knight. Rb8 ! The only move to save the knight. 25.Rc2 Rb1
26.Rxb1 Nxb1 = White will trade off the queens and win his pawn back, but this will leave
us in an equal endgame. g5 ! A strong move played by Vidit in 2017. The idea is to win the
bishop pair with …Ng4. 17.Be3 Ng4 18.Nf1 Preparing to recapture on e3 with the knight. c5
=+ Black is definitely pushing here. 11.cxd5 Taking on d5 and removing the tension from
the centre without a concrete reason for it should never really challenge black. cxd5 12.Ne5
With the idea of Nc6, winning the bishop pair. 12.Nc3 is completely innocuous: b5 13.a3
Qb6 = Black has easy equality here. Bb7 Covering c6, ensuring that black has his ‘bad’
bishop traded instead of the dark bishop. 13.Nc6 Bxc6 14.Qxc6 Qc8 15.Qb5 a6 16.Qd3 Qb7
= Despite white’s bishop pair, the closed nature of the position means that black has no real
problems here. 11.Nbd2 White is playing for the idea of e4, but he blocks off his dark
bishops escape. Nh5 ! 12.Be3 12.Ne5 ?! is quite poor: Nxf4 13.gxf4 Nxe5 14.dxe5 f6 =+ Black
has the bishop pair and good play. Nhf6 = Assuming black is happy with a draw, this is
probably the best response. There are other decent moves here if we want to play on, such
as …Rc8 and …Bd6. }

Rc8 { Simply defending c6. } 12. cxd5

{ Avrukh’s choice and the main move, with the idea of gaining the bishop pair by playing
Nc6xe7. 12.Nc3 This is a bit less popular than Avrukh’s 12. cxd5, which is understandable
since black can use the hanging c4-pawn to equalise. Bxc4 ! Grabbing the pawn. 13.Nxc4
dxc4 14.e4 With white’s knight on c3 in the way, it is surprisingly difficult for white to
recoup the c4 pawn. White decides to rather play around the pawn and try to get some
compensation for it. b5 ! Securing the c4 pawn. 15.a4 Undermining our extra pawn’s
support. 15.d5 Immediately cracking open the centre with the hope of using white’s extra
activity. cxd5 16.exd5 e5 Qb6 is a novelty worth considering as well. 17.d6 Trapping our
bishop. exf4 Bxd6 should also be good enough for equality. 18.Nxb5 fxg3 19.hxg3 Rc5
20.dxe7 Qxe7 21.Nd6 Ne5 = White has enough compensation for the pawn but nothing
more. a6 Reinforcing b5. 16.axb5 axb5 17.d5 White’s only critical option is to exploit his
activity and open up the position. cxd5 18.exd5 e5 Kicking white’s bishop away. 19.Bg5
Qb6 A good multipurpose move: prevents d6, Nxb5 and Ra6. 20.Ne4 Bc5 = White has
enough compensation for the pawn to equalise, but nothing more. 12.Qa4 is quite rare and
it looks better than it is. White attacks both c6 and a6. Nb8 ! Defending both. This might
look awkward or passive, but black threatens …b5. 13.Qb3 ?! Nfd7 =+ exchanging minor
pieces with good play for black. }

Nxd5

{ cxd5 allows white to get the bishop pair that he wanted. The reason that Nxd5 works is
because tactics prevent 13. Nxc6 from being effective. Since Avrukh published his book,
some new ideas have been found in this variation which have scored very well for black. }

13. Nc3

{ Developing is white’s only critical move. 13.Nxc6 ?! doesn’t work tactically here for white:
Nb4 14.Qa4 Getting out of the pin. Nxc6 15.Bxc6 15.Qxa6 ? is just very bad for white. Nc5 !
The queen comes under heavy fire. 16.Qc4 Na5 17.Qc3 Na4 18.Qf3 Nxb2 ��� Black has a
commanding initiative. Bxe2 Black regains his pawn. 16.Rc1 Nb8 = and black has no
problems. }

Nxe5

{ Exchanging pieces usually benefits black due to our lack of space. } 14. Bxe5

f6

{ This new idea has been played 15 times since Avrukh’s book was published, but not once
before ! It is understandable that it didn’t receive any coverage as a result, but it does seem
like this equalises comfortably for black. This move forces the bishop back so we can trade
our knight for it. }

15. Bf4 Nxf4 16. gxf4 f5

{ The point of black’s last 2 moves. The whole position is highly unusual and looks very
strange, but black has been scoring very highly here - almost 70%! f5 is a strong
multipurpose move: it takes e4 away from white’s pieces, fixes the f4 weakness and frees
up the f6 square for our rook and bishop. The weakness of e6 is more visual than anything
else since it is very difficult to attack. These factors, together with black’s bishop pair, give
him a good position. }

17. e3

{ 17.Qa4 Hitting our bishop. This is played with the idea of forcing a draw. Bb7 18.Qxa7 Qc7
Rb8 is another idea if black needs to win. 19.Nb5 ! Qd7 20.Nc3 White attacks b6, forcing the
queen back to c7. Qc7 = With a threefold repetition and a draw. }

Rf6

{ Black’s standard idea in this position is this rook lift. The rook heads to g6 or h6 where it
can put pressure on white’s exposed king. }

18. Ne2 { White brings his knight back to defend. } Bb7 19. Ng3 Rh6

{ Black has good play on the kingside. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “The Catalan”]

[Black “3.Nc3 4.g3”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3
{ Before carrying on with the Catalan proper, let’s look at a line which can transpose into
pseudo-Catalan via a Nimzo-Indian move order. }

Bb4 4. g3

{ We first encountered this when we analysed white’s rarer 4th moves in the Nimzo-Indian.
}

d5

{ There might be other ways to take advantage of white’s line, but this is good enough. }

5. Bg2 O-O { This transposes to a line we will cover after 4. Bg2. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “The Catalan”]

[Black “5.Nc3 Variation 1”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3

{ In this chapter we are dealing with the Catalan. White fianchettos his bishop with the
intention of putting black under lasting pressure on the queenside and in the centre. White
aims for a small but long-term edge, which he hopes to milk for the rest of the game
without taking much risk. The Catalan has always been a popular choice at the top level,
but recently it has also picked up in popularity at the amateur and club level, largely thanks
to the success of GM Avrukh’s 1. d4 repertoire series. }

d5

{ Black can still avoid the Catalan at this point by heading for the Bogo-Indian with Bb4+ or
the Modern Benoni with c5, but we will stay true to the spirit of this repertoire by playing
d5. }

4. Bg2 { should just transpose to 4. Nf3 in most cases. } Bb4+ 5. Nc3

{ As mentioned before, we can reach this position easily from a Nimzo-Indian as well. }

O-O 6. cxd5

{ White fixes the pawn structure to avoid black’s …dxc4 ideas, but this also gifts black the e-
file and the h3-c8 diagonal for his rook and bishop respectively. }

exd5 7. Nf3 c6 8. O-O Re8 9. a3 Bd6

{ Black has no issues in this line at all - natural play gets us a good position. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “The Catalan”]

[Black “5.Nc3 Variation 2”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3

{ In this chapter we are dealing with the Catalan. White fianchettos his bishop with the
intention of putting black under lasting pressure on the queenside and in the centre. White
aims for a small but long-term edge, which he hopes to milk for the rest of the game
without taking much risk. The Catalan has always been a popular choice at the top level,
but recently it has also picked up in popularity at the amateur and club level, largely thanks
to the success of GM Avrukh’s 1. d4 repertoire series. }

d5

{ Black can still avoid the Catalan at this point by heading for the Bogo-Indian with Bb4+ or
the Modern Benoni with c5, but we will stay true to the spirit of this repertoire by playing
d5. }

4. Bg2 { should just transpose to 4. Nf3 in most cases. } Bb4+ 5. Nc3

{ As mentioned before, we can reach this position easily from a Nimzo-Indian as well. }
O-O 6. Nf3 dxc4

{ The downside with developing the knight to c3 in the Catalan is this move - it becomes
exceptionally difficult to recoup the c4 pawn with a knight on c3. Some common ways black
will hold onto this pawn in this variation are: 1: …Nc6-a5, covering the pawn with the
knight. 2: …Rb8 followed by …b5 - this has the benefit of protecting the pawn with another
pawn, while also getting the rook off the long diagonal. 3: …a6 with …b5 builds a nice long
pawn chain, making it difficult for white to regain the pawn. }

7. O-O Nc6

{ Attacking white’s d4 pawn to tie white’s queen and knight down, while also preparing to
defend c4 with …Na5. }

8. Bg5

{ White wants to get the bishop outside the pawn chain before playing e3. }

h6 9. Bxf6 Qxf6 10. e3 Rb8

{ Getting off the long diagonal and preparing to defend c4 with … b5. } 11.

Nd2 Na5 { Once again, white lacks full compensation here. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “The Catalan”]

[Black “5.Nc3 Variation 3”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3

{ In this chapter we are dealing with the Catalan. White fianchettos his bishop with the
intention of putting black under lasting pressure on the queenside and in the centre. White
aims for a small but long-term edge, which he hopes to milk for the rest of the game
without taking much risk. The Catalan has always been a popular choice at the top level,
but recently it has also picked up in popularity at the amateur and club level, largely thanks
to the success of GM Avrukh’s 1. d4 repertoire series. }

d5

{ Black can still avoid the Catalan at this point by heading for the Bogo-Indian with Bb4+ or
the Modern Benoni with c5, but we will stay true to the spirit of this repertoire by playing
d5. }

4. Bg2 { should just transpose to 4. Nf3 in most cases. } Bb4+ 5. Nc3

{ As mentioned before, we can reach this position easily from a Nimzo-Indian as well. }

O-O 6. Nf3 dxc4

{ The downside with developing the knight to c3 in the Catalan is this move - it becomes
exceptionally difficult to recoup the c4 pawn with a knight on c3. Some common ways black
will hold onto this pawn in this variation are: Nc6-a5, covering the pawn with the knight.
Rb8 followed by …b5 - this has the benefit of protecting the pawn with another pawn, while
also getting the rook off the long diagonal. a6 with …b5 builds a nice long pawn chain,
making it difficult for white to regain the pawn. }

7. O-O Nc6

{ Attacking white’s d4 pawn to tie white’s queen and knight down, while also preparing to
defend c4 with …Na5. }

8. e3

{ White protects d4 and wants to regain the pawn with Qe2xc4, but this is just too slow. }

Rb8 { Preparing …b5. } 9. Qe2 b5

{ White doesn’t have full compensation for the pawn. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “The Catalan”]

[Black “5.Nc3 Variation 4”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3

{ In this chapter we are dealing with the Catalan. White fianchettos his bishop with the
intention of putting black under lasting pressure on the queenside and in the centre. White
aims for a small but long-term edge, which he hopes to milk for the rest of the game
without taking much risk. The Catalan has always been a popular choice at the top level,
but recently it has also picked up in popularity at the amateur and club level, largely thanks
to the success of GM Avrukh’s 1. d4 repertoire series. }

d5

{ Black can still avoid the Catalan at this point by heading for the Bogo-Indian with Bb4+ or
the Modern Benoni with c5, but we will stay true to the spirit of this repertoire by playing
d5. }

4. Bg2 { should just transpose to 4. Nf3 in most cases. } Bb4+ 5. Nc3

{ As mentioned before, we can reach this position easily from a Nimzo-Indian as well. }

O-O 6. Nf3 dxc4

{ The downside with developing the knight to c3 in the Catalan is this move - it becomes
exceptionally difficult to recoup the c4 pawn with a knight on c3. Some common ways black
will hold onto this pawn in this variation are: Nc6-a5, covering the pawn with the knight.
Rb8 followed by …b5 - this has the benefit of protecting the pawn with another pawn, while
also getting the rook off the long diagonal. a6 with …b5 builds a nice long pawn chain,
making it difficult for white to regain the pawn. }

7. O-O Nc6

{ Attacking white’s d4 pawn to tie white’s queen and knight down, while also preparing to
defend c4 with …Na5. }

8. a3 { White’s most common move. } Be7

{ No need to give up the bishop, although it is playable of course. } 9. e4 a6

{ Preparing …b5. } 10. Be3 b5

{ White’s centre looks impressive , but it can’t advance too easily - for example , 11.e5 Nd5.
White lacks full compensation here once again. }
[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “The Catalan”]

[Black “5.Nd2”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3

{ In this chapter we are dealing with the Catalan. White fianchettos his bishop with the
intention of putting black under lasting pressure on the queenside and in the centre. White
aims for a small but long-term edge, which he hopes to milk for the rest of the game
without taking much risk. The Catalan has always been a popular choice at the top level,
but recently it has also picked up in popularity at the amateur and club level, largely thanks
to the success of GM Avrukh’s 1. d4 repertoire series. }

d5

{ Black can still avoid the Catalan at this point by heading for the Bogo-Indian with Bb4+ or
the Modern Benoni with c5, but we will stay true to the spirit of this repertoire by playing
d5. }

4. Bg2 { should just transpose to 4. Nf3 in most cases. } Bb4+ 5. Nd2

{ is a rare way to block the check. } O-O 6. Qc2

{ 6. Ngf3 will transpose to a line we will see more of after 4. Nf3. } c5

{ Challenging white in the centre while it lacks support. } 7. dxc5 Bxc5 8.

Ngf3 Qc7 { Precise. Black introduces the idea of .. .Bxf2+ after cxd5. } 9. e3

{ Prophylaxis against …Bxf2+ ideas. } Be7

{ Black retreats and pins the c4 pawn. Black has a comfortable edge here, and can consider
ideas such as …b5 on the next move. }
[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “The Catalan”]

[Black “4.Bg2 5.Bd2”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3

{ In this chapter we are dealing with the Catalan. White fianchettos his bishop with the
intention of putting black under lasting pressure on the queenside and in the centre. White
aims for a small but long-term edge, which he hopes to milk for the rest of the game
without taking much risk. The Catalan has always been a popular choice at the top level,
but recently it has also picked up in popularity at the amateur and club level, largely thanks
to the success of GM Avrukh’s 1. d4 repertoire series. }

d5

{ Black can still avoid the Catalan at this point by heading for the Bogo-Indian with Bb4+ or
the Modern Benoni with c5, but we will stay true to the spirit of this repertoire by playing
d5. }

4. Bg2 { should just transpose to 4. Nf3 in most cases. } Bb4+ 5. Bd2 Be7

6. Nf3 O-O { transposes straight into our mainline. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “The Catalan”]

[Black “4.Nf3 5.Nbd2 Variation 1”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3

{ In this chapter we are dealing with the Catalan. White fianchettos his bishop with the
intention of putting black under lasting pressure on the queenside and in the centre. White
aims for a small but long-term edge, which he hopes to milk for the rest of the game
without taking much risk. The Catalan has always been a popular choice at the top level,
but recently it has also picked up in popularity at the amateur and club level, largely thanks
to the success of GM Avrukh’s 1. d4 repertoire series. }

d5

{ Black can still avoid the Catalan at this point by heading for the Bogo-Indian with Bb4+ or
the Modern Benoni with c5, but we will stay true to the spirit of this repertoire by playing
d5. }

4. Nf3 Bb4+

{ Our chosen variation against the Catalan is quite possibly the most solid. Our strategy, as
in the rest of the repertoire, is to hold and solidify the pawn on d5. The purpose of …Bb4+ is
to provoke white’s bishop to d2, before we retreat our bishop back to its normal square on
e7. As we shall see later, the bishop on d2 is actually a liability rather than a strength, since
it gets in the way of white’s usual plan in the Closed Catalan. }

5. Nbd2

{ Significantly rarer than the main move, 5. Bd2, but it isn’t as bad as its popularity
suggests. }

O-O 6. Qc2 { This isn’t good since it leaves White’s centre unsupported. }

c5 { Hitting White’s centre immediately. } 7. dxc5 Bxc5 8. Bg2

{ transposing to a line we already looked at after 5. Bg2. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]
[White “The Catalan”]

[Black “4.Nf3 5.Nbd2 Variation 2”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3

{ In this chapter we are dealing with the Catalan. White fianchettos his bishop with the
intention of putting black under lasting pressure on the queenside and in the centre. White
aims for a small but long-term edge, which he hopes to milk for the rest of the game
without taking much risk. The Catalan has always been a popular choice at the top level,
but recently it has also picked up in popularity at the amateur and club level, largely thanks
to the success of GM Avrukh’s 1. d4 repertoire series. }

d5

{ Black can still avoid the Catalan at this point by heading for the Bogo-Indian with Bb4+ or
the Modern Benoni with c5, but we will stay true to the spirit of this repertoire by playing
d5. }

4. Nf3 Bb4+

{ Our chosen variation against the Catalan is quite possibly the most solid. Our strategy, as
in the rest of the repertoire, is to hold and solidify the pawn on d5. The purpose of …Bb4+ is
to provoke white’s bishop to d2, before we retreat our bishop back to its normal square on
e7. As we shall see later, the bishop on d2 is actually a liability rather than a strength, since
it gets in the way of white’s usual plan in the Closed Catalan. }

5. Nbd2

{ Significantly rarer than the main move, 5. Bd2, but it isn’t as bad as its popularity
suggests. }

O-O 6. Bg2 dxc4

{ Black can also play with the more solid b6 here, however this seems like best way to
challenge white’s opening setup. With a knight on d2, it is difficult for white to win back the
pawn after we support it later with …b5, and it is often not too easy to find full
compensation for white. }

7. a3

{ is what the engine prefers initially, but it is countered quite easily: }

Bxd2+ { This seems a bit strange, but it works for concrete reasons. } 8.

Bxd2 Nc6 { Hitting d4. } 9. e3 Rb8 10. O-O b5 { Protecting c4. } 11. b3 cxb3

12. Qxb3 Bb7

{ White can’t take on b5 because of …Nxd4. This position was reached in a game between
Grischuk and Nakamura, which ended in a draw 11 moves later - white has enough for the
pawn, but not much more. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “The Catalan”]

[Black “4.Nf3 5.Nbd2 Variation 3”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3

{ In this chapter we are dealing with the Catalan. White fianchettos his bishop with the
intention of putting black under lasting pressure on the queenside and in the centre. White
aims for a small but long-term edge, which he hopes to milk for the rest of the game
without taking much risk. The Catalan has always been a popular choice at the top level,
but recently it has also picked up in popularity at the amateur and club level, largely thanks
to the success of GM Avrukh’s 1. d4 repertoire series. }

d5

{ Black can still avoid the Catalan at this point by heading for the Bogo-Indian with Bb4+ or
the Modern Benoni with c5, but we will stay true to the spirit of this repertoire by playing
d5. }

4. Nf3 Bb4+

{ Our chosen variation against the Catalan is quite possibly the most solid. Our strategy, as
in the rest of the repertoire, is to hold and solidify the pawn on d5. The purpose of …Bb4+ is
to provoke white’s bishop to d2, before we retreat our bishop back to its normal square on
e7. As we shall see later, the bishop on d2 is actually a liability rather than a strength, since
it gets in the way of white’s usual plan in the Closed Catalan. }

5. Nbd2

{ Significantly rarer than the main move, 5. Bd2, but it isn’t as bad as its popularity
suggests. }

O-O 6. Bg2 dxc4

{ Black can also play with the more solid 6.. .b6 here, however this seems like best way to
challenge white’s opening setup. With a knight on d2, it is difficult for white to win back the
pawn after we support it later with …b5, and it is often not too easy to find full
compensation for white. }

7. O-O { Unpinning the knight and now attacking c4. } b5

{ Supporting c4. Note that Ne5 can simply be met …Nd5. } 8. a4

{ White chips away at the pawn supporting c4. } c6 9. axb5 cxb5 10. Ng5

{ White tries his luck with a kingside attack. } Nd5 11. e4

{ Kicking our knight back and opening up the diagonal for the queen. }

Nc7 12. Nxh7

{ This sacrifice was white’s idea since 10. Ng5, but it doesn’t score very well for white and
with some accurate defence (or engine analysis !) from black he should get an advantage. }

Kxh7 13. e5 { Attacking the rook on a8. } g6

{ Stopping white’s attack in its tracks. } 14. Bxa8 Nxa8 15. Qf3 Bd7

{ Leaving the knight hanging and rather getting the bishop into the game. } 16.

Qxa8 { is a losing blunder in fact: } Bc6 17. Qxa7 c3 18. bxc3 Bxc3

{ Black’s monstrous bishops are decisive. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]
[Round “?”]

[White “The Catalan”]

[Black “4.Nf3 5.Nbd2 Variation 4”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3

{ In this chapter we are dealing with the Catalan. White fianchettos his bishop with the
intention of putting black under lasting pressure on the queenside and in the centre. White
aims for a small but long-term edge, which he hopes to milk for the rest of the game
without taking much risk. The Catalan has always been a popular choice at the top level,
but recently it has also picked up in popularity at the amateur and club level, largely thanks
to the success of GM Avrukh’s 1. d4 repertoire series. }

d5

{ Black can still avoid the Catalan at this point by heading for the Bogo-Indian with Bb4+ or
the Modern Benoni with c5, but we will stay true to the spirit of this repertoire by playing
d5. }

4. Nf3 Bb4+

{ Our chosen variation against the Catalan is quite possibly the most solid. Our strategy, as
in the rest of the repertoire, is to hold and solidify the pawn on d5. The purpose of …Bb4+ is
to provoke white’s bishop to d2, before we retreat our bishop back to its normal square on
e7. As we shall see later, the bishop on d2 is actually a liability rather than a strength, since
it gets in the way of white’s usual plan in the Closed Catalan. }

5. Nbd2

{ Significantly rarer than the main move, 5. Bd2, but it isn’t as bad as its popularity
suggests. }

O-O 6. Bg2 dxc4

{ Black can also play with the more solid 6.. .b6 here, however this seems like best way to
challenge white’s opening setup. With a knight on d2, it is difficult for white to win back the
pawn after we support it later with …b5, and it is often not too easy to find full
compensation for white. }

7. O-O { Unpinning the knight and now attacking c4. } b5 8. a4

{ White chips away at the pawn supporting c4. } c6 9. axb5 cxb5 10. Ng5

{ White tries his luck with a kingside attack. } Nd5 11. e4

{ Kicking our knight back and opening up the diagonal for the queen. }

Nc7 12. Nxh7

{ This sacrifice was white’s idea since 10. Ng5, but it doesn’t score very well for white and
with some accurate defence (or engine analysis !) from black he should get an advantage. }

Kxh7 13. e5 { Attacking the rook on a8. } g6

{ Stopping white’s attack in its tracks. } 14. Bxa8 Nxa8 15. Qf3 Bd7

{ Leaving the knight hanging and rather getting the bishop into the game. } 16.

Ne4 Be7 { Covering the dark squares around our king. } 17. Qf4 Kg8 18. h4 Nc6

19. Be3 f5

{ White’s attack has mostly fizzled out, leaving us clearly better. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “The Catalan”]

[Black “4.Nf3 5.Nbd2 Variation 5”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3

{ In this chapter we are dealing with the Catalan. White fianchettos his bishop with the
intention of putting black under lasting pressure on the queenside and in the centre. White
aims for a small but long-term edge, which he hopes to milk for the rest of the game
without taking much risk. The Catalan has always been a popular choice at the top level,
but recently it has also picked up in popularity at the amateur and club level, largely thanks
to the success of GM Avrukh’s 1. d4 repertoire series. }

d5

{ Black can still avoid the Catalan at this point by heading for the Bogo-Indian with Bb4+ or
the Modern Benoni with c5, but we will stay true to the spirit of this repertoire by playing
d5. }

4. Nf3 Bb4+

{ Our chosen variation against the Catalan is quite possibly the most solid. Our strategy, as
in the rest of the repertoire, is to hold and solidify the pawn on d5. The purpose of …Bb4+ is
to provoke white’s bishop to d2, before we retreat our bishop back to its normal square on
e7. As we shall see later, the bishop on d2 is actually a liability rather than a strength, since
it gets in the way of white’s usual plan in the Closed Catalan. }

5. Nbd2

{ Significantly rarer than the main move, 5. Bd2, but it isn’t as bad as its popularity
suggests. }

O-O 6. Bg2 dxc4

{ Black can also play with the more solid 6.. .b6 here, however this seems like best way to
challenge white’s opening setup. With a knight on d2, it is difficult for white to win back the
pawn after we support it later with …b5, and it is often not too easy to find full
compensation for white. }

7. O-O { Unpinning the knight and now attacking c4. } b5 8. a4

{ White chips away at the pawn supporting c4. } c6 9. axb5 cxb5 10. Ng5

{ White tries his luck with a kingside attack. } Nd5 11. e4

{ Kicking our knight back and opening up the diagonal for the queen. }

Nc7 12. Nxh7

{ This sacrifice was white’s idea since 10. Ng5, but it doesn’t score very well for white and
with some accurate defence (or engine analysis !) from black he should get an advantage. }

Kxh7 13. Qh5+ Kg8 14. e5 { Attacking our rook on a8. } f5

{ A novelty, unsurprisingly. …f5 secures our king. The engine line which follows is actually
quite amazing: }
15. Bxa8 Nxa8 16. Rxa7 Bd7

{ A pretty amazing move - black sacrifices his knight on a8 just to end white’s attacking
hopes. The problem with Nc7 is that white’s attack becomes dangerous after 17. Nf3
followed by 18. Ng5. Note that 17. Nf3 can now be met by …Qe8 !. }

17. Rxa8 Bc6 { Chasing the rook away. } 18. Ra7 Be8

{ With the Rook away from a8, we can kick White’s Queen away from h5 without leaving
our own Queen tied to the defence of the Knight on b8. }

19. Qd1 Qxd4

{ White’s attack is over and the tables have turned. Despite black being an exchange down,
his activity and attacking chances give him a near-winning advantage. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “The Catalan”]

[Black “4.Nf3 5.Nbd2 Variation 6”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3

{ In this chapter we are dealing with the Catalan. White fianchettos his bishop with the
intention of putting black under lasting pressure on the queenside and in the centre. White
aims for a small but long-term edge, which he hopes to milk for the rest of the game
without taking much risk. The Catalan has always been a popular choice at the top level,
but recently it has also picked up in popularity at the amateur and club level, largely thanks
to the success of GM Avrukh’s 1. d4 repertoire series. }

d5

{ Black can still avoid the Catalan at this point by heading for the Bogo-Indian with Bb4+ or
the Modern Benoni with c5, but we will stay true to the spirit of this repertoire by playing
d5. }
4. Nf3 Bb4+

{ Our chosen variation against the Catalan is quite possibly the most solid. Our strategy, as
in the rest of the repertoire, is to hold and solidify the pawn on d5. The purpose of …Bb4+ is
to provoke white’s bishop to d2, before we retreat our bishop back to its normal square on
e7. As we shall see later, the bishop on d2 is actually a liability rather than a strength, since
it gets in the way of white’s usual plan in the Closed Catalan. }

5. Nbd2

{ Significantly rarer than the main move, 5. Bd2, but it isn’t as bad as its popularity
suggests. }

O-O 6. Bg2 dxc4

{ Black can also play with the more solid 6.. .b6 here, however this seems like best way to
challenge white’s opening setup. With a knight on d2, it is difficult for white to win back the
pawn after we support it later with …b5, and it is often not too easy to find full
compensation for white. }

7. O-O { Unpinning the knight and now attacking c4. } b5 8. a4

{ White chips away at the pawn supporting c4. } c6 9. Ne1

{ White frees up the long diagonal. } Nd5 10. e4 Nb6 11. a5 N6d7

{ Black is at least equal here. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “The Catalan”]

[Black “4.Nf3 5.Nbd2 Variation 7”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3
{ In this chapter we are dealing with the Catalan. White fianchettos his bishop with the
intention of putting black under lasting pressure on the queenside and in the centre. White
aims for a small but long-term edge, which he hopes to milk for the rest of the game
without taking much risk. The Catalan has always been a popular choice at the top level,
but recently it has also picked up in popularity at the amateur and club level, largely thanks
to the success of GM Avrukh’s 1. d4 repertoire series. }

d5

{ Black can still avoid the Catalan at this point by heading for the Bogo-Indian with Bb4+ or
the Modern Benoni with c5, but we will stay true to the spirit of this repertoire by playing
d5. }

4. Nf3 Bb4+

{ Our chosen variation against the Catalan is quite possibly the most solid. Our strategy, as
in the rest of the repertoire, is to hold and solidify the pawn on d5. The purpose of …Bb4+ is
to provoke white’s bishop to d2, before we retreat our bishop back to its normal square on
e7. As we shall see later, the bishop on d2 is actually a liability rather than a strength, since
it gets in the way of white’s usual plan in the Closed Catalan. }

5. Nbd2

{ Significantly rarer than the main move, 5. Bd2, but it isn’t as bad as its popularity
suggests. }

O-O 6. Bg2 dxc4

{ Black can also play with the more solid 6.. .b6 here, however this seems like best way to
challenge white’s opening setup. With a knight on d2, it is difficult for white to win back the
pawn after we support it later with …b5, and it is often not too easy to find full
compensation for white. }

7. O-O { Unpinning the knight and now attacking c4. } b5 8. a4

{ White chips away at the pawn supporting c4. } c6 9. Qc2 a5

{ A fairly standard move in this position, covering the bishop. } 10. b3 cxb3

11. Nxb3 bxa4 12. Rxa4 Ba6

{ White doesn’t have full compensation for the pawn. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “The Catalan”]

[Black “4.Nf3 5.Nbd2 Variation 8”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3

{ In this chapter we are dealing with the Catalan. White fianchettos his bishop with the
intention of putting black under lasting pressure on the queenside and in the centre. White
aims for a small but long-term edge, which he hopes to milk for the rest of the game
without taking much risk. The Catalan has always been a popular choice at the top level,
but recently it has also picked up in popularity at the amateur and club level, largely thanks
to the success of GM Avrukh’s 1. d4 repertoire series. }

d5

{ Black can still avoid the Catalan at this point by heading for the Bogo-Indian with Bb4+ or
the Modern Benoni with c5, but we will stay true to the spirit of this repertoire by playing
d5. }

4. Nf3 Bb4+

{ Our chosen variation against the Catalan is quite possibly the most solid. Our strategy, as
in the rest of the repertoire, is to hold and solidify the pawn on d5. The purpose of …Bb4+ is
to provoke white’s bishop to d2, before we retreat our bishop back to its normal square on
e7. As we shall see later, the bishop on d2 is actually a liability rather than a strength, since
it gets in the way of white’s usual plan in the Closed Catalan. }

5. Nbd2

{ Significantly rarer than the main move, 5. Bd2, but it isn’t as bad as its popularity
suggests. }

O-O 6. Bg2 dxc4

{ Black can also play with the more solid 6.. .b6 here, however this seems like best way to
challenge white’s opening setup. With a knight on d2, it is difficult for white to win back the
pawn after we support it later with …b5, and it is often not too easy to find full
compensation for white. }

7. Qc2 { White hurries to regain the c4 pawn with his queen. } a5

{ It’s important to note that the natural b5 runs into tactical problems after 8. a4. }

8. Qxc4

{ White regains the pawn, but we can now exploit white’s queen’s position. The alternative,
8. O-O, allows us to play …b5 which just transposes to the lines after 7. O-O. }

b6

{ With the idea of …Ba6 - white can’t castle now because e2 would hang. } 9.

a3 Be7 10. Ne5 { Hitting our rook. } Ra7 11. Ndf3 Ba6 12. Qa4 c5 13. dxc5

Bxc5 { Black’s strong bishops make his position slightly preferable. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “The Catalan”]

[Black “4.Nf3 5.Nbd2 Variation 9”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3

{ In this chapter we are dealing with the Catalan. White fianchettos his bishop with the
intention of putting black under lasting pressure on the queenside and in the centre. White
aims for a small but long-term edge, which he hopes to milk for the rest of the game
without taking much risk. The Catalan has always been a popular choice at the top level,
but recently it has also picked up in popularity at the amateur and club level, largely thanks
to the success of GM Avrukh’s 1. d4 repertoire series. }

d5
{ Black can still avoid the Catalan at this point by heading for the Bogo-Indian with Bb4+ or
the Modern Benoni with c5, but we will stay true to the spirit of this repertoire by playing
d5. }

4. Nf3 Bb4+

{ Our chosen variation against the Catalan is quite possibly the most solid. Our strategy, as
in the rest of the repertoire, is to hold and solidify the pawn on d5. The purpose of …Bb4+ is
to provoke white’s bishop to d2, before we retreat our bishop back to its normal square on
e7. As we shall see later, the bishop on d2 is actually a liability rather than a strength, since
it gets in the way of white’s usual plan in the Closed Catalan. }

5. Nbd2

{ Significantly rarer than the main move, 5. Bd2, but it isn’t as bad as its popularity
suggests. }

O-O 6. Bg2 dxc4

{ Black can also play with the more solid 6.. .b6 here, however this seems like best way to
challenge white’s opening setup. With a knight on d2, it is difficult for white to win back the
pawn after we support it later with …b5, and it is often not too easy to find full
compensation for white. }

7. Qc2 { White hurries to regain the c4 pawn with his queen. } a5

{ It’s important to note that the natural b5 runs into tactical problems after 8. a4. }

8. Qxc4

{ White regains the pawn, but we can now exploit white’s queen’s position. The alternative,
8. O-O, allows us to play …b5 which just transposes to the lines after 7. O-O. }

b6

{ With the idea of …Ba6 - white can’t castle now because e2 would hang. } 9.

Qc2 { Prophylactically retreating the queen. } Bb7 10. O-O Nbd7

{ With all our pieces on good squares, black has absolutely no problems. Next we can play
for the …c5 break. }

[Site “?”]
[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “The Catalan”]

[Black “4.Nf3 5.Nc3”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3

{ In this chapter we are dealing with the Catalan. White fianchettos his bishop with the
intention of putting black under lasting pressure on the queenside and in the centre. White
aims for a small but long-term edge, which he hopes to milk for the rest of the game
without taking much risk. The Catalan has always been a popular choice at the top level,
but recently it has also picked up in popularity at the amateur and club level, largely thanks
to the success of GM Avrukh’s 1. d4 repertoire series. }

d5

{ Black can still avoid the Catalan at this point by heading for the Bogo-Indian with Bb4+ or
the Modern Benoni with c5, but we will stay true to the spirit of this repertoire by playing
d5. }

4. Nf3 Bb4+

{ Our chosen variation against the Catalan is quite possibly the most solid. Our strategy, as
in the rest of the repertoire, is to hold and solidify the pawn on d5. The purpose of …Bb4+ is
to provoke white’s bishop to d2, before we retreat our bishop back to its normal square on
e7. As we shall see later, the bishop on d2 is actually a liability rather than a strength, since
it gets in the way of white’s usual plan in the Closed Catalan. }

5. Nc3 O-O 6. Bg2 dxc4 { transposes to the line after 4. Bg2. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “The Catalan”]

[Black “4.Nf3 5.Bd2 8.Qb3”]

1. d4 Nf6

{ In this chapter we will be dealing with white’s various early deviations after 1. d4 - in
other words, all white’s options that are not a Nimzo-Indian, Ragozin or a Catalan. This
means that options such as the Trompowsky, London and Veresov will be covered here.
Naturally, we can’t cover all of white’s deviations in a single chapter, as there are simply far
too many - however, we will recommend lines against the most common and most critical
ones. Against any deviations not covered yet, common sense development should suffice
for equality. After analysing the d4 deviations white can throw at us, it became apparent
that it’s best to go for lines which are low-theory, safe and solid. There’s already enough
theory as it is in the Nimzo-Indian and Ragozin without learning more against rare white
tries. One of the difficult things about learning to counter many of these d4 deviations is the
fact that white can switch up the move order very easily and there are plenty of
transpositions. This is why we recommend, for this chapter especially, to pay more
attention to the plans and development schemes we use. }

2. c4 e6 3. g3

{ In this chapter we are dealing with the Catalan. White fianchettos his bishop with the
intention of putting black under lasting pressure on the queenside and in the centre. White
aims for a small but long-term edge, which he hopes to milk for the rest of the game
without taking much risk. The Catalan has always been a popular choice at the top level,
but recently it has also picked up in popularity at the amateur and club level, largely thanks
to the success of GM Avrukh’s 1. d4 repertoire series. }

d5

{ Black can still avoid the Catalan at this point by heading for the Bogo-Indian with Bb4+ or
the Modern Benoni with c5, but we will stay true to the spirit of this repertoire by playing
d5. }

4. Nf3 Bb4+

{ Our chosen variation against the Catalan is quite possibly the most solid. Our strategy, as
in the rest of the repertoire, is to hold and solidify the pawn on d5. The purpose of …Bb4+ is
to provoke white’s bishop to d2, before we retreat our bishop back to its normal square on
e7. As we shall see later, the bishop on d2 is actually a liability rather than a strength, since
it gets in the way of white’s usual plan in the Closed Catalan. }

5. Bd2 { By far the most common way of blocking the check. } Be7
{ Now that the bishop’s job of provoking white’s dark bishop to d2 is done, we bring the
bishop back to its normal square on e7. Recently, black has been playing the bishop to d6 as
well, which has some pros and cons - however, Be7 is the established mainline, so this is
what we’ll cover. }

6. Bg2 O-O 7. O-O c6 { Solidifying the d5 pawn. } 8. Qb3

{ This is a relatively rare but decent try with two main points to it. Firstly, white covers c4
while ensuring that Nc3 doesn’t block the queen’s access to c4, and secondly it prepares
Bb4 which can sometimes by played to exchange our good bishop. }

a5

{ b6 followed by …Ba6 is a solid alternative which is perfectly viable, and featured in the
the 2018 Candidates tournament. The downside there is that white’s idea is to play cxd5
and after …cxd5, black has limited winning chances unfortunately. a5 is a bit rarer, but is
catching up in popularity for good reason. It has three main points to it: it prevents Bb4, …
a4 can be useful to kick white’s queen away sometimes, and finally we don’t commit to …
b6 meaning that we can meet cxd5 with …exd5 without leaving c6 weak. }

9. Nc3 Nbd7 10. Rfd1 a4 { Harassing white’s queen and preparing ..dxc4. } 11.

Nxa4 dxc4 12. Qc2 b5 13. Nc3 Qb6

{ We reach a dynamically balanced position with good chances for both sides. We have
opened the diagonal for white’s dangerous Catalan bishop, but we have a dangerous
queenside pawn mass to show for it. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “The Catalan”]

[Black “4.Nf3 5.Bd2 8.Nc3”]

1. d4 Nf6
{ In this chapter we will be dealing with white’s various early deviations after 1. d4 - in
other words, all white’s options that are not a Nimzo-Indian, Ragozin or a Catalan. This
means that options such as the Trompowsky, London and Veresov will be covered here.
Naturally, we can’t cover all of white’s deviations in a single chapter, as there are simply far
too many - however, we will recommend lines against the most common and most critical
ones. Against any deviations not covered yet, common sense development should suffice
for equality. After analysing the d4 deviations white can throw at us, it became apparent
that it’s best to go for lines which are low-theory, safe and solid. There’s already enough
theory as it is in the Nimzo-Indian and Ragozin without learning more against rare white
tries. One of the difficult things about learning to counter many of these d4 deviations is the
fact that white can switch up the move order very easily and there are plenty of
transpositions. This is why we recommend, for this chapter especially, to pay more
attention to the plans and development schemes we use. }

2. c4 e6 3. g3

{ In this chapter we are dealing with the Catalan. White fianchettos his bishop with the
intention of putting black under lasting pressure on the queenside and in the centre. White
aims for a small but long-term edge, which he hopes to milk for the rest of the game
without taking much risk. The Catalan has always been a popular choice at the top level,
but recently it has also picked up in popularity at the amateur and club level, largely thanks
to the success of GM Avrukh’s 1. d4 repertoire series. }

d5

{ Black can still avoid the Catalan at this point by heading for the Bogo-Indian with Bb4+ or
the Modern Benoni with c5, but we will stay true to the spirit of this repertoire by playing
d5. }

4. Nf3 Bb4+

{ Our chosen variation against the Catalan is quite possibly the most solid. Our strategy, as
in the rest of the repertoire, is to hold and solidify the pawn on d5. The purpose of …Bb4+ is
to provoke white’s bishop to d2, before we retreat our bishop back to its normal square on
e7. As we shall see later, the bishop on d2 is actually a liability rather than a strength, since
it gets in the way of white’s usual plan in the Closed Catalan. }

5. Bd2 { By far the most common way of blocking the check. } Be7

{ Now that the bishop’s job of provoking white’s dark bishop to d2 is done, we bring the
bishop back to its normal square on e7. Recently, black has been playing the bishop to d6 as
well, which has some pros and cons - however, Be7 is the established mainline, so this is
what we’ll cover. }

6. Bg2 O-O 7. O-O c6 { Solidifying the d5 pawn. } 8. Nc3

{ leaves c4 uncovered, which we exploit in the usual way. } dxc4 9. a4 a5

{ Securing the b4 outpost for black’s minor pieces. } 10. e4 b5

{ A bolt from the blue and a strong novelty. We give back the pawn in order to free our
pieces, especially our light bishop which is now free to challenge the Catalan bishop on g2. }

11. axb5 cxb5 12. Nxb5 Bb7

{ Nxe4 allows white some activity after 13. Ne5, so this is better. } 13.

e5 Ne4

{ Black is doing well here. Black wants to go …Nxd2 next, and if Be3 we maneuver our
knight into b4 with …Nb8-a6-b4. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “The Catalan”]

[Black “4.Nf3 5.Bd2 8.Bf4”]

1. d4 Nf6

{ In this chapter we will be dealing with white’s various early deviations after 1. d4 - in
other words, all white’s options that are not a Nimzo-Indian, Ragozin or a Catalan. This
means that options such as the Trompowsky, London and Veresov will be covered here.
Naturally, we can’t cover all of white’s deviations in a single chapter, as there are simply far
too many - however, we will recommend lines against the most common and most critical
ones. Against any deviations not covered yet, common sense development should suffice
for equality. After analysing the d4 deviations white can throw at us, it became apparent
that it’s best to go for lines which are low-theory, safe and solid. There’s already enough
theory as it is in the Nimzo-Indian and Ragozin without learning more against rare white
tries. One of the difficult things about learning to counter many of these d4 deviations is the
fact that white can switch up the move order very easily and there are plenty of
transpositions. This is why we recommend, for this chapter especially, to pay more
attention to the plans and development schemes we use. }

2. c4 e6 3. g3

{ In this chapter we are dealing with the Catalan. White fianchettos his bishop with the
intention of putting black under lasting pressure on the queenside and in the centre. White
aims for a small but long-term edge, which he hopes to milk for the rest of the game
without taking much risk. The Catalan has always been a popular choice at the top level,
but recently it has also picked up in popularity at the amateur and club level, largely thanks
to the success of GM Avrukh’s 1. d4 repertoire series. }

d5

{ Black can still avoid the Catalan at this point by heading for the Bogo-Indian with Bb4+ or
the Modern Benoni with c5, but we will stay true to the spirit of this repertoire by playing
d5. }

4. Nf3 Bb4+

{ Our chosen variation against the Catalan is quite possibly the most solid. Our strategy, as
in the rest of the repertoire, is to hold and solidify the pawn on d5. The purpose of …Bb4+ is
to provoke white’s bishop to d2, before we retreat our bishop back to its normal square on
e7. As we shall see later, the bishop on d2 is actually a liability rather than a strength, since
it gets in the way of white’s usual plan in the Closed Catalan. }

5. Bd2 { By far the most common way of blocking the check. } Be7

{ Now that the bishop’s job of provoking white’s dark bishop to d2 is done, we bring the
bishop back to its normal square on e7. Recently, black has been playing the bishop to d6 as
well, which has some pros and cons - however, Be7 is the established mainline, so this is
what we’ll cover. }

6. Bg2 O-O 7. O-O c6 { Solidifying the d5 pawn. } 8. Bf4

{ White foregoes protecting c4 and develops his bishop immediately. } dxc4

{ Simply developing with Nbd7 is also a popular and good way to play, hoping for a
transposition with 9. Qc2, but white does have the independent option of Nc3 there. }

9. Ne5 Nd5 { Intending to pick up the bishop pair. } 10. Nxc4 Nxf4 11. gxf4 Nd7

{ White’s space advantage and solid centre is compensated by our bishop pair. Black can
take his pick from two plans here: the solid … Nd7-b6-d5 plan favoured in multiple games
by Karjakin, or the …Qc7 …b6 plan with the intention of solving the problem of the c8
bishop with …Bb7. }
[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “The Catalan”]

[Black “4.Nf3 5.Bd2 9.Bf4 Variation 1”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3

{ In this chapter we are dealing with the Catalan. White fianchettos his bishop with the
intention of putting black under lasting pressure on the queenside and in the centre. White
aims for a small but long-term edge, which he hopes to milk for the rest of the game
without taking much risk. The Catalan has always been a popular choice at the top level,
but recently it has also picked up in popularity at the amateur and club level, largely thanks
to the success of GM Avrukh’s 1. d4 repertoire series. }

d5

{ Black can still avoid the Catalan at this point by heading for the Bogo-Indian with Bb4+ or
the Modern Benoni with c5, but we will stay true to the spirit of this repertoire by playing
d5. }

4. Nf3 Bb4+

{ Our chosen variation against the Catalan is quite possibly the most solid. Our strategy, as
in the rest of the repertoire, is to hold and solidify the pawn on d5. The purpose of …Bb4+ is
to provoke white’s bishop to d2, before we retreat our bishop back to its normal square on
e7. As we shall see later, the bishop on d2 is actually a liability rather than a strength, since
it gets in the way of white’s usual plan in the Closed Catalan. }

5. Bd2 { By far the most common way of blocking the check. } Be7

{ Now that the bishop’s job of provoking white’s dark bishop to d2 is done, we bring the
bishop back to its normal square on e7. Recently, black has been playing the bishop to d6 as
well, which has some pros and cons - however, Be7 is the established mainline, so this is
what we’ll cover. }
6. Bg2 O-O 7. O-O c6 { Solidifying the d5 pawn. } 8. Qc2 Nbd7

{ This is the critical ‘starting position’ of this variation, which can be reached via a variety of
move orders. First thing to take note of is the bishop on d2. Usually in the Closed Catalan,
white will play Nbd2 followed by e4 with a good position. Clearly, with the bishop on d2
this isn’t possible. So by playing the …Bb4-e7 manoeuvre and provoking Bd2, black might
have just gained a tempo (at best) . White can try meet our variation with two different
mindsets: he can either try to make use of the bishop on d2, or he will move it at some
point to another square (usually f4, sometimes c1) . Over the next few moves, white will be
playing some improving moves. He wants to see what black is doing with his light bishop
(whether it will go to b7 or a6) before he commits his queenside knight. If the bishop puts
pressure on c4 from a6, then Nc3 is not ideal - otherwise white can develop the knight
actively to c3. In most cases we will be developing our light bishop to a6 so that it can
pressurise c4, as this limits white’s options. The main waiting/improving moves white can
play are Bf4, Rd1 and b3. The order of these can be swapped around quite easily. }

9. Bf4 { Activating the bishop and possibly freeing up d2 for the knight. }

b6 { Note that 10. Rd1 and 10. b3 transpose to lines covered later. } 10.

Nbd2 { Prepares e4, but blocks the f4-bishop’s escape route. } Nh5 11.

Be3 Ba6 12. Rfd1 Nhf6 { transposing to a line covered after 9. ���d1. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “The Catalan”]

[Black “4.Nf3 5.Bd2 9.Bf4 Variation 2”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3

{ In this chapter we are dealing with the Catalan. White fianchettos his bishop with the
intention of putting black under lasting pressure on the queenside and in the centre. White
aims for a small but long-term edge, which he hopes to milk for the rest of the game
without taking much risk. The Catalan has always been a popular choice at the top level,
but recently it has also picked up in popularity at the amateur and club level, largely thanks
to the success of GM Avrukh’s 1. d4 repertoire series. }

d5

{ Black can still avoid the Catalan at this point by heading for the Bogo-Indian with Bb4+ or
the Modern Benoni with c5, but we will stay true to the spirit of this repertoire by playing
d5. }

4. Nf3 Bb4+

{ Our chosen variation against the Catalan is quite possibly the most solid. Our strategy, as
in the rest of the repertoire, is to hold and solidify the pawn on d5. The purpose of …Bb4+ is
to provoke white’s bishop to d2, before we retreat our bishop back to its normal square on
e7. As we shall see later, the bishop on d2 is actually a liability rather than a strength, since
it gets in the way of white’s usual plan in the Closed Catalan. }

5. Bd2 { By far the most common way of blocking the check. } Be7

{ Now that the bishop’s job of provoking white’s dark bishop to d2 is done, we bring the
bishop back to its normal square on e7. Recently, black has been playing the bishop to d6 as
well, which has some pros and cons - however, Be7 is the established mainline, so this is
what we’ll cover. }

6. Bg2 O-O 7. O-O c6 { Solidifying the d5 pawn. } 8. Qc2 Nbd7

{ This is the critical ‘starting position’ of this variation, which can be reached via a variety of
move orders. First thing to take note of is the bishop on d2. Usually in the Closed Catalan,
white will play Nbd2 followed by e4 with a good position. Clearly, with the bishop on d2
this isn’t possible. So by playing the …Bb4-e7 manoeuvre and provoking Bd2, black might
have just gained a tempo (at best) . White can try meet our variation with two different
mindsets: he can either try to make use of the bishop on d2, or he will move it at some
point to another square (usually f4, sometimes c1) . Over the next few moves, white will be
playing some improving moves. He wants to see what black is doing with his light bishop
(whether it will go to b7 or a6) before he commits his queenside knight. If the bishop puts
pressure on c4 from a6, then Nc3 is not ideal - otherwise white can develop the knight
actively to c3. In most cases we will be developing our light bishop to a6 so that it can
pressurise c4, as this limits white’s options. The main waiting/improving moves white can
play are Bf4, Rd1 and b3. The order of these can be swapped around quite easily. }

9. Bf4 { Activating the bishop and possibly freeing up d2 for the knight. }

b6 { Note that 10. Rd1 and 10. b3 transpose to lines covered later. } 10.

Nc3
{ Developing the knight like this invites black to exploit the hanging c4 pawn. }

dxc4 11. Nd2 { The only good way white can try to regain the pawn. }

Nd5 { Protecting the hanging c6 pawn. } 12. Nxc4 Ba6

{ Aiming for minor piece exchanges. } 13. Qa4 Nxf4 14. gxf4 Bxc4 15. Qxc4 Rc8

{ Black has no real problems here. He can bring his knight to d5 via f6 to neutralise white’s
strong bishop or play for the …c5 break (maybe …b5, … a6 followed by ..c5) . }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “The Catalan”]

[Black “4.Nf3 5.Bd2 9.Bf4 Variation 3”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3

{ In this chapter we are dealing with the Catalan. White fianchettos his bishop with the
intention of putting black under lasting pressure on the queenside and in the centre. White
aims for a small but long-term edge, which he hopes to milk for the rest of the game
without taking much risk. The Catalan has always been a popular choice at the top level,
but recently it has also picked up in popularity at the amateur and club level, largely thanks
to the success of GM Avrukh’s 1. d4 repertoire series. }

d5

{ Black can still avoid the Catalan at this point by heading for the Bogo-Indian with Bb4+ or
the Modern Benoni with c5, but we will stay true to the spirit of this repertoire by playing
d5. }

4. Nf3 Bb4+

{ Our chosen variation against the Catalan is quite possibly the most solid. Our strategy, as
in the rest of the repertoire, is to hold and solidify the pawn on d5. The purpose of …Bb4+ is
to provoke white’s bishop to d2, before we retreat our bishop back to its normal square on
e7. As we shall see later, the bishop on d2 is actually a liability rather than a strength, since
it gets in the way of white’s usual plan in the Closed Catalan. }

5. Bd2 { By far the most common way of blocking the check. } Be7

{ Now that the bishop’s job of provoking white’s dark bishop to d2 is done, we bring the
bishop back to its normal square on e7. Recently, black has been playing the bishop to d6 as
well, which has some pros and cons - however, Be7 is the established mainline, so this is
what we’ll cover. }

6. Bg2 O-O 7. O-O c6 { Solidifying the d5 pawn. } 8. Qc2 Nbd7

{ This is the critical ‘starting position’ of this variation, which can be reached via a variety of
move orders. First thing to take note of is the bishop on d2. Usually in the Closed Catalan,
white will play Nbd2 followed by e4 with a good position. Clearly, with the bishop on d2
this isn’t possible. So by playing the …Bb4-e7 manoeuvre and provoking Bd2, black might
have just gained a tempo (at best) . White can try meet our variation with two different
mindsets: he can either try to make use of the bishop on d2, or he will move it at some
point to another square (usually f4, sometimes c1) . Over the next few moves, white will be
playing some improving moves. He wants to see what black is doing with his light bishop
(whether it will go to b7 or a6) before he commits his queenside knight. If the bishop puts
pressure on c4 from a6, then Nc3 is not ideal - otherwise white can develop the knight
actively to c3. In most cases we will be developing our light bishop to a6 so that it can
pressurise c4, as this limits white’s options. The main waiting/improving moves white can
play are Bf4, Rd1 and b3. The order of these can be swapped around quite easily. }

9. Bf4 { Activating the bishop and possibly freeing up d2 for the knight. }

b6 { Note that 10. Rd1 and 10. b3 transpose to lines covered later. } 10.

cxd5

{ White hopes to exploit the open c-file quickly, but this isn’t very challenging. }

cxd5

{ Almost irrespective of what white plays, all black really needs to do is play …Bb7, …Rc8
and then begin exchanging some pieces. }

11. Rc1 Bb7

{ With only one open file on the board, there are bound to be mass exchanges soon. }

12. Qb3 Rc8 13. Rxc8 Qxc8 { Black is completely fine here. }
[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “The Catalan”]

[Black “4.Nf3 5.Bd2 9.b3 Variation 1”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3

{ In this chapter we are dealing with the Catalan. White fianchettos his bishop with the
intention of putting black under lasting pressure on the queenside and in the centre. White
aims for a small but long-term edge, which he hopes to milk for the rest of the game
without taking much risk. The Catalan has always been a popular choice at the top level,
but recently it has also picked up in popularity at the amateur and club level, largely thanks
to the success of GM Avrukh’s 1. d4 repertoire series. }

d5

{ Black can still avoid the Catalan at this point by heading for the Bogo-Indian with Bb4+ or
the Modern Benoni with c5, but we will stay true to the spirit of this repertoire by playing
d5. }

4. Nf3 Bb4+

{ Our chosen variation against the Catalan is quite possibly the most solid. Our strategy, as
in the rest of the repertoire, is to hold and solidify the pawn on d5. The purpose of …Bb4+ is
to provoke white’s bishop to d2, before we retreat our bishop back to its normal square on
e7. As we shall see later, the bishop on d2 is actually a liability rather than a strength, since
it gets in the way of white’s usual plan in the Closed Catalan. }

5. Bd2 { By far the most common way of blocking the check. } Be7

{ Now that the bishop’s job of provoking white’s dark bishop to d2 is done, we bring the
bishop back to its normal square on e7. Recently, black has been playing the bishop to d6 as
well, which has some pros and cons - however, Be7 is the established mainline, so this is
what we’ll cover. }

6. Bg2 O-O 7. O-O c6 { Solidifying the d5 pawn. } 8. Qc2 Nbd7

{ This is the critical “starting position” of this variation, which can be reached via a variety
of move orders. First thing to take note of is the bishop on d2. Usually in the Closed Catalan,
white will play Nbd2 followed by e4 with a good position. Clearly, with the bishop on d2
this isn’t possible. So by playing the …Bb4-e7 manoeuvre and provoking Bd2, black might
have just gained a tempo (at best) . White can try meet our variation with two different
mindsets: he can either try to make use of the bishop on d2, or he will move it at some
point to another square (usually f4, sometimes c1) . Over the next few moves, white will be
playing some improving moves. He wants to see what black is doing with his light bishop
(whether it will go to b7 or a6) before he commits his queenside knight. If the bishop puts
pressure on c4 from a6, then Nc3 is not ideal - otherwise white can develop the knight
actively to c3. In most cases we will be developing our light bishop to a6 so that it can
pressurise c4, as this limits white’s options. The main waiting/improving moves white can
play are Bf4, Rd1 and b3. The order of these can be swapped around quite easily. }

9. b3 { Covering c4. } b6 10. Bf4 Ba6

{ White should probably transpose to our mainline here with 11. Rd1, but he has one
independent option. }

11. Nbd2 { Blocking the bishop’s escape. } Nh5 12. Be3 Rc8

{ White doesn’t have anything much better than transposing to the mainline now with 13.
Rfd1. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “The Catalan”]

[Black “4.Nf3 5.Bd2 9.b3 Variation 2”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3

{ In this chapter we are dealing with the Catalan. White fianchettos his bishop with the
intention of putting black under lasting pressure on the queenside and in the centre. White
aims for a small but long-term edge, which he hopes to milk for the rest of the game
without taking much risk. The Catalan has always been a popular choice at the top level,
but recently it has also picked up in popularity at the amateur and club level, largely thanks
to the success of GM Avrukh’s 1. d4 repertoire series. }

d5

{ Black can still avoid the Catalan at this point by heading for the Bogo-Indian with Bb4+ or
the Modern Benoni with c5, but we will stay true to the spirit of this repertoire by playing
d5. }

4. Nf3 Bb4+

{ Our chosen variation against the Catalan is quite possibly the most solid. Our strategy, as
in the rest of the repertoire, is to hold and solidify the pawn on d5. The purpose of …Bb4+ is
to provoke white’s bishop to d2, before we retreat our bishop back to its normal square on
e7. As we shall see later, the bishop on d2 is actually a liability rather than a strength, since
it gets in the way of white’s usual plan in the Closed Catalan. }

5. Bd2 { By far the most common way of blocking the check. } Be7

{ Now that the bishop’s job of provoking white’s dark bishop to d2 is done, we bring the
bishop back to its normal square on e7. Recently, black has been playing the bishop to d6 as
well, which has some pros and cons - however, Be7 is the established mainline, so this is
what we’ll cover. }

6. Bg2 O-O 7. O-O c6 { Solidifying the d5 pawn. } 8. Qc2 Nbd7

{ This is the critical “starting position” of this variation, which can be reached via a variety
of move orders. First thing to take note of is the bishop on d2. Usually in the Closed Catalan,
white will play Nbd2 followed by e4 with a good position. Clearly, with the bishop on d2
this isn’t possible. So by playing the …Bb4-e7 manoeuvre and provoking Bd2, black might
have just gained a tempo (at best) . White can try meet our variation with two different
mindsets: he can either try to make use of the bishop on d2, or he will move it at some
point to another square (usually f4, sometimes c1) . Over the next few moves, white will be
playing some improving moves. He wants to see what black is doing with his light bishop
(whether it will go to b7 or a6) before he commits his queenside knight. If the bishop puts
pressure on c4 from a6, then Nc3 is not ideal - otherwise white can develop the knight
actively to c3. In most cases we will be developing our light bishop to a6 so that it can
pressurise c4, as this limits white’s options. The main waiting/improving moves white can
play are Bf4, Rd1 and b3. The order of these can be swapped around quite easily. }

9. b3 { Covering c4. } b6 10. Bc3

{ is one way white can try to make use of his bishop. Unfortunately for white, the bishop is a
bit in the way on the c-file which means that we should try to open it. }
Bb7 11. Nbd2 Rc8 { Preparing …c5. } 12. e4 c5

{ Black counters white’s central break with a break of his own. } 13. exd5 exd5

{ Black has equalised here fully - the centre will be liquidated within a couple moves, with
the game fizzling out into equality. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “The Catalan”]

[Black “4.Nf3 5.Bd2 9.Rd1 Variation 1”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3

{ In this chapter we are dealing with the Catalan. White fianchettos his bishop with the
intention of putting black under lasting pressure on the queenside and in the centre. White
aims for a small but long-term edge, which he hopes to milk for the rest of the game
without taking much risk. The Catalan has always been a popular choice at the top level,
but recently it has also picked up in popularity at the amateur and club level, largely thanks
to the success of GM Avrukh’s 1. d4 repertoire series. }

d5

{ Black can still avoid the Catalan at this point by heading for the Bogo-Indian with Bb4+ or
the Modern Benoni with c5, but we will stay true to the spirit of this repertoire by playing
d5. }

4. Nf3 Bb4+

{ Our chosen variation against the Catalan is quite possibly the most solid. Our strategy, as
in the rest of the repertoire, is to hold and solidify the pawn on d5. The purpose of …Bb4+ is
to provoke white’s bishop to d2, before we retreat our bishop back to its normal square on
e7. As we shall see later, the bishop on d2 is actually a liability rather than a strength, since
it gets in the way of white’s usual plan in the Closed Catalan. }
5. Bd2 { By far the most common way of blocking the check. } Be7

{ Now that the bishop’s job of provoking white’s dark bishop to d2 is done, we bring the
bishop back to its normal square on e7. Recently, black has been playing the bishop to d6 as
well, which has some pros and cons - however, Be7 is the established mainline, so this is
what we’ll cover. }

6. Bg2 O-O 7. O-O c6 { Solidifying the d5 pawn. } 8. Qc2 Nbd7

{ This is the critical “starting position” of this variation, which can be reached via a variety
of move orders. First thing to take note of is the bishop on d2. Usually in the Closed Catalan,
white will play Nbd2 followed by e4 with a good position. Clearly, with the bishop on d2
this isn’t possible. So by playing the …Bb4-e7 manoeuvre and provoking Bd2, black might
have just gained a tempo (at best) . White can try meet our variation with two different
mindsets: he can either try to make use of the bishop on d2, or he will move it at some
point to another square (usually f4, sometimes c1) . Over the next few moves, white will be
playing some improving moves. He wants to see what black is doing with his light bishop
(whether it will go to b7 or a6) before he commits his queenside knight. If the bishop puts
pressure on c4 from a6, then Nc3 is not ideal - otherwise white can develop the knight
actively to c3. In most cases we will be developing our light bishop to a6 so that it can
pressurise c4, as this limits white’s options. The main waiting/improving moves white can
play are Bf4, Rd1 and b3. The order of these can be swapped around quite easily. }

9. Rd1

{ A useful move. The rook will be well placed when the centre eventually opens up. }

b6 { Activating our light-squared bishop, of course. } 10. b3

{ Supporting c4 is white’s second most common move. } Ba6 11. Bc1

{ White spends a tempo to reroute his bishop to b2. } Rc8 12. Bb2 Qc7

{ Preparing the …c5 break. } 13. Nbd2 c5

{ A typical equalising break in this variation. } 14. Rac1 Qb8

{ Black has developed soundly and the central tension is bound to liquidate into complete
equality. }
[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “The Catalan”]

[Black “4.Nf3 5.Bd2 9.Rd1 Variation 2”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3

{ In this chapter we are dealing with the Catalan. White fianchettos his bishop with the
intention of putting black under lasting pressure on the queenside and in the centre. White
aims for a small but long-term edge, which he hopes to milk for the rest of the game
without taking much risk. The Catalan has always been a popular choice at the top level,
but recently it has also picked up in popularity at the amateur and club level, largely thanks
to the success of GM Avrukh’s 1. d4 repertoire series. }

d5

{ Black can still avoid the Catalan at this point by heading for the Bogo-Indian with Bb4+ or
the Modern Benoni with c5, but we will stay true to the spirit of this repertoire by playing
d5. }

4. Nf3 Bb4+

{ Our chosen variation against the Catalan is quite possibly the most solid. Our strategy, as
in the rest of the repertoire, is to hold and solidify the pawn on d5. The purpose of …Bb4+ is
to provoke white’s bishop to d2, before we retreat our bishop back to its normal square on
e7. As we shall see later, the bishop on d2 is actually a liability rather than a strength, since
it gets in the way of white’s usual plan in the Closed Catalan. }

5. Bd2 { By far the most common way of blocking the check. } Be7

{ Now that the bishop’s job of provoking white’s dark bishop to d2 is done, we bring the
bishop back to its normal square on e7. Recently, black has been playing the bishop to d6 as
well, which has some pros and cons - however, Be7 is the established mainline, so this is
what we’ll cover. }
6. Bg2 O-O 7. O-O c6 { Solidifying the d5 pawn. } 8. Qc2 Nbd7

{ This is the critical “starting position” of this variation, which can be reached via a variety
of move orders. First thing to take note of is the bishop on d2. Usually in the Closed Catalan,
white will play Nbd2 followed by e4 with a good position. Clearly, with the bishop on d2
this isn’t possible. So by playing the …Bb4-e7 manoeuvre and provoking Bd2, black might
have just gained a tempo (at best) . White can try meet our variation with two different
mindsets: he can either try to make use of the bishop on d2, or he will move it at some
point to another square (usually f4, sometimes c1) . Over the next few moves, white will be
playing some improving moves. He wants to see what black is doing with his light bishop
(whether it will go to b7 or a6) before he commits his queenside knight. If the bishop puts
pressure on c4 from a6, then Nc3 is not ideal - otherwise white can develop the knight
actively to c3. In most cases we will be developing our light bishop to a6 so that it can
pressurise c4, as this limits white’s options. The main waiting/improving moves white can
play are Bf4, Rd1 and b3. The order of these can be swapped around quite easily. }

9. Rd1

{ A useful move. The rook will be well placed when the centre eventually opens up. }

b6 { Activating our light-squared bishop, of course. } 10. b3

{ Supporting c4 is white’s second most common move. } Ba6 11. Bf4 Rc8

{ is covered in our mainline, after 10. Bf4. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “The Catalan”]

[Black “4.Nf3 5.Bd2 9.Rd1 Variation 3”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3
{ In this chapter we are dealing with the Catalan. White fianchettos his bishop with the
intention of putting black under lasting pressure on the queenside and in the centre. White
aims for a small but long-term edge, which he hopes to milk for the rest of the game
without taking much risk. The Catalan has always been a popular choice at the top level,
but recently it has also picked up in popularity at the amateur and club level, largely thanks
to the success of GM Avrukh’s 1. d4 repertoire series. }

d5

{ Black can still avoid the Catalan at this point by heading for the Bogo-Indian with Bb4+ or
the Modern Benoni with c5, but we will stay true to the spirit of this repertoire by playing
d5. }

4. Nf3 Bb4+

{ Our chosen variation against the Catalan is quite possibly the most solid. Our strategy, as
in the rest of the repertoire, is to hold and solidify the pawn on d5. The purpose of …Bb4+ is
to provoke white’s bishop to d2, before we retreat our bishop back to its normal square on
e7. As we shall see later, the bishop on d2 is actually a liability rather than a strength, since
it gets in the way of white’s usual plan in the Closed Catalan. }

5. Bd2 { By far the most common way of blocking the check. } Be7

{ Now that the bishop’s job of provoking white’s dark bishop to d2 is done, we bring the
bishop back to its normal square on e7. Recently, black has been playing the bishop to d6 as
well, which has some pros and cons - however, Be7 is the established mainline, so this is
what we’ll cover. }

6. Bg2 O-O 7. O-O c6 { Solidifying the d5 pawn. } 8. Qc2 Nbd7

{ This is the critical ‘starting position’ of this variation, which can be reached via a variety of
move orders. First thing to take note of is the bishop on d2. Usually in the Closed Catalan,
white will play Nbd2 followed by e4 with a good position. Clearly, with the bishop on d2
this isn’t possible. So by playing the …Bb4-e7 manoeuvre and provoking Bd2, black might
have just gained a tempo (at best) . White can try meet our variation with two different
mindsets: he can either try to make use of the bishop on d2, or he will move it at some
point to another square (usually f4, sometimes c1) . Over the next few moves, white will be
playing some improving moves. He wants to see what black is doing with his light bishop
(whether it will go to b7 or a6) before he commits his queenside knight. If the bishop puts
pressure on c4 from a6, then Nc3 is not ideal - otherwise white can develop the knight
actively to c3. In most cases we will be developing our light bishop to a6 so that it can
pressurise c4, as this limits white’s options. The main waiting/improving moves white can
play are Bf4, Rd1 and b3. The order of these can be swapped around quite easily. }

9. Rd1
{ A useful move. The rook will be well placed when the centre eventually opens up. }

b6 { Activating our light-squared bishop, of course. } 10. b3

{ Supporting c4 is white’s second most common move. } Ba6 11. a4

{ White’s most common choice in this position. He tries to make use of the bishop on d2
without moving it by using an a4-a5 pawn lever. }

Qc8

{ A small improving move. The d8 square is freed for our rook, the queen supports the …c5
break and can possibly also go to b7 later. It also has the added benefit of allowing our
bishop to retreat to b7 even when white plays a5, without having to worry about the
further a6 advance. }

12. a5 { The direct test of black’s setup. } dxc4

{ Black can open the long diagonal now that he can fight for it with …Bb7. }

13. bxc4 c5 { Challenging white in the centre. } 14. Bf4 cxd4 15. Nxd4 Bb7

{ Exchanging more pieces. } 16. Bxb7 Qxb7 17. Nc3 bxa5

{ Black deals with the irritating idea of a6. } 18. Nb3 a4

{ An improvement over Tomashevsky - Karjakin, where Karjakin did draw. } 19.

Nxa4 Rfc8 { Black is well-placed to deal with white’s passed c-pawn. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “The Catalan”]

[Black “4.Nf3 5.Bd2 9.Rd1 Variation 4”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3

{ In this chapter we are dealing with the Catalan. White fianchettos his bishop with the
intention of putting black under lasting pressure on the queenside and in the centre. White
aims for a small but long-term edge, which he hopes to milk for the rest of the game
without taking much risk. The Catalan has always been a popular choice at the top level,
but recently it has also picked up in popularity at the amateur and club level, largely thanks
to the success of GM Avrukh’s 1. d4 repertoire series. }

d5

{ Black can still avoid the Catalan at this point by heading for the Bogo-Indian with Bb4+ or
the Modern Benoni with c5, but we will stay true to the spirit of this repertoire by playing
d5. }

4. Nf3 Bb4+

{ Our chosen variation against the Catalan is quite possibly the most solid. Our strategy, as
in the rest of the repertoire, is to hold and solidify the pawn on d5. The purpose of …Bb4+ is
to provoke white’s bishop to d2, before we retreat our bishop back to its normal square on
e7. As we shall see later, the bishop on d2 is actually a liability rather than a strength, since
it gets in the way of white’s usual plan in the Closed Catalan. }

5. Bd2 { By far the most common way of blocking the check. } Be7

{ Now that the bishop’s job of provoking white’s dark bishop to d2 is done, we bring the
bishop back to its normal square on e7. Recently, black has been playing the bishop to d6 as
well, which has some pros and cons - however, Be7 is the established mainline, so this is
what we’ll cover. }

6. Bg2 O-O 7. O-O c6 { Solidifying the d5 pawn. } 8. Qc2 Nbd7

{ This is the critical ‘starting position’ of this variation, which can be reached via a variety of
move orders. First thing to take note of is the bishop on d2. Usually in the Closed Catalan,
white will play Nbd2 followed by e4 with a good position. Clearly, with the bishop on d2
this isn’t possible. So by playing the …Bb4-e7 manoeuvre and provoking Bd2, black might
have just gained a tempo (at best) . White can try meet our variation with two different
mindsets: he can either try to make use of the bishop on d2, or he will move it at some
point to another square (usually f4, sometimes c1) . Over the next few moves, white will be
playing some improving moves. He wants to see what black is doing with his light bishop
(whether it will go to b7 or a6) before he commits his queenside knight. If the bishop puts
pressure on c4 from a6, then Nc3 is not ideal - otherwise white can develop the knight
actively to c3. In most cases we will be developing our light bishop to a6 so that it can
pressurise c4, as this limits white’s options. The main waiting/improving moves white can
play are Bf4, Rd1 and b3. The order of these can be swapped around quite easily. }
9. Rd1

{ A useful move. The rook will be well placed when the centre eventually opens up. }

b6 { Activating our light-squared bishop, of course. } 10. b3

{ Supporting c4 is white’s second most common move. } Ba6 11. a4

{ White’s most common choice in this position. He tries to make use of the bishop on d2
without moving it by using an a4-a5 pawn lever. }

Qc8

{ A small improving move. The d8 square is freed for our rook, the queen supports the …c5
break and can possibly also go to b7 later. It also has the added benefit of allowing our
bishop to retreat to b7 even when white plays a5, without having to worry about the
further a6 advance. }

12. Na3 Bb7 13. Qb2 c5 14. Rac1 Bc6

{ was played by So against Nakamura. The idea is to tuck the queen away on b7. }

15. dxc5 bxc5 16. cxd5 exd5

{ Black’s hanging pawns are well supported and So went on to draw against Nakamura. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “The Catalan”]

[Black “4.Nf3 5.Bd2 9.Rd1 Variation 5”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3

{ In this chapter we are dealing with the Catalan. White fianchettos his bishop with the
intention of putting black under lasting pressure on the queenside and in the centre. White
aims for a small but long-term edge, which he hopes to milk for the rest of the game
without taking much risk. The Catalan has always been a popular choice at the top level,
but recently it has also picked up in popularity at the amateur and club level, largely thanks
to the success of GM Avrukh’s 1. d4 repertoire series. }

d5

{ Black can still avoid the Catalan at this point by heading for the Bogo-Indian with Bb4+ or
the Modern Benoni with c5, but we will stay true to the spirit of this repertoire by playing
d5. }

4. Nf3 Bb4+

{ Our chosen variation against the Catalan is quite possibly the most solid. Our strategy, as
in the rest of the repertoire, is to hold and solidify the pawn on d5. The purpose of …Bb4+ is
to provoke white’s bishop to d2, before we retreat our bishop back to its normal square on
e7. As we shall see later, the bishop on d2 is actually a liability rather than a strength, since
it gets in the way of white’s usual plan in the Closed Catalan. }

5. Bd2 { By far the most common way of blocking the check. } Be7

{ Now that the bishop’s job of provoking white’s dark bishop to d2 is done, we bring the
bishop back to its normal square on e7. Recently, black has been playing the bishop to d6 as
well, which has some pros and cons - however, Be7 is the established mainline, so this is
what we’ll cover. }

6. Bg2 O-O 7. O-O c6 { Solidifying the d5 pawn. } 8. Qc2 Nbd7

{ This is the critical “starting position” of this variation, which can be reached via a variety
of move orders. First thing to take note of is the bishop on d2. Usually in the Closed Catalan,
white will play Nbd2 followed by e4 with a good position. Clearly, with the bishop on d2
this isn’t possible. So by playing the …Bb4-e7 manoeuvre and provoking Bd2, black might
have just gained a tempo (at best) . White can try meet our variation with two different
mindsets: he can either try to make use of the bishop on d2, or he will move it at some
point to another square (usually f4, sometimes c1) . Over the next few moves, white will be
playing some improving moves. He wants to see what black is doing with his light bishop
(whether it will go to b7 or a6) before he commits his queenside knight. If the bishop puts
pressure on c4 from a6, then Nc3 is not ideal - otherwise white can develop the knight
actively to c3. In most cases we will be developing our light bishop to a6 so that it can
pressurise c4, as this limits white’s options. The main waiting/improving moves white can
play are Bf4, Rd1 and b3. The order of these can be swapped around quite easily. }

9. Rd1

{ A useful move. The rook will be well placed when the centre eventually opens up. }
b6 { Activating our light-squared bishop, of course. } 10. Bf4

{ Activating white’s bishop and clearing the d2 square. } Ba6

{ This active development of the bishop is preferred throughout most of this chapter.
Attacking c4 limits white’s options greatly. }

11. b3 { Supporting c4. This is white’s second most popular move here. }

Rc8

{ A natural developing move. If white plays too passively, black can start opening the centre
up with …c5. }

12. Nc3 { White is now ready to carry out his highly desirable e4 break. }

h6

{ Black makes a small improving move while awaiting white’s e4 break. } 13. h3

{ White can try make his own, similar improving move, but this is less effective. }

dxc4 14. e4 b5 15. bxc4 bxc4 { with similar play to our mainline. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “The Catalan”]

[Black “4.Nf3 5.Bd2 9.Rd1 Variation 6”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3

{ In this chapter we are dealing with the Catalan. White fianchettos his bishop with the
intention of putting black under lasting pressure on the queenside and in the centre. White
aims for a small but long-term edge, which he hopes to milk for the rest of the game
without taking much risk. The Catalan has always been a popular choice at the top level,
but recently it has also picked up in popularity at the amateur and club level, largely thanks
to the success of GM Avrukh’s 1. d4 repertoire series. }

d5

{ Black can still avoid the Catalan at this point by heading for the Bogo-Indian with Bb4+ or
the Modern Benoni with c5, but we will stay true to the spirit of this repertoire by playing
d5. }

4. Nf3 Bb4+

{ Our chosen variation against the Catalan is quite possibly the most solid. Our strategy, as
in the rest of the repertoire, is to hold and solidify the pawn on d5. The purpose of …Bb4+ is
to provoke white’s bishop to d2, before we retreat our bishop back to its normal square on
e7. As we shall see later, the bishop on d2 is actually a liability rather than a strength, since
it gets in the way of white’s usual plan in the Closed Catalan. }

5. Bd2 { By far the most common way of blocking the check. } Be7

{ Now that the bishop’s job of provoking white’s dark bishop to d2 is done, we bring the
bishop back to its normal square on e7. Recently, black has been playing the bishop to d6 as
well, which has some pros and cons - however, Be7 is the established mainline, so this is
what we’ll cover. }

6. Bg2 O-O 7. O-O c6 { Solidifying the d5 pawn. } 8. Qc2 Nbd7

{ This is the critical ‘starting position’ of this variation, which can be reached via a variety of
move orders. First thing to take note of is the bishop on d2. Usually in the Closed Catalan,
white will play Nbd2 followed by e4 with a good position. Clearly, with the bishop on d2
this isn’t possible. So by playing the …Bb4-e7 manoeuvre and provoking Bd2, black might
have just gained a tempo (at best) . White can try meet our variation with two different
mindsets: he can either try to make use of the bishop on d2, or he will move it at some
point to another square (usually f4, sometimes c1) . Over the next few moves, white will be
playing some improving moves. He wants to see what black is doing with his light bishop
(whether it will go to b7 or a6) before he commits his queenside knight. If the bishop puts
pressure on c4 from a6, then Nc3 is not ideal - otherwise white can develop the knight
actively to c3. In most cases we will be developing our light bishop to a6 so that it can
pressurise c4, as this limits white’s options. The main waiting/improving moves white can
play are Bf4, Rd1 and b3. The order of these can be swapped around quite easily. }

9. Rd1

{ A useful move. The rook will be well placed when the centre eventually opens up. }

b6 { Activating our light-squared bishop, of course. } 10. Bf4

{ Activating white’s bishop and clearing the d2 square. } Ba6

{ This active development of the bishop is preferred throughout most of this chapter.
Attacking c4 limits white’s options greatly. }

11. b3 { Supporting c4. This is white’s second most popular move here. }

Rc8

{ A natural developing move. If white plays too passively, black can start opening the centre
up with …c5. }

12. Nc3 { White is now ready to carry out his highly desirable e4 break. }

h6

{ Black makes a small improving move while awaiting white’s e4 break. } 13. e4

{ This must be critical, of course. } dxc4

{ There is an interesting situation now with our c4 pawn: it is in a kind of limbo. White can’t
take on c4 right now, since our bishop just recaptures and we end up with an extra pawn.
But we also can’t take on b3 due to the fact that the a-file would open and white would grab
the a7 pawn. }

14. Nd2 b5 { Supporting c4 and threatening …b4. } 15. bxc4

{ Pretty much forced. } bxc4

{ This is an important position for this variation, but one where black has scored very well
(over 65%!) . Let’s have a look at what white can try. }

16. Qa4 { simply doesn’t work here tactically. } Bb5 17. Nxb5 Nb6

{ An important intermezzo. } 18. Qxa7 cxb5 19. Qa6 Na4

{ Indirectly defending b5 because of …Nc3. Black’s queenside pawns give him a winning
advantage. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “The Catalan”]

[Black “4.Nf3 5.Bd2 9.Rd1 Variation 7”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3

{ In this chapter we are dealing with the Catalan. White fianchettos his bishop with the
intention of putting black under lasting pressure on the queenside and in the centre. White
aims for a small but long-term edge, which he hopes to milk for the rest of the game
without taking much risk. The Catalan has always been a popular choice at the top level,
but recently it has also picked up in popularity at the amateur and club level, largely thanks
to the success of GM Avrukh’s 1. d4 repertoire series. }

d5

{ Black can still avoid the Catalan at this point by heading for the Bogo-Indian with Bb4+ or
the Modern Benoni with c5, but we will stay true to the spirit of this repertoire by playing
d5. }

4. Nf3 Bb4+

{ Our chosen variation against the Catalan is quite possibly the most solid. Our strategy, as
in the rest of the repertoire, is to hold and solidify the pawn on d5. The purpose of …Bb4+ is
to provoke white’s bishop to d2, before we retreat our bishop back to its normal square on
e7. As we shall see later, the bishop on d2 is actually a liability rather than a strength, since
it gets in the way of white’s usual plan in the Closed Catalan. }

5. Bd2 { By far the most common way of blocking the check. } Be7

{ Now that the bishop’s job of provoking white’s dark bishop to d2 is done, we bring the
bishop back to its normal square on e7. Recently, black has been playing the bishop to d6 as
well, which has some pros and cons - however, Be7 is the established mainline, so this is
what we’ll cover. }

6. Bg2 O-O 7. O-O c6 { Solidifying the d5 pawn. } 8. Qc2 Nbd7

{ This is the critical ‘starting position’ of this variation, which can be reached via a variety of
move orders. First thing to take note of is the bishop on d2. Usually in the Closed Catalan,
white will play Nbd2 followed by e4 with a good position. Clearly, with the bishop on d2
this isn’t possible. So by playing the …Bb4-e7 manoeuvre and provoking Bd2, black might
have just gained a tempo (at best) . White can try meet our variation with two different
mindsets: he can either try to make use of the bishop on d2, or he will move it at some
point to another square (usually f4, sometimes c1) . Over the next few moves, white will be
playing some improving moves. He wants to see what black is doing with his light bishop
(whether it will go to b7 or a6) before he commits his queenside knight. If the bishop puts
pressure on c4 from a6, then Nc3 is not ideal - otherwise white can develop the knight
actively to c3. In most cases we will be developing our light bishop to a6 so that it can
pressurise c4, as this limits white’s options. The main waiting/improving moves white can
play are Bf4, Rd1 and b3. The order of these can be swapped around quite easily. }

9. Rd1

{ A useful move. The rook will be well placed when the centre eventually opens up. }

b6 { Activating our light-squared bishop, of course. } 10. Bf4

{ Activating white’s bishop and clearing the d2 square. } Ba6

{ This active development of the bishop is preferred throughout most of this chapter.
Attacking c4 limits white’s options greatly. }

11. b3 { Supporting c4. This is white’s second most popular move here. }

Rc8

{ A natural developing move. If white plays too passively, black can start opening the centre
up with …c5. }

12. Nc3 { White is now ready to carry out his highly desirable e4 break. }

h6

{ Black makes a small improving move while awaiting white’s e4 break. } 13. e4

{ This must be critical, of course. } dxc4

{ There is an interesting situation now with our c4 pawn: it is in a kind of limbo. White can’t
take on c4 right now, since our bishop just recaptures and we end up with an extra pawn.
But we also can’t take on b3 due to the fact that the a-file would open and white would grab
the a7 pawn. }

14. Nd2 b5 { Supporting c4 and threatening …b4. } 15. bxc4

{ Pretty much forced. } bxc4

{ This is an important position for this variation, but one where black has scored very well
(over 65%!) . Let’s have a look at what white can try. }

16. Bf1 { White tries to recoup c4 as quickly as possible. } Bb4

{ This hasn’t been played yet, but putting pressure on e4 by attacking the knight seems like
black’s easiest route to equality. }
17. Nxc4 Bxc3 18. Qxc3 Nxe4 { Black wins another pawn. } 19. Qa3 Bxc4 20. Bxc4

{ Black is up a pawn, but white’s bishop pair puts us under quite a bit of pressure.
Fortunately, a long forcing sequence exists which equalises for black. }

g5 { Kicking white’s bishop. } 21. Be5

{ The bishop needs to stay on the f4-b8 diagonal for black to have any issues. }

Nd2

{ A pretty nice move. Black’s knight is tactically defended by …Nxe5. } 22.

Be2 Nxe5 { Most of white’s advantage is gone without his bishop pair. } 23.

dxe5 Qd4 { Black needs to act quickly to avoid losing his knight. } 24. Rac1

{ White threatens Rc2, winning our knight. } Rb8

{ The only move to save the knight. } 25. Rc2 Rb1 26. Rxb1 Nxb1

{ White will trade off the queens and win his pawn back, but this will leave us in an equal
endgame. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “The Catalan”]

[Black “4.Nf3 5.Bd2 9.Rd1 Variation 8”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3

{ In this chapter we are dealing with the Catalan. White fianchettos his bishop with the
intention of putting black under lasting pressure on the queenside and in the centre. White
aims for a small but long-term edge, which he hopes to milk for the rest of the game
without taking much risk. The Catalan has always been a popular choice at the top level,
but recently it has also picked up in popularity at the amateur and club level, largely thanks
to the success of GM Avrukh’s 1. d4 repertoire series. }

d5

{ Black can still avoid the Catalan at this point by heading for the Bogo-Indian with Bb4+ or
the Modern Benoni with c5, but we will stay true to the spirit of this repertoire by playing
d5. }

4. Nf3 Bb4+

{ Our chosen variation against the Catalan is quite possibly the most solid. Our strategy, as
in the rest of the repertoire, is to hold and solidify the pawn on d5. The purpose of …Bb4+ is
to provoke white’s bishop to d2, before we retreat our bishop back to its normal square on
e7. As we shall see later, the bishop on d2 is actually a liability rather than a strength, since
it gets in the way of white’s usual plan in the Closed Catalan. }

5. Bd2 { By far the most common way of blocking the check. } Be7

{ Now that the bishop’s job of provoking white’s dark bishop to d2 is done, we bring the
bishop back to its normal square on e7. Recently, black has been playing the bishop to d6 as
well, which has some pros and cons - however, Be7 is the established mainline, so this is
what we’ll cover. }

6. Bg2 O-O 7. O-O c6 { Solidifying the d5 pawn. } 8. Qc2 Nbd7

{ This is the critical “starting position” of this variation, which can be reached via a variety
of move orders. First thing to take note of is the bishop on d2. Usually in the Closed Catalan,
white will play Nbd2 followed by e4 with a good position. Clearly, with the bishop on d2
this isn’t possible. So by playing the …Bb4-e7 manoeuvre and provoking Bd2, black might
have just gained a tempo (at best) . White can try meet our variation with two different
mindsets: he can either try to make use of the bishop on d2, or he will move it at some
point to another square (usually f4, sometimes c1) . Over the next few moves, white will be
playing some improving moves. He wants to see what black is doing with his light bishop
(whether it will go to b7 or a6) before he commits his queenside knight. If the bishop puts
pressure on c4 from a6, then Nc3 is not ideal - otherwise white can develop the knight
actively to c3. In most cases we will be developing our light bishop to a6 so that it can
pressurise c4, as this limits white’s options. The main waiting/improving moves white can
play are Bf4, Rd1 and b3. The order of these can be swapped around quite easily. }

9. Rd1

{ A useful move. The rook will be well placed when the centre eventually opens up. }

b6 { Activating our light-squared bishop, of course. } 10. Bf4

{ Activating white’s bishop and clearing the d2 square. } Ba6

{ This active development of the bishop is preferred throughout most of this chapter.
Attacking c4 limits white’s options greatly. }

11. b3 { Supporting c4. This is white’s second most popular move here. }

Rc8

{ A natural developing move. If white plays too passively, black can start opening the centre
up with …c5. }

12. Nc3 { White is now ready to carry out his highly desirable e4 break. }

h6

{ Black makes a small improving move while awaiting white’s e4 break. } 13. e4

{ This must be critical, of course. } dxc4

{ There is an interesting situation now with our c4 pawn: it is in a kind of limbo. White can’t
take on c4 right now, since our bishop just recaptures and we end up with an extra pawn.
But we also can’t take on b3 due to the fact that the a-file would open and white would grab
the a7 pawn. }

14. Nd2 b5 { Supporting c4 and threatening …b4. } 15. bxc4

{ Pretty much forced. } bxc4

{ This is an important position for this variation, but one where black has scored very well
(over 65%!) . Let’s have a look at what white can try. }

16. Na4 { White’s most common choice. } g5

{ A strong move played by Vidit in 2017. The idea is to win the bishop pair with …Ng4. }

17. Be3 Ng4 18. Nf1 { Preparing to recapture on e3 with the knight. } c5

{ Black is definitely pushing here. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]
[White “The Catalan”]

[Black “4.Nf3 5.Bd2 9.Rd1 Variation 9”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3

{ In this chapter we are dealing with the Catalan. White fianchettos his bishop with the
intention of putting black under lasting pressure on the queenside and in the centre. White
aims for a small but long-term edge, which he hopes to milk for the rest of the game
without taking much risk. The Catalan has always been a popular choice at the top level,
but recently it has also picked up in popularity at the amateur and club level, largely thanks
to the success of GM Avrukh’s 1. d4 repertoire series. }

d5

{ Black can still avoid the Catalan at this point by heading for the Bogo-Indian with Bb4+ or
the Modern Benoni with c5, but we will stay true to the spirit of this repertoire by playing
d5. }

4. Nf3 Bb4+

{ Our chosen variation against the Catalan is quite possibly the most solid. Our strategy, as
in the rest of the repertoire, is to hold and solidify the pawn on d5. The purpose of …Bb4+ is
to provoke white’s bishop to d2, before we retreat our bishop back to its normal square on
e7. As we shall see later, the bishop on d2 is actually a liability rather than a strength, since
it gets in the way of white’s usual plan in the Closed Catalan. }

5. Bd2 { By far the most common way of blocking the check. } Be7

{ Now that the bishop’s job of provoking white’s dark bishop to d2 is done, we bring the
bishop back to its normal square on e7. Recently, black has been playing the bishop to d6 as
well, which has some pros and cons - however, Be7 is the established mainline, so this is
what we’ll cover. }

6. Bg2 O-O 7. O-O c6 { Solidifying the d5 pawn. } 8. Qc2 Nbd7

{ This is the critical “starting position” of this variation, which can be reached via a variety
of move orders. First thing to take note of is the bishop on d2. Usually in the Closed Catalan,
white will play Nbd2 followed by e4 with a good position. Clearly, with the bishop on d2
this isn’t possible. So by playing the …Bb4-e7 manoeuvre and provoking Bd2, black might
have just gained a tempo (at best) . White can try meet our variation with two different
mindsets: he can either try to make use of the bishop on d2, or he will move it at some
point to another square (usually f4, sometimes c1) . Over the next few moves, white will be
playing some improving moves. He wants to see what black is doing with his light bishop
(whether it will go to b7 or a6) before he commits his queenside knight. If the bishop puts
pressure on c4 from a6, then Nc3 is not ideal - otherwise white can develop the knight
actively to c3. In most cases we will be developing our light bishop to a6 so that it can
pressurise c4, as this limits white’s options. The main waiting/improving moves white can
play are Bf4, Rd1 and b3. The order of these can be swapped around quite easily. }

9. Rd1

{ A useful move. The rook will be well placed when the centre eventually opens up. }

b6 { Activating our light-squared bishop, of course. } 10. Bf4

{ Activating white’s bishop and clearing the d2 square. } Ba6

{ This active development of the bishop is preferred throughout most of this chapter.
Attacking c4 limits white’s options greatly. }

11. cxd5

{ Taking on d5 and removing the tension from the centre without a concrete reason for it
should never really challenge black. }

cxd5 12. Nc3 { is completely innocuous: } b5 13. a3 Qb6

{ Black has easy equality here. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “The Catalan”]

[Black “4.Nf3 5.Bd2 9.Rd1 Variation 10”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3
{ In this chapter we are dealing with the Catalan. White fianchettos his bishop with the
intention of putting black under lasting pressure on the queenside and in the centre. White
aims for a small but long-term edge, which he hopes to milk for the rest of the game
without taking much risk. The Catalan has always been a popular choice at the top level,
but recently it has also picked up in popularity at the amateur and club level, largely thanks
to the success of GM Avrukh’s 1. d4 repertoire series. }

d5

{ Black can still avoid the Catalan at this point by heading for the Bogo-Indian with Bb4+ or
the Modern Benoni with c5, but we will stay true to the spirit of this repertoire by playing
d5. }

4. Nf3 Bb4+

{ Our chosen variation against the Catalan is quite possibly the most solid. Our strategy, as
in the rest of the repertoire, is to hold and solidify the pawn on d5. The purpose of …Bb4+ is
to provoke white’s bishop to d2, before we retreat our bishop back to its normal square on
e7. As we shall see later, the bishop on d2 is actually a liability rather than a strength, since
it gets in the way of white’s usual plan in the Closed Catalan. }

5. Bd2 { By far the most common way of blocking the check. } Be7

{ Now that the bishop’s job of provoking white’s dark bishop to d2 is done, we bring the
bishop back to its normal square on e7. Recently, black has been playing the bishop to d6 as
well, which has some pros and cons - however, Be7 is the established mainline, so this is
what we’ll cover. }

6. Bg2 O-O 7. O-O c6 { Solidifying the d5 pawn. } 8. Qc2 Nbd7

{ This is the critical “starting position” of this variation, which can be reached via a variety
of move orders. First thing to take note of is the bishop on d2. Usually in the Closed Catalan,
white will play Nbd2 followed by e4 with a good position. Clearly, with the bishop on d2
this isn’t possible. So by playing the …Bb4-e7 manoeuvre and provoking Bd2, black might
have just gained a tempo (at best) . White can try meet our variation with two different
mindsets: he can either try to make use of the bishop on d2, or he will move it at some
point to another square (usually f4, sometimes c1) . Over the next few moves, white will be
playing some improving moves. He wants to see what black is doing with his light bishop
(whether it will go to b7 or a6) before he commits his queenside knight. If the bishop puts
pressure on c4 from a6, then Nc3 is not ideal - otherwise white can develop the knight
actively to c3. In most cases we will be developing our light bishop to a6 so that it can
pressurise c4, as this limits white’s options. The main waiting/improving moves white can
play are Bf4, Rd1 and b3. The order of these can be swapped around quite easily. }

9. Rd1
{ A useful move. The rook will be well placed when the centre eventually opens up. }

b6 { Activating our light-squared bishop, of course. } 10. Bf4

{ Activating white’s bishop and clearing the d2 square. } Ba6

{ This active development of the bishop is preferred throughout most of this chapter.
Attacking c4 limits white’s options greatly. }

11. cxd5

{ Taking on d5 and removing the tension from the centre without a concrete reason for it
should never really challenge black. }

cxd5 12. Ne5 { With the idea of Nc6, winning the bishop pair. } Bb7

{ Covering c6, ensuring that black has his ‘bad’ bishop traded instead of the dark bishop. }

13. Nc6 Bxc6 14. Qxc6 Qc8 15. Qb5 a6 16. Qd3 Qb7

{ Despite white’s bishop pair, the closed nature of the position means that black has no real
problems here. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “The Catalan”]

[Black “4.Nf3 5.Bd2 9.Rd1 Variation 11”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3

{ In this chapter we are dealing with the Catalan. White fianchettos his bishop with the
intention of putting black under lasting pressure on the queenside and in the centre. White
aims for a small but long-term edge, which he hopes to milk for the rest of the game
without taking much risk. The Catalan has always been a popular choice at the top level,
but recently it has also picked up in popularity at the amateur and club level, largely thanks
to the success of GM Avrukh’s 1. d4 repertoire series. }

d5

{ Black can still avoid the Catalan at this point by heading for the Bogo-Indian with Bb4+ or
the Modern Benoni with c5, but we will stay true to the spirit of this repertoire by playing
d5. }

4. Nf3 Bb4+

{ Our chosen variation against the Catalan is quite possibly the most solid. Our strategy, as
in the rest of the repertoire, is to hold and solidify the pawn on d5. The purpose of …Bb4+ is
to provoke white’s bishop to d2, before we retreat our bishop back to its normal square on
e7. As we shall see later, the bishop on d2 is actually a liability rather than a strength, since
it gets in the way of white’s usual plan in the Closed Catalan. }

5. Bd2 { By far the most common way of blocking the check. } Be7

{ Now that the bishop’s job of provoking white’s dark bishop to d2 is done, we bring the
bishop back to its normal square on e7. Recently, black has been playing the bishop to d6 as
well, which has some pros and cons - however, Be7 is the established mainline, so this is
what we’ll cover. }

6. Bg2 O-O 7. O-O c6 { Solidifying the d5 pawn. } 8. Qc2 Nbd7

{ This is the critical ‘starting position’ of this variation, which can be reached via a variety of
move orders. First thing to take note of is the bishop on d2. Usually in the Closed Catalan,
white will play Nbd2 followed by e4 with a good position. Clearly, with the bishop on d2
this isn’t possible. So by playing the …Bb4-e7 manoeuvre and provoking Bd2, black might
have just gained a tempo (at best) . White can try meet our variation with two different
mindsets: he can either try to make use of the bishop on d2, or he will move it at some
point to another square (usually f4, sometimes c1) . Over the next few moves, white will be
playing some improving moves. He wants to see what black is doing with his light bishop
(whether it will go to b7 or a6) before he commits his queenside knight. If the bishop puts
pressure on c4 from a6, then Nc3 is not ideal - otherwise white can develop the knight
actively to c3. In most cases we will be developing our light bishop to a6 so that it can
pressurise c4, as this limits white’s options. The main waiting/improving moves white can
play are Bf4, Rd1 and b3. The order of these can be swapped around quite easily. }

9. Rd1

{ A useful move. The rook will be well placed when the centre eventually opens up. }

b6 { Activating our light-squared bishop, of course. } 10. Bf4

{ Activating white’s bishop and clearing the d2 square. } Ba6

{ This active development of the bishop is preferred throughout most of this chapter.
Attacking c4 limits white’s options greatly. }

11. Nbd2

{ White is playing for the idea of e4, but he blocks off his dark bishop’s escape. }

Nh5 12. Ne5 { is quite poor: } Nxf4 13. gxf4 Nxe5 14. dxe5 f6

{ Black has the bishop pair and good play. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “The Catalan”]

[Black “4.Nf3 5.Bd2 9.Rd1 Variation 12”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3

{ In this chapter we are dealing with the Catalan. White fianchettos his bishop with the
intention of putting black under lasting pressure on the queenside and in the centre. White
aims for a small but long-term edge, which he hopes to milk for the rest of the game
without taking much risk. The Catalan has always been a popular choice at the top level,
but recently it has also picked up in popularity at the amateur and club level, largely thanks
to the success of GM Avrukh’s 1. d4 repertoire series. }

d5

{ Black can still avoid the Catalan at this point by heading for the Bogo-Indian with Bb4+ or
the Modern Benoni with c5, but we will stay true to the spirit of this repertoire by playing
d5. }

4. Nf3 Bb4+

{ Our chosen variation against the Catalan is quite possibly the most solid. Our strategy, as
in the rest of the repertoire, is to hold and solidify the pawn on d5. The purpose of …Bb4+ is
to provoke white’s bishop to d2, before we retreat our bishop back to its normal square on
e7. As we shall see later, the bishop on d2 is actually a liability rather than a strength, since
it gets in the way of white’s usual plan in the Closed Catalan. }

5. Bd2 { By far the most common way of blocking the check. } Be7

{ Now that the bishop’s job of provoking white’s dark bishop to d2 is done, we bring the
bishop back to its normal square on e7. Recently, black has been playing the bishop to d6 as
well, which has some pros and cons - however, Be7 is the established mainline, so this is
what we’ll cover. }

6. Bg2 O-O 7. O-O c6 { Solidifying the d5 pawn. } 8. Qc2 Nbd7

{ This is the critical “starting position” of this variation, which can be reached via a variety
of move orders. First thing to take note of is the bishop on d2. Usually in the Closed Catalan,
white will play Nbd2 followed by e4 with a good position. Clearly, with the bishop on d2
this isn’t possible. So by playing the …Bb4-e7 manoeuvre and provoking Bd2, black might
have just gained a tempo (at best) . White can try meet our variation with two different
mindsets: he can either try to make use of the bishop on d2, or he will move it at some
point to another square (usually f4, sometimes c1) . Over the next few moves, white will be
playing some improving moves. He wants to see what black is doing with his light bishop
(whether it will go to b7 or a6) before he commits his queenside knight. If the bishop puts
pressure on c4 from a6, then Nc3 is not ideal - otherwise white can develop the knight
actively to c3. In most cases we will be developing our light bishop to a6 so that it can
pressurise c4, as this limits white’s options. The main waiting/improving moves white can
play are Bf4, Rd1 and b3. The order of these can be swapped around quite easily. }

9. Rd1

{ A useful move. The rook will be well placed when the centre eventually opens up. }

b6 { Activating our light-squared bishop, of course. } 10. Bf4

{ Activating white’s bishop and clearing the d2 square. } Ba6

{ This active development of the bishop is preferred throughout most of this chapter.
Attacking c4 limits white’s options greatly. }

11. Nbd2

{ White is playing for the idea of e4, but he blocks off his dark bishops escape. }

Nh5 12. Be3 Nhf6

{ Assuming black is happy with a draw, this is probably the best response. There are other
decent moves here if we want to play on, such as …Rc8 and …Bd6. }
[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “The Catalan”]

[Black “4.Nf3 5.Bd2 9.Rd1 Variation 13”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3

{ In this chapter we are dealing with the Catalan. White fianchettos his bishop with the
intention of putting black under lasting pressure on the queenside and in the centre. White
aims for a small but long-term edge, which he hopes to milk for the rest of the game
without taking much risk. The Catalan has always been a popular choice at the top level,
but recently it has also picked up in popularity at the amateur and club level, largely thanks
to the success of GM Avrukh’s 1. d4 repertoire series. }

d5

{ Black can still avoid the Catalan at this point by heading for the Bogo-Indian with Bb4+ or
the Modern Benoni with c5, but we will stay true to the spirit of this repertoire by playing
d5. }

4. Nf3 Bb4+

{ Our chosen variation against the Catalan is quite possibly the most solid. Our strategy, as
in the rest of the repertoire, is to hold and solidify the pawn on d5. The purpose of …Bb4+ is
to provoke white’s bishop to d2, before we retreat our bishop back to its normal square on
e7. As we shall see later, the bishop on d2 is actually a liability rather than a strength, since
it gets in the way of white’s usual plan in the Closed Catalan. }

5. Bd2 { By far the most common way of blocking the check. } Be7

{ Now that the bishop’s job of provoking white’s dark bishop to d2 is done, we bring the
bishop back to its normal square on e7. Recently, black has been playing the bishop to d6 as
well, which has some pros and cons - however, Be7 is the established mainline, so this is
what we’ll cover. }
6. Bg2 O-O 7. O-O c6 { Solidifying the d5 pawn. } 8. Qc2 Nbd7

{ This is the critical ‘starting position’ of this variation, which can be reached via a variety of
move orders. First thing to take note of is the bishop on d2. Usually in the Closed Catalan,
white will play Nbd2 followed by e4 with a good position. Clearly, with the bishop on d2
this isn’t possible. So by playing the …Bb4-e7 manoeuvre and provoking Bd2, black might
have just gained a tempo (at best) . White can try meet our variation with two different
mindsets: he can either try to make use of the bishop on d2, or he will move it at some
point to another square (usually f4, sometimes c1) . Over the next few moves, white will be
playing some improving moves. He wants to see what black is doing with his light bishop
(whether it will go to b7 or a6) before he commits his queenside knight. If the bishop puts
pressure on c4 from a6, then Nc3 is not ideal - otherwise white can develop the knight
actively to c3. In most cases we will be developing our light bishop to a6 so that it can
pressurise c4, as this limits white’s options. The main waiting/improving moves white can
play are Bf4, Rd1 and b3. The order of these can be swapped around quite easily. }

9. Rd1

{ A useful move. The rook will be well placed when the centre eventually opens up. }

b6 { Activating our light-squared bishop, of course. } 10. Bf4

{ Activating white’s bishop and clearing the d2 square. } Ba6

{ This active development of the bishop is preferred throughout most of this chapter.
Attacking c4 limits white’s options greatly. }

11. Ne5

{ Avrukh’s recommendation against our setup and the main move. White attacks c6 and
activates his light bishop. }

Rc8 { Simply defending c6. } 12. Nc3

{ This is a bit less popular than Avrukh’s 12. cxd5, which is understandable since black can
use the hanging c4-pawn to equalise. }

Bxc4 { Grabbing the pawn. } 13. Nxc4 dxc4 14. e4

{ With white’s knight on c3 in the way, it is surprisingly difficult for white to recoup the c4
pawn. White decides to rather play around the pawn and try to get some compensation for
it. }

b5 { Securing the c4 pawn. } 15. d5

{ Immediately cracking open the centre with the hope of using white’s extra activity. }
cxd5 16. exd5 e5 { Qb6 is a novelty worth considering as well. }

17. d6 { Trapping our bishop. } exf4

{ Bxd6 should also be good enough for equality. } 18. Nxb5 fxg3 19. hxg3

Rc5 20. dxe7 Qxe7 21. Nd6 Ne5

{ White has enough compensation for the pawn but nothing more. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “The Catalan”]

[Black “4.Nf3 5.Bd2 9.Rd1 Variation 14”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3

{ In this chapter we are dealing with the Catalan. White fianchettos his bishop with the
intention of putting black under lasting pressure on the queenside and in the centre. White
aims for a small but long-term edge, which he hopes to milk for the rest of the game
without taking much risk. The Catalan has always been a popular choice at the top level,
but recently it has also picked up in popularity at the amateur and club level, largely thanks
to the success of GM Avrukh’s 1. d4 repertoire series. }

d5

{ Black can still avoid the Catalan at this point by heading for the Bogo-Indian with Bb4+ or
the Modern Benoni with c5, but we will stay true to the spirit of this repertoire by playing
d5. }

4. Nf3 Bb4+

{ Our chosen variation against the Catalan is quite possibly the most solid. Our strategy, as
in the rest of the repertoire, is to hold and solidify the pawn on d5. The purpose of …Bb4+ is
to provoke white’s bishop to d2, before we retreat our bishop back to its normal square on
e7. As we shall see later, the bishop on d2 is actually a liability rather than a strength, since
it gets in the way of white’s usual plan in the Closed Catalan. }

5. Bd2 { By far the most common way of blocking the check. } Be7

{ Now that the bishop’s job of provoking white’s dark bishop to d2 is done, we bring the
bishop back to its normal square on e7. Recently, black has been playing the bishop to d6 as
well, which has some pros and cons - however, Be7 is the established mainline, so this is
what we’ll cover. }

6. Bg2 O-O 7. O-O c6 { Solidifying the d5 pawn. } 8. Qc2 Nbd7

{ This is the critical “starting position” of this variation, which can be reached via a variety
of move orders. First thing to take note of is the bishop on d2. Usually in the Closed Catalan,
white will play Nbd2 followed by e4 with a good position. Clearly, with the bishop on d2
this isn’t possible. So by playing the …Bb4-e7 manoeuvre and provoking Bd2, black might
have just gained a tempo (at best) . White can try meet our variation with two different
mindsets: he can either try to make use of the bishop on d2, or he will move it at some
point to another square (usually f4, sometimes c1) . Over the next few moves, white will be
playing some improving moves. He wants to see what black is doing with his light bishop
(whether it will go to b7 or a6) before he commits his queenside knight. If the bishop puts
pressure on c4 from a6, then Nc3 is not ideal - otherwise white can develop the knight
actively to c3. In most cases we will be developing our light bishop to a6 so that it can
pressurise c4, as this limits white’s options. The main waiting/improving moves white can
play are Bf4, Rd1 and b3. The order of these can be swapped around quite easily. }

9. Rd1

{ A useful move. The rook will be well placed when the centre eventually opens up. }

b6 { Activating our light-squared bishop, of course. } 10. Bf4

{ Activating white’s bishop and clearing the d2 square. } Ba6

{ This active development of the bishop is preferred throughout most of this chapter.
Attacking c4 limits white’s options greatly. }

11. Ne5

{ Avrukh’s recommendation against our setup and the main move. White attacks c6 and
activates his light bishop. }

Rc8 { Simply defending c6. } 12. Nc3

{ This is a bit less popular than Avrukh’s 12. cxd5, which is understandable since black can
use the hanging c4-pawn to equalise. }
Bxc4 { Grabbing the pawn. } 13. Nxc4 dxc4 14. e4

{ With white’s knight on c3 in the way, it is surprisingly difficult for white to recoup the c4
pawn. White decides to rather play around the pawn and try to get some compensation for
it. }

b5 { Securing the c4 pawn. } 15. a4

{ Undermining our extra pawn’s support. } a6 { Reinforcing b5. } 16. axb5

axb5 17. d5

{ White’s only critical option is to exploit his activity and open up the position. }

cxd5 18. exd5 e5 { Kicking white’s bishop away. } 19. Bg5 Qb6

{ A good multipurpose move: prevents d6, Nxb5 and Ra6. } 20. Ne4 Bc5

{ White has enough compensation for the pawn to equalise, but nothing more. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “The Catalan”]

[Black “4.Nf3 5.Bd2 9.Rd1 Variation 15”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3

{ In this chapter we are dealing with the Catalan. White fianchettos his bishop with the
intention of putting black under lasting pressure on the queenside and in the centre. White
aims for a small but long-term edge, which he hopes to milk for the rest of the game
without taking much risk. The Catalan has always been a popular choice at the top level,
but recently it has also picked up in popularity at the amateur and club level, largely thanks
to the success of GM Avrukh’s 1. d4 repertoire series. }

d5
{ Black can still avoid the Catalan at this point by heading for the Bogo-Indian with Bb4+ or
the Modern Benoni with c5, but we will stay true to the spirit of this repertoire by playing
d5. }

4. Nf3 Bb4+

{ Our chosen variation against the Catalan is quite possibly the most solid. Our strategy, as
in the rest of the repertoire, is to hold and solidify the pawn on d5. The purpose of …Bb4+ is
to provoke white’s bishop to d2, before we retreat our bishop back to its normal square on
e7. As we shall see later, the bishop on d2 is actually a liability rather than a strength, since
it gets in the way of white’s usual plan in the Closed Catalan. }

5. Bd2 { By far the most common way of blocking the check. } Be7

{ Now that the bishop’s job of provoking white’s dark bishop to d2 is done, we bring the
bishop back to its normal square on e7. Recently, black has been playing the bishop to d6 as
well, which has some pros and cons - however, Be7 is the established mainline, so this is
what we’ll cover. }

6. Bg2 O-O 7. O-O c6 { Solidifying the d5 pawn. } 8. Qc2 Nbd7

{ This is the critical ‘starting position’ of this variation, which can be reached via a variety of
move orders. First thing to take note of is the bishop on d2. Usually in the Closed Catalan,
white will play Nbd2 followed by e4 with a good position. Clearly, with the bishop on d2
this isn’t possible. So by playing the …Bb4-e7 manoeuvre and provoking Bd2, black might
have just gained a tempo (at best) . White can try meet our variation with two different
mindsets: he can either try to make use of the bishop on d2, or he will move it at some
point to another square (usually f4, sometimes c1) . Over the next few moves, white will be
playing some improving moves. He wants to see what black is doing with his light bishop
(whether it will go to b7 or a6) before he commits his queenside knight. If the bishop puts
pressure on c4 from a6, then Nc3 is not ideal - otherwise white can develop the knight
actively to c3. In most cases we will be developing our light bishop to a6 so that it can
pressurise c4, as this limits white’s options. The main waiting/improving moves white can
play are Bf4, Rd1 and b3. The order of these can be swapped around quite easily. }

9. Rd1

{ A useful move. The rook will be well placed when the centre eventually opens up. }

b6 { Activating our light-squared bishop, of course. } 10. Bf4

{ Activating white’s bishop and clearing the d2 square. } Ba6

{ This active development of the bishop is preferred throughout most of this chapter.
Attacking c4 limits white’s options greatly. }

11. Ne5
{ Avrukh’s recommendation against our setup and the main move. White attacks c6 and
activates his light bishop. }

Rc8 { Simply defending c6. } 12. Qa4

{ is quite rare and it looks better than it is. White attacks both c6 and a6. }

Nb8

{ Defending both. This might look awkward or passive, but black threatens …b5. }

13. Qb3 Nfd7 { exchanging minor pieces with good play for black. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “The Catalan”]

[Black “4.Nf3 5.Bd2 9.Rd1 Variation 16”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3

{ In this chapter we are dealing with the Catalan. White fianchettos his bishop with the
intention of putting black under lasting pressure on the queenside and in the centre. White
aims for a small but long-term edge, which he hopes to milk for the rest of the game
without taking much risk. The Catalan has always been a popular choice at the top level,
but recently it has also picked up in popularity at the amateur and club level, largely thanks
to the success of GM Avrukh’s 1. d4 repertoire series. }

d5

{ Black can still avoid the Catalan at this point by heading for the Bogo-Indian with Bb4+ or
the Modern Benoni with c5, but we will stay true to the spirit of this repertoire by playing
d5. }

4. Nf3 Bb4+
{ Our chosen variation against the Catalan is quite possibly the most solid. Our strategy, as
in the rest of the repertoire, is to hold and solidify the pawn on d5. The purpose of …Bb4+ is
to provoke white’s bishop to d2, before we retreat our bishop back to its normal square on
e7. As we shall see later, the bishop on d2 is actually a liability rather than a strength, since
it gets in the way of white’s usual plan in the Closed Catalan. }

5. Bd2 { By far the most common way of blocking the check. } Be7

{ Now that the bishop’s job of provoking white’s dark bishop to d2 is done, we bring the
bishop back to its normal square on e7. Recently, black has been playing the bishop to d6 as
well, which has some pros and cons - however, Be7 is the established mainline, so this is
what we’ll cover. }

6. Bg2 O-O 7. O-O c6 { Solidifying the d5 pawn. } 8. Qc2 Nbd7

{ This is the critical ‘starting position’ of this variation, which can be reached via a variety of
move orders. First thing to take note of is the bishop on d2. Usually in the Closed Catalan,
white will play Nbd2 followed by e4 with a good position. Clearly, with the bishop on d2
this isn’t possible. So by playing the …Bb4-e7 manoeuvre and provoking Bd2, black might
have just gained a tempo (at best) . White can try meet our variation with two different
mindsets: he can either try to make use of the bishop on d2, or he will move it at some
point to another square (usually f4, sometimes c1) . Over the next few moves, white will be
playing some improving moves. He wants to see what black is doing with his light bishop
(whether it will go to b7 or a6) before he commits his queenside knight. If the bishop puts
pressure on c4 from a6, then Nc3 is not ideal - otherwise white can develop the knight
actively to c3. In most cases we will be developing our light bishop to a6 so that it can
pressurise c4, as this limits white’s options. The main waiting/improving moves white can
play are Bf4, Rd1 and b3. The order of these can be swapped around quite easily. }

9. Rd1

{ A useful move. The rook will be well placed when the centre eventually opens up. }

b6 { Activating our light-squared bishop, of course. } 10. Bf4

{ Activating white’s bishop and clearing the d2 square. } Ba6

{ This active development of the bishop is preferred throughout most of this chapter.
Attacking c4 limits white’s options greatly. }

11. Ne5

{ Avrukh’s recommendation against our setup and the main move. White attacks c6 and
activates his light bishop. }

Rc8 { Simply defending c6. } 12. cxd5

{ Avrukh’s choice and the main move, with the idea of gaining the bishop pair by playing
Nc6xe7. }

Nxd5

{ cxd5 allows white to get the bishop pair that he wanted. The reason that Nxd5 works is
because tactics prevent 13. Nxc6 from being effective. Since Avrukh published his book,
some new ideas have been found in this variation which have scored very well for black. }

13. Nxc6 { doesn’t work tactically here for white: } Nb4 14. Qa4

{ Getting out of the pin. } Nxc6 15. Qxa6 { is just very bad for white. }

Nc5 { The queen comes under heavy fire. } 16. Qc4 Na5 17. Qc3 Na4 18. Qf3

Nxb2 { Black has a commanding initiative. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “The Catalan”]

[Black “4.Nf3 5.Bd2 9.Rd1 Variation 17”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3

{ In this chapter we are dealing with the Catalan. White fianchettos his bishop with the
intention of putting black under lasting pressure on the queenside and in the centre. White
aims for a small but long-term edge, which he hopes to milk for the rest of the game
without taking much risk. The Catalan has always been a popular choice at the top level,
but recently it has also picked up in popularity at the amateur and club level, largely thanks
to the success of GM Avrukh’s 1. d4 repertoire series. }

d5
{ Black can still avoid the Catalan at this point by heading for the Bogo-Indian with Bb4+ or
the Modern Benoni with c5, but we will stay true to the spirit of this repertoire by playing
d5. }

4. Nf3 Bb4+

{ Our chosen variation against the Catalan is quite possibly the most solid. Our strategy, as
in the rest of the repertoire, is to hold and solidify the pawn on d5. The purpose of …Bb4+ is
to provoke white’s bishop to d2, before we retreat our bishop back to its normal square on
e7. As we shall see later, the bishop on d2 is actually a liability rather than a strength, since
it gets in the way of white’s usual plan in the Closed Catalan. }

5. Bd2 { By far the most common way of blocking the check. } Be7

{ Now that the bishop’s job of provoking white’s dark bishop to d2 is done, we bring the
bishop back to its normal square on e7. Recently, black has been playing the bishop to d6 as
well, which has some pros and cons - however, Be7 is the established mainline, so this is
what we’ll cover. }

6. Bg2 O-O 7. O-O c6 { Solidifying the d5 pawn. } 8. Qc2 Nbd7

{ This is the critical “starting position” of this variation, which can be reached via a variety
of move orders. First thing to take note of is the bishop on d2. Usually in the Closed Catalan,
white will play Nbd2 followed by e4 with a good position. Clearly, with the bishop on d2
this isn’t possible. So by playing the …Bb4-e7 manoeuvre and provoking Bd2, black might
have just gained a tempo (at best) . White can try meet our variation with two different
mindsets: he can either try to make use of the bishop on d2, or he will move it at some
point to another square (usually f4, sometimes c1) . Over the next few moves, white will be
playing some improving moves. He wants to see what black is doing with his light bishop
(whether it will go to b7 or a6) before he commits his queenside knight. If the bishop puts
pressure on c4 from a6, then Nc3 is not ideal - otherwise white can develop the knight
actively to c3. In most cases we will be developing our light bishop to a6 so that it can
pressurise c4, as this limits white’s options. The main waiting/improving moves white can
play are Bf4, Rd1 and b3. The order of these can be swapped around quite easily. }

9. Rd1

{ A useful move. The rook will be well placed when the centre eventually opens up. }

b6 { Activating our light-squared bishop, of course. } 10. Bf4

{ Activating white’s bishop and clearing the d2 square. } Ba6

{ This active development of the bishop is preferred throughout most of this chapter.
Attacking c4 limits white’s options greatly. }

11. Ne5
{ Avrukh’s recommendation against our setup and the main move. White attacks c6 and
activates his light bishop. }

Rc8 { Simply defending c6. } 12. cxd5

{ Avrukh’s choice and the main move, with the idea of gaining the bishop pair by playing
Nc6xe7. }

Nxd5

{ cxd5 allows white to get the bishop pair that he wanted. The reason that Nxd5 works is
because tactics prevent 13. Nxc6 from being effective. Since Avrukh published his book,
some new ideas have been found in this variation which have scored very well for black. }

13. Nxc6 { doesn’t work tactically here for white: } Nb4 14. Qa4

{ Getting out of the pin. } Nxc6 15. Bxc6 Bxe2

{ Black regains his pawn. } 16. Rc1 Nb8 { and black has no problems. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “The Catalan”]

[Black “4.Nf3 5.Bd2 9.Rd1 Variation 18”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3

{ In this chapter we are dealing with the Catalan. White fianchettos his bishop with the
intention of putting black under lasting pressure on the queenside and in the centre. White
aims for a small but long-term edge, which he hopes to milk for the rest of the game
without taking much risk. The Catalan has always been a popular choice at the top level,
but recently it has also picked up in popularity at the amateur and club level, largely thanks
to the success of GM Avrukh’s 1. d4 repertoire series. }

d5
{ Black can still avoid the Catalan at this point by heading for the Bogo-Indian with Bb4+ or
the Modern Benoni with c5, but we will stay true to the spirit of this repertoire by playing
d5. }

4. Nf3 Bb4+

{ Our chosen variation against the Catalan is quite possibly the most solid. Our strategy, as
in the rest of the repertoire, is to hold and solidify the pawn on d5. The purpose of …Bb4+ is
to provoke white’s bishop to d2, before we retreat our bishop back to its normal square on
e7. As we shall see later, the bishop on d2 is actually a liability rather than a strength, since
it gets in the way of white’s usual plan in the Closed Catalan. }

5. Bd2 { By far the most common way of blocking the check. } Be7

{ Now that the bishop’s job of provoking white’s dark bishop to d2 is done, we bring the
bishop back to its normal square on e7. Recently, black has been playing the bishop to d6 as
well, which has some pros and cons - however, Be7 is the established mainline, so this is
what we’ll cover. }

6. Bg2 O-O 7. O-O c6 { Solidifying the d5 pawn. } 8. Qc2 Nbd7

{ This is the critical “starting position” of this variation, which can be reached via a variety
of move orders. First thing to take note of is the bishop on d2. Usually in the Closed Catalan,
white will play Nbd2 followed by e4 with a good position. Clearly, with the bishop on d2
this isn’t possible. So by playing the …Bb4-e7 manoeuvre and provoking Bd2, black might
have just gained a tempo (at best) . White can try meet our variation with two different
mindsets: he can either try to make use of the bishop on d2, or he will move it at some
point to another square (usually f4, sometimes c1) . Over the next few moves, white will be
playing some improving moves. He wants to see what black is doing with his light bishop
(whether it will go to b7 or a6) before he commits his queenside knight. If the bishop puts
pressure on c4 from a6, then Nc3 is not ideal - otherwise white can develop the knight
actively to c3. In most cases we will be developing our light bishop to a6 so that it can
pressurise c4, as this limits white’s options. The main waiting/improving moves white can
play are Bf4, Rd1 and b3. The order of these can be swapped around quite easily. }

9. Rd1

{ A useful move. The rook will be well placed when the centre eventually opens up. }

b6 { Activating our light-squared bishop, of course. } 10. Bf4

{ Activating white’s bishop and clearing the d2 square. } Ba6

{ This active development of the bishop is preferred throughout most of this chapter.
Attacking c4 limits white’s options greatly. }

11. Ne5
{ Avrukh’s recommendation against our setup and the main move. White attacks c6 and
activates his light bishop. }

Rc8 { Simply defending c6. } 12. cxd5

{ Avrukh’s choice and the main move, with the idea of gaining the bishop pair by playing
Nc6xe7. }

Nxd5

{ cxd5 allows white to get the bishop pair that he wanted. The reason that Nxd5 works is
because tactics prevent 13. Nxc6 from being effective. Since Avrukh published his book,
some new ideas have been found in this variation which have scored very well for black. }

13. Nc3 { Developing is white’s only critical move. } Nxe5

{ Exchanging pieces usually benefits black due to our lack of space. } 14. Bxe5

f6

{ This new idea has been played 15 times since Avrukh’s book was published, but not once
before ! It is understandable that it didn’t receive any coverage as a result, but it does seem
like this equalises comfortably for black. This move forces the bishop back so we can trade
our knight for it. }

15. Bf4 Nxf4 16. gxf4 f5

{ The point of black’s last 2 moves. The whole position is highly unusual and looks very
strange, but black has been scoring very highly here - almost 70%! f5 is a strong
multipurpose move: it takes e4 away from white’s pieces, fixes the f4 weakness and frees
up the f6 square for our rook and bishop. The weakness of e6 is more visual than anything
else since it is very difficult to attack. These factors, together with black’s bishop pair, give
him a good position. }

17. Qa4 { Hitting our bishop. This is played with the idea of forcing a draw. }

Bb7 18. Qxa7 Qc7 { Rb8 is another idea if black needs to win. } 19.

Nb5 Qd7 20. Nc3 { White attacks b6, forcing the queen back to c7. } Qc7

{ With a threefold repetition and a draw. }

[Site “?”]
[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “The Catalan”]

[Black “4.Nf3 5.Bd2 9.Rd1 Variation 19”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3

{ In this chapter we are dealing with the Catalan. White fianchettos his bishop with the
intention of putting black under lasting pressure on the queenside and in the centre. White
aims for a small but long-term edge, which he hopes to milk for the rest of the game
without taking much risk. The Catalan has always been a popular choice at the top level,
but recently it has also picked up in popularity at the amateur and club level, largely thanks
to the success of GM Avrukh’s 1. d4 repertoire series. }

d5

{ Black can still avoid the Catalan at this point by heading for the Bogo-Indian with Bb4+ or
the Modern Benoni with c5, but we will stay true to the spirit of this repertoire by playing
d5. }

4. Nf3 Bb4+

{ Our chosen variation against the Catalan is quite possibly the most solid. Our strategy, as
in the rest of the repertoire, is to hold and solidify the pawn on d5. The purpose of …Bb4+ is
to provoke white’s bishop to d2, before we retreat our bishop back to its normal square on
e7. As we shall see later, the bishop on d2 is actually a liability rather than a strength, since
it gets in the way of white’s usual plan in the Closed Catalan. }

5. Bd2 { By far the most common way of blocking the check. } Be7

{ Now that the bishop’s job of provoking white’s dark bishop to d2 is done, we bring the
bishop back to its normal square on e7. Recently, black has been playing the bishop to d6 as
well, which has some pros and cons - however, Be7 is the established mainline, so this is
what we’ll cover. }

6. Bg2 O-O 7. O-O c6 { Solidifying the d5 pawn. } 8. Qc2 Nbd7

{ This is the critical ‘starting position’ of this variation, which can be reached via a variety of
move orders. First thing to take note of is the bishop on d2. Usually in the Closed Catalan,
white will play Nbd2 followed by e4 with a good position. Clearly, with the bishop on d2
this isn’t possible. So by playing the …Bb4-e7 manoeuvre and provoking Bd2, black might
have just gained a tempo (at best) . White can try meet our variation with two different
mindsets: he can either try to make use of the bishop on d2, or he will move it at some
point to another square (usually f4, sometimes c1) . Over the next few moves, white will be
playing some improving moves. He wants to see what black is doing with his light bishop
(whether it will go to b7 or a6) before he commits his queenside knight. If the bishop puts
pressure on c4 from a6, then Nc3 is not ideal - otherwise white can develop the knight
actively to c3. In most cases we will be developing our light bishop to a6 so that it can
pressurise c4, as this limits white’s options. The main waiting/improving moves white can
play are Bf4, Rd1 and b3. The order of these can be swapped around quite easily. }

9. Rd1

{ A useful move. The rook will be well placed when the centre eventually opens up. }

b6 { Activating our light-squared bishop, of course. } 10. Bf4

{ Activating white’s bishop and clearing the d2 square. } Ba6

{ This active development of the bishop is preferred throughout most of this chapter.
Attacking c4 limits white’s options greatly. }

11. Ne5

{ Avrukh’s recommendation against our setup and the main move. White attacks c6 and
activates his light bishop. }

Rc8 { Simply defending c6. } 12. cxd5

{ Avrukh’s choice and the main move, with the idea of gaining the bishop pair by playing
Nc6xe7. }

Nxd5

{ cxd5 allows white to get the bishop pair that he wanted. The reason that Nxd5 works is
because tactics prevent 13. Nxc6 from being effective. Since Avrukh published his book,
some new ideas have been found in this variation which have scored very well for black. }

13. Nc3 { Developing is white’s only critical move. } Nxe5

{ Exchanging pieces usually benefits black due to our lack of space. } 14. Bxe5

f6

{ This new idea has been played 15 times since Avrukh’s book was published, but not once
before ! It is understandable that it didn’t receive any coverage as a result, but it does seem
like this equalises comfortably for black. This move forces the bishop back so we can trade
our knight for it. }

15. Bf4 Nxf4 16. gxf4 f5

{ The point of black’s last 2 moves. The whole position is highly unusual and looks very
strange, but black has been scoring very highly here - almost 70%! f5 is a strong
multipurpose move: it takes e4 away from white’s pieces, fixes the f4 weakness and frees
up the f6 square for our rook and bishop. The weakness of e6 is more visual than anything
else since it is very difficult to attack. These factors, together with black’s bishop pair, give
him a good position. }

17. e3 Rf6

{ Black’s standard idea in this position is this rook lift. The rook heads to g6 or h6 where it
can put pressure on white’s exposed king. }

18. Ne2 { White brings his knight back to defend. } Bb7 19. Ng3 Rh6

{ Black has good play on the kingside. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “1.d4 Deviations”]

[Black “d4 Deviations Overview”]

1. d4 Nf6

{ In this chapter we will be dealing with white’s various early deviations after 1. d4 - in
other words, all white’s options that are not a Nimzo-Indian, Ragozin or a Catalan. This
means that options such as the Trompowsky, London and Veresov will be covered here.
Naturally, we can’t cover all of white’s deviations in a single chapter, as there are simply far
too many - however, we will recommend lines against the most common and most critical
ones. Against any deviations not covered yet, common sense development should suffice
for equality. After analysing the d4 deviations white can throw at us, it became apparent
that it’s best to go for lines which are low-theory, safe and solid. There’s already enough
theory as it is in the Nimzo-Indian and Ragozin without learning more against rare white
tries. One of the difficult things about learning to counter many of these d4 deviations is the
fact that white can switch up the move order very easily and there are plenty of
transpositions. This is why we recommend, for this chapter especially, to pay more
attention to the plans and development schemes we use. }

2. Nf3

{ Natural development leaves white very flexible. White has a whole host of ways to deviate
from the mainline Queen’s Gambit lines. 2.Bf4 The London has become quite popular at all
levels recently. It has a reputation for being solid and reliable. Top players often play it so
they can just get a game without much theory, while club players like it since it cuts down
on how much time they need to learn the opening. d5 The obvious choice and the one most
in line with the rest of our repertoire. 3.e3 Other move orders over the next few moves are
also possible, but pretty much all white’s moves lead to the same position at the end. c5 The
main way to challenge white’s setup is to play actively and occupy the centre. 4.Nf3 4.dxc5
This move is quite challenging, as we don’t get the pawn back quickly. We have good
compensation, but if you don’t want to allow this scenario, there is a good way to sidestep
this - first playing e6 and then c5 is a good move order twist. e6 Intending to simply regain
the pawn on the next move. 5.b4 If white doesn’t try to hold onto the pawn, black is more
than OK. a5 ! Immediately challenging white’s centre. 6.c3 Nc6 Attacking b4 again. 7.Bb5
Pinning our knight, thus defending b4. Bd7 8.Qb3 White defends b4 and prepares to
complete his development. This is a critical junction in this variation, where black can try a
few things: 1. Ne4 9. f3 e5 !? is extremely complex - a full chapter could be written on that
position alone. 2. Ne4 9. f3 Nf6 !? with the idea of …Nh5 next is a suggestion by LeelaChess,
but this is untested - black claims that f3 is more of a weakness than a strength. 3. The
immediate Nh5. This is natural and relatively easy to play, so we’ll go with this. Nh5 We
simply want to pick up the bishop pair. 9.Ne2 So that white can recapture and
simultaneously bring his knight into the game. Nxf4 10.Nxf4 Qf6 ! Black threatens …axb4.
11.O-O Black can’t take the pawn on b4 and then the rook on a1 since his queen would get
trapped now. g6 Intending to develop our bishop on the long diagonal. 12.Nd2 axb4
13.cxb4 Bg7 14.Rac1 Qb2 ! An important idea to remember - trading off queens here pretty
much solves black’s problems. 15.Qxb2 Bxb2 16.Rc2 Bg7 = The endgame remains quite
complex, but black has enough compensation for the pawn thanks to the bishop pair and
his activity. 4.Nd2 White delays the development of his knight to f3. The idea here is to
reach an improved Stonewall structure if black plays on autopilot with …e6 and …Bd6,
since white can just exchange bishops and play f4 with a pretty good position. Note that the
similar idea starting with 4. c3 and then 5. Nd2 can be met in the same way as 4. Nd2, by
developing our light bishop to f5, or in the same way as 5. c3 - using …Qb6 ideas. Nc6 5.c3
Bf5 ! An important point to remember. When white’s knight isn’t on f3, black can develop
his bishop to f5 without any problems. 6.Qb3 Hitting b7. 6.Ngf3 is natural, but here black is
totally fine. e6 7.Be2 Qb6 8.Qb3 c4 9.Qxb6 axb6 = A typical ending in this line where black
is probably even a little bit better thanks to his easy queenside play. Qd7 7.Ngf3 c4 8.Qd1
e6 9.Be2 b5 = Black has easy queenside play with full equality. Nc6 5.Nbd2 5.c3 is a much
more popular move order for white than 5. Nbd2, however it is inaccurate. Qb6 ! And this is
why. White can’t deal with the simple attack on the b2 pawn in a comfortable way. 6.Qb3
6.Qc2 g6 Preparing …Bf5 and a kingside fianchetto. 7.Nbd2 Bg7 8.h3 O-O 9.Be2 Bf5 = 6.b3
With the bishop on f4 already, b3 is quite a concession. cxd4 7.exd4 Bf5 8.Bd3 Bxd3 9.Qxd3
e6 10.O-O Be7 = The position is roughly equal, but black might be slightly for choice here
due to the long term weakness of the c3 pawn caused by the b3 concession. c4 7.Qxb6
7.Qc2 Bf5 ! A little tactical trick. White can’t take on f5 since white loses his rook after …
Qxb2. 8.Qc1 Nh5 9.Bg3 Nxg3 10.hxg3 e6 = Only black can be better here with the bishop
pair. axb6 Black is the only one who could be better in this endgame, for example: 8.Na3
Bf5 9.Nh4 Bd7 10.Nb5 Ra5 11.a4 Na7 12.Nc7+ White’s knight is in no man’s land. Kd8
13.Na8 Ra6 ��� Black has a clear advantage here. e6 6.c3 Bd6 A good square for the
bishop, where it can neutralise its counterpart. 7.Bg3 White would prefer to trade dark
bishops on g3, where he can recapture with the h-pawn. 7.Ne5 White’s second most
common choice. The knight is difficult to maintain on e5, which means that we target and
exchange it. Qc7 Hitting e5. 8.Ndf3 Nd7 Forcing simplifications. 9.Nxd7 Bxd7 10.Bxd6 Qxd6
= Black has no problems here. He can look at playing on the queenside or for the …e5 break.
7.Bxd6 isn’t critical at all. Qxd6 Our queen is well-placed to support the freeing . ..e5 break
later. 8.Bd3 O-O 9.O-O e5 ! Freeing our light bishop and gaining control of the centre. Black
has absolutely no problems now. 10.dxe5 Nxe5 11.Nxe5 Qxe5 = with full equality. 7.Bg5
White goes the extra mile to preserve his dark bishop. Unfortunately, spending an extra
tempo just for this is too slow, which means black should have no problems here since he
can carry out the …e5 break. h6 8.Bh4 O-O 9.Bd3 e5 ! There are other ways to play as well,
but this seems like an easy equaliser. 10.dxe5 Nxe5 11.Nxe5 Bxe5 = All black’s pieces have
good squares available. Black has secured full equality. 7.dxc5 This does make our bishop
move twice, but on the other hand it is difficult to pose us any problems now with our solid
centre. Bxc5 8.Bd3 O-O 9.O-O Re8 = Black’s solid centre means we have comfortable
equality. O-O Black shouldn’t be in any rush to exchange dark bishops. 8.Bd3 White
prepares the e4 break. 8.Bb5 This is quite a long way in popularity behind 8. Bd3, but it was
favoured by Carlsen when he played the London. With 8. Bb5 white fights for control of the
e5 square. Bxg3 Black scores quite badly here, but I don’t see anything wrong with black’s
position if he is prepared. 9.hxg3 Qb6 ! The point of exchanging dark bishops - we
immediately attack white’s bishop. 10.a4 Carlsen’s choice here against Caruana. White
doesn’t budge with his bishop. 10.Bxc6 bxc6 ! It is important to not recapture with the
queen here as white will then get full control over e5 and his kingside attack will play itself.
Taking with the b-pawn opens up the b-file, black’s avenue for counterplay in this line.
11.Qc2 Rb8 Hitting b2. 12.Rb1 cxd4 Christof reached this position with black and opted for
Ba6, and ended up winning a very interesting game. cxd4 is a slight improvement though
with a similar idea. 13.cxd4 Ba6 The light squares around white’s king suddenly become a
bit vulnerable. 14.Ne5 Attacking c6. Qb5 Threatening mate. 15.Nb3 Ne4 The knight helps
fight for the c5 square from here. 16.f3 f6 ! Counterattacking white’s knight. 17.Nxc6 Rfc8
18.fxe4 Qxc6 19.Qxc6 Rxc6 = Black has no problems here thanks to his activity. If white
doesn’t give the pawn back, black’s rook will be very strong on the second rank. h6 11.O-O
Bd7 Preparing … Nd7 soon, exchanging off white’s bishop. 12.Qc2 Rfc8 = Black is fine here,
as his position has no real weaknesses. b6 Getting our other bishop into the game. 9.Ne5
9.e4 Carrying out white’s thematic pawn break. Be7 ! An important retreat to remember.
Taking on e4 just activates white’s pieces, which we are trying to avoid. Instead, after …Be7
it turns out that white’s centre is under a bit of fire. 10.dxc5 White’s best objective choice.
11. e5 looks promising, but after Nh5 black can play a well-timed . ..f5 which stops white’s
kingside play in its tracks. Take a look at the model games chapter for an example of how
play can proceed here. bxc5 11.O-O Re8 = We reach a pretty balanced position with
chances for both sides. Next black can play …Qb6 and …Bb7. 9.Qe2 White’s plan is a gradual
build-up in preparation for the e4 break. Bb7 10.Rd1 Ne7 ! This is an interesting albeit rare
idea with the point of . ..Ne7-f5-d6. 11.e4 The critical test and white’s most common
response. 11. O-O was used by Kramnik but black is fine there if he just continues with the
plan of …Ne7-f5-d6 to control the e4 square. c4 12.Bc2 Nxe4 13.Nxe4 dxe4 14.Ng5 Bd5
Protecting c4. 15.Nxe4 Bc7 16.O-O h6 = Covering the g5 square. Next black can play . ..f5
and …b5 with interesting play for both sides. Bb7 10.f4 White’s Stonewall setup has
ambitions of starting a kingside attack. However, the light squares are weakened, in
particular e4, which our knights will try to exploit. Ne7 ! Bringing the knight to the
kingside, where it is more useful. The knight is heading to f5. 11.Qf3 A natural and good
square for white’s queen. Nf5 12.Bf2 The bishop gets out of the way of the g-pawn,
preparing the g4-g5 pawn storm. Be7 ! An important idea to remember. Our f5 knight will
soon be kicked by g4, which means that it can now go to d6. With a knight on d6, our
knights can make full use of our e4 outpost. 13.g4 Nd6 14.g5 Nfe4 = Our knight on e4 is an
absolute monster. White has extreme difficulties whipping up a kingside attack with his
light bishop blocked by our knight on e4. Black is at least equal here, and the holes created
on the light squares by white advancing his pawns so eagerly could be a serious problem
for white in the future. 2.Nc3 2. Nc3 is known as the Veresov. White is making a not-so-
subtle attempt to play e4, however blocking the c2 pawn is rarely a good idea. d5 Of course,
there’s no need to allow white e4. 3.Bg5 3.Bf4 This is sometimes tried against Grunfeld
players who fianchetto without thinking. White hopes to play Bh6 and whip up a strong
kingside attack. e6 Completely natural since we play the Nimzo. 4.e3 Bb4 The most active
square for the bishop. 5.Bd3 c5 White’s passive play allows us to carry out this break
without much difficulty. 6.dxc5 Nbd7 We plan on regaining the c5 pawn with the knight so
that we can grab the bishop pair later. 7.Nge2 a6 ! An important idea to remember in this
variation. Black takes the b5 square away from white’s knight and bishop. 8.Bg3 A
prophylactic move directed against …e5 recommended by GM Williams in his course on the
Jobava Attack. Nh5 Chasing the bishop pair. 9.e4 Nxc5 ! GM Williams only covers Nxg3,
after which I think I’d probably prefer black regardless, but this seems a bit stronger and
has the advantage of not being analysed. 10.exd5 is another try, but white is struggling here
too. 10.a3 A logical idea, forcing the capture on c3. Bxc3+ 11.Nxc3 At this point, black has an
important strategic sequence we should keep in mind - we leave white with only his light
bishop and put our pawns on dark squares, making white’s bishop on d3 bad. Nxg3 12.hxg3
d4 ! 13.Nb1 A rather sad retreat, but white’s best try. White doesn’t want to block his
queen’s path to h5 and he can reactivate the knight via d2-f3. e5 Closing the position,
cementing the bad bishop on d3. 14.Qh5 Attacking e5. Qc7 Of course, avoid castling here !
Only castle short when white does so since white has strong pressure down the h-file.
15.Nd2 Be6 16.Nf3 Nd7 Covering e5. 17.Ng5 Qb6 18.Nxe6 Qxe6 =+ Black’s good knight vs
bad bishop and extra space give him a comfortable edge here. Nxg3 11.hxg3 Qxd5 12.O-O
Qd8 13.a3 Bxc3 Black has a number of promising continuations here, but this seems to lead
to the simplest, most stable edge. Ba5 to retain the bishop pair is good too. 14.Nxc3 Nxd3
15.cxd3 Bd7 =+ Black has a small but stable edge here thanks to his bishop and white’s IQP.
3.e4 ? This is an attempt to transpose to the Blackmar-Diemer Gambit, but white is simply
worse here. Nxe4 ! The more accurate way to grab the pawn. 4.Nxe4 dxe4 5.f3 White
sacrifices his pawn “permanently” now to try accelerate his development, but there simply
isn’t enough compensation here. 5.Bc4 Prioritising development. Nc6 6.c3 e5 ! A typical
central lever we will see in this variation. 7.d5 Ne7 Our knight is heading for g6. 8.f3 exf3
9.Nxf3 Ng6 ��� Black is just a clean pawn up. e5 ! Once again we employ these central
break. White can’t take the pawn and allow the exchange of queens. 6.Be3 exd4 7.Bxd4
Nc6 ! Playing forcefully and not giving white a chance to get any sort of initiative. 8.Bb5 Bd7
9.Bc3 Qh4+ ! Provoking kingside weaknesses. 10.g3 Qg5 -+ White’s position is simply
falling apart here and black is winning easily. h6 A recommendation by Kaufman which is
simple and strong. Just like in the Trompowsky, there’s no need to fear the Bxf6 exchange.
It opens up a diagonal for our bishop and surrenders the bishop pair. 4.Bxf6 4.Bh4
Retreating to h4 retains hopes of e4, but it never really works because black always has …
g5 at his disposal. c5 ! A rare move but a strong one. We hit white’s centre before he can
solidify. 5.e3 cxd4 6.exd4 Nc6 7.Nf3 Bg4 = Black has developed soundly and is at least
equal. exf6 5.e3 Bb4 The most active square for the bishop. 6.Bd3 c5 7.dxc5 Bxc3+ 8.bxc3
O-O = With white’s ruined pawn structure, black is already doing well. 2.Bg5 The
Trompowsky was popularised by a handful of English GMs. It was is one of white’s most
popular d4 deviations and also one of his best choices objectively. d5 ! This is a simple
reply recommended by GM Kaufman in his repertoire book. Black ignores the ‘threat’ of
Bxf6 and stakes out his claim in the centre. Just like against the Veresov, the Bxf6 exchange
is to black’s advantage. 3.Bxf6 This should be critical, as this was surely white’s idea behind
his previous move. However, it is unclear if it is worth giving up the bishop pair to damage
black’s pawn structure. 3.e3 c5 4.Bxf6 4.c3 This is solid, but quite passive and not
challenging at all. Nc6 5.Nf3 Qb6 ! A thematic idea in such structures - b2 is surprisingly
difficult to defend comfortably. 6.Qb3 c4 7.Qxb6 axb6 = We reach a pretty standard
endgame with a pawn structure that is known to be perfectly OK for black. Black can put
his doubled b-pawns to use with …b5-b4. 4.Nc3 White wants to put some pressure on d5,
but this is questionable. e6 Protecting d5. 5.Be2 Be7 6.Nf3 O-O =+ White’s knight on c3 is
horribly misplaced and black has developed soundly. gxf6 We can try use the same idea as
in one of the previous lines and recapture with the e-pawn, but here it isn’t quite as good
since …c5 is already played and we will most likely be left with an IQP. As a result, the g-
pawn recapture is the choice of most top players. 5.dxc5 5.Nf3 Natural development. Nc6
6.c4 White tries to challenge our centre before we get our pieces out. cxd4 7.exd4 e5 ! An
important idea to remember here. The f6 pawn plays the important role of supporting this
central break. Our dark bishop enters the game and black takes over the initiative. 8.Nc3
Bb4 9.cxd5 exd4 10.Nxd4 Qxd5 11.Ndb5 Qe5+ 12.Qe2 O-O =+ Only black can be better in
the upcoming endgame thanks to his bishop pair. e6 Intending to simply regain the pawn.
6.Nf3 Bxc5 7.Be2 Nc6 8.O-O O-O 9.c4 White attacks our centre. d4 ! Allowing white to take
on d5 would be disastrous since black’s pawn structure would be ruined. So far, black has
only taken on c4 and this is also OK, but .. .d4 should be a bit better even. 10.exd4 Nxd4
11.Nc3 f5 Taking e4 away from white’s knight. 12.Nxd4 Qxd4 13.Qxd4 Bxd4 = Black is
completely fine. 3.Nd2 Developing the knight without blocking the c-pawn. c5 4.dxc5 e6
5.e4 Bxc5 = Black has no problems here at all. Note that e5 doesn’t work because of .. .Qb6.
exf6 4.e3 Bd6 Black can just develop naturally here. 5.c4 5.Bd3 O-O 6.Nd2 c6 = Black is rock
solid, with the bishop pair to boot. dxc4 6.Bxc4 O-O 7.Nc3 c6 8.Nf3 Nd7 = Black has no
problems at all thanks to his bishop pair. Next he can look at something like …f5 followed
by …Nf6. 2.c3 This is not a critical line or anything, but it was commonly requested that we
add a variation dealing with the Stonewall for white. The Stonewall can arise in many forms
and move orders though, so it makes sense to show a single variation here with a focus on
black’s plans. d5 3.e3 e6 4.f4 The “Stonewall” has been built - the f4, e3, d4 and e3 pawns.
This gives white an unshakeable grip over the e5 square, typically used as an outpost for
his knight. However, this comes at the expense of many things - most notably, white’s poor
bishop on c1 and the e4 outpost. White often needs to find a way to activate or exchange it -
one common idea is the lengthy maneouvre Bc1-e2-e1-h4. Our first step in dealing with the
Stonewall is to exchange white’s good bishop, the light squared one. c5 5.Nf3 Be7 6.Bd3 O-
O 7.O-O All natural moves so far from both sides. b6 ! Preparing the aforementioned idea of
exchanging light bishops with …Ba6. 8.Qe2 ! Preventing …Ba6. a5 ! Once again planning …
Ba6, and this time white can’t stop it. 9.Bd2 Ba6 10.Bxa6 Nxa6 =+ With white’s good bishop
exchanged, black already stands better here. Next we want to get our knights to control the
e4 outpost - one way to do this is the manoeuvre … Na6-c7-e8-d6. We will generally try to
expand on the queenside by rolling the pawns forward, but sometimes opening up the
centre with …f6 and …e5 is also a good idea. }

d5

{ Because of our choice against 1. Nf3 d5 , we have to play d5 here in order to not get
move-ordered. e6 is otherwise, of course, a perfectly decent option. }

3. c4

{ 3.Bf4 is not an independent option, as it just transposes to the London System which we
covered after 2. Bf4. c5 4.e3 Nc6 transposing to 2. Bf4. 3.Bg5 The Torre attack, but it is not
that effective against a …Nf6 + …d5 setup from black - usually it is a bit better against …Nf6
and …e6. c5 A very rare move, but it has been played by a few top players recently and it
scores very well. Just like in the Trompowsky and the Veresov, we see no reason for black
to worry about the Bxf6 ‘threat’. 4.e3 4.Bxf6 exf6 5.e3 Nc6 6.c3 Be6 7.dxc5 Bxc5 8.Nbd2 a6
= Black’s bishop pair compensates for the weak, isolated d5 pawn. 4.dxc5 e6 5.e3 Bxc5 6.c4
O-O 7.Nc3 dxc4 8.Bxc4 h6 9.Bh4 Qxd1+ 10.Rxd1 Nbd7 = Black has no problems here at all.
Nc6 5.c3 Qb6 ! transposing to a line we looked at in the Trompowsky. 3.e3 While this can
still tranpose into some other white lines, we will be looking at the Colle and the Colle-
Zukertort in this variation. White focuses on his kingside development - he will get his
bishop to d3 and then castle. After that, he needs to decide what to do with the dark bishop:
if he leaves it on the c1-h6 diagonal, then it is a Colle, but if he fianchettos it on b2 then we
are looking at a Colle-Zukertort. As a result, the Colle is defined by a pawn on c3 while the
Colle-Zukertort is with a pawn on b3. e6 4.Bd3 c5 5.b3 The Colle-Zukertort is a bit more
active and challenging than the normal Colle. White fianchettos the dark bishop - this
means that white has more control over e5 and better supported centre in general. White
typically delays the planned e4 break until later, or foregoes it entirely and plays for c4
instead. A typical plan of white’s here is to make of the active dark bishop by playing Ne5
followed by f4, entering a king of Stonewall structure. 5.c3 The Colle isn’t too challenging to
black. White generally plays for the idea of e4, but this is quite easy to counter. b6 First
black develops his queenside naturally - in both the Colle and the Colle-Zukertort, we will
usually be playing …b6, … Bb7, …Bd6, …Nbd7 and …O-O in one order or another. In this
specific variation we prioritise …b6 and …Bb7 since we want to fight for the e4 square. 6.O-
O Bb7 7.Nbd2 Nbd7 8.Qe2 Again white prepares e4. 8.Re1 White is now ready to play the
e4 break. Ne4 ! An idea we will be seeing much more of later. The easiest way to prevent
the e4 break is to put the knight there. 9.Qc2 f5 =+ Solidifying the knight on e4, with a good
version of the Stonewall for black. Ne4 ! Stopping e4. 9.Ne5 Nxe5 10.dxe5 Qc7 =+ Black’s
position is preferable, thanks to the weakness of the e5 pawn. Nc6 In this case, since the
fight for the e4 square is delayed until later, black can develop the knight to c6 without any
issues - if white was planning a quick e4, the knight might have been in the way of our
bishop on b7. 6.O-O Bd6 7.Bb2 O-O 8.Nbd2 A natural developing move and white’s main
choice. 8.Ne5 ?! is a bit inaccurate here, because black has a strong concrete response: Qc7 !
Hitting the knight on e5. 9.f4 cxd4 10.exd4 Nb4 ! An important idea to keep in mind. …Nb4
gains the bishop pair here. 11.Nc3 Nxd3 12.Qxd3 a6 =+ Black’s bishop pair gives him a
slight edge here. 8.c4 Challenging black in the centre here only leads to some exchanges.
cxd4 9.exd4 b6 10.Nbd2 Bb7 = Black is super solid. It is difficult for white to make real
progress here, since taking on d5 leaves him with a well-blockaded IQP. b6 Developing our
bishop. 9.Ne5 Bb7 10.a3 If white doesn’t play for f4, his plan is a bit less clear. 10.f4 Rc8 A
good square for the rook. 11.a3 Ne7 = As we’ve seen before, bringing the knight to the
kingside f5 is usually a good maneovre for black, possible followed by …Be7 and …Nf5-d6
to exploit the e4 square. Rc8 11.Qe2 Ne7 = Black has no problems here. 3.g3 White heads
for a Catalan setup with a delayed c4. This has the advantage of avoiding our chosen line
against the Catalan with ….Bb4+, however it allows us to develop our light bishop actively
outside the pawn chain, since black hasn’t committed to …e6 yet. c6 Supporting d5 while
allowing our light bishop to develop outside the pawn chain. 4.Bg2 Bg4 …Bf5 is another
good option. 5.O-O 5.c4 e6 6.h3 Bxf3 ! With white’s king still uncastled, we have a nice way
to simplify the position. 7.Bxf3 Bb4+ ! An idea which wouldn’t be possible if white castled
first. 8.Bd2 Bxd2+ 9.Nxd2 Qb6 Attacking b2 and d4. 10.Qb3 Qxb3 11.axb3 Ke7 = The closed
nature of the position lends itself to black’s knights. The position is roughly equal, but
there’s still plenty of play for both sides. Next black can consider developing his knight with
… Na6-c7. The closed nature of the position lends itself to black’s knights. The position is
roughly equal, but there’s still plenty of play for both sides. Next black can consider
developing his knight with …Na6-c7. 5.Ne5 Attacking our bishop, but it is unclear if the
knight is better placed on e5 than f3. Bf5 6.O-O Nbd7 7.c4 e6 Black can’t take on e5 too
early of course since d5 was not properly supported. 8.Nc3 Be7 9.Qb3 Qb6 10.Nxd7 Nxd7
11.e4 dxe4 12.Nxe4 O-O = We reach a structure very typical for the Catalan but with our
bishop outisde the pawn chain. Black is fine here, but of course there’s plenty of play for
both sides. Nbd7 6.c4 e6 Note that this position can also be reached from 1. Nf3 move
orders. 7.Qb3 White’s most common move, attacking b7. 7.h3 Bf5 …Bh5 is also possible, but
from f5 the bishop controls the important e4 square. 8.Nc3 h6 Securing the bishop’s retreat
to h7 in the event of Nh4. 9.Nd2 Be7 10.e4 The typical break in Closed Catalan positions.
dxe4 11.Ndxe4 Nxe4 12.Nxe4 Nf6 13.Nc3 Qb6 = An important finesse before castling. Black
ties white’s bishop down to the defence of b2. In general, white would have had a slight
edge here if our bishop was on c8 or d7, but with the bishop actively placed outside the
pawn chain black has no problems. 7.b3 Planning a queenside fianchetto. Be7 8.Bb2 O-O
9.Nbd2 a5 ! A typical way for black to gain space on the queenside and harrass the
fianchetto. The idea is of course to play …a4-a3 if allowed. 10.a3 Prophylaxis against …a4 -
white would meet …a4 now with b4. h6 11.Re1 Bf5 Covering e4. 12.Ne5 Nxe5 13.dxe5 Nd7
14.e4 White’s most popular move, but maybe not the best. Black is equal regardless. dxe4
15.Nxe4 Nc5 =+ White seems to have overreached a bit in the last couple moves and now
black’s position is slightly preferable. Qb6 8.Nc3 Be7 9.c5 Qxb3 10.axb3 Bxf3 Black
exchanges his ‘bad’ bishop. 11.Bxf3 e5 ! = White’s bishop pair can’t be fully utilised in this
closed position. }

e6 { Necessary, in order to stay within our repertoire. } 4. Bg5

{ By developing his bishop to g5 first, before committing his knight, white keeps the option
of putting his knight on d2 open. Otherwise, this typically transposes into other lines. 4.e3
White solidifies d4 but blocks his bishop in. b6 Preparing to develop our light bishop. 5.b3
This pretty much leads to a kind of Colle-Zukertort with white having played c4. 5.Nc3
Delaying the development of the dark bishop for now. Bb7 6.cxd5 6.Bd3 Bd6 Natural
development. 7.O-O O-O 8.b3 Nbd7 9.Bb2 a6 A useful multipurpose move, taking b5 away
from white’s knight. 10.Rc1 Qe7 A good square for the queen and possibly preparing … Ba3
in the future. 11.Na4 White’s most popular move, with the idea of Ne5. dxc4 12.bxc4 c5 =
Hitting back in the centre. Black has no problems here at all. exd5 7.Bb5+ With the idea of
provoking black’s pawn to c6 before returning with the bishop to d3. The immediate 7. Bd3
doesn’t seem to have much of an advantage over 7. Bb5+. c6 8.Bd3 With the pawn on c6
blocking black’s bishop, white wants to play e4. Nbd7 9.O-O Bd6 Natural development.
10.e4 Carrying out white’s idea, but this isn’t even dangerous. dxe4 11.Nxe4 Nxe4 12.Bxe4
O-O = Black has a few ways to play here, depending on what white does - …Qc7 with the
plan of … c5 or …Nf6 with pressure on d4. Bb7 6.Bb2 Bd6 7.Bd3 O-O 8.O-O Nbd7 9.Nbd2
Both sides have developed naturally and reached a fairly normal position. Ne4 ! A typical
idea, as we’ve seen before. 10.Qc2 10.Qe2 hardly seems challenging. f5 = with a good
Stonewall for black. f5 Once again, we head for a Stonewall structure in order to support
our e4 knight. 11.cxd5 exd5 12.Ne5 c5 = Black has good play, but there are plenty of
chances for both sides. The position is roughly balanced. }

Bb4+ { The most in line with our repertoire. } 5. Nbd2

{ White’s main independent try. White will try to prove that the bishop is a bit misplaced on
b4, but on the other hand white’s play has left the c4 pawn vulnerable. 5.Nc3 transposes
straight into Chapter 2 after h6 5.Bd2 is white’s only other independent option, but this is
not too challenging. Be7 Black has basically been granted …Be7 almost for free, as the
bishop on d2 is not much better than it was on c1. Taking on d2 is also possible and it
should also equalise without any hassles. 6.Nc3 c5 ! Black can take advantage of his ‘extra
tempo’ by playing actively. 7.e3 Nc6 8.cxd5 exd5 9.dxc5 Bxc5 10.Bd3 O-O = Black has a
good IQP position where he can equalise fully at will by just playing …d4. }

dxc4

{ As we saw in the Catalan, it is surprisingly difficult to recoup the c4 pawn in such

situations where white’s knight on d2 is pinned. }

6. Qc2

{ Trying to recoup the pawn with the queen has been white’s main try. 6.Qa4+ Forcing our
knight to c6. Nc6 7.e3 Threatening Bxc4. Qd5 ! The only way to hold onto the pawn. 8.Bxf6
gxf6 9.Qc2 b5 =+ Black secures the pawn with a good position. 6.e3 White plays simply and
wants to recapture the pawn with his bishop. b5 Protecting c4. Note that white doesn’t
have his usual pressure down the long diagonal here, like in the Catalan. 7.Be2 Bb7 8.O-O
O-O 9.b3 c3 ! There are other options, but black can give the pawn back now and get good
play. 10.a3 Be7 11.Nb1 c5 Playing actively in the centre. 12.Nxc3 a6 =+ Black has good,
active play and his positionally is definitely slightly preferable. 6.a3 White tries to take
advantage of black’s bishop’s position immediately by winning the bishop pair. However,
this does make regaining the c4 pawn even more difficult. Bxd2+ 7.Qxd2 O-O 8.e3 b5 9.a4
c6 =+ White lacks full compensation for the pawn. }

b5 { Simply protecting c4. } 7. a4 c6 8. Bxf6 gxf6 9. g3

{ White fianchettos his bishop in the style of the Catalan, in the hope of getting some
pressure down the long diagonal. }

Bb7 10. Bg2 Nd7 11. O-O a5

{ Protecting the bishop and getting black’s queenside pawn mass into action. White doesn’t
have full compensation for the pawn. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “1.d4 Deviations”]

[Black “3.a3”]
1. d4 Nf6

{ In this chapter we will be dealing with white’s various early deviations after 1. d4 - in
other words, all white’s options that are not a Nimzo-Indian, Ragozin or a Catalan. This
means that options such as the Trompowsky, London and Veresov will be covered here.
Naturally, we can’t cover all of white’s deviations in a single chapter, as there are simply far
too many - however, we will recommend lines against the most common and most critical
ones. Against any deviations not covered yet, common sense development should suffice
for equality. After analysing the d4 deviations white can throw at us, it became apparent
that it’s best to go for lines which are low-theory, safe and solid. There’s already enough
theory as it is in the Nimzo-Indian and Ragozin without learning more against rare white
tries. One of the difficult things about learning to counter many of these d4 deviations is the
fact that white can switch up the move order very easily and there are plenty of
transpositions. This is why we recommend, for this chapter especially, to pay more
attention to the plans and development schemes we use. }

2. c4 e6 3. a3

{ This is a rare move directed against …Bb4, but as long as you don’t premove that it really
shouldn’t pose black any problems - we should have a number of ways to equalise here.
We’ll be opting for the plan of …d5 followed by …dxc4, as in these situations a3 is relatively
useless. }

d5 4. Nc3 dxc4

{ This takes full advantage of the “wasted tempo”. 3. a3 doesn’t help white in …dxc4
positions at all, since he often would rather play a4 in order to prevent …b5. }

5. e3 a6 6. Bxc4 c5 7. Nf3 b5 8. Be2 Bb7 9. O-O Nbd7 10. dxc5 Bxc5

{ Black’s position is already marginally preferable due to his more active bishops. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “1.d4 Deviations”]

[Black “3.Nf3 & 4.a3”]

1. d4 Nf6

{ In this chapter we will be dealing with white’s various early deviations after 1. d4 - in
other words, all white’s options that are not a Nimzo-Indian, Ragozin or a Catalan. This
means that options such as the Trompowsky, London and Veresov will be covered here.
Naturally, we can’t cover all of white’s deviations in a single chapter, as there are simply far
too many - however, we will recommend lines against the most common and most critical
ones. Against any deviations not covered yet, common sense development should suffice
for equality. After analysing the d4 deviations white can throw at us, it became apparent
that it’s best to go for lines which are low-theory, safe and solid. There’s already enough
theory as it is in the Nimzo-Indian and Ragozin without learning more against rare white
tries. One of the difficult things about learning to counter many of these d4 deviations is the
fact that white can switch up the move order very easily and there are plenty of
transpositions. This is why we recommend, for this chapter especially, to pay more
attention to the plans and development schemes we use. }

2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. a3

{ A similar idea to 3. a3 - white wants to prevent …Bb4 at all costs, but this “free” tempo
allows Black to equalise easily. }

dxc4

{ Taking play into a situation where the inclusion of a3 is relatively useless. }

5. Qa4+

{ White’s most popular move - 5. e3 is met similarly to the 3. a3 line. }

Nbd7 6. Nc3 c5 7. e3 cxd4 8. exd4 a6

{ White regains the c-pawn soon enough, but is left with an IQP which will be well-
blockaded once we get …b5 in, meaning that the d4 pawn will simply end up being weak -
Black has an edge already. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]
[Round “?”]

[White “1.d4 Deviations”]

[Black “Seirawan Attack”]

1. d4 Nf6

{ In this chapter we will be dealing with white’s various early deviations after 1. d4 - in
other words, all white’s options that are not a Nimzo-Indian, Ragozin or a Catalan. This
means that options such as the Trompowsky, London and Veresov will be covered here.
Naturally, we can’t cover all of white’s deviations in a single chapter, as there are simply far
too many - however, we will recommend lines against the most common and most critical
ones. Against any deviations not covered yet, common sense development should suffice
for equality. After analysing the d4 deviations white can throw at us, it became apparent
that it’s best to go for lines which are low-theory, safe and solid. There’s already enough
theory as it is in the Nimzo-Indian and Ragozin without learning more against rare white
tries. One of the difficult things about learning to counter many of these d4 deviations is the
fact that white can switch up the move order very easily and there are plenty of
transpositions. This is why we recommend, for this chapter especially, to pay more
attention to the plans and development schemes we use. }

2. c4 e6 3. Bg5

{ This is known as the Seirawan attack, but it doesn’t seem particularly threatening. White
shouldn’t want to give up the bishop pair this early with almost nothing in exchange. }

h6 4. Bh4 g5

{ There are other ways to play too, but this seems like a good try at “refuting” the Seirawan
attack. We’re going to start chasing white’s bishop around. }

5. Bg3 h5

{ This is very rare, but it seems to be the best move in the position. …h4 is threatened, and
if white plays h4 himself, we hop in with …Ne4. }

6. Nc3 h4 7. Be5 d6 8. Bxf6 Qxf6

{ Only black can be better with his bishop pair. Our kingside might look a bit overextended
but white has no way to take advantage. }
[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “1.d4 Deviations”]

[Black “London with 4.dxc5”]

1. d4 Nf6

{ In this chapter we will be dealing with white’s various early deviations after 1. d4 - in
other words, all white’s options that are not a Nimzo-Indian, Ragozin or a Catalan. This
means that options such as the Trompowsky, London and Veresov will be covered here.
Naturally, we can’t cover all of white’s deviations in a single chapter, as there are simply far
too many - however, we will recommend lines against the most common and most critical
ones. Against any deviations not covered yet, common sense development should suffice
for equality. After analysing the d4 deviations white can throw at us, it became apparent
that it’s best to go for lines which are low-theory, safe and solid. There’s already enough
theory as it is in the Nimzo-Indian and Ragozin without learning more against rare white
tries. One of the difficult things about learning to counter many of these d4 deviations is the
fact that white can switch up the move order very easily and there are plenty of
transpositions. This is why we recommend, for this chapter especially, to pay more
attention to the plans and development schemes we use. }

2. Bf4

{ The London has become quite popular at all levels recently. It has a reputation for being
solid and reliable. Top players often play it so they can just get a game without much
theory, while club players like it since it cuts down on how much time they need to learn
the opening. }

d5

{ The obvious choice and the one most in line with the rest of our repertoire. }

3. e3

{ Other move orders over the next few moves are also possible, but pretty much all white’s
moves lead to the same position at the end. }
c5

{ The main way to challenge white’s setup is to play actively and occupy the centre. }

4. dxc5

{ This move is quite challenging, as we don’t get the pawn back quickly. We have good
compensation, but if you don’t want to allow this scenario, there is a good way to sidestep
this - first playing e6 and then c5 is a good move order twist. }

e6 { Intending to simply regain the pawn on the next move. } 5. b4

{ If white doesn’t try to hold onto the pawn, black is more than OK. } a5

{ Immediately challenging white’s centre. } 6. c3 Nc6 { Attacking b4 again. }

7. Bb5 { Pinning our knight, thus defending b4. } Bd7 8. Qb3

{ White defends b4 and prepares to complete his development. This is a critical junction in
this variation, where black can try a few things: 1. Ne4 9. f3 e5 !? is extremely complex - a
full chapter could be written on that position alone. 2. Ne4 9. f3 Nf6 !? with the idea of …
Nh5 next is a suggestion by LeelaChess, but this is untested - black claims that f3 is more of
a weakness than a strength. 3. The immediate Nh5. This is natural and relatively easy to
play, so we’ll go with this. }

Nh5 { We simply want to pick up the bishop pair. } 9. Ne2

{ So that white can recapture and simultaneously bring his knight into the game. }

Nxf4 10. Nxf4 Qf6 { Black threatens …axb4. } 11. O-O

{ Black can’t take the pawn on b4 and then the rook on a1 since his queen would get
trapped now. }

g6 { Intending to develop our bishop on the long diagonal. } 12. Nd2 axb4

13. cxb4 Bg7 14. Rac1 Qb2

{ An important idea to remember - trading off queens here pretty much solves black’s
problems. }

15. Qxb2 Bxb2 16. Rc2 Bg7

{ The endgame remains quite complex, but black has enough compensation for the pawn
thanks to the bishop pair and his activity. }
[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “1.d4 Deviations”]

[Black “London with e6”]

1. d4 Nf6

{ In this chapter we will be dealing with white’s various early deviations after 1. d4 - in
other words, all white’s options that are not a Nimzo-Indian, Ragozin or a Catalan. This
means that options such as the Trompowsky, London and Veresov will be covered here.
Naturally, we can’t cover all of white’s deviations in a single chapter, as there are simply far
too many - however, we will recommend lines against the most common and most critical
ones. Against any deviations not covered yet, common sense development should suffice
for equality. After analysing the d4 deviations white can throw at us, it became apparent
that it’s best to go for lines which are low-theory, safe and solid. There’s already enough
theory as it is in the Nimzo-Indian and Ragozin without learning more against rare white
tries. One of the difficult things about learning to counter many of these d4 deviations is the
fact that white can switch up the move order very easily and there are plenty of
transpositions. This is why we recommend, for this chapter especially, to pay more
attention to the plans and development schemes we use. }

2. Bf4

{ The London has become quite popular at all levels recently. It has a reputation for being
solid and reliable. Top players often play it so they can just get a game without much
theory, while club players like it since it cuts down on how much time they need to learn
the opening. }

d5

{ The obvious choice and the one most in line with the rest of our repertoire. }

3. e3

{ Other move orders over the next few moves are also possible, but pretty much all white’s
moves lead to the same position at the end. }
e6

{ c5 is given in our mainline, but there is nothing wrong with this simple move if you want
to avoid the unnecessary complications after c5 4. dxc5. It should, in the vast majority of
cases, just transpose to our mainline after something like }

4. Nf3 c5 5. c3 Nc6 6. Nbd2 Bd6 { transposes to the mainline. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “1.d4 Deviations”]

[Black “London with 4.Nd2 1”]

1. d4 Nf6

{ In this chapter we will be dealing with white’s various early deviations after 1. d4 - in
other words, all white’s options that are not a Nimzo-Indian, Ragozin or a Catalan. This
means that options such as the Trompowsky, London and Veresov will be covered here.
Naturally, we can’t cover all of white’s deviations in a single chapter, as there are simply far
too many - however, we will recommend lines against the most common and most critical
ones. Against any deviations not covered yet, common sense development should suffice
for equality. After analysing the d4 deviations white can throw at us, it became apparent
that it’s best to go for lines which are low-theory, safe and solid. There’s already enough
theory as it is in the Nimzo-Indian and Ragozin without learning more against rare white
tries. One of the difficult things about learning to counter many of these d4 deviations is the
fact that white can switch up the move order very easily and there are plenty of
transpositions. This is why we recommend, for this chapter especially, to pay more
attention to the plans and development schemes we use. }

2. Bf4

{ The London has become quite popular at all levels recently. It has a reputation for being
solid and reliable. Top players often play it so they can just get a game without much
theory, while club players like it since it cuts down on how much time they need to learn
the opening. }

d5

{ The obvious choice and the one most in line with the rest of our repertoire. }

3. e3

{ Other move orders over the next few moves are also possible, but pretty much all white’s
moves lead to the same position at the end. }

c5

{ The main way to challenge white’s setup is to play actively and occupy the centre. }

4. Nd2

{ White delays the development of his knight to f3. The idea here is to reach an improved
Stonewall structure if black plays on autopilot with …e6 and …Bd6, since white can just
exchange bishops and play f4 with a pretty good position. Note that the similar idea
starting with 4. c3 and then 5. Nd2 can be met in the same way as 4. Nd2, by developing our
light bishop to f5, or in the same way as 5. c3 - using …Qb6 ideas. }

Nc6 5. c3 Bf5

{ An important point to remember. When white’s knight isn’t on f3, black can develop his
bishop to f5 without any problems. }

6. Ngf3 { is natural, but here black is totally fine. } e6 7. Be2 Qb6 8.

Qb3 c4 9. Qxb6 axb6

{ A typical ending in this line where black is probably even a little bit better thanks to his
easy queenside play. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “1.d4 Deviations”]

[Black “London with 4.Nd2 2”]

1. d4 Nf6

{ In this chapter we will be dealing with white’s various early deviations after 1. d4 - in
other words, all white’s options that are not a Nimzo-Indian, Ragozin or a Catalan. This
means that options such as the Trompowsky, London and Veresov will be covered here.
Naturally, we can’t cover all of white’s deviations in a single chapter, as there are simply far
too many - however, we will recommend lines against the most common and most critical
ones. Against any deviations not covered yet, common sense development should suffice
for equality. After analysing the d4 deviations white can throw at us, it became apparent
that it’s best to go for lines which are low-theory, safe and solid. There’s already enough
theory as it is in the Nimzo-Indian and Ragozin without learning more against rare white
tries. One of the difficult things about learning to counter many of these d4 deviations is the
fact that white can switch up the move order very easily and there are plenty of
transpositions. This is why we recommend, for this chapter especially, to pay more
attention to the plans and development schemes we use. }

2. Bf4

{ The London has become quite popular at all levels recently. It has a reputation for being
solid and reliable. Top players often play it so they can just get a game without much
theory, while club players like it since it cuts down on how much time they need to learn
the opening. }

d5

{ The obvious choice and the one most in line with the rest of our repertoire. }

3. e3

{ Other move orders over the next few moves are also possible, but pretty much all white’s
moves lead to the same position at the end. }

c5

{ The main way to challenge white’s setup is to play actively and occupy the centre. }

4. Nd2

{ White delays the development of his knight to f3. The idea here is to reach an improved
Stonewall structure if black plays on autopilot with …e6 and …Bd6, since white can just
exchange bishops and play f4 with a pretty good position. Note that the similar idea
starting with 4. c3 and then 5. Nd2 can be met in the same way as 4. Nd2, by developing our
light bishop to f5, or in the same way as 5. c3 - using …Qb6 ideas. }

Nc6 5. c3 Bf5

{ An important point to remember. When white’s knight isn’t on f3, black can develop his
bishop to f5 without any problems. }

6. Qb3 { Hitting b7. } Qd7 7. Ngf3 c4 8. Qd1 e6 9. Be2 b5

{ Black has easy queenside play with full equality. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “1.d4 Deviations”]

[Black “London Mainline 1”]

1. d4 Nf6

{ In this chapter we will be dealing with white’s various early deviations after 1. d4 - in
other words, all white’s options that are not a Nimzo-Indian, Ragozin or a Catalan. This
means that options such as the Trompowsky, London and Veresov will be covered here.
Naturally, we can’t cover all of white’s deviations in a single chapter, as there are simply far
too many - however, we will recommend lines against the most common and most critical
ones. Against any deviations not covered yet, common sense development should suffice
for equality. After analysing the d4 deviations white can throw at us, it became apparent
that it’s best to go for lines which are low-theory, safe and solid. There’s already enough
theory as it is in the Nimzo-Indian and Ragozin without learning more against rare white
tries. One of the difficult things about learning to counter many of these d4 deviations is the
fact that white can switch up the move order very easily and there are plenty of
transpositions. This is why we recommend, for this chapter especially, to pay more
attention to the plans and development schemes we use. }

2. Bf4
{ The London has become quite popular at all levels recently. It has a reputation for being
solid and reliable. Top players often play it so they can just get a game without much
theory, while club players like it since it cuts down on how much time they need to learn
the opening. }

d5

{ The obvious choice and the one most in line with the rest of our repertoire. }

3. e3

{ Other move orders over the next few moves are also possible, but pretty much all white’s
moves lead to the same position at the end. }

c5

{ The main way to challenge white’s setup is to play actively and occupy the centre. }

4. Nf3 Nc6 5. c3

{ is a much more popular move order for white than 5. Nbd2, however it is inaccurate. }

Qb6

{ And this is why. White can’t deal with the simple attack on the b2 pawn in a comfortable
way. }

6. Qc2 g6 { Preparing …Bf5 and a kingside fianchetto. } 7. Nbd2 Bg7 8. h3 O-O

9. Be2 Bf5

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “1.d4 Deviations”]

[Black “London Mainline 2”]

1. d4 Nf6

{ In this chapter we will be dealing with white’s various early deviations after 1. d4 - in
other words, all white’s options that are not a Nimzo-Indian, Ragozin or a Catalan. This
means that options such as the Trompowsky, London and Veresov will be covered here.
Naturally, we can’t cover all of white’s deviations in a single chapter, as there are simply far
too many - however, we will recommend lines against the most common and most critical
ones. Against any deviations not covered yet, common sense development should suffice
for equality. After analysing the d4 deviations white can throw at us, it became apparent
that it’s best to go for lines which are low-theory, safe and solid. There’s already enough
theory as it is in the Nimzo-Indian and Ragozin without learning more against rare white
tries. One of the difficult things about learning to counter many of these d4 deviations is the
fact that white can switch up the move order very easily and there are plenty of
transpositions. This is why we recommend, for this chapter especially, to pay more
attention to the plans and development schemes we use. }

2. Bf4

{ The London has become quite popular at all levels recently. It has a reputation for being
solid and reliable. Top players often play it so they can just get a game without much
theory, while club players like it since it cuts down on how much time they need to learn
the opening. }

d5

{ The obvious choice and the one most in line with the rest of our repertoire. }

3. e3

{ Other move orders over the next few moves are also possible, but pretty much all white’s
moves lead to the same position at the end. }

c5

{ The main way to challenge white’s setup is to play actively and occupy the centre. }

4. Nf3 Nc6 5. c3

{ is a much more popular move order for white than 5. Nbd2, however it is inaccurate. }

Qb6

{ And this is why. White can’t deal with the simple attack on the b2 pawn in a comfortable
way. }

6. b3 { With the bishop on f4 already, b3 is quite a concession. } cxd4 7.

exd4 Bf5 8. Bd3 Bxd3 9. Qxd3 e6 10. O-O Be7

{ The position is roughly equal, but black might be slightly for choice here due to the long
term weakness of the c3 pawn caused by the b3 concession. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “1.d4 Deviations”]

[Black “London Mainline 3”]

1. d4 Nf6

{ In this chapter we will be dealing with white’s various early deviations after 1. d4 - in
other words, all white’s options that are not a Nimzo-Indian, Ragozin or a Catalan. This
means that options such as the Trompowsky, London and Veresov will be covered here.
Naturally, we can’t cover all of white’s deviations in a single chapter, as there are simply far
too many - however, we will recommend lines against the most common and most critical
ones. Against any deviations not covered yet, common sense development should suffice
for equality. After analysing the d4 deviations white can throw at us, it became apparent
that it’s best to go for lines which are low-theory, safe and solid. There’s already enough
theory as it is in the Nimzo-Indian and Ragozin without learning more against rare white
tries. One of the difficult things about learning to counter many of these d4 deviations is the
fact that white can switch up the move order very easily and there are plenty of
transpositions. This is why we recommend, for this chapter especially, to pay more
attention to the plans and development schemes we use. }

2. Bf4

{ The London has become quite popular at all levels recently. It has a reputation for being
solid and reliable. Top players often play it so they can just get a game without much
theory, while club players like it since it cuts down on how much time they need to learn
the opening. }

d5
{ The obvious choice and the one most in line with the rest of our repertoire. }

3. e3

{ Other move orders over the next few moves are also possible, but pretty much all white’s
moves lead to the same position at the end. }

c5

{ The main way to challenge white’s setup is to play actively and occupy the centre. }

4. Nf3 Nc6 5. c3

{ is a much more popular move order for white than 5. Nbd2, however it is inaccurate. }

Qb6

{ And this is why. White can’t deal with the simple attack on the b2 pawn in a comfortable
way. }

6. Qb3 c4 7. Qc2 Bf5

{ A little tactical trick. White can’t take on f5 since white loses his rook after …Qxb2. }

8. Qc1 Nh5 9. Bg3 Nxg3 10. hxg3 e6

{ Only black can be better here with the bishop pair. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “1.d4 Deviations”]

[Black “London Mainline 4”]

1. d4 Nf6
{ In this chapter we will be dealing with white’s various early deviations after 1. d4 - in
other words, all white’s options that are not a Nimzo-Indian, Ragozin or a Catalan. This
means that options such as the Trompowsky, London and Veresov will be covered here.
Naturally, we can’t cover all of white’s deviations in a single chapter, as there are simply far
too many - however, we will recommend lines against the most common and most critical
ones. Against any deviations not covered yet, common sense development should suffice
for equality. After analysing the d4 deviations white can throw at us, it became apparent
that it’s best to go for lines which are low-theory, safe and solid. There’s already enough
theory as it is in the Nimzo-Indian and Ragozin without learning more against rare white
tries. One of the difficult things about learning to counter many of these d4 deviations is the
fact that white can switch up the move order very easily and there are plenty of
transpositions. This is why we recommend, for this chapter especially, to pay more
attention to the plans and development schemes we use. }

2. Bf4

{ The London has become quite popular at all levels recently. It has a reputation for being
solid and reliable. Top players often play it so they can just get a game without much
theory, while club players like it since it cuts down on how much time they need to learn
the opening. }

d5

{ The obvious choice and the one most in line with the rest of our repertoire. }

3. e3

{ Other move orders over the next few moves are also possible, but pretty much all white’s
moves lead to the same position at the end. }

c5

{ The main way to challenge white’s setup is to play actively and occupy the centre. }

4. Nf3 Nc6 5. c3

{ is a much more popular move order for white than 5. Nbd2, however it is inaccurate. }

Qb6

{ And this is why. White can’t deal with the simple attack on the b2 pawn in a comfortable
way. }

6. Qb3 c4 7. Qxb6 axb6

{ Black is the only one who could be better in this endgame, for example: } 8.
Na3 Bf5 9. Nh4 Bd7 10. Nb5 Ra5 11. a4 Na7 12. Nc7+

{ White’s knight is in no man’s land. } Kd8 13. Na8 Ra6

{ Black has a clear advantage here. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “1.d4 Deviations”]

[Black “London Mainline 5”]

1. d4 Nf6

{ In this chapter we will be dealing with white’s various early deviations after 1. d4 - in
other words, all white’s options that are not a Nimzo-Indian, Ragozin or a Catalan. This
means that options such as the Trompowsky, London and Veresov will be covered here.
Naturally, we can’t cover all of white’s deviations in a single chapter, as there are simply far
too many - however, we will recommend lines against the most common and most critical
ones. Against any deviations not covered yet, common sense development should suffice
for equality. After analysing the d4 deviations white can throw at us, it became apparent
that it’s best to go for lines which are low-theory, safe and solid. There’s already enough
theory as it is in the Nimzo-Indian and Ragozin without learning more against rare white
tries. One of the difficult things about learning to counter many of these d4 deviations is the
fact that white can switch up the move order very easily and there are plenty of
transpositions. This is why we recommend, for this chapter especially, to pay more
attention to the plans and development schemes we use. }

2. Bf4

{ The London has become quite popular at all levels recently. It has a reputation for being
solid and reliable. Top players often play it so they can just get a game without much
theory, while club players like it since it cuts down on how much time they need to learn
the opening. }
d5

{ The obvious choice and the one most in line with the rest of our repertoire. }

3. e3

{ Other move orders over the next few moves are also possible, but pretty much all white’s
moves lead to the same position at the end. }

c5

{ The main way to challenge white’s setup is to play actively and occupy the centre. }

4. Nf3 Nc6 5. Nbd2 e6 6. c3 Bd6

{ A good square for the bishop, where it can neutralise its counterpart. } 7.

Ne5

{ White’s second most common choice. The knight is difficult to maintain on e5, which
means that we target and exchange it. }

Qc7 { Hitting e5. } 8. Ndf3 Nd7 { Forcing simplifications. } 9. Nxd7 Bxd7

10. Bxd6 Qxd6

{ Black has no problems here. He can look at playing on the queenside or for the …e5 break.
}

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “1.d4 Deviations”]

[Black “London Mainline 6”]

1. d4 Nf6
{ In this chapter we will be dealing with white’s various early deviations after 1. d4 - in
other words, all white’s options that are not a Nimzo-Indian, Ragozin or a Catalan. This
means that options such as the Trompowsky, London and Veresov will be covered here.
Naturally, we can’t cover all of white’s deviations in a single chapter, as there are simply far
too many - however, we will recommend lines against the most common and most critical
ones. Against any deviations not covered yet, common sense development should suffice
for equality. After analysing the d4 deviations white can throw at us, it became apparent
that it’s best to go for lines which are low-theory, safe and solid. There’s already enough
theory as it is in the Nimzo-Indian and Ragozin without learning more against rare white
tries. One of the difficult things about learning to counter many of these d4 deviations is the
fact that white can switch up the move order very easily and there are plenty of
transpositions. This is why we recommend, for this chapter especially, to pay more
attention to the plans and development schemes we use. }

2. Bf4

{ The London has become quite popular at all levels recently. It has a reputation for being
solid and reliable. Top players often play it so they can just get a game without much
theory, while club players like it since it cuts down on how much time they need to learn
the opening. }

d5

{ The obvious choice and the one most in line with the rest of our repertoire. }

3. e3

{ Other move orders over the next few moves are also possible, but pretty much all white’s
moves lead to the same position at the end. }

c5

{ The main way to challenge white’s setup is to play actively and occupy the centre. }

4. Nf3 Nc6 5. Nbd2 e6 6. c3 Bd6

{ A good square for the bishop, where it can neutralise its counterpart. } 7.

Bxd6 { isn’t critical at all. } Qxd6

{ Our queen is well-placed to support the freeing . ..e5 break later. } 8. Bd3

O-O 9. O-O e5

{ Freeing our light bishop and gaining control of the centre. Black has absolutely no
problems now. }
10. dxe5 Nxe5 11. Nxe5 Qxe5 { with full equality. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “1.d4 Deviations”]

[Black “London Mainline 7”]

1. d4 Nf6

{ In this chapter we will be dealing with white’s various early deviations after 1. d4 - in
other words, all white’s options that are not a Nimzo-Indian, Ragozin or a Catalan. This
means that options such as the Trompowsky, London and Veresov will be covered here.
Naturally, we can’t cover all of white’s deviations in a single chapter, as there are simply far
too many - however, we will recommend lines against the most common and most critical
ones. Against any deviations not covered yet, common sense development should suffice
for equality. After analysing the d4 deviations white can throw at us, it became apparent
that it’s best to go for lines which are low-theory, safe and solid. There’s already enough
theory as it is in the Nimzo-Indian and Ragozin without learning more against rare white
tries. One of the difficult things about learning to counter many of these d4 deviations is the
fact that white can switch up the move order very easily and there are plenty of
transpositions. This is why we recommend, for this chapter especially, to pay more
attention to the plans and development schemes we use. }

2. Bf4

{ The London has become quite popular at all levels recently. It has a reputation for being
solid and reliable. Top players often play it so they can just get a game without much
theory, while club players like it since it cuts down on how much time they need to learn
the opening. }

d5

{ The obvious choice and the one most in line with the rest of our repertoire. }
3. e3

{ Other move orders over the next few moves are also possible, but pretty much all white’s
moves lead to the same position at the end. }

c5

{ The main way to challenge white’s setup is to play actively and occupy the centre. }

4. Nf3 Nc6 5. Nbd2 e6 6. c3 Bd6

{ A good square for the bishop, where it can neutralise its counterpart. } 7.

Bg5

{ White goes the extra mile to preserve his dark bishop. Unfortunately, spending an extra
tempo just for this is too slow, which means black should have no problems here since he
can carry out the …e5 break. }

h6 8. Bh4 O-O 9. Bd3 e5

{ There are other ways to play as well, but this seems like an easy equaliser. }

10. dxe5 Nxe5 11. Nxe5 Bxe5

{ All black’s pieces have good squares available. Black has secured full equality. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “1.d4 Deviations”]

[Black “London Mainline 8”]

1. d4 Nf6
{ In this chapter we will be dealing with white’s various early deviations after 1. d4 - in
other words, all white’s options that are not a Nimzo-Indian, Ragozin or a Catalan. This
means that options such as the Trompowsky, London and Veresov will be covered here.
Naturally, we can’t cover all of white’s deviations in a single chapter, as there are simply far
too many - however, we will recommend lines against the most common and most critical
ones. Against any deviations not covered yet, common sense development should suffice
for equality. After analysing the d4 deviations white can throw at us, it became apparent
that it’s best to go for lines which are low-theory, safe and solid. There’s already enough
theory as it is in the Nimzo-Indian and Ragozin without learning more against rare white
tries. One of the difficult things about learning to counter many of these d4 deviations is the
fact that white can switch up the move order very easily and there are plenty of
transpositions. This is why we recommend, for this chapter especially, to pay more
attention to the plans and development schemes we use. }

2. Bf4

{ The London has become quite popular at all levels recently. It has a reputation for being
solid and reliable. Top players often play it so they can just get a game without much
theory, while club players like it since it cuts down on how much time they need to learn
the opening. }

d5

{ The obvious choice and the one most in line with the rest of our repertoire. }

3. e3

{ Other move orders over the next few moves are also possible, but pretty much all white’s
moves lead to the same position at the end. }

c5

{ The main way to challenge white’s setup is to play actively and occupy the centre. }

4. Nf3 Nc6 5. Nbd2 e6 6. c3 Bd6

{ A good square for the bishop, where it can neutralise its counterpart. } 7.

dxc5

{ This does make our bishop move twice, but on the other hand it is difficult to pose us any
problems now with our solid centre. }

Bxc5 8. Bd3 O-O 9. O-O Re8

{ Black’s solid centre means we have comfortable equality. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “1.d4 Deviations”]

[Black “London Mainline 9”]

1. d4 Nf6

{ In this chapter we will be dealing with white’s various early deviations after 1. d4 - in
other words, all white’s options that are not a Nimzo-Indian, Ragozin or a Catalan. This
means that options such as the Trompowsky, London and Veresov will be covered here.
Naturally, we can’t cover all of white’s deviations in a single chapter, as there are simply far
too many - however, we will recommend lines against the most common and most critical
ones. Against any deviations not covered yet, common sense development should suffice
for equality. After analysing the d4 deviations white can throw at us, it became apparent
that it’s best to go for lines which are low-theory, safe and solid. There’s already enough
theory as it is in the Nimzo-Indian and Ragozin without learning more against rare white
tries. One of the difficult things about learning to counter many of these d4 deviations is the
fact that white can switch up the move order very easily and there are plenty of
transpositions. This is why we recommend, for this chapter especially, to pay more
attention to the plans and development schemes we use. }

2. Bf4

{ The London has become quite popular at all levels recently. It has a reputation for being
solid and reliable. Top players often play it so they can just get a game without much
theory, while club players like it since it cuts down on how much time they need to learn
the opening. }

d5

{ The obvious choice and the one most in line with the rest of our repertoire. }

3. e3
{ Other move orders over the next few moves are also possible, but pretty much all white’s
moves lead to the same position at the end. }

c5

{ The main way to challenge white’s setup is to play actively and occupy the centre. }

4. Nf3 Nc6 5. Nbd2 e6 6. c3 Bd6

{ A good square for the bishop, where it can neutralise its counterpart. } 7.

Bg3

{ White would prefer to trade dark bishops on g3, where he can recapture with the h-pawn.
}

O-O { Black shouldn’t be in any rush to exchange dark bishops. } 8. Bb5

{ This is quite a long way in popularity behind 8. Bd3, but it was favoured by Carlsen when
he played the London. With 8. Bb5 white fights for control of the e5 square. }

Bxg3

{ Black scores quite badly here, but I don’t see anything wrong with black’s position if he is
prepared. }

9. hxg3 Qb6

{ The point of exchanging dark bishops - we immediately attack white’s bishop. }

10. Bxc6 bxc6

{ It is important to not recapture with the queen here as white will then get full control
over e5 and his kingside attack will play itself. Taking with the b-pawn opens up the b-file,
black’s avenue for counterplay in this line. }

11. Qc2 Rb8 { Hitting b2. } 12. Rb1 cxd4

{ Christof reached this position with black and opted for Ba6, and ended up winning a very
interesting game. cxd4 is a slight improvement though with a similar idea. }

13. cxd4 Ba6

{ The light squares around white’s king suddenly become a bit vulnerable. } 14.

Ne5 { Attacking c6. } Qb5 { Threatening mate. } 15. Nb3 Ne4

{ The knight helps fight for the c5 square from here. } 16. f3 f6
{ Counterattacking white’s knight. } 17. Nxc6 Rfc8 18. fxe4 Qxc6 19. Qxc6 Rxc6

{ Black has no problems here thanks to his activity. If white doesn’t give the pawn back,
black’s rook will be very strong on the second rank. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “1.d4 Deviations”]

[Black “London Mainline 10”]

1. d4 Nf6

{ In this chapter we will be dealing with white’s various early deviations after 1. d4 - in
other words, all white’s options that are not a Nimzo-Indian, Ragozin or a Catalan. This
means that options such as the Trompowsky, London and Veresov will be covered here.
Naturally, we can’t cover all of white’s deviations in a single chapter, as there are simply far
too many - however, we will recommend lines against the most common and most critical
ones. Against any deviations not covered yet, common sense development should suffice
for equality. After analysing the d4 deviations white can throw at us, it became apparent
that it’s best to go for lines which are low-theory, safe and solid. There’s already enough
theory as it is in the Nimzo-Indian and Ragozin without learning more against rare white
tries. One of the difficult things about learning to counter many of these d4 deviations is the
fact that white can switch up the move order very easily and there are plenty of
transpositions. This is why we recommend, for this chapter especially, to pay more
attention to the plans and development schemes we use. }

2. Bf4

{ The London has become quite popular at all levels recently. It has a reputation for being
solid and reliable. Top players often play it so they can just get a game without much
theory, while club players like it since it cuts down on how much time they need to learn
the opening. }

d5
{ The obvious choice and the one most in line with the rest of our repertoire. }

3. e3

{ Other move orders over the next few moves are also possible, but pretty much all white’s
moves lead to the same position at the end. }

c5

{ The main way to challenge white’s setup is to play actively and occupy the centre. }

4. Nf3 Nc6 5. Nbd2 e6 6. c3 Bd6

{ A good square for the bishop, where it can neutralise its counterpart. } 7.

Bg3

{ White would prefer to trade dark bishops on g3, where he can recapture with the h-pawn.
}

O-O { Black shouldn’t be in any rush to exchange dark bishops. } 8. Bb5

{ This is quite a long way in popularity behind 8. Bd3, but it was favoured by Carlsen when
he played the London. With 8. Bb5 white fights for control of the e5 square. }

Bxg3

{ Black scores quite badly here, but I don’t see anything wrong with black’s position if he is
prepared. }

9. hxg3 Qb6

{ The point of exchanging dark bishops - we immediately attack white’s bishop. }

10. a4

{ Carlsen’s choice here against Caruana. White doesn’t budge with his bishop. }

h6 11. O-O Bd7 { Preparing … Nd7 soon, exchanging off white’s bishop. }

12. Qc2 Rfc8 { Black is fine here, as his position has no real weaknesses. }

[Site “?”]
[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “1.d4 Deviations”]

[Black “London Mainline 11”]

1. d4 Nf6

{ In this chapter we will be dealing with white’s various early deviations after 1. d4 - in
other words, all white’s options that are not a Nimzo-Indian, Ragozin or a Catalan. This
means that options such as the Trompowsky, London and Veresov will be covered here.
Naturally, we can’t cover all of white’s deviations in a single chapter, as there are simply far
too many - however, we will recommend lines against the most common and most critical
ones. Against any deviations not covered yet, common sense development should suffice
for equality. After analysing the d4 deviations white can throw at us, it became apparent
that it’s best to go for lines which are low-theory, safe and solid. There’s already enough
theory as it is in the Nimzo-Indian and Ragozin without learning more against rare white
tries. One of the difficult things about learning to counter many of these d4 deviations is the
fact that white can switch up the move order very easily and there are plenty of
transpositions. This is why we recommend, for this chapter especially, to pay more
attention to the plans and development schemes we use. }

2. Bf4

{ The London has become quite popular at all levels recently. It has a reputation for being
solid and reliable. Top players often play it so they can just get a game without much
theory, while club players like it since it cuts down on how much time they need to learn
the opening. }

d5

{ The obvious choice and the one most in line with the rest of our repertoire. }

3. e3

{ Other move orders over the next few moves are also possible, but pretty much all white’s
moves lead to the same position at the end. }

c5

{ The main way to challenge white’s setup is to play actively and occupy the centre. }
4. Nf3 Nc6 5. Nbd2 e6 6. c3 Bd6

{ A good square for the bishop, where it can neutralise its counterpart. } 7.

Bg3

{ White would prefer to trade dark bishops on g3, where he can recapture with the h-pawn.
}

O-O { Black shouldn’t be in any rush to exchange dark bishops. } 8. Bd3

{ White prepares the e4 break. } b6

{ Getting our other bishop into the game. } 9. e4

{ Carrying out white’s thematic pawn break. } Be7

{ An important retreat to remember. Taking on e4 just activates white’s pieces, which we

are trying to avoid. Instead, after …Be7 it turns out that white’s centre is under a bit of
fire. }

10. dxc5

{ White’s best objective choice. 11. e5 looks promising, but after Nh5 black can play a well-
timed . ..f5 which stops white’s kingside play in its tracks. Take a look at the model games
chapter for an example of how play can proceed here. }

bxc5 11. O-O Re8

{ We reach a pretty balanced position with chances for both sides. Next black can play …
Qb6 and …Bb7. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “1.d4 Deviations”]

[Black “London Mainline 12”]

1. d4 Nf6

{ In this chapter we will be dealing with white’s various early deviations after 1. d4 - in
other words, all white’s options that are not a Nimzo-Indian, Ragozin or a Catalan. This
means that options such as the Trompowsky, London and Veresov will be covered here.
Naturally, we can’t cover all of white’s deviations in a single chapter, as there are simply far
too many - however, we will recommend lines against the most common and most critical
ones. Against any deviations not covered yet, common sense development should suffice
for equality. After analysing the d4 deviations white can throw at us, it became apparent
that it’s best to go for lines which are low-theory, safe and solid. There’s already enough
theory as it is in the Nimzo-Indian and Ragozin without learning more against rare white
tries. One of the difficult things about learning to counter many of these d4 deviations is the
fact that white can switch up the move order very easily and there are plenty of
transpositions. This is why we recommend, for this chapter especially, to pay more
attention to the plans and development schemes we use. }

2. Bf4

{ The London has become quite popular at all levels recently. It has a reputation for being
solid and reliable. Top players often play it so they can just get a game without much
theory, while club players like it since it cuts down on how much time they need to learn
the opening. }

d5

{ The obvious choice and the one most in line with the rest of our repertoire. }

3. e3

{ Other move orders over the next few moves are also possible, but pretty much all white’s
moves lead to the same position at the end. }

c5

{ The main way to challenge white’s setup is to play actively and occupy the centre. }

4. Nf3 Nc6 5. Nbd2 e6 6. c3 Bd6

{ A good square for the bishop, where it can neutralise its counterpart. } 7.

Bg3

{ White would prefer to trade dark bishops on g3, where he can recapture with the h-pawn.
}
O-O { Black shouldn’t be in any rush to exchange dark bishops. } 8. Bd3

{ White prepares the e4 break. } b6

{ Getting our other bishop into the game. } 9. Qe2

{ White’s plan is a gradual build-up in preparation for the e4 break. }

Bb7 10. Rd1 Ne7

{ This is an interesting albeit rare idea with the point of . ..Ne7-f5-d6. }

11. e4

{ The critical test and white’s most common response. 11. O-O was used by Kramnik but
black is fine there if he just continues with the plan of …Ne7-f5-d6 to control the e4
square. }

c4 12. Bc2 Nxe4 13. Nxe4 dxe4 14. Ng5 Bd5 { Protecting c4. } 15. Nxe4 Bc7

16. O-O h6

{ Covering the g5 square. Next black can play . ..f5 and …b5 with interesting play for both
sides. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “1.d4 Deviations”]

[Black “London Mainline 13”]

1. d4 Nf6

{ In this chapter we will be dealing with white’s various early deviations after 1. d4 - in
other words, all white’s options that are not a Nimzo-Indian, Ragozin or a Catalan. This
means that options such as the Trompowsky, London and Veresov will be covered here.
Naturally, we can’t cover all of white’s deviations in a single chapter, as there are simply far
too many - however, we will recommend lines against the most common and most critical
ones. Against any deviations not covered yet, common sense development should suffice
for equality. After analysing the d4 deviations white can throw at us, it became apparent
that it’s best to go for lines which are low-theory, safe and solid. There’s already enough
theory as it is in the Nimzo-Indian and Ragozin without learning more against rare white
tries. One of the difficult things about learning to counter many of these d4 deviations is the
fact that white can switch up the move order very easily and there are plenty of
transpositions. This is why we recommend, for this chapter especially, to pay more
attention to the plans and development schemes we use. }

2. Bf4

{ The London has become quite popular at all levels recently. It has a reputation for being
solid and reliable. Top players often play it so they can just get a game without much
theory, while club players like it since it cuts down on how much time they need to learn
the opening. }

d5

{ The obvious choice and the one most in line with the rest of our repertoire. }

3. e3

{ Other move orders over the next few moves are also possible, but pretty much all white’s
moves lead to the same position at the end. }

c5

{ The main way to challenge white’s setup is to play actively and occupy the centre. }

4. Nf3 Nc6 5. Nbd2 e6 6. c3 Bd6

{ A good square for the bishop, where it can neutralise its counterpart. } 7.

Bg3

{ White would prefer to trade dark bishops on g3, where he can recapture with the h-pawn.
}

O-O { Black shouldn’t be in any rush to exchange dark bishops. } 8. Bd3

{ White prepares the e4 break. } b6

{ Getting our other bishop into the game. } 9. Ne5 Bb7 10. f4
{ White’s Stonewall setup has ambitions of starting a kingside attack. However, the light
squares are weakened, in particular e4, which our knights will try to exploit. }

Ne7

{ Bringing the knight to the kingside, where it is more useful. The knight is heading to f5. }

11. Qf3 { A natural and good square for white’s queen. } Nf5 12. Bf2

{ The bishop gets out of the way of the g-pawn, preparing the g4-g5 pawn storm. }

Be7

{ An important idea to remember. Our f5 knight will soon be kicked by g4, which means
that it can now go to d6. With a knight on d6, our knights can make full use of our e4
outpost. }

13. g4 Nd6 14. g5 Nfe4

{ Our knight on e4 is an absolute monster. White has extreme difficulties whipping up a

kingside attack with his light bishop blocked by our knight on e4. Black is at least equal
here, and the holes created on the light squares by white advancing his pawns so eagerly
could be a serious problem for white in the future. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “1.d4 Deviations”]

[Black “Jobava Attack 1”]

1. d4 Nf6

{ In this chapter we will be dealing with white’s various early deviations after 1. d4 - in
other words, all white’s options that are not a Nimzo-Indian, Ragozin or a Catalan. This
means that options such as the Trompowsky, London and Veresov will be covered here.
Naturally, we can’t cover all of white’s deviations in a single chapter, as there are simply far
too many - however, we will recommend lines against the most common and most critical
ones. Against any deviations not covered yet, common sense development should suffice
for equality. After analysing the d4 deviations white can throw at us, it became apparent
that it’s best to go for lines which are low-theory, safe and solid. There’s already enough
theory as it is in the Nimzo-Indian and Ragozin without learning more against rare white
tries. One of the difficult things about learning to counter many of these d4 deviations is the
fact that white can switch up the move order very easily and there are plenty of
transpositions. This is why we recommend, for this chapter especially, to pay more
attention to the plans and development schemes we use. }

2. Nc3

{ 2. Nc3 is known as the Veresov. White is making a not-so-subtle attempt to play e4,
however blocking the c2 pawn is rarely a good idea. }

d5 { Of course, there’s no need to allow white e4. } 3. Bf4

{ This is sometimes tried against Grunfeld players who fianchetto without thinking. White
hopes to play Bh6 and whip up a strong kingside attack. }

e6 { Completely natural since we play the Nimzo. } 4. e3 Bb4

{ The most active square for the bishop. } 5. Bd3 c5

{ White’s passive play allows us to carry out this break without much difficulty. }

6. dxc5 Nbd7

{ We plan on regaining the c5 pawn with the knight so that we can grab the bishop pair
later. }

7. Ne2 a6

{ An important idea to remember in this variation. Black takes the b5 square away from
white’s knight and bishop. }

8. Bg3

{ A prophylactic move directed against …e5 recommended by GM Williams in his course on

the Jobava Attack. }

Nh5 { Chasing the bishop pair. } 9. e4 Nxc5

{ GM Williams only covers Nxg3, after which I think I’d probably prefer black regardless,
but this seems a bit stronger and has the advantage of not being analysed. }

10. a3 { A logical idea, forcing the capture on c3. } Bxc3+ 11. Nxc3
{ At this point, black has an important strategic sequence we should keep in mind - we
leave white with only his light bishop and put our pawns on dark squares, making white’s
bishop on d3 bad. }

Nxg3 12. hxg3 d4 13. Nb1

{ A rather sad retreat, but white’s best try. White doesn’t want to block his queen’s path to
h5 and he can reactivate the knight via d2-f3. }

e5 { Closing the position, cementing the bad bishop on d3. } 14. Qh5

{ Attacking e5. } Qc7

{ Of course, avoid castling here ! Only castle short when white does so since white has
strong pressure down the h-file. }

15. Nd2 Be6 16. Nf3 Nd7 { Covering e5. } 17. Ng5 Qb6 18. Nxe6 Qxe6

{ Black’s good knight vs bad bishop and extra space give him a comfortable edge here. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “1.d4 Deviations”]

[Black “Jobava Attack 2”]

1. d4 Nf6

{ In this chapter we will be dealing with white’s various early deviations after 1. d4 - in
other words, all white’s options that are not a Nimzo-Indian, Ragozin or a Catalan. This
means that options such as the Trompowsky, London and Veresov will be covered here.
Naturally, we can’t cover all of white’s deviations in a single chapter, as there are simply far
too many - however, we will recommend lines against the most common and most critical
ones. Against any deviations not covered yet, common sense development should suffice
for equality. After analysing the d4 deviations white can throw at us, it became apparent
that it’s best to go for lines which are low-theory, safe and solid. There’s already enough
theory as it is in the Nimzo-Indian and Ragozin without learning more against rare white
tries. One of the difficult things about learning to counter many of these d4 deviations is the
fact that white can switch up the move order very easily and there are plenty of
transpositions. This is why we recommend, for this chapter especially, to pay more
attention to the plans and development schemes we use. }

2. Nc3

{ 2. Nc3 is known as the Veresov. White is making a not-so-subtle attempt to play e4,
however blocking the c2 pawn is rarely a good idea. }

d5 { Of course, there’s no need to allow white e4. } 3. Bf4

{ This is sometimes tried against Grunfeld players who fianchetto without thinking. White
hopes to play Bh6 and whip up a strong kingside attack. }

e6 { Completely natural since we play the Nimzo. } 4. e3 Bb4

{ The most active square for the bishop. } 5. Bd3 c5

{ White’s passive play allows us to carry out this break without much difficulty. }

6. dxc5 Nbd7

{ We plan on regaining the c5 pawn with the knight so that we can grab the bishop pair
later. }

7. Ne2 a6

{ An important idea to remember in this variation. Black takes the b5 square away from
white’s knight and bishop. }

8. Bg3

{ A prophylactic move directed against …e5 recommended by GM Williams in his course on

the Jobava Attack. }

Nh5 { Chasing the bishop pair. } 9. e4 Nxc5

{ GM Williams only covers Nxg3, after which I think I’d probably prefer black regardless,
but this seems a bit stronger and has the advantage of not being analysed. }

10. exd5 { is another try, but white is struggling here too. } Nxg3 11.

hxg3 Qxd5 12. O-O Qd8 13. a3 Bxc3

{ Black has a number of promising continuations here, but this seems to lead to the
simplest, most stable edge. Ba5 to retain the bishop pair is good too. }
14. Nxc3 Nxd3 15. cxd3 Bd7

{ Black has a small but stable edge here thanks to his bishop and white’s IQP. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “1.d4 Deviations”]

[Black “2.Nc3 3.e4 1”]

1. d4 Nf6

{ In this chapter we will be dealing with white’s various early deviations after 1. d4 - in
other words, all white’s options that are not a Nimzo-Indian, Ragozin or a Catalan. This
means that options such as the Trompowsky, London and Veresov will be covered here.
Naturally, we can’t cover all of white’s deviations in a single chapter, as there are simply far
too many - however, we will recommend lines against the most common and most critical
ones. Against any deviations not covered yet, common sense development should suffice
for equality. After analysing the d4 deviations white can throw at us, it became apparent
that it’s best to go for lines which are low-theory, safe and solid. There’s already enough
theory as it is in the Nimzo-Indian and Ragozin without learning more against rare white
tries. One of the difficult things about learning to counter many of these d4 deviations is the
fact that white can switch up the move order very easily and there are plenty of
transpositions. This is why we recommend, for this chapter especially, to pay more
attention to the plans and development schemes we use. }

2. Nc3

{ 2. Nc3 is known as the Veresov. White is making a not-so-subtle attempt to play e4,
however blocking the c2 pawn is rarely a good idea. }

d5 { Of course, there’s no need to allow white e4. } 3. e4

{ This is an attempt to transpose to the Blackmar-Diemer Gambit, but white is simply worse
here. }
Nxe4 { The more accurate way to grab the pawn. } 4. Nxe4 dxe4 5. Bc4

{ Prioritising development. } Nc6 6. c3 e5

{ A typical central lever we will see in this variation. } 7. d5 Ne7

{ Our knight is heading for g6. } 8. f3 exf3 9. Nxf3 Ng6

{ Black is just a clean pawn up. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “1.d4 Deviations”]

[Black “2.Nc3 3.e4 2”]

1. d4 Nf6

{ In this chapter we will be dealing with white’s various early deviations after 1. d4 - in
other words, all white’s options that are not a Nimzo-Indian, Ragozin or a Catalan. This
means that options such as the Trompowsky, London and Veresov will be covered here.
Naturally, we can’t cover all of white’s deviations in a single chapter, as there are simply far
too many - however, we will recommend lines against the most common and most critical
ones. Against any deviations not covered yet, common sense development should suffice
for equality. After analysing the d4 deviations white can throw at us, it became apparent
that it’s best to go for lines which are low-theory, safe and solid. There’s already enough
theory as it is in the Nimzo-Indian and Ragozin without learning more against rare white
tries. One of the difficult things about learning to counter many of these d4 deviations is the
fact that white can switch up the move order very easily and there are plenty of
transpositions. This is why we recommend, for this chapter especially, to pay more
attention to the plans and development schemes we use. }

2. Nc3
{ 2. Nc3 is known as the Veresov. White is making a not-so-subtle attempt to play e4,
however blocking the c2 pawn is rarely a good idea. }

d5 { Of course, there’s no need to allow white e4. } 3. e4

{ This is an attempt to transpose to the Blackmar-Diemer Gambit, but white is simply worse
here. }

Nxe4 { The more accurate way to grab the pawn. } 4. Nxe4 dxe4 5. f3

{ White sacrifices his pawn “permanently” now to try accelerate his development, but there
simply isn’t enough compensation here. }

e5

{ Once again we employ these central break. White can’t take the pawn and allow the
exchange of queens. }

6. Be3 exd4 7. Bxd4 Nc6

{ Playing forcefully and not giving white a chance to get any sort of initiative. }

8. Bb5 Bd7 9. Bc3 Qh4+ { Provoking kingside weaknesses. } 10. g3 Qg5

{ White’s position is simply falling apart here and black is winning easily. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “1.d4 Deviations”]

[Black “The Veresov 1”]

1. d4 Nf6

{ In this chapter we will be dealing with white’s various early deviations after 1. d4 - in
other words, all white’s options that are not a Nimzo-Indian, Ragozin or a Catalan. This
means that options such as the Trompowsky, London and Veresov will be covered here.
Naturally, we can’t cover all of white’s deviations in a single chapter, as there are simply far
too many - however, we will recommend lines against the most common and most critical
ones. Against any deviations not covered yet, common sense development should suffice
for equality. After analysing the d4 deviations white can throw at us, it became apparent
that it’s best to go for lines which are low-theory, safe and solid. There’s already enough
theory as it is in the Nimzo-Indian and Ragozin without learning more against rare white
tries. One of the difficult things about learning to counter many of these d4 deviations is the
fact that white can switch up the move order very easily and there are plenty of
transpositions. This is why we recommend, for this chapter especially, to pay more
attention to the plans and development schemes we use. }

2. Nc3

{ 2. Nc3 is known as the Veresov. White is making a not-so-subtle attempt to play e4,
however blocking the c2 pawn is rarely a good idea. }

d5 { Of course, there’s no need to allow white e4. } 3. Bg5 h6

{ A recommendation by Kaufman which is simple and strong. Just like in the Trompowsky,
there’s no need to fear the Bxf6 exchange. It opens up a diagonal for our bishop and
surrenders the bishop pair. }

4. Bh4

{ Retreating to h4 retains hopes of e4, but it never really works because black always has …
g5 at his disposal. }

c5

{ A rare move but a strong one. We hit white’s centre before he can solidify. }

5. e3 cxd4 6. exd4 Nc6 7. Nf3 Bg4

{ Black has developed soundly and is at least equal. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “1.d4 Deviations”]

[Black “The Veresov 2”]

1. d4 Nf6

{ In this chapter we will be dealing with white’s various early deviations after 1. d4 - in
other words, all white’s options that are not a Nimzo-Indian, Ragozin or a Catalan. This
means that options such as the Trompowsky, London and Veresov will be covered here.
Naturally, we can’t cover all of white’s deviations in a single chapter, as there are simply far
too many - however, we will recommend lines against the most common and most critical
ones. Against any deviations not covered yet, common sense development should suffice
for equality. After analysing the d4 deviations white can throw at us, it became apparent
that it’s best to go for lines which are low-theory, safe and solid. There’s already enough
theory as it is in the Nimzo-Indian and Ragozin without learning more against rare white
tries. One of the difficult things about learning to counter many of these d4 deviations is the
fact that white can switch up the move order very easily and there are plenty of
transpositions. This is why we recommend, for this chapter especially, to pay more
attention to the plans and development schemes we use. }

2. Nc3

{ 2. Nc3 is known as the Veresov. White is making a not-so-subtle attempt to play e4,
however blocking the c2 pawn is rarely a good idea. }

d5 { Of course, there’s no need to allow white e4. } 3. Bg5 h6

{ A recommendation by Kaufman which is simple and strong. Just like in the Trompowsky,
there’s no need to fear the Bxf6 exchange. It opens up a diagonal for our bishop and
surrenders the bishop pair. }

4. Bxf6 exf6 5. e3 Bb4 { The most active square for the bishop. } 6. Bd3 c5 7.

dxc5 Bxc3+ 8. bxc3 O-O

{ With white’s ruined pawn structure, black is already doing well. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]
[Round “?”]

[White “1.d4 Deviations”]

[Black “The Trompowsky 1”]

1. d4 Nf6

{ In this chapter we will be dealing with white’s various early deviations after 1. d4 - in
other words, all white’s options that are not a Nimzo-Indian, Ragozin or a Catalan. This
means that options such as the Trompowsky, London and Veresov will be covered here.
Naturally, we can’t cover all of white’s deviations in a single chapter, as there are simply far
too many - however, we will recommend lines against the most common and most critical
ones. Against any deviations not covered yet, common sense development should suffice
for equality. After analysing the d4 deviations white can throw at us, it became apparent
that it’s best to go for lines which are low-theory, safe and solid. There’s already enough
theory as it is in the Nimzo-Indian and Ragozin without learning more against rare white
tries. One of the difficult things about learning to counter many of these d4 deviations is the
fact that white can switch up the move order very easily and there are plenty of
transpositions. This is why we recommend, for this chapter especially, to pay more
attention to the plans and development schemes we use. }

2. Bg5

{ The Trompowsky was popularised by a handful of English GMs. It was is one of white’s
most popular d4 deviations and also one of his best choices objectively. }

d5

{ This is a simple reply recommended by GM Kaufman in his repertoire book. Black ignores
the ‘threat’ of Bxf6 and stakes out his claim in the centre. Just like against the Veresov, the
Bxf6 exchange is to black’s advantage. }

3. e3 c5 4. c3 { This is solid, but quite passive and not challenging at all. }

Nc6 5. Nf3 Qb6

{ A thematic idea in such structures - b2 is surprisingly difficult to defend comfortably. }

6. Qb3 c4 7. Qxb6 axb6

{ We reach a pretty standard endgame with a pawn structure that is known to be perfectly
OK for black. Black can put his doubled b-pawns to use with …b5-b4. }
[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “1.d4 Deviations”]

[Black “The Trompowsky 2”]

1. d4 Nf6

{ In this chapter we will be dealing with white’s various early deviations after 1. d4 - in
other words, all white’s options that are not a Nimzo-Indian, Ragozin or a Catalan. This
means that options such as the Trompowsky, London and Veresov will be covered here.
Naturally, we can’t cover all of white’s deviations in a single chapter, as there are simply far
too many - however, we will recommend lines against the most common and most critical
ones. Against any deviations not covered yet, common sense development should suffice
for equality. After analysing the d4 deviations white can throw at us, it became apparent
that it’s best to go for lines which are low-theory, safe and solid. There’s already enough
theory as it is in the Nimzo-Indian and Ragozin without learning more against rare white
tries. One of the difficult things about learning to counter many of these d4 deviations is the
fact that white can switch up the move order very easily and there are plenty of
transpositions. This is why we recommend, for this chapter especially, to pay more
attention to the plans and development schemes we use. }

2. Bg5

{ The Trompowsky was popularised by a handful of English GMs. It was is one of white’s
most popular d4 deviations and also one of his best choices objectively. }

d5

{ This is a simple reply recommended by GM Kaufman in his repertoire book. Black ignores
the ‘threat’ of Bxf6 and stakes out his claim in the centre. Just like against the Veresov, the
Bxf6 exchange is to black’s advantage. }

3. e3 c5 4. Nc3
{ White wants to put some pressure on d5, but this is questionable. } e6

{ Protecting d5. } 5. Be2 Be7 6. Nf3 O-O

{ White’s knight on c3 is horribly misplaced and black has developed soundly. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “1.d4 Deviations”]

[Black “The Trompowsky 3”]

1. d4 Nf6

{ In this chapter we will be dealing with white’s various early deviations after 1. d4 - in
other words, all white’s options that are not a Nimzo-Indian, Ragozin or a Catalan. This
means that options such as the Trompowsky, London and Veresov will be covered here.
Naturally, we can’t cover all of white’s deviations in a single chapter, as there are simply far
too many - however, we will recommend lines against the most common and most critical
ones. Against any deviations not covered yet, common sense development should suffice
for equality. After analysing the d4 deviations white can throw at us, it became apparent
that it’s best to go for lines which are low-theory, safe and solid. There’s already enough
theory as it is in the Nimzo-Indian and Ragozin without learning more against rare white
tries. One of the difficult things about learning to counter many of these d4 deviations is the
fact that white can switch up the move order very easily and there are plenty of
transpositions. This is why we recommend, for this chapter especially, to pay more
attention to the plans and development schemes we use. }

2. Bg5

{ The Trompowsky was popularised by a handful of English GMs. It was is one of white’s
most popular d4 deviations and also one of his best choices objectively. }

d5
{ This is a simple reply recommended by GM Kaufman in his repertoire book. Black ignores
the ‘threat’ of Bxf6 and stakes out his claim in the centre. Just like against the Veresov, the
Bxf6 exchange is to black’s advantage. }

3. e3 c5 4. Bxf6 gxf6

{ We can try use the same idea as in one of the previous lines and recapture with the e-
pawn, but here it isn’t quite as good since …c5 is already played and we will most likely be
left with an IQP. As a result, the g-pawn recapture is the choice of most top players. }

5. Nf3 { Natural development. } Nc6 6. c4

{ White tries to challenge our centre before we get our pieces out. } cxd4

7. exd4 e5

{ An important idea to remember here. The f6 pawn plays the important role of supporting
this central break. Our dark bishop enters the game and black takes over the initiative. }

8. Nc3 Bb4 9. cxd5 exd4 10. Nxd4 Qxd5 11. Nb5 Qe5+ 12. Qe2 O-O

{ Only black can be better in the upcoming endgame thanks to his bishop pair. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “1.d4 Deviations”]

[Black “The Trompowsky 4”]

1. d4 Nf6

{ In this chapter we will be dealing with white’s various early deviations after 1. d4 - in
other words, all white’s options that are not a Nimzo-Indian, Ragozin or a Catalan. This
means that options such as the Trompowsky, London and Veresov will be covered here.
Naturally, we can’t cover all of white’s deviations in a single chapter, as there are simply far
too many - however, we will recommend lines against the most common and most critical
ones. Against any deviations not covered yet, common sense development should suffice
for equality. After analysing the d4 deviations white can throw at us, it became apparent
that it’s best to go for lines which are low-theory, safe and solid. There’s already enough
theory as it is in the Nimzo-Indian and Ragozin without learning more against rare white
tries. One of the difficult things about learning to counter many of these d4 deviations is the
fact that white can switch up the move order very easily and there are plenty of
transpositions. This is why we recommend, for this chapter especially, to pay more
attention to the plans and development schemes we use. }

2. Bg5

{ The Trompowsky was popularised by a handful of English GMs. It was is one of white’s
most popular d4 deviations and also one of his best choices objectively. }

d5

{ This is a simple reply recommended by GM Kaufman in his repertoire book. Black ignores
the ‘threat’ of Bxf6 and stakes out his claim in the centre. Just like against the Veresov, the
Bxf6 exchange is to black’s advantage. }

3. e3 c5 4. Bxf6 gxf6

{ We can try use the same idea as in one of the previous lines and recapture with the e-
pawn, but here it isn’t quite as good since …c5 is already played and we will most likely be
left with an IQP. As a result, the g-pawn recapture is the choice of most top players. }

5. dxc5 e6 { Intending to simply regain the pawn. } 6. Nf3 Bxc5 7. Be2 Nc6 8.

O-O O-O 9. c4 { White attacks our centre. } d4

{ Allowing white to take on d5 would be disastrous since black’s pawn structure would be
ruined. So far, black has only taken on c4 and this is also OK, but .. .d4 should be a bit better
even. }

10. exd4 Nxd4 11. Nc3 f5 { Taking e4 away from white’s knight. } 12. Nxd4 Qxd4

13. Qxd4 Bxd4 { Black is completely fine. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]
[White “1.d4 Deviations”]

[Black “The Trompowsky 5”]

1. d4 Nf6

{ In this chapter we will be dealing with white’s various early deviations after 1. d4 - in
other words, all white’s options that are not a Nimzo-Indian, Ragozin or a Catalan. This
means that options such as the Trompowsky, London and Veresov will be covered here.
Naturally, we can’t cover all of white’s deviations in a single chapter, as there are simply far
too many - however, we will recommend lines against the most common and most critical
ones. Against any deviations not covered yet, common sense development should suffice
for equality. After analysing the d4 deviations white can throw at us, it became apparent
that it’s best to go for lines which are low-theory, safe and solid. There’s already enough
theory as it is in the Nimzo-Indian and Ragozin without learning more against rare white
tries. One of the difficult things about learning to counter many of these d4 deviations is the
fact that white can switch up the move order very easily and there are plenty of
transpositions. This is why we recommend, for this chapter especially, to pay more
attention to the plans and development schemes we use. }

2. Bg5

{ The Trompowsky was popularised by a handful of English GMs. It was is one of white’s
most popular d4 deviations and also one of his best choices objectively. }

d5

{ This is a simple reply recommended by GM Kaufman in his repertoire book. Black ignores
the ‘threat’ of Bxf6 and stakes out his claim in the centre. Just like against the Veresov, the
Bxf6 exchange is to black’s advantage. }

3. e3 c5 4. Bxf6 gxf6 5. c4

{ This is played rather often, with the intention of pressuring our centre which now lacks
the support of the knight on f6. }

cxd4 { Heading towards an IQP position. } 6. exd4 Nc6 7. Nc3 dxc4 8. d5

Ne5 9. Bxc4

{ White regains his pawn with a little tactic, but white’s position doesn’t convince. }

Nxc4 10. Qa4+ Bd7 11. Qxc4 Rg8 12. g3 Qb6

{ White can argue that our king is stuck in the centre, but it is surprisingly safe there, while
white’s own king might come under fire quite quickly once we activate our bishop pair as
well as our rooks with …Rc8 and maybe …Rg4. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “1.d4 Deviations”]

[Black “The Trompowsky 6”]

1. d4 Nf6

{ In this chapter we will be dealing with white’s various early deviations after 1. d4 - in
other words, all white’s options that are not a Nimzo-Indian, Ragozin or a Catalan. This
means that options such as the Trompowsky, London and Veresov will be covered here.
Naturally, we can’t cover all of white’s deviations in a single chapter, as there are simply far
too many - however, we will recommend lines against the most common and most critical
ones. Against any deviations not covered yet, common sense development should suffice
for equality. After analysing the d4 deviations white can throw at us, it became apparent
that it’s best to go for lines which are low-theory, safe and solid. There’s already enough
theory as it is in the Nimzo-Indian and Ragozin without learning more against rare white
tries. One of the difficult things about learning to counter many of these d4 deviations is the
fact that white can switch up the move order very easily and there are plenty of
transpositions. This is why we recommend, for this chapter especially, to pay more
attention to the plans and development schemes we use. }

2. Bg5

{ The Trompowsky was popularised by a handful of English GMs. It was is one of white’s
most popular d4 deviations and also one of his best choices objectively. }

d5
{ This is a simple reply recommended by GM Kaufman in his repertoire book. Black ignores
the ‘threat’ of Bxf6 and stakes out his claim in the centre. Just like against the Veresov, the
Bxf6 exchange is to black’s advantage. }

3. e3 c5 4. Bxf6 gxf6 5. Nc3

{ White has the intention here of quickly developing and castling long, followed by
launching an attack on our king. It leads to rather unorthodox positions, but it seems like
Black should be at least equal here. }

Nc6 6. Qh5 { Preparing to long castle. } e6 7. O-O-O cxd4 8. exd4 Bd7

{ Just like in the previous line, our king is quite safe in the centre for the time being and
later on we can castle long if need be. Additionally, we have the bishop pair and easy play
down the c-file against white’s king. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “1.d4 Deviations”]

[Black “The Trompowsky 7”]

1. d4 Nf6

{ In this chapter we will be dealing with white’s various early deviations after 1. d4 - in
other words, all white’s options that are not a Nimzo-Indian, Ragozin or a Catalan. This
means that options such as the Trompowsky, London and Veresov will be covered here.
Naturally, we can’t cover all of white’s deviations in a single chapter, as there are simply far
too many - however, we will recommend lines against the most common and most critical
ones. Against any deviations not covered yet, common sense development should suffice
for equality. After analysing the d4 deviations white can throw at us, it became apparent
that it’s best to go for lines which are low-theory, safe and solid. There’s already enough
theory as it is in the Nimzo-Indian and Ragozin without learning more against rare white
tries. One of the difficult things about learning to counter many of these d4 deviations is the
fact that white can switch up the move order very easily and there are plenty of
transpositions. This is why we recommend, for this chapter especially, to pay more
attention to the plans and development schemes we use. }

2. Bg5

{ The Trompowsky was popularised by a handful of English GMs. It was is one of white’s
most popular d4 deviations and also one of his best choices objectively. }

d5

{ This is a simple reply recommended by GM Kaufman in his repertoire book. Black ignores
the ‘threat’ of Bxf6 and stakes out his claim in the centre. Just like against the Veresov, the
Bxf6 exchange is to black’s advantage. }

3. Nd2 { Developing the knight without blocking the c-pawn. } c5 4. dxc5

e6 5. e4 Bxc5

{ Black has no problems here at all. Note that e5 doesn’t work because of .. .Qb6. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “1.d4 Deviations”]

[Black “The Trompowsky 8”]

1. d4 Nf6

{ In this chapter we will be dealing with white’s various early deviations after 1. d4 - in
other words, all white’s options that are not a Nimzo-Indian, Ragozin or a Catalan. This
means that options such as the Trompowsky, London and Veresov will be covered here.
Naturally, we can’t cover all of white’s deviations in a single chapter, as there are simply far
too many - however, we will recommend lines against the most common and most critical
ones. Against any deviations not covered yet, common sense development should suffice
for equality. After analysing the d4 deviations white can throw at us, it became apparent
that it’s best to go for lines which are low-theory, safe and solid. There’s already enough
theory as it is in the Nimzo-Indian and Ragozin without learning more against rare white
tries. One of the difficult things about learning to counter many of these d4 deviations is the
fact that white can switch up the move order very easily and there are plenty of
transpositions. This is why we recommend, for this chapter especially, to pay more
attention to the plans and development schemes we use. }

2. Bg5

{ The Trompowsky was popularised by a handful of English GMs. It was is one of white’s
most popular d4 deviations and also one of his best choices objectively. }

d5

{ This is a simple reply recommended by GM Kaufman in his repertoire book. Black ignores
the ‘threat’ of Bxf6 and stakes out his claim in the centre. Just like against the Veresov, the
Bxf6 exchange is to black’s advantage. }

3. Bxf6

{ This should be critical, as this was surely white’s idea behind his previous move.
However, it is unclear if it is worth giving up the bishop pair to damage black’s pawn
structure. }

exf6 4. e3 Bd6 { Black can just develop naturally here. } 5. Bd3 O-O 6.

Nd2 c6 { Black is rock solid, with the bishop pair to boot. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “1.d4 Deviations”]

[Black “The Trompowsky 9”]

1. d4 Nf6
{ In this chapter we will be dealing with white’s various early deviations after 1. d4 - in
other words, all white’s options that are not a Nimzo-Indian, Ragozin or a Catalan. This
means that options such as the Trompowsky, London and Veresov will be covered here.
Naturally, we can’t cover all of white’s deviations in a single chapter, as there are simply far
too many - however, we will recommend lines against the most common and most critical
ones. Against any deviations not covered yet, common sense development should suffice
for equality. After analysing the d4 deviations white can throw at us, it became apparent
that it’s best to go for lines which are low-theory, safe and solid. There’s already enough
theory as it is in the Nimzo-Indian and Ragozin without learning more against rare white
tries. One of the difficult things about learning to counter many of these d4 deviations is the
fact that white can switch up the move order very easily and there are plenty of
transpositions. This is why we recommend, for this chapter especially, to pay more
attention to the plans and development schemes we use. }

2. Bg5

{ The Trompowsky was popularised by a handful of English GMs. It was is one of white’s
most popular d4 deviations and also one of his best choices objectively. }

d5

{ This is a simple reply recommended by GM Kaufman in his repertoire book. Black ignores
the ‘threat’ of Bxf6 and stakes out his claim in the centre. Just like against the Veresov, the
Bxf6 exchange is to black’s advantage. }

3. Bxf6

{ This should be critical, as this was surely white’s idea behind his previous move.
However, it is unclear if it is worth giving up the bishop pair to damage black’s pawn
structure. }

exf6 4. e3 Bd6 { Black can just develop naturally here. } 5. c4 dxc4 6.

Bxc4 O-O 7. Nc3 c6 8. Nf3 Nd7

{ Black has no problems at all thanks to his bishop pair. Next he can look at something like
…f5 followed by …Nf6. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]
[White “1.d4 Deviations”]

[Black “The Stonewall”]

1. d4 Nf6

{ In this chapter we will be dealing with white’s various early deviations after 1. d4 - in
other words, all white’s options that are not a Nimzo-Indian, Ragozin or a Catalan. This
means that options such as the Trompowsky, London and Veresov will be covered here.
Naturally, we can’t cover all of white’s deviations in a single chapter, as there are simply far
too many - however, we will recommend lines against the most common and most critical
ones. Against any deviations not covered yet, common sense development should suffice
for equality. After analysing the d4 deviations white can throw at us, it became apparent
that it’s best to go for lines which are low-theory, safe and solid. There’s already enough
theory as it is in the Nimzo-Indian and Ragozin without learning more against rare white
tries. One of the difficult things about learning to counter many of these d4 deviations is the
fact that white can switch up the move order very easily and there are plenty of
transpositions. This is why we recommend, for this chapter especially, to pay more
attention to the plans and development schemes we use. }

2. c3

{ This is not a critical line or anything, but it was commonly requested that we add a
variation dealing with the Stonewall for white. The Stonewall can arise in many forms and
move orders though, so it makes sense to show a single variation here with a focus on
black’s plans. }

d5 3. e3 e6 4. f4

{ The ‘Stonewall’ has been built - the f4, e3, d4 and e3 pawns. This gives white an
unshakeable grip over the e5 square, typically used as an outpost for his knight. However,
this comes at the expense of many things - most notably, white’s poor bishop on c1 and the
e4 outpost. White often needs to find a way to activate or exchange it - one common idea is
the lengthy maneouvre Bc1-e2-e1-h4. Our first step in dealing with the Stonewall is to
exchange white’s good bishop, the light squared one. }

c5 5. Nf3 Be7 6. Bd3 O-O 7. O-O

{ All natural moves so far from both sides. } b6

{ Preparing the aforementioned idea of exchanging light bishops with …Ba6. }

8. Qe2 { Preventing …Ba6. } a5

{ Once again planning …Ba6, and this time white can’t stop it. } 9. Bd2 Ba6

10. Bxa6 Nxa6

{ With white’s good bishop exchanged, black already stands better here. Next we want to
get our knights to control the e4 outpost - one way to do this is the manoeuvre … Na6-c7-
e8-d6. We will generally try to expand on the queenside by rolling the pawns forward, but
sometimes opening up the centre with …f6 and …e5 is also a good idea. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “1.d4 Deviations”]

[Black “London Transposition”]

1. d4 Nf6

{ In this chapter we will be dealing with white’s various early deviations after 1. d4 - in
other words, all white’s options that are not a Nimzo-Indian, Ragozin or a Catalan. This
means that options such as the Trompowsky, London and Veresov will be covered here.
Naturally, we can’t cover all of white’s deviations in a single chapter, as there are simply far
too many - however, we will recommend lines against the most common and most critical
ones. Against any deviations not covered yet, common sense development should suffice
for equality. After analysing the d4 deviations white can throw at us, it became apparent
that it’s best to go for lines which are low-theory, safe and solid. There’s already enough
theory as it is in the Nimzo-Indian and Ragozin without learning more against rare white
tries. One of the difficult things about learning to counter many of these d4 deviations is the
fact that white can switch up the move order very easily and there are plenty of
transpositions. This is why we recommend, for this chapter especially, to pay more
attention to the plans and development schemes we use. }

2. Nf3

{ Natural development leaves white very flexible. White has a whole host of ways to deviate
from the mainline Queen’s Gambit lines. }
d5

{ Because of our choice against 1. Nf3 d5 , we have to play d5 here in order to not get
move-ordered. e6 is otherwise, of course, a perfectly decent option. }

3. Bf4

{ is not an independent option, as it just transposes to the London System which we

covered after 2. Bf4. }

c5 4. e3 Nc6 { transposing to 2. Bf4. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “1.d4 Deviations”]

[Black “The Torre Attack 1”]

1. d4 Nf6

{ In this chapter we will be dealing with white’s various early deviations after 1. d4 - in
other words, all white’s options that are not a Nimzo-Indian, Ragozin or a Catalan. This
means that options such as the Trompowsky, London and Veresov will be covered here.
Naturally, we can’t cover all of white’s deviations in a single chapter, as there are simply far
too many - however, we will recommend lines against the most common and most critical
ones. Against any deviations not covered yet, common sense development should suffice
for equality. After analysing the d4 deviations white can throw at us, it became apparent
that it’s best to go for lines which are low-theory, safe and solid. There’s already enough
theory as it is in the Nimzo-Indian and Ragozin without learning more against rare white
tries. One of the difficult things about learning to counter many of these d4 deviations is the
fact that white can switch up the move order very easily and there are plenty of
transpositions. This is why we recommend, for this chapter especially, to pay more
attention to the plans and development schemes we use. }

2. Nf3
{ Natural development leaves white very flexible. White has a whole host of ways to deviate
from the mainline Queen’s Gambit lines. }

d5

{ Because of our choice against 1. Nf3 d5 , we have to play d5 here in order to not get
move-ordered. e6 is otherwise, of course, a perfectly decent option. }

3. Bg5

{ The Torre attack, but it is not that effective against a …Nf6 + …d5 setup from black -
usually it is a bit better against …Nf6 and …e6. }

c5

{ A very rare move, but it has been played by a few top players recently and it scores very
well. Just like in the Trompowsky and the Veresov, we see no reason for black to worry
about the Bxf6 ‘threat’. }

4. Bxf6 exf6 5. e3 Nc6 6. c3 Be6 7. dxc5 Bxc5 8. Nbd2 a6

{ Black’s bishop pair compensates for the weak, isolated d5 pawn. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “1.d4 Deviations”]

[Black “The Torre Attack 2”]

1. d4 Nf6

{ In this chapter we will be dealing with white’s various early deviations after 1. d4 - in
other words, all white’s options that are not a Nimzo-Indian, Ragozin or a Catalan. This
means that options such as the Trompowsky, London and Veresov will be covered here.
Naturally, we can’t cover all of white’s deviations in a single chapter, as there are simply far
too many - however, we will recommend lines against the most common and most critical
ones. Against any deviations not covered yet, common sense development should suffice
for equality. After analysing the d4 deviations white can throw at us, it became apparent
that it’s best to go for lines which are low-theory, safe and solid. There’s already enough
theory as it is in the Nimzo-Indian and Ragozin without learning more against rare white
tries. One of the difficult things about learning to counter many of these d4 deviations is the
fact that white can switch up the move order very easily and there are plenty of
transpositions. This is why we recommend, for this chapter especially, to pay more
attention to the plans and development schemes we use. }

2. Nf3

{ Natural development leaves white very flexible. White has a whole host of ways to deviate
from the mainline Queen’s Gambit lines. }

d5

{ Because of our choice against 1. Nf3 d5 , we have to play d5 here in order to not get
move-ordered. e6 is otherwise, of course, a perfectly decent option. }

3. Bg5

{ The Torre attack, but it is not that effective against a …Nf6 + …d5 setup from black -
usually it is a bit better against …Nf6 and …e6. }

c5

{ A very rare move, but it has been played by a few top players recently and it scores very
well. Just like in the Trompowsky and the Veresov, we see no reason for black to worry
about the Bxf6 ‘threat’. }

4. dxc5 e6 5. e3 Bxc5 6. c4 O-O 7. Nc3 dxc4 8. Bxc4 h6 9. Bh4 Qxd1+ 10. Rxd1

Nbd7 { Black has no problems here at all. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “1.d4 Deviations”]

[Black “The Torre Attack 3”]

1. d4 Nf6

{ In this chapter we will be dealing with white’s various early deviations after 1. d4 - in
other words, all white’s options that are not a Nimzo-Indian, Ragozin or a Catalan. This
means that options such as the Trompowsky, London and Veresov will be covered here.
Naturally, we can’t cover all of white’s deviations in a single chapter, as there are simply far
too many - however, we will recommend lines against the most common and most critical
ones. Against any deviations not covered yet, common sense development should suffice
for equality. After analysing the d4 deviations white can throw at us, it became apparent
that it’s best to go for lines which are low-theory, safe and solid. There’s already enough
theory as it is in the Nimzo-Indian and Ragozin without learning more against rare white
tries. One of the difficult things about learning to counter many of these d4 deviations is the
fact that white can switch up the move order very easily and there are plenty of
transpositions. This is why we recommend, for this chapter especially, to pay more
attention to the plans and development schemes we use. }

2. Nf3

{ Natural development leaves white very flexible. White has a whole host of ways to deviate
from the mainline Queen’s Gambit lines. }

d5

{ Because of our choice against 1. Nf3 d5 , we have to play d5 here in order to not get
move-ordered. e6 is otherwise, of course, a perfectly decent option. }

3. Bg5

{ The Torre attack, but it is not that effective against a …Nf6 + …d5 setup from black -
usually it is a bit better against …Nf6 and …e6. }

c5

{ A very rare move, but it has been played by a few top players recently and it scores very
well. Just like in the Trompowsky and the Veresov, we see no reason for black to worry
about the Bxf6 ‘threat’. }

4. e3 Nc6 5. c3 Qb6 { transposing to a line we looked at in the Trompowsky. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “1.d4 Deviations”]

[Black “The Colle 1”]

1. d4 Nf6

{ In this chapter we will be dealing with white’s various early deviations after 1. d4 - in
other words, all white’s options that are not a Nimzo-Indian, Ragozin or a Catalan. This
means that options such as the Trompowsky, London and Veresov will be covered here.
Naturally, we can’t cover all of white’s deviations in a single chapter, as there are simply far
too many - however, we will recommend lines against the most common and most critical
ones. Against any deviations not covered yet, common sense development should suffice
for equality. After analysing the d4 deviations white can throw at us, it became apparent
that it’s best to go for lines which are low-theory, safe and solid. There’s already enough
theory as it is in the Nimzo-Indian and Ragozin without learning more against rare white
tries. One of the difficult things about learning to counter many of these d4 deviations is the
fact that white can switch up the move order very easily and there are plenty of
transpositions. This is why we recommend, for this chapter especially, to pay more
attention to the plans and development schemes we use. }

2. Nf3

{ Natural development leaves white very flexible. White has a whole host of ways to deviate
from the mainline Queen’s Gambit lines. }

d5

{ Because of our choice against 1. Nf3 d5 , we have to play d5 here in order to not get
move-ordered. e6 is otherwise, of course, a perfectly decent option. }

3. e3

{ While this can still tranpose into some other white lines, we will be looking at the Colle
and the Colle-Zukertort in this variation. White focuses on his kingside development - he
will get his bishop to d3 and then castle. After that, he needs to decide what to do with the
dark bishop: if he leaves it on the c1-h6 diagonal, then it is a Colle, but if he fianchettos it on
b2 then we are looking at a Colle-Zukertort. As a result, the Colle is defined by a pawn on c3
while the Colle-Zukertort is with a pawn on b3. }

e6 4. Bd3 c5 5. c3

{ The Colle isn’t too challenging to black. White generally plays for the idea of e4, but this is
quite easy to counter. }

b6

{ First black develops his queenside naturally - in both the Colle and the Colle-Zukertort, we
will usually be playing …b6, … Bb7, …Bd6, …Nbd7 and …O-O in one order or another. In this
specific variation we prioritise …b6 and …Bb7 since we want to fight for the e4 square. }

6. O-O Bb7 7. Nbd2 Nbd7 8. Re1 { White is now ready to play the e4 break. }

Ne4

{ An idea we will be seeing much more of later. The easiest way to prevent the e4 break is
to put the knight there. }

9. Qc2 f5

{ Solidifying the knight on e4, with a good version of the Stonewall for black. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “1.d4 Deviations”]

[Black “The Colle 2”]

1. d4 Nf6

{ In this chapter we will be dealing with white’s various early deviations after 1. d4 - in
other words, all white’s options that are not a Nimzo-Indian, Ragozin or a Catalan. This
means that options such as the Trompowsky, London and Veresov will be covered here.
Naturally, we can’t cover all of white’s deviations in a single chapter, as there are simply far
too many - however, we will recommend lines against the most common and most critical
ones. Against any deviations not covered yet, common sense development should suffice
for equality. After analysing the d4 deviations white can throw at us, it became apparent
that it’s best to go for lines which are low-theory, safe and solid. There’s already enough
theory as it is in the Nimzo-Indian and Ragozin without learning more against rare white
tries. One of the difficult things about learning to counter many of these d4 deviations is the
fact that white can switch up the move order very easily and there are plenty of
transpositions. This is why we recommend, for this chapter especially, to pay more
attention to the plans and development schemes we use. }

2. Nf3

{ Natural development leaves white very flexible. White has a whole host of ways to deviate
from the mainline Queen’s Gambit lines. }

d5

{ Because of our choice against 1. Nf3 d5 , we have to play d5 here in order to not get
move-ordered. e6 is otherwise, of course, a perfectly decent option. }

3. e3

{ While this can still tranpose into some other white lines, we will be looking at the Colle
and the Colle-Zukertort in this variation. White focuses on his kingside development - he
will get his bishop to d3 and then castle. After that, he needs to decide what to do with the
dark bishop: if he leaves it on the c1-h6 diagonal, then it is a Colle, but if he fianchettos it on
b2 then we are looking at a Colle-Zukertort. As a result, the Colle is defined by a pawn on c3
while the Colle-Zukertort is with a pawn on b3. }

e6 4. Bd3 c5 5. c3

{ The Colle isn’t too challenging to black. White generally plays for the idea of e4, but this is
quite easy to counter. }

b6

{ First black develops his queenside naturally - in both the Colle and the Colle-Zukertort, we
will usually be playing …b6, … Bb7, …Bd6, …Nbd7 and …O-O in one order or another. In this
specific variation we prioritise …b6 and …Bb7 since we want to fight for the e4 square. }

6. O-O Bb7 7. Nbd2 Nbd7 8. Qe2 { Again white prepares e4. } Ne4

{ Stopping e4. } 9. Ne5 Nxe5 10. dxe5 Qc7

{ Black’s position is preferable, thanks to the weakness of the e5 pawn. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “1.d4 Deviations”]

[Black “The Colle-Zukertort 1”]

1. d4 Nf6

{ In this chapter we will be dealing with white’s various early deviations after 1. d4 - in
other words, all white’s options that are not a Nimzo-Indian, Ragozin or a Catalan. This
means that options such as the Trompowsky, London and Veresov will be covered here.
Naturally, we can’t cover all of white’s deviations in a single chapter, as there are simply far
too many - however, we will recommend lines against the most common and most critical
ones. Against any deviations not covered yet, common sense development should suffice
for equality. After analysing the d4 deviations white can throw at us, it became apparent
that it’s best to go for lines which are low-theory, safe and solid. There’s already enough
theory as it is in the Nimzo-Indian and Ragozin without learning more against rare white
tries. One of the difficult things about learning to counter many of these d4 deviations is the
fact that white can switch up the move order very easily and there are plenty of
transpositions. This is why we recommend, for this chapter especially, to pay more
attention to the plans and development schemes we use. }

2. Nf3

{ Natural development leaves white very flexible. White has a whole host of ways to deviate
from the mainline Queen’s Gambit lines. }

d5

{ Because of our choice against 1. Nf3 d5 , we have to play d5 here in order to not get
move-ordered. e6 is otherwise, of course, a perfectly decent option. }

3. e3
{ While this can still tranpose into some other white lines, we will be looking at the Colle
and the Colle-Zukertort in this variation. White focuses on his kingside development - he
will get his bishop to d3 and then castle. After that, he needs to decide what to do with the
dark bishop: if he leaves it on the c1-h6 diagonal, then it is a Colle, but if he fianchettos it on
b2 then we are looking at a Colle-Zukertort. As a result, the Colle is defined by a pawn on c3
while the Colle-Zukertort is with a pawn on b3. }

e6 4. Bd3 c5 5. b3

{ The Colle-Zukertort is a bit more active and challenging than the normal Colle. White
fianchettos the dark bishop - this means that white has more control over e5 and better
supported centre in general. White typically delays the planned e4 break until later, or
foregoes it entirely and plays for c4 instead. A typical plan of white’s here is to make of the
active dark bishop by playing Ne5 followed by f4, entering a king of Stonewall structure. }

Nc6

{ In this case, since the fight for the e4 square is delayed until later, black can develop the
knight to c6 without any issues - if white was planning a quick e4, the knight might have
been in the way of our bishop on b7. }

6. O-O Bd6 7. Bb2 O-O 8. Ne5

{ is a bit inaccurate here, because black has a strong concrete response: }

Qc7 { Hitting the knight on e5. } 9. f4 cxd4 10. exd4 Nb4

{ An important idea to keep in mind. …Nb4 gains the bishop pair here. } 11.

Nc3 Nxd3 12. Qxd3 a6 { Black’s bishop pair gives him a slight edge here. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “1.d4 Deviations”]

[Black “The Colle-Zukertort 2”]

1. d4 Nf6

{ In this chapter we will be dealing with white’s various early deviations after 1. d4 - in
other words, all white’s options that are not a Nimzo-Indian, Ragozin or a Catalan. This
means that options such as the Trompowsky, London and Veresov will be covered here.
Naturally, we can’t cover all of white’s deviations in a single chapter, as there are simply far
too many - however, we will recommend lines against the most common and most critical
ones. Against any deviations not covered yet, common sense development should suffice
for equality. After analysing the d4 deviations white can throw at us, it became apparent
that it’s best to go for lines which are low-theory, safe and solid. There’s already enough
theory as it is in the Nimzo-Indian and Ragozin without learning more against rare white
tries. One of the difficult things about learning to counter many of these d4 deviations is the
fact that white can switch up the move order very easily and there are plenty of
transpositions. This is why we recommend, for this chapter especially, to pay more
attention to the plans and development schemes we use. }

2. Nf3

{ Natural development leaves white very flexible. White has a whole host of ways to deviate
from the mainline Queen’s Gambit lines. }

d5

{ Because of our choice against 1. Nf3 d5 , we have to play d5 here in order to not get
move-ordered. e6 is otherwise, of course, a perfectly decent option. }

3. e3

{ While this can still tranpose into some other white lines, we will be looking at the Colle
and the Colle-Zukertort in this variation. White focuses on his kingside development - he
will get his bishop to d3 and then castle. After that, he needs to decide what to do with the
dark bishop: if he leaves it on the c1-h6 diagonal, then it is a Colle, but if he fianchettos it on
b2 then we are looking at a Colle-Zukertort. As a result, the Colle is defined by a pawn on c3
while the Colle-Zukertort is with a pawn on b3. }

e6 4. Bd3 c5 5. b3

{ The Colle-Zukertort is a bit more active and challenging than the normal Colle. White
fianchettos the dark bishop - this means that white has more control over e5 and better
supported centre in general. White typically delays the planned e4 break until later, or
foregoes it entirely and plays for c4 instead. A typical plan of white’s here is to make of the
active dark bishop by playing Ne5 followed by f4, entering a king of Stonewall structure. }

Nc6
{ In this case, since the fight for the e4 square is delayed until later, black can develop the
knight to c6 without any issues - if white was planning a quick e4, the knight might have
been in the way of our bishop on b7. }

6. O-O Bd6 7. Bb2 O-O 8. c4

{ Challenging black in the centre here only leads to some exchanges. }

cxd4 9. exd4 b6 10. Nbd2 Bb7

{ Black is super solid. It is difficult for white to make real progress here, since taking on d5
leaves him with a well-blockaded IQP. }
[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “1.d4 Deviations”]

[Black “The Colle-Zukertort 3”]

1. d4 Nf6

{ In this chapter we will be dealing with white’s various early deviations after 1. d4 - in
other words, all white’s options that are not a Nimzo-Indian, Ragozin or a Catalan. This
means that options such as the Trompowsky, London and Veresov will be covered here.
Naturally, we can’t cover all of white’s deviations in a single chapter, as there are simply far
too many - however, we will recommend lines against the most common and most critical
ones. Against any deviations not covered yet, common sense development should suffice
for equality. After analysing the d4 deviations white can throw at us, it became apparent
that it’s best to go for lines which are low-theory, safe and solid. There’s already enough
theory as it is in the Nimzo-Indian and Ragozin without learning more against rare white
tries. One of the difficult things about learning to counter many of these d4 deviations is the
fact that white can switch up the move order very easily and there are plenty of
transpositions. This is why we recommend, for this chapter especially, to pay more
attention to the plans and development schemes we use. }

2. Nf3

{ Natural development leaves white very flexible. White has a whole host of ways to deviate
from the mainline Queen’s Gambit lines. }

d5

{ Because of our choice against 1. Nf3 d5 , we have to play d5 here in order to not get
move-ordered. e6 is otherwise, of course, a perfectly decent option. }

3. e3
{ While this can still tranpose into some other white lines, we will be looking at the Colle
and the Colle-Zukertort in this variation. White focuses on his kingside development - he
will get his bishop to d3 and then castle. After that, he needs to decide what to do with the
dark bishop: if he leaves it on the c1-h6 diagonal, then it is a Colle, but if he fianchettos it on
b2 then we are looking at a Colle-Zukertort. As a result, the Colle is defined by a pawn on c3
while the Colle-Zukertort is with a pawn on b3. }

e6 4. Bd3 c5 5. b3

{ The Colle-Zukertort is a bit more active and challenging than the normal Colle. White
fianchettos the dark bishop - this means that white has more control over e5 and better
supported centre in general. White typically delays the planned e4 break until later, or
foregoes it entirely and plays for c4 instead. A typical plan of white’s here is to make of the
active dark bishop by playing Ne5 followed by f4, entering a king of Stonewall structure. }

Nc6

{ In this case, since the fight for the e4 square is delayed until later, black can develop the
knight to c6 without any issues - if white was planning a quick e4, the knight might have
been in the way of our bishop on b7. }

6. O-O Bd6 7. Bb2 O-O 8. Nbd2

{ A natural developing move and white’s main choice. } b6

{ Developing our bishop. } 9. Ne5 Bb7 10. f4 Rc8

{ A good square for the rook. } 11. a3 Ne7

{ As we’ve seen before, bringing the knight to the kingside f5 is usually a good maneovre for
black, possible followed by …Be7 and …Nf5-d6 to exploit the e4 square. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “1.d4 Deviations”]

[Black “The Colle-Zukertort 4”]

1. d4 Nf6

{ In this chapter we will be dealing with white’s various early deviations after 1. d4 - in
other words, all white’s options that are not a Nimzo-Indian, Ragozin or a Catalan. This
means that options such as the Trompowsky, London and Veresov will be covered here.
Naturally, we can’t cover all of white’s deviations in a single chapter, as there are simply far
too many - however, we will recommend lines against the most common and most critical
ones. Against any deviations not covered yet, common sense development should suffice
for equality. After analysing the d4 deviations white can throw at us, it became apparent
that it’s best to go for lines which are low-theory, safe and solid. There’s already enough
theory as it is in the Nimzo-Indian and Ragozin without learning more against rare white
tries. One of the difficult things about learning to counter many of these d4 deviations is the
fact that white can switch up the move order very easily and there are plenty of
transpositions. This is why we recommend, for this chapter especially, to pay more
attention to the plans and development schemes we use. }

2. Nf3

{ Natural development leaves white very flexible. White has a whole host of ways to deviate
from the mainline Queen’s Gambit lines. }

d5

{ Because of our choice against 1. Nf3 d5 , we have to play d5 here in order to not get
move-ordered. e6 is otherwise, of course, a perfectly decent option. }

3. e3

{ While this can still tranpose into some other white lines, we will be looking at the Colle
and the Colle-Zukertort in this variation. White focuses on his kingside development - he
will get his bishop to d3 and then castle. After that, he needs to decide what to do with the
dark bishop: if he leaves it on the c1-h6 diagonal, then it is a Colle, but if he fianchettos it on
b2 then we are looking at a Colle-Zukertort. As a result, the Colle is defined by a pawn on c3
while the Colle-Zukertort is with a pawn on b3. }

e6 4. Bd3 c5 5. b3

{ The Colle-Zukertort is a bit more active and challenging than the normal Colle. White
fianchettos the dark bishop - this means that white has more control over e5 and better
supported centre in general. White typically delays the planned e4 break until later, or
foregoes it entirely and plays for c4 instead. A typical plan of white’s here is to make of the
active dark bishop by playing Ne5 followed by f4, entering a king of Stonewall structure. }

Nc6
{ In this case, since the fight for the e4 square is delayed until later, black can develop the
knight to c6 without any issues - if white was planning a quick e4, the knight might have
been in the way of our bishop on b7. }

6. O-O Bd6 7. Bb2 O-O 8. Nbd2

{ A natural developing move and white’s main choice. } b6

{ Developing our bishop. } 9. Ne5 Bb7 10. a3

{ If white doesn’t play for f4, his plan is a bit less clear. } Rc8 11.

Qe2 Ne7 { Black has no problems here. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “1.d4 Deviations”]

[Black “The Pseudo-Catalan 1”]

1. d4 Nf6

{ In this chapter we will be dealing with white’s various early deviations after 1. d4 - in
other words, all white’s options that are not a Nimzo-Indian, Ragozin or a Catalan. This
means that options such as the Trompowsky, London and Veresov will be covered here.
Naturally, we can’t cover all of white’s deviations in a single chapter, as there are simply far
too many - however, we will recommend lines against the most common and most critical
ones. Against any deviations not covered yet, common sense development should suffice
for equality. After analysing the d4 deviations white can throw at us, it became apparent
that it’s best to go for lines which are low-theory, safe and solid. There’s already enough
theory as it is in the Nimzo-Indian and Ragozin without learning more against rare white
tries. One of the difficult things about learning to counter many of these d4 deviations is the
fact that white can switch up the move order very easily and there are plenty of
transpositions. This is why we recommend, for this chapter especially, to pay more
attention to the plans and development schemes we use. }
2. Nf3

{ Natural development leaves white very flexible. White has a whole host of ways to deviate
from the mainline Queen’s Gambit lines. }

d5

{ Because of our choice against 1. Nf3 d5 , we have to play d5 here in order to not get
move-ordered. e6 is otherwise, of course, a perfectly decent option. }

3. g3

{ White heads for a Catalan setup with a delayed c4. This has the advantage of avoiding our
chosen line against the Catalan with ….Bb4+, however it allows us to develop our light
bishop actively outside the pawn chain, since black hasn’t committed to …e6 yet. }

c6

{ Supporting d5 while allowing our light bishop to develop outside the pawn chain. }

4. Bg2 Bg4 { …Bf5 is another good option. } 5. c4 e6 6. h3 Bxf3

{ With white’s king still uncastled, we have a nice way to simplify the position. }

7. Bxf3 Bb4+ { An idea which wouldn’t be possible if white castled first. } 8.

Bd2 Bxd2+ 9. Nxd2 Qb6 { Attacking b2 and d4. } 10. Qb3 Qxb3 11. axb3 Ke7

{ The closed nature of the position lends itself to black’s knights. The position is roughly
equal, but there’s still plenty of play for both sides. Next black can consider developing his
knight with … Na6-c7. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “1.d4 Deviations”]

[Black “The Pseudo-Catalan 2”]

1. d4 Nf6

{ In this chapter we will be dealing with white’s various early deviations after 1. d4 - in
other words, all white’s options that are not a Nimzo-Indian, Ragozin or a Catalan. This
means that options such as the Trompowsky, London and Veresov will be covered here.
Naturally, we can’t cover all of white’s deviations in a single chapter, as there are simply far
too many - however, we will recommend lines against the most common and most critical
ones. Against any deviations not covered yet, common sense development should suffice
for equality. After analysing the d4 deviations white can throw at us, it became apparent
that it’s best to go for lines which are low-theory, safe and solid. There’s already enough
theory as it is in the Nimzo-Indian and Ragozin without learning more against rare white
tries. One of the difficult things about learning to counter many of these d4 deviations is the
fact that white can switch up the move order very easily and there are plenty of
transpositions. This is why we recommend, for this chapter especially, to pay more
attention to the plans and development schemes we use. }

2. Nf3

{ Natural development leaves white very flexible. White has a whole host of ways to deviate
from the mainline Queen’s Gambit lines. }

d5

{ Because of our choice against 1. Nf3 d5 , we have to play d5 here in order to not get
move-ordered. e6 is otherwise, of course, a perfectly decent option. }

3. g3

{ White heads for a Catalan setup with a delayed c4. This has the advantage of avoiding our
chosen line against the Catalan with ….Bb4+, however it allows us to develop our light
bishop actively outside the pawn chain, since black hasn’t committed to …e6 yet. }

c6

{ Supporting d5 while allowing our light bishop to develop outside the pawn chain. }

4. Bg2 Bg4 { …Bf5 is another good option. } 5. Ne5

{ Attacking our bishop, but it is unclear if the knight is better placed on e5 than f3. }

Bf5 6. O-O Nbd7 7. c4 e6

{ Black can’t take on e5 too early of course since d5 was not properly supported. }

8. Nc3 Be7 9. Qb3 Qb6 10. Nxd7 Nxd7 11. e4 dxe4 12. Nxe4 O-O
{ We reach a structure very typical for the Catalan but with our bishop outisde the pawn
chain. Black is fine here, but of course there’s plenty of play for both sides. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “1.d4 Deviations”]

[Black “The Pseudo-Catalan 3”]

1. d4 Nf6

{ In this chapter we will be dealing with white’s various early deviations after 1. d4 - in
other words, all white’s options that are not a Nimzo-Indian, Ragozin or a Catalan. This
means that options such as the Trompowsky, London and Veresov will be covered here.
Naturally, we can’t cover all of white’s deviations in a single chapter, as there are simply far
too many - however, we will recommend lines against the most common and most critical
ones. Against any deviations not covered yet, common sense development should suffice
for equality. After analysing the d4 deviations white can throw at us, it became apparent
that it’s best to go for lines which are low-theory, safe and solid. There’s already enough
theory as it is in the Nimzo-Indian and Ragozin without learning more against rare white
tries. One of the difficult things about learning to counter many of these d4 deviations is the
fact that white can switch up the move order very easily and there are plenty of
transpositions. This is why we recommend, for this chapter especially, to pay more
attention to the plans and development schemes we use. }

2. Nf3

{ Natural development leaves white very flexible. White has a whole host of ways to deviate
from the mainline Queen’s Gambit lines. }

d5

{ Because of our choice against 1. Nf3 d5 , we have to play d5 here in order to not get
move-ordered. e6 is otherwise, of course, a perfectly decent option. }
3. g3

{ White heads for a Catalan setup with a delayed c4. This has the advantage of avoiding our
chosen line against the Catalan with ….Bb4+, however it allows us to develop our light
bishop actively outside the pawn chain, since black hasn’t committed to …e6 yet. }

c6

{ Supporting d5 while allowing our light bishop to develop outside the pawn chain. }

4. Bg2 Bg4 { …Bf5 is another good option. } 5. O-O Nbd7 6. c4 e6

{ Note that this position can also be reached from 1. Nf3 move orders. } 7. h3

Bf5

{ …Bh5 is also possible, but from f5 the bishop controls the important e4 square. }

8. Nc3 h6 { Securing the bishop’s retreat to h7 in the event of Nh4. } 9. Nd2

Be7 10. e4 { The typical break in Closed Catalan positions. } dxe4 11.

Ndxe4 Nxe4 12. Nxe4 Nf6 13. Nc3 Qb6

{ An important finesse before castling. Black ties white’s bishop down to the defence of b2.
In general, white would have had a slight edge here if our bishop was on c8 or d7, but with
the bishop actively placed outside the pawn chain black has no problems. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “1.d4 Deviations”]

[Black “The Pseudo-Catalan 4”]

1. d4 Nf6
{ In this chapter we will be dealing with white’s various early deviations after 1. d4 - in
other words, all white’s options that are not a Nimzo-Indian, Ragozin or a Catalan. This
means that options such as the Trompowsky, London and Veresov will be covered here.
Naturally, we can’t cover all of white’s deviations in a single chapter, as there are simply far
too many - however, we will recommend lines against the most common and most critical
ones. Against any deviations not covered yet, common sense development should suffice
for equality. After analysing the d4 deviations white can throw at us, it became apparent
that it’s best to go for lines which are low-theory, safe and solid. There’s already enough
theory as it is in the Nimzo-Indian and Ragozin without learning more against rare white
tries. One of the difficult things about learning to counter many of these d4 deviations is the
fact that white can switch up the move order very easily and there are plenty of
transpositions. This is why we recommend, for this chapter especially, to pay more
attention to the plans and development schemes we use. }

2. Nf3

{ Natural development leaves white very flexible. White has a whole host of ways to deviate
from the mainline Queen’s Gambit lines. }

d5

{ Because of our choice against 1. Nf3 d5 , we have to play d5 here in order to not get
move-ordered. e6 is otherwise, of course, a perfectly decent option. }

3. g3

{ White heads for a Catalan setup with a delayed c4. This has the advantage of avoiding our
chosen line against the Catalan with ….Bb4+, however it allows us to develop our light
bishop actively outside the pawn chain, since black hasn’t committed to …e6 yet. }

c6

{ Supporting d5 while allowing our light bishop to develop outside the pawn chain. }

4. Bg2 Bg4 { …Bf5 is another good option. } 5. O-O Nbd7 6. c4 e6

{ Note that this position can also be reached from 1. Nf3 move orders. } 7. b3

{ Planning a queenside fianchetto. } Be7 8. Bb2 O-O 9. Nbd2 a5

{ A typical way for black to gain space on the queenside and harrass the fianchetto. The
idea is of course to play …a4-a3 if allowed. }

10. a3 { Prophylaxis against …a4 - white would meet …a4 now with b4. }

h6 11. Re1 Bf5 { Covering e4. } 12. Ne5 Nxe5 13. dxe5 Nd7 14. e4
{ White’s most popular move, but maybe not the best. Black is equal regardless. }

dxe4 15. Nxe4 Nc5

{ White seems to have overreached a bit in the last couple moves and now black’s position
is slightly preferable. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “1.d4 Deviations”]

[Black “The Pseudo-Catalan 5”]

1. d4 Nf6

{ In this chapter we will be dealing with white’s various early deviations after 1. d4 - in
other words, all white’s options that are not a Nimzo-Indian, Ragozin or a Catalan. This
means that options such as the Trompowsky, London and Veresov will be covered here.
Naturally, we can’t cover all of white’s deviations in a single chapter, as there are simply far
too many - however, we will recommend lines against the most common and most critical
ones. Against any deviations not covered yet, common sense development should suffice
for equality. After analysing the d4 deviations white can throw at us, it became apparent
that it’s best to go for lines which are low-theory, safe and solid. There’s already enough
theory as it is in the Nimzo-Indian and Ragozin without learning more against rare white
tries. One of the difficult things about learning to counter many of these d4 deviations is the
fact that white can switch up the move order very easily and there are plenty of
transpositions. This is why we recommend, for this chapter especially, to pay more
attention to the plans and development schemes we use. }

2. Nf3

{ Natural development leaves white very flexible. White has a whole host of ways to deviate
from the mainline Queen’s Gambit lines. }

d5
{ Because of our choice against 1. Nf3 d5 , we have to play d5 here in order to not get
move-ordered. e6 is otherwise, of course, a perfectly decent option. }

3. g3

{ White heads for a Catalan setup with a delayed c4. This has the advantage of avoiding our
chosen line against the Catalan with ….Bb4+, however it allows us to develop our light
bishop actively outside the pawn chain, since black hasn’t committed to …e6 yet. }

c6

{ Supporting d5 while allowing our light bishop to develop outside the pawn chain. }

4. Bg2 Bg4 { …Bf5 is another good option. } 5. O-O Nbd7 6. c4 e6

{ Note that this position can also be reached from 1. Nf3 move orders. } 7. Qb3

{ White’s most common move, attacking b7. } Qb6 8. Nc3 Be7 9. c5 Qxb3 10.

axb3 Bxf3 { Black exchanges his ‘bad’ bishop. } 11. Bxf3 e5

{ White’s bishop pair can’t be fully utilised in this closed position. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “1.d4 Deviations”]

[Black “4.e3 1”]

1. d4 Nf6

{ In this chapter we will be dealing with white’s various early deviations after 1. d4 - in
other words, all white’s options that are not a Nimzo-Indian, Ragozin or a Catalan. This
means that options such as the Trompowsky, London and Veresov will be covered here.
Naturally, we can’t cover all of white’s deviations in a single chapter, as there are simply far
too many - however, we will recommend lines against the most common and most critical
ones. Against any deviations not covered yet, common sense development should suffice
for equality. After analysing the d4 deviations white can throw at us, it became apparent
that it’s best to go for lines which are low-theory, safe and solid. There’s already enough
theory as it is in the Nimzo-Indian and Ragozin without learning more against rare white
tries. One of the difficult things about learning to counter many of these d4 deviations is the
fact that white can switch up the move order very easily and there are plenty of
transpositions. This is why we recommend, for this chapter especially, to pay more
attention to the plans and development schemes we use. }

2. Nf3

{ Natural development leaves white very flexible. White has a whole host of ways to deviate
from the mainline Queen’s Gambit lines. }

d5

{ Because of our choice against 1. Nf3 d5 , we have to play d5 here in order to not get
move-ordered. e6 is otherwise, of course, a perfectly decent option. }

3. c4 e6 { Necessary, in order to stay within our repertoire. } 4. e3

{ White solidifies d4 but blocks his bishop in. } b6

{ Preparing to develop our light bishop. } 5. Nc3

{ Delaying the development of the dark bishop for now. } Bb7 6. Bd3 Bd6

{ Natural development. } 7. O-O O-O 8. b3 Nbd7 9. Bb2 a6

{ A useful multipurpose move, taking b5 away from white’s knight. } 10. Rc1

Qe7

{ A good square for the queen and possibly preparing … Ba3 in the future. }

11. Na4 { White’s most popular move, with the idea of Ne5. } dxc4 12.

bxc4 c5 { Hitting back in the centre. Black has no problems here at all. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]
[White “1.d4 Deviations”]

[Black “4.e3 2”]

1. d4 Nf6

{ In this chapter we will be dealing with white’s various early deviations after 1. d4 - in
other words, all white’s options that are not a Nimzo-Indian, Ragozin or a Catalan. This
means that options such as the Trompowsky, London and Veresov will be covered here.
Naturally, we can’t cover all of white’s deviations in a single chapter, as there are simply far
too many - however, we will recommend lines against the most common and most critical
ones. Against any deviations not covered yet, common sense development should suffice
for equality. After analysing the d4 deviations white can throw at us, it became apparent
that it’s best to go for lines which are low-theory, safe and solid. There’s already enough
theory as it is in the Nimzo-Indian and Ragozin without learning more against rare white
tries. One of the difficult things about learning to counter many of these d4 deviations is the
fact that white can switch up the move order very easily and there are plenty of
transpositions. This is why we recommend, for this chapter especially, to pay more
attention to the plans and development schemes we use. }

2. Nf3

{ Natural development leaves white very flexible. White has a whole host of ways to deviate
from the mainline Queen’s Gambit lines. }

d5

{ Because of our choice against 1. Nf3 d5 , we have to play d5 here in order to not get
move-ordered. e6 is otherwise, of course, a perfectly decent option. }

3. c4 e6 { Necessary, in order to stay within our repertoire. } 4. e3

{ White solidifies d4 but blocks his bishop in. } b6

{ Preparing to develop our light bishop. } 5. Nc3

{ Delaying the development of the dark bishop for now. } Bb7 6. cxd5 exd5

7. Bb5+

{ With the idea of provoking black’s pawn to c6 before returning with the bishop to d3. The
immediate 7. Bd3 doesn’t seem to have much of an advantage over 7. Bb5+. }
c6 8. Bd3

{ With the pawn on c6 blocking black’s bishop, white wants to play e4. }

Nbd7 9. O-O Bd6 { Natural development. } 10. e4

{ Carrying out white’s idea, but this isn’t even dangerous. } dxe4 11.

Nxe4 Nxe4 12. Bxe4 O-O

{ Black has a few ways to play here, depending on what white does - …Qc7 with the plan of
… c5 or …Nf6 with pressure on d4. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “1.d4 Deviations”]

[Black “4.e3 3”]

1. d4 Nf6

{ In this chapter we will be dealing with white’s various early deviations after 1. d4 - in
other words, all white’s options that are not a Nimzo-Indian, Ragozin or a Catalan. This
means that options such as the Trompowsky, London and Veresov will be covered here.
Naturally, we can’t cover all of white’s deviations in a single chapter, as there are simply far
too many - however, we will recommend lines against the most common and most critical
ones. Against any deviations not covered yet, common sense development should suffice
for equality. After analysing the d4 deviations white can throw at us, it became apparent
that it’s best to go for lines which are low-theory, safe and solid. There’s already enough
theory as it is in the Nimzo-Indian and Ragozin without learning more against rare white
tries. One of the difficult things about learning to counter many of these d4 deviations is the
fact that white can switch up the move order very easily and there are plenty of
transpositions. This is why we recommend, for this chapter especially, to pay more
attention to the plans and development schemes we use. }
2. Nf3

{ Natural development leaves white very flexible. White has a whole host of ways to deviate
from the mainline Queen’s Gambit lines. }

d5

{ Because of our choice against 1. Nf3 d5 , we have to play d5 here in order to not get
move-ordered. e6 is otherwise, of course, a perfectly decent option. }

3. c4 e6 { Necessary, in order to stay within our repertoire. } 4. e3

{ White solidifies d4 but blocks his bishop in. } b6

{ Preparing to develop our light bishop. } 5. b3

{ This pretty much leads to a kind of Colle-Zukertort with white having played c4. }

Bb7 6. Bb2 Bd6 7. Bd3 O-O 8. O-O Nbd7 9. Nbd2

{ Both sides have developed naturally and reached a fairly normal position. }

Ne4 { A typical idea, as we’ve seen before. } 10. Qe2

{ hardly seems challenging. } f5 { with a good Stonewall for black. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “1.d4 Deviations”]

[Black “4.e3 4”]

1. d4 Nf6

{ In this chapter we will be dealing with white’s various early deviations after 1. d4 - in
other words, all white’s options that are not a Nimzo-Indian, Ragozin or a Catalan. This
means that options such as the Trompowsky, London and Veresov will be covered here.
Naturally, we can’t cover all of white’s deviations in a single chapter, as there are simply far
too many - however, we will recommend lines against the most common and most critical
ones. Against any deviations not covered yet, common sense development should suffice
for equality. After analysing the d4 deviations white can throw at us, it became apparent
that it’s best to go for lines which are low-theory, safe and solid. There’s already enough
theory as it is in the Nimzo-Indian and Ragozin without learning more against rare white
tries. One of the difficult things about learning to counter many of these d4 deviations is the
fact that white can switch up the move order very easily and there are plenty of
transpositions. This is why we recommend, for this chapter especially, to pay more
attention to the plans and development schemes we use. }

2. Nf3

{ Natural development leaves white very flexible. White has a whole host of ways to deviate
from the mainline Queen’s Gambit lines. }

d5

{ Because of our choice against 1. Nf3 d5 , we have to play d5 here in order to not get
move-ordered. e6 is otherwise, of course, a perfectly decent option. }

3. c4 e6 { Necessary, in order to stay within our repertoire. } 4. e3

{ White solidifies d4 but blocks his bishop in. } b6

{ Preparing to develop our light bishop. } 5. b3

{ This pretty much leads to a kind of Colle-Zukertort with white having played c4. }

Bb7 6. Bb2 Bd6 7. Bd3 O-O 8. O-O Nbd7 9. Nbd2

{ Both sides have developed naturally and reached a fairly normal position. }

Ne4 { A typical idea, as we’ve seen before. } 10. Qc2 f5

{ Once again, we head for a Stonewall structure in order to support our e4 knight. }

11. cxd5 exd5 12. Ne5 c5

{ Black has good play, but there are plenty of chances for both sides. The position is roughly
balanced. }
[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “1.d4 Deviations”]

[Black “Ragozin Transposition”]

1. d4 Nf6

{ In this chapter we will be dealing with white’s various early deviations after 1. d4 - in
other words, all white’s options that are not a Nimzo-Indian, Ragozin or a Catalan. This
means that options such as the Trompowsky, London and Veresov will be covered here.
Naturally, we can’t cover all of white’s deviations in a single chapter, as there are simply far
too many - however, we will recommend lines against the most common and most critical
ones. Against any deviations not covered yet, common sense development should suffice
for equality. After analysing the d4 deviations white can throw at us, it became apparent
that it’s best to go for lines which are low-theory, safe and solid. There’s already enough
theory as it is in the Nimzo-Indian and Ragozin without learning more against rare white
tries. One of the difficult things about learning to counter many of these d4 deviations is the
fact that white can switch up the move order very easily and there are plenty of
transpositions. This is why we recommend, for this chapter especially, to pay more
attention to the plans and development schemes we use. }

2. Nf3

{ Natural development leaves white very flexible. White has a whole host of ways to deviate
from the mainline Queen’s Gambit lines. }

d5

{ Because of our choice against 1. Nf3 d5 , we have to play d5 here in order to not get
move-ordered. e6 is otherwise, of course, a perfectly decent option. }

3. c4 e6 { Necessary, in order to stay within our repertoire. } 4. Bg5

{ By developing his bishop to g5 first, before committing his knight, white keeps the option
of putting his knight on d2 open. Otherwise, this typically transposes into other lines. }

Bb4+ { The most in line with our repertoire. } 5. Nc3

{ transposes straight into Chapter 2 after } h6

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “1.d4 Deviations”]

[Black “Nf3 + c4 + Bg5 1”]

1. d4 Nf6

{ In this chapter we will be dealing with white’s various early deviations after 1. d4 - in
other words, all white’s options that are not a Nimzo-Indian, Ragozin or a Catalan. This
means that options such as the Trompowsky, London and Veresov will be covered here.
Naturally, we can’t cover all of white’s deviations in a single chapter, as there are simply far
too many - however, we will recommend lines against the most common and most critical
ones. Against any deviations not covered yet, common sense development should suffice
for equality. After analysing the d4 deviations white can throw at us, it became apparent
that it’s best to go for lines which are low-theory, safe and solid. There’s already enough
theory as it is in the Nimzo-Indian and Ragozin without learning more against rare white
tries. One of the difficult things about learning to counter many of these d4 deviations is the
fact that white can switch up the move order very easily and there are plenty of
transpositions. This is why we recommend, for this chapter especially, to pay more
attention to the plans and development schemes we use. }

2. Nf3

{ Natural development leaves white very flexible. White has a whole host of ways to deviate
from the mainline Queen’s Gambit lines. }

d5

{ Because of our choice against 1. Nf3 d5 , we have to play d5 here in order to not get
move-ordered. e6 is otherwise, of course, a perfectly decent option. }

3. c4 e6 { Necessary, in order to stay within our repertoire. } 4. Bg5

{ By developing his bishop to g5 first, before committing his knight, white keeps the option
of putting his knight on d2 open. Otherwise, this typically transposes into other lines. }

Bb4+ { The most in line with our repertoire. } 5. Bd2

{ is white’s only other independent option, but this is not too challenging. }

Be7

{ Black has basically been granted …Be7 almost for free, as the bishop on d2 is not much
better than it was on c1. Taking on d2 is also possible and it should also equalise without
any hassles. }

6. Nc3 c5

{ Black can take advantage of his ‘extra tempo’ by playing actively. } 7. e3

Nc6 8. cxd5 exd5 9. dxc5 Bxc5 10. Bd3 O-O

{ Black has a good IQP position where he can equalise fully at will by just playing …d4. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “1.d4 Deviations”]

[Black “Nf3 + c4 + Bg5 2”]

1. d4 Nf6

{ In this chapter we will be dealing with white’s various early deviations after 1. d4 - in
other words, all white’s options that are not a Nimzo-Indian, Ragozin or a Catalan. This
means that options such as the Trompowsky, London and Veresov will be covered here.
Naturally, we can’t cover all of white’s deviations in a single chapter, as there are simply far
too many - however, we will recommend lines against the most common and most critical
ones. Against any deviations not covered yet, common sense development should suffice
for equality. After analysing the d4 deviations white can throw at us, it became apparent
that it’s best to go for lines which are low-theory, safe and solid. There’s already enough
theory as it is in the Nimzo-Indian and Ragozin without learning more against rare white
tries. One of the difficult things about learning to counter many of these d4 deviations is the
fact that white can switch up the move order very easily and there are plenty of
transpositions. This is why we recommend, for this chapter especially, to pay more
attention to the plans and development schemes we use. }

2. Nf3

{ Natural development leaves white very flexible. White has a whole host of ways to deviate
from the mainline Queen’s Gambit lines. }

d5

{ Because of our choice against 1. Nf3 d5 , we have to play d5 here in order to not get
move-ordered. e6 is otherwise, of course, a perfectly decent option. }

3. c4 e6 { Necessary, in order to stay within our repertoire. } 4. Bg5

{ By developing his bishop to g5 first, before committing his knight, white keeps the option
of putting his knight on d2 open. Otherwise, this typically transposes into other lines. }

Bb4+ { The most in line with our repertoire. } 5. Nbd2

{ White’s main independent try. White will try to prove that the bishop is a bit misplaced on
b4, but on the other hand white’s play has left the c4 pawn vulnerable. }

dxc4

{ As we saw in the Catalan, it is surprisingly difficult to recoup the c4 pawn in such

situations where white’s knight on d2 is pinned. }

6. Qa4+ { Forcing our knight to c6. } Nc6 7. e3 { Threatening Bxc4. }

Qd5 { The only way to hold onto the pawn. } 8. Bxf6 gxf6 9. Qc2 b5

{ Black secures the pawn with a good position. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]
[White “1.d4 Deviations”]

[Black “Nf3 + c4 + Bg5 3”]

1. d4 Nf6

{ In this chapter we will be dealing with white’s various early deviations after 1. d4 - in
other words, all white’s options that are not a Nimzo-Indian, Ragozin or a Catalan. This
means that options such as the Trompowsky, London and Veresov will be covered here.
Naturally, we can’t cover all of white’s deviations in a single chapter, as there are simply far
too many - however, we will recommend lines against the most common and most critical
ones. Against any deviations not covered yet, common sense development should suffice
for equality. After analysing the d4 deviations white can throw at us, it became apparent
that it’s best to go for lines which are low-theory, safe and solid. There’s already enough
theory as it is in the Nimzo-Indian and Ragozin without learning more against rare white
tries. One of the difficult things about learning to counter many of these d4 deviations is the
fact that white can switch up the move order very easily and there are plenty of
transpositions. This is why we recommend, for this chapter especially, to pay more
attention to the plans and development schemes we use. }

2. Nf3

{ Natural development leaves white very flexible. White has a whole host of ways to deviate
from the mainline Queen’s Gambit lines. }

d5

{ Because of our choice against 1. Nf3 d5 , we have to play d5 here in order to not get
move-ordered. e6 is otherwise, of course, a perfectly decent option. }

3. c4 e6 { Necessary, in order to stay within our repertoire. } 4. Bg5

{ By developing his bishop to g5 first, before committing his knight, white keeps the option
of putting his knight on d2 open. Otherwise, this typically transposes into other lines. }

Bb4+ { The most in line with our repertoire. } 5. Nbd2

{ White’s main independent try. White will try to prove that the bishop is a bit misplaced on
b4, but on the other hand white’s play has left the c4 pawn vulnerable. }

dxc4
{ As we saw in the Catalan, it is surprisingly difficult to recoup the c4 pawn in such
situations where white’s knight on d2 is pinned. }

6. e3 { White plays simply and wants to recapture the pawn with his bishop. }

b5

{ Protecting c4. Note that white doesn’t have his usual pressure down the long diagonal
here, like in the Catalan. }

7. Be2 Bb7 8. O-O O-O 9. b3 c3

{ There are other options, but black can give the pawn back now and get good play. }

10. a3 Be7 11. Nb1 c5 { Playing actively in the centre. } 12. Nxc3 a6

{ Black has good, active play and his positionally is definitely slightly preferable. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “1.d4 Deviations”]

[Black “Nf3 + c4 + Bg5 4”]

1. d4 Nf6

{ In this chapter we will be dealing with white’s various early deviations after 1. d4 - in
other words, all white’s options that are not a Nimzo-Indian, Ragozin or a Catalan. This
means that options such as the Trompowsky, London and Veresov will be covered here.
Naturally, we can’t cover all of white’s deviations in a single chapter, as there are simply far
too many - however, we will recommend lines against the most common and most critical
ones. Against any deviations not covered yet, common sense development should suffice
for equality. After analysing the d4 deviations white can throw at us, it became apparent
that it’s best to go for lines which are low-theory, safe and solid. There’s already enough
theory as it is in the Nimzo-Indian and Ragozin without learning more against rare white
tries. One of the difficult things about learning to counter many of these d4 deviations is the
fact that white can switch up the move order very easily and there are plenty of
transpositions. This is why we recommend, for this chapter especially, to pay more
attention to the plans and development schemes we use. }

2. Nf3

{ Natural development leaves white very flexible. White has a whole host of ways to deviate
from the mainline Queen’s Gambit lines. }

d5

{ Because of our choice against 1. Nf3 d5 , we have to play d5 here in order to not get
move-ordered. e6 is otherwise, of course, a perfectly decent option. }

3. c4 e6 { Necessary, in order to stay within our repertoire. } 4. Bg5

{ By developing his bishop to g5 first, before committing his knight, white keeps the option
of putting his knight on d2 open. Otherwise, this typically transposes into other lines. }

Bb4+ { The most in line with our repertoire. } 5. Nbd2

{ White’s main independent try. White will try to prove that the bishop is a bit misplaced on
b4, but on the other hand white’s play has left the c4 pawn vulnerable. }

dxc4

{ As we saw in the Catalan, it is surprisingly difficult to recoup the c4 pawn in such

situations where white’s knight on d2 is pinned. }

6. a3

{ White tries to take advantage of black’s bishop’s position immediately by winning the
bishop pair. However, this does make regaining the c4 pawn even more difficult. }

Bxd2+ 7. Qxd2 O-O 8. e3 b5 9. a4 c6

{ White lacks full compensation for the pawn. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]
[White “1.d4 Deviations”]

[Black “Nf3 + c4 + Bg5 5”]

1. d4 Nf6

{ In this chapter we will be dealing with white’s various early deviations after 1. d4 - in
other words, all white’s options that are not a Nimzo-Indian, Ragozin or a Catalan. This
means that options such as the Trompowsky, London and Veresov will be covered here.
Naturally, we can’t cover all of white’s deviations in a single chapter, as there are simply far
too many - however, we will recommend lines against the most common and most critical
ones. Against any deviations not covered yet, common sense development should suffice
for equality. After analysing the d4 deviations white can throw at us, it became apparent
that it’s best to go for lines which are low-theory, safe and solid. There’s already enough
theory as it is in the Nimzo-Indian and Ragozin without learning more against rare white
tries. One of the difficult things about learning to counter many of these d4 deviations is the
fact that white can switch up the move order very easily and there are plenty of
transpositions. This is why we recommend, for this chapter especially, to pay more
attention to the plans and development schemes we use. }

2. Nf3

{ Natural development leaves white very flexible. White has a whole host of ways to deviate
from the mainline Queen’s Gambit lines. }

d5

{ Because of our choice against 1. Nf3 d5 , we have to play d5 here in order to not get
move-ordered. e6 is otherwise, of course, a perfectly decent option. }

3. c4 e6 { Necessary, in order to stay within our repertoire. } 4. Bg5

{ By developing his bishop to g5 first, before committing his knight, white keeps the option
of putting his knight on d2 open. Otherwise, this typically transposes into other lines. }

Bb4+ { The most in line with our repertoire. } 5. Nbd2

{ White’s main independent try. White will try to prove that the bishop is a bit misplaced on
b4, but on the other hand white’s play has left the c4 pawn vulnerable. }

dxc4
{ As we saw in the Catalan, it is surprisingly difficult to recoup the c4 pawn in such
situations where white’s knight on d2 is pinned. }

6. Qc2 { Trying to recoup the pawn with the queen has been white’s main try. }

b5 { Simply protecting c4. } 7. a4 c6 8. Bxf6 gxf6 9. g3

{ White fianchettos his bishop in the style of the Catalan, in the hope of getting some
pressure down the long diagonal. }

Bb7 10. Bg2 Nd7 11. O-O a5

{ Protecting the bishop and getting black’s queenside pawn mass into action. White doesn’t
have full compensation for the pawn. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “1.Nf3”]

[Black “1.Nf3 Overview”]

{ @@HeaderStart@@Key Points@@HeaderEnd@@

This chapter deals with the 1.Nf3. Our choice here is d5. This takes full advantage of white’s
move order, while also giving us the opportunity to transpose back into the Ragozin if
white transposes by playing d4 at some point. We meet the critical try 2.c4 by playing d4!
followed by f6!. Black is doing well here, but it is important to know some theory as the
positions are quite unconventional, especially if you do not play 1.d4 as white. The kingside
fianchetto 2.g3 is handled solidly, with moves such as …c6, …Bg4, …Nf6, …e6 and …Bd6. }

1. Nf3

{ 1. Nf3 is probably white’s most flexible first move. He has yet to commit a pawn, which
means that the game can transpose into an 1. e4, 1. d4 or 1. c4 opening - or else it can stay
in independent waters with a b3 or g3 setup. White’s flexibility means that black must be
very careful when deciding on a line against 1. Nf3. If we are careless, it is very easy for
white to move order us into a position where we are tricked out of our repertoire against 1.
d4. This is why it is very useful to have repertoires against 1. d4 include suggestions against
1. Nf3 - due to the possible transpositions. }

d5

{ Two of the openings specifically targeted by 1. Nf3 players are the Nimzo/ Queen’s Indian
and the Grunfeld. Fortunately, the fact that this repertoire is based on the Ragozin means
that we are very well-placed to meet 1. Nf3, since our setup involves …d5 at some point. d5
is often seen as the ‘strongest’ option black has against 1. Nf3, due to the fact that white’s
options are more limited than after Nf6, for example. }

2. c4

{ Hitting our d5 pawn is probably white’s most critical try. 2.d4 transposes straight back to
1. d4 line after Nf6 We are bound to reach the Ragozin, Catalan or a d4 deviation from here.
2.b3 Via a clever move order, white cuts out the most challenging line against the Nimzo-
Larsen Attack with 1. b3, which is e5. However, the queenside fianchetto should give black
no real problems regardless. Nf6 3.Bb2 Bf5 Getting the bishop outside the pawn chain. 4.e3
e6 5.Be2 h6 Securing the h7 retreat square for our light bishop. 6.O-O Bd6 The better
square for the bishop, where it can fight for the e5 square. 7.c4 c6 8.Nc3 O-O = Black is rock
solid with no problems at all. 2.g3 Another very flexible second move, which is actually
white’s most common try. This is often played with the idea of heading into a Reti, however
black needs to be careful here. If he plays normal, standard developing moves, he can easily
end up in a Catalan, where white has cut out our chosen variation with … Bb4-e7 - for
example, Nf6 3. Bg2 e6 4. d4 Be7 5. c4, and all of a sudden we reach a Catalan position that
is outside this repertoire. c6 ! One way to take advantage of white’s move order. We have
not yet blocked in our light bishop with …e6 and we intend to take advantage of this. 3.c4
White will try to exploit our bishop missing from the queenside by attacking the light
squares which were left unprotected - b7 in particular. 3.Bg2 White doesn’t have to go for
the c4 break - instead he can also play in the style of the King’s Indian by planning an e4
break. Bg4 Developing the bishop actively. 4.O-O e6 5.d3 Bd6 6.Nbd2 Ne7 ! It is important
to remember to develop the knight to this square instead of f6, because otherwise e4-e5
could become a problem. 7.e4 Nd7 Covering e5. 8.h3 Bh5 9.Re1 O-O = Black is solid in the
centre and can look to grab space on the queenside perhaps with .. .a5-a4. Bg4 Developing
the bishop actively outside the pawn chain. 4.Bg2 4.Ne5 tries to take advantage of the
bishop’s position on g4, but the knight is misplaced on e5. Be6 5.Bg2 Nd7 Trading off the
knight. 6.cxd5 Bxd5 = Black clearly has no issues here. 4.Qb3 White tries to take advantage
of the unprotected b7 pawn immediately. Bxf3 5.exf3 5.Qxf3 e6 6.Bg2 Nf6 = Black has a
rock solid position, with his bad bishop having been exchanged off and all his remaining
central pawns on light squares. Qc7 6.d4 e6 7.Nc3 dxc4 8.Bxc4 Nd7 = Black has a rock solid
setup again, with his bad bishop exchanged off. e6 Solid, defending d5. 5.O-O White’s most
common move. 5.cxd5 Bxf3 Taking on d5 with the e-pawn is also possible. 6.Bxf3 cxd5 7.O-
O Nc6 8.Nc3 Nf6 = In this closed position white’s bishop pair is not very effective. 5.Qb3
Qb6 The standard response to an attack on b7. 6.d3 Nd7 7.Be3 Qxb3 8.axb3 a6 = Black has
equalised comfortably in this endgame. Nf6 6.d4 We reach a Catalan-like structure, except
with our light bishop outside the pawn chain. Naturally, this is in our favour. 6.b3 White
plays more subtly with the idea of fianchettoing his dark bishop. Nbd7 7.Bb2 Bd6 The
better square for the bishop, where it can fight for e5. 8.d3 O-O 9.Nbd2 Re8 Preparing …e5.
10.Qc2 e5 = Black’s centre is well-supported and he has no problems here. Nbd7
transposes to a line we cover in the d4 Deviations chapter. 2.e3 A tricky move order idea
advocated by GM Axel Smith in ‘e3 Poison.’ The point is to follow up with 3. c4 without
allowing black the option of …d4, which is strong against 2. c4. However, the drawback of
e3 is that it rules out any kingside fianchetto ideas commits white’s bishop to the f1-a6
diagonal. Nf6 Black has many other setups at his disposal, such as Slav ideas based on . ..c6,
however the Queen’s Gambit Declined style scheme we opted for is most in-line with this
repertoire. 3.c4 e6 4.b3 c5 The second most common move behind 4. ..Be7. c5 exploits the
fact that white has delayed d4 and we threaten to play …d4 ourselves. 5.Bb2 Nc6
Threatening …d4. 6.cxd5 The alternative 6. Be2 leads to problems for white after d4 !.
White is almost forced to take on d5 as a result. exd5 7.Be2 The recommendation for white
in ‘e3 Poison.’ 7.Bb5 White’s most popular move. Bd6 The near inevitability of an IQP
position after d4 means that our bishop is best placed actively on d6 where it can
pressurise white’s kingside. 8.O-O O-O 9.d4 cxd4 10.Nxd4 We reach an IQP position where
it seems like white has managed to achieve a nice blockade on d4, however he has fallen a
bit behind in development and black can use his activity to create threats on the kingside.
Bc7 ! Other moves like Bd7 are possible, but this seems stronger. Black indirectly defends
c6 by threatening …Qd6. 11.Be2 Qd6 12.g3 After 12. Nf3 black can simply play … Bg4 with a
good position. Bb6 Putting pressure on d4, effectively preventing white from developing
his other knight. 13.Ba3 Qe5 ! …Bc5 is also possible, but black gets very good compensation
for the exchange in this line. 14.Bxf8 Kxf8 15.Nd2 Nxd4 16.exd4 Qxd4 = Black’s pawn,
bishop pair and activity offer full compensation for the pawn. Wei Yi went on to win a good
game as black against Matlakov from here. 7.d4 is not accurate. White shouldn’t play d4
before black has moved his dark bishop since black can take on d4 followed by …Bb4+.
cxd4 8.Nxd4 Bb4+ ! Exploiting white’s inaccuracy and forcing white’s bishop to c3 where it
is misplaced. 9.Bc3 a5 ! = Another good option is just to pull the bishop back to d6 as
white’s bishop is misplaced on c3. Either way, black is fully equal. d4 ! Claiming more space
and threatening …d3, this must be one of the critical tests of white’s opening. At first sight
however, it seems like black’s d4 pawn is unsupported and bound to be captured. 8.Bb5
The move given for white in ‘e3 Poison’. 8.exd4 Less common than 8. Bb5. cxd4 9.Bb5 Bc5
10.Qe2+ Be6 = Black is fine here. The d4 pawn is well-supported and Ng5 can simply be
met by …O-O. Bd6 ! It is mentioned in ‘e3 Poison’ that black cannot hold onto d4 and this is
true, but this doesn’t mean that black has any issues at all ! In fact, black can ignore the d4
pawn and complete development quickly, after which his active pieces more than
compensate for the pawn deficit. 9.exd4 9.O-O O-O 10.Bxc6 bxc6 11.exd4 cxd4 12.Bxd4 Bg4
= Black’s bishop pair and activity fully compensate for the pawn. O-O ! Black ignores the d4
pawn. Development is the priority here. 10.dxc5 Re8+ 11.Be2 Bxc5 12.O-O Bg4 13.Nc3 Qd6
= With the idea of …Qf4 followed by . ..Rad8. All of black’s pieces are very active and the d-
pawn is weak, meaning that black is at least equal here. }

d4
{ Only black’s third most common move, but one which is rapidly gaining in popularity. The
other moves, e6 and 2.. .c6 often give white exactly what he wants - a positional game
where white can put pressure on black’s centre. Instead, d4 radically alters the nature of a
position, into one which resembles a reversed Benoni. The extra tempo white has in this
Benoni has been shown to be not as useful as white would hope, meaning that black should
not have any problems here - as long as he learns the theory. }

3. b4

{ White’s second most common move. Typically in a normal Benoni with reversed colours,
black’s pawn would already be on c5, which dissuades white from playing the immediate
b4, although it still is played as a sacrifice - the Benko Gambit. White takes advantage of his
extra tempo by playing b4 immediately, without having to sacrifice a pawn. He wants to
develop his bishop to b2 and prevent black from supporting his d4 pawn with … c5.
However, on the other hand, the b4 pawn will probably need to be defended once our e-
pawn moves, since …Bxb4 will be a threat. 3.g3 This is white’s most common move, but it is
completely non-critical. Black has a free hand to solidify his extra space in reverse Benoni
structure. Nc6 Black’s most common choice. c5 is also common, but this has the perk of
leaving c5 free for another piece. 4.Bg2 e5 5.d3 5.O-O This move order tries to avoid the …
Bb4+ idea we use against the 5. d3 move order, but it allows another idea. e4 ! Kicking the
knight away. Black’s centre seems over extended, but fortunately we have no intention of
defending it - instead, we are conjuring up a kingside attack. 6.Ne1 h5 ! The kingside attack
gets under way. 7.Bxe4 Surely the critical option. 7.d3 This is white’s other idea which has
been played a few times. e3 ! 8.fxe3 h4 =+ With good play for the pawn. h4 Keeping up the
kingside attack. 8.d3 Bh3 9.Ng2 hxg3 10.fxg3 Qd7 =+ Black has full compensation for the
pawn. Bb4+ A clever idea which features in this position with reversed colours as well. By
checking before white castles, he lures a minor piece to d2 which will block white’s other
minor piece from developing. 6.Bd2 6.Nbd2 a5 Pre-emptively preventing a3 and b4. 7.a3
Be7 8.O-O Nf6 =+ Black has a slight edge here. Long-term he should look at carrying out
either the …e4 or the …b5 break. a5 Taking on d2 is also playable. 7.O-O Nf6 8.Na3 O-O =+
Once again, black’s position is slightly preferable here. 3.e3 Possibly white’s sharpest
option against d4. White immediately challenges our centre before we get enough time to
solidify our extra space. Nc6 Black’s most common choice and the preference of most top
players recently. 3.. .c5 is also playable of course, but Nc6 is solid and equalises. 4.exd4
4.b4 ?! A pawn sacrifice of dubious objective strength. dxe3 5.fxe3 Nxb4 Black has no
reason to grab the pawn. 6.d4 e5 ! 7.a3 Grabbing the pawn with the knight leads to
problems after Qh4+. Nc6 8.d5 White’s most popular move. e4 ! An important counter
attack. 9.Nfd2 Ne5 10.Nxe4 Black has given the pawn back, but his activity gives him a huge
amount of play. Qh4+ 11.Nf2 Bd6 ��� Our development advantage and threats give us a
clear advantage. 4.d3 e5 5.exd4 exd4 We reach a symmetrical Benoni structure where it
seems like only black can be for choice. 6.Be2 Nf6 7.O-O Be7 8.Na3 O-O 9.Nc2 Both sides
have developed quite naturally. White wants to target the d4 pawn, while black should be
planning the …b5 break at some point. a5 10.b3 Rb8 Preparing …b5. 11.Bb2 Bc5 12.a3 b5 =
Black has equalised, but there are chances for both sides here. Nxd4 5.Nxd4 Qxd4 White
hopes that he will be able to exploit our queen on d4. 6.Nc3 c6 Very natural, limiting white’s
knight by taking away the b5 square. 7.d3 Nh6 Black’s knight is heading to f5 where it can
fight for the d4 square and hit a bishop if it lands on e3. Note that taking on h6 doubles
black’s h-pawns, but this is nothing compared to the activity we get from our bishop pair.
8.Be3 Qd8 9.d4 Nf5 Hitting d4 and the bishop on e3. 10.Qd2 g6 Fianchettoing the bishop to
attack d4. 11.Be2 Bg7 12.Rd1 O-O = Black has easy play against d4. }

f6

{ Black’s most common move. Parallels can be drawn between this …f6 with .. .e5 idea and
the 5. f3 variation in the Benko Gambit. By playing for …e5, black is going to develop his
dark bishop actively on the f8-a3 diagonal, but on the other hand the most natural square
for our kingside knight, f6, is now occupied. Another interesting option for black is Bg4
which is worth taking a look at. }

4. e3

{ Attacking black’s centre quickly is a logical way to challenge our play. 4.d3 Very natural
and white’s second most common choice. e5 5.a3 c5 An idea we will be seeing much more
of. The c5 pawn supports d4 and attacks b4, and if white takes then our bishop gets to
develop to a good square for free. 6.bxc5 Allowing black’s bishop to c5 isn’t challenging
either. 6.g3 ?! Sacricing b4, but it is doubtful that white gets enough compensation. cxb4
Grabbing the pawn. 7.Bg2 Nc6 8.O-O a5 =+ White definitely doesn’t have enough
compensation for the pawn here. Bxc5 7.g3 Ne7 8.Bg2 O-O 9.O-O Nbc6 =+ Black is very
comfortable. 4.Bb2 Developing and hitting d4. e5 5.a3 Protecting b4. 5.e3 A common idea
we will be seeing in this chapter. White attacs d4 before black has a chance to support and
reinforce his centre. dxe3 Holding the pawn on d4 is impossible. 6.fxe3 Bxb4 Black has no
reason not to grab the pawn. 7.a3 Be7 =+ White doesn’t have full compensation for the
pawn. Black can continue with …Nh6 and …O-O. c5 ! A common idea we will be seeing.
White is faced with the unpleasant choice of taking on c5, thus allowing our bishop to
develop to a good square, or leaving black’s pawn on c5 which does a great job of
supporting d4. 6.bxc5 Bxc5 =+ Black has a good position here. Natural development and
castling can follow. 4.Na3 White’s 4th most common move. The knight is headed to c2
where it can put pressure on d4. e5 5.Nc2 c5 6.bxc5 Bxc5 7.d3 Nc6 = Once again, black has
no issues at all. }

e5 5. c5

{ A clever idea. White protects b4 and simultaneously cuts off support to d4 by blocking
black from playing …c5. 5.exd4 ? This is very natural, but it is a mistake. Black doesn’t have
to recapture. e4 ! Kicking white’s knight back. 6.Qe2 Qe7 7.Ng1 Nc6 8.Bb2 Nxb4 ���
Black regains his pawn with a clear advantage. }

a5 { We strike at the pawn supporting c5. } 6. Qa4+

{ This seems strange, but white has a concrete idea in mind. } Bd7
{ White has lured our bishop to d7, where it is actually quite misplaced since it cuts off our
queen’s access to d4. }

7. b5 Bxc5 8. Bc4

{ The bishop is quite irritating here as it prevents us from castling. }

Ne7 9. exd4 exd4 10. Ba3 Na6 { Quite a clever way to defend c5. } 11. O-O Nb4

{ The knight is strong on b4. Black has equalised - he can follow up with …c6. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “1.Nf3”]

[Black “1.c4”]

1. —

{ In this course we decided to cover 1.Nf3 in addition to 1.d4 due to the similarities
between these moves. Usually, what you play against 1.Nf3 depends heavily on what your
defence against 1.d4 is. Your lines against 1.c4 similarly depend on what you play against
1.d4, however against 1.c4 black has 2 additional, independent options in the form of e5
and c5. Playing in Nimzo-Indian style with Nf6, e6 and Bb4 is possible against the English,
but it does allow white some tricky additional options such as the Mikenas Attack. As a
result, we recommend meeting 1.c4 with either e5 or c5 to avoid any transposition tricks
white might try. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]
[Round “?”]

[White “1.Nf3”]

[Black “1.Nf3 2.d4”]

1. Nf3

{ 1. Nf3 is probably white’s most flexible first move. He has yet to commit a pawn, which
means that the game can transpose into an 1. e4, 1. d4 or 1. c4 opening - or else it can stay
in independent waters with a b3 or g3 setup. White’s flexibility means that black must be
very careful when deciding on a line against 1. Nf3. If we are careless, it is very easy for
white to move order us into a position where we are tricked out of our repertoire against 1.
d4. This is why it is very useful to have repertoires against 1. d4 include suggestions against
1. Nf3 - due to the possible transpositions. }

d5

{ Two of the openings specifically targeted by 1. Nf3 players are the Nimzo/ Queen’s Indian
and the Grunfeld. Fortunately, the fact that this repertoire is based on the Ragozin means
that we are very well-placed to meet 1. Nf3, since our setup involves …d5 at some point. d5
is often seen as the ‘strongest’ option black has against 1. Nf3, due to the fact that white’s
options are more limited than after Nf6, for example. }

2. d4 { transposes straight back to 1. d4 line after } Nf6

{ We are bound to reach the Ragozin, Catalan or a d4 deviation from here. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “1.Nf3”]

[Black “1.Nf3 2.b3”]

1. Nf3

{ 1. Nf3 is probably white’s most flexible first move. He has yet to commit a pawn, which
means that the game can transpose into an 1. e4, 1. d4 or 1. c4 opening - or else it can stay
in independent waters with a b3 or g3 setup. White’s flexibility means that black must be
very careful when deciding on a line against 1. Nf3. If we are careless, it is very easy for
white to move order us into a position where we are tricked out of our repertoire against 1.
d4. This is why it is very useful to have repertoires against 1. d4 include suggestions against
1. Nf3 - due to the possible transpositions. }

d5

{ Two of the openings specifically targeted by 1. Nf3 players are the Nimzo/ Queen’s Indian
and the Grunfeld. Fortunately, the fact that this repertoire is based on the Ragozin means
that we are very well-placed to meet 1. Nf3, since our setup involves …d5 at some point. d5
is often seen as the ‘strongest’ option black has against 1. Nf3, due to the fact that white’s
options are more limited than after Nf6, for example. }

2. b3

{ Via a clever move order, white cuts out the most challenging line against the Nimzo-
Larsen Attack 1.b3 , which is e5. However, the queenside fianchetto should give black no
real problems regardless. }

Nf6 3. Bb2 Bf5 { Getting the bishop outside the pawn chain. } 4. e3 e6 5.

Be2 h6 { Securing the h7 retreat square for our light bishop. } 6. O-O Bd6

{ The better square for the bishop, where it can fight for the e5 square. } 7.

c4 c6 8. Nc3 O-O { Black is rock solid with no problems at all. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “1.Nf3”]

[Black “1.Nf3 2.g3 Variation 1”]

1. Nf3

{ 1. Nf3 is probably white’s most flexible first move. He has yet to commit a pawn, which
means that the game can transpose into an 1. e4, 1. d4 or 1. c4 opening - or else it can stay
in independent waters with a b3 or g3 setup. White’s flexibility means that black must be
very careful when deciding on a line against 1. Nf3. If we are careless, it is very easy for
white to move order us into a position where we are tricked out of our repertoire against 1.
d4. This is why it is very useful to have repertoires against 1. d4 include suggestions against
1. Nf3 - due to the possible transpositions. }

d5

{ Two of the openings specifically targeted by 1. Nf3 players are the Nimzo/ Queen’s Indian
and the Grunfeld. Fortunately, the fact that this repertoire is based on the Ragozin means
that we are very well-placed to meet 1. Nf3, since our setup involves …d5 at some point. d5
is often seen as the ‘strongest’ option black has against 1. Nf3, due to the fact that white’s
options are more limited than after Nf6, for example. }

2. g3

{ Another very flexible second move, which is actually white’s most common try. This is
often played with the idea of heading into a Reti, however black needs to be careful here. If
he plays normal, standard developing moves, he can easily end up in a Catalan, where white
has cut out our chosen variation (… Bb4-e7) - for example, Nf6 3. Bg2 e6 4. d4 Be7 5. c4,
and all of a sudden we reach a Catalan position that is outside this repertoire. }

c6

{ One way to take advantage of white’s move order. We have not yet blocked in our light
bishop with …e6 and we intend to take advantage of this. }

3. Bg2

{ White doesn’t have to go for the c4 break - instead he can also play in the style of the
King’s Indian by planning an e4 break. }

Bg4 { Developing the bishop actively. } 4. O-O e6 5. d3 Bd6 6. Nbd2 Ne7

{ It is important to remember to develop the knight to this square instead of f6, because
otherwise e4-e5 could become a problem. }

7. e4 Nd7 { Covering e5. } 8. h3 Bh5 9. Re1 O-O

{ Black is solid in the centre and can look to grab space on the queenside perhaps
with .. .a5-a4. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “1.Nf3”]

[Black “1.Nf3 2.g3 Variation 2”]

1. Nf3

{ 1. Nf3 is probably white’s most flexible first move. He has yet to commit a pawn, which
means that the game can transpose into an 1. e4, 1. d4 or 1. c4 opening - or else it can stay
in independent waters with a b3 or g3 setup. White’s flexibility means that black must be
very careful when deciding on a line against 1. Nf3. If we are careless, it is very easy for
white to move order us into a position where we are tricked out of our repertoire against 1.
d4. This is why it is very useful to have repertoires against 1. d4 include suggestions against
1. Nf3 - due to the possible transpositions. }

d5

{ Two of the openings specifically targeted by 1. Nf3 players are the Nimzo/ Queen’s Indian
and the Grunfeld. Fortunately, the fact that this repertoire is based on the Ragozin means
that we are very well-placed to meet 1. Nf3, since our setup involves …d5 at some point. d5
is often seen as the ‘strongest’ option black has against 1. Nf3, due to the fact that white’s
options are more limited than after Nf6, for example. }

2. g3

{ Another very flexible second move, which is actually white’s most common try. This is
often played with the idea of heading into a Reti, however black needs to be careful here. If
he plays normal, standard developing moves, he can easily end up in a Catalan, where white
has cut out our chosen variation (… Bb4-e7) - for example, Nf6 3. Bg2 e6 4. d4 Be7 5. c4,
and all of a sudden we reach a Catalan position that is outside this repertoire. }
c6

{ One way to take advantage of white’s move order. We have not yet blocked in our light
bishop with …e6 and we intend to take advantage of this. }

3. c4

{ White will try to exploit our bishop missing from the queenside by attacking the light
squares which were left unprotected - b7 in particular. }

Bg4 { Developing the bishop actively outside the pawn chain. } 4. Ne5

{ tries to take advantage of the bishop’s position on g4, but the knight is misplaced on e5. }

Be6 5. Bg2 Nd7 { Trading off the knight. } 6. cxd5 Bxd5

{ Black clearly has no issues here. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “1.Nf3”]

[Black “1.Nf3 2.g3 Variation 3”]

1. Nf3

{ 1. Nf3 is probably white’s most flexible first move. He has yet to commit a pawn, which
means that the game can transpose into an 1. e4, 1. d4 or 1. c4 opening - or else it can stay
in independent waters with a b3 or g3 setup. White’s flexibility means that black must be
very careful when deciding on a line against 1. Nf3. If we are careless, it is very easy for
white to move order us into a position where we are tricked out of our repertoire against 1.
d4. This is why it is very useful to have repertoires against 1. d4 include suggestions against
1. Nf3 - due to the possible transpositions. }

d5
{ Two of the openings specifically targeted by 1. Nf3 players are the Nimzo/ Queen’s Indian
and the Grunfeld. Fortunately, the fact that this repertoire is based on the Ragozin means
that we are very well-placed to meet 1. Nf3, since our setup involves …d5 at some point. d5
is often seen as the ‘strongest’ option black has against 1. Nf3, due to the fact that white’s
options are more limited than after Nf6, for example. }

2. g3

{ Another very flexible second move, which is actually white’s most common try. This is
often played with the idea of heading into a Reti, however black needs to be careful here. If
he plays normal, standard developing moves, he can easily end up in a Catalan, where white
has cut out our chosen variation (… Bb4-e7) - for example, Nf6 3. Bg2 e6 4. d4 Be7 5. c4,
and all of a sudden we reach a Catalan position that is outside this repertoire. }

c6

{ One way to take advantage of white’s move order. We have not yet blocked in our light
bishop with …e6 and we intend to take advantage of this. }

3. c4

{ White will try to exploit our bishop missing from the queenside by attacking the light
squares which were left unprotected - b7 in particular. }

Bg4 { Developing the bishop actively outside the pawn chain. } 4. Qb3

{ White tries to take advantage of the unprotected b7 pawn immediately. }

Bxf3 5. Qxf3 e6 6. Bg2 Nf6

{ Black has a rock solid position, with his bad bishop having been exchanged off and all his
remaining central pawns on light squares. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “1.Nf3”]

[Black “1.Nf3 2.g3 Variation 4”]

1. Nf3

{ 1. Nf3 is probably white’s most flexible first move. He has yet to commit a pawn, which
means that the game can transpose into an 1. e4, 1. d4 or 1. c4 opening - or else it can stay
in independent waters with a b3 or g3 setup. White’s flexibility means that black must be
very careful when deciding on a line against 1. Nf3. If we are careless, it is very easy for
white to move order us into a position where we are tricked out of our repertoire against 1.
d4. This is why it is very useful to have repertoires against 1. d4 include suggestions against
1. Nf3 - due to the possible transpositions. }

d5

{ Two of the openings specifically targeted by 1. Nf3 players are the Nimzo/ Queen’s Indian
and the Grunfeld. Fortunately, the fact that this repertoire is based on the Ragozin means
that we are very well-placed to meet 1. Nf3, since our setup involves …d5 at some point. d5
is often seen as the ‘strongest’ option black has against 1. Nf3, due to the fact that white’s
options are more limited than after Nf6, for example. }

2. g3

{ Another very flexible second move, which is actually white’s most common try. This is
often played with the idea of heading into a Reti, however black needs to be careful here. If
he plays normal, standard developing moves, he can easily end up in a Catalan, where white
has cut out our chosen variation (… Bb4-e7) - for example, Nf6 3. Bg2 e6 4. d4 Be7 5. c4,
and all of a sudden we reach a Catalan position that is outside this repertoire. }

c6

{ One way to take advantage of white’s move order. We have not yet blocked in our light
bishop with …e6 and we intend to take advantage of this. }

3. c4

{ White will try to exploit our bishop missing from the queenside by attacking the light
squares which were left unprotected - b7 in particular. }

Bg4 { Developing the bishop actively outside the pawn chain. } 4. Qb3

{ White tries to take advantage of the unprotected b7 pawn immediately. }

Bxf3 5. exf3 Qc7 6. d4 e6 7. Nc3 dxc4 8. Bxc4 Nd7

{ Black has a rock solid setup again, with his bad bishop exchanged off. }
[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “1.Nf3”]

[Black “1.Nf3 2.g3 Variation 5”]

1. Nf3

{ 1. Nf3 is probably white’s most flexible first move. He has yet to commit a pawn, which
means that the game can transpose into an 1. e4, 1. d4 or 1. c4 opening - or else it can stay
in independent waters with a b3 or g3 setup. White’s flexibility means that black must be
very careful when deciding on a line against 1. Nf3. If we are careless, it is very easy for
white to move order us into a position where we are tricked out of our repertoire against 1.
d4. This is why it is very useful to have repertoires against 1. d4 include suggestions against
1. Nf3 - due to the possible transpositions. }

d5

{ Two of the openings specifically targeted by 1. Nf3 players are the Nimzo/ Queen’s Indian
and the Grunfeld. Fortunately, the fact that this repertoire is based on the Ragozin means
that we are very well-placed to meet 1. Nf3, since our setup involves …d5 at some point. d5
is often seen as the ‘strongest’ option black has against 1. Nf3, due to the fact that white’s
options are more limited than after Nf6, for example. }

2. g3

{ Another very flexible second move, which is actually white’s most common try. This is
often played with the idea of heading into a Reti, however black needs to be careful here. If
he plays normal, standard developing moves, he can easily end up in a Catalan, where white
has cut out our chosen variation (… Bb4-e7) - for example, Nf6 3. Bg2 e6 4. d4 Be7 5. c4,
and all of a sudden we reach a Catalan position that is outside this repertoire. }

c6

{ One way to take advantage of white’s move order. We have not yet blocked in our light
bishop with …e6 and we intend to take advantage of this. }
3. c4

{ White will try to exploit our bishop missing from the queenside by attacking the light
squares which were left unprotected - b7 in particular. }

Bg4 { Developing the bishop actively outside the pawn chain. } 4. Bg2 e6

{ Solid, defending d5. } 5. cxd5 Bxf3

{ Taking on d5 with the e-pawn is also possible. } 6. Bxf3 cxd5 7. O-O Nc6 8.

Nc3 Nf6 { In this closed position white’s bishop pair is not very effective. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “1.Nf3”]

[Black “1.Nf3 2.g3 Variation 6”]

1. Nf3

{ 1. Nf3 is probably white’s most flexible first move. He has yet to commit a pawn, which
means that the game can transpose into an 1. e4, 1. d4 or 1. c4 opening - or else it can stay
in independent waters with a b3 or g3 setup. White’s flexibility means that black must be
very careful when deciding on a line against 1. Nf3. If we are careless, it is very easy for
white to move order us into a position where we are tricked out of our repertoire against 1.
d4. This is why it is very useful to have repertoires against 1. d4 include suggestions against
1. Nf3 - due to the possible transpositions. }

d5

{ Two of the openings specifically targeted by 1. Nf3 players are the Nimzo/ Queen’s Indian
and the Grunfeld. Fortunately, the fact that this repertoire is based on the Ragozin means
that we are very well-placed to meet 1. Nf3, since our setup involves …d5 at some point. d5
is often seen as the ‘strongest’ option black has against 1. Nf3, due to the fact that white’s
options are more limited than after Nf6, for example. }
2. g3

{ Another very flexible second move, which is actually white’s most common try. This is
often played with the idea of heading into a Reti, however black needs to be careful here. If
he plays normal, standard developing moves, he can easily end up in a Catalan, where white
has cut out our chosen variation (… Bb4-e7) - for example, Nf6 3. Bg2 e6 4. d4 Be7 5. c4,
and all of a sudden we reach a Catalan position that is outside this repertoire. }

c6

{ One way to take advantage of white’s move order. We have not yet blocked in our light
bishop with …e6 and we intend to take advantage of this. }

3. c4

{ White will try to exploit our bishop missing from the queenside by attacking the light
squares which were left unprotected - b7 in particular. }

Bg4 { Developing the bishop actively outside the pawn chain. } 4. Bg2 e6

{ Solid, defending d5. } 5. Qb3 Qb6

{ The standard response to an attack on b7. } 6. d3 Nd7 7. Be3 Qxb3 8. axb3 a6

{ Black has equalised comfortably in this endgame. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “1.Nf3”]

[Black “1.Nf3 2.g3 Variation 7”]

1. Nf3

{ 1. Nf3 is probably white’s most flexible first move. He has yet to commit a pawn, which
means that the game can transpose into an 1. e4, 1. d4 or 1. c4 opening - or else it can stay
in independent waters with a b3 or g3 setup. White’s flexibility means that black must be
very careful when deciding on a line against 1. Nf3. If we are careless, it is very easy for
white to move order us into a position where we are tricked out of our repertoire against 1.
d4. This is why it is very useful to have repertoires against 1. d4 include suggestions against
1. Nf3 - due to the possible transpositions. }

d5

{ Two of the openings specifically targeted by 1. Nf3 players are the Nimzo/ Queen’s Indian
and the Grunfeld. Fortunately, the fact that this repertoire is based on the Ragozin means
that we are very well-placed to meet 1. Nf3, since our setup involves …d5 at some point. d5
is often seen as the ‘strongest’ option black has against 1. Nf3, due to the fact that white’s
options are more limited than after Nf6, for example. }

2. g3

{ Another very flexible second move, which is actually white’s most common try. This is
often played with the idea of heading into a Reti, however black needs to be careful here. If
he plays normal, standard developing moves, he can easily end up in a Catalan, where white
has cut out our chosen variation (… Bb4-e7) - for example, Nf6 3. Bg2 e6 4. d4 Be7 5. c4,
and all of a sudden we reach a Catalan position that is outside this repertoire. }

c6

{ One way to take advantage of white’s move order. We have not yet blocked in our light
bishop with …e6 and we intend to take advantage of this. }

3. c4

{ White will try to exploit our bishop missing from the queenside by attacking the light
squares which were left unprotected - b7 in particular. }

Bg4 { Developing the bishop actively outside the pawn chain. } 4. Bg2 e6

{ Solid, defending d5. } 5. O-O { White’s most common move. } Nf6 6. b3

{ White plays more subtly with the idea of fianchettoing his dark bishop. }

Nbd7 7. Bb2 Bd6

{ The better square for the bishop, where it can fight for e5. } 8. d3 O-O 9.

Nbd2 Re8 { Preparing …e5. } 10. Qc2 e5

{ Black’s centre is well-supported and he has no problems here. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “1.Nf3”]

[Black “1.Nf3 2.g3 Variation 8”]

1. Nf3

{ 1. Nf3 is probably white’s most flexible first move. He has yet to commit a pawn, which
means that the game can transpose into an 1. e4, 1. d4 or 1. c4 opening - or else it can stay
in independent waters with a b3 or g3 setup. White’s flexibility means that black must be
very careful when deciding on a line against 1. Nf3. If we are careless, it is very easy for
white to move order us into a position where we are tricked out of our repertoire against 1.
d4. This is why it is very useful to have repertoires against 1. d4 include suggestions against
1. Nf3 - due to the possible transpositions. }

d5

{ Two of the openings specifically targeted by 1. Nf3 players are the Nimzo/ Queen’s Indian
and the Grunfeld. Fortunately, the fact that this repertoire is based on the Ragozin means
that we are very well-placed to meet 1. Nf3, since our setup involves …d5 at some point. d5
is often seen as the ‘strongest’ option black has against 1. Nf3, due to the fact that white’s
options are more limited than after Nf6, for example. }

2. g3

{ Another very flexible second move, which is actually white’s most common try. This is
often played with the idea of heading into a Reti, however black needs to be careful here. If
he plays normal, standard developing moves, he can easily end up in a Catalan, where white
has cut out our chosen variation (… Bb4-e7) - for example, Nf6 3. Bg2 e6 4. d4 Be7 5. c4,
and all of a sudden we reach a Catalan position that is outside this repertoire. }

c6

{ One way to take advantage of white’s move order. We have not yet blocked in our light
bishop with …e6 and we intend to take advantage of this. }
3. c4

{ White will try to exploit our bishop missing from the queenside by attacking the light
squares which were left unprotected - b7 in particular. }

Bg4 { Developing the bishop actively outside the pawn chain. } 4. Bg2 e6

{ Solid, defending d5. } 5. O-O { White’s most common move. } Nf6 6. d4

{ We reach a Catalan-like structure, except with our light bishop outside the pawn chain.
Naturally, this is in our favour. }

Nbd7 { transposes to a line we cover in the d4 Deviations chapter. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “1.Nf3”]

[Black “1.Nf3 2.e3 Variation 1”]

1. Nf3

{ 1. Nf3 is probably white’s most flexible first move. He has yet to commit a pawn, which
means that the game can transpose into an 1. e4, 1. d4 or 1. c4 opening - or else it can stay
in independent waters with a b3 or g3 setup. White’s flexibility means that black must be
very careful when deciding on a line against 1. Nf3. If we are careless, it is very easy for
white to move order us into a position where we are tricked out of our repertoire against 1.
d4. This is why it is very useful to have repertoires against 1. d4 include suggestions against
1. Nf3 - due to the possible transpositions. }

d5

{ Two of the openings specifically targeted by 1. Nf3 players are the Nimzo/ Queen’s Indian
and the Grunfeld. Fortunately, the fact that this repertoire is based on the Ragozin means
that we are very well-placed to meet 1. Nf3, since our setup involves …d5 at some point. d5
is often seen as the ‘strongest’ option black has against 1. Nf3, due to the fact that white’s
options are more limited than after Nf6, for example. }

2. e3

{ A tricky move order idea advocated by GM Axel Smith in ‘e3 Poison.’ The point is to follow
up with 3. c4 without allowing black the option of …d4, which is strong against 2. c4.
However, the drawback of e3 is that it rules out any kingside fianchetto ideas commits
white’s bishop to the f1-a6 diagonal. }

Nf6

{ Black has many other setups at his disposal, such as Slav ideas based on . ..c6, however the
Queen’s Gambit Declined style scheme we opted for is most in-line with this repertoire. }

3. c4 e6 4. b3 c5

{ The second most common move behind 4. ..Be7. c5 exploits the fact that white has
delayed d4 and we threaten to play …d4 ourselves. }

5. Bb2 Nc6 { Threatening …d4. } 6. cxd5

{ The alternative 6. Be2 leads to problems for white after d4 !. White is almost forced to
take on d5 as a result. }

exd5 7. Bb5 { White’s most popular move. } Bd6

{ The near inevitability of an IQP position after d4 means that our bishop is best placed
actively on d6 where it can pressurise white’s kingside. }

8. O-O O-O 9. d4 cxd4 10. Nxd4

{ We reach an IQP position where it seems like white has managed to achieve a nice
blockade on d4, however he has fallen a bit behind in development and black can use his
activity to create threats on the kingside. }

Bc7

{ Other moves like Bd7 are possible, but this seems stronger. Black indirectly defends c6
by threatening …Qd6. }

11. Be2 Qd6 12. g3

{ After 12. Nf3 black can simply play … Bg4 with a good position. } Bb6

{ Putting pressure on d4, effectively preventing white from developing his other knight. }

13. Ba3 Qe5

{ …Bc5 is also possible, but black gets very good compensation for the exchange in this line.
}

14. Bxf8 Kxf8 15. Nd2 Nxd4 16. exd4 Qxd4

{ Black’s pawn, bishop pair and activity offer full compensation for the pawn. Wei Yi went
on to win a good game as black against Matlakov from here. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “1.Nf3”]

[Black “1.Nf3 2.e3 Variation 2”]

1. Nf3

{ 1. Nf3 is probably white’s most flexible first move. He has yet to commit a pawn, which
means that the game can transpose into an 1. e4, 1. d4 or 1. c4 opening - or else it can stay
in independent waters with a b3 or g3 setup. White’s flexibility means that black must be
very careful when deciding on a line against 1. Nf3. If we are careless, it is very easy for
white to move order us into a position where we are tricked out of our repertoire against 1.
d4. This is why it is very useful to have repertoires against 1. d4 include suggestions against
1. Nf3 - due to the possible transpositions. }

d5

{ Two of the openings specifically targeted by 1. Nf3 players are the Nimzo/ Queen’s Indian
and the Grunfeld. Fortunately, the fact that this repertoire is based on the Ragozin means
that we are very well-placed to meet 1. Nf3, since our setup involves …d5 at some point. d5
is often seen as the ‘strongest’ option black has against 1. Nf3, due to the fact that white’s
options are more limited than after Nf6, for example. }

2. e3
{ A tricky move order idea advocated by GM Axel Smith in ‘e3 Poison.’ The point is to follow
up with 3. c4 without allowing black the option of …d4, which is strong against 2. c4.
However, the drawback of e3 is that it rules out any kingside fianchetto ideas commits
white’s bishop to the f1-a6 diagonal. }

Nf6

{ Black has many other setups at his disposal, such as Slav ideas based on . ..c6, however the
Queen’s Gambit Declined style scheme we opted for is most in-line with this repertoire. }

3. c4 e6 4. b3 c5

{ The second most common move behind 4. ..Be7. c5 exploits the fact that white has
delayed d4 and we threaten to play …d4 ourselves. }

5. Bb2 Nc6 { Threatening …d4. } 6. cxd5

{ The alternative 6. Be2 leads to problems for white after d4 !. White is almost forced to
take on d5 as a result. }

exd5 7. d4

{ is not accurate. White shouldn’t play d4 before black has moved his dark bishop since
black can take on d4 followed by …Bb4+. }

cxd4 8. Nxd4 Bb4+

{ Exploiting white’s inaccuracy and forcing white’s bishop to c3 where it is misplaced. }

9. Bc3 a5

{ Another good option is just to pull the bishop back to d6 as white’s bishop is misplaced on
c3. Either way, black is fully equal. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “1.Nf3”]

[Black “1.Nf3 2.e3 Variation 3”]

1. Nf3

{ 1. Nf3 is probably white’s most flexible first move. He has yet to commit a pawn, which
means that the game can transpose into an 1. e4, 1. d4 or 1. c4 opening - or else it can stay
in independent waters with a b3 or g3 setup. White’s flexibility means that black must be
very careful when deciding on a line against 1. Nf3. If we are careless, it is very easy for
white to move order us into a position where we are tricked out of our repertoire against 1.
d4. This is why it is very useful to have repertoires against 1. d4 include suggestions against
1. Nf3 - due to the possible transpositions. }

d5

{ Two of the openings specifically targeted by 1. Nf3 players are the Nimzo/ Queen’s Indian
and the Grunfeld. Fortunately, the fact that this repertoire is based on the Ragozin means
that we are very well-placed to meet 1. Nf3, since our setup involves …d5 at some point. d5
is often seen as the ‘strongest’ option black has against 1. Nf3, due to the fact that white’s
options are more limited than after Nf6, for example. }

2. e3

{ A tricky move order idea advocated by GM Axel Smith in ‘e3 Poison.’ The point is to follow
up with 3. c4 without allowing black the option of …d4, which is strong against 2. c4.
However, the drawback of e3 is that it rules out any kingside fianchetto ideas commits
white’s bishop to the f1-a6 diagonal. }

Nf6

{ Black has many other setups at his disposal, such as Slav ideas based on . ..c6, however the
Queen’s Gambit Declined style scheme we opted for is most in-line with this repertoire. }

3. c4 e6 4. b3 c5

{ The second most common move behind 4. ..Be7. c5 exploits the fact that white has
delayed d4 and we threaten to play …d4 ourselves. }

5. Bb2 Nc6 { Threatening …d4. } 6. cxd5

{ The alternative 6. Be2 leads to problems for white after d4 !. White is almost forced to
take on d5 as a result. }

exd5 7. Be2 { The recommendation for white in ‘e3 Poison.’ } d4

{ Claiming more space and threatening …d3, this must be one of the critical tests of white’s
opening. At first sight however, it seems like black’s d4 pawn is unsupported and bound to
be captured. }

8. exd4 { Less common than 8. Bb5. } cxd4 9. Bb5 Bc5 10. Qe2+ Be6

{ Black is fine here. The d4 pawn is well-supported and Ng5 can simply be met by …O-O. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “1.Nf3”]

[Black “1.Nf3 2.e3 Variation 4”]

1. Nf3

{ 1. Nf3 is probably white’s most flexible first move. He has yet to commit a pawn, which
means that the game can transpose into an 1. e4, 1. d4 or 1. c4 opening - or else it can stay
in independent waters with a b3 or g3 setup. White’s flexibility means that black must be
very careful when deciding on a line against 1. Nf3. If we are careless, it is very easy for
white to move order us into a position where we are tricked out of our repertoire against 1.
d4. This is why it is very useful to have repertoires against 1. d4 include suggestions against
1. Nf3 - due to the possible transpositions. }

d5

{ Two of the openings specifically targeted by 1. Nf3 players are the Nimzo/ Queen’s Indian
and the Grunfeld. Fortunately, the fact that this repertoire is based on the Ragozin means
that we are very well-placed to meet 1. Nf3, since our setup involves …d5 at some point. d5
is often seen as the ‘strongest’ option black has against 1. Nf3, due to the fact that white’s
options are more limited than after Nf6, for example. }

2. e3
{ A tricky move order idea advocated by GM Axel Smith in ‘e3 Poison.’ The point is to follow
up with 3. c4 without allowing black the option of …d4, which is strong against 2. c4.
However, the drawback of e3 is that it rules out any kingside fianchetto ideas commits
white’s bishop to the f1-a6 diagonal. }

Nf6

{ Black has many other setups at his disposal, such as Slav ideas based on . ..c6, however the
Queen’s Gambit Declined style scheme we opted for is most in-line with this repertoire. }

3. c4 e6 4. b3 c5

{ The second most common move behind 4. ..Be7. c5 exploits the fact that white has
delayed d4 and we threaten to play …d4 ourselves. }

5. Bb2 Nc6 { Threatening …d4. } 6. cxd5

{ The alternative 6. Be2 leads to problems for white after d4 !. White is almost forced to
take on d5 as a result. }

exd5 7. Be2 { The recommendation for white in ‘e3 Poison.’ } d4

{ Claiming more space and threatening …d3, this must be one of the critical tests of white’s
opening. At first sight however, it seems like black’s d4 pawn is unsupported and bound to
be captured. }

8. Bb5 { The move given for white in ‘e3 Poison’. } Bd6

{ It is mentioned in ‘e3 Poison’ that black cannot hold onto d4 and this is true, but this
doesn’t mean that black has any issues at all ! In fact, black can ignore the d4 pawn and
complete development quickly, after which his active pieces more than compensate for the
pawn deficit. }

9. O-O O-O 10. Bxc6 bxc6 11. exd4 cxd4 12. Bxd4 Bg4

{ Black’s bishop pair and activity fully compensate for the pawn. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “1.Nf3”]
[Black “1.Nf3 2.e3 Variation 5”]

1. Nf3

{ 1. Nf3 is probably white’s most flexible first move. He has yet to commit a pawn, which
means that the game can transpose into an 1. e4, 1. d4 or 1. c4 opening - or else it can stay
in independent waters with a b3 or g3 setup. White’s flexibility means that black must be
very careful when deciding on a line against 1. Nf3. If we are careless, it is very easy for
white to move order us into a position where we are tricked out of our repertoire against 1.
d4. This is why it is very useful to have repertoires against 1. d4 include suggestions against
1. Nf3 - due to the possible transpositions. }

d5

{ Two of the openings specifically targeted by 1. Nf3 players are the Nimzo/ Queen’s Indian
and the Grunfeld. Fortunately, the fact that this repertoire is based on the Ragozin means
that we are very well-placed to meet 1. Nf3, since our setup involves …d5 at some point. d5
is often seen as the ‘strongest’ option black has against 1. Nf3, due to the fact that white’s
options are more limited than after Nf6, for example. }

2. e3

{ A tricky move order idea advocated by GM Axel Smith in ‘e3 Poison.’ The point is to follow
up with 3. c4 without allowing black the option of …d4, which is strong against 2. c4.
However, the drawback of e3 is that it rules out any kingside fianchetto ideas commits
white’s bishop to the f1-a6 diagonal. }

Nf6

{ Black has many other setups at his disposal, such as Slav ideas based on . ..c6, however the
Queen’s Gambit Declined style scheme we opted for is most in-line with this repertoire. }

3. c4 e6 4. b3 c5

{ The second most common move behind 4. ..Be7. c5 exploits the fact that white has
delayed d4 and we threaten to play …d4 ourselves. }

5. Bb2 Nc6 { Threatening …d4. } 6. cxd5

{ The alternative 6. Be2 leads to problems for white after d4 !. White is almost forced to
take on d5 as a result. }

exd5 7. Be2 { The recommendation for white in ‘e3 Poison.’ } d4

{ Claiming more space and threatening …d3, this must be one of the critical tests of white’s
opening. At first sight however, it seems like black’s d4 pawn is unsupported and bound to
be captured. }

8. Bb5 { The move given for white in ‘e3 Poison’. } Bd6

{ It is mentioned in ‘e3 Poison’ that black cannot hold onto d4 and this is true, but this
doesn’t mean that black has any issues at all ! In fact, black can ignore the d4 pawn and
complete development quickly, after which his active pieces more than compensate for the
pawn deficit. }

9. exd4 O-O { Black ignores the d4 pawn. Development is the priority here. }

10. dxc5 Re8+ 11. Be2 Bxc5 12. O-O Bg4 13. Nc3 Qd6

{ With the idea of …Qf4 followed by . ..Rad8. All of black’s pieces are very active and the d-
pawn is weak, meaning that black is at least equal here. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “1.Nf3”]

[Black “1.Nf3 2.c4 Variation 1”]

1. Nf3

{ 1. Nf3 is probably white’s most flexible first move. He has yet to commit a pawn, which
means that the game can transpose into an 1. e4, 1. d4 or 1. c4 opening - or else it can stay
in independent waters with a b3 or g3 setup. White’s flexibility means that black must be
very careful when deciding on a line against 1. Nf3. If we are careless, it is very easy for
white to move order us into a position where we are tricked out of our repertoire against 1.
d4. This is why it is very useful to have repertoires against 1. d4 include suggestions against
1. Nf3 - due to the possible transpositions. }

d5
{ Two of the openings specifically targeted by 1. Nf3 players are the Nimzo/ Queen’s Indian
and the Grunfeld. Fortunately, the fact that this repertoire is based on the Ragozin means
that we are very well-placed to meet 1. Nf3, since our setup involves …d5 at some point. d5
is often seen as the ‘strongest’ option black has against 1. Nf3, due to the fact that white’s
options are more limited than after Nf6, for example. }

2. c4 { Hitting our d5 pawn is probably white’s most critical try. } d4

{ Only black’s third most common move, but one which is rapidly gaining in popularity. The
other moves, e6 and 2.. .c6 often give white exactly what he wants - a positional game
where white can put pressure on black’s centre. Instead, d4 radically alters the nature of a
position, into one which resembles a reversed Benoni. The extra tempo white has in this
Benoni has been shown to be not as useful as white would hope, meaning that black should
not have any problems here - as long as he learns the theory. }

3. g3

{ This is white’s most common move, but it is completely non-critical. Black has a free hand
to solidify his extra space in reverse Benoni structure. }

Nc6

{ Black’s most common choice. c5 is also common, but this has the perk of leaving c5 free
for another piece. }

4. Bg2 e5 5. O-O

{ This move order tries to avoid the …Bb4+ idea we use against the 5. d3 move order, but it
allows another idea. }

e4

{ Kicking the knight away. Black’s centre seems over extended, but fortunately we have no
intention of defending it - instead, we are conjuring up a kingside attack. }

6. Ne1 h5 { The kingside attack gets under way. } 7. d3

{ This is white’s other idea which has been played a few times. } e3 8.

fxe3 h4 { With good play for the pawn. }

[Site “?”]
[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “1.Nf3”]

[Black “1.Nf3 2.c4 Variation 2”]

1. Nf3

{ 1. Nf3 is probably white’s most flexible first move. He has yet to commit a pawn, which
means that the game can transpose into an 1. e4, 1. d4 or 1. c4 opening - or else it can stay
in independent waters with a b3 or g3 setup. White’s flexibility means that black must be
very careful when deciding on a line against 1. Nf3. If we are careless, it is very easy for
white to move order us into a position where we are tricked out of our repertoire against 1.
d4. This is why it is very useful to have repertoires against 1. d4 include suggestions against
1. Nf3 - due to the possible transpositions. }

d5

{ Two of the openings specifically targeted by 1. Nf3 players are the Nimzo/ Queen’s Indian
and the Grunfeld. Fortunately, the fact that this repertoire is based on the Ragozin means
that we are very well-placed to meet 1. Nf3, since our setup involves …d5 at some point. d5
is often seen as the ‘strongest’ option black has against 1. Nf3, due to the fact that white’s
options are more limited than after Nf6, for example. }

2. c4 { Hitting our d5 pawn is probably white’s most critical try. } d4

{ Only black’s third most common move, but one which is rapidly gaining in popularity. The
other moves, e6 and 2.. .c6 often give white exactly what he wants - a positional game
where white can put pressure on black’s centre. Instead, d4 radically alters the nature of a
position, into one which resembles a reversed Benoni. The extra tempo white has in this
Benoni has been shown to be not as useful as white would hope, meaning that black should
not have any problems here - as long as he learns the theory. }

3. g3

{ This is white’s most common move, but it is completely non-critical. Black has a free hand
to solidify his extra space in reverse Benoni structure. }

Nc6
{ Black’s most common choice. c5 is also common, but this has the perk of leaving c5 free
for another piece. }

4. Bg2 e5 5. O-O

{ This move order tries to avoid the …Bb4+ idea we use against the 5. d3 move order, but it
allows another idea. }

e4

{ Kicking the knight away. Black’s centre seems over extended, but fortunately we have no
intention of defending it - instead, we are conjuring up a kingside attack. }

6. Ne1 h5 { The kingside attack gets under way. } 7. Bxe4

{ Surely the critical option. } h4 { Keeping up the kingside attack. } 8.

d3 Bh3 9. Ng2 hxg3 10. fxg3 Qd7 { Black has full compensation for the pawn. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “1.Nf3”]

[Black “1.Nf3 2.c4 Variation 3”]

1. Nf3

{ 1. Nf3 is probably white’s most flexible first move. He has yet to commit a pawn, which
means that the game can transpose into an 1. e4, 1. d4 or 1. c4 opening - or else it can stay
in independent waters with a b3 or g3 setup. White’s flexibility means that black must be
very careful when deciding on a line against 1. Nf3. If we are careless, it is very easy for
white to move order us into a position where we are tricked out of our repertoire against 1.
d4. This is why it is very useful to have repertoires against 1. d4 include suggestions against
1. Nf3 - due to the possible transpositions. }

d5
{ Two of the openings specifically targeted by 1. Nf3 players are the Nimzo/ Queen’s Indian
and the Grunfeld. Fortunately, the fact that this repertoire is based on the Ragozin means
that we are very well-placed to meet 1. Nf3, since our setup involves …d5 at some point. d5
is often seen as the ‘strongest’ option black has against 1. Nf3, due to the fact that white’s
options are more limited than after Nf6, for example. }

2. c4 { Hitting our d5 pawn is probably white’s most critical try. } d4

{ Only black’s third most common move, but one which is rapidly gaining in popularity. The
other moves, e6 and 2.. .c6 often give white exactly what he wants - a positional game
where white can put pressure on black’s centre. Instead, d4 radically alters the nature of a
position, into one which resembles a reversed Benoni. The extra tempo white has in this
Benoni has been shown to be not as useful as white would hope, meaning that black should
not have any problems here - as long as he learns the theory. }

3. g3

{ This is white’s most common move, but it is completely non-critical. Black has a free hand
to solidify his extra space in reverse Benoni structure. }

Nc6

{ Black’s most common choice. c5 is also common, but this has the perk of leaving c5 free
for another piece. }

4. Bg2 e5 5. d3 Bb4+

{ A clever idea which features in this position with reversed colours as well. By checking
before white castles, he lures a minor piece to d2 which will block white’s other minor
piece from developing. }

6. Nbd2 a5 { Pre-emptively preventing a3 and b4. } 7. a3 Be7 8. O-O Nf6

{ Black has a slight edge here. Long-term he should look at carrying out either the …e4 or
the …b5 break. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “1.Nf3”]
[Black “1.Nf3 2.c4 Variation 4”]

1. Nf3

{ 1. Nf3 is probably white’s most flexible first move. He has yet to commit a pawn, which
means that the game can transpose into an 1. e4, 1. d4 or 1. c4 opening - or else it can stay
in independent waters with a b3 or g3 setup. White’s flexibility means that black must be
very careful when deciding on a line against 1. Nf3. If we are careless, it is very easy for
white to move order us into a position where we are tricked out of our repertoire against 1.
d4. This is why it is very useful to have repertoires against 1. d4 include suggestions against
1. Nf3 - due to the possible transpositions. }

d5

{ Two of the openings specifically targeted by 1. Nf3 players are the Nimzo/ Queen’s Indian
and the Grunfeld. Fortunately, the fact that this repertoire is based on the Ragozin means
that we are very well-placed to meet 1. Nf3, since our setup involves …d5 at some point. d5
is often seen as the ‘strongest’ option black has against 1. Nf3, due to the fact that white’s
options are more limited than after Nf6, for example. }

2. c4 { Hitting our d5 pawn is probably white’s most critical try. } d4

{ Only black’s third most common move, but one which is rapidly gaining in popularity. The
other moves, e6 and 2.. .c6 often give white exactly what he wants - a positional game
where white can put pressure on black’s centre. Instead, d4 radically alters the nature of a
position, into one which resembles a reversed Benoni. The extra tempo white has in this
Benoni has been shown to be not as useful as white would hope, meaning that black should
not have any problems here - as long as he learns the theory. }

3. g3

{ This is white’s most common move, but it is completely non-critical. Black has a free hand
to solidify his extra space in reverse Benoni structure. }

Nc6

{ Black’s most common choice. c5 is also common, but this has the perk of leaving c5 free
for another piece. }

4. Bg2 e5 5. d3 Bb4+
{ A clever idea which features in this position with reversed colours as well. By checking
before white castles, he lures a minor piece to d2 which will block white’s other minor
piece from developing. }

6. Bd2 a5 { Taking on d2 is also playable. } 7. O-O Nf6 8. Na3 O-O

{ Once again, black’s position is slightly preferable here. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “1.Nf3”]

[Black “1.Nf3 2.c4 Variation 5”]

1. Nf3

{ 1. Nf3 is probably white’s most flexible first move. He has yet to commit a pawn, which
means that the game can transpose into an 1. e4, 1. d4 or 1. c4 opening - or else it can stay
in independent waters with a b3 or g3 setup. White’s flexibility means that black must be
very careful when deciding on a line against 1. Nf3. If we are careless, it is very easy for
white to move order us into a position where we are tricked out of our repertoire against 1.
d4. This is why it is very useful to have repertoires against 1. d4 include suggestions against
1. Nf3 - due to the possible transpositions. }

d5

{ Two of the openings specifically targeted by 1. Nf3 players are the Nimzo/ Queen’s Indian
and the Grunfeld. Fortunately, the fact that this repertoire is based on the Ragozin means
that we are very well-placed to meet 1. Nf3, since our setup involves …d5 at some point. d5
is often seen as the ‘strongest’ option black has against 1. Nf3, due to the fact that white’s
options are more limited than after Nf6, for example. }

2. c4 { Hitting our d5 pawn is probably white’s most critical try. } d4

{ Only black’s third most common move, but one which is rapidly gaining in popularity. The
other moves, e6 and 2.. .c6 often give white exactly what he wants - a positional game
where white can put pressure on black’s centre. Instead, d4 radically alters the nature of a
position, into one which resembles a reversed Benoni. The extra tempo white has in this
Benoni has been shown to be not as useful as white would hope, meaning that black should
not have any problems here - as long as he learns the theory. }

3. e3

{ Possibly white’s sharpest option against d4. White immediately challenges our centre
before we get enough time to solidify our extra space. }

Nc6

{ Black’s most common choice and the preference of most top players recently. 3.. .c5 is also
playable of course, but Nc6 is solid and equalises. }

4. b4 { A pawn sacrifice of dubious objective strength. } dxe3 5. fxe3

Nxb4 { Black has no reason not to grab the pawn. } 6. d4 e5 7. a3

{ Grabbing the pawn with the knight leads to problems after Qh4+. }

Nc6 8. d5 { White’s most popular move. } e4

{ An important counter attack. } 9. Nfd2 Ne5 10. Nxe4

{ Black has given the pawn back, but his activity gives him a huge amount of play. }

Qh4+ 11. Nf2 Bd6

{ Our development advantage and threats give us a clear advantage. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “1.Nf3”]

[Black “1.Nf3 2.c4 Variation 6”]

1. Nf3

{ 1. Nf3 is probably white’s most flexible first move. He has yet to commit a pawn, which
means that the game can transpose into an 1. e4, 1. d4 or 1. c4 opening - or else it can stay
in independent waters with a b3 or g3 setup. White’s flexibility means that black must be
very careful when deciding on a line against 1. Nf3. If we are careless, it is very easy for
white to move order us into a position where we are tricked out of our repertoire against 1.
d4. This is why it is very useful to have repertoires against 1. d4 include suggestions against
1. Nf3 - due to the possible transpositions. }

d5

{ Two of the openings specifically targeted by 1. Nf3 players are the Nimzo/ Queen’s Indian
and the Grunfeld. Fortunately, the fact that this repertoire is based on the Ragozin means
that we are very well-placed to meet 1. Nf3, since our setup involves …d5 at some point. d5
is often seen as the ‘strongest’ option black has against 1. Nf3, due to the fact that white’s
options are more limited than after Nf6, for example. }

2. c4 { Hitting our d5 pawn is probably white’s most critical try. } d4

{ Only black’s third most common move, but one which is rapidly gaining in popularity. The
other moves, e6 and 2.. .c6 often give white exactly what he wants - a positional game
where white can put pressure on black’s centre. Instead, d4 radically alters the nature of a
position, into one which resembles a reversed Benoni. The extra tempo white has in this
Benoni has been shown to be not as useful as white would hope, meaning that black should
not have any problems here - as long as he learns the theory. }

3. e3

{ Possibly white’s sharpest option against d4. White immediately challenges our centre
before we get enough time to solidify our extra space. }

Nc6

{ Black’s most common choice and the preference of most top players recently. 3.. .c5 is also
playable of course, but Nc6 is solid and equalises. }

4. d3 e5 5. exd4 exd4

{ We reach a symmetrical Benoni structure where it seems like only black can be for choice.
}

6. Be2 Nf6 7. O-O Be7 8. Na3 O-O 9. Nc2

{ Both sides have developed quite naturally. White wants to target the d4 pawn, while black
should be planning the …b5 break at some point. }

a5 10. b3 Rb8 { Preparing …b5. } 11. Bb2 Bc5 12. a3 b5

{ Black has equalised, but there are chances for both sides here. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “1.Nf3”]

[Black “1.Nf3 2.c4 Variation 7”]

1. Nf3

{ 1. Nf3 is probably white’s most flexible first move. He has yet to commit a pawn, which
means that the game can transpose into an 1. e4, 1. d4 or 1. c4 opening - or else it can stay
in independent waters with a b3 or g3 setup. White’s flexibility means that black must be
very careful when deciding on a line against 1. Nf3. If we are careless, it is very easy for
white to move order us into a position where we are tricked out of our repertoire against 1.
d4. This is why it is very useful to have repertoires against 1. d4 include suggestions against
1. Nf3 - due to the possible transpositions. }

d5

{ Two of the openings specifically targeted by 1. Nf3 players are the Nimzo/ Queen’s Indian
and the Grunfeld. Fortunately, the fact that this repertoire is based on the Ragozin means
that we are very well-placed to meet 1. Nf3, since our setup involves …d5 at some point. d5
is often seen as the ‘strongest’ option black has against 1. Nf3, due to the fact that white’s
options are more limited than after Nf6, for example. }

2. c4 { Hitting our d5 pawn is probably white’s most critical try. } d4

{ Only black’s third most common move, but one which is rapidly gaining in popularity. The
other moves, e6 and 2.. .c6 often give white exactly what he wants - a positional game
where white can put pressure on black’s centre. Instead, d4 radically alters the nature of a
position, into one which resembles a reversed Benoni. The extra tempo white has in this
Benoni has been shown to be not as useful as white would hope, meaning that black should
not have any problems here - as long as he learns the theory. }

3. e3

{ Possibly white’s sharpest option against d4. White immediately challenges our centre
before we get enough time to solidify our extra space. }

Nc6

{ Black’s most common choice and the preference of most top players recently. 3.. .c5 is also
playable of course, but Nc6 is solid and equalises. }

4. exd4 Nxd4 5. Nxd4 Qxd4

{ White hopes that he will be able to exploit our queen on d4. } 6. Nc3 c6

{ Very natural, limiting white’s knight by taking away the b5 square. } 7. d3

Nh6

{ Black’s knight is heading to f5 where it can fight for the d4 square and hit a bishop if it
lands on e3. Note that taking on h6 doubles black’s h-pawns, but this is nothing compared
to the activity we get from our bishop pair. }

8. Be3 Qd8 9. d4 Nf5 { Hitting d4 and the bishop on e3. } 10. Qd2 g6

{ Fianchettoing the bishop to attack d4. } 11. Be2 Bg7 12. Rd1 O-O

{ Black has easy play against d4. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “1.Nf3”]

[Black “1.Nf3 2.c4 Variation 8”]

1. Nf3

{ 1. Nf3 is probably white’s most flexible first move. He has yet to commit a pawn, which
means that the game can transpose into an 1. e4, 1. d4 or 1. c4 opening - or else it can stay
in independent waters with a b3 or g3 setup. White’s flexibility means that black must be
very careful when deciding on a line against 1. Nf3. If we are careless, it is very easy for
white to move order us into a position where we are tricked out of our repertoire against 1.
d4. This is why it is very useful to have repertoires against 1. d4 include suggestions against
1. Nf3 - due to the possible transpositions. }

d5

{ Two of the openings specifically targeted by 1. Nf3 players are the Nimzo/ Queen’s Indian
and the Grunfeld. Fortunately, the fact that this repertoire is based on the Ragozin means
that we are very well-placed to meet 1. Nf3, since our setup involves …d5 at some point. d5
is often seen as the ‘strongest’ option black has against 1. Nf3, due to the fact that white’s
options are more limited than after Nf6, for example. }

2. c4 { Hitting our d5 pawn is probably white’s most critical try. } d4

{ Only black’s third most common move, but one which is rapidly gaining in popularity. The
other moves, e6 and 2.. .c6 often give white exactly what he wants - a positional game
where white can put pressure on black’s centre. Instead, d4 radically alters the nature of a
position, into one which resembles a reversed Benoni. The extra tempo white has in this
Benoni has been shown to be not as useful as white would hope, meaning that black should
not have any problems here - as long as he learns the theory. }

3. b4

{ White’s second most common move. Typically in a normal Benoni (with reversed colours)
, black’s pawn would already be on c5, which dissuades white from playing the immediate
b4 (although it still is played as a sacrifice - the Benko Gambit) . White takes advantage of
his extra tempo by playing b4 immediately, without having to sacrifice a pawn. He wants to
develop his bishop to b2 and prevent black from supporting his d4 pawn with … c5.
However, on the other hand, the b4 pawn will probably need to be defended once our e-
pawn moves, since …Bxb4 will be a threat. }

f6

{ Black’s most common move. Parallels can be drawn between this …f6 with .. .e5 idea and
the 5. f3 variation in the Benko Gambit. By playing for …e5, black is going to develop his
dark bishop actively on the f8-a3 diagonal, but on the other hand the most natural square
for our kingside knight, f6, is now occupied. Another interesting option for black is Bg4
which is worth taking a look at. }
4. d3 { Very natural and white’s second most common choice. } e5 5. a3 c5

{ An idea we will be seeing much more of. The c5 pawn supports d4 and attacks b4, and if
white takes then our bishop gets to develop to a good square for free. }

6. g3 { Sacricing b4, but it is doubtful that white gets enough compensation. }

cxb4 { Grabbing the pawn. } 7. Bg2 Nc6 8. O-O a5

{ White definitely doesn’t have enough compensation for the pawn here. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “1.Nf3”]

[Black “1.Nf3 2.c4 Variation 9”]

1. Nf3

{ 1. Nf3 is probably white’s most flexible first move. He has yet to commit a pawn, which
means that the game can transpose into an 1. e4, 1. d4 or 1. c4 opening - or else it can stay
in independent waters with a b3 or g3 setup. White’s flexibility means that black must be
very careful when deciding on a line against 1. Nf3. If we are careless, it is very easy for
white to move order us into a position where we are tricked out of our repertoire against 1.
d4. This is why it is very useful to have repertoires against 1. d4 include suggestions against
1. Nf3 - due to the possible transpositions. }

d5

{ Two of the openings specifically targeted by 1. Nf3 players are the Nimzo/ Queen’s Indian
and the Grunfeld. Fortunately, the fact that this repertoire is based on the Ragozin means
that we are very well-placed to meet 1. Nf3, since our setup involves …d5 at some point. d5
is often seen as the ‘strongest’ option black has against 1. Nf3, due to the fact that white’s
options are more limited than after Nf6, for example. }

2. c4 { Hitting our d5 pawn is probably white’s most critical try. } d4

{ Only black’s third most common move, but one which is rapidly gaining in popularity. The
other moves, e6 and 2.. .c6 often give white exactly what he wants - a positional game
where white can put pressure on black’s centre. Instead, d4 radically alters the nature of a
position, into one which resembles a reversed Benoni. The extra tempo white has in this
Benoni has been shown to be not as useful as white would hope, meaning that black should
not have any problems here - as long as he learns the theory. }

3. b4

{ White’s second most common move. Typically in a normal Benoni (with reversed colours)
, black’s pawn would already be on c5, which dissuades white from playing the immediate
b4 (although it still is played as a sacrifice - the Benko Gambit) . White takes advantage of
his extra tempo by playing b4 immediately, without having to sacrifice a pawn. He wants to
develop his bishop to b2 and prevent black from supporting his d4 pawn with … c5.
However, on the other hand, the b4 pawn will probably need to be defended once our e-
pawn moves, since …Bxb4 will be a threat. }

f6

{ Black’s most common move. Parallels can be drawn between this …f6 with .. .e5 idea and
the 5. f3 variation in the Benko Gambit. By playing for …e5, black is going to develop his
dark bishop actively on the f8-a3 diagonal, but on the other hand the most natural square
for our kingside knight, f6, is now occupied. Another interesting option for black is Bg4
which is worth taking a look at. }

4. d3 { Very natural and white’s second most common choice. } e5 5. a3 c5

{ An idea we will be seeing much more of. The c5 pawn supports d4 and attacks b4, and if
white takes then our bishop gets to develop to a good square for free. }

6. bxc5 { Allowing black’s bishop to c5 isn’t challenging either. } Bxc5

7. g3 Ne7 8. Bg2 O-O 9. O-O Nbc6 { Black is very comfortable. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “1.Nf3”]

[Black “1.Nf3 2.c4 Variation 10”]

1. Nf3

{ 1. Nf3 is probably white’s most flexible first move. He has yet to commit a pawn, which
means that the game can transpose into an 1. e4, 1. d4 or 1. c4 opening - or else it can stay
in independent waters with a b3 or g3 setup. White’s flexibility means that black must be
very careful when deciding on a line against 1. Nf3. If we are careless, it is very easy for
white to move order us into a position where we are tricked out of our repertoire against 1.
d4. This is why it is very useful to have repertoires against 1. d4 include suggestions against
1. Nf3 - due to the possible transpositions. }

d5

{ Two of the openings specifically targeted by 1. Nf3 players are the Nimzo/ Queen’s Indian
and the Grunfeld. Fortunately, the fact that this repertoire is based on the Ragozin means
that we are very well-placed to meet 1. Nf3, since our setup involves …d5 at some point. d5
is often seen as the ‘strongest’ option black has against 1. Nf3, due to the fact that white’s
options are more limited than after Nf6, for example. }

2. c4 { Hitting our d5 pawn is probably white’s most critical try. } d4

{ Only black’s third most common move, but one which is rapidly gaining in popularity. The
other moves, e6 and 2.. .c6 often give white exactly what he wants - a positional game
where white can put pressure on black’s centre. Instead, d4 radically alters the nature of a
position, into one which resembles a reversed Benoni. The extra tempo white has in this
Benoni has been shown to be not as useful as white would hope, meaning that black should
not have any problems here - as long as he learns the theory. }

3. b4

{ White’s second most common move. Typically in a normal Benoni (with reversed colours)
, black’s pawn would already be on c5, which dissuades white from playing the immediate
b4 (although it still is played as a sacrifice - the Benko Gambit) . White takes advantage of
his extra tempo by playing b4 immediately, without having to sacrifice a pawn. He wants to
develop his bishop to b2 and prevent black from supporting his d4 pawn with … c5.
However, on the other hand, the b4 pawn will probably need to be defended once our e-
pawn moves, since …Bxb4 will be a threat. }

f6

{ Black’s most common move. Parallels can be drawn between this …f6 with .. .e5 idea and
the 5. f3 variation in the Benko Gambit. By playing for …e5, black is going to develop his
dark bishop actively on the f8-a3 diagonal, but on the other hand the most natural square
for our kingside knight, f6, is now occupied. Another interesting option for black is Bg4
which is worth taking a look at. }

4. Bb2 { Developing and hitting d4. } e5 5. e3

{ A common idea we will be seeing in this chapter. White attacs d4 before black has a
chance to support and reinforce his centre. }

dxe3 { Holding the pawn on d4 is impossible. } 6. fxe3 Bxb4

{ Black has no reason not to grab the pawn. } 7. a3 Be7

{ White doesn’t have full compensation for the pawn. Black can continue with …Nh6 and …
O-O. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “1.Nf3”]

[Black “1.Nf3 2.c4 Variation 11”]

1. Nf3

{ 1. Nf3 is probably white’s most flexible first move. He has yet to commit a pawn, which
means that the game can transpose into an 1. e4, 1. d4 or 1. c4 opening - or else it can stay
in independent waters with a b3 or g3 setup. White’s flexibility means that black must be
very careful when deciding on a line against 1. Nf3. If we are careless, it is very easy for
white to move order us into a position where we are tricked out of our repertoire against 1.
d4. This is why it is very useful to have repertoires against 1. d4 include suggestions against
1. Nf3 - due to the possible transpositions. }

d5

{ Two of the openings specifically targeted by 1. Nf3 players are the Nimzo/ Queen’s Indian
and the Grunfeld. Fortunately, the fact that this repertoire is based on the Ragozin means
that we are very well-placed to meet 1. Nf3, since our setup involves …d5 at some point. d5
is often seen as the ‘strongest’ option black has against 1. Nf3, due to the fact that white’s
options are more limited than after Nf6, for example. }

2. c4 { Hitting our d5 pawn is probably white’s most critical try. } d4

{ Only black’s third most common move, but one which is rapidly gaining in popularity. The
other moves, e6 and 2.. .c6 often give white exactly what he wants - a positional game
where white can put pressure on black’s centre. Instead, d4 radically alters the nature of a
position, into one which resembles a reversed Benoni. The extra tempo white has in this
Benoni has been shown to be not as useful as white would hope, meaning that black should
not have any problems here - as long as he learns the theory. }

3. b4

{ White’s second most common move. Typically in a normal Benoni (with reversed colours)
, black’s pawn would already be on c5, which dissuades white from playing the immediate
b4 (although it still is played as a sacrifice - the Benko Gambit) . White takes advantage of
his extra tempo by playing b4 immediately, without having to sacrifice a pawn. He wants to
develop his bishop to b2 and prevent black from supporting his d4 pawn with … c5.
However, on the other hand, the b4 pawn will probably need to be defended once our e-
pawn moves, since …Bxb4 will be a threat. }

f6

{ Black’s most common move. Parallels can be drawn between this …f6 with .. .e5 idea and
the 5. f3 variation in the Benko Gambit. By playing for …e5, black is going to develop his
dark bishop actively on the f8-a3 diagonal, but on the other hand the most natural square
for our kingside knight, f6, is now occupied. Another interesting option for black is Bg4
which is worth taking a look at. }

4. Bb2 { Developing and hitting d4. } e5 5. a3 { Protecting b4. } c5

{ A common idea we will be seeing. White is faced with the unpleasant choice of taking on
c5, thus allowing our bishop to develop to a good square, or leaving black’s pawn on c5
which does a great job of supporting d4. }

6. bxc5 Bxc5

{ Black has a good position here. Natural development and castling can follow. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]
[Round “?”]

[White “1.Nf3”]

[Black “1.Nf3 2.c4 Variation 12”]

1. Nf3

{ 1. Nf3 is probably white’s most flexible first move. He has yet to commit a pawn, which
means that the game can transpose into an 1. e4, 1. d4 or 1. c4 opening - or else it can stay
in independent waters with a b3 or g3 setup. White’s flexibility means that black must be
very careful when deciding on a line against 1. Nf3. If we are careless, it is very easy for
white to move order us into a position where we are tricked out of our repertoire against 1.
d4. This is why it is very useful to have repertoires against 1. d4 include suggestions against
1. Nf3 - due to the possible transpositions. }

d5

{ Two of the openings specifically targeted by 1. Nf3 players are the Nimzo/ Queen’s Indian
and the Grunfeld. Fortunately, the fact that this repertoire is based on the Ragozin means
that we are very well-placed to meet 1. Nf3, since our setup involves …d5 at some point. d5
is often seen as the ‘strongest’ option black has against 1. Nf3, due to the fact that white’s
options are more limited than after Nf6, for example. }

2. c4 { Hitting our d5 pawn is probably white’s most critical try. } d4

{ Only black’s third most common move, but one which is rapidly gaining in popularity. The
other moves, e6 and 2.. .c6 often give white exactly what he wants - a positional game
where white can put pressure on black’s centre. Instead, d4 radically alters the nature of a
position, into one which resembles a reversed Benoni. The extra tempo white has in this
Benoni has been shown to be not as useful as white would hope, meaning that black should
not have any problems here - as long as he learns the theory. }

3. b4

{ White’s second most common move. Typically in a normal Benoni (with reversed colours)
, black’s pawn would already be on c5, which dissuades white from playing the immediate
b4 (although it still is played as a sacrifice - the Benko Gambit) . White takes advantage of
his extra tempo by playing b4 immediately, without having to sacrifice a pawn. He wants to
develop his bishop to b2 and prevent black from supporting his d4 pawn with … c5.
However, on the other hand, the b4 pawn will probably need to be defended once our e-
pawn moves, since …Bxb4 will be a threat. }
f6

{ Black’s most common move. Parallels can be drawn between this …f6 with .. .e5 idea and
the 5. f3 variation in the Benko Gambit. By playing for …e5, black is going to develop his
dark bishop actively on the f8-a3 diagonal, but on the other hand the most natural square
for our kingside knight, f6, is now occupied. Another interesting option for black is Bg4
which is worth taking a look at. }

4. Na3

{ White’s 4th most common move. The knight is headed to c2 where it can put pressure on
d4. }

e5 5. Nc2 c5 6. bxc5 Bxc5 7. d3 Nc6

{ Once again, black has no issues at all. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “1.Nf3”]

[Black “1.Nf3 2.c4 Variation 13”]

1. Nf3

{ 1. Nf3 is probably white’s most flexible first move. He has yet to commit a pawn, which
means that the game can transpose into an 1. e4, 1. d4 or 1. c4 opening - or else it can stay
in independent waters with a b3 or g3 setup. White’s flexibility means that black must be
very careful when deciding on a line against 1. Nf3. If we are careless, it is very easy for
white to move order us into a position where we are tricked out of our repertoire against 1.
d4. This is why it is very useful to have repertoires against 1. d4 include suggestions against
1. Nf3 - due to the possible transpositions. }

d5
{ Two of the openings specifically targeted by 1. Nf3 players are the Nimzo/ Queen’s Indian
and the Grunfeld. Fortunately, the fact that this repertoire is based on the Ragozin means
that we are very well-placed to meet 1. Nf3, since our setup involves …d5 at some point. d5
is often seen as the ‘strongest’ option black has against 1. Nf3, due to the fact that white’s
options are more limited than after Nf6, for example. }

2. c4 { Hitting our d5 pawn is probably white’s most critical try. } d4

{ Only black’s third most common move, but one which is rapidly gaining in popularity. The
other moves, e6 and 2.. .c6 often give white exactly what he wants - a positional game
where white can put pressure on black’s centre. Instead, d4 radically alters the nature of a
position, into one which resembles a reversed Benoni. The extra tempo white has in this
Benoni has been shown to be not as useful as white would hope, meaning that black should
not have any problems here - as long as he learns the theory. }

3. b4

{ White’s second most common move. Typically in a normal Benoni (with reversed colours)
, black’s pawn would already be on c5, which dissuades white from playing the immediate
b4 (although it still is played as a sacrifice - the Benko Gambit) . White takes advantage of
his extra tempo by playing b4 immediately, without having to sacrifice a pawn. He wants to
develop his bishop to b2 and prevent black from supporting his d4 pawn with … c5.
However, on the other hand, the b4 pawn will probably need to be defended once our e-
pawn moves, since …Bxb4 will be a threat. }

f6

{ Black’s most common move. Parallels can be drawn between this …f6 with .. .e5 idea and
the 5. f3 variation in the Benko Gambit. By playing for …e5, black is going to develop his
dark bishop actively on the f8-a3 diagonal, but on the other hand the most natural square
for our kingside knight, f6, is now occupied. Another interesting option for black is Bg4
which is worth taking a look at. }

4. e3

{ Attacking black’s centre quickly is a logical way to challenge our play. }

e5 5. exd4

{ This is very natural, but it is a mistake. Black doesn’t have to recapture. }

e4 { Kicking white’s knight back. } 6. Qe2 Qe7 7. Ng1 Nc6 8. Bb2 Nxb4

{ Black regains his pawn with a clear advantage. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “1.Nf3”]

[Black “1.Nf3 2.c4 Variation 14”]

1. Nf3

{ 1. Nf3 is probably white’s most flexible first move. He has yet to commit a pawn, which
means that the game can transpose into an 1. e4, 1. d4 or 1. c4 opening - or else it can stay
in independent waters with a b3 or g3 setup. White’s flexibility means that black must be
very careful when deciding on a line against 1. Nf3. If we are careless, it is very easy for
white to move order us into a position where we are tricked out of our repertoire against 1.
d4. This is why it is very useful to have repertoires against 1. d4 include suggestions against
1. Nf3 - due to the possible transpositions. }

d5

{ Two of the openings specifically targeted by 1. Nf3 players are the Nimzo/ Queen’s Indian
and the Grunfeld. Fortunately, the fact that this repertoire is based on the Ragozin means
that we are very well-placed to meet 1. Nf3, since our setup involves …d5 at some point. d5
is often seen as the ‘strongest’ option black has against 1. Nf3, due to the fact that white’s
options are more limited than after Nf6, for example. }

2. c4 { Hitting our d5 pawn is probably white’s most critical try. } d4

{ Only black’s third most common move, but one which is rapidly gaining in popularity. The
other moves, e6 and c6 often give white exactly what he wants - a positional game where
white can put pressure on black’s centre. Instead, d4 radically alters the nature of a
position, into one which resembles a reversed Benoni. The extra tempo white has in this
Benoni has been shown to be not as useful as white would hope, meaning that black should
not have any problems here - as long as he learns the theory. }

3. b4

{ White’s second most common move. Typically in a normal Benoni (with reversed colours)
, black’s pawn would already be on c5, which dissuades white from playing the immediate
b4 (although it still is played as a sacrifice - the Benko Gambit) . White takes advantage of
his extra tempo by playing b4 immediately, without having to sacrifice a pawn. He wants to
develop his bishop to b2 and prevent black from supporting his d4 pawn with …c5.
However, on the other hand, the b4 pawn will probably need to be defended once our e-
pawn moves, since …Bxb4 will be a threat. }

f6

{ Black’s most common move. Parallels can be drawn between this .. .f6 with …e5 idea and
the 5. f3 variation in the Benko Gambit. By playing for …e5, black is going to develop his
dark bishop actively on the f8-a3 diagonal, but on the other hand the most natural square
for our kingside knight, f6, is now occupied. }

4. e3

{ Attacking black’s centre quickly is a logical way to challenge our play. }

e5 5. c5

{ A clever idea. White protects b4 and simultaneously cuts off support to d4 by blocking
black from playing …c5. }

a5 { We strike at the pawn supporting c5. } 6. Qa4+

{ This seems strange, but white has a concrete idea in mind. } Bd7

{ White has lured our bishop to d7, where it is actually quite misplaced since it cuts off our
queen’s access to d4. }

7. b5 Bxc5 8. Bc4

{ The bishop is quite irritating here as it prevents us from castling. }

Ne7 9. exd4 exd4 10. Ba3 Na6 { Quite a clever way to defend c5. } 11. O-O Nb4

{ The knight is strong on b4. White has tried two moves here: 12. d3 and the more
challenging 12. Re1, recommended in ‘The Modernized Reti’. }

12. d3 c6 { Hitting b5. } 13. Nbd2 Qb6 14. bxc6 Bxc6 15. Qb3 O-O-O

{ This position was reached recently in - (57) Aravindh,C (2605) -Smirnov,A (2573) London
2019. The situation is complex, but black has at least equal chances. Black’s king might look
a little vulnerable on the queenside, but our space advantage and active pieces make up for
this. Next, we can try to exploit the c3 outpost with … Ned5-c3. }
[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “1.Nf3”]

[Black “1.Nf3 2.c4 Variation 15”]

1. Nf3

{ 1. Nf3 is probably white’s most flexible first move. He has yet to commit a pawn, which
means that the game can transpose into an 1. e4, 1. d4 or 1. c4 opening - or else it can stay
in independent waters with a b3 or g3 setup. White’s flexibility means that black must be
very careful when deciding on a line against 1. Nf3. If we are careless, it is very easy for
white to move order us into a position where we are tricked out of our repertoire against 1.
d4. This is why it is very useful to have repertoires against 1. d4 include suggestions against
1. Nf3 - due to the possible transpositions. }

d5

{ Two of the openings specifically targeted by 1. Nf3 players are the Nimzo/ Queen’s Indian
and the Grunfeld. Fortunately, the fact that this repertoire is based on the Ragozin means
that we are very well-placed to meet 1. Nf3, since our setup involves …d5 at some point. d5
is often seen as the ‘strongest’ option black has against 1. Nf3, due to the fact that white’s
options are more limited than after Nf6, for example. }

2. c4 { Hitting our d5 pawn is probably white’s most critical try. } d4

{ Only black’s third most common move, but one which is rapidly gaining in popularity. The
other moves, e6 and c6 often give white exactly what he wants - a positional game where
white can put pressure on black’s centre. Instead, d4 radically alters the nature of a
position, into one which resembles a reversed Benoni. The extra tempo white has in this
Benoni has been shown to be not as useful as white would hope, meaning that black should
not have any problems here - as long as he learns the theory. }

3. b4

{ White’s second most common move. Typically in a normal Benoni (with reversed colours)
, black’s pawn would already be on c5, which dissuades white from playing the immediate
b4 (although it still is played as a sacrifice - the Benko Gambit) . White takes advantage of
his extra tempo by playing b4 immediately, without having to sacrifice a pawn. He wants to
develop his bishop to b2 and prevent black from supporting his d4 pawn with …c5.
However, on the other hand, the b4 pawn will probably need to be defended once our e-
pawn moves, since …Bxb4 will be a threat. }

f6

{ Black’s most common move. Parallels can be drawn between this .. .f6 with …e5 idea and
the 5. f3 variation in the Benko Gambit. By playing for …e5, black is going to develop his
dark bishop actively on the f8-a3 diagonal, but on the other hand the most natural square
for our kingside knight, f6, is now occupied. }

4. e3

{ Attacking black’s centre quickly is a logical way to challenge our play. }

e5 5. c5

{ A clever idea. White protects b4 and simultaneously cuts off support to d4 by blocking
black from playing …c5. }

a5 { We strike at the pawn supporting c5. } 6. Qa4+

{ This seems strange, but white has a concrete idea in mind. } Bd7

{ White has lured our bishop to d7, where it is actually quite misplaced since it cuts off our
queen’s access to d4. }

7. b5 Bxc5 8. Bc4

{ The bishop is quite irritating here as it prevents us from castling. }

Ne7 9. exd4 exd4 10. Ba3 Na6 { Quite a clever way to defend c5. } 11. O-O Nb4

{ The knight is strong on b4. White has tried two moves here: 12. d3 and the more
challenging 12. Re1, recommended in ‘The Modernized Reti’. }

12. Re1

{ This is the recommendation of GM Demuth in his book ‘The Modernized Reti’. It is white’s
most critical try here. }

Bg4

{ Taking advantage of the fact that f3 can’t be comfortable defended. } 13. d3

Bxf3 { Doubling white’s pawns and exposing white’s king somewhat. } 14. gxf3
Kf8

{ Clearly the problem we are sitting with here is that we can’t castle short due to white’s
pesky bishop of c4. Fortunately, despite our inability to castle, our king is in no immediate
danger. Given the chance, we want to castle manually with …g5 and …Kg7. }

15. Nd2 Ng6

{ One major thing that we have going for us is that both our knights have fantastic squares.
One already is posted on b4, while the other is currently on its way to e5 or f4. }

16. Nb3

{ The main recommendation in ‘The Modernized Reti’, attacking our bishop. }

b6 17. Nxc5 bxc5

{ Even though our queenside pawn structure is in a bit of the shambles at the moment, the
knight on b4 is the glue that holds it all together. Once white inevitably takes on b4 to get
rid of it, the pawn structure fixes itself. }

18. Qd1

{ White is trying to swing his queen over to the kingside to launch an attack. }

Ne5 19. Bxb4 axb4 20. Bb3 g5

{ A very aesthetic move. We grab some space as well as some important dark squares on
the kingside and prepare to secure our king with …Kg7, …Re8 and …Kh8. }

21. f4

{ White needs to sacrifice a pawn sooner or later in order to simply not be struggling badly
positionally. }

gxf4 22. Qh5 Kg7 23. Kh1 Re8

{ This position was reached in ‘The Modernized Reti’, and objectively speaking the position
is roughly equal, but one can’t help but think that white has to be the one who has to take
some care here. White is obviously angling for an attack here, but once this flops, black is
simply better positionally - good knight vs bad bishop etc. In fact, in some cases, it might
even be white’s king who comes under fire - for example, White can regain his two pawns
(although admittedly our extra two pawns aren’t in particularly great shape) with 24. Rg1+
Ng6 25. Qxc5 but then after Qd7, we have …Qh3 in the works and white is the one fighting
for equality. }
[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Model Games”]

[Black “Game 1 - Gareyev, Timur vs. Kacheishvili, Giorgi”]

{ In our first model game we will be examining a game from the 5. Bg5 variation of the
Ragozin. You can find the variation here. }

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Bg5 O-O 6. e3 h6 7. Bxf6 Qxf6 8. Rc1

dxc4 9. Bxc4 c5 10. O-O cxd4 11. Ne4 Qf5 12. Ng3 Qa5 13. exd4 Nc6

{ Up until this point, everything was covered in the theory section of the course. Instead of
Nc6 we recommended Rd8, however both moves are playable. Black finds himself getting
in a bit of trouble in this game over the next few moves because he doesn’t seem to have a
clear development scheme in mind. In the theoretical section we recommended developing
with …Rd8, … Nc6, … Bd7-e8 and possibly dropping the dark bishop back to f8. }

14. Qe2 Bd7

{ Rd8 first was better to put pressure on the d4 pawn. This would have transposed to the
theoretical section. }

15. a3 Be7

{ d6 was perhaps a slightly better square for the bishop seeing as it can then harass white’s
rook from f4. Black is quite cramped and passive over the next few moves. }

16. Rfd1 Rfe8

{ Rad8 was better on account of the possibility white missed on the next move. }

17. d5

{ Throwing away most of white’s advantage. Typically the d5 break should be played when
it leads to something concrete when white is overwhelmingly more active than black, but
here black is quite well-placed to meet 17. d5. 17.b4 ! is a strong idea and an important one
for black players to keep in mind. The activity of the queen on a5 comes at the downside of
vulnerability to b4-b5 ideas. Qd8 still leaves black clearly worse after The point is that after
Qxa3 18.b5 Na5 19.Ra1 Qb4 20.Bd3 black is left with his pieces in complete disarray, which
white can exploit in a number of ways, for example: Red8 21.Qe4 f5 22.Qe2 �� Due to the
weaknesses of e5 and e6 as well as black’s offiside queen and knight, white has a clear
advantage in spite of black’s extra pawn. 18.Ne4 a6 �� Black is very passive here. }

exd5 18. Bxd5 Rad8 19. Qc4 { Hitting f7. } Rf8

{ A rather unattractive move to have to make, but it matters little since black’s position has
no weaknesses or targets for white to attack. As an aside, the slight vulnerability of f7 is
why we would typically prefer our rooks on d8 and c8 with our light bishop on e8, covering
f7. }

20. Rd3 Bf6 21. b4 Qb6 22. Ne4 Ne7

{ Black begins to unravel and force exchanges. White’s advantage has vanished and now
black can start to claim that he has the upper hand. }

23. Nxf6+ Qxf6 24. Rcd1 { Forced, as black was threatening …Rc8. } Nxd5

25. Qxd5 Ba4 26. Qxd8 Rxd8 27. Rxd8+ Kh7 28. R1d4

{ The only move, necessary to protect the rook on d8 and prevent …Qa1+. We have reached
an endgame with an interesting material balance of 2 rooks and knight vs queen and
bishop. Typically the 2 rooks would be superior to the queen, however white is awkwardly-
placed and black has concrete threats which give him a slight upper hand. }

Bc6

{ Threatening white’s knight and effectively winning a pawn, since white has difficulties
meeting all of black’s threats. }

29. h3

{ White has nothing better to give a pawn to solidify his position. 29.Nd2 ? loses to Qg5 !
30.g3 Qe5 ! -+ White’s light squares are chronically weak and give black a winning attack.
29.Ne1 Qe6 30.Nf3 Qa2 =+ }

Bxf3 30. gxf3 Qxf3 31. Rd3 Qf5 32. R8d5 Qe6 33. R5d4 f5 34. b5 Qe5

{ Although black’s advantage is far from decisive and the position is definitely drawn with
best play, black is definitely to be slightly preferred here. White’s king is slightly exposed
and white’s many pawn islands give black some chances. }

35. a4 f4 36. Kg2 g5 37. Rd2 Kg6 38. h4 Qe1

{ 3Kh5 is another sample line: 39.hxg5 hxg5 40.Rd7 Qf5 41.f3 Kh4 42.Kf2 Kh3 43.R2d6
Qc5+ 44.Rd4 = 3g4 39.Rd5 f3+ 40.Kg1 Qe4 41.Rd6+ Kg7 42.Rd7+ Kg6 43.R7d6+ = }

39. hxg5 hxg5 40. R2d3 Qe2 41. Rd6+ Kh5 42. Rh3+ Kg4 43. Rd4 Qe6 44. Re3 Qf5

45. Re1 Qc2 46. Re3 Qc8 47. Kh2

{ A shocking oversight caused no doubt by exhaustion. Black doesn’t have much after
47.Re5 = although he can still try, of course. }

Kh4 { 4Qh8+ just wins the rook of course. 48.Kg2 Qxd4 -+ } 48.

Rg3 Qf5 49. f3 Qc2+ 50. Rg2 Qb3 51. Rd7 Kh5 52. Rg7 Qd5 53. R7xg5+

{ with a drawn pawn endgame looming, a draw was agreed. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Model Games”]

[Black “Game 2 - Le, Quang Liem vs. Vidit, Santosh Gujrathi”]

{ This model game is from the 5. cxd5 variation of the Ragozin. You can find the line here. }

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. cxd5 exd5 6. Bg5 h6 7. Bh4 O-O 8. e3

Bf5 9. Qb3 Bxc3+ 10. Qxc3 Nbd7 11. Be2 c6 12. Nd2 Ne4 13. Bxd8 Nxc3 14. bxc3

{ This position was covered in the theoretical section and it is an important one. The
endgame is equal, but that doesn’t mean it is drawn yet ! There is a surprisingly large
amount of play left in this seemingly innocuous endgame. }

Rfxd8

{ We recommended taking with the other rook in the theoretical section, with the point of
being able to better meet g4 with …Be6 and …f5. Of course, both recaptures are probably
equally good. Raxd8 This position was recently reached by me (Daniel) . It was the final
round of what had been a good tournament and I made the mistake of relaxing in this
seemingly simple, equal endgame. As a result, I got convincingly outplayed: 15.c4 !? This
natural move was new to me, and something I had not looked at before. I sunk into deep
thought and ended up erring. b6 ? This had the idea of preventing c5, but this comes at the
cost of weakening the light squares a6 , which in turn makes it very difficult for black to
fight for control of the c-file. c5 ! seemed like the most logical response at the time and an
easy equaliser, but then I spotted that after 16.cxd5 cxd4 white can play 17.e4 and here I
thought black was simply worse after Bg6 However I missed the very strong intermezzo d3
! 18.Bxd3 Nc5 19.Bc2 19.Ke2 Nxd3 20.Kxd3 Rxd5+ = Bxe4 20.Nxe4 Nxe4 21.Bxe4 Rfe8
22.f3 f5 ! = and black regains his piece. 18.g4 ! �� Black’s pawn on d4 will drop soon. dxc4
was also playable, but white might have some slight pressure after 16.Nxc4 Be6 17.Na5
Rb8 18.Bf3 = although it is also close to equal. 16.O-O The immediate 16.cxd5 was even
better. Be6 17.cxd5 cxd5 Bxd5 += would have been better in hindsight. 18.Rfc1 Nb8 ?!
Trying to prevent …Ba6, but this was just too passive. After 19.Rc7 �� my position
continued to deteriorate and I ended up getting outplayed, costing me my 2nd IM norm by
1 performance rating point. }

15. f3 c5

{ Vidit plays actively, not giving white the chance to put him under any pressure. }

16. Kf2 Rac8 17. Rhc1 Rc7 { Preparing to double rooks. } 18. e4 dxe4 19. fxe4

Bg6 20. Bf3 Ne5

{ Black is creating threats, forcing white onto the defensive. } 21. Ke3

{ 21.dxe5 Rxd2+ 22.Ke3 Rcd7 23.Kf4 = is maybe a better bet for white, with the idea of
playing against black’s bishop. }

Nc6 22. Nb3 cxd4+ 23. cxd4 Re7

{ Black focuses his attack on white’s 2 central pawns. …Bxe4 is threatened. }

24. g4 f6

{ A very nice move. It prevents e5, thus leaving white’s bishop passive on f3 blocked by the
e4 pawn, and also it allows black to reactivate his bishop in the future via f7 or e8. }

25. Re1 Bf7

{ White has made no major errors, but black has already got an edge here. } 26.

Rad1 Nb4 { A great square for the knight, from which threatens many things. }

27. Rd2 Rc7

{ Black switches the focus of his offensive now to the vacated c-file. …Nc2+ is threatened. }

28. Kf2 Nxa2

{ This works now because white’s king left e3, meaning the d4 pawn will be without
support. }

29. d5 Nc3 30. Nd4 Rc4 31. Re3 Be8 32. Bg2

{ 32.e5 ! was a chance for white to get some counterplay. fxe5 33.Ne6 Rd7 34.Rxe5 =+ }

Nb5

{ 3a5 ! It was maybe better to immediately start rolling the queenside pawns forward. }

33. Nxb5 Bxb5 34. Bf1 Rc5 35. Bxb5 Rxb5

{ Black’s extra pawn gives him good winning chances in this rook endgame. White’s central
pawns pose little threat because black’s king is so close. }

36. Rc3 Rd7 37. Ke3 Kf7 38. Rdc2 a5 39. Rc7 Ke7 40. Rc8 a4 41. Ra8 Rb4 42. Kd3

Rd8 43. Ra7 Kd6

{ Black’s advantage has grown now that his king has been activated and blockades white’s
central pawns. }

44. Rc4 Rxc4 45. Kxc4 Ke5 46. Rxb7

{ The decisive mistake. White’s rook has to continuously watch the passed a-pawn. 46.Kd3
was necessary, however it is still very difficult to draw this endgame. A possible line is b5
47.Rxg7 Ra8 48.Re7+ Kd6 49.Re6+ Kc5 50.Rc6+ Kb4 51.Kc2 a3 52.Kb1 Re8 53.Re6 Rc8 =+
with plenty of play left. }

Ra8 { Black’s rook gets behind the pawn. } 47. Rb2 a3 48. Ra2 Kxe4 49. d6

Ke5 50. Kc5 Rc8+ 51. Kb4 Kxd6 52. Rxa3 Rc7

{ Typically a 3v2 rook endgame would be a comfortable draw, but with white’s king cut off
so far from the pawns, white has no chance. Black wins relatively effortlessly from here: }

53. Re3 Kd5 54. h3 g6 55. Re8 f5 56. Rg8 Rc6 57. Kb5 Rf6 58. gxf5 gxf5 59. Rd8+

Ke4 60. Re8+ Kf3 61. Kc4 Rd6 62. Kc5 Rd1 63. Rh8 f4 64. Rxh6 Kg3 65. Rg6+ Kxh3

66. Rf6 Kg3 67. Rg6+ Kf2 68. Kc4 f3 69. Kc3 Kf1 70. Kc2 Rd5

{ Seeing as black will soon reach the famed Lucena position, white resigned. }
[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Model Games”]

[Black “Game 3 - Tabatabaei, Mohammad Amin vs. Bosiocic, Marin”]

{ This model game is from the 5. Qa4+ variation of the Ragozin. You can find the line here. }

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Qa4+ Nc6 6. e3 O-O 7. Qc2 b6 8. Bd2

a5 9. cxd5 exd5 10. Bd3 Ne7

{ So far we have looked at all of this in the theoretical section. Instead of Ne7 we
recommended Ba6 first, but it is much of a muchness. }

11. O-O Ba6 { An important idea to remember, trading off white’s good bishop. }

12. Bxa6 Rxa6 13. a3 Bd6

{ Taking on c3 is also perfectly playable, as black’s bishop isn’t much better than white’s
knight. }

14. Nb5 Ne4 15. a4 c6 16. Nxd6 Qxd6 17. Bc1 c5

{ Black secures the b4 square for his knight. } 18. b3 Nc6 19. Bb2 Nb4

{ Both of black’s knights are on good squares now, which means that he is at least equal
here. }

20. Qe2 Raa8 { Reactivating black’s misplaced rook. } 21. Rfd1 Rfc8 22. dxc5

bxc5

{ Taking on c4 opens up the diagonal for white’s bishop and exposes the d5 pawn, but on
the other hand the backward b3-pawn becomes vulnerable and black can create a passed c-
pawn much more easily. }
23. Ne1 Qe6 24. f3

{ Kicking the knight away, but just creating more weaknesses - e3 is now exposed. Better
was 24.Rac1 c4 25.bxc4 dxc4 =+ }

Nd6 25. Nd3 d4 { Taking advantage of the weak b3 pawn. } 26. Nxb4

{ The decisive mistake. 26.Rac1 was a better defence. Nb7 ! 27.Nf4 Qxb3 28.exd4 c4 =+ }

axb4 27. Rd3 Nf5 28. e4 Ne3

{ Black’s position is completely dominant. White’s bishop is useless while black’s knight is a
monster. }

29. Re1

{ Threatening 30. Rc1 now that … Nd5 isn’t possible. 29.Bc1 is the obvious way to try
exchange black’s knight, but now (Nd5 ! -+) The knight is headed to c3. }

Re8 { Threatening …Nd5 again. } 30. Rxe3

{ White has little choice but to sacrifice the exchange at some point. }

dxe3 31. Qxe3 f6

{ White has little for the exchange, and black converts his winning advantage smoothly. }

32. Rc1 Rec8 33. Qd3 Ra7 34. Rc4 Rd7 35. Qc2 Qd6 36. Bd4 Rcd8 37. Be3 Qe5 38.

f4 Rd1+ 39. Kf2 Qh5 40. Qe2 Qh4+ 41. Kf3 g5 42. h3 Re1 43. Qc2 Rf1+ 44. Bf2

Qxf4+ { With mate on the next move, white resigned. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Model Games”]

[Black “Game 4 - Thybo, Jesper Sondergaard vs. Movsesian, Sergei”]

{ This model game is from the 5. Qb3 variation of the Ragozin. You can find the line here. }

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Qb3 c5 6. dxc5 Na6 7. a3 Bxc3+ 8.

Qxc3 Nxc5 9. cxd5 Qxd5 10. Be3 Nce4 11. Qe5 Qxe5 12. Nxe5 Nd5 13. Bc1 Bd7 14.

f3 Nc5 15. e4 Nb3 16. Rb1 Nb6 17. Be3 Rc8 18. Nxd7 Kxd7 19. Be2 Ke7 20. O-O

Rhd8 21. Rfd1 Rxd1+ 22. Bxd1 Nc4 23. Bg5+ f6 24. Bxb3 fxg5 25. Rc1 b5

{ All this had been analysed previously in the theoretical section ! We ended our analysis
here, with the assessment that black had equalised comfortably thanks to his strong knight
on c4. }

26. Bxc4

{ White panicks and errs right away. Taking the knight immediately was premature as it
wasn’t threatening anything yet. 26.Kf2 is just equal - for example: Kd6 27.Ke2 a6 28.a4
Rb8 29.axb5 axb5 30.Bxc4 bxc4 31.Rxc4 Rxb2+ 32.Kf1 = }

Rxc4 27. Rf1

{ Not all rook endgames are drawn, as we shall see. Black’s rook and king activity give him a
clear edge here. 27.Rxc4 ? Perhaps white counted on the pawn endgame being drawn, but
this is not the case. Pawn endgames can be very tricky and one should obviously be 100%
certain of the resulting before trading down into one. bxc4 28.Kf2 Kd6 29.Ke3 Kc5 White is
in zugzwang. 30.Kd2 30.a4 White will end up losing the a4 pawn after a5 31.e5 Kb4 -+
30.h3 h6 31.g3 g6 32.g4 e5 -+ Kd4 -+ White will soon be in zugzwang, at which point his
king either goes to e2 (when black will play … c3) or to c2, after which black goes …Ke3 and
takes white’s whole kingside. }

g4 { 2a5 was good too. } 28. fxg4

{ White had few good alternatives. } Rxe4 29. h3 a5 30. Rf2 a4

{ Fixing white’s pawn on b2. } 31. Rd2 Re3

{ Black’s plan now is to plant his rook on b3 where it protects the b5-pawn and ties white
down to the defence on b2. After that, he has time to slowly advance his king and e-pawn
forwards. }

32. Kf2 Rb3 33. Ke2 e5 { Black’s advantage has grown and is now decisive. } 34.

Kd1 Ke6 35. Kc2 Rg3 { Keeping white’s rook tied down. } 36. Rf2 g6
{ Following that old endgame principle of ‘do not rush’. White can do nothing, so black
slowly improves his position. }

37. Re2 Kd5 38. Kd2 Kd4 39. Kc2 e4 40. Rf2 Ke5 41. Kd1 Kd5 42. Rc2 Kd4

{ Black takes his time - do not rush. } 43. Ke1 Rb3 44. Ke2 Ke5

{ Black shifted his rook over to the queenside to allow his king to head to g3. }

45. Ke1 Kf4 46. Rf2+ Kg3 47. Re2 e3 { White is completely tied down. } 48. Rc2

g5

{ Still, black doesn’t rush. He improves his position slightly in preparation for the pawn
endgame after … Rd3-d2. }

49. Kf1 h6 50. Ke1 Rd3 51. Rc5 Rd2 52. Rxb5 Rxg2 53. Re5 Kxh3 54. Rxe3+ Kxg4

55. Re4+ Kf3 56. Rxa4 Rxb2

{ White’s lone passed pawn is no match for black’s 2 connected passed pawns and activity.
White resigned. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Model Games”]

[Black “Game 5 - Georgiev, Vladimir vs. Leko, Peter”]

{ This model game is from the 4.Bg5 variation of the Nimzo-Indian. You can find the line
here. }

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Bg5 c5 5. d5 d6 6. e3 exd5 7. cxd5 Nbd7 8. Bd3

Qa5 9. Ne2 Nxd5 10. O-O Bxc3 11. bxc3 c4 12. Bc2 O-O 13. Ng3
{ A common choice - almost as popular as the correct 13. Bh4, however this is a very
dubious sacrifice. }

Nxc3 14. Qh5

{ White’s attack looks a bit scary at first glance, but this game just shows that white is
virtually losing straight out of the opening if black displays even a little bit of accuracy. }

f5

{ All of this was analysed previously in the theoretical chapters. Black is up 2 pawns and
white has very little compensation for them. }

15. e4

{ White tries to open some lines towards black’s king. 15.Be7 was examined previously. }

Nxe4 { fxe4 works too. } 16. Rad1

{ 16.Nxe4 ? fxe4 17.Bxe4 ? Nf6 -+ } Ndf6 17. Bxf6 Nxf6 18. Qh4

{ White already has nothing going for him in this position. He is simply down material with
no compensation or attack for it. }

Qc5 19. Rd4 d5 20. Rfd1 Be6 21. Nxf5 Bxf5 22. Bxf5 Rae8 23. g4 Re5 24.

Rf4 h6 25. g5 Nh5 26. Qxh5 Rexf5 27. Rxf5 Rxf5 28. Qe8+ Qf8

{ White resigned. Unfortunately for white, this game was already lost in the opening - 13.
Ng3 is a poor line and simply hands black a clear advantage. }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Model Games”]

[Black “Game 6 - Ding, Liren vs. Zhou, Weiqi”]

{ This model game is from the 4.f3 variation of the Nimzo-Indian. You can find the line here.
}

1. d4 e6 2. c4 Nf6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. f3 d5 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 c5 7. cxd5 Nxd5 8.

dxc5 f5 9. e4 fxe4 10. Qc2 Nd7 11. fxe4 N5f6 12. c6 bxc6 13. Nf3

{ All this was covered in the theory section. } Qa5

{ Ng4 !? was a bit more accurate and our recommendation. } 14. Bd2

{ 14.Be2 was better. White makes the mistake of neglecting his kingside development and
safety in this game and was swiftly punished. }

O-O 15. c4

{ Getting the pawn to c5 would normally be good positional play, but white has no time for
this. }

Qc7 16. c5 Ng4

{ The standard square for the knight in this variation, from which it controls the vital e5
square. }

17. Rc1

{ White has neglected his kingside development, which black will ruthlessly exploit over
the next couple of moves. The natural 17.Be2 was needed just to get white’s king out of
harm’s way. }

Nde5 { Bringing the other knight into the game. } 18. Be2 Ba6

{ A pretty incredible sacrifice. The bishop is miraculously untouchable. A normal move like
h6 is just equal or a bit better for white after 19.Nxe5 Nxe5 20.Qc3 += }

19. Qb3

{ Ding realises that the bishop is taboo. 19.Bxa6 ? Grabbing the bishop leads to instant
disaster: Rxf3 ! 20.gxf3 20.Be2 Rxa3 -+ White’s king is weak and he is now even down
material to boot. Nxf3+ 21.Kf1 21.Ke2 drops the queen: (Nd4+ -+) 21.Kd1 Rd8 22.Bd3 Nf2+
-+ Rf8 -+ Nothing can be done to prevent the loss of a decisive amount of material. }

Bxe2 20. Kxe2

{ Although material is equal, white’s exposed king is enough for black to already be
winning. }

Qc8 { Covering e6 and threatening …Qa6+ simultaneously. } 21. Rc3 Rb8

22. Qa4 Rb2 23. Qxa7 Rf7 24. Qa4 Qb8 25. h3 Ra7 26. Qd1 Nf6 27. Rc2 Qb5+ 28.

Kf2 Nxe4+ 29. Kg1 Nxf3+

{ White resigned on account of 2Nxf3+ 30.gxf3 Qd3 ! 31.Rxb2 Qd4+ 32.Kg2 Qf2# }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Model Games”]

[Black “Game 7 - Le, Quang Liem vs. Karjakin, Sergey”]

{ This model game is from the 4.e3 5.Nge2 variation of the Nimzo-Indian. You can find the
line here. }

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 O-O 5. Ne2 d5 6. a3 Be7 7. cxd5 exd5 8. Nf4

c6 9. Bd3 Na6

{ As mentioned in the theoretical section, this rather rare move has been the near exclusive
choice of the chess elite. }

10. O-O Nc7 11. Bd2

{ We looked at 11. b4 and 11. f3 in the theoretical section and this isn’t too different. }

Ne6 12. Nfe2 a5

{ A typical move in this structure, preventing or at least delaying white’s minority attack
with b4-b5. }

13. Rc1 Ne8

{ Preparing the standard …f5 to gain space and clamp down on the e4 square. }

14. f3 f5 15. Kh1 Nd6

{ The best square for the knight. From here it can also potentially make use of c4. }

16. Qc2

{ Perhaps white should just play 16.e4 just to equalise here. The pieces pretty much get
vacuumed off after this. fxe4 17.fxe4 Rxf1+ 18.Qxf1 Nxe4 19.Nxe4 dxe4 20.Bxe4 Nxd4
21.Nxd4 Qxd4 = with complete equality. }

Bf6

{ Slightly inaccurate. b5 ! = is a useful idea to keep in mind with the point of planting the
knight on c4. Nc4 immediately is also very possible. }

17. Be1

{ White wants to reroute his bishop to f2, but he misses his chance. 17.e4 ! would have been
strong here. fxe4 18.fxe4 Nc4 19.Bxc4 dxc4 20.Be3 += }

Bg5 18. Bf2 g6 19. Rcd1 Nc7 20. Nf4 Ne6 21. Nfe2 Nc7

{ Karjakin in effect offers a draw by repeating moves. } 22. Rfe1

{ White opts to play on. } Re8 23. Nc1 Be6 24. Bg3 Bh4

{ It might seem a bit funny to trade off black’s good bishop, but it’s probably better than
allowing white’s bishop to land on e5. Bf7 25.Be5 b5 26.Nb3 += }

25. Qf2 Bxg3 26. Qxg3 Bf7 27. h3

{ A strange decision, weakening white’s queenside unnecessarily. After 27.Bf1 Nc4 28.Bxc4
dxc4 29.e4 fxe4 30.fxe4 b5 = Both sides have good chances - white has his big centre, while
black has a scary-looking queenside majority. }

Qf6 { Threatening …Rxe3. } 28. Qf2 Re7

{ Black begins to pile pressure onto the weak e3 pawn. } 29. Re2 Rae8 30. Rde1

Ne6

{ A good square for the knight, where it puts some pressure on d4. This is useful in case
black wants to play …f4 at some point, or white goes for e4. }

31. f4

{ White takes drastic action to prevent …f4 ideas, but black now gets the e4 outpost. }

Ne4 { This wasn’t necessary immediately. 3g5 ! was better. } 32.

Qf3 { 32.Bxe4 dxe4 =+ } Kh8 33. Bc2 g5

{ Black gets his kingside play under going. } 34. Nd3

{ 34.fxg5 was a better defence. Qxg5 35.Bxe4 fxe4 36.Qf1 Rg8 ��� Black’s attack is very
scary. }

g4 { Opening up lines on the kingside at the cost of a pawn. } 35. hxg4

fxg4 36. Qxg4 Rg8 37. Qh3 Ng3+ { 3Rg6 ! -+ was even better. } 38. Kg1

Nxe2+ 39. Rxe2 Bg6 40. Ne5 Bxc2 41. Rxc2 Reg7 42. g4 Nxf4

{ White’s position falls apart as he simply can’t defend his king. } 43. exf4

Qxf4 44. Kh1 Qxd4 45. Re2 Qf4

{ It was a rapid game, so some inaccuracies are expected of course. 4Rf8 was best. }

46. Qh2 Qf1+ 47. Qg1 Qf6 48. Qd4 Rf8 49. Kh2 h5 50. gxh5 c5 51. Qd3 Qh4+ 52.

Qh3 Qf4+ 53. Kh1 Qc1+

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Model Games”]

[Black “Game 8 - Jussupow, Artur vs. Gajewski, Grzegorz”]

{ This model game is from the 4.e3 5.Bd3 variation of the Nimzo-Indian. You can find the
line here. }

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 O-O 5. Bd3 d5 6. Nf3 b6 7. O-O Ba6 8. cxd5

exd5 9. Bxa6 Nxa6 10. Qe2

{ We looked at 10. Qa4 and some other options in the theoretical chapters, but 10. Qe2 is
not necessarily bad - it just doesn’t really challenge black. }

Qc8 11. Bd2 Re8 { Preparing to drop the dark bishop back to f8. } 12.

Rac1 Bf8 { Qb7 followed by …c5 was another idea. } 13. Ne5 c5 14. Qf3

{ Attacking d5 is the wrong plan as black has ample ways to defend it. 14.f4 was a better
option, securing the knight on e5. }

Nc7 15. h3 Bd6 16. Ng4 Ne4 17. Rfd1

{ 17.Nxe4 would have been a bit better. dxe4 18.Qd1 =+ } f5

{ Black has won the opening battle convincingly. Contrast the bishop on d6 with the one on
d2 and black’s knight on e4 with the knight on g4. }

18. Nh2 c4

{ Good positional play, putting all of black’s pawns on light squares. } 19.

Nxe4 fxe4 20. Qh5 g6 21. Qe2

{ Black is completely dominant here, with a big space advantage and a textbook good vs
bad bishop advantage. }

Ne6

{ Black lets his whole advantage slip. h5 ! ��� was a great positional move to keep
white’s knight out of the game. }

22. b3

{ 22.Ng4 White should have taken the chance to activate his knight. Kg7 23.f4 ! = and white
is back in the game. }

b5 23. bxc4 { 23.Ng4 was better once again. } bxc4

{ Bxh2+ ! was better to prevent Ng4. 24.Kxh2 bxc4 =+ Black’s passed pawn and good knight
vs bad bishop give him the edge. }

24. Bc3 { Still, 24.Ng4 ! } h5

{ Black finally strikes upon the right idea of restricting white’s knight. }

25. f4 exf3 26. Qxf3 Qc7

{ Black’s positional advantage here is already decisive. } 27. g3

{ 27.Nf1 Rad8 -+ } Rad8 28. Rc2 Bxg3

{ White hopes that by sacrificing the g3 pawn he can get counterplay down the g-file, but
this is not to be. }

29. Nf1 Bh4 30. Qg2 Kh7 31. Nh2 Ng5 32. Be1 Bxe1 33. Qxg5 Qg3+ 34. Qxg3 Bxg3

{ Black has an extra pawn and a big positional advantage to boot. Gajewski went on to
convert smoothly from here. }

35. Nf1 Bh4 36. Re2 Rd7 37. Rc1 Rf7 38. e4 Rf4 39. Nd2 Bf6 40. e5 Bg7 41. Kg2

Rxd4 42. Nf3 Rd3 43. Rb1 c3 44. Rb7 Kg8 45. Rxa7 Rc8 46. Rc2 Bxe5 47. Nxe5 Rd2+

48. Kf3 Rf8+ 49. Ke3 Rxc2 50. Kd3 Rc1 51. Rc7 Rf2 52. Ke3 Rxa2 53. Nd3 Rh1 54.

Rxc3 Rxh3+ 55. Kf4 Rf2+

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Model Games”]

[Black “Game 9 - Wojtaszek, Radoslaw vs. Aronian, Levon”]

{ This model game is from the 4.Qc2 variation of the Nimzo-Indian. You can find the line
here. }

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Qc2 O-O 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. Qxc3 d5 7. Nf3 dxc4 8.

Qxc4 b6 9. Bg5 Ba6 10. Qa4 h6

{ We opted for the immediate c5 in this position, but both moves are very similar. }

11. Bh4 c5 12. dxc5 bxc5 13. Rc1

{ 13.Rd1 is another option. Qb6 14.Bxf6 gxf6 = } Qd7

{ This has been played a few times, but the most common choice is Qb6 }

14. Qxd7 Nbxd7

{ This endgame is approximately equal, but of course plenty of play remains. The apparent
weakness of c5 is not so bad since it can be easily defended and not so easily attacked,
while white’s b2-pawn is also weak. }

15. Bxf6

{ 15.e3 c4 !? Bxf1 is also fine. 16.Bxf6 gxf6 17.Bxc4 17.b3 Rfc8 = 17.b4 Nb6 = Rfc8 18.b3
Rab8 = Black has plenty of play and will regain his pawn shortly. }

Nxf6

{ gxf6 is more natural to keep the knight covering c5, but Aronian doesn’t want his pawn
structure damaged. }

16. e3

{ 16.Rxc5 ?? is incredibly a losing mistake: Rfc8 17.Rxc8+ Rxc8 18.Kd2 Ne4+ 19.Ke3 Nd6 -+
Black’s activity is decisive. }

Bb7 17. Ne5 { 17.Rxc5 ? is poor once again. Rac8 ��� } Rfd8 18. f3

Nd7 { Rac8 is better. } 19. Nxd7 Rxd7 20. Bb5 Rc7 21. Rf1

{ 21.Kf2 should leave white with a slight edge due to the weak c5-pawn. a5 ! 22.Rhd1 Ba6
23.Bxa6 Rxa6 24.Rd8+ Kh7 }

Rb8 22. Bc4 Bc6 23. Rf2 Rcb7 { Targeting the weak b2 pawn. } 24. Rcc2 Ba4

25. Rcd2 Kf8 26. e4 Ke7

{ White has missed his chance to take advantage of the slightly better endgame he had and
put Aronian under pressure. From here one, we will see Aronian take the initiative and
begin squeezing Wojtaszek. }

27. Rfe2 g5 { A good positional move, fixing white’s pawns on light squares. }

28. Kf2 Rb6 29. e5

{ Perhaps not a mistake, but this is a concession - the pawn on e5 is a bit weak and it gives
Aronian something to play against. As we shall see, black manages to convert this tiny
detail into the full point. }

Bb3 30. Bxb3 Rxb3 31. Rc2 R8b5 32. Red2

{ The rook endgame seems very equal, objectively, however Aronian manages to find ways
to pose white problems nonetheless. }

Kf8

{ The aforementioned weak e5 pawn comes under scrutiny. Black is reactivating his king
on the kingside in order to attack the e5 pawn from f5. }

33. Kg3 Kg7 34. h4 Kg6 35. hxg5 hxg5 36. Kg4

{ White has prevented the king incursion into f5, but now black can activate his rooks. }

Re3 37. Re2 Rd3 { Preparing to check white’s king away from g4. } 38. Rc4

{ 38.Red2 can be met by (c4 ! =+) } 3 Rd4+ 39. Rxd4 cxd4

{ Black’s advantage is still very minimal, but white needs to be a bit accurate now. }

40. b4

{ 40.f4 ! is necessary here. f5+ 41.exf6 Kxf6 42.b4 gxf4 43.Kxf4 = and white should hold. }

f5+ { Rd5 would have been better first. } 41. Kg3

{ Wojtaszek blunders after reaching the time control. 41.exf6 Kxf6 42.f4 gxf4 43.Kxf4 = with
a draw still the expected result. }

f4+ 42. Kg4

{ 42.Kf2 allows black’s king to f5 next with a winning advantage. d3 43.Rd2 Rd5 -+ }

d3 43. Rd2 Rxe5 44. Rxd3 Re1

{ It becomes clear that white can’t deal with the weakness of the g2 pawn as well as the
mate threat of …Rh1-h4. }

45. Rd8 Rg1 46. Rg8+ { 46.Kh3 just leads to mate after Rh1+ 47.Kg4 Rh4# }

Kf6

{ 4Kf6 White resigned on account of 47.Rf8+ Ke7 48.Rg8 48.Ra8 Rxg2+ 49.Kh5 Kf6 -+
4Rxg2+ 49.Kh5 Kf6 -+ }

[Site “?”]
[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Model Games”]

[Black “Game 10 - Loetscher, Roland vs. Bluebaum, Matthias”]

{ This model game is from our Catalan mainline. You can find the line here. }

1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. g3 Bb4+ 5. Bd2 Be7 6. Bg2 O-O 7. O-O c6 8. Bf4

Nbd7 9. Qc2 b6 10. Rd1 Ba6 11. Ne5 Rc8 12. cxd5 Nxd5 13. Nc3 Nxe5 14. Bxe5 f6

15. Bf4 Nxf4 16. gxf4 f5 17. e3 Bb7

{ We have examined everything up until here previously, and at this point we

recommended Rf6 immediately, but the text move is equally good. }

18. Qe2

{ 18.Rac1 was tried previously as well, but this also ended badly for white as black’s
seemingly innocuous attack prevailed: Rf6 19.Qa4 Rg6 20.Ne2 a5 ?! Unnecessary. 21.Ng3
h5 ! Getting black’s attack going, with a very nice tactical idea behind it. 22.Nxh5 ?? Falling
for the tactic. Rxg2+ 23.Kxg2 Qe8 -+ Threatening …c5+ and …Qxh5 simultaneously - white’s
losing 2 pieces for a rook and pawn, but black’s already winning with his bishop pair and
attack to boot. }

Rf6

{ An important idea to remember - our rook is heading to h6 so we can whip up an attack. }

19. Rd2

{ White’s plan is certainly the wrong one. The doubling of the rooks on the d-file is too slow
and ineffective while black’s attack develops at an alarming pace. }

Rh6 20. Rad1 { Continuing down the wrong plan. } Bd6

{ Improving the position of his bishop slightly - black is preparing the …g5 break, after
which the bishop will be ideally placed. }

21. h3
{ Trying to close the h-file, but white’s position is already critical. }

Kh8

{ Preparing the …g5 break by getting the king out of the way. White is verging on being lost
already. }

22. Nb5 { Trying to exchange off black’s dark bishop. } Bb8

{ Of course, black should not oblige. } 23. Na3 g5

{ And black’s attack gets under way. } 24. fxg5 Qxg5 25. f4 Qg7 26. Kh2 Rg8 27.

Qf2 c5 { The last of black’s piece joins the attack with decisive effect. } 28.

dxc5

{ 28.Bxb7 ?? loses to a simple tactic: Rxh3+ ! 29.Kxh3 Qg4+ 30.Kh2 Qh5+ with mate next. }

e5 { Black’s dark bishop rejoins the attack. } 29. Rd8 exf4 30. Rxb8

{ A desperate sacrifice but the game is lost already. } Rxb8 31. Bxb7

Rxh3+ { A nice little tactic to finish white off. } 32. Kxh3 Qg4+ 33. Kh2 Qh5+

34. Kg1 Qxd1+ 35. Kh2 Qh5+ 36. Kg1 Rg8+

{ Rg8+ 37.Kf1 37.Bg2 f3 -+ 3Qd1+ 38.Qe1 Rg1+ 39.Kxg1 Qxe1+ -+ }

[Site “?”]

[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Model Games”]

[Black “Game 11 - Grischuk, Alexander vs. Nakamura, Hikaru”]

{ This model game is from the London System. You can find the line here. } 1.
d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Bf4 e6 4. e3 Bd6 5. Bg3 c5 6. Nbd2 Nc6 7. c3 O-O 8. Bd3 b6

9. e4 Be7 { Black’s best option, covered in the theoretical section. } 10. e5

{ We mentioned that this might be a bit premature, but it is still very popular and scores
reasonably well for white. }

Nh5 11. a3

{ A prophylactic move, preparing for black’s queenside expansion. 11.Ng5 is white’s most
popular move. Bxg5 12.Qxh5 g6 13.Qe2 cxd4 14.h4 Bh6 15.h5 dxc3 16.bxc3 Bg7 = Black is
fine here objectively and has scored well in practice. g5 !? is also possible. }

a5

{ A nice idea to remember, preparing to exchange off the light bishop which is crucial to
white’s attack with …Ba6. }

12. Qe2 { Preventing …Ba6. } Ra7

{ The rook could possibly aid in the defence of black’s king along the seventh rank. }

13. O-O c4 14. Bc2 b5 { Black gets his queenside pawns rolling. } 15. h4

{ An interesting idea. White prepares to drop his bishop back to h2. 15.Nh4 ?! g6 leaves
white with nothing better than 16.Nhf3 }

g6

{ Nxg3 ! was necessary. The newly-opened f-file is not ideal, but it was better than the text
move. 16.fxg3 f5 ! Closing the kingside and securing black’s king. b4 is another, more
double-edged option. 17.Qe3 17.exf6 ?! simply doesn’t work due to (gxf6 ���) h6 = }

16. Bh2 { Sacrificing the h4-pawn to keep his bishop alive. } Bxh4 17. g4

{ 17.Nxh4 was stronger. Qxh4 18.Nf3 Qd8 19.g4 Ng7 20.Kg2 �� and black is in trouble
with the open h-file posing him some serious problems. }

Ng7 18. Nxh4

{ 18.Qe3 !? was maybe a better follow-up. Be7 19.Kg2 f5 20.exf6 Bxf6 += The position is still
very complicated, although white’s position seems simpler to play. }

Qxh4 19. Kg2 f5

{ A vital break on the kingside so black can activate his second rook and get some
counterplay. }
20. exf6 Qxf6 21. Bd6 Rff7 22. f4 { Allowing black a nice tactical shot… }

e5 { Suddenly, the tables have turned and black is on the attack. } 23.

dxe5 { 23.fxe5 ? Qg5 -+ and g4 falls. } Qh4 24. f5 gxf5

{ In a very complex position, Nakamura misses his chance. Nxf5 ! 25.Bxf5 25.gxf5 ??
Opening the g-file is a disaster for white. gxf5 -+ gxf5 26.e6 Rg7 ��� }

25. Rh1 Qd8 26. Qe3 d4

{ Sacrificing a pawn to try get the light bishop into the game. 2h5 ! ��� is the engine’s
choice and a very difficult move to find. }

27. cxd4 Ne8 { Trying to exchange white’s bishop off. 2Bb7 28.Kf2 ! �� }

28. Rh6

{ The complications are wild, but white should have dropped his bishop back here. 28.Bc5
+- }

Rg7 29. Rg1 Rad7

{ Wasting time unnecessarily. 2Rxg4+ immediately was better. 30.Kf1 Rxg1+ 31.Qxg1+ Rg7
=}

30. d5 { 30.Kf2 leaves white clearly better after Nxd6 31.exd6 +- }

Ne7 31. Bxe7 Rdxe7 32. Qd4 Bb7

{ Once again, black should have grabbed the g4 pawn. 3Rxg4+ doesn’t win a queen because
after 33.Kf1 the rook is pinned. Reg7 34.Rxg4 Rxg4 ��� }

33. Kf2 Qxd5 34. Qxd5+ Bxd5 35. Bxf5 Rxe5 36. Re1 Rxe1 37. Kxe1

{ The complications fizzle out into an equal ending where black’s extra pawn is
compensated by white’s active pieces. }

b4 38. axb4 axb4 39. Be6+ Bxe6 40. Rxe6 Nc7

{ Kf7 was a better winning attempt. }

[Site “?”]
[Date “????.??.??”]

[Round “?”]

[White “Model Games”]

[Black “Game 12 - Kortschnoj, Viktor Lvovich vs. Seirawan, Yasser”]

{ This model game is from the 2.c4 d4 3.b4 variation of the 1.Nf3 chapter. You can find the
line here. }

1. Nf3 d5 2. c4 d4 3. b4 f6 4. d3 e5 5. a3 c5 6. g3 cxb4 7. Bg2 Nc6 8. O-O a5

{ We reached this position in our analysis and concluded that white lacks full compensation
for the pawn. The position resembles a Samisch King’s Indian/ Benko with reversed
colours and an extra tempo for white, however the extra tempo makes little difference
here. }

9. e3 Bg4

{ dxe3 10.Bxe3 Nge7 was also good. Bc5 was maybe the most natural option and it is good
too. }

10. h3 Bxf3 11. Bxf3

{ After 11.Qxf3 Seirawan might have been planning b3 !? Qd7 is also fine. 12.a4 is forced to
prevent the pawn from being supported by …a4. Bb4 = }

Bc5 12. Bd5

{ Planting the bishop on d5 and then supporting it with e4 looks very good, but leaves
white’s kingside chronically unprotected. }

Nge7 13. e4 Nxd5 { Qd7 first might have been better. } 14. cxd5

{ White’s protected passed pawn looks very impressive, however it can be easily blockaded
and poses black no threat at all. }

Ne7 15. Qa4+ Qd7 16. Qb3

{ 16.Qxd7+ Kxd7 -+ is simply an endgame where white is down a pawn. }

a4
{ Qxh3 ! Kortschnoj was clearly counting on tactics or queenside counterplay here, but they
just don’t work out unfortunately for white. 17.axb4 Bxb4 18.Ra2 18.Qxb4 ?? axb4
19.Rxa8+ Nc8 -+ h5 -+ followed by …h4. }

17. Qc4 Bd6 18. axb4 b5 19. Qa2 Qxh3

{ Seirawan grabs the hanging h3 pawn and gets his attack underway. } 20. Na3

Rb8 21. Rb1 h5 22. Qe2 g5 23. Qf3 h4 24. Qg2 Qg4 25. gxh4 Rxh4 26. Qxg4 Rxg4+

27. Kh2 Nxd5 { A fancy finish, but almost everything wins here now. } 28. Nxb5

{ 28.exd5 Kf7 29.Kh3 f5 ! is the point of 2 Nxd5. 30.Bxg5 Rh8+ 31.Bh4 Rhxh4# }

Ke7 29. Kh3 f5 { with mate in 3 looming, Kortschnoj resigned. }