Crushing an intermediate chessplayer with the Nimzovich Defense

Today I played a wonderful game on chess tempo. My opponent's rating was 1480. Although he wasn't a bad player, I crushed him very easily using the Nimzovich defense, and using some nice tactics as well.

Now I want to share some ideas with you, and try to teach you the basics of the wonderful Nimzovich defense. I'm going to talk about the Kennedy-Linkspringer variation of the Nimzovich defense.

Kennedy-Linkspringer variation starts with the moves:

1. e4 Nc6

2. d4 (controlling the centre) e5

3. d5 Ne7

In many games, after the above moves your opponent will play Nf3, attacking the undefended pawn on e5. From here, you can use a simple algorithm to crush them. I must clarify that the algorithm which I'm going to show you is not perfect and not always brings quick and easy victory, but it gives you the initiative and puts you on a good path. 

The algorithm goes as follows:

1. First off, protect the e5 pawn by playing Ng6

2. If your opponent plays Nc3 (it happens very often on move 5), pin their knight with your bishop and wait untill they attack the bishop with the move a3. When your opponent attack your bishop, simply capture their knight on c3 and give them double pawns!

3. Play d6 (to block the dangerous pawn on d5 and to add a defender to the e4 pawn)

4. Develop your other knight to f6.

5. Castle

6. Push your f pawn to f5. In this point you should trade a few pieces (exf5, Bxf5, Bxf5, Rxf5) in order to develop your rook to f5. In many games your opponent will trade his pieces just like I mentioned without understanding your plan.

7. The next step is to develop the queen so that she supports the rook, and launch a blitz attack on your opponent's king side using all your pieces (Knights, rook, and queen).

8. During the attack on their king side, your opponent may try to invade your queen side with their pawns. It is very important to prevent them from doing it. Simply advance your a and b pawns to block their pawn-invasion.

This is the algorithm that I have used in many of my games. I have won more than 20 games because of this algorithm. You can watch the full lesson here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwjf5jexT44&list=PLz_KK5ifYNx2woG_OL0TAbtYT9qMGbBxj

And this is the game that I wanted to show you. Nimzovich Kennedy-Linkspringer variation at its best :)

Well played!

Hello abrahampenrose. Thanks for your interesting comment!

The "undevelopment" nimzovich looks a little bit risky because it gives white the initiative. However, I'd love to play it in my future games.

A long time ago I played a game against a 1600 player. My opponent played the h4 move, so I automatically responded with the move h5, and the game continued something like that:

Thanks mate 

No problem!

Interesting opening.  I'm going to play it for awhile because I'm bored of the four knights game I always end up playing trying to get into the Petroff's Defense.  Yeah h4 could be a problem...  I just found an interesting way to avoid the two knights defense when my opponent plays Bc4 on move 3 and now you robbed me of totally analialating some poor soul unaware of my clever two piece sacrifice I prepared and now I am going to have to learn this opening because you got me interested!!

btw, on move 11 Nh5 was a blunder.  Remember your not suppose to develop the knight there when his light squared bishop is not loose on d3 because in this game now he can just take your pawn on e5 with his knight.

Hey! that was a good one!

I mean that was a good game!

i like this opening very much

I did not play this opening until now, but others played it against me.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

you lost that time?????????????????

1.e4 Nc6 2.d4 e5 3.d5 Nce7 4.Nf3 Ng6 5.h4?

In my opinion, white is just weakening his kingside.  Don't even play h5 he is wasting tempo driving your knight away from his pirch just play Bc5 or Bb4+ 

when he finally plays h5 just move your knight to e2 and it'll be fine there just start attacking the center like GJ said in his video.

If you play h5 the opening will lose it's steam because now he can pin your knight and you won't be able to kick it because you already commited to playing h5, as you realized while you played the game.  The only thing you can really do it move your bishop back to e2 and if he's clever he will advance his queenside pawns to provoke you to play d6 and now your bishop is stuck on e2 he can move his bishop away freely and you are in for a pretty annoying game.  Or he could just take one of your knights, doesn't matter your steam is gone when you only have one knight and he still has his dark squared bishop and now your bishop is misplaced since you just took his bishop with your bishop.  If you don't move your bishop back to e2 and move your queen out of the way he will just take the knight and give you doubled pawns.  Bad idea.  

I don't remember.

but that time he can play h5!!!!!!!!!!!! tooooooooooooo

I don't know anything about this opening.

then learn

Sure.

ok