E21 Nimzo-Indian: 4.Nf3 (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Nf3 O-O 5.Bg5)

This game was played in a team match called Open Challenge Magnus Carlsen Group. It is played between Magnus Carlsen Group and DORU-66 & HIS BEST FRIENDS. I will never understand the fixation of all caps in a team name but then again it does not bother me as much as it does some people. This match is played on 21 boards and I played board 4 for Magnus Carlsen Group. I won both my games in the match, this game with resignation and the other on time. Even though there are still games left to play, DORU-66 & HIS BEST FRIENDS have already won the match as the score is at the moment I type this 12,5 - 24,5 in favor of our opponent. I have updated the mate in ones, twos, threes and fours today, so have a look there if you want to do some training. All puzzles you will find in this blog are taken from my games, the positions are either the actual game continuations or taken from the analysis of that game. The positions I have lately put there are all happened in the actual game the puzzle text refers to. The ones that have been taken from analysis continuations have no game comment on the puzzle text. I still have most of my moves to make in my correspondence chess games and I am going to make moves on them after I have made this post.

[Event "Open Challenge Magnus Carlsen Group - B"] [Site "Chess.com"] [Date "2014.11.05"] [Round "?"] [White "kroksis"] [Black "Vierjoki, Timo"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "E21"] [WhiteElo "1722"] [BlackElo "1913"] [Annotator "Tactical Analysis 2.10 (5s), TV"] [PlyCount "42"] [EventDate "2014.??.??"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 (3. Nf3 Bb4+ {1/2-1/2 (33) Lehmkau,S (1526)-Vishanji, F (1869) Gelsenkirchen 2017}) 3... Bb4 4. Nf3 {E21 Nimzo-Indian Defense: Three Knights Variation} (4. Bg5 O-O {0-1 (38) Lukac,P (1691)-Jancura,A (1881) Bratislava 2014}) 4... O-O 5. Bg5 {E21 Nimzo-Indian: 4.Nf3} Be7 $2 {1.13/17 [#] } (5... c5 $15 {-0.39/23}) (5... b6 6. e3 {0-1 (33) Maaser,B-Nadjmabadi,B Germany 1993}) 6. e3 {0.26/21} (6. e4 $16 {1.13/17}) (6. Rc1 d5 7. e3 Nbd7 8. Qc2 c6 9. a3 Re8 10. Bd3 h6 11. Bf4 Nf8 12. O-O Bd6 13. Rfe1 Bxf4 14. exf4 dxc4 15. Bxc4 b6 16. Rcd1 Bb7 17. Ne5 Nd5 18. g3 Rc8 19. Ne4 Qc7 20. b4 Nd7 { Arkhipov,S (2507)-Safronov,V (1899) Moscow 2015 1-0 (51)}) 6... b6 {0.92/17} ( 6... h6 $11 {0.26/21} 7. Bxf6 Bxf6) (6... d5 7. Bd3 Nbd7 8. O-O b6 9. cxd5 Nxd5 10. Bxe7 Qxe7 11. Nxd5 exd5 12. Rc1 c5 13. b3 a5 14. a4 Ba6 15. Bxa6 Rxa6 16. dxc5 Nxc5 17. Qxd5 Rd8 18. Qc4 Ra7 19. Rfd1 Rad7 20. Rxd7 Qxd7 21. Nd4 { Lehmkau,S (1526)-Vishanji,F (1869) Gelsenkirchen 2017 1/2-1/2 (33)}) 7. Be2 $146 {0.04/21} (7. e4 $16 {0.92/17}) (7. Bd3 h6 (7... Bb7 8. O-O c5 9. Qc2 h6 10. Bh4 Bxf3 11. gxf3 Nc6 12. Ne2 Nb4 13. Qd2 Nxd3 14. Qxd3 Nh7 15. Bxe7 Qxe7 16. Kh1 Ng5 17. e4 f5 18. e5 Nh3 19. f4 Qh4 20. Qg3 Qh5 21. f3 g5 22. d5 { Maaser,B-Nadjmabadi,B Germany 1993 0-1 (33)}) 8. Bh4 Bb7 9. O-O c5 10. Rc1 d6 11. Bxf6 Bxf6 12. Be4 Bxe4 13. Nxe4 Be7 14. dxc5 bxc5 15. Qd3 Qb6 16. Rfd1 Rd8 17. Rb1 a5 18. b3 Na6 19. a3 Rab8 20. h3 Qc6 21. Nc3 Nc7 {Lukac,P (1691) -Jancura,A (1881) Bratislava 2014 0-1 (38)}) 7... Bb7 $11 8. Qc2 {0.00/22} (8. O-O $14 {0.51/18}) 8... d6 {1.03/18} (8... h6 $11 {0.00/22 remains equal.} 9. Bf4 Nh5) 9. O-O-O {0.07/21} ({Better is} 9. Rd1 $16 {1.03/18}) 9... d5 {1.22/18 } (9... Nbd7 $11 {0.07/21}) 10. h4 {0.27/21} (10. Bxf6 $1 $16 {1.22/18} Bxf6 11. cxd5) 10... dxc4 {1.27/20} (10... Nbd7 $1 $11 {0.27/21 keeps the balance.}) 11. Bxc4 {0.71/21} (11. Bxf6 $142 {1.27/20} Bxf6 12. Bxc4) 11... Nbd7 {1.46/19} (11... Nd5 $142 {0.71/21}) 12. h5 $2 {-0.09/22 [#]} ({White should try} 12. e4 $1 $16 {1.46/19}) 12... h6 13. Bf4 {-0.78/18} (13. Bxf6 $14 {0.40/22 keeps the upper hand.} Nxf6 14. e4) 13... a6 {0.00/22} (13... c6 $17 {-0.78/18}) 14. Rh2 $2 {-2.05/18} (14. d5 $11 {0.00/22 and White has nothing to worry.} exd5 15. Nxd5 (15. Bxd5 Nxd5 16. Nxd5 Bd6 $11) 15... Nxd5 16. Bxd5 Bxd5 17. Rxd5) 14... Bd6 {-0.89/21} (14... b5 $1 $19 {-2.05/18 and Black stays clearly on top.} 15. Bd3 c5 16. dxc5 Bxc5) 15. Ne5 $17 Qe7 16. Nxd7 {-1.85/20} (16. Kb1 $17 { -1.20/22}) 16... Nxd7 {-0.95/21} ({Black should play} 16... Qxd7 $19 {-1.85/20} 17. g3 Bxf4 18. gxf4 c5) 17. g4 {-2.39/21} (17. Bxd6 $17 {-0.95/21} cxd6 18. Bd3) 17... Bxf4 $19 18. exf4 c5 19. dxc5 {-3.28/21} (19. g5 {-1.91/22 is a better defense.} cxd4 20. Rxd4) 19... Nxc5 20. Rg1 $2 {-7.47/21} (20. Rh3 { -2.66/22}) 20... Qc7 21. f5 Qxh2 {Accuracy: White = 5%, Black = 32%.} 0-1