Chess: Understanding the Nimzo-Indian Defense Part IV

1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 e6 3 Nc3 Bb4 4 Nf3 d5 Line



What's the game plan for White?

* Lessen Black's control of d5/e4 through
Bg5 and Bxf6.
* Reinforce d4 (e3) and then attain it (Nxd4)
following Black's thematic ... c5 and ... cxd4.
Next, use the centralized knight to seek
attacking opportunities against Black's
position.

What's the game plan for Black?

* Attack White's center by executing a timely
... c5 and ... cxd4.
* Respond accordingly to White's d4 scheme.

Also available:
Understanding the Nimzo-Indian Defense Part I
http://chesscoach1950.blogspot.com/2006/07/chess-understanding-nimzo-indian.html
Understanding the Nimzo-Indian Defense Part II
http://chesscoach1950.blogspot.com/2006/07/chess-understanding-nimzo-indian_06.html
Understanding the Nimzo-Indian Defense Part III
http://chesscoach1950.blogspot.com/2006/07/chess-understanding-nimzo-_115223100226806216.html

Sample Variation

1 d4 Nf6



2 c4 e6



3 Nc3 Bb4



4 Nf3



4 f3 d5 5 a3 Bxc3+ 6 bxc3 c5 7 cxd5 Nxd5 8 dxc5 Qa5 9 e4 Ne7 10 Be3 O-O 11 Qb3 Qc7.
4 Bg5 h6 5 Bh4 c5 6 d5 d6 7 e3 Bxc3+ 8 bxc3 e5 9 f3 Nbd7 10 Bd3 Qe7 11 Qc2 g5 12 Bg3.
4 g3 c5 5 Nf3 cxd4 6 Nxd4 O-O 7 Bg2 d5 8 cxd5 Nxd5 9 Bd2 Bxc3 10 bxc3 e5 11 Nb5 a6 12 c4 Nb6 13 Na3.
4 Qb3 c5 5 dxc5 Nc6 6 Nf3 Ne4 7 Bd2 Nxd2 8 Nxd2 Bxc5 9 e3 O-O 10 Be2 b6 11 O-O.
4 Bd2 O-O 5 Nf3 c5 6 dxc5 Bxc5 7 e3 d5 8 Rc1 Qe7 9 cxd5 exd5 10 Be2 Nc6 11 O-O Bg4 12 Na4 Bd6 13 Bc3.

4 ... d5



4 ... b6 5 Bg5 Bb7 6 e3 h6 7 Bh4 g5 8 Bg3 Ne4 9 Qc2 Bxc3+
10 bxc3 d6 11 Bd3 f5 12 d5.
4 ... b6 5 Qb3 c5 6 a3 Ba5 7 Bg5 h6 8 Bh4 g5 9 Bg3 g4 10 Nd2 cxd4 11 Nb5 Ne4 12 Nc7+ Kf8 13 Rd1 Nxd2 14 Rxd2 Bxd2+
15 Kxd2 Bb7 16 Bd6+ Kg7 17 Qg3.
4 ... b6 5 Qc2 Bb7 6 Bg5 h6 7 Bh4 g5 8 Bg3 Ne4 9 e3 Bxc3+
10 bxc3 d6 11 Bd3 f5 12 d5.
4 ... c5 5 g3 cxd4 6 Nxd4 O-O 7 Bg2 d5 8 cxd5 Nxd5 9 Bd2 Nxc3 10 bxc3 Be7 11 Rb1 a6 12 O-O.
4 ... c5 5 e3 O-O 6 Bd3 d5 7 O-O dxc4 8 Bxc4 Nbd7 9 Qe2 a6 10 a4 Qc7 11 Na2 b5 12 Bd3 Ba5 13 axb5 axb5 14 Bxb5 Bb7 15 Rd1 Rab8 16 dxc5 Nxc5 17 b4 Ng4 18 h3 Bxf3 19 Qxf3 Qh2+ 20 Kf1.
4 ... O-O 5 Qc2 c5 6 dxc5 Na6 7 g3 Nxc5 8 Bg2 Nce4 9 O-O Nxc3 10 bxc3 Be7.

5 Bg5



5 cxd5 exd5 6 Bg5 Nbd7 7 e3 c5 8 Bd3 Qa5 9 Qc2 c4 10 Bf5 O-O
11 O-O Re8 12 Nd2 g6 13 Bxd7 Nxd7.
5 e3 O-O 6 Bd3 c5 7 O-O dxc4 8 Bxc4 Nbd7 9 Qe2 b6 10 Rd1 cxd4 11 exd4 Bb7.
5 Qa4+ Nc6 6 e3 O-O 7 Bd2 a6 8 a3 Bxc3 9 Bxc3 Ne4 10 Qc2 Nxc3 11 Qxc3 Re812 Rd1 Bd7 13 Bd3 dxc4 14 Bxc4.
5 Qb3 c5 6 cxd5 exd5 7 dxc5 Nc6 8 e3 O-O 9 Be2 Be6 10 Nd4 Bxc5 11 Nxe6 fxe6 12 O-O.

5 ... h6



5 ... Nbd7 6 cxd5 exd5 7 e3 c5 8 Bd3 Qa5 9 Qc2 c4 10 Bf5 O-O
11 O-O Re8 12 Nd2 g6 13 Bxd7 Nxd7.
5 ... h6 6 Bxf6 Qxf6 7 e3 O-O 8 Rc1 dxc4 9 Bxc4 c5 10 O-O cxd4
11 exd4 Nc6 12 Ne4 Qf4 13 Qe2 Rd8 14 g3 Qg4 15 Rfd1 Bd7
16 a3 Bf8.
5 ... dxc4 6 e4 c5 7 Bxc4 cxd4 8 Nxd4 Bxc3+ 9 bxc3 Qa5 10 Bb5+ Bd7 11 Bxf6 gxf6 12 Qb3 a6 13 Be2 Nc6 14 O-O Qc7 15 Rab1 Na5
16 Qa3 Rc8.
5 ... O-O 6 e3 c5 7 cxd5 exd5 8 dxc5 Nbd7 9 Rc1 Qa5 10 Nd2 Qxc5 11 a3 Bxc3 12 Rxc3 Qb6 13 Qb3 Qa5 14 Qb5 Qxb5
15 Bxb5 a6.

6 Bxf6



6 Bh4 dxc4 7 Qa4+ Nc6 8 a3 Bxc3+ 9 bxc3 Qd5 10 Nd2 b5 11 Qc2 Bb7 12 e4 Nxd4 13 cxd4 Nxe4 14 Qxe4 Qxe4+ 15 Nxe4 Bxe4.

6 ... Qxf6



6 ... Bxc3+ 7 bxc3 Qxf6 8 e3 O-O 9 cxd5 exd5 10 Qb3 Rd8 11 c4 c5 12 cxd5 cxd4 13 Nxd4 Qg5 14 f4 Qxd5 15 Qxd5 Rxd5 16 Bc4 Rc5 17 Rc1.

7 e3



7 Qb3 c5 8 cxd5 exd5 9 e3 O-O 10 dxc5 Bxc3+ 11 bxc3 Be6
12 Nd4 Nd7 13 Qa3 Rfc8 14 c6 bxc6 15 Ba6 Rcb8 16 O-O.
7 cxd5 exd5 8 Qa4+ Nc6 9 e3 O-O 10 Be2 Be6 11 O-O a6.
7 Qa4+ Nc6 8 cxd5 exd5 9 e3 O-O 10 Be2 Be6 11 O-O a6.
7 Rc1 dxc4 8 g3 b5 9 Bg2 Bb7 10 O-O Bxc3 11 bxc3 Nd7
12 a4 a6 13 Rb1 Bc6 14 Qc2 Rb8 15 Rfe1.
7 a3 Bxc3+ 8 bxc3 O-O 9 e3 c5 10 Qb3 Rd8 11 Be2 dxc4
12 Qxc4 b6 13 Qa4 Bb7 14 O-O Nd7 15 Rfd1 a6 16 Qb3.

7 ... O-O



7 ... c5 8 cxd5 exd5 9 Qb3 O-O 10 dxc5 Bxc3+ 11 Qxc3 Qxc3+
12 bxc3 Nd7 13 Rd1 Nxc5 14 Rxd5 b6
7 ... c6 8 Rc1 Nd7 9 a3 Bxc3+ 10 Rxc3 O-O 11 Qc2 dxc412 Bxc4 e5 13 O-O exd4 14 Nxd4 Rd8 15 Ba2 Nf8 16 f4 Rd6 17 h3 Bd7
18 Ne2 Bf5 19 e4 Bh7.
7 ... Nc6 8 cxd5 exd5 9 Be2 O-O 10 O-O Bxc3 11 bxc3 b6
12 c4 dxc4 13 Bxc4 Rd8 14 Be2 Bb7 15 Rc1.

8 Rc1



8 Qb3 c5 9 cxd5 exd5 10 dxc5 Bxc3+ 11 Qxc3 Qxc3+ 12 bxc3.
8 Be2 dxc4 9 O-O Qe7 10 Bxc4 c5 11 Qe2 b6 12 Rfd1 Bb7
13 Rac1 Rd8 14 h3 Bxc3 15 Rxc3 Nd7.
8 cxd5 exd5 9 Bd3 c6 10 O-O Bg4 11 Be2 Nd7.
8 Bd3 dxc4 9 Bxc4 c5 10 O-O cxd4 11 exd4 Bxc3 12 bxc3 Nc6
13 Bb5 Bd7 14 Ne5 Qe7.

8 ... dxc4



8 ... c6 9 Bd3 Nd7 10 O-O Qe7 11 a3 dxc4 12 Bxc4 Bd6.
8 ... Nd7 9 a3 Bxc3+ 10 Rxc3 c6 11 Qc2 dxc4 12 Bxc4 b6
13 Bd3 c5 14 Bh7+ Kh8 15 Be4 Rb8 16 O-O e5.
8 ... Rd8 9 a3 Bxc3+ 10 Rxc3 dxc4 11 Rxc4 c6 12 Bd3 Nd7
13 O-O g6 14 Qc2 Nb6 15 Rc5 Nd7 16 Rc3 e5 17 Rc4.
8 ... Nc6 9 Bd3 dxc4 10 Bxc4 e5 11 O-O Bxc3 12 bxc3 Bg4
13 h3 Be6 14 Bxe6 fxe6 15 Rb1 Rab8.

9 Bxc4



9 ... c5



9 ... Rd8 10 O-O Qe7 11 Ne4 Nd7 12 Qc2 Ba5 13 a3 Bb6 14 Ba2 Nf6
15 Bb1 g6 16 Ne5.
9 ... Nc6 10 O-O Bxc3 11 Rxc3 e5 12 d5 Ne7 13 Bb3.

10 O-O



10 dxc5 Bxc5 11 O-O Rd8 12 Qe2 Bf8 13 Rfd1 Nc6 14 Rxd8 Qxd8
15 Rd1 Bd7.
10 a3 cxd4 11 exd4 Bxc3+ 12 Rxc3 Rd8 13 O-O Nc6 14 Rd3 b6
15 b4 Bb7 16 Re1 Ne7 17 Ne5.

10 ... cxd4



11 Nxd4



11 exd4 Nc6 12 Ne4 Qf4 13 Qe2 Rd8 14 g3 Qg4 15 Rfd1 Bd7
16 a3 Be7.
11 Ne4 Qe7 12 exd4 Nc6 13 Qe2 Ba5 14 Bb5 Bd7 15 Nc5 Be8
16 Qe4 Bb6 17 Bd3 g6.

11 ... Bd7



11 ... Rd8 12 Qb3 Qe7 13 Rfd1 Bd7 14 Bd5 Nc6 15 Nxc6 bxc6
16 Bf3 Be8.
11 ... Nd7 12 Qb3 Bd6 13 Nf3 Qe7 14 Rfd1 Nb6 15 a4 Rd8 16 Nb5 Bb8 17 Rxd8+ Qxd8 18 Rd1 Qe7.

12 Qb3



12 Ne4 Qe7 13 Be2 Nc6 14 a3 Nxd4 15 Qxd4 Ba5 16 Qc5 Bd8
17 Qxe7 Bxe7 18 Rc7 Bc6.
12 a3 Bxc3 13 Rxc3 Nc6 14 Nf3 Rfd8 15 Qc2 Rac8 16 Rc1 Ne5
17 Nxe5 Qxe5 18 Qe2.
12 Ne4 Qe7 13 Qb3 Bc6 14 Nxc6 Nxc6 15 Bb5 Ne5 16 a3 Ba5
17 Be2.

12 ... Nc6



13 Nxc6 Bxc3



14 Qxc3 Bxc6



Or,

13 Nxc6 Bxc3



14 Nxa7 Bxb2



15 Rcd1 Be8



Back to

14 Qxc3 Bxc6



15 Qxf6 gxf6



By ChessCoach@care2.com

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Chess: Understanding the Caro-Kann Defense Part V

1 e4 c6 2 d4 d5 3 e5 Bf5 4 Nc3 e6 5 g4 Bg6
6 Nge2 c5 Line



What's the game plan for White?

What's the game plan for Black?

Also available:
Understanding the Caro-Kann Defense Part I
http://chesscoach1950.blogspot.com/2006/05/chess-understanding-caro-kann-defense.html
Understanding the Caro-Kann Defense Part II
http://chesscoach1950.blogspot.com/2006/07/chess-understanding-caro-kann-defense.html
Understanding the Caro-Kann Defense Part III
http://chesscoach1950.blogspot.com/2006/07/chess-understanding-caro-k_115289712608313129.html
Understanding the Caro-Kann Defense Part IV
http://chesscoach1950.blogspot.com/2006/07/chess-understanding-caro-k_115290263166328522.html
Understanding the Caro-Kann Defense Part VI
http://chesscoach1950.blogspot.com/2006/08/chess-understanding-caro-kann-defense.html

Line A

1 e4 c6



2 d4 d5



3 e5



3 ... Bf5



3 ... c5 4 dxc5 e6 5 Be3 Nh6 6 c3 Nf5 7 Bd4 Bd7
8 Nf3 Nc6 9 a3 a5 10 Be2 a4 11 O-O Be7 12 Bd3.
3 ... c5 4 dxc5 e6 5 Nf3 Bxc5 6 Bd3 Nc6 7 O-O
7 ... Nge7 8 Bf4 Ng6 9 Bg3 O-O.
3 ... c5 4 dxc5 e6 5 Qg4 h5 6 Qf4 Bxc5 7 Bd3 Qb6.
3 ... Na6 4 c3 Nc7 5 Bd3 g6 6 Ne2 h5 7 O-O Nh6
8 Nd2 Bf5 9 Nf3 Qd7 10 Ng3 Bxd3 11 Qxd3 Nf5 12 e6
12 ... Qxe6.
3 ... g6 4 f4 h5 5 c4 Nh6 6 Nc3 Be6 7 Qb3 Qb6
8 c5 Qc7 9 Be3 Nd7 10 Nf3 Bg4 11 Nd2 h4 12 h3
12 ... Be6.

4 Nc3



4 h4 h5 5 c4 e6 6 Nc3 Be7 7 cxd5 cxd5 8 Bd3 Bxd3
9 Qxd3 Nc6 10 Nf3 Rc8 11 O-O Nh6 12 Bxh6 Rxh6.
4 Be3 e6 5 c3 Nd7 6 Nd2 Ne7 7 f4 Bg6 8 Ngf3 c5.
4 Ne2 e6 5 Ng3 Bg6 6 h4 h5 7 Be2 c5.
4 Be2 e6 5 Nf3 c5 6 Be3 cxd4 7 Nxd4 Ne7 8 c4 Nbc6
9 Qa4.
4 Nd2 e6 5 Nb3 Nd7 6 Nf3 Ne7 7 Be2 c5 8 Nxc5 Nxc5
9 dxc5 Nc6 10 Be3 Bg4 11 O-O Bxf3 12 Bxf3 Nxe5 13 Be2.
4 Bd3 Bxd3 5 Qxd3 e6 6 Nc3 Qb6 7 Nge2 Ne7 8 O-O Nd7
9 a4 c5 10 a5 Qa6.
4 g4 Be4 5 f3 Bg6 6 h4 h5 7 Ne2 e6 8 Nf4 hxg4
9 Nxg6 fxg6 10 Qd3 Rxh4 11 Qxg6+ Kd7 12 Bg5 Qa5+
13 Bd2 Qd8.
4 c4 e6 5 Nc3 Ne7 6 Nge2 dxc4 7 Ng3 Nd7 8 Bxc4 Nb6
9 Bb3 Bg6 10 O-O Qd7 11 Be3 O-O-O.

4 ... e6



4 ... Qb6 5 Nf3 e6 6 Be2 Ne7 7 O-O Nd7 8 b3 Bg4
9 Na4 Qc7 10 c4 Nb6 11 Nb2 dxc4 12 Nxc4 Ned5
13 Bd2.
4 ... a6 5 Be3 Qc7 6 h4 h5 7 Nge2 e6 8 Ng3 Bg6
9 Be2 c5 10 f4 cxd4 11 Qxd4 Nc6 12 Qa4.
4 ... h5 5 Bd3 Bxd3 6 Qxd3 e6 7 Nf3 Nd7 8 O-O Be7
9 Ne2 Nh6 10 c3 Nf5 11 Ng3 g6 12 Bf4 h4 13 Nxf5
13 ... gxf5 14 Qd2 Rg8.

5 g4



5 Bd3 Bxd3 6 Qxd3 Qb6 7 Nge2 Ne7 8 O-O Nd7
9 a4 c5 10 a5 Qa6.
5 Be3 Nd7 6 Nge2 c5 7 dxc5.
5 h4 h5 6 Nf3 Bg4 7 Be2 c5 8 Be3 Nc6
9 dxc5 Bxf3 10 Bxf3 Nxe5.
5 Nge2 c5 6 Be3 Nd7 7 dxc5.

5 ... Bg6



6 Nge2



6 h4 h5 7 g5 c5.

6 ... c5



6 ... Ne7 7 Nf4 c5 8 h4 cxd4 9 Nb5 Nec6 10 h5 Be4
11 f3 a6 12 fxe4 axb5 13 exd5 exd5 14 Bg2 Bb4+
15 Kf1.
6 ... f6 7 Nf4 fxe5 8 dxe5 Bf7 9 Qe2 Nd7 10 Bg2 Qc7
11 Nd3 Ne7 12 f4 h5.
6 ... Be7 7 Be3 Nd7 8 Qd2 h5 9 Nf4 Nf8.
6 ... Bb4 7 h4 Be4 8 Rh3 h5 9 Ng3 c5 10 Bg5 Qb6
11 Ngxe4 cxd4 12 Nd6+ Bxd6 13 exd6 dxc3
14 Rxc3 Nd7 15 Rb3 Qxd6 16 Rxb7 Ngf6.
6 ... h6 7 Be3 Nd7 8 Nf4 Bh7 9 Qd2 Ne7.
6 ... Qh4 7 Nf4 Nh6 8 h3 Bb4 9 Ng2 Qe7.

7 h4



7 Be3 Nc6 8 dxc5 Nxe5 9 Nd4 Nd7 10 b4 Be7.
7 Nf4 Ne7 8 dxc5 Nec6 9 h4 Qc7 10 h5 Qxe5+
11 Nfe2 Be4 12 Bf4 Qf6 13 g5 Qe7 14 Nxe4 dxe4.

7 ... h5



7 ... h6 8 Be3 Qb6 9 h5 Bh7 10 Qd2 Nc6 11 O-O-O
11 ... c4
12 f4 Qa5 13 f5 b5 14 Nxd5 Qxd2+ 15 Bxd2 exd5
16 Bg2 O-O-O.
7 ... cxd4 8 Nxd4 h5 9 Bb5+ Nd7 10 Bg5 Be7.
7 ... Nc6 8 h5 Be4 9 Rh3 h6 10 Nxe4 dxe4 11 Bg2
11 ... cxd4 12 Bxe4.
7 ... f6 8 exf6 Nxf6 9 Nf4 cxd4 10 Qxd4 Nc6 11 Qe3
11 ... e5 12 Nxg6 hxg6.

8 Nf4



8 ... Bh7



8 ... Nc6 9 Nxg6 fxg6 10 Ne2 Qb6 11 Nf4 cxd4
12 Bd3 Nxe5 13 Nxg6 Nxg6 14 Bxg6+ Kd7.
8 ... Be4 9 f3 cxd4 10 Nb5 Bh7 11 Nxh5 Nc6 12 f4.

9 Nxh5



9 g5 cxd4 10 Nb5 Be4 11 f3 Bf5 12 Nxd4 Ne7
13 Bb5+ Nbc6.
9 Bb5+ Nc6 10 Nxh5 cxd4 11 Qxd4 Nge7 12 Bh6
12 ... Rg8 13 O-O-O a6 14 Bxc6+ Nxc6 15 Qf4.

9 ... cxd4



9 ... Nc6 10 dxc5 Bxc5 11 Bb5 Qc7 12 Bxc6+ Qxc6
13 Qf3 Kf8.

10 Qxd4



10 Nb5 Nc6 11 Nxd4 Nge7 12 c3 Nxe5
13 Bb5+ N5c6 14 Bg5 Qc8.

10 ... Bxc2



10 ... Nc6 11 Bb5 Nge7 12 Bh6 Rg8 13 O-O-O a6
14 Bxc6+ Nxc6 15 Qf4.

11 Bg5 Qa5



Line B

1 e4 c6 2 d4 d5 3 e5 Bf5 4 Nc3 e6 5 g4 Bg6
6 Nge2 c5

7 h4 cxd4



8 Nxd4



8 Qxd4 Nc6 9 Qa4 h5 10 Nf4 Bh7 11 Nxh5 a6.

8 ... h5



9 f4



9 Bb5+ Nd7 10 Bg5 Be7 11 f4 hxg4
12 Qxg4 Bxg5 13 fxg5 Bh5 14 Qg3.

9 ... hxg4



9 ... Qd7 10 f5 exf5 11 gxf5 Bxf5 12 Nxf5 Qxf5
13 Qxd5 Nc6.

10 Qxg4



10 Bb5+ Nd7 11 f5 Rxh4 12 Rf1 exf5 13 e6 fxe6
14 Nxe6 Qe7 15 Qe2 Kf7.

10 ... Nh6



11 Qg2



Line C

1 e4 c6 2 d4 d5 3 e5 Bf5 4 Nc3 e6 5 g4 Bg6
6 Nge2 c5

7 h4 h6



8 Be3 Qb6



9 h5 Bh7



10 Qd2 Nc6



11 O-O-O c4



12 a3



Line D

1 e4 c6 2 d4 d5 3 e5 Bf5 4 Nc3 e6 5 g4 Bg6
6 Nge2 c5

7 h4 f6



8 Nf4 Bf7



9 exf6 cxd4



10 Qxd4 gxf6



11 Qa4+ Nc6



Line E

1 e4 c6 2 d4 d5 3 e5 Bf5 4 Nc3 e6 5 g4 Bg6
6 Nge2 c5

7 h4 Nc6



8 h5 Be4



9 Rh3 h6



10 Nxe4 dxe4



11 Bg2 cxd4



12 Bxe4 Qa5+



13 Kf1 Qxe5



14 Bxc6+ bxc6



15 Qxd4 Qxd4



16 Nxd4



By ChessCoach@care2.com

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