Model Game Nimzo Indian Saemisch by Aronian

I started looking at this game on a plane trip and was mesmerised.

 

For a while I've been looking at expanding my Black opening repetoire against 1. d4 by including the Nimzo Indian, and this recent game from the Sinquefield by Aronian is simply a master piece.

 

Three themes really stood out for me from this game.

1. A novel way to execute the ... b5 break.

2. Active Kingside play with ... Nh5 to soften g3.

3. How Black reroutes his Bishop and sidesteps his own bishop with his Queen.

 

A truly model game for Black in fighting against the Nizmo Indian Saemsich, with thematic ideas of ... b5, ... e6 attempting to break that big centre.

 

Continual threats in this game from Aronian, never allowing White to settle. Enlightened that modern chess is the true fight for the initiative.

 

 

 

I'm aware of this idea from the Benoni and King's Indian Averbakh system, where Black can sacrifice the b-pawn with a ... b5 thrust, folllowed with ... a6.

 

Observe here how Black plays ... a6 to prepare ... b5. White answers with a4 clamping down on the b5 square. 

 

8. ... Ba5 is a novelty, by blocking the pin along the a-file Black renews the threat of ... b5.

 

 

What impressed me with this idea of ... Nh5 is the potential follow up with ... f5 and ... Qh4 explointing White's uncastled King.

 

Play on both sides of the boards, attack on both flanks.

 

I particularly like aggressively meeting g4 with ... b4 and the willingness to sacrifice a piece for a dangerous attack.

 

 

 

This is something I find so difficult to do in my games. A piece has served its purpose in one area and needs to redeploy. 

 

In this case, the Black dark squared Bishop needs to come to the a7-g1 diagonal to place pressure on f2.

 

I love this ... b3 threatening ... Rc2 which deflects the Knight to b3, and then switching the Bishop to threaten a discovered ... d3.