Hi everyone, I was going over some lines in the Nimzo-Indian classical, because that opening is a bit of a headache for me, and I noticed that after a quick d4 Bxc3 xc3, high rated players almost invariably play a3, either directly after (for example) black's d6, or one or two moves later. Does anyone know why? It doesn't seem to keep pieces away from the b4 spot, and it only seems to block in white's DSB. Help much appreciated!
a3 in Nimzo-Indian after bishop-knight exchange?
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Please name some of the high rated players who "almost invariably play a3."
Of about 160 games in my database (all over elo 2200), 82% played it on move 7 in the above position, more still on move 8 and 9. Topalov has played it, Eljanov (including against Carlsen), Navara, Sokolov, etc., all over 2700.
Weltgeist wrote:
Of about 160 games in my database (all over elo 2200), 82% played it on move 7 in the above position, more still on move 8 and 9. Topalov has played it, Eljanov (including against Carlsen), Navara, Sokolov, etc., all over 2700.
I looked at the Chessbase Online database and the first three with that position were all transpositions, where white had played a3 on move 6 to force the trade after all three playing black had played 5..d6.
Out of the first 10, nobody had played 7a3 unforced.
