Normal Topic Nimzowitsch Defence 1.e4 Nc6 2.Nf3 d5! (Read 6524 times)
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Re: Nimzowitsch Defence 1.e4 Nc6 2.Nf3 d5!
Reply #5 - 10/14/09 at 21:38:48
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winawer77 wrote on 10/14/09 at 19:08:12:
However, 5.d4 both creates a target on d4 (after ...0-0-0) and makes Black declare his setup - 5...Bg4 can still be met by 6.Bb5, when doubled c-pawns will again appear. However, 5...Nf6 is the overwhelming choice by Black in this position when 6.Bb5 is met by 6...Ne4!

Interesting. In this position my database gives far more games with 5...Bg4 than with 5...Nf6. But 5...Nf6 transposes to a position from the Centre Counter which is not so unpopular.

However, according to Emms, "White can virtually force a pleasant endgame" after 6.Bd2 Bg4 7.Nb5 Qb6 8.c4! 
  
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Re: Nimzowitsch Defence 1.e4 Nc6 2.Nf3 d5!
Reply #4 - 10/14/09 at 19:22:59
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@ winawer77,

This old thread, though it deals centrally with 1 e4 Nc6 2 d4 d5 3 ed Qd5 4 Nf3, may be of interest:

http://www.chesspub.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1209856655/0
  
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Re: Nimzowitsch Defence 1.e4 Nc6 2.Nf3 d5!
Reply #3 - 10/14/09 at 19:08:12
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Sure, the doubled c-pawns (after Bxc6+) look terrible. The old game Karpov-Hort is usually quoted as the standard way of playing this.

After the standard moves...

1. e4 Nc6 2. Nf3 d5 3. exd5 Qxd5 4. Nc3 Qa5

The immediate 5.Bb5 is met by Bd7! (Hort played 5...a6?! and after 6.Bxc6+ bxc6 had an unappealing position) as in the Khalifman-Minasian game.

However, 5.d4 both creates a target on d4 (after ...0-0-0) and makes Black declare his setup - 5...Bg4 can still be met by 6.Bb5, when doubled c-pawns will again appear. However, 5...Nf6 is the overwhelming choice by Black in this position when 6.Bb5 is met by 6...Ne4! 

I think that this may be the critical line of the 2...d5 variation but have not formed any firm conclusions yet.

  
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Re: Nimzowitsch Defence 1.e4 Nc6 2.Nf3 d5!
Reply #2 - 10/14/09 at 18:47:33
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I looked at this line briefly, as a solution to the 2.Nf3 dilemma, but didn't much care for it. The doubled c-pawns after 0-0-0 look terrifying, as does the lack of a retreat to c7 or d8 for the Black queen. Anyway, if you were willing to play this sort of position, would there be any purpose in playing 1...Nc6 rather than 1...d5?
  
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Re: Nimzowitsch Defence 1.e4 Nc6 2.Nf3 d5!
Reply #1 - 10/14/09 at 18:35:44
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I haven't played 2.Nf3 d5 myself. But one source is an internet article by IM Vlasov on the old "Kasparov Chess" site. It's not available aymore, but I should have it stored somewhere. He focused on how wrong it can go for White when he simply develops and Black gets to play ...e5! with a sometimes winning pin, but also gave some games where he survived despite doubled c-pawns in front of his king.

"1...Nc6! aus allen lagen" by Keilhack and Schlenker (1995) also has some material on this, although in this Rybka age the anaylsis there has a number of holes.
  

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Nimzowitsch Defence 1.e4 Nc6 2.Nf3 d5!
10/14/09 at 18:02:49
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I'd like to start this thread on the above variation - firstly does it have a name? I've not seen this documents much in any book. Even ChessPublishing does not cover it at all.

I've always thought of this as an inferior Scandinavian defence, where the early ...Nc6 gets in the way. Not truly believing in Wisnewski's 2...Nf6?! move (Play 1...Nc6!) I decided to take another look at 1...d5. To my surprise, it scores extremely well.

I always considered the early Bb5 lines as the most testing, but even in strong GM games like this one...

[White "Khalifman, Alexander"]
[Black "Minasian, Artashes"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]

1. e4 Nc6 2. Nf3 d5 3. exd5 Qxd5 4. Nc3 Qa5 5. Bb5 Bd7 6. O-O O-O-O 7. a3 Nf6
8. Rb1 Qb6 9. h3 e6 10. d3 Nd5 11. Bd2 Be8 12. Bc4 Nd4 13. b4 Nxc3 14. Bxc3
Nxf3+ 15. Qxf3 Qc6 16. Qxc6 1/2-1/2

Does anyone have any experience of this 2...d5!?
  
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