don't play it
Tips on Nimzo-Indian?
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ancor3 wrote:
I'm a Nimzo player who is well read on the theory of the opening and middle game. The Nimzo is about giving up the bisshop pair to create a static weakness on the c4. This means that you should be focussing on stopping white's attacks so you can win the c4 pawn when it's all over.
You transposed into a QGD however, which is something I have a lot of experience playing from the white end. Didn't analyse the endgame, because they're always calculation heavy.
Hi Ancor, thanks very much for your comments and for analysing my game so thoroughly - there's some really good stuff here. I definitely like your suggestion of playing c5 rather than d5 early on. The Modern Benoni is another system that I often play against 1.d4 ... 2.c4, so c5 is perhaps a more natural move for me and I would probably feel more comfortable with that type of pawn structure. I don't usually play the Queen's Gambit as either White or Black, so it's probably not a surprise that I feel a bit unsure strategically after d5.
I agree that 8...Qa5 would have been a nice move, to try to give him an isolated queen pawn & i definitely should have played 20...f4 - that might even have given me some kindside pressure and justified the 16...e5.
Also, I love your idea of 26.Bc5! with White - those connected passed pawns are just devastating supported by the Queen and Rooks. I'd love to find and play that sort of move myself.
Thanks again for your comments - very helpful indeed 
@ ajian: why not?
chessmicky wrote:
While it's true that Black usually gives up his bishop for the knight on c3, he usually waits until White wastes a tempo by playing a3. Every tempo is gold in the opening, and the two bishops are often a valuable asset, so why make White a gift of the two bishops for free?
In fact, since White has just played Bd3, why not play 8....h6. If 9.Bh4 cxd4 10.exd4 dxc4 11.Bxc4 You pick up a tempo and after 11...a6 with the idea of b5, or just 11...b6 you get a dynamic, interesting game with about equal chances. As the game went, doesn't White win a pawn with 10.Bxf6 (instead of O-O) Nxf6 11.cxd4.
I don't think you had nearly enough space on the kingside to make an attack work. How were you going to get more pieces over there? White wasted time with 19.a3. If we wanted to open up the queenside, why not just play 19.b4? And 21.fxe4 was better. I think 30...Ref7 gave Black good chances to survive, although it's pretty tricky
Thanks for your comments chessmicky and I think you make some good suggestions. Yes, I believe you're right that White could have won a pawn with 10.Bxf6, followed by cxd5 - well spotted.
I think the kingside attack was a bit of a silly idea really that wasn't going to work, especially given that he had the h1-a8 diagonal solidly blocked-off with his pawns. Although, if I'd played 20...f4 as ancor3 suggests above, it might have given me a better chance.
Incredibletactic wrote:
You made a blog about this?
Sure, why not? Look at all the useful and constructive comments I'm getting
Aug 5, 2014
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#7
Our dojo welcomes all interested in exploring the light and dark side of the Nimzo-Indian Defense.
Aug 5, 2014
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#8
If you like to attack on the King's Side, you could consider Nimzo variations with an early ... b6.
At the titled level, it's not considered particularly good... but it will probably be a while before you are facing IMs or GMs.
Here's a sample game that might give you some food for thought:
That's a great example game blueemu - thanks for posting it. Some very nice attacking ideas there. Is it one of yours?
Aug 5, 2014
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#10
Yes, from about 20 years ago.
But since the bulk of the game involves threats and forcing moves, it wouldn't surprise me at all if the whole game had been played before. That happens a lot in sharp, forcing lines.
Good point, chessmicky . Wow, surely it is seriously bad for White to play 12.g3? in that situation, with Black's Bishop covering the long diagonal and pawns controlling the central light squares. What were they thinking? 
. I guess trying to prevent Qh4, but then it's fine anyway! 
Aug 5, 2014
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#12
Time4Tea wrote:
What were they thinking? . I guess trying to prevent Qh4, but then it's fine anyway!
Sometimes even when it's prevented, it isn't prevented!
Now that I think about it, it was more like 35 years ago. Jeeze, I'm getting old. The memory is always the first thing to go... what were we taking about, again?
Hi, this is a game I lost recently where I was playing a Nimzo-Indian as Black. Does anyone have any comments on how I could improve, especially in the opening and middlegame strategy?
Even though the Nimzo-Indian is in my repertoir, I'm not really sure on the strategies and what I should be doing, as I don't play it that often. In particular, I'm often confused as to what to do with my central pawns. I've read that it's good for Black to keep the center closed to benefit the two knights; however, I've also seen in some lines that Black opens up the center to free-up the light Bishop and to try to give White an isolated pawn - any advice on this would be appreciated.
It was a fairly slow live standard game - 45/45. Overall I think I played ok, but my opponent played a good one too, so all credit to him. I was fairly confident I'd be able to defend the passed pawn in the endgame, but he played it well and I made a couple of mistakes which cost me the game. Anyway, I'd be grateful for any comments and especially advice from any Nimzo experts