The Nimzowitsch Surprise – A Battle Against Aaryav Saha
The Nimzowitsch Surprise – A Battle Against Aaryav Saha
By James Brandmair
Heading into Round 5 of the Columbia Chess Club Championship, I had spent the week prepping to face Aarush Panda with the Black pieces. But as pairings go, I found myself sitting across from Aaryav Saha instead—a familiar opponent, but still a formidable one.
Despite the 400-point rating gap, I’ve always felt confident playing Aaryav. Our classical games have been close, and if anything, I still hold an even or plus score against him over the years. I’ve known Aaryav since he was rated 800 and in elementary school—now, he's pushing 1800+ in middle school. Watching his rise through the ranks has been impressive, and I have a lot of respect for his play.
I decided to meet him with a surprise of my own: the Nimzowitsch Sicilian. Against Aaryav, I’ve typically played 1...e5, and occasionally the Caro-Kann or French. This time, I went off-road.
It’s an unorthodox line—the Nimzowitsch Sicilian (1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nf6)—that invites White to grab space early. But it's also a great way to take both players out of heavy theory and just play chess. No memorized lines, no traps, just ideas.
The opening went how I hoped. I equalized quickly and by move 30, I could tell I had the edge. We were both in time trouble, though, and I started rushing—especially after I pushed 35...e4. I was still better, but the initiative was slipping.
Move 38 was where it all started to fall apart. I threw away a clear advantage and landed in a dead-even position. Then, on move 39, I was worse. Still drawable, maybe even salvageable. But with under 10 seconds on my clock, I went for a flashy tactic with 41...Rh1+, hoping to deflect and win his queen.
I missed one crucial detail: his queen was still protected by the rook on d3.
Once I saw it, there was no escaping the reality. I tipped my king and resigned.
Final Thoughts
This one stung—not because I lost to a higher-rated player, but because I outplayed him for most of the game and let it slip in the final moves. Still, there’s value in testing new openings, applying prep, and learning from late-game nerves. I’ll take that into the next round.
